The negative effects of dividing the community, and the losers that benefit from it

Classic Fighting Games Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike
21

When did you start playing?
About the time sf4 came out

Did you play any games before you played this one (3s)?
Sf4 for like 2 weeks, then I found 3s and quit sf4 lol.

Why did you pick up this game?
In all honesty, it was just the fluidity of the gameplay that attracted me. I really love the way the engine handles.

Is there anything in particular about this game that drew you in (be very specific, like if parry, what parry)?
Don’t think there was anything specific that got me into it.

Who is your rival?
Don’t think I really have one these days.

Where do you think you stand amongst the players around you? Not where are you in the leaderboards, where do you think you stand (only the girls will take offense to this, it’s an opinion after all)?
Probably slightly below mid level somewhere.

Who is your favorite character?
At the moment, Oro. I used to hate his ass, but I find him really enjoyable to play now. Ken has always been a favorite too. I just love the flexibility he has.

What is the highest ranking you’ve ever gotten in a tournament?
Like 3rd/4th in some minor local tourneys.

Perception: What is this game most like, to you? Do you think it shares anything in particular with something like fps games? maybe poker? Pachinko? Doesn’t have to be one of these, you can name your own.
(if Chess, though, can you compare your game to chess)
Not much really…3s is pretty unique.

Any rituals you have for before a match?
I have a habit of cracking my knuckles sometimes lol (quite funny if you do that in person)

Anything like above but strictly for tournament situation?
Nah.

How do you feel about talking during tournament matches?
I can’t really talk while I’m playing, but it doesn’t bother me if someone is talking to me.

How do you feel about any kind of out of the game distractions during a match?
Unless people are punching me or something, I don’t care.

What is your take on lag? More obstacle than wrench?
3s ain’t 3s in lag.

Do you plan on learning every character in the game to the extent that you know your current main?
Probably not, but I do play alot of characters.

Anything interesting you do/use in your game that you think only you do?
There’s stuff I do that I rarely see other players use, but I don’t think I actually know anything that the 3s community ain’t discovered already.

What if anything in particular do you use outside of the game that you can honestly say you learned from 3s?
I think fighting games in general teach you to be more patient and mature with regards to the learning process.

Do you plan on continuing to play this game?
Aslong as I can find people to play.

22

When did you start playing?
2 years ago, started playing seriously around 8 months ago.

Did you play any games before you played this one (3s)?
I played tons of games, RPG’s, FPS, Puzzle games…Oh you mean fighting games, in that case I played some AE casually.

Why did you pick up this game?
Cause it was fun, the speed and animations made it feel much less clunky than AE, and made me feel more in control of whatever character I played.

Is there anything in particular about this game that drew you in (be very specific, like if parry, what parry)?
A: Parry’s in general, cause punishing people for doing the same shit over and over never gets old.
B: Tokido vs Justin Wong

Who is your rival?
OMAR THE MIGHTY, TWICE HE HAS THWARTED MY ATTEMPTS TO WIN THE TRIPLE THREAT TOURNAMENT IN SOUTHAMPTON, BUT HE WILL PAY FOR HIS ARROGANCE AND SHORTSIGHTEDNESS.

Where do you think you stand amongst the players around you? Not where are you in the leader boards, where do you think you stand (only the girls will take offense to this, it’s an opinion after all)?
I dunno, 2nd best behind the local Hugo player (A-Drain) I guess?

Who is your favorite character?
Chun-Li and Urien, Chun because I love the feeling of people’s crushed dreams when they realize they have to fight her, Urien because Tokido.

What is the highest ranking you’ve ever gotten in a tournament?
First Place at the last Triple Threat. Woot.

Perception: What is this game most like, to you? Do you think it shares anything in particular with something like fps games? maybe poker? Pachinko? Doesn’t have to be one of these, you can name your own.
(if Chess, though, can you compare your game to chess)
Boxing, I guess.

Any rituals you have for before a match?
Take deep breaths and try not to crap myself.

Anything like above but strictly for tournament situation?
Take super deep breaths and try not to crap myself.

How do you feel about talking during tournament matches?
Takes the edge of and allows me to keep cool-headed, reminds you that you’re ultimately playing for funsies at the end of the day.

How do you feel about any kind of out of the game distractions during a match?
They offend me on a metaphysical level.

What is your take on lag? More obstacle than wrench?
What kind of lag? Online lag that drops frames randomly or monitor lag which is more consistent and can be adjusted to (Though still annoying)

Do you plan on learning every character in the game to the extent that you know your current main?
No, I don’t have the execution for it and would prefer to keep my skills with Chun-Li consistent (Though am trying to learn a secondary-Currently Ken-for emergencies)

Anything interesting you do/use in your game that you think only you do?
A:Walk up and throw from half a screen away.
B:Start off the game by jumping upwards and doing Chun’s split kick.
C:Notice that Chun’s fighting gear is both horribly impractical and exposes her thong on the slightest movement. I’ve come to the conclusion that her and Cammy are probably exhibitionists.

What if anything in particular do you use outside of the game that you can honestly say you learned from 3s?
Footsies and sense of spacing.

Do you plan on continuing to play this game?
Yes.

23

When did you start playing?
late 1999 Arcade

Did you play any games before you played this one (3s)?
UMK3, SFAlpha 3, XMen vs SF was what I was playing at the time this came out.

Why did you pick up this game?
I like the way the first two SF3’s looked and I liked the music too.

Is there anything in particular about this game that drew you in (be very specific, like if parry, what parry)?
I liked the first two games and was eager to play this one too.

Who is your rival?
Didn’t have any rivals at my arcade; when the ps2 version came out, me and my brother played religiously, on ggpo I’ve had many friendly rivalries; 3rdnoobster is the first person that comes to mind.

Where do you think you stand amongst the players around you? Not where are you in the leaderboards, where do you think you stand (only the girls will take offense to this, it’s an opinion after all)?
It took me a long time to get better at the game. I felt I was at my best when I was playing with my brother; sadly I didn’t have/didn’t know of any other way of gauging my ability after the arcade died in my area. In the grand scheme of things, probably just below mid-level.

Who is your favorite character?
Necro

What is the highest ranking you’ve ever gotten in a tournament?
5th at a local arcade tournament a long long time ago.

Perception: What is this game most like, to you? Do you think it shares anything in particular with something like fps games? maybe poker? Pachinko? Doesn’t have to be one of these, you can name your own.
(if Chess, though, can you compare your game to chess)
Boxing. Battles with good/great players take time and calculation, whiffing leaves you open to devastation. When a player is clearly better, it is easy to see. Players can be reluctant to attack due to mindgames. I feel the game is an extension of the mind’s eye.

Any rituals you have for before a match?
Rub hands together and stretch fingers. I check to see my keyboard keys aren’t mashed in too much every now and then.

Anything like above but strictly for tournament situation?
No.

How do you feel about talking during tournament matches?
Player interaction is a part of the tournament experience. That includes trashtalking. When it works, you can continue; when it doesn’t you leave the floor open for your opponent to get ya back.

How do you feel about any kind of out of the game distractions during a match?
It sucks, but I gotta be prepare for anything.

What is your take on lag? More obstacle than wrench?
If the lag is manageable, more often than not. At the same time, I have the freedom to leave a session if it is really bad.

Do you plan on learning every character in the game to the extent that you know your current main?
No, but I know an awful lot already character wise. I just don’t exhibit it often enough in battle hah

Anything interesting you do/use in your game that you think only you do?
I use earplugs because of sinus problems sometimes, the pain without them can be bad at times.

What if anything in particular do you use outside of the game that you can honestly say you learned from 3s?
I learned how to plan ahead and prepare for the worst.

Do you plan on continuing to play this game?
Yup.

24

I second the funland request!

25

Niji with the Doaist health techniques! Men tend to lose energy and women tend to gain energy from such activities. This is related to the idea that you shouldn’t lay with your lady the night before the big game. Obviously most big time sports are still very male dominated but thankfully there are some exceptions. I think I recall Randa Rousey speaking about her ritual of get’n down as much as possible around fight time.

As for my questionnaire, it’s on its way.

26

When did you start playing? when the 15th anniversary game came out on PS2

Did you play any games before you played this one (3s)? MvC1

Why did you pick up this game? cause the cover art was AWESOME

Is there anything in particular about this game that drew you in (be very specific, like if parry, what parry)? cause the cover art was AWESOME

Who is your rival? Gill on normal difficulty

Where do you think you stand amongst the players around you? Not where are you in the leaderboards, where do you think you stand (only the girls will take offense to this, it’s an opinion after all)? imdabes

Who is your favorite character? ken

What is the highest ranking you’ve ever gotten in a tournament? N/A

Perception: What is this game most like, to you? Do you think it shares anything in particular with something like fps games? maybe poker? Pachinko? Doesn’t have to be one of these, you can name your own.
(if Chess, though, can you compare your game to chess) I smash buttons and twirl the stick in sf

Any rituals you have for before a match?** smashing button and twirling the stick**

Anything like above but strictly for tournament situation?** mashing button and twirling the stick**

How do you feel about talking during tournament matches? more hype the better

How do you feel about any kind of out of the game distractions during a match? more hype the better

What is your take on lag? More obstacle than wrench? whats wrench?

Do you plan on learning every character in the game to the extent that you know your current main? yeah one day Id love to have a sick ROW, but my mags is weak

Anything interesting you do/use in your game that you think only you do? j.hkxxAHVB

What if anything in particular do you use outside of the game that you can honestly say you learned from 3s? I practice fast flies on my desk at work

Do you plan on continuing to play this game?** FOREVER**

27

Sorry for the wait guys and gals.Please forgive me for not being more concise.

Lets get a few more from the rest of you!

When did you start playing?
~Some time in 1999 there were about six American machines lined up back to back in the front of Funland Arcade. During those first few months I waited in a long line and watched a bit before eventually trying it out. It took me about 6 years of scrubbery to figure out the lake I thought I was splashing around in was a vast ocean.

Did you play any games before you played this one (3s)?
~All SF2, Alphas, Killer Instincts, Mortal Kombats, SF3:NG&2I, Clay Fighters and a few more. Wasn’t very good at any of them and was ok to just play for the thrill of the mash. Didn’t really understand what trying to get good at a fighting game meant until a number of years after 3rd Strike came out.

Why did you pick up this game?
~In some ways it was just implied that I would play it because it was a new Street Fighter. My friend who I often went to the arcade with was still a bit stuck on 2nd Impact but I liked the pace of 3rd Strike better so I went on my own to play sometimes.

Is there anything in particular about this game that drew you in (be very specific, like if parry, what parry)?
~What really captured my interest was seeing Shun Goku Satsu burn on that black background. At first I didn’t know about Kongou Kokuretsu Zan but when I finally saw it I was mind blown and subsequently hooked.

Who is your rival?
~My only true rival is myself. Lavaheart and djB00ty get special mention though.

Where do you think you stand amongst the players around you? Not where are you in the leaderboards, where do you think you stand (only the girls will take offense to this, it’s an opinion after all)?
~There is a handful of players who kick my ass more than I kick theirs on Xbox Live and outside of that I have very little frame of reference. At this ranbat I’ve been to in a small city next door called Hamilton I was pretty close to the tippy top of the pack but very few of them take the game seriously so it doesn’t mater much. Even the dudes I play online regularly are judged against me through this filter of lag and other silly OEnesses.

Who is your favorite character?
~Ryu’s father, the master of the dark hado.

What is the highest ranking you’ve ever gotten in a tournament?
~In Australia in 2008 I placed very low in two tournaments. In Hamilton recently I got 1st at the few ranbats I was able to stay till the end for. Unfortunately I had to go catch a bus a few times and miss the end of the ranbat. Tourney pressure is something I haven’t had enough of to really know how I’d do on a big or even small stage.

Perception: What is this game most like, to you? Do you think it shares anything in particular with something like fps games? maybe poker? Pachinko? Doesn’t have to be one of these, you can name your own.
(if Chess, though, can you compare your game to chess)
~Soo Sum See mixed with Tai-Chi sticky hands mixed with competitive Jazz and Interpretive Dance.

Any rituals you have for before a match?
~Take some time to focus on my breath, let my body sink, feel my feet on the ground, release any ruminations from previous matches. Other times I stare intensely at nothing and then nod my head now and again at no one while I create ideas on how to overcome a strategy I was having trouble with. Sometimes I wipe the sweat from my hands and pull up my sleeves then decide to pull them back down again at the last moment. Often I make a little weird tune with my buttons as the characters are chosen and the stage comes up.

Anything like above but strictly for tournament situation?
~Many of the above but a lot more wiping of sweat from my hands. If I’m really feeling the pressure or extra anxious I stare at the screen and try to hyperfocus everything else away. But I usually just get clench jaw or tight shoulders.

How do you feel about talking during tournament matches?
~Trash talk is a legitimate psychological aspect of competitive games. Having said that I would add that as the FGC gets more public exposure and a more diverse player base we will all have to make some compromises in this area. Personally I just end up distracting myself from the game if I start chiming in.

How do you feel about any kind of out of the game distractions during a match?
~Headphones and horse blinders please.
I can get easily distracted but really that is another aspect of the game to work on. I miss arcades for this reason too. There was always so many things you had to let pass through your awareness without getting distracted. It helped train you for a real tournament situation better. These days sitting at home with all the comforts of a controlled environment in no way prepares you for hustle-bustle and new personalities of a tournament.

What is your take on lag? More obstacle than wrench?
~When I was in my teens my girlfriend and I went to this place that had a pod you could sit in with a seat that would move around a bit and some type of Virtual Reality display. After I got out of the damn thing I got really bad motion sickness for the rest of the night. She reported a similar effect. Ever since then when I look at a choppy screen image for a while I get headaches or blurry vision and shit. So lag is a serious wrench for me that hampers all online games I’ve played. I should note that I defiantly think variable lag changes the way people play, even if some of them know how to play properly.

Do you plan on learning every character in the game to the extent that you know your current main?
~I’ve been properly learning Gouki since about 2006 and very little about anyone else until around a year ago. So it seems unlikely I’ll learn another character to that extent but I hope to eventually know more than just basics for every character. The road is long.

Anything interesting you do/use in your game that you think only you do?
~For years I thought I was the only one who did a particular post Demon crossup. Lk demon flip, late cancel kick above them to cross over and mk.tatsu as they wake up. The mk.tatsu -> mp.srk usually kills. Then like a year and a half ago I saw Yuki Otoko do it. Using cl.hk to AA after a dash under was something I used sometimes and didn’t see until I noticed Jiro do it this year. What’s on video is such a small fraction of what actually happens at the arcade. The idea of an ace in the hole move or set up that you don’t use most of the time for late game or kill time is another one. Then Pherai mentioned it in a podcast I think. I doubt, other than maybe double Fuki on Chun, there’s much that hasn’t been done by others already.

What if anything in particular do you use outside of the game that you can honestly say you learned from 3s?
~Hit confirming and generally reacting with punishes has helped my perception and reflexes. When my clumsy ass knocks things over I can often catch or right them before they crash these days.

Do you plan on continuing to play this game?
~Years from now, as required education on the larval metamedium that is videogames I will insist my kids play Pong or Tetris, original Mario Bros or Mario Bros 3, Final Fantasy IV or Final Fantasy VI and either ST or 3rd Strike. Clearly the ST kid will be the problem child.

28

Nice Rowan!! I’ll do one too to keep this goin…

When did you start playing?

Summer 2005

Did you play any games before you played this one (3s)?

I had a short run in competitive CS, but was never good, just friends that were good who liked having me as a teammate. Of course I’ve been a lifelong SF fan, back to when I was barely tall enough to reach the controls on a CE cab, but never really took fighters seriously until 2005. 3s kinda killed gaming as a hobby for me.

Why did you pick up this game?

My gaming friends (same guys I competed in CS with) and I always went through phases with games, and when 3s entered the rotation I just never moved on. I got such a charge out of things like parrying all of Remy’s SA1, or just how beefy a full HP srk felt when you hit someone with it. The Daigo parry was the kicker, not just for the display of skill, but seeing a huge crowd going crazy for a SF match.

Is there anything in particular about this game that drew you in (be very specific, like if parry, what parry)?

I guess I kind of touched on that above. Gouki seemed extra cool in this game. It’s def my favorite iteration of the character. He has so many moves and they are all so good. I also liked the mostly new cast and hip-hop vibe (even though I don’t listen to hip-hop at all lol)

Also my girlfriend at the time played too and she enjoyed going to Interface and FFA. I think we entered an FFA team tourney together once. She also attended UCLA and back in those days UCLA had very good 3s comp. Sometimes I wouldn’t even let her know I’d arrived to visit her for a few hours so I could get games in lol

Who is your rival?

I’ve had many, but most significantly the Chin brothers and Bean. I’ve always teamed with these guys a lot so we’ve played hella matches against each other over the years.

Where do you think you stand amongst the players around you? Not where are you in the leaderboards, where do you think you stand (only the girls will take offense to this, it’s an opinion after all)?

Not very high. I think my esteem is overinflated. I’ve had my moments that I’m proud of, but I’ve never been as consistent as I want to. I’m a long time member of the socal mid tier 3s players club.

Who is your favorite character?

Gouki-desuuuu

What is the highest ranking you’ve ever gotten in a tournament?

2nd in Teams
3rd in Singles

Perception: What is this game most like, to you? Do you think it shares anything in particular with something like fps games? maybe poker? Pachinko? Doesn’t have to be one of these, you can name your own.
(if Chess, though, can you compare your game to chess)

Just life in general. I think 3s is a very individualistic game. Players personalities are always reflected in their character and playstyle.

Any rituals you have for before a match?

Cigarettes

Anything like above but strictly for tournament situation?

MORE cigarettes!

How do you feel about talking during tournament matches?

It’s inert to me. 99.9% of my time playing 3s has been in arcades so I’ve never cared. Altho mid match advice is a mixed bag for me.

How do you feel about any kind of out of the game distractions during a match?

Just nothing unreasonable. Obviously someone screaming right next to an opponent can be jarring. I wouldn’t credit any of my losses to the crowd.

What is your take on lag? More obstacle than wrench?

I just avoid it. Thankfully I still just barely have the luxury of arcade 3s.

Do you plan on learning every character in the game to the extent that you know your current main?

Na, not enough time. There’s still a lot of Gouki I need to explore and matchups I still need a lot of work on. I’ve always dreamed of having a sick Makoto though.

Anything interesting you do/use in your game that you think only you do?

There’s nothing I do that only I do, but I think I’ve made several things my own. “Goopercut” is my signature raw HP srk, either on wakeup or after whiffed lk tatsu. I’ve also been known to be particularly liberal with jump tatsu. Rikimaru himself ribbed me for it once.

Now that I think about it, one trick I never see people do, and it works for me everytime…

with Dud, f+mp (gut punch), then RH x EX MGB. The RH has always hit for me, although I fuck up the cancel a lot and don’t get EX cause I’m usually playing Dud when I’m wasted.

What if anything in particular do you use outside of the game that you can honestly say you learned from 3s?

Grinding execution helped me persist when I was picking guitar back up a few years ago. I remember first learning kkz reset, I think I practiced it for several months before ever doing it successfully. Remembering the success I had pushing through what seemed like a hopeless task was very encouraging.

Do you plan on continuing to play this game?

It’s difficult to grind as hard as I did in college, but I’ll never stop playing.

29

Change the topic name so people can even find this ish.

Yup to

3rd Strike Frame Dander
Official Dander Match Vids Thread
System Mechanics tested by Dander

30

I have these suggestions:

3S community interview
This game won’t die. Why do you play 3S?
Smoke 'em if you got 'em.
Stomp time (like Hammer Time).

*Wait, Pherai played CS? I played it back in the day but never got into tournaments because I lived in bum fuck. Never got good at it because I don’t have that twitch-aiming skill and somehow my team would completely fail at everything and me and one or two other guys would get steam rolled. Still happens to this day whenever I try to play CS.

31

When did you start playing?
Middle of 2006. It’s my 7th year now =D

Did you play any games before you played this one (3s)?
Fighting game wise, I played Alpha 2 for years before this. Super Smash Bros 64, Wrestlemania 2000. That’s all I could name of now.

Why did you pick up this game?
Like everyone else, Evo moment #37 was what caught my attention and got me into the game.

Is there anything in particular about this game that drew you in (be very specific, like if parry, what parry)?

Absolutely love the game mechanics. So smooth, crisp, and pleasant to the eyes and ears. The art style is perfect. Parries. Just watching the intro alone psyches me up. Music is very underrated and of course Ryu is so perfectly crafted in this game.

Who is your rival?
Don’t really have one but anyone strong is always fun to play against. I would say Exo-tech. He always pushes me to win and do better through fun and trash talking. Metric is also another good rival.

Where do you think you stand amongst the players around you? Not where are you in the leaderboards, where do you think you stand (only the girls will take offense to this, it’s an opinion after all)?
Not to stroke my ego or anything but I would say Top 3 in the EC and #1 Ryu overall.

Who is your favorite character?
Chun Li lol.

Well, Ryu obviously for many reasons. He’s my favorite character, the most solid mid-tier character, fundamentally the truest form expression of art and 3s IMO. All 3 of his supers are versatile as well. Can you believe he’s exactly the middest of mid-tier since the game came out?

What is the highest ranking you’ve ever gotten in a tournament?
Second twice in two CF tourneys. Lost to Amir Chun and Kofiend Chun.

Perception: What is this game most like, to you? Do you think it shares anything in particular with something like fps games? maybe poker? Pachinko? Doesn’t have to be one of these, you can name your own.
(if Chess, though, can you compare your game to chess)
Psychologically the competitive aspect can be translated to anything in real life. For example in chess, different play styles are reflected on their creativity just like in 3S. Well not really… but you get the point.

Any rituals you have for before a match?
Warm up the joints and fingers.

Anything like above but strictly for tournament situation?
I psyche myself up to crave for It. Just like that craving energy to workout, you push more weights. Craving food from hunger makes it more tasty and craving to fap makes you enjoy it more. Craving 3S makes me antsy to get it out my system and perform stronger.

How do you feel about talking during tournament matches?
I really don’t care. It doesn’t bother or distract me. Too used to the noise in arcades.

How do you feel about any kind of out of the game distractions during a match?
See above.

What is your take on lag? More obstacle than wrench?
I absolutely love it. The pleasure of torrenting simultaneously with my turbo joystick and macro buttons makes me stronger.

Do you plan on learning every character in the game to the extent that you know your current main?
I actually wanted to master Akuma for a period of time. Thought the way Kuroda used him with those ambiguous setups and mixups were jaw dropping. But never was my thing I guess.

Anything interesting you do/use in your game that you think only you do?

Yes. I’m the only person in the world to do the People’s Elbow as a finisher. Not just ending games but specifically stunning people with 95% stun bars. It’s a god send and 'til this day, nobody knows about the secret… Until now.

What if anything in particular do you use outside of the game that you can honestly say you learned from 3s?
The psychological competitive side. This was where my philosophy and psychology first blossomed.

Do you plan on continuing to play this game?
Yeah I do. I love this game.

32

Dandre reminded me i have to do this last night.

When did you start playing?
I bought the game for xbox in 05 or 06. Back then I was starting to get more interested in 2D fighters so I was playing everything. Didn’t really play it though. Played semi-regularly starting in maybe 08ish in college. I only became ‘serious’ about 3S in 2011 really.

Did you play any games before you played this one (3s)?
Weird question. Of course. I’m really an FPS player. I’m much better at Tribes and was much better in CS:S than I will probably ever be in 3S. I never had much ability for fighting games though I did always like them.

Why did you pick up this game?
Originally because it was another SF game that I didn’t have. When I saw the characters, art and overall style I thought it was really really cool. It destroyed other stuff I was used to (kof especially).

Is there anything in particular about this game that drew you in (be very specific, like if parry, what parry)?
Originally it was the look of the game. Then when I was trying to convince friends to play I found the daigo parry video and showed them it. It made all of us a lot more interested in seeing exactly how far you could go in the game.

Who is your rival?
Probably dander since we play a lot. Our connection blows most of the time though so they’re often very silly games. He’s also better than me.

Where do you think you stand amongst the players around you? Not where are you in the leaderboards, where do you think you stand (only the girls will take offense to this, it’s an opinion after all)?
Not good. The only thing of note I can think of is when I went to Doylestown and played my first day I did have a short run on the machine. Later Flare and Jwanggggg said I was better than they expected from a ggpo nerd. So basically bottom of the people who actually play. Though I have stolen games from Dankah and he has beaten japanese player therefore i have beaten japanese player. So really I’m pretty fucking boss. (caveat: dan is probably infinitely better now)

Who is your favorite character?
Ryu wins because mechanically and character-wise he is king.
I don’t like Remy’s attitude or story at all. But I enjoy using him a lot. Sometimes it is beyond frustrating and his limitations become walls. That’s also why I like him though.
Ryu is intimidating to use because he relies on walking the razor’s edge imo. You need to be Ryu in mind to play Ryu well I think. You have to always believe victory is one parry or knockdown away. Mental fortitude. That’s why I like Ryu. He’s about willpower before anything else.

What is the highest ranking you’ve ever gotten in a tournament?
I think I went out first round in our 8 dollar pot tournament. I even remember what I did. I threw a hadouken at chun(jim) while he had sa2. as soon as I did I rolled my head back.

Perception: What is this game most like, to you? Do you think it shares anything in particular with something like fps games? maybe poker? Pachinko? Doesn’t have to be one of these, you can name your own.
For me it is like Tribes. It brings back some of the same feelings. In Tribes the ability to duel is extremely important. There are very very few FPS games where a one on one battle can be entirely engaging (like a fighting game) and last anywhere from 5 seconds to 45. It reminds me a lot of playing Remy really. To be a good dueler you do a lot of feinting and trapping people while watching their momentum (which is basically spacing). So you end up cutting off angles until you know exactly where they will be or will land and take them out. I like that part of things. Remy is similar.

Any rituals you have for before a match?
swirl stick without hitting the gate. I think everyone in doylestown does this. I saw Flare and jwanggggggg do it and decided to just try it and it became a habit.

Anything like above but strictly for tournament situation?
probably eat my hands and stare at the screen blankly.

How do you feel about talking during tournament matches?
no real experience but there were always people talking and things going on with the machine in doylestown.

How do you feel about any kind of out of the game distractions during a match?
its in a record store. people are always in and out, music playing, etc. one time i was there we played through some live performance by some kind of hardcore band. if you’re engaged, it’s hard to be distracted.

What is your take on lag? More obstacle than wrench?
it sucks. i didn’t realize how much FBA and ggpo sucked until I played on the versus city. its like a curse. everything else blows but i still use it because we can adjust and at least it’s (a form of) 3S.

Do you plan on learning every character in the game to the extent that you know your current main?
Not gonna ever happen. Remy, Ryu and maybe Alex/Necro/Twelve down the line.

Anything interesting you do/use in your game that you think only you do?
Liberal use of far fierce with Remy. AA with jab or strong more than anything else so it pushes back and I can freely follow behind for a mixup as they land (both with remy).

What if anything in particular do you use outside of the game that you can honestly say you learned from 3s?
Having a regular thing to work on for yourself. Something very concrete that you want to achieve. Really important to having a positive outlook on things.

Do you plan on continuing to play this game?
3S is super fun. It replaced Tribes for me since the Tribes community is about as and you can only play that game online really. The new Tribes game is a mess. I played competitively briefly and it just was not very fun. It’s like sf4 compared to 3S. they added too much shit to make it more friendly and removed many nuances.

so yes. this summer i am making an effort to set aside more time to go play in doylestown. get in a lot of time with some of the east’s finest. really cool group of people. except diaperbom. that guy is a dick.

33

ha ya but I was horrible! completely hopeless with an AWP. I was the dude who just camped a bomb site or provided cover for the bomb man (and usually dying like your teammates lol). I had a great PC bang at the time though, which was awesome cause broadband wasn’t available in my neighborhood, but it still made practicing hard.

fun fuckin game!

34

scout 4 lyfe bro.
also mac10 and m4.

35

@Tebbo

its funny you mention Tribes cause my really good CS teammates all cut their teeth with that game. naturally it was always way too hard for me lol

36

I really dig timesplitters. Dirty console shooter fan I guess. Timesplitters is sick though.

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When did you start playing?

1999

Did you play any games before you played this one (3s)?

SF2, CE as a kid. I would mostly rent fighting games in my younger years and maybe play with a friend. After Marvel 1 came out I had to buy whatever the latest was even if I didn’t have opportunities to play it against other people

Why did you pick up this game?

I remember playing SF3 New Gen when it came out at a minigolf place arcade. And even though I was bad I sat winning a bit with ryu, just playing using his jump/crouch/stand hk and occasionally throwing a fireball. It felt cool to use his moves in that game

Is there anything in particular about this game that drew you in (be very specific, like if parry, what parry)?

I was very into Marvel 2 and had moved back to Socal from Seattle and went to a big tourney at Southern Hills Golfland. I was only really familiar with 3s thru training mode on Dreamcast. Arlieth and his friends, Valle, Sicdic, Flipmeign and some other players were basically playing the game the entire weekend and I found myself drawn to it and didn’t even enter Marvel 2(which may have also been to the extreme anxiety of trying to even enter a tourney at that stage for me). I went 2 days in a row and just played 3s 90% of the time. People were using almost the whole cast and doing relatively advanced combos in real matches which at that time(2001) was very crazy/unfathomable to me.

Who is your rival?

I just like to be respected for my gameplay. Its difficult to earn respect from people who have been playing competitively so long.

Where do you think you stand amongst the players around you? Not where are you in the leaderboards, where do you think you stand (only the girls will take offense to this, it’s an opinion after all)?

Guess I am biased but near the top

Who is your favorite character?

Ryu

What is the highest ranking you’ve ever gotten in a tournament?

2nd many times

Perception: What is this game most like, to you? Do you think it shares anything in particular with something like fps games? maybe poker? Pachinko? Doesn’t have to be one of these, you can name your own.
(if Chess, though, can you compare your game to chess)

You can think of situations in Street Fighter like poker. Its mostly numbers and stuff but there are so many nuances and variations, many of them unreactable that I feel its only fair to think of it as its own thing.

Any rituals you have for before a match?

Get enough sleep. Have a coffee or some beers!

Anything like above but strictly for tournament situation?

Same as above. Also make sure I’ve had food

How do you feel about talking during tournament matches?

I enjoy a fun/lively atmosphere but its incredibly hard for me in tournaments. I’ve lost some big matches in SF4 due to crowd pressure. It’s not a big deal in 3s since no one is watching.

How do you feel about any kind of out of the game distractions during a match?

Same as above. If its casual play I could care less but in a tournament its just difficult. People bumping you or being loud/specifically weighing in on the match are very distracting

What is your take on lag? More obstacle than wrench?

I’ve played a lot on ggpo. It definitely makes some things in the game a lot stronger or weaker than they should be but playing vs sub-100ms people is fun and that is all that matters

Do you plan on learning every character in the game to the extent that you know your current main?

Outside of a few minutes in training mode I’ve never picked half the cast vs a real person and don’t really ever want to.

Anything interesting you do/use in your game that you think only you do?

Not really. Though like everyone in 3s I have my own style

What if anything in particular do you use outside of the game that you can honestly say you learned from 3s?

It isnt outside of the realm of gaming but 3s techniques that I’ve just learned and go “Aha!” transfer to other games often enough.

Do you plan on continuing to play this game?

Never can tell, motivation is low now that everyone has waning interest

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Cool thought

39

I’ve really liked reading through all of these. Seems like the Daigo parry inspired a lot of players. I didn’t see it until a few months after we were playing but I can see why it’s such a magnetic moment.

40

Had some time to kill today…

When did you start playing?

Back around 2002 or 2003 maybe… I used to be in a metalcore ripoff band (our goal was to sell out).  My other band members used to play 3rd Strike on Dreamcast or at the local arcade after practice. One day I decided to play and became hooked. Our drummer was the best out of us, and I dreamed of beating him 10-0. Luckily, I had a bit of knowledge about sf2 and crossups and tick throws from my days of being cheap at the arcade so I was easily able to beat them both within a few weeks.  They were pissed lol.

Did you play any games before you played this one (3s)?

I played SF2 from the start. I grew up down the street from Sunnyvale Golfland which was the Mecca of sf2 back in the 90s. The arcade was down the street from Capcom’s offices, so Golfland used to get the newest versions of the games before anyone else. I was young so I never was that good but I could hang with older scrubs.  I loved Turbo because of how fast it was. Then I lost interest when SSF2 came out.  I thought it was too slow and the new characters were boring.  Also, I hated the announcer and Guile’s voice.  I wasn’t feeling Alpha because I thought it looked too goofy.

Why did you pick up this game?

My friends loved it and things used to get really heated between us. I loved the competitiveness.

Is there anything in particular about this game that drew you in (be very specific, like if parry, what parry)?

The look, music, and feeling of 3rd Strike blew me away. I loved the parry feature and the characters all seemed so sick to me. Also, the grade system intrigued me. I dreamed of getting B’s (A’s were unheard of lol)

Tbh the Daigo parry video was never that sick to me. I took more interest in RX’s wanted videos.

I didn’t get really serious about 3rd Strike until I went to Golden Token arcade in San Diego and played vs 5 Star. He had a 90 something win streak with Dudley and my mind was blown. He was getting all these sick grades like S’s and shit. I realized how much more amazing 3rd Strike is when you actually know how to play. Confirming into supers boggled my mind. At that time I was just doing willy nilly supers.

Maybe a week later I researched on srk and read about Family Fun Arcade. People were saying that this was THE 3rd Strike arcade with over 10 head to head cabs. My friends and I made the drive and we all just shit our pants when we walked in. There were like 20 players on a random Tuesday!!  Every body was really good too. I couldn’t touch anyone, and at this point, I remember realizing I wanted to be a top player. I wanted to own all these people.

I started traveling to every tourney in SoCal and practicing vs CPU for hours a day. I studied the very few videos I could find on combovideos.com. Gamers Vision ranbats were like crack to me. I couldn’t wait for the newest releases.

Who is your rival?

My friend Neil even tho I can own him with my 8th worst character. We always used to get super faded and play 3rd Strike from midnight till maybe 6am.  Always a good time.

Where do you think you stand amongst the players around you? Not where are you in the leaderboards, where do you think you stand (only the girls will take offense to this, it’s an opinion after all)?

In Japan, above average but not a top player.
In America, there’s only a handful of players I wouldn’t 10-0 in a ft10.  The gap in skill between top Japanese and top American/non-Japanese is unbelievable. 
I don’t really go to Danisen anymore because of work, but I’m currently Tsuwamono rank (11th). I was Mosa (12th)before, but I fell back down. 
In Japan, no one besides big boys (nuki, rikimaru, boss…etc.) can just straight own me. I can hang with everyone else usually. I still have a lot to learn and Chun is really good :slight_smile:

Who is your favorite character?

Q.  I’m not rich enough to main him though. Also, he’s too tall!

What is the highest ranking you’ve ever gotten in a tournament?

I’ve won a few random tourneys in Japan but as far as major events, probably getting top 8 at Versus Cup a couple weeks ago.

Perception: What is this game most like, to you? Do you think it shares anything in particular with something like fps games? maybe poker? Pachinko? Doesn’t have to be one of these, you can name your own.

Rock Paper Scissors but with 85 different variables instead of 3.

Any rituals you have for before a match?

Light a cig and think to myself, “I’m gonna own this guy.”

Anything like above but strictly for tournament situation?

Maybe no cig, but just think to myself, “I’m gonna own this guy.”

How do you feel about talking during tournament matches?

I don’t care as long as I can hear the in game sound.

How do you feel about any kind of out of the game distractions during a match?

Just need in game sound.

What is your take on lag? More obstacle than wrench?

With any bit of lag it’s not 3rd Strike anymore. It’s a different game. Even playing on LCD Evo monitors isnt 3rd Strike. I’ll play online though if I have no other way to play vs humans.

Do you plan on learning every character in the game to the extent that you know your current main?

I can play everyone already but my worst are Ibuki, Oro, and Twelve. I have no desire to improve them though.

Anything interesting you do/use in your game that you think only you do?

Nothing in particular.

What if anything in particular do you use outside of the game that you can honestly say you learned from 3s?

You can always learn more. Dig deeper.

Do you plan on continuing to play this game?

Yes forever. Even if my only opponent was CPU, I’d still play.