NOTE: Before I begin, I want to stress that my views and opinions are of my own individual accord and don't represent the views and opinions of the DOA community, nor any other part of the fighting game community.
Dead or Alive 5. A spectacular 3D fighting game spanning 3 years, 3 revisions, 34 characters, hundreds of costumes, and over a million downloads of the free-to-play model, DOA5 Core Fighters. This is quite telling of the series' resurgence, relevance, and lasting success in the current gaming market in its own right, despite the departure of the series' former figurehead Tomonobu Itagaki.
But the game isn't without its detractors. Many believe that its reputation of bringing "fighting entertainment" to the game was lost in translation because of the abundance of fetishistic DLC costumes being offered, while others believe the game is doomed because better netcode isn't being provided. A more recent example, however, are the hostile reactions to the decisions made when re-balancing the game with each revision... some justified, others unreasonable.
The issue regarding the DLC costumes are among the decisions that could not be helped, because ironically, the fetishistic costumes are selling quite well, and because Koei calls the shots on how they market the game, TN doesn't have much leeway for creative freedom for the costumes. In addition, it's ironically because of the DLC sales that Team Ninja was able to offer pot bonuses for a few offline major tournaments in order to promote their game to the more competitive audience. As a result, Dead or Alive 5 has been doing fairly well in its own right as far as turnouts.
And speaking of which, despite numerous great turnouts in the EC tourneys - even gathering more numbers than other games, including Tekken - the higher-ups at the Evo circuit have yet to accept our game in the main roster of competitive games. At this point, we can only call out bias, because they were willing to put not one, but TWO separate Super Smash Bros. games in the main roster, effectively removing KOF XIII. In addition, Tekken 7 has been added even though there is no console release planned.
It's not all doom and gloom for the DOA community at an Evo spotlight though. Big E - a major tourney organizer for the EC - is going out of his way to promote a side tourney for what will be the next and final iteration - DOA5 Last Round - at Evo. All that's left now is to support the cause and hope it'll be enough to get their attention to consider DOA to have a main shot at Evo once again. And this is where I open my main subject... how can we make the last round count?
Making plans to go to Evo and support that side tourney is just one way, but for many of us, it's not reasonable, feasible, or conflicts with plans we already set in stone. But that alone shouldn't discourage someone from finding another way.
1) Going to a local tournament,
2) Gathering, networking, and socializing with folks who share common interests in order to build the scene,
3) Bringing awareness online by promoting your local scene through social media,
4) For those who don't have much of a scene offline and can't afford to freely travel for an offline scene, uploading some of your exciting replays, tutorials, or tech videos,
5) Learning the game for yourself and diligently seeking assistance from those who know better, be it through casuals online or offline.
6) Traveling for other major tournies that're reliable for supporting DOA.
In the past few weeks, I've been trying to improve on two things for this occasion. One is to expose myself more as a player by showcasing replays where I am both winning and losing. The other is networking and socializing in general, which I have more freedom with now since I only need one job to keep afloat financially these days.
The former was the more intimidating of the two, as I had an overwhelming fear of exposing myself in a bad light as a player, afraid of what others will say or think. The result of all this has been positive so far, and it's greatly helped my own confidence, overcoming my fear of playing on stream day after day. I wanna thank all the players and friends who took part in this, y'all don't know how much I appreciate the push.
Thanks to NuJin and Fred Campbell finally meeting each other in person through my willingness to help NuJin get places, the latter is one step closer to building a legitimate DOA scene in Georgia. It's been going steadily well in Lithonia in particular, where most of our ranbats have been taking place the last several months. (Shoutouts to everyone whose been supporting the scene by far BTW).
With DOA5 Last Round just around the corner and TN giving it everything they have to make sure this stellar sequel to the DOA series goes out with a bang, let's focus more on what we can do to make the last round count, and focus less on why our rounds are numbered because of said shortcoming. Yes, you may have not got the costume you wanted, the buffs you wanted, the nerfs you think other characters deserved. Hell, I didn't get everything I wanted, and I'm not even sure if we'll get the music from DOA1 in this iteration of DOA5.
But you know what? That's why I thank TN for at least giving us a PC version to rectify these shortcomings through modding up the ass. It doesn't get any better than that. Granted, it's not something we can do on consoles, and not everyone has a high-end computer to play it at its best, but the option is there, and if you're willing to make that jump, be that go-getter. But at the end of the day, we're all playing the same game at its core, and what should matter to us is the mark we make in our community that shares a love for the game in one way or another. Will the mark be a good one, or a bad one? That's what we should ask ourselves when making the last round count.
For those who took the time to read this (heck, it may be common sense for a lot of you), thank you and take care of yourselves.
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
2014: The Year in Review
2014 - The year 20 years after what I consider the greatest year of my life - is now coming to an end. It had some highs and lows, triumphs and tragedies, but it was an overall decent year.
I've met some awesome people in person - and got to know a few others starting late in the previous - for the first time, particularly during TFC. Adon (Shadow/Earlee), Blackmoon, HajinShinobi, Madian, BlackberryChaos, BlankOctober,MeaganMassacre, and Brightgamer, among a few. Though I had my insecurities, It was great hanging out with them. I like to give special thanks to JDE and Fred Campbell for making the trip to North Carolina and back entertaining, for I would've otherwise fell asleep on the wheel. And finally, I gotta give props to NuJin, who I finally got to meet locally after months of delay.
But while I met some awesome people for the first time, I've lost one a bit earlier this year... my landlord. I only knew him for a solid year, but in that time we've done so much even though he was going through dialysis treatment in order to walk again. Whether it was watching WWE, Ring of Honor, anime, heading out to visit his family, or even discussing future career or business movements, we were always there for each other, and he looked to me as the son he never had. Since his passing on late November, it's been less lively around the house. But thanks to the time I spent with him, it's strengthened me as a person in different ways. I'm not only working to strengthen the bond I have with my mother as I did this Christmas... I am also able to see options for my future I never bothered to look.
Gamergate controversy aside, 2014 in gaming overall seemed to progress a lot better later in the year, particularly with Nintendo. While Sony is content with giving us juiced-up ports from previous-gen to ther current-gen console, the PS4, Nintendo has been delivering with a steady stream of truly great games, such as Bravely Default, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Mario Kart 10, Bayonetta 2, and most notably, Super Smash Bros for WiiU/3DS.
Not to say that Sony wasn't totally about ports... some Vita titles worth mentioning were Toukiden, Child of Light, Neptunia Re:Birth, the Danganronpa series, and the Project Diva F series to name a few. And while their PS4 hasn't really garnered a major console-exclusive killer app at this time, perhaps the most exciting news of all is that a long-neglected sequel to an underrated RPG series from Konami is finally making an affordable digital debut on PSN. That game... was Suikoden 2.
Meanwhile, Microsoft has not been doing so hot, what with the DRM scare to consumers taking a serious blow to them. It was only until recently on Black Friday that they surprisingly managed to sell their Xbox Ones. But with few console exclusives, lacking third party support, and numerous multiplatform titles you could buy on a PC or even the PS4, the only thing that's really been keeping the console afloat to stay relevant are your run-of-the-mill AAA FPS games, and of course, the excellent 2.5D fighting game, Killer Instinct. And speaking of multiplatform titles, there have been some rather interesting ones. Shovel Knight, Dark Souls 2, and Strider were three particular titles that were excellent.
Movies this year were quite fascinating. The Marvel Cinematic Universe movies in particular seem to have nowhere to go but up in the quality department, even going so far as to take a huge risk in making a once-obscure franchise such as "Guardians of the Galaxy" to mainstream success. Days of Future Past - while not connected to the other Marvel movies - was also another surprise hit among dud after dud in previous iterations, now I'm looking forward to X-Men: Apocalypse. My favorite movies of the year, however, have to go to:
1) Edge of Tomorrow (Groundhog Day with sci-fi action, based on the manga "All You Need is Kill)
2) Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (the excellent sequel to the surprise critically-acclaimed hit "Rise of the Planet of the Apes)
3) Get on Up (an autobiography on James Brown, with Chadwick Boseman taking on the role of the Godfather of Soul)
4) Big Hero 6 (another hit CGI movie by Disney that's based on the comic of the same name)
And above all...
5) Interstellar (An incredible sci-fi drama spanning time and space as a select group of astronauts search the known universe for a new planet for mankind, suffering in a decaying Earth)
Last but not least, there's the anime department. This is the first in a long time I've been compelled to get back into watching more than two anime series in full swing, and I owe much of the compelling factor to not only the resurgence of Sailor Moon and its more manga-accurate reboot which aired the summer of this year (with exceedingly massive hype, might I add), but the likes of excellent new titles such as Kill La Kill, Akame Ga Kill, Terraformars, Tokyo Ghoul, and above all, Gundam: Reconguista in G. Oh, and we can't forget about the Fate/Stay-Night remake... that wasn't half-bad either.
But yeah, 2014 was something else. I watched more anime than I thought I would, got past the worst of my financial woes, lost a good friend, but gained a few more valuable ones. Looking back on it helps me to look forward into the future. Here's hoping 2015 gets me to a better start.
Shoutouts to a lot of my favorite celebrities that passed away this year... James Avery, Robin Williams, Bob Hoskins, Casey Kasem, Christine Cavanaugh, Mickey Rooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Shirley Temple, the Ultimate-friggin'-Warrior, and the pioneer of video games himself, Ralph Baer.
And to close out, additional shoutouts to family and the friends I still have. You know who you are.
I've met some awesome people in person - and got to know a few others starting late in the previous - for the first time, particularly during TFC. Adon (Shadow/Earlee), Blackmoon, HajinShinobi, Madian, BlackberryChaos, BlankOctober,MeaganMassacre, and Brightgamer, among a few. Though I had my insecurities, It was great hanging out with them. I like to give special thanks to JDE and Fred Campbell for making the trip to North Carolina and back entertaining, for I would've otherwise fell asleep on the wheel. And finally, I gotta give props to NuJin, who I finally got to meet locally after months of delay.
But while I met some awesome people for the first time, I've lost one a bit earlier this year... my landlord. I only knew him for a solid year, but in that time we've done so much even though he was going through dialysis treatment in order to walk again. Whether it was watching WWE, Ring of Honor, anime, heading out to visit his family, or even discussing future career or business movements, we were always there for each other, and he looked to me as the son he never had. Since his passing on late November, it's been less lively around the house. But thanks to the time I spent with him, it's strengthened me as a person in different ways. I'm not only working to strengthen the bond I have with my mother as I did this Christmas... I am also able to see options for my future I never bothered to look.
Gamergate controversy aside, 2014 in gaming overall seemed to progress a lot better later in the year, particularly with Nintendo. While Sony is content with giving us juiced-up ports from previous-gen to ther current-gen console, the PS4, Nintendo has been delivering with a steady stream of truly great games, such as Bravely Default, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Mario Kart 10, Bayonetta 2, and most notably, Super Smash Bros for WiiU/3DS.
Not to say that Sony wasn't totally about ports... some Vita titles worth mentioning were Toukiden, Child of Light, Neptunia Re:Birth, the Danganronpa series, and the Project Diva F series to name a few. And while their PS4 hasn't really garnered a major console-exclusive killer app at this time, perhaps the most exciting news of all is that a long-neglected sequel to an underrated RPG series from Konami is finally making an affordable digital debut on PSN. That game... was Suikoden 2.
Meanwhile, Microsoft has not been doing so hot, what with the DRM scare to consumers taking a serious blow to them. It was only until recently on Black Friday that they surprisingly managed to sell their Xbox Ones. But with few console exclusives, lacking third party support, and numerous multiplatform titles you could buy on a PC or even the PS4, the only thing that's really been keeping the console afloat to stay relevant are your run-of-the-mill AAA FPS games, and of course, the excellent 2.5D fighting game, Killer Instinct. And speaking of multiplatform titles, there have been some rather interesting ones. Shovel Knight, Dark Souls 2, and Strider were three particular titles that were excellent.
Movies this year were quite fascinating. The Marvel Cinematic Universe movies in particular seem to have nowhere to go but up in the quality department, even going so far as to take a huge risk in making a once-obscure franchise such as "Guardians of the Galaxy" to mainstream success. Days of Future Past - while not connected to the other Marvel movies - was also another surprise hit among dud after dud in previous iterations, now I'm looking forward to X-Men: Apocalypse. My favorite movies of the year, however, have to go to:
1) Edge of Tomorrow (Groundhog Day with sci-fi action, based on the manga "All You Need is Kill)
2) Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (the excellent sequel to the surprise critically-acclaimed hit "Rise of the Planet of the Apes)
3) Get on Up (an autobiography on James Brown, with Chadwick Boseman taking on the role of the Godfather of Soul)
4) Big Hero 6 (another hit CGI movie by Disney that's based on the comic of the same name)
And above all...
5) Interstellar (An incredible sci-fi drama spanning time and space as a select group of astronauts search the known universe for a new planet for mankind, suffering in a decaying Earth)
Last but not least, there's the anime department. This is the first in a long time I've been compelled to get back into watching more than two anime series in full swing, and I owe much of the compelling factor to not only the resurgence of Sailor Moon and its more manga-accurate reboot which aired the summer of this year (with exceedingly massive hype, might I add), but the likes of excellent new titles such as Kill La Kill, Akame Ga Kill, Terraformars, Tokyo Ghoul, and above all, Gundam: Reconguista in G. Oh, and we can't forget about the Fate/Stay-Night remake... that wasn't half-bad either.
But yeah, 2014 was something else. I watched more anime than I thought I would, got past the worst of my financial woes, lost a good friend, but gained a few more valuable ones. Looking back on it helps me to look forward into the future. Here's hoping 2015 gets me to a better start.
Shoutouts to a lot of my favorite celebrities that passed away this year... James Avery, Robin Williams, Bob Hoskins, Casey Kasem, Christine Cavanaugh, Mickey Rooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Shirley Temple, the Ultimate-friggin'-Warrior, and the pioneer of video games himself, Ralph Baer.
And to close out, additional shoutouts to family and the friends I still have. You know who you are.
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
DOA Community Blog #10: Mind Your Mentality
There are many thoughts that run through a new player's mind when learning a fighting game:
"Why am I taking in all this information?"
"What good will it do me in an actual match?"
"If I go to tournaments and still get owned despite what I know, what's the point in even playing?"
"What if I never get famous or popular by getting good at a fighting game?"
"What if I share what I know to teach others, but it backfires because I'm still learning more myself?"
There are many questions that lead to many possibilities of mindsets that drive us to play DOA competitively. Some healthy, some not-so-healthy. From a more general perspective, we'll go over some common reasons people play and want to win or do well:
(NOTE: The following are general, common examples. Some may have a combination of reasons and/or may not reflect everyone.)
1) The Fun Guy. One who plays for fun and just want to support its scene.
2) The Approval-Seeker. One who plays to prove themselves to others.
3) The Self-Sufficient Player. One who plays to prove something to themselves.
4) The Starchaser. One who plays for recognition and fame.
5) The Loyalist. One who plays because of a genuine connection to a fictional character they chose to play.
Each of these are valid reasons to get into a game, don't get me wrong. However, each mindset has a double-edged sword... pros and cons, if you will.
The "Fun Guy" Mentality
Pros: These people are quite the carefree bunch, and quite frankly have nothing to lose as they learn more about the game they wish to get better in. In other words, they just want to have fun. At the end of the day, it's not about winning or losing for them, but about what they can do to spread the fun factor to others about the game they love. The Fun Guy is the front-runner you want to promote your game to the offline scene and make it compelling to tournament organizers. They also seem to draw in people to have a good time with the game they play and not always make it about business.
Cons: When the Fun Guy mentality is not applied in moderation, it's often distorted to a mindset that refuses to learn something new and adapt to situations they can't get out of or avoid. As a scapegoat, the Fun Guy can become unsettling for the more competitive gamers who dislike being bound by atrocious, ridiculous rules such as "No Pros", "No Juggling", "No Teabagging"... all for the sake of "fun". At this point, the person with this mentality isn't truly having "fun", especially when the player refuses to learn said strategy which could improve the player's playstyle.
Exercise caution when playing for fun. It is one thing to have fun learning how to play the game better, but it's another when it's at the expense of others due to your own limitations.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The "Approval-Seeker" Mentality
Pros: These people have the noblest of intentions when playing the game to get better. They may wish to help others, they may wish to support others... anything which will help strengthen the community they're trying to build. The Approval Seekers are selfless at heart, and have a means of being very humble, preferring others to acknowledge their works and accolades rather than mention it to oneself, believing they'd be tooting their own horn if they do.
Cons: While the Approval Seekers are indeed not selfish in their ways, when not applied in moderation, it too can be twisted into something dangerous. They may also incur serious emotional feelings of inferiority when it appears their contributions and accomplishments are inadequate to help and support others. They may even obsess over perfectionism to make ends meet, often resorting to unreasonable extremes. Worse, they could go for prolonged periods of self-loathing if their "imperfections" persist.
However, it doesn't have to be this way for one who plays for others. By acknowledging that perfection is an intangible accomplishment, and is merely an illusion based on a perception by others, they may be able to find perfection in their imperfections and still help others. Why? Because they learned to love themselves. Their strengths, their weaknesses, everything. As long as they have that, they can learn to love others. There are some who will take advantage of you and use that sentiment against you often to toy with your own self-worth. As someone who has gone through this, I beg you, don't listen to those people.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The "Self-Sufficient" Mentality
Pros: These people have a heart of gold. They won't be shaken by opinions nor statistics, and they believe in making the impossible possible. Self-Sufficient people have a tendency to play for themselves are true go-getters. They'll rush into any challenge, believing something good will come out of it. As long as they have that experience, they can't be dissuaded. They dare to tread where others wouldn't, sure of their own abilities and what they must do to overcome the unknown. Those who play and learn the game for themselves are naturally born with the heart of a champion.
Cons: When not applied in moderation, this can easily turn into recklessness. Facing a challenge head-on without a sense of direction or purpose often leads this type of player into an endless maze of repeated mistakes. They can try all day, every day, but are they truly learning as they go? Do they stop and think of a strategy? Or do they numb their own pain in the most unhealthy way possible, obsessed only with beating the opponent in front of them?
Playing the game and getting better for yourself is perfectly healthy. For some, it's a means of spiritual growth and exploring your own potential and limits as a gamer. But the best results often come from the right guidance and having a good plan to improve. Take the time to look back on your mistakes; don't rush into a fight every time. And remember that if you are given the right guidance, be sure to pass it on to others so that they can be a strong player and supporter of the community.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The "Starchaser" Mentality
Pros: The Starchasers - or those who seek fame and recognition - have a motivation to make it big in the game they enjoy playing, particularly because they have most likely seen someone else become famous for their contributions. The Starchaser player loves their game, but also prefers to find some form of success around it, particularly with money. The Starchaser may have good intentions, such as using their success to give back to its community in a big way, or to write another chapter in their life to pursue future endeavors for something greater. Sometimes, Starchasers don't even have that big of a dream. They probably just want to be noticed as an excellent player by everyone in order to find their own personal satisfaction as a gamer. And sometimes, they want to be known as the top insert-character-here player to really stand out and make their mark in the community they support, so to speak.
Cons: The downside to a Starchaser - when not applied in moderation - is that fame can turn into an obsession for relevancy and recognition. Much like the mentality of those who play for others, they are susceptible to the fear of failure, and what may have began as a feat of good intentions to give back to the community they wanted to support turns into a toxic competition, or rather, a popularity contest. An ego trip. A power struggle. When a Starchaser becomes corrupted, it becomes a big problem, especially when it is the face of the community being represented.
The Starchaser should never get caught up in one's fame that their ego and lust for power overtake their good intentions as they move up the social ladder. One never knows when they could be replaced. At the same time, they should never forget the priceless value of the friends that helped bring them to that height of responsibility.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The "Loyalist" Mentality
Pros: Loyalists - or more specifically, character loyalists - are far from a dying breed in the fighting game community. Many who have been drawn in to playing a fighting game always had that special character that just clicked with them... whether it was the style of the character, the personality, the fighting style, or just because they found the character easy to win with. Many would go so far as to form a special bond with the character just to bring the fire back into dedicating themselves to one character. With this mentality, it becomes easier for players to understand a wide variety of characters in said fighting game, should the experienced player be willing to share what they know.
Cons: Some character loyalists however do miss the point of what it means to truly dedicate yourself to using a character in a fighting game. It's not to say it's a bad thing to have a mutual attraction to a character you like, but when it turns into an unhealthy obsession and it doesn't turn into a means of actively improving, that's when the character loyalty begins to become misplaced.
If you're a character loyalist that still adopts a scrub mentality while having an unhealthy "relationship" with a fictional character on a serious level, this will do nothing but hinder your progress, especially when the character is considered bottom-tier simply for being underused. You could've been that person to make the difference. Never neglect your potential. Don't take your dedication to a character you like in a fighting game for granted. Use any free time you have to learn something new, whether it's an uncommon matchup, or an underused move you never thought was useful. There's always time to admire the awesomeness of the character you like, but never forget, a character isn't as awesome without the player guiding his/her path to victory.
Whether you share one or two of these mentality traits, there is no right or wrong way to get into a game you love. But consider the downsides as well as the positives and be careful not to let despair get the better of you, should you fall below your expectations. Don't get me wrong, we all want to play to win... to succeed and be recognized for our contributions, but sometimes getting caught up in that can be harmful to yourself and to others. I should know, 'cause I'm guilty of that. And that, my friends, is when we should go back and ask ourselves why we picked up the game in the first place, and how different our objectives are now as opposed to then.
Are we truly playing because we love the game as we did when we first picked it up?
Have our desires turned to a lust for fame and fortune?
Do we still enjoy playing the character we like all the same, despite patches putting them to shame?
Are we playing here and there just to fit in somewhere?
Are we playing for ourselves? To improve ourselves? To help others as we did ourselves?
These are the questions you should ask yourself before picking up the game. Are your reasons giving you more happiness or more frustration? If the latter, then you may want to sit back and revisit that happy moment in your life you were fascinated about it, and if possible, discuss it with a friend who will listen. You may feel better being reassured that someone understands why you love the game... perhaps enough to get you back in the arena.
To those who took the time to read this blog and found it helpful to any extent, thank you, and take care of yourselves.
"Why am I taking in all this information?"
"What good will it do me in an actual match?"
"If I go to tournaments and still get owned despite what I know, what's the point in even playing?"
"What if I never get famous or popular by getting good at a fighting game?"
"What if I share what I know to teach others, but it backfires because I'm still learning more myself?"
There are many questions that lead to many possibilities of mindsets that drive us to play DOA competitively. Some healthy, some not-so-healthy. From a more general perspective, we'll go over some common reasons people play and want to win or do well:
(NOTE: The following are general, common examples. Some may have a combination of reasons and/or may not reflect everyone.)
1) The Fun Guy. One who plays for fun and just want to support its scene.
2) The Approval-Seeker. One who plays to prove themselves to others.
3) The Self-Sufficient Player. One who plays to prove something to themselves.
4) The Starchaser. One who plays for recognition and fame.
5) The Loyalist. One who plays because of a genuine connection to a fictional character they chose to play.
Each of these are valid reasons to get into a game, don't get me wrong. However, each mindset has a double-edged sword... pros and cons, if you will.
The "Fun Guy" Mentality
Pros: These people are quite the carefree bunch, and quite frankly have nothing to lose as they learn more about the game they wish to get better in. In other words, they just want to have fun. At the end of the day, it's not about winning or losing for them, but about what they can do to spread the fun factor to others about the game they love. The Fun Guy is the front-runner you want to promote your game to the offline scene and make it compelling to tournament organizers. They also seem to draw in people to have a good time with the game they play and not always make it about business.
Cons: When the Fun Guy mentality is not applied in moderation, it's often distorted to a mindset that refuses to learn something new and adapt to situations they can't get out of or avoid. As a scapegoat, the Fun Guy can become unsettling for the more competitive gamers who dislike being bound by atrocious, ridiculous rules such as "No Pros", "No Juggling", "No Teabagging"... all for the sake of "fun". At this point, the person with this mentality isn't truly having "fun", especially when the player refuses to learn said strategy which could improve the player's playstyle.
Exercise caution when playing for fun. It is one thing to have fun learning how to play the game better, but it's another when it's at the expense of others due to your own limitations.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The "Approval-Seeker" Mentality
Pros: These people have the noblest of intentions when playing the game to get better. They may wish to help others, they may wish to support others... anything which will help strengthen the community they're trying to build. The Approval Seekers are selfless at heart, and have a means of being very humble, preferring others to acknowledge their works and accolades rather than mention it to oneself, believing they'd be tooting their own horn if they do.
Cons: While the Approval Seekers are indeed not selfish in their ways, when not applied in moderation, it too can be twisted into something dangerous. They may also incur serious emotional feelings of inferiority when it appears their contributions and accomplishments are inadequate to help and support others. They may even obsess over perfectionism to make ends meet, often resorting to unreasonable extremes. Worse, they could go for prolonged periods of self-loathing if their "imperfections" persist.
However, it doesn't have to be this way for one who plays for others. By acknowledging that perfection is an intangible accomplishment, and is merely an illusion based on a perception by others, they may be able to find perfection in their imperfections and still help others. Why? Because they learned to love themselves. Their strengths, their weaknesses, everything. As long as they have that, they can learn to love others. There are some who will take advantage of you and use that sentiment against you often to toy with your own self-worth. As someone who has gone through this, I beg you, don't listen to those people.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The "Self-Sufficient" Mentality
Pros: These people have a heart of gold. They won't be shaken by opinions nor statistics, and they believe in making the impossible possible. Self-Sufficient people have a tendency to play for themselves are true go-getters. They'll rush into any challenge, believing something good will come out of it. As long as they have that experience, they can't be dissuaded. They dare to tread where others wouldn't, sure of their own abilities and what they must do to overcome the unknown. Those who play and learn the game for themselves are naturally born with the heart of a champion.
Cons: When not applied in moderation, this can easily turn into recklessness. Facing a challenge head-on without a sense of direction or purpose often leads this type of player into an endless maze of repeated mistakes. They can try all day, every day, but are they truly learning as they go? Do they stop and think of a strategy? Or do they numb their own pain in the most unhealthy way possible, obsessed only with beating the opponent in front of them?
Playing the game and getting better for yourself is perfectly healthy. For some, it's a means of spiritual growth and exploring your own potential and limits as a gamer. But the best results often come from the right guidance and having a good plan to improve. Take the time to look back on your mistakes; don't rush into a fight every time. And remember that if you are given the right guidance, be sure to pass it on to others so that they can be a strong player and supporter of the community.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The "Starchaser" Mentality
Pros: The Starchasers - or those who seek fame and recognition - have a motivation to make it big in the game they enjoy playing, particularly because they have most likely seen someone else become famous for their contributions. The Starchaser player loves their game, but also prefers to find some form of success around it, particularly with money. The Starchaser may have good intentions, such as using their success to give back to its community in a big way, or to write another chapter in their life to pursue future endeavors for something greater. Sometimes, Starchasers don't even have that big of a dream. They probably just want to be noticed as an excellent player by everyone in order to find their own personal satisfaction as a gamer. And sometimes, they want to be known as the top insert-character-here player to really stand out and make their mark in the community they support, so to speak.
Cons: The downside to a Starchaser - when not applied in moderation - is that fame can turn into an obsession for relevancy and recognition. Much like the mentality of those who play for others, they are susceptible to the fear of failure, and what may have began as a feat of good intentions to give back to the community they wanted to support turns into a toxic competition, or rather, a popularity contest. An ego trip. A power struggle. When a Starchaser becomes corrupted, it becomes a big problem, especially when it is the face of the community being represented.
The Starchaser should never get caught up in one's fame that their ego and lust for power overtake their good intentions as they move up the social ladder. One never knows when they could be replaced. At the same time, they should never forget the priceless value of the friends that helped bring them to that height of responsibility.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The "Loyalist" Mentality
Pros: Loyalists - or more specifically, character loyalists - are far from a dying breed in the fighting game community. Many who have been drawn in to playing a fighting game always had that special character that just clicked with them... whether it was the style of the character, the personality, the fighting style, or just because they found the character easy to win with. Many would go so far as to form a special bond with the character just to bring the fire back into dedicating themselves to one character. With this mentality, it becomes easier for players to understand a wide variety of characters in said fighting game, should the experienced player be willing to share what they know.
Cons: Some character loyalists however do miss the point of what it means to truly dedicate yourself to using a character in a fighting game. It's not to say it's a bad thing to have a mutual attraction to a character you like, but when it turns into an unhealthy obsession and it doesn't turn into a means of actively improving, that's when the character loyalty begins to become misplaced.
If you're a character loyalist that still adopts a scrub mentality while having an unhealthy "relationship" with a fictional character on a serious level, this will do nothing but hinder your progress, especially when the character is considered bottom-tier simply for being underused. You could've been that person to make the difference. Never neglect your potential. Don't take your dedication to a character you like in a fighting game for granted. Use any free time you have to learn something new, whether it's an uncommon matchup, or an underused move you never thought was useful. There's always time to admire the awesomeness of the character you like, but never forget, a character isn't as awesome without the player guiding his/her path to victory.
Whether you share one or two of these mentality traits, there is no right or wrong way to get into a game you love. But consider the downsides as well as the positives and be careful not to let despair get the better of you, should you fall below your expectations. Don't get me wrong, we all want to play to win... to succeed and be recognized for our contributions, but sometimes getting caught up in that can be harmful to yourself and to others. I should know, 'cause I'm guilty of that. And that, my friends, is when we should go back and ask ourselves why we picked up the game in the first place, and how different our objectives are now as opposed to then.
Are we truly playing because we love the game as we did when we first picked it up?
Have our desires turned to a lust for fame and fortune?
Do we still enjoy playing the character we like all the same, despite patches putting them to shame?
Are we playing here and there just to fit in somewhere?
Are we playing for ourselves? To improve ourselves? To help others as we did ourselves?
These are the questions you should ask yourself before picking up the game. Are your reasons giving you more happiness or more frustration? If the latter, then you may want to sit back and revisit that happy moment in your life you were fascinated about it, and if possible, discuss it with a friend who will listen. You may feel better being reassured that someone understands why you love the game... perhaps enough to get you back in the arena.
To those who took the time to read this blog and found it helpful to any extent, thank you, and take care of yourselves.
Saturday, November 15, 2014
Sailor Moon Crystal Impressions (November 15, 2014) WARNING - SPOILER ALERT!
SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT. IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED, DON'T SCROLL DOWN!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
..
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Well, we're finally here... the Final Four of the first story arc. And the turning point is big. Our heroes head to the moon to find out who they are, Sailor Venus pulls out the Holy Moon Sword, and - as I predicted - not only did a battle royale between the Sailors and the four Kings happen in the frozen battlefield that is Tokyo, but we get a glimpse of the Kings' past lives as knights who swore to protect Prince Endymion, who represented the royalty of the entire planet Earth.
But nothing prepared me for the major change from the manga that played on a theory long speculated by fans for decades: The theory that the Inner Sailors and the Kings were once in love with each other in their former lives during the Silver Millennium. During the big fight, Venus recalls their memories clearly confirming their romance. At that moment, the Kings manage to escape when Sailor Moon uses Moon Healing Escalation to melt the ice of the frozen Tokyo.
Shortly after - as in the manga - Queen Beryl uses Endymion to bait Sailor Moon into getting the Silver Crystal in the next episode. However, unlike the manga, the original Endymion is not killed and replaced with an empty husk, but rather spared and brainwashed.
I'm perfectly okay with the way this episode was executed, though they may improve some visuals in the finalized Blu-Ray release anyway. That said, there's only 3 episodes to go until the Black Moon arc. Here's hoping they deliver!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
..
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Well, we're finally here... the Final Four of the first story arc. And the turning point is big. Our heroes head to the moon to find out who they are, Sailor Venus pulls out the Holy Moon Sword, and - as I predicted - not only did a battle royale between the Sailors and the four Kings happen in the frozen battlefield that is Tokyo, but we get a glimpse of the Kings' past lives as knights who swore to protect Prince Endymion, who represented the royalty of the entire planet Earth.
But nothing prepared me for the major change from the manga that played on a theory long speculated by fans for decades: The theory that the Inner Sailors and the Kings were once in love with each other in their former lives during the Silver Millennium. During the big fight, Venus recalls their memories clearly confirming their romance. At that moment, the Kings manage to escape when Sailor Moon uses Moon Healing Escalation to melt the ice of the frozen Tokyo.
Shortly after - as in the manga - Queen Beryl uses Endymion to bait Sailor Moon into getting the Silver Crystal in the next episode. However, unlike the manga, the original Endymion is not killed and replaced with an empty husk, but rather spared and brainwashed.
I'm perfectly okay with the way this episode was executed, though they may improve some visuals in the finalized Blu-Ray release anyway. That said, there's only 3 episodes to go until the Black Moon arc. Here's hoping they deliver!
Saturday, November 1, 2014
Anime Blog #13: Sailor Moon Crystal Impressions (November 1, 2014)
It's been 19 weeks since Sailor Moon Crystal has aired exclusively on stream. And now, we're finally at the meat of the Dark Kingdom arc. The revelations of the Moon Princess and her past go full circle in this week's Act 9.
After Tuxedo Mask takes a mortal blow for Sailor Moon during an airborne battle at Tokyo Tower with Kunzite, a grief-stricken Sailor Moon recalls the memories of her ancient past completely, forming the Silver Crystal from within her tears. The crystal's light transferred into Endymion's body, and much to the heroes' chagrin, is taken by Queen Beryl just as quickly.
As Queen Beryl attempts to extract the crystal's light from Tuxedo Mask, the four Heavenly Kings memories seem to surge vaguely. Meanwhile, Sailor Moon ultimately makes her decision to travel to the moon to have a full understanding of her destiny.
This episode, though heavily riddled with dialogue, had enough tension to act as a prelude to what will be an onslaught of exciting episodes henceforth. Act 10 may very well end up being a battle royale between the Sailor Senshi and the Four Kings, the likes of which we've never seen before. I look forward to seeing the action unfold in 2 weeks.
After Tuxedo Mask takes a mortal blow for Sailor Moon during an airborne battle at Tokyo Tower with Kunzite, a grief-stricken Sailor Moon recalls the memories of her ancient past completely, forming the Silver Crystal from within her tears. The crystal's light transferred into Endymion's body, and much to the heroes' chagrin, is taken by Queen Beryl just as quickly.
As Queen Beryl attempts to extract the crystal's light from Tuxedo Mask, the four Heavenly Kings memories seem to surge vaguely. Meanwhile, Sailor Moon ultimately makes her decision to travel to the moon to have a full understanding of her destiny.
This episode, though heavily riddled with dialogue, had enough tension to act as a prelude to what will be an onslaught of exciting episodes henceforth. Act 10 may very well end up being a battle royale between the Sailor Senshi and the Four Kings, the likes of which we've never seen before. I look forward to seeing the action unfold in 2 weeks.
Friday, October 17, 2014
Spotlight Blog #1: AutoAim / Vortex Miaotua
What I'm about to write here is different from my usual blogs about DOA, anime, and things of that nature. This series of blogs will be dedicated to longtime friends who have made an impact on me in some way or form in the past several years, driving me to do the things I enjoy doing. As such, the first of these spotlight blogs is dedicated to possibly the oldest online friend I made specifically on Xbox Live as far as 2006 that I still keep in touch with to this day.
Yes, I know what you're about to ask... who the heck is AutoAim? To simply put, he's a competitive gamer from Arizona whose actual name is Anthony Desiata. He's not a well-known player, but is nonetheless a very important friend to me. Before he got into DOA at the time, he was into and had a knack for shooters, as his Gamertag's namesake would imply (Halo 2, obviously). Additionally, he's a Pokemon buff. When I met the guy in a public session on DOA4, something about him stood out among the other public lobby players.
While others would send hatemail for (a lack of a better word) "running the lobby", Auto had a tenacity I've never seen. At the time, he was torn between using Ayane and Hayate, but eventually leaned toward Hayate. He later told me that he really wanted to learn how to use Spartan-458. Luckily there were a few things I learned from that matchup just watching Escapingjail play (and later get my ass kicked). He was the only character with a 5-frame command grab, whereas typically, only neutral 5 frame throws were escapable in DOA4. Obviously, I wasn't fit to teach him about the characters he played, but over time I watched him improve, particularly with Spartan and Hayate.
Additionally, he was one of the few people I was actually able to talk to over the mic. For the most part, we've been inseparable. We had a clique together, we trolled in certain clans together, hell, we even reminisced on the golden age of Toonami. (he was particularly a fan of Zoids). And soon our interests would expand a little beyond DOA. When Soul Calibur 4 dropped, I found out he had some remote interest in moe types of fictional characters... but I never expected Tira. I really got to see his primary gaming prowess to an extent when GTA4 dropped with online multiplayer. While it wasn't exactly competitively viable, this guy knew what he was doing regardless. I could honestly say that I had fun, even though I was losing. Unfortunately, those times were short-lived, as I had to go back into DOA4 to help someone for CGS.
Eventually I'd get Facebook, and we talked about all kinds of interesting stuff... though there are a few things I will not discuss here out of respect for him. DOA5 dropped around 2012, and he was eager to play Mila. But he never quite adjusted to the mechanical changes the way he wanted to, and decided the best way he could learn it is to wait for a character that played like Spartan. In DOA5U, Rachel was that answer. Unfortunately, around the time this happened, he came to a crossroads in his life, making a decision that cost him to part ways with his Xbox. My times in DOA have felt quite empty ever since... but one day, he'll be back to play.
All in all, I can safely say this guy's been there for me both in my happy and sad times. In times of confidence and lack thereof. He even gave Queen's Blade a chance, while he kept me posted on HunterXHunter. His never-say-die attitude in the face of competition - though I never say it much - is inspiring to me, no matter how down in the dumps I get. I may have confidence issues time to time, but he's among the few who serves as a reminder that I must never quit what I enjoy deep down, and I thank him for that.
So AutoAim, aka Anthony Desiata... here's to you. May we meet again in DOA on Xbox, just like the good ol' days.
Lastly... Death in a box. That is all.
Yes, I know what you're about to ask... who the heck is AutoAim? To simply put, he's a competitive gamer from Arizona whose actual name is Anthony Desiata. He's not a well-known player, but is nonetheless a very important friend to me. Before he got into DOA at the time, he was into and had a knack for shooters, as his Gamertag's namesake would imply (Halo 2, obviously). Additionally, he's a Pokemon buff. When I met the guy in a public session on DOA4, something about him stood out among the other public lobby players.
While others would send hatemail for (a lack of a better word) "running the lobby", Auto had a tenacity I've never seen. At the time, he was torn between using Ayane and Hayate, but eventually leaned toward Hayate. He later told me that he really wanted to learn how to use Spartan-458. Luckily there were a few things I learned from that matchup just watching Escapingjail play (and later get my ass kicked). He was the only character with a 5-frame command grab, whereas typically, only neutral 5 frame throws were escapable in DOA4. Obviously, I wasn't fit to teach him about the characters he played, but over time I watched him improve, particularly with Spartan and Hayate.
Additionally, he was one of the few people I was actually able to talk to over the mic. For the most part, we've been inseparable. We had a clique together, we trolled in certain clans together, hell, we even reminisced on the golden age of Toonami. (he was particularly a fan of Zoids). And soon our interests would expand a little beyond DOA. When Soul Calibur 4 dropped, I found out he had some remote interest in moe types of fictional characters... but I never expected Tira. I really got to see his primary gaming prowess to an extent when GTA4 dropped with online multiplayer. While it wasn't exactly competitively viable, this guy knew what he was doing regardless. I could honestly say that I had fun, even though I was losing. Unfortunately, those times were short-lived, as I had to go back into DOA4 to help someone for CGS.
Eventually I'd get Facebook, and we talked about all kinds of interesting stuff... though there are a few things I will not discuss here out of respect for him. DOA5 dropped around 2012, and he was eager to play Mila. But he never quite adjusted to the mechanical changes the way he wanted to, and decided the best way he could learn it is to wait for a character that played like Spartan. In DOA5U, Rachel was that answer. Unfortunately, around the time this happened, he came to a crossroads in his life, making a decision that cost him to part ways with his Xbox. My times in DOA have felt quite empty ever since... but one day, he'll be back to play.
All in all, I can safely say this guy's been there for me both in my happy and sad times. In times of confidence and lack thereof. He even gave Queen's Blade a chance, while he kept me posted on HunterXHunter. His never-say-die attitude in the face of competition - though I never say it much - is inspiring to me, no matter how down in the dumps I get. I may have confidence issues time to time, but he's among the few who serves as a reminder that I must never quit what I enjoy deep down, and I thank him for that.
So AutoAim, aka Anthony Desiata... here's to you. May we meet again in DOA on Xbox, just like the good ol' days.
Lastly... Death in a box. That is all.
Monday, October 13, 2014
DOA Community Blog #9: My Personal TFC Experience
DISCLAIMER: What I'm about to post doesn't reflect the views and opinions of the DOA community. They are based on my personal feelings, and my actions from here on out are of my own accord.
NOTE: Based on past experience after tournies - and because people online are stupid and always find a way to get to you - I will try to stay away from playing online or browsing FSD for a while, since I know there are a lot of people who don't like me and will try to give me hell. For those that know they're cool with me who want to keep tabs, do so on Skype or Facebook, but as of right now, I'm just not ready to get online and play for a while until this shittalk subsides among the stupid people online. I've seen a taste of it on PSN a while before posting this blog, and I don't feel like dealing with that now. I hope you'll understand.
That being said... let's move on to the experience itself.
Taking away all the keyboard commandos, trash talkers, and other nonsense which almost convinced me not to go to TFC in the first place, I ultimately ended up going to the event. But the process of going wasn't easy, as I had a certain individual promising to make good on their threat to make sure a "washed-up scrub like me" has a miserable weekend at TFC. Now I dunno if this person was planning to torture me mentally or physically, and the name of this person sure as hell isn't important now (since he never showed up), but I had to take this person seriously if he's making his beef with me THAT personal.
After this incident, my plan to "not go to TFC" was immediately set in motion. I figured that if I pretended not to go and convince other people in the community, that maybe - just maybe - I won't have to deal with this person until the day of the tourney, because who would make a fool of themselves in a tourney by picking a fistfight in the venue, knowing the ground rules result in suspension from competing in that event or other related ones? For those I may have tricked into believing I wasn't going, I am truly sorry. But I don't fuck around when crazy people make threats. I take 'em seriously and try my best to avoid conflict if possible.
Fast-forward to Thursday, October 9. Immediately following work, I got ready to head over to Fred Campbell (Blitzkreig/Toothless)'s house. As usual, he was as dependable as ever. I had a place to rest, and we had a plan set in motion to pick up Justin (aka JDE, aka "Just Dad-Gummed Early") from the airport. On the way back we were faced with interesting traffic... but none that stood out as much as this one car that kept crashing into the left boundary over and over. My guess was that either the car was stolen and the driver didn't know how to handle it, the driver was drunk, the driver was texting, or the driver passed out. Either way, we kept a couple hundred yards away from it.
After safely making it back to Fred's house, we began packing our things in Fred's new car and putting mine in the garage for safekeeping. My car was in no condition for long-distance travel, and I couldn't afford to get new tires at the time. Before we took the long trip back, we headed to the Golden Corral to eat what we could at the buffet. But after we finished eating, Fred realized he had forgotten an important item. After doubling it back to his house, we were ready to head out to the freeway.
Immediately heading into South Carolina, we stopped by an auto shop that Fred's uncle worked at, getting all the necessary tune-ups for the car to ensure there will be no problems outside our driving skill. We had some interesting conversations along the way, including this one story about how Fred and Dallaz got pulled over by the cops for suspicion of driving drunk, but somehow got let go despite evidence. Eventually we made another stop, and I insisted on driving as soon as I realized Fred was going to get some Mountain Dew mixed with vodka. Despite Fred saying that the steering was a little different, I managed to handle the car quite well throughout most of the trip in North Carolina. But I was unfamiliar with how to get the beams on at night.
I eventually got tired and let Fred deal with the home stretch. When we finally got to the actual venue, I started feeling uneasy again and having uneasy thoughts:
What if said player is actually here and really does make good on his threat?
What will other people think of me if I play casuals and lose too much?
What if I never get a chance to meet the people I know I'm actually cool with?
What if everyone hates me now because I haven't done well in tourneys, despite supporting the offline scene?
That Friday night at the Skybox bar in the Hilton hotel was not easy to go through. I felt that if I did anything... that if I went and tried to play the DOA5 Last Round demo, I'd be laughed out of the bar and possibly draw attention to the guy who threatened me, assuming he was around. So I kept my distance and watched instead. I wasn't ready to interact with or face anyone. To be honest, things would've been a lot easier for me if Punishere and Auto were there... but alas, they were not. So afterward, I headed outside and walked for a while, figuring out some good places to eat closeby so I can be ready for tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Fred negotiated with Chosen1 on getting me and Justin to lodge with his folks for two nights. By the time I got back I wandered around for a bit and found the room RhytmikDesigns was in, then at the room Justin visited where most of the high-level crowd was in. Feeling out of place, I eventually left both, but not without a tip from Justin that Adon (aka Earlee, aka Shadow) was looking for me. So I fired up my laptop in the lobby in the hopes of contacting him, but they were already calling it a night. By the time I went back to Chosen1's room, nobody was there, and nobody answered.
NOTE: It was eventually brought to my attention the next morning that Chosen1 got in a car accident that night with his car totaled, which explained the situation altogether. Upon hearing this, I was going to talk with Fred on having him and his party ride with us back to Georgia.
So I spent that night sleeping somewhere in the lobby. When that didn't work, I just killed time watching movies on my laptop.
The next morning I went back to Chosen1's room and got spruced up for the tourney. I was feeling slightly better and less insecure this time around, and greeted most people formally, as opposed to last night when I was feeling distant. Either way, it felt good knowing I survived that Friday night, and I could confirm that whether or not the guy who threatened me showed up, he wouldn't try anything funny inside the venue as long as the tourney was active. Thankfully, this person never showed his face, so I could act normal. Everyone was friendly enough (especially ElectrifiedMann), but I was really happy to see some of my friends I regularly talked with on Skype when they arrived-- Adon, Gruff757, HajinShinobi, Madian. Hell, even Blackmoonrising and his buddy Knightzero arrived on the scene as promised. I even got to meet some old friends like BlackberryChaos, Enforcer, and Brightgamer, newer guys like Hoodless and Sly Bass, and even the two overseas players from the Netherlands, Glyx (Gehaktbal) and his girlfriend Tjiger. At this point, no matter how I did at the tourney, I had the pleasure of meeting them all.
So the tourney started, and it ran smoothly enough. I didn't have to deal with the pressure of playing on stream in the first match, nor any other recurring matches. I lost my second match against Rikuto, and realized too late that I never bothered to check my sidestep settings during the button check, which explained my difficulty for dodging certain attacks. But what's done is done. There was little shame in losing to him anyway. D.J. McAteer then told me something very important afterward. Something bad happened to Fred, and he was being hospitalized. He also told me Master was already with him, and I didn't know how long he was going to be out of commission. I then realized that even if I made it far in the tourney, I'd eventually have to forfeit. So I was again eliminated by Elecman (ElectrifiedMann), who was using Helena at this point.
Immediately after that I rushed to the hospital, getting Master's number from Allan Paris to get the location of the hospital. By the time I called him I realized the hospital was in plain sight across the street... and there they were outside of the emergency office, waiting on a shuttle to carry Fred back to the hotel. I then realized he had a case of the shakes from withdrawing from alcohol for too long, which caused him to pass out in the first place. Rather than wait for the shuttle, Fred decided to give me the keys to his car and Master and I escorted him back to the hotel, or more specifically, the Skybox, where he had to get some drinks and some food. I stayed there for a while, and eventually went back to the ballroom to check on how everyone's doing.
After the matches leading to top 8 were complete, I got together with Hajin's crew as well as Justin, Blackmoonrising, and Knightzero to eat at this Japanese restaurant near Hajin's venue. Without a doubt, things looked a lot brighter from here. Fred was doing okay, I got to meet some of the people I really wanted to meet, and we had some fun conversations. We had so much fun in fact, that I lost track of time and didn't realize Fred was calling me on another matter, which was finding out about what BlackberryChaos intends to do after TFC. According to him, he said he needed a ride to Georgia in order to get to Connecticut, but I eventually found out that was a misinformation. After talking to BlackberryChaos briefly, I went back to the Skybox to check on Justin, who was with Devon (BlankOctober) at the time. I had my initial suspicions with Devon after previous skirmishes with him on Skype, but ultimately he turned out to be a cool guy. I ordered a ceasar salad and some fries, and the three of us ended up talking about girls, fighting games, and laughing at weird jokes. It was at this point that I wished Devon and Hajin would get along at this point, but I realized only they could make it work for them. Once again I went back with Hajin's crew and got some casuals in with Hajin, at last. The guy is good at spacing, as I expected. Though he wished he could've performed better at the tourney, I knew how he played when he was at his best.
That being said, this gave rise to another concern that was again mentioned by Chosen1 and Justin the next morning-- the stream monitors. People were convinced that compared to the off-stream monitors, there was considerable lag, which he soon addressed to the host of TFC, Eric Small, aka Big E. While I didn't directly involve myself in the conversation too much, I do plan to mention this in a future blog, since it does appear to be something of a concern. (UPDATE: It has been brought to my attention that it was an issue of the controller converters that have caused the input delay.)
I didn't stick around too long for top 8, as it was getting predictable at this point, with either Kwiggle's Christie or his brother SonicFox taking 1st or 2nd. Immediately after the grand finals - much to my chagrin - my crew had to leave, which means Justin, Fred, and I had to miss out on a huge dinner celebration. And if that wasn't a kick in the nuts, I had no clue that Force of Nature was even here until Fred told me Chosen1's crew was getting a ride with him. I felt so bad after that. But I'm sure by the time he reads this blog, he'll forgive me. So to Force of Nature, I formally apologize for not noticing you right away, and I really am sorry for not getting the chance to hang with you when I could.
Getting back home was relatively easier, and we had a few cases of "The Fred and Awesmic Show" here and there (inside joke), but the important thing is that we got back to Georgia safely. I had a few casuals with Justin, and drove myself back home, which brings us to this long-winded blog post I'm making now.
Yes, I didn't do well in the tourney. And given the circumstances during the tourney, my situation was unfortunate. But Fred's well-being was more important, and he's been nothing short of a very good friend to me as well as a strong supporter of the DOA community. Without him, I dunno what I could've done. There will be plenty of tournaments, but there is only one Fred Campbell. And looking back at it at the time I made this blog, I honestly don't have any regrets. But assholes will be assholes online. They'll only see the surface and measure your worth as a person - a person - by how well you play. If only they knew there was more to tournaments than just trying to win. I see that clearly now myself. I honestly had more fun just hanging with the friends I always wanted to hang with than worrying about how well I did at the tourney in the hopes of being liked by everyone depending on how well I do. After carefully reviewing my surroundings, I've come to the conclusion that Justin was right... a person's worth isn't synonymous with a person's skill as a player. It's only barely scratching the surface of what the community is really about.
Right now I feel like I've relieved myself of a huge weight on my shoulders. But in order to make sure it stays that way, I've got to mentally challenge myself. And the first sacrifice I must make is to stay away from playing online for a while. It seems to be the source of all my problems and I've been feeding too much on the negativity of some players, and gradually blurring the line between those who genuinely care about me, and those who don't. Instead, I'll spend my time slowly trying to be more sociable on Facebook and Skype with folks in the DOA community until I am more mentally secure to play casuals without worrying so much about impressing people... it seems to be all I ever do, and I have to stop. It's become an addiction, it's been hurting my friendships, and it's almost killed whatever fun I used to have playing the game.
So from here on out I vow to become a better me... not just a better Christie player than before, but a better me. The going won't be easy, but I need the self-discipline to make it work, even if it means not visiting FSD or playing online for a while. TFC was exactly what I needed, and the community interaction exceeded my expectations... but I've been shutting myself away in my own fear. To all I have talked with, I thank you for helping me see the light more clearly.
To everyone who took the time to read this blog, thanks for reading, thanks for understanding, and take care of yourselves. Come Final Round next year, I promise to be the Awesmic you once knew and loved... only more sociable, hopefully.
NOTE: Based on past experience after tournies - and because people online are stupid and always find a way to get to you - I will try to stay away from playing online or browsing FSD for a while, since I know there are a lot of people who don't like me and will try to give me hell. For those that know they're cool with me who want to keep tabs, do so on Skype or Facebook, but as of right now, I'm just not ready to get online and play for a while until this shittalk subsides among the stupid people online. I've seen a taste of it on PSN a while before posting this blog, and I don't feel like dealing with that now. I hope you'll understand.
That being said... let's move on to the experience itself.
Taking away all the keyboard commandos, trash talkers, and other nonsense which almost convinced me not to go to TFC in the first place, I ultimately ended up going to the event. But the process of going wasn't easy, as I had a certain individual promising to make good on their threat to make sure a "washed-up scrub like me" has a miserable weekend at TFC. Now I dunno if this person was planning to torture me mentally or physically, and the name of this person sure as hell isn't important now (since he never showed up), but I had to take this person seriously if he's making his beef with me THAT personal.
After this incident, my plan to "not go to TFC" was immediately set in motion. I figured that if I pretended not to go and convince other people in the community, that maybe - just maybe - I won't have to deal with this person until the day of the tourney, because who would make a fool of themselves in a tourney by picking a fistfight in the venue, knowing the ground rules result in suspension from competing in that event or other related ones? For those I may have tricked into believing I wasn't going, I am truly sorry. But I don't fuck around when crazy people make threats. I take 'em seriously and try my best to avoid conflict if possible.
Fast-forward to Thursday, October 9. Immediately following work, I got ready to head over to Fred Campbell (Blitzkreig/Toothless)'s house. As usual, he was as dependable as ever. I had a place to rest, and we had a plan set in motion to pick up Justin (aka JDE, aka "Just Dad-Gummed Early") from the airport. On the way back we were faced with interesting traffic... but none that stood out as much as this one car that kept crashing into the left boundary over and over. My guess was that either the car was stolen and the driver didn't know how to handle it, the driver was drunk, the driver was texting, or the driver passed out. Either way, we kept a couple hundred yards away from it.
After safely making it back to Fred's house, we began packing our things in Fred's new car and putting mine in the garage for safekeeping. My car was in no condition for long-distance travel, and I couldn't afford to get new tires at the time. Before we took the long trip back, we headed to the Golden Corral to eat what we could at the buffet. But after we finished eating, Fred realized he had forgotten an important item. After doubling it back to his house, we were ready to head out to the freeway.
Immediately heading into South Carolina, we stopped by an auto shop that Fred's uncle worked at, getting all the necessary tune-ups for the car to ensure there will be no problems outside our driving skill. We had some interesting conversations along the way, including this one story about how Fred and Dallaz got pulled over by the cops for suspicion of driving drunk, but somehow got let go despite evidence. Eventually we made another stop, and I insisted on driving as soon as I realized Fred was going to get some Mountain Dew mixed with vodka. Despite Fred saying that the steering was a little different, I managed to handle the car quite well throughout most of the trip in North Carolina. But I was unfamiliar with how to get the beams on at night.
I eventually got tired and let Fred deal with the home stretch. When we finally got to the actual venue, I started feeling uneasy again and having uneasy thoughts:
What if said player is actually here and really does make good on his threat?
What will other people think of me if I play casuals and lose too much?
What if I never get a chance to meet the people I know I'm actually cool with?
What if everyone hates me now because I haven't done well in tourneys, despite supporting the offline scene?
That Friday night at the Skybox bar in the Hilton hotel was not easy to go through. I felt that if I did anything... that if I went and tried to play the DOA5 Last Round demo, I'd be laughed out of the bar and possibly draw attention to the guy who threatened me, assuming he was around. So I kept my distance and watched instead. I wasn't ready to interact with or face anyone. To be honest, things would've been a lot easier for me if Punishere and Auto were there... but alas, they were not. So afterward, I headed outside and walked for a while, figuring out some good places to eat closeby so I can be ready for tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Fred negotiated with Chosen1 on getting me and Justin to lodge with his folks for two nights. By the time I got back I wandered around for a bit and found the room RhytmikDesigns was in, then at the room Justin visited where most of the high-level crowd was in. Feeling out of place, I eventually left both, but not without a tip from Justin that Adon (aka Earlee, aka Shadow) was looking for me. So I fired up my laptop in the lobby in the hopes of contacting him, but they were already calling it a night. By the time I went back to Chosen1's room, nobody was there, and nobody answered.
NOTE: It was eventually brought to my attention the next morning that Chosen1 got in a car accident that night with his car totaled, which explained the situation altogether. Upon hearing this, I was going to talk with Fred on having him and his party ride with us back to Georgia.
So I spent that night sleeping somewhere in the lobby. When that didn't work, I just killed time watching movies on my laptop.
The next morning I went back to Chosen1's room and got spruced up for the tourney. I was feeling slightly better and less insecure this time around, and greeted most people formally, as opposed to last night when I was feeling distant. Either way, it felt good knowing I survived that Friday night, and I could confirm that whether or not the guy who threatened me showed up, he wouldn't try anything funny inside the venue as long as the tourney was active. Thankfully, this person never showed his face, so I could act normal. Everyone was friendly enough (especially ElectrifiedMann), but I was really happy to see some of my friends I regularly talked with on Skype when they arrived-- Adon, Gruff757, HajinShinobi, Madian. Hell, even Blackmoonrising and his buddy Knightzero arrived on the scene as promised. I even got to meet some old friends like BlackberryChaos, Enforcer, and Brightgamer, newer guys like Hoodless and Sly Bass, and even the two overseas players from the Netherlands, Glyx (Gehaktbal) and his girlfriend Tjiger. At this point, no matter how I did at the tourney, I had the pleasure of meeting them all.
So the tourney started, and it ran smoothly enough. I didn't have to deal with the pressure of playing on stream in the first match, nor any other recurring matches. I lost my second match against Rikuto, and realized too late that I never bothered to check my sidestep settings during the button check, which explained my difficulty for dodging certain attacks. But what's done is done. There was little shame in losing to him anyway. D.J. McAteer then told me something very important afterward. Something bad happened to Fred, and he was being hospitalized. He also told me Master was already with him, and I didn't know how long he was going to be out of commission. I then realized that even if I made it far in the tourney, I'd eventually have to forfeit. So I was again eliminated by Elecman (ElectrifiedMann), who was using Helena at this point.
Immediately after that I rushed to the hospital, getting Master's number from Allan Paris to get the location of the hospital. By the time I called him I realized the hospital was in plain sight across the street... and there they were outside of the emergency office, waiting on a shuttle to carry Fred back to the hotel. I then realized he had a case of the shakes from withdrawing from alcohol for too long, which caused him to pass out in the first place. Rather than wait for the shuttle, Fred decided to give me the keys to his car and Master and I escorted him back to the hotel, or more specifically, the Skybox, where he had to get some drinks and some food. I stayed there for a while, and eventually went back to the ballroom to check on how everyone's doing.
After the matches leading to top 8 were complete, I got together with Hajin's crew as well as Justin, Blackmoonrising, and Knightzero to eat at this Japanese restaurant near Hajin's venue. Without a doubt, things looked a lot brighter from here. Fred was doing okay, I got to meet some of the people I really wanted to meet, and we had some fun conversations. We had so much fun in fact, that I lost track of time and didn't realize Fred was calling me on another matter, which was finding out about what BlackberryChaos intends to do after TFC. According to him, he said he needed a ride to Georgia in order to get to Connecticut, but I eventually found out that was a misinformation. After talking to BlackberryChaos briefly, I went back to the Skybox to check on Justin, who was with Devon (BlankOctober) at the time. I had my initial suspicions with Devon after previous skirmishes with him on Skype, but ultimately he turned out to be a cool guy. I ordered a ceasar salad and some fries, and the three of us ended up talking about girls, fighting games, and laughing at weird jokes. It was at this point that I wished Devon and Hajin would get along at this point, but I realized only they could make it work for them. Once again I went back with Hajin's crew and got some casuals in with Hajin, at last. The guy is good at spacing, as I expected. Though he wished he could've performed better at the tourney, I knew how he played when he was at his best.
That being said, this gave rise to another concern that was again mentioned by Chosen1 and Justin the next morning-- the stream monitors. People were convinced that compared to the off-stream monitors, there was considerable lag, which he soon addressed to the host of TFC, Eric Small, aka Big E. While I didn't directly involve myself in the conversation too much, I do plan to mention this in a future blog, since it does appear to be something of a concern. (UPDATE: It has been brought to my attention that it was an issue of the controller converters that have caused the input delay.)
I didn't stick around too long for top 8, as it was getting predictable at this point, with either Kwiggle's Christie or his brother SonicFox taking 1st or 2nd. Immediately after the grand finals - much to my chagrin - my crew had to leave, which means Justin, Fred, and I had to miss out on a huge dinner celebration. And if that wasn't a kick in the nuts, I had no clue that Force of Nature was even here until Fred told me Chosen1's crew was getting a ride with him. I felt so bad after that. But I'm sure by the time he reads this blog, he'll forgive me. So to Force of Nature, I formally apologize for not noticing you right away, and I really am sorry for not getting the chance to hang with you when I could.
Getting back home was relatively easier, and we had a few cases of "The Fred and Awesmic Show" here and there (inside joke), but the important thing is that we got back to Georgia safely. I had a few casuals with Justin, and drove myself back home, which brings us to this long-winded blog post I'm making now.
Yes, I didn't do well in the tourney. And given the circumstances during the tourney, my situation was unfortunate. But Fred's well-being was more important, and he's been nothing short of a very good friend to me as well as a strong supporter of the DOA community. Without him, I dunno what I could've done. There will be plenty of tournaments, but there is only one Fred Campbell. And looking back at it at the time I made this blog, I honestly don't have any regrets. But assholes will be assholes online. They'll only see the surface and measure your worth as a person - a person - by how well you play. If only they knew there was more to tournaments than just trying to win. I see that clearly now myself. I honestly had more fun just hanging with the friends I always wanted to hang with than worrying about how well I did at the tourney in the hopes of being liked by everyone depending on how well I do. After carefully reviewing my surroundings, I've come to the conclusion that Justin was right... a person's worth isn't synonymous with a person's skill as a player. It's only barely scratching the surface of what the community is really about.
Right now I feel like I've relieved myself of a huge weight on my shoulders. But in order to make sure it stays that way, I've got to mentally challenge myself. And the first sacrifice I must make is to stay away from playing online for a while. It seems to be the source of all my problems and I've been feeding too much on the negativity of some players, and gradually blurring the line between those who genuinely care about me, and those who don't. Instead, I'll spend my time slowly trying to be more sociable on Facebook and Skype with folks in the DOA community until I am more mentally secure to play casuals without worrying so much about impressing people... it seems to be all I ever do, and I have to stop. It's become an addiction, it's been hurting my friendships, and it's almost killed whatever fun I used to have playing the game.
So from here on out I vow to become a better me... not just a better Christie player than before, but a better me. The going won't be easy, but I need the self-discipline to make it work, even if it means not visiting FSD or playing online for a while. TFC was exactly what I needed, and the community interaction exceeded my expectations... but I've been shutting myself away in my own fear. To all I have talked with, I thank you for helping me see the light more clearly.
To everyone who took the time to read this blog, thanks for reading, thanks for understanding, and take care of yourselves. Come Final Round next year, I promise to be the Awesmic you once knew and loved... only more sociable, hopefully.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)