# Anthrocon 2016 Report from a non-furry (Probably boring story)



## randomdood (Jul 4, 2016)

Hello, my name is randomdood (Adam). I was encouraged by a friend who is heavily involved with the furry community to talk about my weekend and try to post more online or speak up in generally instead of keeping things on the inside. I don't consider myself a furry and I probably never will. Most I would do is get a tail and maybe a bit of art work for a made up character. I don't want that to sound negative and its not negative to choose what you want to be, but I feel like I need to say it. I can honestly tell people how I got into the community, but that's not safe for work. Although people can ask me if they wish. Anyways, on to the report of the weekend. I feel that a lot of people are going to find this boring or something wrong with what's going on, but its better to be open I guess.


Thursday: 


I drive (Pittsburgh Native) downtown with a friend and get there about 8PM. Him and I wait in line so I can get my badge for the weekend. Not a terribly long wait, but a bit of time was spent there where we could have had our 3DS to kill off some of the waiting time. People were running around in the convention center playing with balloons, plushies and whatever else was around. There was a guy with his partner in front of us in the line and he was being all kissy with them. Kinda wish they weren't like that in the open and such. We reach the registration area and I put my info in and my friend gets out of line to wait for me. Get my badge and then we go walking around the convention center. Nothing really of note was going on. Couldn't go to the dealer's room yet because it was still being set up. Went up stairs and nothing was of note up there that I can think of. Walk over to the Westin and there was something going on in one of the rooms, but don't know what it was about. Perhaps it was all the people who were running things about to discuss the weekend plans. My friend and I left after that and dropped him off at his home and I go home to rest up for Friday.


 Friday: 


*BEGIN WORK STORY*​
Months ago I was working at a store where there were three full timers and only one full time can be off at a certain time with our requests for leave. Plus with work, you have to request the whole week off if you are wanting time off during a holiday weekend. Welp, the old guy that doesn't do much with his life other than work decides to take time off the same week for Anthrocon and that puts me into a position of maybe missing a good chunk of the weekend. Another store opened up and I bid on the store and won it and work with a bunch of other people. I am only allowed to have 10 guaranteed Saturdays off per year and the store I am currently with agreed to using vacation time to make Friday and Saturday days shorter, something else the other district store wasn't going to allow. The downside was that the current General Manager was leaving the same week I got there and if we didn't have a GM at the time of anthrocon, then chances are they would need me to work there for my usual 7.5 hour shifts and to be a shift runner when a manager is out. Couple weeks pass and we finally get a GM by early June and it looks like this weekend will work out for me. A week later another manager said he was leaving the store. Back in the same hole again, great. A week passes and was told by the GM we're getting another assistant manager the week of anthrocon. Sweet!!! I was able to make it and I swear it wasn't gonna work out. So I basically work an 830-1230 shift, head home, eat something, relax a bit and then head out for the con.

*END WORK STORY
*​Ran into a little traffic and thought I was going to be late for something I was wanting to do at 4, but got there in enough time and played in the Mario Kart 8 tournament. It was fun since I haven't played the game in a while and I do love the thrill of competition. Got in the top 8 after some exciting fun matches and get knocked out. Oh well, but I did miss the Overcoming shyness and anxiety panel at the same time. I do like me some videogames though. About 6 I met up with my ex and we sat by the river talking about anthrocon, things were seeing and other things going on in the world. Head to the zoo with her and we play a few rounds of pokemon and then she goes home. I pop my head in some panels to see what's going on and keep on moving on. Eventually back up to the games room where I play Super Smash Bros, like I usually do at most cons. I was gonna play in the Yu-Gi-Oh! tournament, but for some reason I looked everywhere for my decks and couldn't find anything. I haven't played two years, but I know how to play the game and should know where my stuff is at. Oh well. Head out around 10 because of another 830-1230 shift the next morning.


Saturday:


Was running a bit later than I thought and had to park at another parking garage instead of the DLCC due to the fursuit parade. Got to the Mario Maker tournament in time and played in that. Some tricky levels, but caught on quick. Played a well known person in the finals and it was best 2 out of 3. He got me in the first one and then I barely won on the second stage. Last stage was super tough, there were no checkpoints. I seemed to have a tougher time this one due to being nervous and rushing myself to win. I pulled out a win and that was super satisfying. Got a $10 E-Shop card and people were impressed. Ran into another friend who was going to play in the Kirby tournaments. After some thought I decided to play in them too. First up was the Megaton Punch tournament. First round, it was me and that super popular guy and I really crushed him with a 5-0 in the match. On the fifth game of the set I got three perfect timings and amazed the crowd. Second round was harder, but once again another perfect in the end to seal the win. Third was basically a repeat of the second round. Finals, it was 2-2 and I hit my buttons before he hits one. I get a triple perfect and the look on his face knew it was either perfect to tie or my victory. Next up was Samurai Kirby. That game was much tougher for me, but once again to my shock, I won that as well. I got $20 for winning both tournaments. Will really do this again next year. Go over to at about 6:15 to the Westin for a panel on Let's Plays and I sit in the room and things were running late. Way later than they wanted to be. They were setting something up and I left to go to the bathroom and I come back and its Karaoke. So I sat there for something that apparently was labeled wrong or I was wrong. Headed to the dealer's room and the art area and walked up and down the isles and didn't see anything really interesting in my opinion. Ran into another friend, chit-chated with him a bit in the game room waiting for the smash tournament to begin. It went a bit slower due to the first round not doing 4 player pools. I really feel that was the better way to do things because I feel it ran smoother last year. That friend left to go find someone else and then I try to get my head in the game. First round I get paired up with a kid who didn't know what he was doing. Not much of a fun match when you knock yourself out. Couple other people I knew came to chat with me. Wanted them to watch me in the next match. Second round, I get paired up with the super popular guy. It was a good game, he got my first stock and then got his. His cheer leaders were there and I hear them wanting him to win. My friends watch me, but aren't really vocal. As the game goes on and I get nervous and my decision making begins to fail me. I lose, but I'm not upset at my performance because I know I was one of the four best there and would have made it farther if it wasn't that early match up with him. What got on my nerves were the people that couldn't stay silent. Yeah I know I could have done my best to tune it out, but it was my first time in a tournament where people are vocal about who they want to win. I chill outside the video game room with the two people I knew to cool off. We sit and talk and another friend stops by and we chat. Head back in and play some Super Smash Bros with him while the finals finish up. We play some games, a dealer comes by to play too and that was fun. My friend and I play til the game room closes up and we head out. He goes his way and then I head back home for another night's sleep for the last day of the con.


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## randomdood (Jul 4, 2016)

Sunday:


Made it to the con a little bit before noon and was preparing myself for the amiibo tournament. While we were waiting for the tournament to begin we played two matches of eight amiibos and mine didn't do so well. Then I was told if there were more people we would have done one on ones, but the tournament was going to be ran different from what I trained for so I left to go play in the pokemon tournament that was scheduled at the same time as the amiibos. I make it in time to be paired up with someone and play them and won with a strategy I made up for fun. Although the last guy I played in the tournament was taking it too serious for me to really enjoy it. Although I did get a Pikachu amiibo and a bag out of being there. Because this was more of a positive event, I'll do this one over the amiibo tournament if they are ran at the same time. Ran over to barely make it to the Pokken tournament and won the first round and lost the next, but just like Mario Kart, it was fun playing that because I haven't played that in a while. With the remaining hour, played more Super Smash Bros with random strangers til the video game room closed. Tried getting in touch with the few people I knew that went to the con, but they didn't get my messages soon enough or they already left. 


Overall Pros and Cons:

Pros:

Weather was overall nice
Played a bunch of video games
Won tournaments and prizes
Saw people I knew, even if it wasn't for a long time
Playing games I haven't played lately
Beat the popular guy
Exercise because of all that walking
Didn't deal with any drama

Cons:

Not eating during the con
Kept running into people or people wouldn't move out of the way
At the wrong panel
The cheerleaders
Not meeting anyone new due to anxiety and scared to start conversations
Serious Pokemon Guy
Not knowing where my yugioh cards are


Good con, will try to make it next year. Hoping to at least make some kind of connection.


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## Hair_Everywhere (Jul 4, 2016)

Niccccccceee


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## MEDS (Jul 5, 2016)

Well, it seems like you enjoyed yourself. From what I understand, Anthrocon has always been great at entertaining a wide variety of people, furry or not. Thanks for sharing your experience!


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