Make friends before you go. There's plenty of forums (/cgl/ too) where people get to know each other online and then meet up there.

I always go to conventions alone. I don't think I'd enjoy it very much if I went with people.

what con are you planning on going to? Sometimes even something as simple as rooming up with people will help making befriending a little easier.

>>4450893

>what con are you planning on going to?

Haven't really made any plans yet, still not exactly sure what cons there are around here. I live on the east coast though, thought I heard something about one in Baltimore or Philadelphia, can't really remember. Kind of figured I'd just see if it was a good idea to go alone before I looked into it any more.

Make friends there! :D

I do. But if you want to do a lot of time in Dealer's/AA, do that, THEN make friends.

I'd say it's better with friend, but make sure they're cool friends who wont drag you down. Last time I went to NYCC/AF, I brought my friend and He forced me to stay with him on the MVC3 demo line the whole damn time. Plus I had to take the bastard back home cause he's shit with directions, so I ended up missing the Cosplay masquerade and such.
I would sugguest just trying to find a group here on /cgl/ going, and maybe join up with them. That, or go alone and make friends their yourself. As long as you don't make yourself look intimidating, you could probably hang out with someone there.

>>4450861

I don't think it's as hard as you think it'll be. People don't just roam around in these gigantic intimidating packs and attack you for looking at them, lol

There's plenty of people who you can go up to and talk to without it being weird or intrusive.

>>4450903
AnimeNEXT in the middle of Jersey in June might be a good one to start with.
There is Otakon in Baltimore, end of July, but that's fucking huuuuge and I don't recommend it as your first, especially alone.

easiest way to talk to people is to stay in lines for panels/concerts/etc, you're both waiting for the same thing so you know you have at least -something- in common.

When it comes to going alone, I find that for some huge cons, it's easy to get lost and miss out on a lot of stuff. I think a mid-sized con is best, because at small ones there's not much else to do but hang out with friends, while at huge ones it can be easy to get swept away in it all.

Obviously though, at the larger cons there's more to do, more interesting guests, a more interesting masq, etc. But if you're really want to make friends to have a good time, mid-sized works best.

From my experience anyway.

I used to have to go to EVERY SINGLE CON with a friend, but I've gotten over it. Try going to a smaller con to start off. If you see someone cosplaying as a character from a series you like, then just go on up to them and strike up a conversation- "Hey, I really love x series! What's your favorite character/episode?" is always a great way to start. If they're in a rush to get somewhere or a "famous" cosplayer, they might not be too keen on chatting, but most other people are cool and will be happy to talk to you. It's a really easy way to make friends, because you already know that they're interested in something you like. If you want a sure-fire way to get someone to talk to you, approach someone who's cosplaying a character from an obscure series. They'll be so happy you recognized them, and really glad to talk to you.

I think a lot of people go alone and they're in the same position that you're in. Just look for the people who are off to themselves and they will be happy to talk with you. It is kind of rude to just run up to a group of friends and butt into their conversation though. Try not to do that.

Step one
Learn to function without the help of nerve pills

Otherwise gtfo

Is there an anime club or something like that in your area? That's where I met most of my friends and then we just went to cons together. Much less intimidating.

Are you cosplaying? If so, go to a photoshoot for your series. You'll meet a lot of people who like what you do.

It's a con. Display your power level. You got keychains? Wear them. Shirts? Wear them. Not all at once, though. You'll seem more approachable and people will even start up conversations with you. Likewise, if you see someone with merch from a show you like, talk to them!

However, don't harass an artist selling a print of a character you like. They're trying to make money, not friends.

Be chill and people will be more willing to talk to you. It sounds strange, but if you're uncomfortable talking to someone, chances are they'll pick it up and feel uncomfortable back (except chances are probably somewhat reduced at cons because of socially oblivious people, so be on your guard.)

i went to cons alone for several years before this year. it's not so bad at all, honestly, since you get to go to whichever events you want without anybody else getting in the way

it helps that you won't be the only one alone, either-- you'd be surprised at how many people go to cons alone. i'm not the conversational type at all but i've still been approached and have had some really nice chats with people.

good luck man, i know what social anxiety is like but you'll be fine

I know this sounds stupid, but volunteer to hand out fliers for another con. I am also very shy naturally, and especially when I first started going to cons (especially after hosting events) I had to create sort of a stage persona just to function. One thing I always enjoy though is talking to new people. As I staff a number of events I'm always in a position to hand out fliers, so when I want to talk to strangers I just grab a stack and start handing them out. It sort of breaks the ice and gives you a reason to be talking to them. From there you can sort of move into a real conversation, like "Here's a flier to my con, btw that is a really sweet cosplay..." etc.