Over here in the Dead or Alive community, many members think they're in a bubble - that everything that's "gone wrong" with this community, both from a casual and competitive standpoint, doesn't happen anywhere else. This is in part due to the size of the community and limited progression the community has had. However, those of us who have participated in the Fighting Game Community, branched into other games to competitively play, all while still holding a piece of ourselves to the Dead or Alive franchise, have known of the draws competitive play brings and how it turns out our community isn't much different from others. It's easy to think that you're the master of your domain, but not truly realize just how small your domain really is. The Dead or Alive community needs to grow, and the current form isn't able to sustain it - it hasn't been able to sustain it. I look forward to Dead or Alive 5's release, for if it's truly the competitive game Team NINJA wants it to be, then the community will finally outgrow it's bubble.
This includes tournament play, and Hates over at 8WayRun has been providing a soapbox article series (Hence the title of his articles 'Hate Speech'). On January 16th, he went on to tell his side of the story to competitive play, offline events, and community arguments. I highly recommend any player looking into competitive play, offline gatherings, offline tournaments, and common community issues - from a different game community but still the Fighting Game Community, to give it a read. Below is a small excerpt:
This includes tournament play, and Hates over at 8WayRun has been providing a soapbox article series (Hence the title of his articles 'Hate Speech'). On January 16th, he went on to tell his side of the story to competitive play, offline events, and community arguments. I highly recommend any player looking into competitive play, offline gatherings, offline tournaments, and common community issues - from a different game community but still the Fighting Game Community, to give it a read. Below is a small excerpt:
Hates @ 8WayRun.com said:I don’t remember my first tournament. I can deduce a few things about it, however: it was sometime in 2002, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and I probably went out like a scrub. My second tournament sticks more clearly in my mind. A veteran local loudmouth didn’t take me seriously enough, and I pulled out a completely unexpected win.
Of course, I then proceeded to get rolled, but the one and only Michael Jackson bought me a buffet pass at Golden Corral as my own little consolation prize. I didn’t need all-you-can-eat fried chicken and mashed potatoes to keep me interested, though — I was already hooked.
Fighting games, particularly Soul Calibur games, have been my drug of choice for a long time now, and there are plenty of reasons why. They’ve given me occasion to travel, to meet a ton of people I otherwise wouldn’t have, and provided an outlet for my intense competitive drive. At a more fundamental level, they engender a complex, fast-paced mode of thinking that is at once rule-bound and rule-breaking, analytical and creative, and which is uniquely pleasurable. Add to that the satisfaction of overcoming obstacles, seeing oneself improve, and the visceral joy of smacking around some loudmouthed asshole who didn’t know when to quit, and we’re talking about a heady combination. It’s also something that gets better as more people become involved; there’s nothing whatsoever like the atmosphere of a big tournament.
For veteran players, the above sentiment should be little more than preaching to the choir, but 8wayrun.com isn’t just a collection of grizzled old-schoolers. This week’s article is for the newcomer, the avid “casualcore” fan, and especially people who think “I’d like to give competitive play a try, but . . .” So without further preamble, allow me to present:
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