So here it is, a week before I fly out to Vegas, and despite this being my eleventh Fan Faire in ten years, I still get that feeling of nervous anticipation.
There are always a huge number of tasks to accomplish before Fan Faire. You would think that after so many years it would become routine, but it never does. First I must compile a list of all the names and numbers of friends heading to Fan Faire. Next I make sure that I've packed all the things that I know I'll forget if left to the last moment... I've lost count of how often I've had to buy a phone charger or tooth-brush because I left mine at home in the rush to prepare costumes or to ship items ahead. Finally I have to try to plan out how to get together with everyone that I know who is going. This last may not sound like much of an issue, but after over ten years of attending the Fan Faire, the number of people who I know across games and guilds has grown tremendously. Whether it's playing Guitar Hero at 3am with friends from Antonia Bayle in EverQuest 2, going to the Hofbrauhaus with my guild from Luclin in EverQuest, or meeting up with new friends from Darkness Falls in DC Universe Online, there is never enough time to get together with everyone!
For years I have kept an informal photo-blog of the Fan Faire, but this year I wanted to try something new. This will be my eleventh Fan Faire, but my first blog! I've been asked what keeps me coming to the Fan Faire every year. My first Fan Faire was the summer of 2002 in Boston. I was a junior in college with no money to travel, but I was in Boston already and figured that I should go to the convention. Not knowing what to expect, I envisioned a bunch of stereotypical 'basement dweller' nerds arguing incessantly over utter nonsense like a bunch of rule-mongering D&D players. (If you have ever played a tabletop RPG, you know what I'm talking about.) I couldn't have been more wrong. What I found instead were a bunch of extremely diverse people who shared two common traits: they loved EverQuest, and they LOVED to party! I was blown away by how much fun I had not only meeting other players, but developers and various website personalities as well. Fan Faire, as an attendee, turned out to be one massive multi-day party, with short bouts of sleep tossed in for good measure. I made friends that weekend who I've gone on to party with every year since.
The friends, the parties, the mayhem... it all really has to be experienced to be adequately described. No year is ever the same. Whether it is waking up early on Sunday morning to help the Nvidia rep tear down his booth or trying to get a full suit of chain-mail through airport security, every Fan Faire has its unique moments and memories. It is these memories, and the creation of new ones, that truly keeps me coming back for more!
-Justin “Tharkis” Mercier
