Looks and playstyle are both equally important. The character has to have strong normals and has to hit hard(and be atleast decent overall, I’m too bad to go lowtier), without being too slow.
The character has to look like a fighter. Preferably old/scarred. Bonus for smug Bison grin.
What I do is look at the tier list, and select whoever is S tier.
If the game has no S tier, then it’s obviously a bad game.
I play characters that have a AirDash Teleport or heavy rushdown.
I hate all keepaway shit.
GGAC: Eddie
SF4:Rushdown Sagat
3S:Yun
Mvc2: MSP
Skullgirls:Parasoul/Pain/Double
Arcana Heart:Akane
Here’s my criteria
[LIST=1]
[]Good pokes
[]Good normals
[]Good spacing
[]Is named MBison
[]Charge character
[]Annoys everyone else
[*]Is also named Bipson
[/LIST]
I guess I choose on a couple of things.
1- Pre-exposure,if it is using liscenced characters, I base a lot on how much I like them.
2- Playstyle, if I enjoy using them I play them
3- Aesthetic, if I like the general aesthetic of a character I choose them.
4- And least importantly but something I still have found a factor in my choices, if online I encounter nothing but 1 character, I tend to avoid them more than I would have because I am sick of seeing them, and I like being that person that gives my opponents a break from that same monotony I face. That said if the previous 3 categories overpower this i will use them regardless.
I used to play only girl characters because If I was gonna stick to using them I wanted to have some eye candy while I used them. Then I lost my virginity and started playing character that were the coolest, Dudley/Akuma and Fei Long(really wish I was any good with cviper) for ssf4 Jill/Akuma/Dante in umvc3. I say fuck tier list, play who you like and if they happen to higher on tier list then good for you.
I go for the characters that are similar to Remy, so i play as the projectile ranger types mainly. That means in recent games I play as Guile mostly… 
Sf4: Guile
SFxT: Guile/Sagat
BB: Rachel
MvC3: Arthur, Doc Strange, doom
I’m a fan of faster characters. I’ve been diversifying as of late but I just really enjoy characters with speedy movement.
Tekken - Steve
SF - Mak
SoulCal - Talim/Viola (Natsu’s a whore so I refuse to pick her).
I just play who I like the most as a character, UNLESS they’re really bad. And even then, I played Quan in MK when he was considered the worst character in the game, then, as usual, a few majors later the MK community changes their mind.
I enjoy mobility and speed. I generally like pixie characters.
That said, I do think that zoning characters are better if we’re going by character archetypes. I do keep a pocket zoner for fun.
By their looks, moves, and general speed. I like fast-to-mid-speed characters with a good assortment of moves in 2d games. In 3d, I play anybody but tanks, and have a preference for agile, stylish characters.
Starting off I would usually gravitate towards characters that looked cool to me or are just completely oddball. I also like combocentric characters.
Although I have this strange addiction for Anakaris and Sean in their respective games.
Every Street Fighter that’s not SFIII - Sagat
CVS1 and 2 - Sagat
MVC2 - Ken, Cap.Com, Sentinel
GG - Eddie
KOF XIII - Kyo, EX Iori, and Leona
I choose my characters like I choose my women… weak and helpless in the corner
I like dead things.
by whether or not they use a folding chair
Back when I just started playing 3S, I couldn’t think of what to make of Q. When I saw “C&DB->EX Dash Punch->HK”, I fell in love forever. Then I started playing Urien seriously when I had my HRAP because I always loved how you could get both technical and stupidcrazy with him. Those two are my eternal mains. Then I eventually progressed to most of the other cast because they’re all fun.
Whoever nuki mains, i main.
strong normals
good corner pressure
have to feel good to my hands. if the combination of inputs required feels awkward or just isn’t smooth i look elsewhere.
Look and sound, and they have to be solid (not tier, i mean simply not be all over the place ala fast tricky characters)
Q in third strike
Deejay ae
Akira vf5
Daimon in kof.
Yosh in sfxt
As far as sound goes, they have to sound awesome. Like raiden, q, sf2 deejay at least (ooooooo dah). Or daimons “yo ku zo!” before neo max. Makes a difference to me. No matter how bad they are i will try to get good with them.
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