A Worldhopper ball review. Was it worth it?

[@AuthorJacksonDickert]

Hey Jason! It was a pleasure meeting you at the ball, though I'm sorry you didn't get to talk to Jackson as much as Wit. Thank you very much for all the kind words about my performance. I really did work hard at being punchable and getting a good voice down, and those seemed to be two qualities that people especially enjoyed from the character! It was a ton of fun and I'm beyond grateful to have had the experience. Definitely the first show had the most hiccups, the rest went pretty smoothly. The drink lines, as far as I could tell, were also *significantly* better in future sessions. The folks who put together the event had to use the catering company provided by the convention center, so they should get a little grace there since they were stuck with no options, the folks handling food/drink weren't their staff, etc. But I believe they got their act together for future shows and the lines were more normal. The music *was* loud that first night. For the next two days I had to rest my voice for most of the day and chug tea because I'd spent the first night yelling over the music so I could actually interact/engage with people! So you're spot on there too. They did turn that down in future sessions. Anyway, I think you've got a lot of great feedback here. Something tells me the seating issues and visuals especially will be big learning points for the future! If there's a silver lining about that first show it'd probably be: If I'm remembering correctly, this was the only show Brandon attended that people were allowed to mingle with him at. He came to a later event, but we kindly (Wit unkindly) asked people to leave him be so he could enjoy the night with his family like any other attendee. The other silver lining for this show was that this one was *before* we realized that people were stealing tons of extra goblets to take home to their friends, and future shows we had to do disclaimers to ask people NOT to take them because they would be getting a free one lololol. So some people who went to the first night heisted tons of goblets! 😂

[@jasonioan]

Thanks for commenting, it’s great to hear from you! Thank you for confirming that the volume was adjusted and the lines were more reasonable in later shows. That’s what I had heard, but it’s good to hear it from someone who was there for every show. Once again, you did a phenomenal job! I’m looking forward to chatting with Jackson someday when you’re not consumed by Wit haha. The ball was a fun time even with the problems and I’m sure they’ll learn from these hiccups in the future. And it was so funny to see people try to sneak out with goblets just to be given one in the next room. Like, what did they do in that situation? Give the swiped goblet back? Try to smuggle out this huge goblet while being given a box with one?

[@sadee4175]

You did amazing and manages to make waiting in line a lot more fun. I hope you had an absolute blast as wit... even if it was a bit rough on the voice.

[@Omnicrola]

Good video 👍 your thoughts largely echo my own. The real kicker for me was being tired and exhausted at the end of a busy day, and then not getting to sit down and relax and watch a show. Part of that is on me, but also (as you mentioned) on the event planners for not setting expectations more clearly.

[@jasonioan]

Having more seating, even without a dinner being served at a table, would've been appreciated.

[@katherine1924]

I 100% agree with you. My husband and I went on the last night and it was so loud. My ears were ringing and I couldn't hear what people were saying right in front of me. I couldn't see any of the performances and we left shortly after the ceremony because of that. I was lucky to get a drink very quickly though! Despite that, we enjoyed ourselves and plan on attending future worldhopper balls.

[@cosmerejunkie7931]

It was awesome meeting you Jason! More drinks and less people would've made it perfect!

[@shaananmiller2099]

I attended the same session as you and I completely agree, the expectations did not meet what the event actually entailed. I too expected to have a sit down dinner and was surprised that was not at all what happened. Like you though, I still enjoyed being there in hindsight 😅

[@Cosplaythefamilyway]

Lack of chairs/tables plus failure to put the drinks out and have people pick them up was bonkers

[@peaceofcrap]

Glad to hear my favorite world hopper made it to the world hopper ball at the very least

[@Cosmere_Mo]

It was so fun hanging out with you guys! Glad we all buddied up. You summed this up SO well. I agree that better expectations should have been set & that some of the bumps (like audio cutting out) shouldn’t count against them. The only thing I’d add is the amount of people that attended was an issue. For me, at least. I DID see the first 2 minutes of the ceremony but was quickly (and literally) pushed out. I eventually couldn’t see anything, so I popped back in line for the drinks. SO many people wanted to watch & I don’t blame them! If I was a more aggressive person, I would have pushed right back. 75% of attendees couldn’t see a thing. But having screens or a raised platform or something would have made that 10x better. Not to mention, even if we DID leave the drink line, it was SO crowded from other lines (to see Brandon, the actors, etc.) you could hardly move. Josh did end up putting his noise cancelling headphones in & I walked away with a massive headache as well. :( I’m so happy to hear later sessions got better. I’ll definitely be giving it another chance next year & have learned my lesson to NOT buy first session tickets.

[@ianschank]

You and Jenny Nicholson could start a support group for KZbinrs who went to an immersive dinner show event themed for a popular fantasy franchise and ended up with an obstructed view of the performance

[@jasonioan]

If only I were on that level haha. Jenny Nicholson is a legend

[@sadee4175]

At least no one was intentionally sat behind a pillar for the dinner show. Just stuck in lines

[@n4pv224]

I was going to go with some friends but we ended up not going cause of the price, and while it looked like fun, there was definitely a difference between marketing expectations and what it actually was. I talked to two people at Nexus who agreed that they thought it would be more of a sit down dinner which is definitely a miscommunication. Also I heard that there were 4 bartenders for 100+ people which seems woefully lacking

[@JasonOlmos-s3y]

Great video. Thanks for posting and giving your honest thoughts about it.

[@souljang]

Seems like more a theatrical performance than an immersive event. And come on, drinks should be flowing! If it was Blackthorn-Dalinar, one could write it off as lack of supply, but either way they probably should've had a wait staff and tables.

[@EatitAlive]

Great video idea! Really cool to see the event and hear your constructive criticisms

[@MARYCALLOWAY-s4u]

I was wondering if they would have Chana there in the background. ;)

[@jessehughes8274]

My dude is ballin' at the ball

[@DPandDP]

I attended the same session as you (I even saw myself in your video! lol) and had some of the same issues. We actually never got a drink because our line literally never even moved. XD I wish there had at least been some water out for people to grab. We did end up leaving the line when some seating opened up, because our feet hurt from standing in line (by that point) for almost 2 hours. Loved the set design and what I saw of the show (but had the same problem of not being able to see a lot of it). Like you, I assumed it would be more banquet-style where everyone would be seated and served dinner (part of the reason I thought it would be that way is because of that survey they sent out for us to choose our meals). We ended up leaving a bit early, once DJ Stormblessed came out and before dessert was served. We were too tired from traveling all day and then all the standing and nothing to drink. But it was really, really cool to see the atmosphere and the actors (we got to take pictures with Jasnah, Navani, and Dalinar, which was so cool!). I do feel like the price was a bit expensive for not enough seating and not being able to get drinks and would have preferred a banquet style event with dancing afterwards, but I'm still so glad we went and got to experience it.

[@jasonbailey9139]

As someone who has dabbled in community theater. Never go the opening night if you want a smooth show. xD Dress rehearsals are great, but when you have a live audience and can't go back and redo that bit, things geta little wonky. Sounds like a wonderful event that I'm glad I didn't attend in person. Hopefully next time they can have a larger venue better suited for a ball, a dais for the actors to perform above peoples heads, and a few more bartender stations.

[@IceGavel]

I'll 100% take that chouta recipe video, I've been wanting a recipe to try out.

[@jasonioan]

I’ve gotten a couple of these comments. Perhaps I’ll need to move that one further up the queue

[@lieslfeldman1725]

Thanks for this. I really wanted to see what happened.

[@Cosplaythefamilyway]

I'm CJ's husband :-) We absolutely would have had the same experience if we hadn't skipped the drink line. Definitely sad that that was a choice you had to make

[@TheDiabeticGameMaster]

I saw some videos from others woth Shallan and the whole ballroom just going crazy to pop-punk. I thought jt was so cute. I assumed that happened after the main event, when the dancefloor opened up. I am so sorry to hear thats not how it went. I assumed much the same as you and your wife. I figured theyd have a come in and mingle period then everyone would be sat down with their meals and most of the story would take olace, then the dancing would happen woth more occasional story things happening, then after a bit of that just free dance. Balls at conventions are already a pretty popular thing so i figured it would just be tha conbined woth the structure if a wedding. And i guess thats what rhey did. They just combined them TOO much, lol. I wouldbe expected classical indian music, maybe just normal classical music (id have liked unique music meant to sound like classical Alethi music but thats waaaaaay too much money for such a snall event) so i too wouldve been abnoyed and disappointed, lol. When you hear BALL you just ASSUME period appropriate nusic and setting not just dress.

[@Lezzyboy87]

Yea but youre American, you have no classical history

[@TheDiabeticGameMaster]

@Lezzyboy87 well that's just rude. Plenty of us appreciate classical music and plenty of great classical composers are from here. What are you getting at or rather attempting to get at?

[@MorgottofLeyendell]

I need some Chouta Also, I need that Chouta recipe!!

[@jasonioan]

I’ll see what I can do 👍

[@EonNShadow]

+1 for the chouta recipe!

[@SuperRobART1]

My group decided to pass on the ball just cause of the additional cost, and I'm glad we did. I was having a bit of FOMO while I was at Nexus cause I would see the lines waiting to get in, but then I learned how the event played out and was kinda glad I missed it. If I would have paid an extra $150 on top of my base ticket, airfare, hotels, etc. and then not have been able to even see the performances? I'd have been pissed... It was advertised as a formal dress ball with dinner...I've been to balls, and what played out was not a ball but a costume party with finger food (albeit in a really well decorated room with good costumes). Balls that serve dinner have staff waiting on you and a dance floor in the middle generally playing live music that's more of a classical style. Grab it yourself food with a free-for-all dance floor playing pop music is not a ball...again, I'd have been pissed. what seems unfortunate about this though is how Dragonsteel has addressed the ball post convention...they seem OBSESSED on social platforms, meaning I don't see them learning much from this first run for future events :(

[@jessehughes8274]

9:00 TIM MENTIONED

[@T1mefortim]

Sweet shout out 🎉

[@danielbore2396]

I was at session 3 and can attest that there were no sound issues. I did think the music was a bit loud, but kind of in a fun way. Even though i think the music choice was a bit odd, the vibes were so fun. There was a Szeth and a guy dressed as "investiture" that absolutely dominated the dance floor. I also was in line and so didn't get to see the sparring or the kata, and then i actually had to leave for a nosebleed and missed a lot of the honorspren as well. From the line i did have an excellent view of the Chana bit though, which was very fun. It's a shame the first session was so much rougher though. (Also btw i said hi to you while you were a squire on day 2 i think, picking up my book. Hi again!)

[@jasonioan]

Hello again! And thank you for saying hi at nexus it was great to meet so many of you! I think the atmosphere was fun, more "party" than I was expecting. I don't think it was bad it just was jarring with my expectations. I am super happy to hear you had a fun time That investiture costume sounds intriguing. How did they dress as investiture itself? I loved the creativity that was present at the event and with the costumes!

[@danielbore2396]

@jasonioan he was wearing an embroidered sky blue vest and this flowing sequined blue and white cape, it was awesome

[@KingReke13]

Chouta tutorial video, please!

[@Echinder]

I loved what they were going for. But agree with the criticisms. So hard to see anything. And drink queue was real. Agree with the loudness... Which is why i always always always have a pair of earplugs on me in my keychain. I did love the emo music at the end, but for me that was bonus inside joke time.

[@crazyrussianman2128]

"Stood in line for an hour for drinks and missed the entire event I paid for." This sounds awful. If the platform was raised and you at least saw everything from the line, that would still be pretty bad but acceptable. I would be livid honestly.

[@XxMaxwellxX01]

Was there, $10 upcharge for one shot of Titos per drink is downright robbery when you've paid this much to even get in.

[@jasonioan]

I'm still surprised that alcoholic beverages were even an option at all. Utah's liquor laws are intense.

[@curiousdaniel78]

Yes, give us the recipe!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@alexitosworld]

So Kaladin loves Linkin Park? dang, you gotta love that boy

[@jasonioan]

But like, are we surprised though?

[@Harbringer12]

What happened to Renarin? Was he not invited?

[@jasonioan]

I guess not. It would've been cool to see their take on Renarin.

[@luck_adiante]

He probably was there but was overlooked like it's in the books 😂

[@Omnicrola]

IIRC someone asked Brandon this, his was response was something like "Renarin would not have liked being around that many people"

[@Cosplaythefamilyway]

Renarin? Whose that? Dalinar's two favorite sons were there.

[@Harbringer12]

@@Cosplaythefamilyway *Emotional Damage!*

[@sadee4175]

Hey there fellow first night survivor! A lot of your feelings echo my own. The music being too loud, the lines being two long, and the seating being a bit too sparse were really rough. By the time we got through the hour long line my friend really needed a drink so we were in the drink line. We then stepped out of the drinkline to watch the first part of the show and had a good view of the speeches, first dance, and Sandersons speach. We missed the rest of the performances so we could get my friend something to drink. By the time she had a drink the volume of the music was really overwhelming her so we ended up taking a few more pictures... skipping the foodline and heading out. I definately feel like less people for the first session while they worked out some of the kinks might have helped. That many people in the room did make it a bit unweldy. That being said i am curious to see how they improve the event for next year. Ive been to dragonsteel for 3 years now and each year they listen to feed back and do there best to address and improve attendees experiences. Shout out to the actors though they knocked it outta the park

[@jasonioan]

I agree! Dragonsteel is usually pretty good at taking feedback, so I reckon the next one will be better

[@kailanerman5090]

Was just watching videos on Shades and then this!??

[@jasonioan]

Quite the tonal whiplash, eh? (This video was a backup because the December video script was too long and needs more time)

[@kailanerman5090]

@@jasonioan for better quality it's always worth the wait!

[@UncleMikeDrop]

Emo was a stupid choice. Renaissance music would have hit better.

[@jasonioan]

I think it would’ve fit the book vibe better, but wouldn’t have provided the same energetic atmosphere. Maybe a hard pivot near the end to different music could’ve worked.

[@b3n835]

Linkin Park does go hard

[@talithasedai2223]

I think a lot of people expected a sit down dinner. Also, the goblet was a big part of the price?!? I mean they are great but I'd rather have a sit down meal than a take away goblet. Oh well.

[@The_Khuzdul1]

Heya Jason, Do you have a discord server?

[@jasonioan]

Sort of. I have a private one I’ve used for years and earlier this week I started working on a public/members discord. I’m also in the 17th shard discord server so if you’re already in that one I’m there too.

[@molliethomas2585]

Sucks that you and your wife didn't have a better time. Why can't event planners have multiple places to get drinks? It can't be that hard? And a good rule of thumb for seating is to have enough for eveyone, and then 50% more. And Linkin Park does NOT fit the vibe. At all👎

[@p-j-y-d]

🎵 But in the end, it doesn't even matter 🎵

[@Cosmere_Mo]

Definitely not what I was expecting & not what I would recommend for a ball, but it was easy to just roll with it and have fun in the end.

[@Lezzyboy87]

Section 1, part 2, section 3, section 4? Eh?

[@jasonioan]

Indeed. Had to throw a little chaos in there (tbh I'm not how I managed that but I just decided to roll with it lol)

[@mmmmmmikey]

super weird that they hired a zionist tech bro ceo to play kaladin. feels like the exact opposite of kaladin’s character

[@Lezzyboy87]

😂 nitpicking much?

[@shaananmiller2099]

Super weird that you don't know what you're talking about... 😂

[@SethTurnerPrinting]

I met Kaladin behind the scenes and he was super cool

[@ginabalint7957]

I agreed with your observations and I was at the Saturday event when the hiccups were worked out. 1. I was expecting dinner not limited snacks. 2. I’m short so I could not see the wedding and speeches and I had trouble hearing what was said. 3. 75% of my time was waiting to order drinks, although the food lines were quick. 4. That was not Adolin, great actor, but did not match at all, however the others were great matches. 5. Was it worth it…totally! They had so many little details (that i could admire while waiting in the drink line.) The food although sparse was tasty. The decor was wonderful. I loved feeling like i was transported. The entertainment (from what i could see was great) and the staff was gracious. The time few by (unlike the drink line 🫣) but it was a highlight of my trip.