Over the last month or so I've observed several instances which, frankly, have made me embarrassed to be a part of this community.
There seems to be an cognitive dissonance going on in some of the DOA competitive community. On one hand, we'll complain about how DOA doesn't get enough respect in the larger FGC community, that people under-appreciate the depth of the game, and that DOA deserves a larger presence and acknowledgement at major tournaments.
On the other hand, we openly talk sh*t about the game in tournament chat rooms & WHILE COMMENTATING for the tournament on stream. We belittle our game when talking to Street Fighter/Marvel/KI/etc. players at offline events. We'll rage in online lobbies if there's any lag, and belittle players that win using "cheap" lag tactics - often talking shit to the lobby or stream about the game in order to save face for the rage quitting. We sometimes display nearly ZERO excitement when spectating our own game, in person, at tournaments (everyone at NCR, myself included). We do ourselves a major disservice when engaging in this behavior. It alienates us from not only the larger FGC community, but also from the developer, Team Ninja.
[At this point I'd like to make a small note. I'm not taking shots at anyone in particular. This is about the community as a whole, not any specific person, event, or region. So if you're reading this and getting personally offended you're already missing the point and taking yourself out of the context of the conversation.]
Make no bones about it - DOA still faces a huge uphill battle toward being taken seriously as a competitive fighter. We've made some progress with the Road to TFC last year and Battle Royal this year. But look at the tourney lineup. We're still side tournaments at a lot of stops on that list. The narrative about DOA remains that it's a ecchi game, with basic-ass simple mechanics that you can simply mash out of, that fighting game amateurs and perverts play.
We need to take control of this narrative. We need to regard ourselves as DOA activists and ALWAYS talk up our game in public settings. We need to bring the hype and energy when spectating our games in offline tournaments. We need to wear the DOA badge with pride, and ALWAYS be as inclusive as possible in offline and online mediums. Some people do an excellent job at this, organizers and players alike. But some do an absolutely horrible job, and it has a disproportionate impact on how this game is perceived.
I'm not saying we can't be critical of the game. Obviously a less than perfect netcode, exploding costumes, and marketing breasts physics deserves critique. However, there's a difference between constructive criticism and dismissive criticism. "OMG breast motion is unfortunate blemish on an otherwise impressive fighter," is constructive. "Yeah, X glitch doesn't makes sense, but a lot doesn't make sense because DOA lol," is dismissive and insinuates that the game isn't of sufficient seriousness or quality to be held accountable for its flaws.
Here are the tactics I have been and will be using to help promote the game in a positive manner. These are by no means perfect and all-encompassing, so I'm open to community input and suggestions. I would like to invite you guys to join me in taking this activist attitude about the game.
• Never let the topic of breasts, pervertedness, or "slutty" costumes dominate any public conversation about DOA.
Be ruthless about this. Breasts bounce in other games. Cammy's been wearing a thong for years. Ivy Valentine dressed like a dominatrix long before Rachel perfected it. This isn't worth wasting much time on - every minute spent dealing with crap arguments people give to dismiss our game gives those very arguments more power. Don't spend a bunch of time fighting against it. Acknowledge it, then move on immediately. This game has a ton to offer. The triangle system is amazing. The meta-game is far more compelling than Marvel - touch of death combos don't really exist in DOA. The characters are relatively well balanced compared to other games. We have the most unique system with regards to taking active stages into account. Be like a politician, make it about your positive talking points.
• Do commentary as though Tom Lee and the game creators are sitting right next to you.
Let's remember to speak highly about the game. How we speak about the game to each other affects how outsiders and the game developers perceive the our community's support for the game. If we're trashing the game's mechanics or belittling it as though we don't respect it how can we possibly expect anyone else to respect us? How can we expect Team Ninja to get behind tournament tours with sponsorship and pot bonuses? The only way we will get to be taken as a professional caliber fighter is if we behave that way. If we need to critique, do it constructively, always with the tone of making an already great game better. Street Fighter fans aren't bashing their game nor letting others get away with it, neither should we.
• Always be inclusive.
Being part of a cult community is cool, but being part of a heavily supported and financed community is better. We're not hipsters - going mainstream is the goal. With more people playing and spending money on DOA we get more games, larger FGC representation, bigger tournament pots, and hopefully a larger voice to speak to the developers about our issues with the game. Being inclusive also means explaining the game mechanics and triangle system on streams to make sure new folks can get an idea if they happen to be casually watching between other games. At Cali Crush we're going to make it a point this year to explain the triangle system a few times during stream, including at the beginning of top eight and before winners finals.
This extends to online play as well stream chat room presence as well. Any one of us that has 1% of a tournament personality or offline presence has the opportunity to be an advocate of this game and the tournament scene when we're online as well. PS4's and XB1's can all stream now, so you never know who is watching. Raging about this game's netcode and being aggressive or belittling of online players for 'lag tactics' doesn't do anything to help out cause. There should be no division between the offline and online community. Everyone is welcome. This game isn't perfect, but it's pretty damn good and we want everyone to share in the fun with us.
• Bring the hype!
It's disappointing to go to tournaments around the country and see people screaming and cheering for Smash Bros, KOF, Killer Instinct, even Tekken Tag, but hear the DOA section quiet. If someone lands an ultra in SF, people go hype. If someone gets a happy birthday in Marvel, people lose their sh*t. We have all these opportunities with power blows, danger zone/stage combos, match altering holds, etc. to bring the energy. We have people that lose their match and storm off from the tournament instead of staying and supporting their peers. We need to be like the Tea Party when we're at tournaments - we may be a tiny minority of total people there, but we'll be disproportionately loud. Be cheerleaders for our peers and for our game.
I wish everyone, experienced and new, to share a similarly positive experience. We're generally a good group of people, we play an outstanding game, and we deserve to be treated as such. But we're going to have to fight for it - which works out because WE ARE FIGHTERS. Let's be activists, too. Let's control the DOA narrative and keep it positive and encouraging. And let's take our game to the next level.
There seems to be an cognitive dissonance going on in some of the DOA competitive community. On one hand, we'll complain about how DOA doesn't get enough respect in the larger FGC community, that people under-appreciate the depth of the game, and that DOA deserves a larger presence and acknowledgement at major tournaments.
On the other hand, we openly talk sh*t about the game in tournament chat rooms & WHILE COMMENTATING for the tournament on stream. We belittle our game when talking to Street Fighter/Marvel/KI/etc. players at offline events. We'll rage in online lobbies if there's any lag, and belittle players that win using "cheap" lag tactics - often talking shit to the lobby or stream about the game in order to save face for the rage quitting. We sometimes display nearly ZERO excitement when spectating our own game, in person, at tournaments (everyone at NCR, myself included). We do ourselves a major disservice when engaging in this behavior. It alienates us from not only the larger FGC community, but also from the developer, Team Ninja.
[At this point I'd like to make a small note. I'm not taking shots at anyone in particular. This is about the community as a whole, not any specific person, event, or region. So if you're reading this and getting personally offended you're already missing the point and taking yourself out of the context of the conversation.]
Make no bones about it - DOA still faces a huge uphill battle toward being taken seriously as a competitive fighter. We've made some progress with the Road to TFC last year and Battle Royal this year. But look at the tourney lineup. We're still side tournaments at a lot of stops on that list. The narrative about DOA remains that it's a ecchi game, with basic-ass simple mechanics that you can simply mash out of, that fighting game amateurs and perverts play.
We need to take control of this narrative. We need to regard ourselves as DOA activists and ALWAYS talk up our game in public settings. We need to bring the hype and energy when spectating our games in offline tournaments. We need to wear the DOA badge with pride, and ALWAYS be as inclusive as possible in offline and online mediums. Some people do an excellent job at this, organizers and players alike. But some do an absolutely horrible job, and it has a disproportionate impact on how this game is perceived.
I'm not saying we can't be critical of the game. Obviously a less than perfect netcode, exploding costumes, and marketing breasts physics deserves critique. However, there's a difference between constructive criticism and dismissive criticism. "OMG breast motion is unfortunate blemish on an otherwise impressive fighter," is constructive. "Yeah, X glitch doesn't makes sense, but a lot doesn't make sense because DOA lol," is dismissive and insinuates that the game isn't of sufficient seriousness or quality to be held accountable for its flaws.
*****
Here are the tactics I have been and will be using to help promote the game in a positive manner. These are by no means perfect and all-encompassing, so I'm open to community input and suggestions. I would like to invite you guys to join me in taking this activist attitude about the game.
• Never let the topic of breasts, pervertedness, or "slutty" costumes dominate any public conversation about DOA.
Be ruthless about this. Breasts bounce in other games. Cammy's been wearing a thong for years. Ivy Valentine dressed like a dominatrix long before Rachel perfected it. This isn't worth wasting much time on - every minute spent dealing with crap arguments people give to dismiss our game gives those very arguments more power. Don't spend a bunch of time fighting against it. Acknowledge it, then move on immediately. This game has a ton to offer. The triangle system is amazing. The meta-game is far more compelling than Marvel - touch of death combos don't really exist in DOA. The characters are relatively well balanced compared to other games. We have the most unique system with regards to taking active stages into account. Be like a politician, make it about your positive talking points.
• Do commentary as though Tom Lee and the game creators are sitting right next to you.
Let's remember to speak highly about the game. How we speak about the game to each other affects how outsiders and the game developers perceive the our community's support for the game. If we're trashing the game's mechanics or belittling it as though we don't respect it how can we possibly expect anyone else to respect us? How can we expect Team Ninja to get behind tournament tours with sponsorship and pot bonuses? The only way we will get to be taken as a professional caliber fighter is if we behave that way. If we need to critique, do it constructively, always with the tone of making an already great game better. Street Fighter fans aren't bashing their game nor letting others get away with it, neither should we.
• Always be inclusive.
Being part of a cult community is cool, but being part of a heavily supported and financed community is better. We're not hipsters - going mainstream is the goal. With more people playing and spending money on DOA we get more games, larger FGC representation, bigger tournament pots, and hopefully a larger voice to speak to the developers about our issues with the game. Being inclusive also means explaining the game mechanics and triangle system on streams to make sure new folks can get an idea if they happen to be casually watching between other games. At Cali Crush we're going to make it a point this year to explain the triangle system a few times during stream, including at the beginning of top eight and before winners finals.
This extends to online play as well stream chat room presence as well. Any one of us that has 1% of a tournament personality or offline presence has the opportunity to be an advocate of this game and the tournament scene when we're online as well. PS4's and XB1's can all stream now, so you never know who is watching. Raging about this game's netcode and being aggressive or belittling of online players for 'lag tactics' doesn't do anything to help out cause. There should be no division between the offline and online community. Everyone is welcome. This game isn't perfect, but it's pretty damn good and we want everyone to share in the fun with us.
• Bring the hype!
It's disappointing to go to tournaments around the country and see people screaming and cheering for Smash Bros, KOF, Killer Instinct, even Tekken Tag, but hear the DOA section quiet. If someone lands an ultra in SF, people go hype. If someone gets a happy birthday in Marvel, people lose their sh*t. We have all these opportunities with power blows, danger zone/stage combos, match altering holds, etc. to bring the energy. We have people that lose their match and storm off from the tournament instead of staying and supporting their peers. We need to be like the Tea Party when we're at tournaments - we may be a tiny minority of total people there, but we'll be disproportionately loud. Be cheerleaders for our peers and for our game.
*****
In closing I'll say this: I'm very grateful for the people I've met in the community and I've been blessed to have experienced a mostly positive experience from the folks that welcomed me into the competitive realm. I love DOA, and that's speaking as a person that campaigns for feminist causes (BTW mods, can you change my name to b-bombs?), has too many bills & work, and nowhere near enough time to actually get good at a competitive level. I wish everyone, experienced and new, to share a similarly positive experience. We're generally a good group of people, we play an outstanding game, and we deserve to be treated as such. But we're going to have to fight for it - which works out because WE ARE FIGHTERS. Let's be activists, too. Let's control the DOA narrative and keep it positive and encouraging. And let's take our game to the next level.
