What I’ll write in this post may sound like it’s a comparision to like every competetive videogame/fighting game but I’m talking specificaly about 3s
Quake is a game where you constantly have to keep up with great reactions, knowing the game in and out and make reads on your opponent.
Like Quake, I consider third strike a simple game, and because of it being the way it is, you have to maximize your ability with every single tool that is available to you, in third strike those would be moves, in Quake of course the weapons and of course the system mechanic of both games.
Both games rely heavily on space control too. In my opinion both in 3s and Quake, the better player will make the lesser player look like a fool when beating him.
I’m kinda in a state where I cant put words nicely right now, so…
When did you start playing?
I actually first played 3s attending art school in SF when (or pretty close to) it came out. The basement arcade at my school had New Generation and updated with the series up through 3s. I was amazed by the animation and immediately started playing whenever I could with the small group there. I was still in my “Ken scrub” phase, and picked Akuma when “things got serious.”
There was this Akuma player there that didn’t talk much, but would get really mad and punch the cabinet when he lost. Whenever I played there my goal was to beat him and watch him blow up. I played there for a while until there weren’t any more players coming down. I was pretty awful at it, as I wasn’t really learning anything or becoming a student of the game. At that time I had real trouble executing supers with any sort of reliability, especially coming from an MK arcade background.
That said, I really started playing in earnest summer of 2007, when I found GGPO. I began with Elena, and fairly quickly moved on to Oro. This is when I really started playing and actually developing some skill.
Did you play any games before you played this one (3s)?
All sorts of games, but I’ll just mention the fighters. I grew up playing SF2- a little bit at the video store by my house but mostly on SNES. I played a lot of Mortal Kombat in the arcades, and by the time UMK3 came out I was the “best in my local arcade” guy. If no one else was playing I knew a trick with Ermac at the end where you could just loop the game and play all day.
Why did you pick up this game?
The incredible animation and characters.
Is there anything in particular about this game that drew you in (be very specific, like if parry, what parry)?
The incredible animation and characters. I was in art school studying animation, and I’d never seen anything like it. I love the parry system, but it wasn’t why I started playing.
Who is your rival?
I don’t have one that I know of.
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)?
I think I’m pretty decent, and certainly better than most. There’s definitely a smaller group of elite players that are far better than I am though. I have a lot to learn and my execution is not the best. I’m pretty inconsistent with how well I play, and I’ve been play a little too much Drunk Strike recently which isn’t helping matters. I’m only talking about GGPO and OE here.
Who is your favorite character?
Oro 4 lyfe. My favorite characters (although I can’t play most of them) are Oro, Hugo, Q, Necro, Dudley and Urien. Urien only because of Aegis and his voice, the others because they are brilliant character designs with great movesets. I wish some of the interesting characters were better!
What is the highest ranking you’ve ever gotten in a tournament?
Never played in one.
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)
Before I started playing fighters a lot in 2007 I had been playing almost nothing but 2d shooters during the previous years. Playing 3s is actually very similar to the experience with 2d shooters, except of course you’re competing against a live person instead of chasing their score from some list.
Any rituals you have for before a match?
I listen to podcasts and a lot of music while I play these days. Right before a match I’ll drum the buttons and swirl the stick a bit.
Anything like above but strictly for tournament situation?
Nope.
How do you feel about talking during tournament matches?
Well I don’t attend tournaments, but I never did a lot of talking during matches at the arcade.
How do you feel about any kind of out of the game distractions during a match?
I like to have some personal space around me, but as long as people aren’t touching me it’s fine. You get used to crowd noise and things like that. I can’t really carry on a decent conversation while playing unless the other guy is remarkably terrible.
What is your take on lag? More obstacle than wrench?
Obviously lag is awful. Playing online on modern hardware you’re dealing with lag from the tv, your controller, the console or operating system, and the game or emulator itself all at once. It’s horrifying. It can stop you from getting deeper in the game, and is especially a problem for some of the low tier characters that already have to go out of their way to compete.
Do you plan on learning every character in the game to the extent that you know your current main?
I’d love to, but it’ll never happen. I’d be happy with a solid secondary I could play against the whole roster.
Anything interesting you do/use in your game that you think only you do?
I do a lot of karas, but I don’t think anything I do is very unique. Once I discovered that Oro could dash back from right next to a character and be in the perfect range for a cmd grab I was super excited. Of course I saw Thanatos doing it in a video only a few days later. Maybe my “style” as a whole could be, but it’s hard to look outside of yourself like that.
What if anything in particular do you use outside of the game that you can honestly say you learned from 3s?
Nothing.
Do you plan on continuing to play this game?
Of course!
Job?
I’m a cartoonist.
Sweet! A cartoonist! Keyframe or tween? Or panel cartoonist? My dream used to be animation until I felt like I was just too old to come up with anything fresh. CHECK PMS!
I wish I could draw. Sometimes I read John K’s blog to get to know a little bit of what goes into it.
I work in 2d animation. I can animate but I don’t usually get the chance to do it professionally.
Just do a Game Grumps animation to get exposure.
I get paid to draw, just not animate.
hi 5 art school/creative industry people.
so you’re an illustrator then?
Sort of. I usually do storyboards.
I might as well get in on this survey thing.
When did you start playing?
Started messing around with 3s on PS2 with my best friend back in 06, got my ass handed to me a lot at the norcal golflands for the next couple years then moved to SFIV then back to 3s.
Did you play any games before you played this one (3s)?
Yes, I was hardcore into DDR for a long time (lost a ton of weight, AAA’d some songs) and also played a lot of Initial D and Starcraft when I was living in the bay area.
Why did you pick up this game?
Originally, fighting games were that final frontier for me as someone who just loved the challenge of games and was always striving for perfection. I stayed away from them outside of some casual guilty gear with friends because I was admittedly a pretty bad ragequitter. But 3s just had so many sick characters and I loved watching the japanese play that I decided to give it a chance.
Is there anything in particular about this game that drew you in (be very specific, like if parry, what parry)?
Just the variety of players you see. You see lame, relaxed, almost complacent players who are considered really skilled and really skilled players who are totally fucking nuts, I love it. To me its the most exciting fighting game to watch and play.
Who is your rival?
It used to be my best friend who’s a decent makoto player. Nowadays, even though he’s much more skilled than me I’d say Neiman. He keeps pushing me to improve.
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)?
I think I’m approaching intermediate skill
I stand a chance against really skilled 3s players some days. Mostly I may lose but I try to lose gracefully and not just throw out super or an ex move when I’m low on life and out of ideas on how to escape a bad situation. Sometimes I just obliterate most of the players online but then again sometimes people just do random stupid shit and I lose so its hard for me to gauge my skill based on the fact that I dont get to play a lot of 3s players offline anymore.
TLDR: Can hold his own against intermediate to good players, loses to idiots.
Who is your favorite character?
Definitely Necro, I love his wacky personality.
What is the highest ranking you’ve ever gotten in a tournament?
Online tourneys are a joke, I won a few. Offline, I only went to one a long time ago and I went 0-2 to Rom’s Yang and some alex player from SVGL who was pretty good too.
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)
Honestly, this game is like math to me. (And I’m not talking about frame data. Its more like a puzzle, and each problem is a player.) Probability is a major part of fighting games for one. And I feel like some players are great at feeling a situation and others are great at thinking a situation (I’m definitely striving for the latter.) There’s a saying I got from a calc professor that one never truly understands math they merely just get comfortable with it. Thats how I feel about this game. Also, lets be real, you’re not going to understand math any better by getting mad at it.
**Any rituals you have for before a match? **
I talk through my options to myself in my head depending on the matchup or the player I’m playing.
Anything like above but strictly for tournament situation?
Just some deep breathing, but really thats it.
How do you feel about talking during tournament matches?
I can see how it would bother some people but it doesnt really bother me.
How do you feel about any kind of out of the game distractions during a match?
Noise can be annoying sometimes, like when people are being overly loud during offline play at someone’s house. During tournaments I expect it though and dont mind it as much
What is your take on lag? More obstacle than wrench?
I hate it, definitely a wrench. But let me preface that by saying if I lose I try not to say its because it was lagging. If you know its going to lag you need to account for it (dont try to parry crazy shit and just go for simple combos, basically.)
Do you plan on learning every character in the game to the extent that you know your current main?
I want to, sure. But if I want to master the characters I play in a reasonable amount of time its not realistic to have Kuroda-level knowledge of the whole cast.
Anything interesting you do/use in your game that you think only you do?
I dunno, ask questions? I ask questions whether I win or lose, and not a lot of my friends do (wish they would.)
What if anything in particular do you use outside of the game that you can honestly say you learned from 3s?
Patience. Plain and simple. Don’t overthink a situation but don’t take it too lightly either. I use this in school, work and the games I play.
Do you plan on continuing to play this game?
Yes. There are still so many 3rd strike greats I have yet to lose to learn from, I hope I get to run into some more OG players offline someday soon.
Job?
I’m a student but I also work construction when I’m not in school
Profession
Asian Bodyworker. Specifically using Thai Massage and Shiatsu.
I don’t do the western “take your clothes off and lay under this towel” type of massage.
Survey’s are pretty cool.
Man, reading some of the first question answers of some you guys makes me feel like an infant in this game.
When did you start playing?
First game was against my cousin when I was like 12-14ish? Didn’t even know what game i was playing but looking back, I’m pretty sure it was the SF Anniversary collection for Xbox. Left it. Didn’t pick up fighting games again for a really long time.
I guess the first time I said “Hey, I want to get better at this,” was with a few college friends. They love Sf4 but I played 3rd Strike for the first time in like 10 years and fell in love (circa winter 2010?).
Did you play any games before you played this one (3s)?
Tekken has always been fun.
Why did you pick up this game?
Makoto. I love her play style and I love getting a parry in.
The graphics, and the music. I kind of fell in love with the late-90’s early 2000’s genre of media. I feel like, since it’s so recent, that what came out of that time frame has yet to be fully appreciated.
Is there anything in particular about this game that drew you in (be very specific, like if parry, what parry)?
The cool shit that you can do and the even playing field. The game has a great equalizer and really makes you think about the buttons you press and the situations you create or succumb to.
Who is your rival?
Pretty much all the notable folks from NC because that’s where I first started playing… Shame how they hardly play anymore. I feel like I missed out on something great
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)?
I’m pretty good… I guess above-average. I make a lot of mistakes and tend to crack here and there but I’d enter a national tournament with some sense of confidence (only to not make it out of pools YEAH!)
As for those here in Chicago I feel where all at a level playing field but there’s definitely some people that stand out. Hasn’t been a large 3S tourney with notables in a while and the last one that occurred deserves and asterisk
Who is your favorite character?
Mak. I’m slowly enjoying the Twins more and Dudley
What is the highest ranking you’ve ever gotten in a tournament?
I got 2nd at a local NC tourney. Should’ve gotten 1st because the 2 heavy hitters weren’t there… That Ken-Mak match up is annoying.
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)
Probably dodgeball. Take what your opponent gives you. Show them you can deal with it. Return the favor in full force to see if they can hang.
Any rituals you have for before a match?
Tap all the kicks.
Anything like above but strictly for tournament situation?
Adjust hat to face backwards for stylistics.
How do you feel about talking during tournament matches?
Eh. Just like any other competition you focus on yourself and leave the banter for later. You can talk mad shit during casuals though.
How do you feel about any kind of out of the game distractions during a match?
Does alcohol count? As long as it doesn’t interfere with the match physically I’m good.
What is your take on lag? More obstacle than wrench?
Lag… It’s both. It hinders my ability to react and really can make things happen (and effective) that normally shouldn’t happen offline or sans lag.
Do you plan on learning every character in the game to the extent that you know your current main?
I wish. Makoto is such a different character from the rest of the cast that playing any other character feels weird. I wish I could be effective with Urien, Remy and Dudley but I just have defensive tendencies that I bring over from Mak.
Anything interesting you do/use in your game that you think only you do?
I land fukiage a lot more than any Makoto player I know. In Mak v. Akuma I can fukiage Akuma’s mk and hk tatsus. I don’t know of any other player that does that.
What if anything in particular do you use outside of the game that you can honestly say you learned from 3s?
Quick thinking and perception of behavior. The gaming dexterity has also improved my ability typing on a keyboard.
Do you plan on continuing to play this game?
Forever and when I have kids I’ll probably be the old man playing on a 3S cabinet with his son/daughter in the den.
Job?
I plan on working in the real estate field/economic consulting field. For the moment I am but a lowly data analyst at a Real Estate Management firm.
Along with that, I’m a master student in an Economics and Policy Analysis program.
My dream job would be economic analysis with Valve.
Which arcade was this???
Made some slight updates to my answers.
This was a place in Ventura, CA, known as Electric Avenue. Back then, I was very anti-3rd Strike! I really only liked CVS2. However, I decided that since there was more competition there, I’d give it a shot. Was hard to learn at first, but after seeing the Daigo parry, I really wanted to do shit like that.
this is a dope thread.
Late to the party.
When did you start playing?
I originally played Third Strike in 05. I played competitive counter-strike on a team that was sponsored by a lan center (Netopia) directly across the street from Family Fun Arcade. My friends and I would get AMPM rib sandwiches and chill at the arcade; that’s when I tried Third strike – I really didn’t think much of it at the time.
Did you play any games before you played this one (3s)?
I played competitive CS for 7 years prior to Third Strike.
Why did you pick up this game?
I’ve always enjoyed Street Fighter, but I always felt like something was missing. The Daigo video really opened my eyes, and it wasn’t just how cool the parry was. I remember thinking how dope the sound of blocking was. (strange right?)
Who is your rival?
Yuuki Spencer, the YoYo magician. I’ve played him consistently for 6 years now, always trying to stay on his level.
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)?
I think I would finally be able to play on the Hugo big boys cab at FFA. On GGPO, I’d put myself on the list of “top players”.
Who is your favorite character?
It changes, it really depends on how I feel. It’s usually Ken, though.
What is the highest ranking you’ve ever gotten in a tournament?
I don’t know, I think Yuuki and I got 5th or 6th in teams or some shit at Sunroute.
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)
Nothing really comes to mind, I think that’s probably why I love the game so much. I can’t get the experience I have with Third Strike from anything else.
How do you feel about talking during tournament matches?
I usually just laugh, especially if it’s Bean/Pherai or Pyro yelling shit out. Funny ass dudes.
How do you feel about any kind of out of the game distractions during a match?
If it’s at the arcade, that’s just the name of the game. You get used to it, tbh.
What is your take on lag? More obstacle than wrench?
I don’t think it’s a big deal. I played more than a majority of my games online and I could hang with some of the best offline players in SoCal. If that isn’t testament enough, look at Nica K.O and Yuuki. The major problem with GGPO Third Strike is that it isn’t ready out of the box. There’s a lot of things you have to do/change before you’re ready – even then, it’s still a process. You have to learn what smoothing you like based on your opponents ping, etc; but when you do, it’s easily the best experience you can have outside offline.
I’m kind of getting sick of people saying “YEAH, WELL, IT’S NOT EVEN CLOSE TO OFFLINE!” - Yeah, no shit. Let’s be real here for a second. Finding people to play with offline in the states is pretty tough, it’s only going to get harder as the years progress. Who knows if OE will even be on the next generation of consoles. That would mean you’d have to hold onto your current-gen consoles if you wanted to play 3s – which most average 3s players won’t do. So the small community on XBL and PSN will be even smaller – that leaves the constant: GGPO. If you love the game and you want competition, you will be on GGPO, eventually. Otherwise, enjoy the AI homie.
I just played a first to 50 with Exodus the other day. (east coast player) on Skype with Exodus/NGUBoy/Haoism/NickM/Yuuki. Was it high level 3s? Yep. Did I have fun? Yep.
I can’t complain.
Do you plan on learning every character in the game to the extent that you know your current main?
I know a lot of characters, I’m probably not going to learn Q, Ibuki, Remy, Twelve and Elena to the extent of my main characters.
Anything interesting you do/use in your game that you think only you do?
No not really, I’m a pretty boring player. I rarely go for flashy shit, I’m more of a practical player.
What if anything in particular do you use outside of the game that you can honestly say you learned from 3s?
Not sure, probably mind game analogies haha.
Do you plan on continuing to play this game?
If there is still high level competition to play, I will always be here.
Yo.
When did you start playing?
First time I played was summer 2007, at an arcade inside a mall in Dallas, TX. I was mesmerized when I saw the cabinet… When I really started playing was probably in 2008 when the first CPS3 emulator came out. I have been playing since then.
Did you play any games before you played this one (3s)?
Yeah a lot, me and my buddies were mostly playing Zero 3, some Naruto and Melee.
Why did you pick up this game?
I thought the animation was amazing, it had a great soundtrack and the parry system was attractive too. But most of all I think it’s that bad-ass 3s version of Ken that made the trick. Kakatte Kina!
Is there anything in particular about this game that drew you in (be very specific, like if parry, what parry)?
Evo Moment #37. I showed this video to all of my gamer friends lol
Who is your rival?
I live in Geneva, Switzerland and the community has always been almost non-existent. My friends who play mostly SF4 play 3s occasionally but they’re nowhere near my level so I don’t really consider them as rivals.
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)?
I think I’m the best player in my town, and top of my country probably? But as I said, there’s no 3s community here so the level isn’t great. I consider myself to be an average player because I didn’t have the environment to push me to my limits.
I have played some matches against top french players and MOV, and did fair enough in freeplay. When it comes to tourneyplay though, I shit my pants due to lack of experience. 
Who is your favorite character?
Was Ken at first, but it’s Gouki now: --> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamikaze
What is the highest ranking you’ve ever gotten in a tournament?
Top 8 at World Game Cup 2013. Weren’t a lot of players, won 3 matches and lost to Kempachi (Ken from Belgium).
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)
Hmmm all the SF games had that rock, paper, scissors mentality to me. But 3rd strike went a step further with the parry system and the risks involved. To me it’s unlike any other game… I never thought of comparing it to any other and don’t think it should be.
Any rituals you have for before a match?
Drum on my buttons randomly or practice some stuff like kara demon.
Anything like above but strictly for tournament situation?
Grab some diapers as I’m about to shit in my pants!
How do you feel about talking during tournament matches?
Hate it.
How do you feel about any kind of out of the game distractions during a match?
Depends. If it’s just fun freeplay I don’t really care, but when shit gets serious i’m on some Satsui no Hadou, and I need the game volume to be high.
What is your take on lag? More obstacle than wrench?
Wrench. I think it affects this game so much more than others (SF4, Tekken)
Do you plan on learning every character in the game to the extent that you know your current main?
I often think that I should get to know all the characters in the game to get better, but the lack of competition (in Geneva and on shitty OE) doesn’t motivate me enough to actually do so. But it’s just to get an all-around knowledge, to know what to watch out for when playing against those characters.
Anything interesting you do/use in your game that you think only you do?
Nope. I’m always trying to get a flashy Gouki like Kuroda’s so I mostly do what he does.
What if anything in particular do you use outside of the game that you can honestly say you learned from 3s?
Analyze the situation from a risk/reward point of view.
Do you plan on continuing to play this game?
For shizzle my nizzle.
Job?
Just graduated and looking for a fix job. I’m a part-time teacher substitute.
Also since 3 years, been involved in the organization of Switzerland’s biggest manga/anime/videogame convention: Polymanga.
Decided to fill one of these out.
When did you start playing?
casually in the fall of 2005. I actually started being dedicated to playing serious in 08.
Did you play any games before you played this one (3s)?
I played a lot of cs 1.6 but not competitive like metric. I also play ST here and there.
Why did you pick up this game?
because I wanted to play a sf2 game but no one played it at Hawaiian Brian’s Billiard in Hawaii. I chose 3s because it seemed the closest to sf2 when compared to cvs2 and mvc2 (mostly cause only 1 character per player)
obviously I love the aesthetics as well as the game play, which is why I stuck with it.
Is there anything in particular about this game that drew you in (be very specific, like if parry, what parry)?
It’s hard to pin point one thing. Some of the things that drew me in include gamers vision ranbats and the excitement of the crowd. When I started playing fighting games more serious, I played both ST and 3s. I think what really sealed the deal for me to choose 3s over ST was the excitement of SBO quals in the summer of 2008 at FFA. Being there in person, watching emphy aka mr naps become Shang tsung, the arcade being packed and everyone cheering was so much fun and exciting. Last but not least, the friends I made through 3s definitely is a factor in focusing on 3s.
Who is your rival?
I’ve had many over the years. the ones that stick out the most right now are:
buktooth: He only played 3s casually but he was the first person that explained to me the fundamentals of fighting games. I’m grateful for him opening my eyes when I moved to Texas. before then I knew combos and how to parry, but otherwise was a scrub. took me awhile to be able to beat him consistently even though it wasn’t even a game he played serious.
Brian aka yung b:
Gouki player from Texas. I hung out with him and his brother a lot and we’d play 3s for hours. it was a lot of fun.
metric: Ive probably played the most total games of 3s with him. strong adversary and always fun to play him.
fubarduck: My tournament rival. Living in Dallas I wasn’t fortunate to be able to play in tournaments frequently. the last couple years of tournaments I did get to play were often against fubarduck in grand finals. Even though I’ve beat him a couple times, the last time we played at the Austin 25th anniversary tournament he sent me to losers, last game last round I’m glad I got to have a tournament rival. not sure if he considered me his rival at all but it was a pleasure.
shout outs to some mentors along the way like exodus, thyallmighty and ryan for sharing knowledge and talking 3s.
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)?
I have a lot more to learn and improve.
Who is your favorite character?
I think a lot of the characters in the cast is awesome. if I had to pick just one, probably yun because he’s fun to play solo even vs CPU and training mode.
What is the highest ranking you’ve ever gotten in a tournament?
1st at an Austin 3s tournament and 1st at Absolute Battle 2v2 in Dallas.
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.
It’s a multi-player game that involves knowledge, dexterity, skill, and mind games. I’m sure there are similarities amongst other games but not enough to warrant playing another game over 3s. 3s has the magic.
Any rituals you have for before a match?
Smoke cig before tournament match.
How do you feel about talking during tournament matches?
I’ve only experienced this once and it was Sanchez talking mad shit to me across the cabinet. thankfully I beat him in the tournament so jokes on him. Not a fan of shit talk during tournament.
What is your take on lag? More obstacle than wrench?
Lag sucks balls. I don’t have much choice right now so I play online but it’s obviously not preferred. I refuse to play if the connection is too poor nowadays. save myself the frustration. also I take win/loss less serious online now.
Do you plan on learning every character in the game to the extent that you know your current main?
I have very little to no interest in Sean, twelve, remy, and elena.
Do you plan on continuing to play this game?
yes, but my motivation for it isn’t very high the past 6 months.
Did Dander just troll all of us or is he Bipolar?