It's only been what, nearly 2 years since I updated this?
Far too much has happened in this time, so a pretty basic summary is that I quit raiding nearly a year ago in favour of playing The Feast and single player games. I think it was needed. My health has improved and I am enjoying the game again.
Now to the point of this blog post.
Due to qualifying for the Feast Regional Championships (FRC) Square Enix paid for me and my team to go to Paris to compete in the Grand Final. Pretty much everything was paid for, except for food and a small bit of travel so it was far too good of an opportunity to turn down.
I packed my things on the night of Thursday 31/01/19 and went to bed nervous, but very excited. I was essentially travelling to a Foreign country to meet a group of strangers. But I'm all for trying new things I guess.
The trip + Friday.
It was due to snow overnight and it actually started on the Thursday night. So I set my alarm for 6AM (even though my first train wasn't until 9AM) so I could check trains and bus services for cancellations. There was nothing reported on either, so I grabbed some breakfast, double checked I had everything packed and then to allow me plenty of time to get to the train station via bus, set out at about 07:30AM.
Little did I know, I was about to embark on one of the most stressful journeys I've ever done.
It snowed pretty hard for UK standards. Snow is quite rare in England, but when it does happen, the country quite literally fails to function.
The plan was: Bus to Train Station > Train to London > Underground to Eurostar > Eurostar to Paris > Metro/small walk to Hotel.
After dragging a suitcase through snow for 10 minutes, I arrived at the bus stop and immediately grew concerned that a lot of buses were cancelled. The next confirmed bus that could take me to the Train Station was in 1 hour, and I was pretty sure this would make me late for my train. I called Taxi companies, no answer, and put out a message in a WhatsApp chat to see if anyone was awake and free but got no response,
Growing desperate, I got on a bus and asked if it went to the train station, The driver told me it stopped about 5 minutes away, so I paid and got on. Unsure where it was going and where I had to get off.
A friend of mine then responded on Whatsapp halfway into the journey, she had just finished a night shift and offered to take me to the station. I got off the bus and she picked me up. I managed to get to the station in time.
I then arrived and discovered my train was cancelled due to the snow, but a replacement was due 10 minutes later. It arrived on time and I breathed a sigh of relief that I was back on track to make it in time. I got on the train, put my headphones on and started to relax.
This is where I made a pretty big error. The initial train was direct to London, No changes. However, this one had 1 change which I neglected to notice due to all the stress and panic of getting to the station in the first place. Therefore I was confused when it got to the 2nd stop, stayed there for ages, and then going backwards. I took off my headphones to an automated message "This is a train to Oxford" and immediately started to panic. There was no way I would make it in time now.
I messaged Clem on Discord, asking him what to do. He said I could get the next one and to take my time and get there when I could. I looked at prices for the next Eurostar and it cost £191, Which I was unwilling to pay. Clem told me I should be able to transfer for a small fee and to keep him updated.
So, I started the train journey AGAIN. I sat in First Class without realising, but luckily nobody said anything to me. I messaged Nax, Jin and Dan, who I would be travelling with to say I wasn't going to make it and that I would try my best to get there asap.
I eventually made it to London 2 hours later than anticipated, And then got on the underground. I was 2 stops away from the St Pancras Eurostar station, when again, the underground stopped. The driver announced there was a signal failure, was not sure when we would be moving again, and that he would keep us updated. I thought this blew any chance of me getting on the Eurostar and I was trapped on the underground with no phone signal or wifi to try and find out what was happening from other people.
Eventually, we started to move and I got to St Pancras. Where it was chaos. A lot of trains were delayed or cancelled, everyone was distressed and panicked like me and there were lines and queues everywhere. I had never taken the Eurostar before, had no idea where to go, or if I could still travel.
The delays actually worked in my favour, The Eurostar I was due to travel on had massive delays and was not due to leave for another hour. So I got in line at customer services and breathed a huge sigh of relief when they told me I could board. I ran to the gates, got through security and found my group.
I then Met Naxam, Jinrai, Dan, Ami and Wolf. Everyone (except for Dan of course) was pretty quiet and probably felt a little bit like me but we opened up to each other pretty quickly. We then got on the Eurostar, Nax and Jin were sat in a different carriage, With Me, Dan, Ami and Wolf sat together at a table seat.
It was a fun journey there, I had a lot of laughs with these guys both there and back. We talked about feast, the game overall along with random Dan things.
We got to the station, and we were all hungry. I hadn't eaten since 6AM and it was 5PM Paris time, plus I hadn't had any form of fluids since leaving the house. The others had been waiting at the train station for hours. So we took a breather before getting on the Metro to the hotel and grabbed a Five Guys
We arrived, I instantly recognised Sycko by his Pink sweater and voice. I was introduced to Sheria who I would be room sharing with over the weekend. Along with several other people I recognised through various feast memes. There was no time to rest though, We were already late getting to the venue, so I had to throw my suitcase and Camera bag in our room and then walk to the venue.
We got inside the venue and got a first view of what It was like, It looked amazing, and we got to watch The Primals rehearse between setting up and having our photos taken. We were all forbidden by an NDA from taking pictures/video so none available sadly. We eventually got out at about 8:30PM and posed for a group pic.
(Back row left to right: Bar Boron, Jinrai Phantomedge, Garbage Warrior, Gabriel Fujin, Zegram Xiv, Ash Florentine, Naxam Naekovu, Claw Rizael, Aqua Rain, Fever Pitch, Sheria Barnes, Dacien Darlett, Nana Yru, Meythia Yasuki, Ami Prower, Crying Wolf, +ONE,)
(Front Row left to right: Audacity Rai, Sycko Falalafel, Clem, Thana Rah'thazel, Frosty)
We also got given our feast shirts:
This comparison between Sycko (Tallest) and Jin (smallest) is hilarious. Sycko ordered a size up to be safe while Jin's turned out to be really small for some reason!
We then finally had the evening to ourselves. We made reservations at a small restaurant the night before so we headed there straight afterwards.
The place was great. It was tiny, and had 3 tables. But it had so much character. There was a couple of french guys performing and they were pretty good even though I didn't understand a word they were saying. Many beers were drank and lots of wine consumed. The food was great and reasonably priced, Sycko said the owner was really thankful that we came which was awesome as I love supporting smaller businesses when I can. We got back to the hotel and I pretty much passed out as soon as my head hit the pillow.
Saturday
I recall waking up at about 4AM, My mouth dry as hell, and with a slight headache. The alcohol was taking effect, but I didn't want to risk waking Sheria to get water as the room was tiny. I managed to stealth open a can of apple tango which was in my suitcase and sipped it while catching up on Discord chats and social medias.
I must of drifted back to sleep, as the next minute I knew, Sycko was banging on our door, asking if we were coming for breakfast. I declined as I felt really hungover and couldn't stomach anything. I squeezed in the shower and laid on the bed feeling sorry for myself.
The plan for today was to go into the city with Dan and take some pictures. However, He said he was finishing off an assignment for his school work and would be ready at about 1PM, So I headed to the venue to catch the keynote.
The keynote was great, It didn't help that I was hungover, and without a seat to watch it with, but I grabbed some water and a red bull in an attempt to make myself feel more human again.
Shadowbringers looks genuinely awesome. I was considering holding off until a bit later before buying it, but things such as Gunbreaker and the Nier: Automata crossover got me excited. They also unveiled the collectors edition, which they also displayed near the signing wall, Which I pre-ordered when it was available to do so.
The keynote finished, and our team decided to use the day to do our own thing. Sycko went to meet his raid static, Nax, Jin and Sheria went to queue for Merch. Therefore I decided to use the time until Dan was ready to find and meet some people.
I ran into Azzavhar, Naritori, Cloudhaze and many many others, I had a great time chilling with them. Especially queuing in the freezing cold for food! I was too hungover to take many pics. But they are some of the nicest people I've had the privilege of meeting.
I managed to stomach about half of the food, it was a combination of feeling sick and it just not being too great. I got a message from Dan, saying he was ready to go into Paris. I almost cancelled on him due to how I was feeling, But I had been looking forward to it for months and thought some fresh air would do me good. Plus I didn't want to let him down so I found him in the venue and off we headed.
These were just a few of many photos I took. (quality will be awful) I've always had an interest in photography but never really the motivation to get into it, When Dan suggested the idea of doing this long ago, I was really excited. I picked up a Sony A6300 for Black Friday and invested in a nice Sigma Prime 30mm Lens. I was really pleased with the results and I really want to travel more and do more things like this.
Dan was also amazing, He is a seriously talented photographer and I encourage you to check out his Instagram:
http://instagram.com/diaryofban
I am also slowly in the process of editing and uploading more of mine. You can find my Instagram below too if you are interested in seeing more:
http://instagram.com/anticrime
He helped me set up my camera, but just by watching him I learned a lot. It was really inspiring watching how passionate he is about photography. We could be mid conversation, he would see something that would make a good pic and just spring into action, take multiple pics, look back through them and smile, knowing he got something good.
We had finished at the Arc Du Triomphe (sp) and it was getting dark so we decided to start heading back to the Hotel. He saw an opportunity for a pic at a kebab shop and while he was taking a pic, the guy noticed him and posed for it. Dan was so pleased with it, we decided to stop and eat dinner there. It was actually really good! A massive kebab and fries for about 5 euros and the guy was super friendly.
We got back to the hotel, chilled while Dan edited photos, had some great times with other FRC people before heading to bed at about Midnight. After all, We had a big day ahead of us.
Sunday
It was in the early hours that I discovered that Sheria likes to talk in his sleep. I had no idea what he said as it was in German, but it was hilarious.
I got as much sleep as I could, I don't like to sound ungrateful, as the trip was paid for, but the hotel rooms were simply awful. The beds were tiny and I kept waking up in the night feeling like I was going to fall out. Me and Sheria are both quite tall, so struggled to get in and out the bathroom and shower and there was barely room to open my suitcase. The room alos lacked basic things like a rubbish bin, a pen and paper and a toilet brush for the bathroom.
Needless to say, this was no time to be complaining, We headed for breakfast where I grabbed some coffee and we headed back to the venue.
We decided to use the morning to just relax before our games, so we went and queued for the challenge roulette:
Our setup was Me, Sycko, Jan, Naxam, Sheria, Unhu, C'mi and 1 random 8th who joined us
We got Cape Westwind, Which we had to complete at minimum item level, half of the screen covered with a picture of a Namazu, No party or enemy list. And once we had set up, we had to swap seats with our neighbour and play using their configs!
I had to swap placed with C'mi, who played BRD with some really odd binds, after 2 wipes, we barely managed to kill it, but it was a lot of fun.
We also had some nice peripherals to clear it with, these are the same mouse and keyboard I use for work!
Sheria, Jin, Naxam and C'mi also decided to try the Bucking Behemoth and all lasted the full 30 seconds:
We all then watched the questions to Yoshida, and then met with the other FRC people before heading backstage.
The nerves really started to ramp up for me here, Not because of the games we were due to play, but the fact I needed to walk on stage in front of about 3,000 people and 12,000 on Twitch and not mess it up, however, Clem gave us a good recap of where we needed to walk and what we needed to do and once I saw the stage layout I was fine. We got out, and sat down for our first game against Ugandan Warriors
I was so focused on what I was doing, that the games feel like a blur to me. but I'll try my best to explain what I was feeling.
We had some tech issues to start with, Jinrai was missing some settings and the tech guy was trying to make her hurry up, Sycko and Naxam did great and basically told him to be patient and we eventually got things underway.
Ugandan Warriors is notorious for being a very aggressive team. Therefore we went in with a battle plan to start with a defensive comp and if it we lost or it went to a 3rd game, to switch to our aggressive comp too.
The first game went pretty well, We put on a really good show and we just edged them in sudden death 450-350 medals. I thought I played really well and got some nice kills. Me and Nax started celebrating and nearly forgot to pick up the medals!
The next game was the opposite, We were getting their players down to low HP but they surprised us by playing defensively really well and punishing us for pushing them. I can't remember the final score, But at one point they were 25 medals away from 600ing us and I was the last player with medals so had to be very careful.
So we decided to take a chance and play the aggressive comp, Once again, Ugandan Warriors Surprised us by playing very defensive but we persevered and managed to get a kill to put ourselves in the lead in the last 30 seconds. We erupted in celebration and were really happy we were through to the grand final.
I didn't get to watch most of the grand final as I really needed to go and use the bathroom, However the line was so long I had to walk back and just hold it in for the grand final. I got back to watch the last game and although no1crs put up a really good fight against them as they were missing their melee and had to play with a substitute on a job she doesn't usually play. FeelsGladMan were simply too good and they won the series 2-0.
We were called back on stage and took our seats, this was it. We were about to play a series of games worth about £2000 to each player.
The first game started really well, We nearly 600'd them but I got too careless and pushed too far and they punished me for it. We were 6 medals from winning and would have done so if I hadn't died. We just couldn't keep that many medals and they turned around the game with some really scary firepower with their DRG and BLM. We just lost out on the first game, but we were positive as we played really well.
The 2nd game we managed to win narrowly to tie the score. I felt I didn't play very well these first 2 games and tried to prepare myself mentally for the last ones in hope of securing a win.
The last 2 games were so close, we got some very nice kills but once again, their BLM played so well and they punished our mistakes hard. They ended up winning the series 3-1 and we finished runners up.
We had no hard feelings or regrets, We all said before we even travelled that we got what we wanted by winning a free trip here and everything else was a bonus.
The winning moment, Huge grats to Aqua, Zegram, Gab and Claw. They played super well and deserved it.
We all got back stage and sort of breathed a sigh of relief. Clem and Rinny seemed happy that it went well and we were all sort of glad it was over! We all agreed that we felt we did the content justice.
Yoshida actually enjoyed our first game so much, that he was backstage with us watching! However, because everyone was so focused, barely anyone noticed he was there! Clem took a picture of Yoshida behind a crowd of Feast players but sadly I could not find it to include here.
We took a lot of pics back stage after the games. Met Yoshida (Who looked super tired, bless him) and then we were free to do as we liked again.
I ran to the Merch store, I bagged myself a Fat Cat Plush and a couple of job pins (DRG + BRD) I was going to get the book but it had sold out sadly.
Sycko and Naxam headed to do an interview with some community members, We were waiting for him and we were approached by some journalists who asked if they could interview us. Me and Jin Volunteered and we thought it went really well! However, we have no idea where they were from and we have no idea when it may pop up.
After the event, We were really flattered with how many people came up to us, saying how much they enjoyed watching the tournament and even asking for pictures with us. It felt very surreal when all we did was play a few games of Feast!
Our team + Unhu decided to go grab some dinner and enjoy the rest of the evening. We found a nice place not too far from the hotel. I had an awesome carbonara which was made properly and was a huge portion.
The other guys decided to order some snails with their meal, but I was too much of a wimp to try them...
We then headed back to the hotel for some drinks. I felt pretty exhausted by this point so stayed in the lobby and chilled. We stayed quite late until about 2AM and then it dawned on us that Paris was over and we had to say our goodbyes.
All in all, I really enjoyed the trip. Everyone was so nice and chilled. Some were more shy than others but I felt everyone opened up and socialised really well. I think everyone was sad when we went to our rooms to get some sleep and wanted it to last a bit longer. I think everyone including myself would do it again in a heart beat. Alas, I managed to get some sleep (even with Sherias sleep talking!).
Monday
Not a lot happened on this day. The plan was to stay in London tonight and Tuesday night with Brian, Who was visiting from the US.
Wolf kindly paid for a Taxi to the train station. We had a great time chatting on the way back. Me, Dan, Ami and Wolf said our goodbyes in London and I headed towards our hotel near Wembley.
After having a decent shower for the first time in 3 days, I started going through the pics on my camera, I was smiling all the way through and wished the event would have lasted for just 1 more day.
Brian arrived a few hours later, he was understandably very tired and went for a nap. By the time he woke up, It was too late to go and do much. I ordered a Fatburger to the hotel (Which was fucking delicious) and we walked around Wembley a bit while discussing the trip and Feast related things.
We were both behind on sleep, so agreed to an early night and that we would wake up early the next day to go sightseeing. The beds in this hotel were so much nicer than the Ibis in Paris and I slept for about 10 hours.
Tuesday
We woke up and got ready and were out the door at about 9AM.
Clem had messaged me on discord the day before, asking if I wanted to go for Lunch with him. After confirming that it was ok for Brian and Reiku to come along, We headed into London for a bit of sightseeing.
It hit about 12:30 and we headed to the SE offices to Meet Clem. We were initially told off for taking pics of the Kingdom Hearts 3 stuff there, but Clem explained to Security that we were with him and they let us continue:
We decided on a Byron Burger, Which I have been to many times in Oxford and Recommend.
Lunch with Clem was awesome. We discussed many things Feast related, such as ideas and thoughts along with his experience with organising the FRC. He put in so much work along with Rinny and it was great to hear how he thought it went well and paid off. They deserve all the recognition and reward in the world as they do so much for us, both in Paris and Vegas. He also gave me a missing Feast Champion shirt which I have wanted for the longest time and Brian both T shirts.
We said our goodbyes to Clem. Reiku lives in London and took over from me to leading Brian to various sights in the city. I hadn't had much time to hang with either of them in Paris so it was awesome having the opportunity now.
We went to so many places and decided on a Chinese place for dinner, as it was Chinese New Year. We went to a really good place in Chinatown and stuffed our faces.
We said our goodbyes to Reiku, then headed back to our hotel for the night. We both decided to have a sleep in and got up at about 10AM, I had a train to catch at Noon so I said my goodbyes to Brian and home I went. I was so glad to sleep in my own bed that night...
If you made it to the end of the post! Congratulations! And thank you for reading. I hope it wasn't too boring!
As you can clearly see, I rarely update this blog. If you want to keep up to date with what I am doing, the best place would be my twitter: http://twitter.com/audacityrai
Until next time, This is Aud/Dom, Signing out!
