Anhedonia... Disenchantment... Evanescing... (My AWTF Experience, And Future FGC Projections).
This was something I planned to post a while ago, but...
Also, since some have asked... for the audio version, please click the link below: (I will cry if you make fun of my voice. I don't sound like Asuka or a high-pitched anime girl)
To read the written version, please scroll down below:
As the title reads, this post will be a brief overview of my exposure to my first AWTF event, along with how this - and past experiences have muddled my life as a competitor...
I will preface by saying that attending the Arc World Tour Finals (AWTF) was one of the best last-minute decisions I have made as a competitor. I was able to find a clean hotel that was less than 10 minutes away from the venue, checking in was quick and easy, and the staff were all nice and helpful.
I was excited to enter my first LCQ as a means of getting more tournament experience. However, it appears the meal I ate the day prior did not agree with me. My stomach was in knots, and I was ultimately too sick to attend my pool... but I was not going to allow this to ruin my first day...
Making my way over to the AWTF vendor shops, I will say that I am by no means ashamed to admit that I bought every bit of Asuka merchandise that I did not own - and more of what I already own - such as the Pop-up Shop t-shirt with Sol, Ky, and Asuka, and stickers - the final price tag was a bit hefty, but I have a decent job that easily covered this expense. I also got a free poster featuring Ram, Elphelt, Sol, Ky, Bridget, and Asuka in street clothes as a free gift for making a purchase.
When the group stage matches were about to begin, I had to ensure a good seat was secured to see all the action. To support my favorite players, I drew a chibi I-No to cheer Daru_I-No on, and one for Gobou's Asuka (attached below):
While I was elated that Daru was able to advance to the top 8 bracket, I'm sad that Gobou was not able to do so as well... I was happy that he picked Asuka, and never switched characters. For a bit of clarification, Gobou choosing Asuka was not about the match-up (I know it's hard for A.B.A, but Gobou says that she can turn around Any match-up) - he picked Asuka because he promised in a previous broadcast that he would "bring out the Asuka." He knows his Asuka gameplay is popular, and even made a hand gesture to the crowd to "bring up the energy." I found it quite honorable that Gobou was such a good sport towards the end, and even waved "bye" to the camera after being eliminated from the event. The crowd gave him a round of applause when he left the stage, and well...
I wore an outfit that apparently caught many people's eyes - some female Japanese AWTF, NA AWTF staff members, and cosplayers complimented my outfit. Even Gobou stared at my outfit until he walked off stage... Gobou, it's because of your wonderful Asuka gameplay that gave me an epiphany of how beautiful Japanese clothing truly is... thank you for that, but I am a bit sad that I was not able to play you again...
***Disclaimer: While I hold Gobou's fighting game skills in high regard, and I have considerable respect for him as an individual - I do not harbor any romantic feelings towards him. Furthermore, I am by no means alleging that he directed his attention towards me - except perhaps out of mere curiosity (if even that). I understand that such a charge can easily be misconstrued and considered slander - and I have no intention of causing any harm - or damaging his reputation in any way. In fact, that is the last thing I would want to accomplish...***
That being said, I will say I was happy that my costume was intriguing enough to catch a gaze from one of my favorite GGST players - nothing more...
Moreover, I don't have social media, but a friend of mine does; and from what I saw, Gobou was a bit upset about his AWTF performance... but he will be back next year in an attempt to secure his spot in the top 8 bracket. He also stated that it is because of the support from us (his fans) that he can continue playing fighting games and trying his best. Let's all support Gobou together and wish him the best in his future endeavors.
Now, what I am about to say may offend some, and I apologize in advance...
I have been a part of the FGC for many years; and throughout my journey, I have been subjected to odd stares or comments such as, "Wow, I almost lost to a girl;" but what I find the most egregious, is my would-be opponents "sizing me down." If you have ever worked with any high-ranking executives at any company, you may experience this at least once in your career.
What takes place when an individual engages in this behavior? It begins with said person looking at you, starting at your feet, then finishing at your head. The neutral version - in a sense, is "sizing one up" - or what I like to refer to as a "threat assessment." When determining a person's "threat level," one will generally look at a person beginning at the top of their head, and terminating at the feet. The main difference between these nonverbal cues, is the first one signifies a person is viewing you through a lens of devaluation and inferiority to them; while the latter can be positive, neutral, or negative, and is primarily done as a type of comparison technique.
For almost every GGST tournament I have been to, I had more than a few incidents where if I was the next person in line to play, they would "size me down," then let the person who lost - generally a weaker player - fight me instead; most likely because they felt as if I was not worth their time...
The general rule in the FGC when playing multiple people in a rotation, is the winner stays on. The person(s) who refused to play me went on to play other male opponents - random male opponents...
Please know that I had no relationship with these players who "sized me down", and this was our first encounter. I can understand a top player like NitroNY not wanting to play a "random" such as myself; but usually, this type of disparate treatment is often done by mid level players on the cusp of being a high level player - players within my own skill range...
Heuristic Girl
Anhedonia... Disenchantment... Evanescing...
(My AWTF Experience, And Future FGC Projections).
This was something I planned to post a while ago, but...
Also, since some have asked... for the audio version, please click the link below:
(I will cry if you make fun of my voice. I don't sound like Asuka or a high-pitched anime girl)
https://youtu.be/hHrj74Rd7gE?si=0UCsc...
To read the written version, please scroll down below:
As the title reads, this post will be a brief overview of my exposure to my first AWTF event, along with how this - and past experiences have muddled my life as a competitor...
I will preface by saying that attending the Arc World Tour Finals (AWTF) was one of the best last-minute decisions I have made as a competitor. I was able to find a clean hotel that was less than 10 minutes away from the venue, checking in was quick and easy, and the staff were all nice and helpful.
I was excited to enter my first LCQ as a means of getting more tournament experience. However, it appears the meal I ate the day prior did not agree with me. My stomach was in knots, and I was ultimately too sick to attend my pool... but I was not going to allow this to ruin my first day...
Making my way over to the AWTF vendor shops, I will say that I am by no means ashamed to admit that I bought every bit of Asuka merchandise that I did not own - and more of what I already own - such as the Pop-up Shop t-shirt with Sol, Ky, and Asuka, and stickers - the final price tag was a bit hefty, but I have a decent job that easily covered this expense. I also got a free poster featuring Ram, Elphelt, Sol, Ky, Bridget, and Asuka in street clothes as a free gift for making a purchase.
When the group stage matches were about to begin, I had to ensure a good seat was secured to see all the action. To support my favorite players, I drew a chibi I-No to cheer Daru_I-No on, and one for Gobou's Asuka (attached below):
ibb.co/XxxWmcpW
ibb.co/8g0d5mcp
While I was elated that Daru was able to advance to the top 8 bracket, I'm sad that Gobou was not able to do so as well... I was happy that he picked Asuka, and never switched characters. For a bit of clarification, Gobou choosing Asuka was not about the match-up (I know it's hard for A.B.A, but Gobou says that she can turn around Any match-up) - he picked Asuka because he promised in a previous broadcast that he would "bring out the Asuka." He knows his Asuka gameplay is popular, and even made a hand gesture to the crowd to "bring up the energy." I found it quite honorable that Gobou was such a good sport towards the end, and even waved "bye" to the camera after being eliminated from the event. The crowd gave him a round of applause when he left the stage, and well...
I wore an outfit that apparently caught many people's eyes - some female Japanese AWTF, NA AWTF staff members, and cosplayers complimented my outfit. Even Gobou stared at my outfit until he walked off stage... Gobou, it's because of your wonderful Asuka gameplay that gave me an epiphany of how beautiful Japanese clothing truly is... thank you for that, but I am a bit sad that I was not able to play you again...
***Disclaimer: While I hold Gobou's fighting game skills in high regard, and I have considerable respect for him as an individual - I do not harbor any romantic feelings towards him. Furthermore, I am by no means alleging that he directed his attention towards me - except perhaps out of mere curiosity (if even that). I understand that such a charge can easily be misconstrued and considered slander - and I have no intention of causing any harm - or damaging his reputation in any way. In fact, that is the last thing I would want to accomplish...***
That being said, I will say I was happy that my costume was intriguing enough to catch a gaze from one of my favorite GGST players - nothing more...
Moreover, I don't have social media, but a friend of mine does; and from what I saw, Gobou was a bit upset about his AWTF performance... but he will be back next year in an attempt to secure his spot in the top 8 bracket. He also stated that it is because of the support from us (his fans) that he can continue playing fighting games and trying his best. Let's all support Gobou together and wish him the best in his future endeavors.
Now, what I am about to say may offend some, and I apologize in advance...
I have been a part of the FGC for many years; and throughout my journey, I have been subjected to odd stares or comments such as, "Wow, I almost lost to a girl;" but what I find the most egregious, is my would-be opponents "sizing me down." If you have ever worked with any high-ranking executives at any company, you may experience this at least once in your career.
What takes place when an individual engages in this behavior? It begins with said person looking at you, starting at your feet, then finishing at your head. The neutral version - in a sense, is "sizing one up" - or what I like to refer to as a "threat assessment." When determining a person's "threat level," one will generally look at a person beginning at the top of their head, and terminating at the feet. The main difference between these nonverbal cues, is the first one signifies a person is viewing you through a lens of devaluation and inferiority to them; while the latter can be positive, neutral, or negative, and is primarily done as a type of comparison technique.
For almost every GGST tournament I have been to, I had more than a few incidents where if I was the next person in line to play, they would "size me down," then let the person who lost - generally a weaker player - fight me instead; most likely because they felt as if I was not worth their time...
The general rule in the FGC when playing multiple people in a rotation, is the winner stays on. The person(s) who refused to play me went on to play other male opponents - random male opponents...
Please know that I had no relationship with these players who "sized me down", and this was our first encounter. I can understand a top player like NitroNY not wanting to play a "random" such as myself; but usually, this type of disparate treatment is often done by mid level players on the cusp of being a high level player - players within my own skill range...
ー *Post Continued In The Reply Below* ー
4 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 1