{"id":758,"date":"2020-08-02T12:22:15","date_gmt":"2020-08-02T12:22:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/?p=758"},"modified":"2020-08-02T12:22:15","modified_gmt":"2020-08-02T12:22:15","slug":"five-things-i-wish-i-knew-before-i-went-to-guardiancon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/five-things-i-wish-i-knew-before-i-went-to-guardiancon\/","title":{"rendered":"Five Things I Wish I Knew Before I Went To GuardianCon"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>What, like I was going to\u00a0go to GuardianCon\u00a0for the first time and\u00a0<em>not\u00a0<\/em>write this article? Please.<\/p><div class=\"kqgny64d60ae205a5d\" ><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\n     style=\"display:block; text-align:center;\"\n     data-ad-layout=\"in-article\"\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8209967072221559\"\n     data-ad-slot=\"2673331731\"><\/ins>\n<script>\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/div><style type=\"text\/css\">\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 1201px) {\r\n.kqgny64d60ae205a5d {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 993px) and (max-width: 1200px) {\r\n.kqgny64d60ae205a5d {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 769px) and (max-width: 992px) {\r\n.kqgny64d60ae205a5d {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 768px) {\r\n.kqgny64d60ae205a5d {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (max-width: 767px) {\r\n.kqgny64d60ae205a5d {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n<\/style>\r\n\n<p>Technically, GuardianCon is no more. The closing ceremonies of the show unveiled a grand rebranding to the Gaming Community Expo, keeping the \u201cGC\u201d but expanding it so that it doesn\u2019t sound like a\u00a0<em>Destiny<\/em>-specific event anymore, given how many other games are now attending (even if the crowd is and will probably continue to be hugely\u00a0<em>Destiny<\/em>-based).<\/p>\n<p>I don\u2019t like going to uh, things, so it took a lot to get me to actually go to GuardianCon finally. I\u2019m glad I did, and if you\u2019re thinking about going too next year as it continues to expand its size and charitable contributions at a frankly preposterous pace, well\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Here are five things I wish I knew before I went to GuardianCon.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recirc-unit recirc-unit-open\" data-gtm-vis-recent-on-screen-655684_1281=\"9392\" data-gtm-vis-first-on-screen-655684_1281=\"9392\" data-gtm-vis-total-visible-time-655684_1281=\"100\" data-gtm-vis-has-fired-655684_1281=\"1\">\n<div class=\"recirc-title\">Recommended For You<\/div>\n<ul class=\"recirc-story-list fuse-data-stories\">\n<li class=\"recirc-story\">\n<h3 class=\"recirc-headline\" data-ga-track=\"Personalized SEO Recirc Unit: 4\">Black Is King Trending Worldwide Shows The Power Of Beyonc\u00e9 Supremacy And Fanaticism.<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"recirc-story\">\n<h3 class=\"recirc-headline\" data-ga-track=\"Personalized SEO Recirc Unit: 5\">Big Island Coffee Roasters Enriches Coffee Culture By Turning Turmoil Into Teaching Opportunities<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"recirc-story\">\n<h3 class=\"recirc-headline\" data-ga-track=\"Personalized SEO Recirc Unit: 6\">Keep Nespresso\u2019s Vision Alive<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>1. Stay At The Hotel<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>GuardianCon was at the Rosen Shingle Creek resort in Orlando and it was frequently described, accurately, as a \u201ccruise ship for nerds on land,\u201d and it\u2019s already been confirmed the event is there next year as well. If you stay at the hotel, you really never have to leave the complex as it has your room, the event, and a network of eating places and shops and coffee spots and everything you could possibly need to avoid going outside in Florida in July. And trust me, that is necessary. It was great to be able to mosey around the complex for literally everything I needed, and you can run into people you know pretty much anywhere since most of them are also staying there. Which leads me to\u2026<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. The Content Creators You Like Actually Do Want You To Say Hi<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Without fail, literally every streamer or YouTuber or developer I ran into or saw other people gathering around was extremely nice to everyone. It is seemingly very weird to just approach someone randomly because you recognize them as a creator, but all these guys and girls are super chill and enjoy talking with fans. You can wait in really long lines to meet some of the most famous faces attending at dedicated booths, or you can just run into them randomly in the complex. Speaking for myself, I can\u2019t tell you how awesome it was to have people come up and say hi and take a photo. Me, the rando contributor who writes way too many\u00a0<em>Destiny<\/em>\u00a0articles. It was surreal but I loved it and made me feel like I could connect my work to actual human beings who like it for once. Everyone here is just internet famous and not some Hollywood star who is going to laugh off your autograph or photo request. Just take your shot, it will land.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. Spring For The Premium Ticket<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I got a premium ticket for the event which got me a shirt and some other things, but it also got me into the Rare Drop Awards show. I didn\u2019t really know what to make of it going in, and was confused when my phone was locked away for the duration. Turns out it\u2019s a giant roast where Goth, Broman, Kevin, DrLupo and others\u00a0<em>tear<\/em>\u00a0into each other for two hours, and if you\u2019re a fan of any of them, it\u2019s absolutely hilarious and a must-attend event and I very much now understand why no one can record it. I\u2026.really can\u2019t go into much more detail about it because I ain\u2019t no snitch but yeah, it was worth it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>4. Games Are Cool But Don\u2019t Sleep On Panels<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I played uh, zero games at GuardianCon. The lines were really, really long for things like\u00a0<em>Destiny<\/em>\u00a0or\u00a0<em>Borderlands 3<\/em>, and I didn\u2019t want to pull my journalist card to sneak ahead because I felt bad. I\u2019m not saying not to wait in the lines, that\u2019s cool if you want to, but I will say that I\u2019m glad I poured most of my convention time into panels. Snaps led a whole bunch of panels about mental health and burnout I could definitely relate to. I watched two Bungie events, one a ride-along with DMG through the Whisper and Zero Hour missions, one a Deej-led panel about what works and doesn\u2019t in D2 in the annual pass era. I saw a live recording of Fireteam Chat, I saw Byf lead a lore panel with a Bungie writer. I watched a very, very entertaining Star Wars panel with Darkness, MisterWoodhouse and GC organizer Kevin that was the nerdiest thing I\u2019ve ever been apart of and I loved it. I can play games any time, but these panels were one-time-only events and I didn\u2019t regret going to any of them.<\/p>\n<p><strong>5. It\u2019s Okay To Take Breaks<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When I said I don\u2019t go to things often it\u2019s because I just\u2026don\u2019t love crowds. And working from home the last nine years I\u2019m not the most social of butterflies. So it can kind of get exhausting being on a packed show floor or talking to people, and I think its more than okay to dip out and collect yourself rather than stay all the way through. Not to stereotype, but some in the hardcore gaming crowd probably have similar social ticks that make an event like this overwhelming, so I think it\u2019s important to reiterate you can and should take the thing in doses rather than just stay there from open till close. This is also where staying at the hotel comes in handy, as I ducked upstairs for a nap or\u00a0<em>Stranger Things<\/em>\u00a0episode a few times during the show.<\/p>\n<p>So yeah, GuardianCon, Gaming Community Con, whatever they call it, is definitely worth attending if you run in my same game circles and follow the creators and developers I do. It got me out of my comfort zone, and it was awesome to see all my internet friends in real life for a change. Do recommend.<\/p><div class=\"kzcju64d60ae205ac5\" ><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\n     style=\"display:block; text-align:center;\"\n     data-ad-layout=\"in-article\"\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8209967072221559\"\n     data-ad-slot=\"2673331731\"><\/ins>\n<script>\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/div><style type=\"text\/css\">\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 1201px) {\r\n.kzcju64d60ae205ac5 {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 993px) and (max-width: 1200px) {\r\n.kzcju64d60ae205ac5 {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 769px) and (max-width: 992px) {\r\n.kzcju64d60ae205ac5 {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 768px) {\r\n.kzcju64d60ae205ac5 {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (max-width: 767px) {\r\n.kzcju64d60ae205ac5 {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n<\/style>\r\n\n<p>Source:<a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/paultassi\/2019\/07\/07\/five-things-i-wish-i-knew-before-i-went-to-guardiancon\/#7de12cc33f8c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">\u00a0forbes.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What, like I was going to\u00a0go to GuardianCon\u00a0for the first time and\u00a0not\u00a0write this article? Please. Technically, GuardianCon is no more&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":759,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9],"tags":[3175,3179,3187,3159,3177,3172,3149,3170,3181,3168,3146,3153,3140,3178,3157,3184,3162,3182,3139,3163,3154,3171,3141,3183,3143,3165,3144,3169,3148,3160,3152,3158,3185,3150,3147,3155,3145,3186,3176,3173,3161,3188,3180,3164,3142,3166,3151,3174,3156,3167],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/758"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=758"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/758\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":760,"href":"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/758\/revisions\/760"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/759"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=758"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=758"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=758"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}