"A Very POS Summer Vacation" sponsored by POS Industries and Viewers Like You

POS Industries · 04-09-2012, 11:48 PM

This summer I am taking a vacation, because if I don't I will A) lose those vacation days in August and 2) I haven't been out of Ohio in a year and a half and, if I don't get a few days away from this godforsaken shithole of a state soon, I'm terrified of what I might do. I have already got a trip planned, namely back to my hometown of Asheville, NC. I have a place to stay for the week and several friends to catch up with, and it's been a couple years since my last visit and I miss the place terribly.

However, roughly two weeks after my planned excursion, the EVO fighting game championships are scheduled to take place in Las Vegas, and a quick look on Expedia showed that the airfare and hotel costs would be about the same as my travel expenses for the Asheville trip. Entry into any of the tournaments is open to the public, though I won't win any of them (or even progress very far at all, mostly likely), but it is a great chance to play some fightan gaems and learn a great deal more about playing them well than I am in my apartment alone.

It's also, quite strangely, less terrifying than going home. I've spent the past several years quite comfortably removed from everyone who remembers all the embarrassing shit I ever did when I was younger, and I've grown to actually prefer the reputation I've garnered here as just a rather standoffish guy with a nice voice to whatever the hell reputation I've left behind in NC. There are also other aspects related to the lovely young lady I'll be staying with in Asheville that could potentially lead to a degree of disappointment followed by however many days it is until I can fly the hell out of there that maybe it'd be a good idea to skip that shit entirely.

Conversely, I could also act like an actual human being who knows his friends all love him and can't wait to see him and should totally go visit them for the first time in an absurd amount of years, instead of avoiding anything that could even remotely involve any real amount of sentiment or intimacy like I've grown entirely too comfortable doing as of late. So there's that.

So let's break this down scientifically:

PROS OF ASHEVILLE

I know lots of people.
Catching up with old friends.
More familiar territory.
Nicer weather and scenery.
Chance of getting laid.
Less expensive overall.

CONS OF ASHEVILLE

I know lots of people.
Greater risk of personal disappointment, embarrassment, and overall awkwardness.
Nebulous activity plans. I have a rough idea of who all I'll be seeing, but not when, where, or how, nor what we'll be doing to amuse ourselves in the process.
No car. Will be slave to mass transit, rides from friends, and perhaps the occasional taxi.

PROS OF VEGAS

I don't know anyone.
Less risk of embarrassing myself in a memorable way.
Vidya gaems all day errday.
Chance, albeit infinitessimal, of winning money.
Opportunity to learn more about the art of fighting (but not Art of Fighting), improve my skills, and thoroughly enjoy myself while I'm doing it.
Chance to meet and play with/against top players.
Can tell Aris Bakhtanians to go fuck himself.
Can take bus directly from hotel to the event.

CONS OF VEGAS

I don't know anyone.
Bus ride from most affordable hotel is 48 minutes, making going back and forth from Caesar's Palace to my hotel room a hassle.
It's hot and sunny, and I hate both those things.
My current main game, Street Fighter x Tekken, will only be having a 2v2 tag team event, which means I'll need to find a partner and train with them adequately.
Greater chance of embarrassing myself in front of countless people both at the event and watching on the internet.
I will not win at anything. Ever.
Will require actually buckling down and practicing in order to stave off the previous two cons as much as is humanly possible.
Odds of TSA mistaking my fightstick and related equipment for a possible bomb and inspecting/confiscating/destroying my luggage with a robot are higher than I'd prefer.
Aris Bakhtanians probably has friends who are bigger than me.
Have you ever smelled a game room at a con? Well, this is a con with nothing but game rooms.
Lower chance of getting laid (for free).
More expensive overall.

What do?

Bard The 5th LW · 04-09-2012, 11:55 PM

Hmm I'd say Asheville! Sounds to me like it might be a more meaningful trip to take! Less expenses, some friends, etc. Try to be confident! If you have a decent reputation in your current area than maybe you can shake off your old one if you just stick to it.

IHateMakingNames · 04-09-2012, 11:58 PM

Go to Evo and Vegas. Your avatar says you'll prefer it.

Cons for Vegas

I might be there

***Fenris*** · 04-10-2012, 12:03 AM

Go home

Krylo · 04-10-2012, 12:20 AM

Poch and Funks are out in Vegas.

So you totally know people there.

Fifthfiend · 04-10-2012, 12:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Krylo

Poch and Funks are out in Vegas.

So you totally know people there.

I will bring them and liz it will be just a big mushy mess of meeting people you sorta kinda know in a context that makes it hecks weird to meet them in actual person.

Fifthfiend · 04-10-2012, 12:21 AM

I am going to do you the favor of ruining vegas for you by promising to show up there if you do.

POS Industries · 04-10-2012, 12:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IHateMakingNames

Cons for Vegas

I might be there

Quote:

Originally Posted by Krylo

Poch and Funks are out in Vegas.

So you totally know people there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fifthfiend

I am going to do you the favor of ruining vegas for you by promising to show up there if you do.

Yeah, defs leaning toward Asheville now.

Thanks, fuckers.

Aldurin · 04-10-2012, 01:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IHateMakingNames

Go to Evo and Vegas. Your avatar says you'll prefer it.

Cons for Vegas

I might be there

Quote:

Originally Posted by Krylo

Poch and Funks are out in Vegas.

So you totally know people there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fifthfiend

I will bring them and liz it will be just a big mushy mess of meeting people you sorta kinda know in a context that makes it hecks weird to meet them in actual person.

Quote:

Originally Posted by POS Industries

Yeah, defs leaning toward Asheville now.

Thanks, fuckers.

You know, I could remedy the situation and show up too somehow! 6 is a nightmare but seven is a ~~orgy~~ party!

POS Industries · 04-10-2012, 02:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aldurin

You know, I could remedy the situation and show up too somehow! 6 is a nightmare but seven is a ~~orgy~~ party!

Welp, looks like I'm going home after all!

Honestly, I figure I should get a fair bit more tournament experience beyond a couple anime con tournaments before jumping into something like Evo, but the idea of actually having an ample supply of people to play with in person again was definitely tempting. Maybe next year, after I look more into hitting up something like Season's Beatings in Columbus this fall and whatever other regional tournaments I might be able to road trip to.

Plus my plans to form up the greatest SFxT tag team the world has ever seen fell flat when a guy I worked with (who seems to be the only other Street Fighter player in town) got fired and neither had the money to buy the game or the needed proximity for me to harass him about getting the fuck off Gears of War and playing with me, so that's been a setback.

Plus the trip to NC will be fun. I had a perfectly enjoyable, incident-free trip last time, so I foresee no major issues.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smarty McBarrelpants

Go to Mexico.

I don't have enough warrants out on me yet for that.

04-09-2012, 11:48 PM	#1
POS Industries Argus Agony Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Gotta go fishing! Posts: 10,483	"A Very POS Summer Vacation" sponsored by POS Industries and Viewers Like You This summer I am taking a vacation, because if I don't I will A) lose those vacation days in August and 2) I haven't been out of Ohio in a year and a half and, if I don't get a few days away from this godforsaken shithole of a state soon, I'm terrified of what I might do. I have already got a trip planned, namely back to my hometown of Asheville, NC. I have a place to stay for the week and several friends to catch up with, and it's been a couple years since my last visit and I miss the place terribly. However, roughly two weeks after my planned excursion, the EVO fighting game championships are scheduled to take place in Las Vegas, and a quick look on Expedia showed that the airfare and hotel costs would be about the same as my travel expenses for the Asheville trip. Entry into any of the tournaments is open to the public, though I won't win any of them (or even progress very far at all, mostly likely), but it is a great chance to play some fightan gaems and learn a great deal more about playing them well than I am in my apartment alone. It's also, quite strangely, less terrifying than going home. I've spent the past several years quite comfortably removed from everyone who remembers all the embarrassing shit I ever did when I was younger, and I've grown to actually prefer the reputation I've garnered here as just a rather standoffish guy with a nice voice to whatever the hell reputation I've left behind in NC. There are also other aspects related to the lovely young lady I'll be staying with in Asheville that could potentially lead to a degree of disappointment followed by however many days it is until I can fly the hell out of there that maybe it'd be a good idea to skip that shit entirely. Conversely, I could also act like an actual human being who knows his friends all love him and can't wait to see him and should totally go visit them for the first time in an absurd amount of years, instead of avoiding anything that could even remotely involve any real amount of sentiment or intimacy like I've grown entirely too comfortable doing as of late. So there's that. So let's break this down scientifically: PROS OF ASHEVILLE I know lots of people. Catching up with old friends. More familiar territory. Nicer weather and scenery. Chance of getting laid. Less expensive overall. CONS OF ASHEVILLE I know lots of people. Greater risk of personal disappointment, embarrassment, and overall awkwardness. Nebulous activity plans. I have a rough idea of who all I'll be seeing, but not when, where, or how, nor what we'll be doing to amuse ourselves in the process. No car. Will be slave to mass transit, rides from friends, and perhaps the occasional taxi. PROS OF VEGAS I don't know anyone. Less risk of embarrassing myself in a memorable way. Vidya gaems all day errday. Chance, albeit infinitessimal, of winning money. Opportunity to learn more about the art of fighting (but not Art of Fighting), improve my skills, and thoroughly enjoy myself while I'm doing it. Chance to meet and play with/against top players. Can tell Aris Bakhtanians to go fuck himself. Can take bus directly from hotel to the event. CONS OF VEGAS I don't know anyone. Bus ride from most affordable hotel is 48 minutes, making going back and forth from Caesar's Palace to my hotel room a hassle. It's hot and sunny, and I hate both those things. My current main game, Street Fighter x Tekken, will only be having a 2v2 tag team event, which means I'll need to find a partner and train with them adequately. Greater chance of embarrassing myself in front of countless people both at the event and watching on the internet. I will not win at anything. Ever. Will require actually buckling down and practicing in order to stave off the previous two cons as much as is humanly possible. Odds of TSA mistaking my fightstick and related equipment for a possible bomb and inspecting/confiscating/destroying my luggage with a robot are higher than I'd prefer. Aris Bakhtanians probably has friends who are bigger than me. Have you ever smelled a game room at a con? Well, this is a con with nothing but game rooms. Lower chance of getting laid (for free). More expensive overall. What do? __________________ Either you're dead or my watch has stopped.

04-09-2012, 11:58 PM	#3
IHateMakingNames Awwwwh Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 12,119	Go to Evo and Vegas. Your avatar says you'll prefer it. Cons for Vegas I might be there __________________ "If I'm reincarnated, I want to be Musashi again!" - Musashi, Brave Fencer Musashi

04-10-2012, 12:03 AM	#4
*Fenris* Administrator Join Date: May 2005 Location: East Coast Posts: 6,806	Go home __________________ "FENRIS IS AN ASSHOLE" - shiney

04-10-2012, 12:20 AM	#5
Krylo The Straightest Shota Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: It's a secret to everybody. Posts: 17,789	Poch and Funks are out in Vegas. So you totally know people there. __________________ I am very tired.

04-10-2012, 12:21 AM	#7
Fifthfiend for all seasons Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 19,409	I am going to do you the favor of ruining vegas for you by promising to show up there if you do. __________________ check out my buttspresso

04-09-2012, 11:55 PM	#2
Bard The 5th LW Feelin' Super! Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 4,191	Hmm I'd say Asheville! Sounds to me like it might be a more meaningful trip to take! Less expenses, some friends, etc. Try to be confident! If you have a decent reputation in your current area than maybe you can shake off your old one if you just stick to it.