With all apologies to my erstwhile friend and fellow writer Hates, and you the readers, this piece was a little late for a couple of very important reasons; Skyrim, and of course, just plain writers block. Both of these things have been sorted now, so enjoy the article.
Before I go spouting off like I know things, a brief introduction. I've been participating in tournaments for fighting games since 1995. I've seen a ton of good tournaments and bad ones, and after 16 years of tournament experience, let me say this:
A Major Tournament is literally the most fun you can have with a fighting game, period.
Have you ever been hanging out with a group of friends, playing Soul Calibur (or any fighting game), having a few drinks, ordering out food, cracking jokes and generally having a good time and thought "Man, why don't more people do this?" That is what a major tournament is, except on a bigger scale. Along with that bigger scale comes a host of little nuances and annoyances that should be understood for the maximum enjoyment of your tournament experience. So, below is a condensed version of that information.
IdleMind's Tournament Survival Guide: Pocket Edition
The most important logistical concern quite simply comes down to "Where do I sleep?" Well, as it turns out, you have a few options.
A major tournament typically takes place at a convention center or hotel, so there is almost always housing at the venue. Most major events like NEC and EVO have a special room rate for their event, and splitting up the cost between 3 or 4 people makes it pretty cheap indeed, if you don't mind sharing the space. If you are looking for people to split the cost with, make a post in the tournament thread, or simply private message some people and ask about it.
Lets say however, you are short on cash from the travelling costs, and you need a cheaper option than that. You could always ask someone who is local if you can be housed by them. The etiquette here is important- don't just post in the thread "can someone house me?" Instead, you should post that you are looking for housing, and offer a potential recompense in some fashion. I've stayed at people's houses for the cost of a Popeye's dinner before.
Also, if you intend to house at someone's place, be sure to note any allergies you have, especially to pets or food or anything like that to avoid any unpleasant situations for yourself or your host. Be respectful and not a basement dwelling gamer, and you will ensure yourself a myriad of couches to crash on in the future.
Getting There
The other major logistical concern is, of course, travel. Major tournaments are typically not held within your region, so you have to figure out "How am I going to get there?"
Driving is the first option. I'd say any tournament less than 8 hours away is fine to drive to. Don't go it alone however- much like rooming, you want to pool resources. Take a group of people who can fit comfortably in the vehicle with you- trust me. I've been stuck in an SUV with 9 people before, uncomfortably, for 8 hours. Don't let this happen to you.
Make sure you have directions to the venue. This should go without saying. If you have a smartphone or GPS, even better. Make sure you have the contact #'s of some people locally who know how to get there as well in case you get lost or something happens. Also, make sure to give yourself extra time to account for things like traffic or weather delays. Try to show up the night before, or early on the day of, because "car lag" can definitely affect your tournament performance.
You could also take a Bus to a tournament. Buses are typically about the same cost efficiency as driving alone, except you don't have to drive. On the downside a bus trip can be full of weird strangers, but that isn't anything a pair of headphones can't solve.
The key with bus travel is to get your tickets ahead of time for maximum money saving. Also, if you can travel along well traveled routes, there are sometimes commuter buses you can take for an even cheaper rate such as Megabus or the NY to Boston express.
Finally, there is Flying. Flying is sometimes the only option, especially if you are in a different region of the country. Finding a good price on a flight is a game of comparison and research. Prepare to spend some hours on travel search sites looking for a decent fare, or you could try an fly standby. Flying has hidden costs to it as well, as anyone who has flown recently can tell you. Bag fees, for example. Be sure to factor those costs in before you head to the airport, and pack efficiently.
Other things to consider with flight: Airport Security and keeping your items safe. The latter filters into the former- you want to keep your sensitive stuff (systems, sticks, controllers, laptops) in your carry-on bag. The problem is that those are the things that airport security might want to search. I've seen a stick get taken apart because airport security didn't know what it was before. Do yourself a favor and show up early for your flight, and don't dress in a manner that attracts unwanted attention. If asked, calmly explain what these things are and you should be alright.
Enjoying Yourself
You made it to the event despite the slings and arrows of housing and travel. Now it's time to enjoy yourself- efficiently. A Major Tournament is nothing but potential. How you spend that potential is up to you, but here are two suggestions:
Try to Play Everyone
Major Tournaments offer a chance to level up your game because of the dense concentration of top level competition, don't waste the chance to play people. Whether it be in the tournament room on a casuals setup on in one of the many hotel rooms running a TV, make sure you get in at least a FT3 with everyone. Don't be afraid to ask top players to play either; they are just people.
Know When to Relax
Somewhat contradictory to the above, everyone has a limit and sometimes you just need to relax. Most tournaments have a "party rooms" where people gather and have a few drinks, or talk some shit, or order some delicious food, or play other games. Make it a point to figure out where those rooms are and give yourself some time off to decompress. ALLSOULCALIBURALLTHETIME is not a valid position, you will get tournament burnout. Even better, if possible, take a trip outside the venue to go see some sights wherever you are at. Plan it on a day when you aren't interested, or on day 2 if you have been eliminated or don't feel like playing in side tournaments.
A Plea for Civility
Gamers already have a pretty poor image for our anti-social tendencies. Fighting game tournament players have to not only fight that untrue stereotype as we enjoy doing something inherently social; but I feel we have a responsibility to present a better image of ourselves in general so we aren't lumped in with the orange fingered mountain dew swilling masses. Also, tournament rooms are hot environments- crowds of people and machines and TVs produce heat. Space is a premium in many cases. So, in summation, I want to end with this:
Take a Fucking Shower.
(If you found this article helpful and would like to see the expanded version of the guide hit the forums at some point, please post a comment in the comments section. I've got about 3-4 more detailed pages unfit for a front page article.)
Before I go spouting off like I know things, a brief introduction. I've been participating in tournaments for fighting games since 1995. I've seen a ton of good tournaments and bad ones, and after 16 years of tournament experience, let me say this:
A Major Tournament is literally the most fun you can have with a fighting game, period.
Have you ever been hanging out with a group of friends, playing Soul Calibur (or any fighting game), having a few drinks, ordering out food, cracking jokes and generally having a good time and thought "Man, why don't more people do this?" That is what a major tournament is, except on a bigger scale. Along with that bigger scale comes a host of little nuances and annoyances that should be understood for the maximum enjoyment of your tournament experience. So, below is a condensed version of that information.
See if you can find me in this crowd.
IdleMind's Tournament Survival Guide: Pocket Edition
- A Place To Lay Your Head (Housing)
- Getting There (Travel)
- Enjoying Yourself (Entertainment)
- A Plea for Civility (Hygiene)
The most important logistical concern quite simply comes down to "Where do I sleep?" Well, as it turns out, you have a few options.
A major tournament typically takes place at a convention center or hotel, so there is almost always housing at the venue. Most major events like NEC and EVO have a special room rate for their event, and splitting up the cost between 3 or 4 people makes it pretty cheap indeed, if you don't mind sharing the space. If you are looking for people to split the cost with, make a post in the tournament thread, or simply private message some people and ask about it.
Lets say however, you are short on cash from the travelling costs, and you need a cheaper option than that. You could always ask someone who is local if you can be housed by them. The etiquette here is important- don't just post in the thread "can someone house me?" Instead, you should post that you are looking for housing, and offer a potential recompense in some fashion. I've stayed at people's houses for the cost of a Popeye's dinner before.
Also, if you intend to house at someone's place, be sure to note any allergies you have, especially to pets or food or anything like that to avoid any unpleasant situations for yourself or your host. Be respectful and not a basement dwelling gamer, and you will ensure yourself a myriad of couches to crash on in the future.
Not pissing off the host has other tangible benefits too.
Getting There
The other major logistical concern is, of course, travel. Major tournaments are typically not held within your region, so you have to figure out "How am I going to get there?"
Driving is the first option. I'd say any tournament less than 8 hours away is fine to drive to. Don't go it alone however- much like rooming, you want to pool resources. Take a group of people who can fit comfortably in the vehicle with you- trust me. I've been stuck in an SUV with 9 people before, uncomfortably, for 8 hours. Don't let this happen to you.
Make sure you have directions to the venue. This should go without saying. If you have a smartphone or GPS, even better. Make sure you have the contact #'s of some people locally who know how to get there as well in case you get lost or something happens. Also, make sure to give yourself extra time to account for things like traffic or weather delays. Try to show up the night before, or early on the day of, because "car lag" can definitely affect your tournament performance.
You are in no condition to play immediately after a long car drive, trust me.
You could also take a Bus to a tournament. Buses are typically about the same cost efficiency as driving alone, except you don't have to drive. On the downside a bus trip can be full of weird strangers, but that isn't anything a pair of headphones can't solve.
The key with bus travel is to get your tickets ahead of time for maximum money saving. Also, if you can travel along well traveled routes, there are sometimes commuter buses you can take for an even cheaper rate such as Megabus or the NY to Boston express.
Finally, there is Flying. Flying is sometimes the only option, especially if you are in a different region of the country. Finding a good price on a flight is a game of comparison and research. Prepare to spend some hours on travel search sites looking for a decent fare, or you could try an fly standby. Flying has hidden costs to it as well, as anyone who has flown recently can tell you. Bag fees, for example. Be sure to factor those costs in before you head to the airport, and pack efficiently.
Other things to consider with flight: Airport Security and keeping your items safe. The latter filters into the former- you want to keep your sensitive stuff (systems, sticks, controllers, laptops) in your carry-on bag. The problem is that those are the things that airport security might want to search. I've seen a stick get taken apart because airport security didn't know what it was before. Do yourself a favor and show up early for your flight, and don't dress in a manner that attracts unwanted attention. If asked, calmly explain what these things are and you should be alright.
Brought to you by the guy who taught us Contra III is the best game ever.
Enjoying Yourself
You made it to the event despite the slings and arrows of housing and travel. Now it's time to enjoy yourself- efficiently. A Major Tournament is nothing but potential. How you spend that potential is up to you, but here are two suggestions:
Try to Play Everyone
Major Tournaments offer a chance to level up your game because of the dense concentration of top level competition, don't waste the chance to play people. Whether it be in the tournament room on a casuals setup on in one of the many hotel rooms running a TV, make sure you get in at least a FT3 with everyone. Don't be afraid to ask top players to play either; they are just people.
Know When to Relax
Somewhat contradictory to the above, everyone has a limit and sometimes you just need to relax. Most tournaments have a "party rooms" where people gather and have a few drinks, or talk some shit, or order some delicious food, or play other games. Make it a point to figure out where those rooms are and give yourself some time off to decompress. ALLSOULCALIBURALLTHETIME is not a valid position, you will get tournament burnout. Even better, if possible, take a trip outside the venue to go see some sights wherever you are at. Plan it on a day when you aren't interested, or on day 2 if you have been eliminated or don't feel like playing in side tournaments.
A key example of post tournament antics, shown by one of the pros.
A Plea for Civility
Gamers already have a pretty poor image for our anti-social tendencies. Fighting game tournament players have to not only fight that untrue stereotype as we enjoy doing something inherently social; but I feel we have a responsibility to present a better image of ourselves in general so we aren't lumped in with the orange fingered mountain dew swilling masses. Also, tournament rooms are hot environments- crowds of people and machines and TVs produce heat. Space is a premium in many cases. So, in summation, I want to end with this:
Take a Fucking Shower.
(If you found this article helpful and would like to see the expanded version of the guide hit the forums at some point, please post a comment in the comments section. I've got about 3-4 more detailed pages unfit for a front page article.)
