Final Round XV took place on March 3rd and 4th in Atlanta, Georgia, and clocked in at a truly impressive 254 entrants. The tournament itself had numerous ups and downs, a few surprises, and an overall level of play that was truly impressive for a game so early in its life-cycle.
FRXV also inadvertently shined some light on a handful of larger issues affecting both our specific community and fighting games more generally, all of which deserve a good amount of thought and discussion. That being the case, let’s get down to it. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the FRXV War Report . . .
The State of Play
Final Round XV showcased an oppressively rich field of player-talent. We saw a number of familiar faces from past SOULCALIBUR tournaments along with plenty of the newer generation, and everyone was hungry. One of the great benefits of attending these events is getting a sense of how other regions approach gameplay: What do they do well? What do they lack? Where are their priorities? All in all, it’s quite an education. After playing handfuls of casuals here and there with as many people as possible (and, of course, watching the tournament unfold), here’s an off-the-cuff assessment (note that I’m just trying to hand out well-deserved props here, so nobody better get all salty):
East Coast (NYC and New Jersey, in particular):
The EC guys have proven strong thus far in SCV, which makes sense given their scene’s overall level of activity, and while they weren’t at the absolute top of the heap in Atlanta, they nevertheless had several representatives competing on day two. Their style of play struck me as the most balanced; their best representatives showcased solid fundamentals, a moderate, flexible balance of aggression and defense, and an eagerness to exploit SCV’s meter mechanics. All in all, they’re a formidable group, despite being nothing more than a conglomeration of fizzbitches and frauds (shout outs to Ramon <3!).
Overall, the Atlanta guys seem to favor a game based primarily around patience, solid defense, and good fundamentals, which comes in two primary flavors: the RTD and the Wing_Zero. When RTD is in RTD mode (you can tell this is happening because his cowboy hat starts glowing yellow and everyone around him dies), he’s incredibly difficult to pin down. He always seems to be floating just outside of a range at which you can comfortably check him, inducing you to make errors and then moving in for the kill. Wing_Zero and those who favor a style more like his, by contrast, seem perfectly content to block, punish, and pick their moments that way. Both styles proved incredibly effective, as we saw.
Chicago:
Due to the thus-far absence of streams and major tournaments in the area, Chicago was like something out of Conrad’s Heart of Darkness for me—mysterious, unknowable, and vaguely dangerous. What we saw at FRXV was proof that whatever secret evil they’re working up there is paying real dividends. Specifically, the Chicago guys demonstrated not only good fundamentals, but a truly impressive facility with new mechanics like Just Guard, and their best players are investing time in characters which would be powerful in anyone’s hands, let alone theirs. It wouldn’t have taken a breakout performance from Hawkeye to prove to the world that they’re a scene to watch, but that sure didn’t hurt, either.
There’s a lot of upside here, which is no surprise. Byakko from Dallas made an appearance on day two, and he damn near unseated KDZ in his pool. The Dallas players generally have an eclectic style that’s the product of oldschool SC veterans and some new up-and-comers crossing over from other games, and when those groups have taught one another what they can, the rest of the US will need to take notice. Additionally, we had Animefreak putting Tulsa back on the map, which was personally gratifying for me. He’s rough around the edges, but he’s definitely on the verge of doing more real damage in tournament situations. Even now his Xiba is giving everyone he faces a real run for their money.
Norcal/Socal:
Mysteries. I was the only California representative of which I was aware, and I had an underwhelming performance, only taking 4th in my pool. I scouted you fools, though, so watch out!
Omega:
This man deserves his own section. As it stands, when it comes to SCV in North America, it’s Omega’s world, and we’re all just living in it. His game is incredibly strong, and the overall SCV system favors his aggressive style. Omega’s brilliance as a player stems from his ability to make a read and commit to it without hesitation. Sure, he’ll occasionally get hit or lose around, but he doesn’t let that shake him. This fearlessness combined with his stellar reactions and excellent use of GI make him, for now, the man to beat.
While the gameplay was exhilarating, the overall tournament was something of a mixed bag, and it raises issues we need to consider. Before getting into any of that, however, I’d be remiss in failing to note that ShinBlanka already commented on the hiccups we faced, and not every problem can or should be laid at the feet of the FRXV staff, all of whom were busting ass for the entire weekend. In addition to the hard-working staff of volunteers, FRXV provided us all with a solid venue room, plenty of setups for our tournament, and a location without any issues relating to spotty, awful Internet access (which is a problem entirely more frequently than it should be). Still, the FRXV experience was inconsistent at best, which could probably be most easily described by comparing my day one experience with KDZ’s as he related it to me.
SOULCALIBUR V players were told to arrive at the venue starting at 10am Saturday. We were then instructed to locate ourselves on handwritten paper brackets to get a sense of when we would play, and to prepare accordingly, which all of us did, including KDZ and myself. It was at that point where our stories radically diverged. KDZ found himself in one of the earliest brackets. He arrived at 10, his matches moved along at a good clip, and his pool was over within two hours, leaving him free to go about his day. All in all, it was a model of efficiency.
So why did it take so long? Simply put, it’s a matter of expectations and priorities, not to mention FRXV buckling a bit under the weight of its own success in every game. First of all, we dropped a logistical H-bomb on that tournament. I’m positive nobody expected us to field 250+ entrants, and the organizers simply weren’t prepared to handle that plus everyone else. The otherwise spacious venue was packed full of people all day, each buzzing around trying to get through match after match in various games. Even so, some of this should have been avoidable. Major 2D tournaments had their pools assigned and publicly posted by midnight the night before the tournament, meaning players knew precisely when to be at the venue. No 3D games were extended this courtesy. In fact, it appears as though the initial plan was to run SCV on a single, giant 250-man bracket, foregoing pools altogether. This plan was ultimately abandoned, as we all saw, but even the attempt seems wasteful. Secondly, running the tournament on paper brackets led to numerous problems. Some players ended up placed very close to their good friends and training partners while others were left off of the brackets entirely, at least for a time, both of which led to players being shuffled around from pool to pool after the tournament was well underway. Computerized brackets and a little extra planning up front make a world of difference. Lastly, on the matter of delays, I know that my pool was inordinately held up so that players could finish large numbers of matches in other games. While a few minutes here or there is perfectly acceptable, grinding an entire pool to a halt for hours simply isn’t. To my mind, entering multiple games means the responsibility falls on individuals who make that choice to be willing to go instantly from one game-mindset to another on short notice, otherwise we’re all a little bit screwed.
That final issue (and the lack of pools/postings) points toward something more than just logistical oversight. Indeed, it gets to the heart of a major issue we’re facing in all tournaments, namely that 3D games simply don’t get the same sort of consideration as their 2D counterparts. This makes sense, given the overwhelming support for such games, but it’s still frustrating, even if it’s understandable.
In the end, despite the many bumps and bruises on the ride, FRXV was a positive experience that makes me quite hopeful for our scene. We came out in force and everyone played their asses off, so let’s keep the momentum going. Keep practicing hard, keep attending events, and keep putting our scene on the map.
Homework:
Gear up to attend a major. In fact, you should all start making your EVO plans right now—being in Vegas around July 4 requires extra early planning.
Oh, and if you attended FR, sound off about your experience, etcetera.
FRXV also inadvertently shined some light on a handful of larger issues affecting both our specific community and fighting games more generally, all of which deserve a good amount of thought and discussion. That being the case, let’s get down to it. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the FRXV War Report . . .
The State of Play
Final Round XV showcased an oppressively rich field of player-talent. We saw a number of familiar faces from past SOULCALIBUR tournaments along with plenty of the newer generation, and everyone was hungry. One of the great benefits of attending these events is getting a sense of how other regions approach gameplay: What do they do well? What do they lack? Where are their priorities? All in all, it’s quite an education. After playing handfuls of casuals here and there with as many people as possible (and, of course, watching the tournament unfold), here’s an off-the-cuff assessment (note that I’m just trying to hand out well-deserved props here, so nobody better get all salty):
East Coast (NYC and New Jersey, in particular):
The EC guys have proven strong thus far in SCV, which makes sense given their scene’s overall level of activity, and while they weren’t at the absolute top of the heap in Atlanta, they nevertheless had several representatives competing on day two. Their style of play struck me as the most balanced; their best representatives showcased solid fundamentals, a moderate, flexible balance of aggression and defense, and an eagerness to exploit SCV’s meter mechanics. All in all, they’re a formidable group, despite being nothing more than a conglomeration of fizzbitches and frauds (shout outs to Ramon <3!).
Ramon celebrating. Yeah, it's an inside joke, but doing an image search for "fizzbitch" is like a direct portal to all the stupid on the Internet.
ATL:Overall, the Atlanta guys seem to favor a game based primarily around patience, solid defense, and good fundamentals, which comes in two primary flavors: the RTD and the Wing_Zero. When RTD is in RTD mode (you can tell this is happening because his cowboy hat starts glowing yellow and everyone around him dies), he’s incredibly difficult to pin down. He always seems to be floating just outside of a range at which you can comfortably check him, inducing you to make errors and then moving in for the kill. Wing_Zero and those who favor a style more like his, by contrast, seem perfectly content to block, punish, and pick their moments that way. Both styles proved incredibly effective, as we saw.
Chicago:
Due to the thus-far absence of streams and major tournaments in the area, Chicago was like something out of Conrad’s Heart of Darkness for me—mysterious, unknowable, and vaguely dangerous. What we saw at FRXV was proof that whatever secret evil they’re working up there is paying real dividends. Specifically, the Chicago guys demonstrated not only good fundamentals, but a truly impressive facility with new mechanics like Just Guard, and their best players are investing time in characters which would be powerful in anyone’s hands, let alone theirs. It wouldn’t have taken a breakout performance from Hawkeye to prove to the world that they’re a scene to watch, but that sure didn’t hurt, either.
Yeah, this came up in the same search. You know what? I'm gonna roll with it.
Texas/Oklahoma:There’s a lot of upside here, which is no surprise. Byakko from Dallas made an appearance on day two, and he damn near unseated KDZ in his pool. The Dallas players generally have an eclectic style that’s the product of oldschool SC veterans and some new up-and-comers crossing over from other games, and when those groups have taught one another what they can, the rest of the US will need to take notice. Additionally, we had Animefreak putting Tulsa back on the map, which was personally gratifying for me. He’s rough around the edges, but he’s definitely on the verge of doing more real damage in tournament situations. Even now his Xiba is giving everyone he faces a real run for their money.
Norcal/Socal:
Mysteries. I was the only California representative of which I was aware, and I had an underwhelming performance, only taking 4th in my pool. I scouted you fools, though, so watch out!
Omega:
This man deserves his own section. As it stands, when it comes to SCV in North America, it’s Omega’s world, and we’re all just living in it. His game is incredibly strong, and the overall SCV system favors his aggressive style. Omega’s brilliance as a player stems from his ability to make a read and commit to it without hesitation. Sure, he’ll occasionally get hit or lose around, but he doesn’t let that shake him. This fearlessness combined with his stellar reactions and excellent use of GI make him, for now, the man to beat.
Take a wild guess.
The Tournament ItselfWhile the gameplay was exhilarating, the overall tournament was something of a mixed bag, and it raises issues we need to consider. Before getting into any of that, however, I’d be remiss in failing to note that ShinBlanka already commented on the hiccups we faced, and not every problem can or should be laid at the feet of the FRXV staff, all of whom were busting ass for the entire weekend. In addition to the hard-working staff of volunteers, FRXV provided us all with a solid venue room, plenty of setups for our tournament, and a location without any issues relating to spotty, awful Internet access (which is a problem entirely more frequently than it should be). Still, the FRXV experience was inconsistent at best, which could probably be most easily described by comparing my day one experience with KDZ’s as he related it to me.
SOULCALIBUR V players were told to arrive at the venue starting at 10am Saturday. We were then instructed to locate ourselves on handwritten paper brackets to get a sense of when we would play, and to prepare accordingly, which all of us did, including KDZ and myself. It was at that point where our stories radically diverged. KDZ found himself in one of the earliest brackets. He arrived at 10, his matches moved along at a good clip, and his pool was over within two hours, leaving him free to go about his day. All in all, it was a model of efficiency.
Yup.
My name, by contrast, didn’t appear until the third page of the bracket, meaning I had some time to kill. Unfortunately, no one could tell me how much time that was, effectively leaving me shackled to the venue room until things got started. Once they began, however, I rattled off three quick matches, including an epic nail-biter against Omega that was one of the real tournament highlights for me. Subsequent to that match, I inquired about my next one and was informed that we needed to populate the loser’s bracket a little bit before continuing. I was told, “You probably have time to go to the restroom if you like, but don’t go too far—you’ll be playing any minute.” I got this same spiel, or a variant thereof, for approximately the next four hours, all without playing a match. Finally, when my tournament started up again, I was required to play four matches (or was it five?) back to back to back to back, all without a break. By the time I was finished, it was basically dinnertime. I’m not the only person with this experience or something like it, either. WinterBrawl champion Linkrkc was also in my pool, and I believe he too experienced major delays.So why did it take so long? Simply put, it’s a matter of expectations and priorities, not to mention FRXV buckling a bit under the weight of its own success in every game. First of all, we dropped a logistical H-bomb on that tournament. I’m positive nobody expected us to field 250+ entrants, and the organizers simply weren’t prepared to handle that plus everyone else. The otherwise spacious venue was packed full of people all day, each buzzing around trying to get through match after match in various games. Even so, some of this should have been avoidable. Major 2D tournaments had their pools assigned and publicly posted by midnight the night before the tournament, meaning players knew precisely when to be at the venue. No 3D games were extended this courtesy. In fact, it appears as though the initial plan was to run SCV on a single, giant 250-man bracket, foregoing pools altogether. This plan was ultimately abandoned, as we all saw, but even the attempt seems wasteful. Secondly, running the tournament on paper brackets led to numerous problems. Some players ended up placed very close to their good friends and training partners while others were left off of the brackets entirely, at least for a time, both of which led to players being shuffled around from pool to pool after the tournament was well underway. Computerized brackets and a little extra planning up front make a world of difference. Lastly, on the matter of delays, I know that my pool was inordinately held up so that players could finish large numbers of matches in other games. While a few minutes here or there is perfectly acceptable, grinding an entire pool to a halt for hours simply isn’t. To my mind, entering multiple games means the responsibility falls on individuals who make that choice to be willing to go instantly from one game-mindset to another on short notice, otherwise we’re all a little bit screwed.
That final issue (and the lack of pools/postings) points toward something more than just logistical oversight. Indeed, it gets to the heart of a major issue we’re facing in all tournaments, namely that 3D games simply don’t get the same sort of consideration as their 2D counterparts. This makes sense, given the overwhelming support for such games, but it’s still frustrating, even if it’s understandable.
Okay, sometimes this search query got a little bit awesome.
The upshot of this, if such a thing can be said to exist, is that these issues go a long way toward undermining the argument that MLG picking up SCV will ultimately prove divisive. To my mind, the MLG announcement is amazing news. Yes, MLG Columbus is on the same weekend as NCR, which is a major reason I won’t be in attendance, but the beauty of it is that we’re being presented with options other than cramming into the far corners of established 2D-centric tournaments. If much of the logistical trouble we face comes from growing pains, how can it be anything but good to have more options, more events, and more people dedicated toward putting on a good SCV show?In the end, despite the many bumps and bruises on the ride, FRXV was a positive experience that makes me quite hopeful for our scene. We came out in force and everyone played their asses off, so let’s keep the momentum going. Keep practicing hard, keep attending events, and keep putting our scene on the map.
Homework:
Gear up to attend a major. In fact, you should all start making your EVO plans right now—being in Vegas around July 4 requires extra early planning.
Oh, and if you attended FR, sound off about your experience, etcetera.
