The final day PAX Australia was the most enjoyable for me I think because I made the right decision to mix up my choice of panels and be willing to accept the unexpected. First up was the Acquisitions Inc session where a live roleplaying session was run in front of the audience. Having seen a similar session last year I was happy to see it run using D&D this time around. Considering they only had two hours I was surprised that it even finished in time but I suppose that’s the sign of a talented Dungeon Master. 🙂

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Devolver Digital had a panel too which discussed how the company operates and how they approach dealing with the variety of subject matter in the titles they publish. Their intent is very much about keeping as lean as possible but they are also appear to be very protective of the teams they work with. It sounds like for an indie developer they might be a good starting point when trying to push your latest game. If anyone was expecting blood and carnage like their E3 “presentations” you might be disappointed but there was still plenty to laugh at.

At the end of the day, there is one last thing to be done and that is to complete the final round of the Omegathon. This year the finalists had to settle the score playing Street Fighter II Turbo on the SNES Mini. Neither player was familiar with the game (!?!?) so it boiled down to whoever lucked out on combos. The competition ended up finishing quicker than expected and a winner was crowned within twenty minutes. Nevertheless it was still exciting to watch with the result being a hard fought victory.

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There’s talk of next year being another big step up that builds out the tabletop gaming side further to match the boost provided by EB Games involvement this year. With Wizards of the Coast having a minimal presence this year it gave everyone else an opportunity to stand out and it’s likely more will come if that continues in subsequent events.

Will I be back gain? Maybe. This year I was hoping to have my son come along to one of the days (the cosplay would blow his mind) but our plans changed and it had to be put on hold. Hopefully in 2019 he’ll be up for it and we’ll both be wandering around the show floors and that’s something I can get excited over. 🙂