[keitaro-849]

Especially since I want to cosplay sesshoumaru this year . If it didn't have spikes well it just wouldn't be sesshoumaru. They are very dull and its not made of metal. maybe i should provide pictures of it? the rules are nice for safety and everything... but it makes cosplaying certain things an immense challenge because of the new limitations. no prop can be more than 6 inches from your body? That's less than a foot... It wouldn't mke for a very interesting prop either. It would just make it shorter. What about the people that do full body suits and furry cosplay? does this mean they can't do that anymore because they have long tails sometimes? It seems to me that acen is so concerned about the crowdedness that they are making all these rules to make cosplay more of a challenge or just to make life difficult whichever comes first... Do they even want us to have fun anymore? Heaven forbid, I cosplay a character that has a tail sticking out more than 6 inches.... how is that possibly a hazzard? Only way that it could possibly hurt someone is if it was made of something other than fur and fiberfill. its not like i will twirl around and knock someone out cold with a tail... god these rules are retarded.

This post has been edited by keitaro-849: 25 April 2009 - 02:43 AM

[Oreo_Otaku]

Ahh but these have been the rules for the past few years. Handheld props have a 4 ft limitation. Rigid costume pieces permanently attached to the costume have to stay within 6 inches from the body. Tails are fine cause even it they are longer than 6 inches they are usually limp and hang down instead of out. So if it goes over 6" away from you that's not good. I think also if the inside's made of a squishy material like pillow stuffing or what not, it can be a little larger than 6" just as long the outer part is not stiff. I could be wrong about the last part though.

[this_chick25]

You're a little off--no part of your costume can protrude more than six inches off your body (which is basically the main body of your costume) . This includes a prop if it is affixed to your costume.

Keep in mind that I'M NOT IRT, and these are all based solely on my observations, as I have been going to ACen since 2001.

If you are wearing a mascot-style suit, of course the main body of your costume may be a lot further off your own body than normal. You'd just have to make sure something like the tail is not protruding more than six inches off the body (in which by the illustration it is) by affixing it to the costume with a pin or the like.

If you're wearing a tail, the length of the tail doesn't matter as long as it's not 1) dragging the floor, or 2) sticking out/angled up/any direction other than hanging down. People wear tails every year (cats, wolves, even a monkey or two), and the majority of them are longer than six inches long.

In your case, with Sesshy, the tip of your spike can't be more than six inches off your shoulder. This shouldn't really be much of a problem--I see at least one Sesshoumaru every year. Keep in mind that the spike can't be dangerously sharp though, no matter what it is made of.

If you are carrying the prop, then it (or its components if it is collapsible or able to be broken down) cannot be more than four feet along any dimension.

These rules aren't new by the way--they have been part of ACen's cosplay rules for years (at least since the Hyatt remodeled). The one about the banning of realistic guns is the new one. I've seen some pretty impressive costumes in the halls despite these rules.

This post has been edited by this_chick25: 25 April 2009 - 08:46 AM

[Tiresias79]

Yeah, not new rules. They've been in effect for the past 3-4 years. It wasn't done because all of the ACEN staff are cold-hearted and want to ruin your fun. It was done in part to appease the Hyatt and in part to deal with the fact that ACEN is no longer a small sized convention.

On the Hyatt side, they were worried that oversized props would be a threat to their delicate sprinkler heads, and trust me when I say that the way some irresponsible con-goers were flailing their props around the year before the limits went into effect, the Hyatt had every right to worry.

The 6" rule was enacted at the same time due in no small part to the con topping 7000 attendees in a very limited space. We are no longer a small con like we used to be. You might not think the 12" papier-mache spikes coming off your shoulder are that dangerous, but think of the poor people that have to share the halls and lines with you. Can you honestly tell me you know where everyone within 12" of your body is and what will happen if you move in just such a way? Even if the extension isn't metal, anything slightly stiff can hurt if you accidentally poke someone with it. Think how bad you would feel if you sneezed and the sudden jarring of your body moved one of those spikes just enough that it jabs someone in the eye. While that seems kinda far-fetched, in 6 years of this con, I've seen it happen, and more than once.

While yes the rules tend to make things a little less exciting for hallway cosplay, they have to be there for the general safety of the convention and the con-goers. If you REALLY need to have that much detail in your costume, there's always the Masquerade. The rules are different for there and you can truly show your skill and expertise in costuming. Plus you don't even have to do a skit as there is a walk-on portion, just walk on do a little twirl and walk off.

Believe me when I say I feel your pain in these rules though, I'm pretty anal about accuracy in my costumes and when I had to shorten my Zabimaru last year by 6" to make it 3'11" (just to be safe) thereby making it ever so barely perceptably out of proportion to my body compared to Renji's, a little part of my soul screamed and died. Just try to have as much fun as you can within the rules set forth by the convention. They're there so that everyone can be safe, and we can continue to have a great con year after year.

[Voxx]

I know for a fact that you can pull off a good sesshy within these cosplay rules. There has been one every year. It may be slightly inaccurate, but hey!? Who is going to call you out on it and say, hey! Stop right there Seshy, if that IS your real name, your spikes arent as big as they should be!

Its about having fun and the rules are there for everyones safety. A little modifications to your cosplay won't hurt a thing.

[akiba64]

I'm glad I stumbled across this thread before I started making my spear.

I had totally forgotten about the length thingy.

[Tiresias79]

akiba64, on Apr 25 2009, 12:45 PM, said:

I'm glad I stumbled across this thread before I started making my spear.

I had totally forgotten about the length thingy.

Just make it so you can break/fold it down into sections less than 4' and you'll be fine. I've got a staff for a Xellos cosplay that is 5 1/2' long, but I can break it down to 2 sections, and it's legal.

[Mizu_Haku]

Speaking of length rules, I have a question.

Is 4 and 1/2 feet too much? Because I have a sword and it's 4 and 1/2 feet, I think. I can trim it down, but I'd like to know if I could keep it that way before I do any chopping.

[Unka Josh]

The limit is four feet. Sorry, man. I'd trim it down.