SRK: Why You Should Attend Tournaments

Once again, it's that time of year where everyone is going out of their way to make resolutions for the year ahead. For the DOA community, especially those who are just stepping up and getting into the game competitively for the first time, here's one resolution that you should make in 2013 - attend tournaments.

BlackShinobi from the Shoryuken.com forums has made a rather in-depth post on "why you should attend tournaments." He specifically goes over two major points that are bound to be on every newer players mind when it comes to these events.

How to know if you are good enough to attend a tournament
If you are a fan of fighting games, then congratulations, you have just passed the skill test to attend a tournament. Don’t worry, if you hate fighting games you have still passed the skill test to attend a tournament. Let’s be realistic here: your chances of winning your first tournament are pretty slim, especially if it is a big tournament, but then again, how good are your chances of getting to the level where you can win a tournament if you never go to any tournaments? Thousands of people have gone 0-2 in their first tournament. It is just something that may happen to you when you start out, but you play your hardest, take your loses if they come, and if you get eliminated you spend the rest of your time stress-free, enjoying the event and having fun playing, free of the constraints of the shakiness and tension that usually come with first-time tournament play.

Why you should still go to a tournament even if you may not win any tournament matches
I’m not sure where this idea comes from, but I have talked to a number of people online and locally who believe that they if they go to a tournament they will walk into the tournament, pay the entry fee, lose two games and then immediately leave the venue, get back in their car or on a bus and take a long drive or ride or flight home. If you are a fan of fighting games, there is never a better chance to be around more people with that same interest than at a tournament, where there are actual people willing to talk about games and give you tips with absolutely no interference from forum trolls or stream monsters. There is also tech that people will share in person that they do not post online. When you try to weigh the solo travel cost against the benefit of an hour at the venue, of course it seems like the trip isn’t worth it; the problem is that if you are balancing the solo travel cost against only one hour at the venue, then you have an unrealistic value entered for every variable in that equation. As you can probably tell from the pictures, the idea that there is nothing to do after you are eliminated from a tournament is completely ridiculous. For example, on the Saturday nights of both EVO and NEC, I didn’t go to sleep until sometime after 5:00am.

Follow the link to read the rest.
SRK Forum Spotlight: “Why You Should Attend a Tournament in 2013″ by Eric “BlackShinobi” Stewart

Also, for the veterans out there, feel free to share some of your own tournament stories in the comments below.

 

I don't remember the tournaments as much as I remember the gatherings and mass congregations at the nearest restaurant to just chat about random stuff.

 

I don't remember the tournaments as much as I remember the gatherings and mass congregations at the nearest restaurant to just chat about random stuff.

Same, this place where we used to hold alot of our tournaments here in the PI had this nice convenience store on the first floor that belonged to the family of one of the players. Really great place, especially since they served actual food (not the usual convenience store shizz). We'd usually hang out there during downtimes and after the tournament.

 

So if I get eliminated, I can still hang around?

 

The tournaments are fine, this is the shit I enjoy the most out of the weekend:

the gatherings and mass congregations at the nearest restaurant to just chat about random stuff.

So if I get eliminated, I can still hang around?

Yes.

 

So if I get eliminated, I can still hang around?

That's actually one of the best parts about going to a tournament.

 

That's actually one of the best parts about going to a tournament.

Well thats pretty fucking awesome but at first I thought the tournament rules were "if you are eliminated, get the fuck out" lol

 

Well thats pretty fucking awesome but at first I thought the tournament rules were "if you are eliminated, get the fuck out" lol

What rules said that?

 

I may not be a veteran. But the first tournament I actually attended was for the Vanilla SF4 tournament back in 2009. Only 8 people including myself participated in that tournament. Of course it was my first tournament, so I lost the first round.

One year later, I found out about watching streams on the FGC. I always talk about wanting to go to a tournament or gathering someday. While I was at my first year of UMBC, I found out that Xanadu holds weekly's every Wednesday. I could have gone, but here's a problem: because I was a transfer student I couldn't drive there every Wednesday.

But in October of 2012, I finally went to Xanadu and holy shit... It was everything that I imagined. Met alot people (including Sorwah & Skisonic) and got some DOA in. Talked some strategy as well.

I feared that the community wasn't gonna be welcoming, but I was wrong.

 

Tournaments are great fun .. not just for the hype of the tournament itself .. but for all the people you get to meet who share the same passion for the games you love.

that and the after food lol ..

Its always a blast ...
UK players need to get out of their lazy chairs and start showing up! Even if you lose, there's casual setups, a chance to have nice matches in a controlled environment, lag free, and you get to even share and learn knowledge of the game and before you know it .. level up !

 

Those who come to the VA events being run by N0rdic Ninja know that half of the fun is the 24/7 Korean BBQ everyone goes to afterwards. Nothing like 20 customers driving a restaurant mad until 2 in the morning.

 

I feared that the community wasn't gonna be welcoming, but I was wrong.

This is the biggest misconception about fighting game communities. Sure we talk alot of smack and can be a bit "rough" around the edges. But we're actually pretty decent folk who welcome any new folks who are into fighting games.

 

I really enjoyed SVB, more so for the company than anything else. I think I must have spent a good 2 hours just playing with this one guy as we were chatting, which was awesome.

Only problem I have, and it's the same thing for UMVC3 is that I have no idea where to look for these things. I wouldn't have known about SVB if Cow hadn't told me about it.

 

Hmm, I don't have that much possibilities to go to a tourney, but here in DR, I'm pulling the strings, together with some friends and see if we can create a DOA5 scene, and possibly go to some tournaments

 

I just got back from an MK9 tournament last night. The game that got me eliminated 2-1 came down the the last game, the last match, the very last hit. It was awesome. Then I just hung around the tournament and talked to people and played casuals.Great fun.

The DoA community seriously needs to start building a big offline scene. The game is good enough to have one, you guys just need to get off your asses and get your numbers up. Trust me, after you've been to a few tournaments, you're going to get addicted. And it'll make you hate online a lot more. Obviously online is all some people have, I understand that, but if you live in a big city or near one, then you have no excuse.

BUILD YOUR SCENE, DOA COMMUNITY. Stop ignoring tournaments and the offline scene, get out there and SUPPORT YOUR GAME WHERE IT MATTERS.

 

Hmm, I don't have that much possibilities to go to a tourney, but here in DR, I'm pulling the strings, together with some friends and see if we can create a DOA5 scene, and possibly go to some tournaments

Make your own tournaments once you've started a scene.

 

Those who come to the VA events being run by N0rdic Ninja know that half of the fun is the 24/7 Korean BBQ everyone goes to afterwards. Nothing like 20 customers driving a restaurant mad until 2 in the morning.

i learned first hand

 

Those who come to the VA events being run by N0rdic Ninja know that half of the fun is the 24/7 Korean BBQ everyone goes to afterwards. Nothing like 20 customers driving a restaurant mad until 2 in the morning.

I wanna know where in VA is there a 24/7 Korean BBQ. I've been to one 3 years ago in Japan.

 

Well if you come to the next VA event you'll find out.

 

Great post - going to share it with our readers on PTB.