For those of you who don't know me, my name is BrianHatesYou, or just plain Hates, and I think it's time we all had a little chat....
This is the inaugural installment of what will be a regular column in which I'll be discussing issues pertinent to the community. What's fair game?
Match video analysis, developing the right mindset for competitive play, a breakdown of new mechanics for Soul Calibur 5 as they're released and how those might be used strategically, and almost anything else Calibur-related. The goal here is to spark debate and push everyone to think deeply about why and how we play fighting games--there might even be homework. That said, I suspect there will be plenty in here of interest to the more casual player. Let's face it, we're all staring down the barrel of Zwei's outfit and his totally bitchin' crescent moon tattoo/birthmark--character design arguments, anyone?
Know Thy Enemy
Before launching into any of that, however, it's worth taking a little time to introduce myself more thoroughly. I've been competing in Soul Calibur since the arcade release of SC2, and in that time I've built a reputation as a highly skilled player and notoriousmisanthrope charmer, which means I can speak from firsthand experience. Moreover, in my "day job" as a PhD student, I'm actually doing research that deals explicitly with games and the development of expertise, and I've even taught a class on games at Stanford. Hopefully this will establish that, despite my recent inactivity in the scene, I am still in possession of a brain worth picking.
In a sense, that is a substantial part of what inspired me to begin writing a column. Not long ago, Omega from the Dominican Republic (a legendary player and one of my all-time favorite opponents) contacted me and asked what I thought of the GI changes Daishi had then recently tweeted. He was pissed. I was annoyed, too, at first glance, but what evolved from that initial shock was a conversation in which the two of us allowed the cruelest, most malevolent parts of ourselves to devise ways in which these new mechanics could potentially be turned into real competitive advantages. Our reservations remained intact, but they were tempered by the hint of possibility. Before he signed off of our chat, Omega closed by urging me to talk about these sorts of things with more people, so I promptly went out and found myself a soapbox.
A Thought Experiment
Now that we have dispensed with the obligatory first post fluff, we can get down to something more interesting.
"Introductions and real content in one post," you say. "Hates, you spoil us!"
Yes, yes I do. In deference to considerations of space, however, this will be somewhat brief. In fact, brevity is crucial here because what follows is an attempt to sum up an entire philosophy of high level play in one thought: The Hates Fundamental Rule of Fighting Games.
The Fundamental Rule states that if, at any time while you are playing a match, someone could hypothetically pause the game and ask you why you just made a particular decision, you must be able to offer a clear and reasonable explanation for your choices.
In principle, what this means is that there should be a definite logic to one's decision-making at all times. In practice, it's damn hard, but it will also force you to become a more thoughtful player. Consider how often you execute a particular attack just hoping to randomly connect. Consider how often an opponent lands a throw attempt and you mash A or B in a blind guess. Now consider the alternatives. What if you choose an offensive option based on how it affects your ring position? What if, when it's time to break a throw, you realize that your opponent has a specific, predictable pattern of which he may not even be aware? These little marginal changes collectively yield serious competitive advantages.
Most elite-level players are incredibly good at recognizing such patterns and otherwise exploiting their deep knowledge in order to pull out win after win. Of course, when you ask them (and I have), they'll often say that whatever they were doing "feels" right. This instinctive play can be incredibly powerful, but unfortunately it also lends credence to the notion that winning against the best requires some innate mystical gift. It's time to cut the Miss Cleo psychic garbage. Some players do possess a natural talent for recognizing patterns and reading the types of scenarios that arise within fighting games, but we can learn to do the same thing. The Fundamental Rule exists to facilitate this; developing the habit of overtly thinking through one's split-second decisions may seem awkward at first, but over time it gets internalized, and smart play is very hard to beat.
Homework:
What are your Fundamental Rules of fighting games? Let's see if we can make a list. Or, alternatively, tell me why that's all a load of crap and "feeling it out" is the only way to play--I'll get a kick out of the, ahem, civil debate.
This is the inaugural installment of what will be a regular column in which I'll be discussing issues pertinent to the community. What's fair game?
Match video analysis, developing the right mindset for competitive play, a breakdown of new mechanics for Soul Calibur 5 as they're released and how those might be used strategically, and almost anything else Calibur-related. The goal here is to spark debate and push everyone to think deeply about why and how we play fighting games--there might even be homework. That said, I suspect there will be plenty in here of interest to the more casual player. Let's face it, we're all staring down the barrel of Zwei's outfit and his totally bitchin' crescent moon tattoo/birthmark--character design arguments, anyone?
Seriously, look at this thing. Look. At. It.
Know Thy Enemy
Before launching into any of that, however, it's worth taking a little time to introduce myself more thoroughly. I've been competing in Soul Calibur since the arcade release of SC2, and in that time I've built a reputation as a highly skilled player and notorious
In a sense, that is a substantial part of what inspired me to begin writing a column. Not long ago, Omega from the Dominican Republic (a legendary player and one of my all-time favorite opponents) contacted me and asked what I thought of the GI changes Daishi had then recently tweeted. He was pissed. I was annoyed, too, at first glance, but what evolved from that initial shock was a conversation in which the two of us allowed the cruelest, most malevolent parts of ourselves to devise ways in which these new mechanics could potentially be turned into real competitive advantages. Our reservations remained intact, but they were tempered by the hint of possibility. Before he signed off of our chat, Omega closed by urging me to talk about these sorts of things with more people, so I promptly went out and found myself a soapbox.
As you may have gathered, I only play characters with giant junk.
A Thought Experiment
Now that we have dispensed with the obligatory first post fluff, we can get down to something more interesting.
"Introductions and real content in one post," you say. "Hates, you spoil us!"
Yes, yes I do. In deference to considerations of space, however, this will be somewhat brief. In fact, brevity is crucial here because what follows is an attempt to sum up an entire philosophy of high level play in one thought: The Hates Fundamental Rule of Fighting Games.
The Fundamental Rule states that if, at any time while you are playing a match, someone could hypothetically pause the game and ask you why you just made a particular decision, you must be able to offer a clear and reasonable explanation for your choices.
In principle, what this means is that there should be a definite logic to one's decision-making at all times. In practice, it's damn hard, but it will also force you to become a more thoughtful player. Consider how often you execute a particular attack just hoping to randomly connect. Consider how often an opponent lands a throw attempt and you mash A or B in a blind guess. Now consider the alternatives. What if you choose an offensive option based on how it affects your ring position? What if, when it's time to break a throw, you realize that your opponent has a specific, predictable pattern of which he may not even be aware? These little marginal changes collectively yield serious competitive advantages.
Most elite-level players are incredibly good at recognizing such patterns and otherwise exploiting their deep knowledge in order to pull out win after win. Of course, when you ask them (and I have), they'll often say that whatever they were doing "feels" right. This instinctive play can be incredibly powerful, but unfortunately it also lends credence to the notion that winning against the best requires some innate mystical gift. It's time to cut the Miss Cleo psychic garbage. Some players do possess a natural talent for recognizing patterns and reading the types of scenarios that arise within fighting games, but we can learn to do the same thing. The Fundamental Rule exists to facilitate this; developing the habit of overtly thinking through one's split-second decisions may seem awkward at first, but over time it gets internalized, and smart play is very hard to beat.
Homework:
What are your Fundamental Rules of fighting games? Let's see if we can make a list. Or, alternatively, tell me why that's all a load of crap and "feeling it out" is the only way to play--I'll get a kick out of the, ahem, civil debate.
