If you go to the "rave" don't drink the water.

>>4187127
OP here;
I've never attended a rave at any con I've been to, ruined it for me when I could smell the sweat all the way down the hall way of the building and had to dash to the bathroom to puke. I can only imagine the smell in the actual room the rave was in.

It amuses me how it's almost always that .png that gets posted resulting in a black picture with blue arch.

But I digress, if femanon, don't leave the inner harbor at night alone. If malnon? manon? Wear a condom.

Above all just have fun.

Otakon is definitely overwhelming your first time. Even if you've gone to big cons before, it kind of blows you back with the sheer amount of shit going on. I've gone the last five years, and it's essentially my home-con. Just use common sense: keep a bottle of water, don't buy food from the con because it's a rip off, don't go wandering around at night (it's downtown Baltimore for God's sake), and since you're going with friends, it's best to have an official meeting spot and probably best to stick with a buddy who's used to the scene.

Also, unless you're into slow torture, don't bother with the masquerade. It's gone downhill fast.

>>4188089
>>4187848

These people are racists. They are afraid of any black people at all.

Baltimore's Inner Harbor and ANY of the surrounding areas you could possibly reach on foot are TOTALLY and completely safe at night. Bitches don't know about actually scary neighborhoods in Bomo.

As for the con itself, Otakon is fucking huge. It gets all the pluses and minuses of a really big con. I've been going for like 12 years and I've seen it grow from normal big to super fucking retarded big and now to a pretty reasonable, manageable size. I agree with all the posters above who said don't buy food/water...bring your own shit. It saves you both time and a lot of money.

Otherwise there should be something of interest for an animu/mango nerd of any level of engagement with the circle of Japanese geekery. Otakon is super commercial though, and in the past 5-6 years has really embraced the industry more than it did in the past (likely a result of how fucking big it is). Expect only licensed anime, etc. You're likely not going to find any theaters showing cool fansubs of really recent stuff (or stuff still on TV in Japan) anymore. The dealers' room is huge and generally pretty decent. The events are...meh...what you'd expect. The rave can be fun since it's so fucking huge. Great room party/anywhere party scene.

TL;DR - Otakon is my hometown con. Don't be afraid of Baltimore. Have fun.

>>4188102

Whoa, just redid that math because I realized how old I was...try 15 years...lol

Oh hey OP, this year will be my first time at otakon too. Sorta glad I stumbled upon this thread.

I just finished putting together my Dr Mcninja costume last week and I'm currently getting the pieces for my Viral from gurren lagann costume together. I'm putting alot of money into the Viral costume because I want this costume to be amazing for the first massive con I'll be attending.

Yay! You guys are gonna have fun! It's going to be immensely overwhelming. Just don't block the hallways, keep moving, and have a buddy, map and ask for help.

Don't go to the rave, steer clear of entering the Dealer's Room for about half an hour after they said they would open cause usually there would be already a line way before then so you can get in real quick without wait.

And bring your own food

>>4188102
Totally safe my ass. Some homeless guy beat up another dude and I had to call the cops. Then another guy had killed a man and was walking around with his bloody arm. He threatened to kill me if I talked. So yeah, NO IT IS NOT. This was DURING Otakon at one of the hotels they block off for the con. Outside of the hotel mind you.