DOUBLE POST!
What to expect at Seasons
For some of you this will be your first official major. 40 man tournaments are going to pale in comparison to Seasons numbers (something like 300 people expected for 4?). I know the majority of gaming communities are made up of introverts who can’t stand being around people for hours on end. Well MoMo’s isn’t exactly huge, so expect to be in tight quarters all 3 days as there will be an asston of people everywhere you look.
Here’s a few guidelines in terms of tournament protocol:
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Have your shit on you at all times, or if you want to set something down and get food/go outside etc. make sure at least 1-2 people have an eye on your stuff or are holding on to it. People steal sticks at tourneys, this is a known fact, and its no different at Seasons. Same goes for food and any other things you may bring (cameras etc.)
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Unless your playing in multiple games on the same day, stay near your station, and again if you want to go outside or whatever make sure a few people know where you are so they can grab you for a match if your turn comes up. They’ll have mega-phones but it is still damn near impossible to hear. If you are playing multiple games make sure the person running the brackets knows this.
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Wear something comfortable. At the very least wear comfortable shoes. You’re going to be standing 8+ hours.
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Don’t let someone borrow your controllers. Unless its someone you know, or you can hover over the person the entire time, don’t risk missing a match because you have to go track down your stuff. Let the stolen PS3 controller incident be a lesson there. Sure people are going to appreciate you letting them use their stuff, but it’s a fucking fighting game tournament on console, have a stick ready to go BEFORE you get to the venue.
How to not go 0-2
Side note: Ok, it’s a major, you could very well go 0-2 with some bad bracket luck. Nobody is going to laugh at you if you lost to Wong in the first round and then some other top player who happened to lose to Daigo first round. Thems the breaks.
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Prepare. Yeah, you already knew this, but are you actually preparing correctly? The statement “practice makes perfect” is actually bullshit, it should read “perfect practice makes perfect.” There are quite a few things you can do: Training mode (if your execution isn’t up to par, you should be training until it is), watching videos (I’m going to develop a sub-section for this later), learning match-ups, and eliminating bad habits. These are just a few factors, not to mention stuff that you should take care of the day of the tournament (eating, getting enough sleep etc.)
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Don’t be nervous. We all get nervous, but there’s good and bad anxiety. If you are so anxious that you make execution mistakes, or you get hit by stupid shit, you need to calm down. Everyone has a different way of calming nerves. Some of us smoke, some listen to music, and some just go outside for air. Players can usually tell when a person is nervous, and they can take full advantage of it. The easiest sign is verbals, are they saying something or going “oh no” when things happen (I do it a lot, but not in majors surprisingly). Shutting the fuck up is quite honestly the best thing you can do in tournament play, it doesn’t give a person any clues on how to get in your head, at least in that form. People WILL talk trash, don’t let it bother you, I’m Actionfree and proud of it.
-The more advanced players can tell if you’re on nerves however. Usually if you miss a hit confirm or drop a combo they’ve seen you land before, they’ll know. I honestly believe mind games are more devestating when the player OVERTHINKS the situation. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be thinking, it just means you need to recognize what they are trying to get you to do, and respond differently.
- Watching videos: There is a right way and a wrong way to watch vids on youtube. First off, don’t read the comments, they will only lower your IQ. Second don’t be a passive watcher. This isn’t television where you are trying to be entertained by matches (matches can be extremely fun to watch, just don’t make that the focal point), you are attempting to learn something from these. Maybe you haven’t seen what a character is capable of, or you haven’t seen a specific playstyle for said character. Take mental notes on what you see. Did you see a reset, or a FADC combo you’ve never seen and would like to apply, or look out for? Things like this are what you are looking for. Analyze the key moments as to why the player won/lost, some things might be very subtle. Look for momentum changes as well. Think work before play when watching vids and you’ll be set. There are tons of SF4 channels you can subscribe to on youtube, so hop to it.
-Note: don’t be an armchair quarterback either. The answer you think is correct for the situation is often wrong for a multitude of reasons (or it just isn’t as easy as you think it is). There is a reason why things played out how they did which goes far beyond what you are seeing. The more you play, the easier it will be to figure it out.
- Always think you can beat the person, even if they are better than you. After you lose you can slip back into reality and think “yeah I didn’t stand a chance versus Daigo (or whoever, I’m just exaggerating).” WHILE you are playing them however you should be focusing everything you have into beating them, whether it’s defending against their tricks or rushing their shit down.
Now I know I’m not some seasoned veteran giving you this info, but this is how I think about the game. What are my credentials? Well I’ve done better in majors than almost everyone here with the exception of a few from Cinci, and they don’t have internet (or never post) :china:. Not trying to sound cocky, but that’s the truf. Regardless I have no idea how I will do this year, hopefully we all do really well, but if some people can really stand out that’d be awesome. I’ll write up another TL;DR post next Tuesday if I have the time about a few other things that have been on my mind.
