Ok first let me just state I won’t be answering the post questions in order.
Do you believe the team is truly that unbeatable or do you believe it’s more Chris G?
Personally, I believe Chris G’s success with this team is honestly 50% Chris G, 10%** the team**, and 40% Human Nature vs** Playing to Win**.
Chris G is smart. He has excellent execution and a very intelligent head on his shoulders. He also has a very long history in FGs so he has experience in common human tendencies and what to do and not do in general situations he may come across. Chris has shown multiple times in the past that he can win not just matches but tourneys with a multitude of different characters in the roster. This tells me that it’s more the player and the knowledge of the game he possesses then the specific teams he uses.
However Chris is not perfect nor can he defy the rules that make up the game. He didn’t stick with this team for the lulz. It’s a powerful team (will get into later) but he can only do what his characters allow him to do; and thus others can do the same.
To this day I still don’t understand how Chris is able to steamroll through endless players all over the East Coast so easily and how nobody has stepped up to contest him on a regular basis. He’s good but he’s not perfect. He has experience but so do others; yet Chris still always wins and now I feel I have a good grasp as to why: Human Nature vs Playing to Win.
People tend to lead to the path of least resistance. People tend to stick with what they know or what they are comfortable with even sometimes when it isn’t in their best interest. Sh*t I have a tendency to stick to the first route I learn to get from Point A to Point B even if a shorter, easier, or less economic path is discovered. People as a whole just don’t like change. People don’t like being out of control. People like praise and overcoming intense odds against them. All of these tendencies are just human nature.
Let’s apply this knowledge to FGs. Players usually pick characters and teams that they relate to. If they like rushdown and high pressure situations, they usually pick characters that reflect that such as wolvie, Vergil, etc. If the player is more defensive based they might choose characters that allow them to zone, run away, timer scam, etc such as Modok, Dorm . Some players have a history playing underused or lower tier characters and have made a title or name for themselves doing so and due to that feel obligated to stick with said characters. Some players just like to play characters they grew up with or feel that they connect with. Some Players love item/projectiles… you get the idea.
There is **NOTHING **wrong with these tendencies or mentality. It feels wonderful to win with the character(s) you have grown to know and love or ending the game with the super long and convoluted combo you came up with after grinding hours in training room or being known for being competent and efficient with certain lower tier characters. It also adds hype to the game and makes it less stale. Let’ s just make this one thing clear though: If these previous tendencies are current tendencies for you right now, you are NOT playing to win.
The problem with this mentality however is that if you’re Playing to Win what **YOU **want, what YOU’RE known far, who YOU like doesn’t equate to SH*T.
Chris G understands this and while he might like certain characters over others, his teams are not comprised of strictly his fan favorites. Players these days are too wrapped up in their own personal desires and tendencies to make efficient and smart decisions and then want the answers spoon fed or the problem resolved externally instead of trying to surmise the **real **issue at hand. Oh so you’re known for your Hsien-Ko? Sorry, I didn’t realize your “fame” had the power to alter the game and change the character’s properties so they became better. Sorry kid but the world doesn’t work like that. You can be the best Zangief in the world but your matchup against Sagat isn’t going to be any less severe because your name is attached to it -_-. Oh you grew up with the RE series so you really wanna make Chris work on your team. Fine. But when I choose doom and float at the top of the screen the whole match leaving you laying on the ground prone crying yourself to sleep tonight don’t bitch. Hey dude, awesome combo! Too bad you got eliminated for pushing so hard to get iti when all you needed was xfactor to win…
Look at JUST the EC players. RayRay, Alucard, Yipes, etc all experiencing team changes from the characters they are known for. Why? Because they are establishing the mentality of Play To Win.
YOU CANNOT expect to be the best or beat the best when you’re stuck on Human Tendencies. A player with the TRUE **Playing to Win **mindset will **ALWAYS **beat a player without. Point Blank.
People need to understand that the true power behind Chris G’s success over EVERYTHING else is his MENTALITY. Chris has made it perfectly clear what his intentions are when dissecting a game and what his motivations and goals are when playing. Let me repeat this: Chris G, on MULTIPLE OCCASSIONS, has clearly stated what his goal is when training. He goes for the cheapest things possible. That’s it. And if you TRULY watch his matches and try to understand his reasoning behind his actions knowing his mantra, EVERYTHING becomes crystal clear.
Now that may sound vague but really think about it. When Chris plays, how many times does he ever really do the most optimized combos for that character, or use the newest or strongest tech for that character, or risky and insane setups, or randomness? RARELY. Chris has made it a point to learn only what was necessary. If his character possesses a 24-hit insane combo but it will only take 6 hits to kill your current one, the thought to do the prior doesn’t even enter into his mind. No decision must be made as it was decided the second your health originally depleted. When a reset Is necessary sure he could setup a complex multi-layered multi-staged setup utilizing his assists and broken mechanics… or he could call one assist, teleport, and then rapid slash and boom same result with 3 extra seconds saved and no resources spent/lost that he hasn’t already accounted for, neither is he put into an unsafe situation. Playing to Win.
Now this is not to say that in order to win you MUST pick the best of the best and drop anything and everything that isn’t optimal. You can still win a majority of your matches if you’re dedicate and experienced enough. However for those few times that come where your normal play just can’t get it done, unless you adopt the Play To Win way of thinking, you have no one but yourself to blame. Period.
Another human tendency that people these days seem unable to get over is the negative connotation towards counter picking. Anyone who is against counter-picking does NOT have a Play To Win mentality. Period. Same as someone who uses the terms “spamming” and who complains about grabs as being trash have a scrub mentality.
Players who refuse to adapt, don’t deserve to win.
Yes you can learn the Sagat/Zangief matchup. Yes you can beat it and no you don’t HAVE to switch your character to do it. But let me ask you a question: when money is on the line or when you skills are being challenged or your hard work is being trashed on… when something important is at stake, why knowingly put yourself at a grave disadvantage to your opponent? It’s equivalent to putting a handicap on your health before starting the match. Pointless.
There are plenty of teams that can beat Morri/Doom and plenty of combinations that can give that team a run for its money (will talk about later). But those teams might consists of characters or combinations of characters that you might not be privy to playing. Maybe the character moves slower then what you’re used to or maybe they aren’t a really rushed down based character or maybe they are a rushdown based character but they have to be played differently so as to utilize a specific tool or special ability to overcome the matchup. Whatever the case may be, it is up to YOU to accept what comes with the character and making it work for you. But the first step is accepting the fact that work is required and if it goes against your natural human tendency then it might be difficult.
Personally I feel that before any nerfs/changes are made to a game any and all alternatives must be explored before taking action so unless you can play each and every character in this game and at least know of every possible combination or possibilities, you got some practice to get to.
And what the hell happened to doing research? Does your opponent like to jump a lot? (cough cough Noel Brown cough You’re still awesome bro cough) How can you capitalize on that? Does your opponent have a hard time versus a certain character? Master him//her. Do you even know anything about your opponent whatsoever? No? Find some. Ask around. Watch matches. Challenge the individual. Sht I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been 0-10 by Josh Wong. Why? Because eventually he’ll kick the scrubby sht right on out of me. Everyone has tendencies and it’s YOUR job to find and utilize them.
THAT is the key to Chris G’s success with this team.
(Part Two on the way)
