PAX comes to an end ;(

SUNDAY:
Today I did have any panels that interested me enough to queue for hours and I still hadn't filmed much so I enlisted Ty's help in shooting footage of the expo hall for my doco. I also managed to win my second M11 draft and score a short interview with THE Steve Jackson! Not bad at all. The expo hall had nothing on Comic Con, but at the same time every single booth had game demos that I wanted to play. This left me with a desperate realisation that I would leave PAX wanting more. So much more! I didn't even enter any tournaments or use the various free-play areas (which included Rock Band, DS Lounge and even 16 player Steel Battalion campaign zomg) so really I feel almost defeated. I could spend every weekend with those people, they are my countrymen. Jerry was right; for one weekend we have our own country to which we all come home.
I spent the afternoon interviewing Ty in my hotel and then went back to PAX to use their free-play computers to check my email, update stuff and win a 3v3 SC2 match with the guys sitting next to me (first opponent dropped when I landed 20 vikings in his secret expansion, moments later the second dropped when my reapers finally overwhelmed him). As I looked up I realised that I had just missed an hour of PAX, meeting up with my friends and the Square-Enix raffle drawing (featuring a statue of KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND!!!) I had entered AND the closing ceremony was already underway. The final round of the Omeganaughts was the OMEGACLAW. Those terrible claw games that are perhaps harder and less forgiving tan Donkey Kong. It truly did make for a great spectator sport.

After the festivities died down and we were done wandering the streets of Seattle looking for something other than a coffee shop (pro tip: does not exist) along with some 50,000 other gamers, we headed back to the Sheraton to let the death of PAX 2010 settle in. But we did not go quietly! There were many people playing games in the lounge and we annexed a table, recruited some unknown gamers and learnt to play Aye, Dark Overlord. ADO is probably one of the most fun games I've ever played. Having said that I'm reluctant to play it again because I kind of gave it my all, leaving nothing in reserve for future bouts. The first game our friend Nick from Sydney delighted in grilling us as a vain and petty Overlord of evil. I managed to go from a sniveling coward to the mightiest Orc in his army, a quick move that put me in good stead and more importantly drew the lulz. In the second game I took the reins and really pushed the game, becoming Emperor Palpatine and forcing my lieutenants to take every card and apply a Star Wars spin. Trek references were also rewarded, as were wookie-threesomes. In the end the fleet admiral was blown out a hatch and Zack was burnt to a crisp by a butt-load of force lightning and spittle.

A fitting end.