What motivates you to be the best?

Current Fighting Games Fighting Game Discussion
1

The fighting game community has many personalities with certain motivaters to become better players. Back in the arcade era, that one quarter was enough motivation to stay on the machine all day. You had people line up to play SF2 CE and all you can think about was being the best player on the machine. Those times are pretty much extinct and less arcades are available for the casual player.

As much as I like winning money from tournaments and playing random MM’s with people, playing to beat my opponent down is always on my mind 24/7 regardless of the incentive.

What motivates you and why?
What will be in store for the new generation of online players or gathering heros?

2

I just love seeing games played at the highest level they can be played.

3

Being the best is motivation in itself, imo.

4

Trying to keep up with/one up your bros. Skill multiplies that way

5

I’m not saying I’m the best, nor do I play to be the best. My motivation is that I fucking hate when I lose and can’t stand to think someone beat me, especially in Street Fighter.

6

My motivation to someday be the best is so people think of my name when they pick a character. I want to be an inspiration and get compliments left and right when I dominate. Sadly it’s only a dream so far…

7

This. But I also like understanding what I see. Which means I need to play to a level where I can at least start to grasp what it takes to be an elite level player or play to the point where elite level techniques regularly show up. And I try to learn as much as possible about the entire game, so I can recognize everything that happens in an elite level match, for all characters (even ones I do not use). I don’t want someone to have to point out to me, “hey that was an option select, SGGK”, or “he uses negative edge for all his throw attempts so they are safe”, or “now he has meter and can threaten walk up throw”. I like being able to recognize on the spot and in hindsight analyze all of the high level techniques and moves in a game.

Virtua Fighter is maybe the most boring fighter to watch if you don’t play the game. People who aren’t familiar with the game will immediately be bored watching it. But once you reach mid level, not even high level, but just get a comprehensive general understanding of playing the game competitively, you really can start to appreciate just how much skill it takes to truly succeed at Virtua Fighter. And once you play Virtua Fighter against a truly elite player, like some of the Japanese that came over for EVO2003/2004, the game takes on an entirely new perspective. I couldn’t believe how fast VF felt when I was playing against the Japanese. It was overwhelming and almost nerve wracking. I couldn’t believe that they played the game like this for thousands of matches day in and day out.

I’m not going to surpass Fuudo, or YuuVega, or Kuroda, and the like, but I’m certainly going to watch a ton of matches with them in it. And being able to understand what’s going on in those matches. And at least being able to apply what they do, though not on as consistent or effective a level, is what my main goal is with fighting games.

So I’m not motivated to be the absolute best. But I’m motivated enough to at least understand what’s going in the matches featuring the absolute best. And I’m good enough where no technique or mechanic can completely elude me. I might not be able to consistently use the most high level techniques but I can use them on occasion.

8

What motivates me? Read my blog post on it. :slight_smile:

http://www.shoryuken.com/entry.php?b=790

9

Hehe, for me it’s chasing former glory. I used to be one of the best at the local arcades in Nowhere-ville, USA during the WW, CE, HF days. Then I ventured out into the world and realized I wasn’t shit. Been trying to catch up ever since :karate:

10

Knowing that I can be the best (or one of them at least). And I hate letting unused potential go to waste.

11

What motivates me…

I’m not sure if Alex really meant for us to get as in depth as I’m about to in this thread, but anyways, here goes:

There are so many things that motivate me to be the best. Being the best to be the best, having the respect of my peers, having the privileges in the community that top players have, being someone to look up to in the community, having people actually care about my opinion, and most of all, showing that I can be the best at what I do.

See, Street Fighter isn’t something I do just for fun. Street Fighter is a serious hobby. In all honesty, it’s already passed the point of “hobby” for me, and has become my lifestyle. I literally put aside time in my day, everyday, to practice. By practice, I don’t mean do a few combos in training mode and be done with it. What I do mean, is setting up the training dummy to real life situations and seeing what works. I do 10 reps of 10 for each of my combos, and if I mess up more than once, I start the whole rep over. I practice cross overs, combo set ups, and footsies/zoning. I do this every day, if not at least 5 times a week.

Also, I make an effort to play with my local community. If I don’t have a ride to a gathering, I walk. I’ve walked miles just to play for a few hours and then walked miles back home. It doesn’t matter if it means I have a chance to improve.

So that being said. I want to win. I want to win big, and I want to win convincingly. I play the way I do, because of people like you Alex. People that have been playing for what seems like forever, so I feel like I have to play catchup for all the year I missed out on playing and learning. And even though I’m not on your level yet, I do plan on being there. I play with some “top players” and keep up, but I’m not there yet. And that’s another thing that makes motivates me. I want to be better than them.

Bottom line, I have a competitive spirit, and Street Fighter makes it come out of me best. It’s not about money, or anything of that sort. It’s just wanting to be the best. And one day, people will recognize me as one of the best around. Bet it.

12

no money. No title. Just being able to be the best at one of the few things I truly love.

13

watching scrubs on youtube win

14

I’m smart enough to know that I can be the best, while still worrying about whether I actually will.

15

The Karate Kid

16

Nothing

Like everyone else, I also enjoy being good at a given activity, but I play FGs because I enjoy the act of playing itself, whether I end up being good at them or not is of little importance to me

17

It used to be fight money.

Then I was lectured hard on that by an SBO qualifier.

Now to be honest, it’s to just to improve and to find myself.

18

What did he say, if ya don’t mind me asking?

19

At the risk of being flayed alive since this is a thread started by a known player, but

2D fighters enabling you to “find yourself” sounds a tad too pretentious to me. Surely there’s much more to your life than that, no?

Just a while ago there was a thread about some guy that wanted the most recommended games to adapt the teachings of Bruce Lee to

I mean, really guys, just because the games are about fighting doesn’t mean playing them needs to (or can be) a journey towards zen perfection or anything

People like Sirlin would surely disagree on that one, though

20

I’m unemployed.