EG|Justin Wong's fourth column is now live here on EventHubs. This one covers the plateau that every player reaches at one point or another. There comes to a point where a player has reached a certain level that they cannot plateau any higher. Now they are desperately doing worse, not as confident as before, and their drive is slowly drifting away. You practiced your combos in the training room, you beat the computer senseless a million times, and you have exposed yourself in a tournament environment. What else is missing? Why am I doing worse? It’s an easy answer that most people don’t realize. Your love of the game is lost. All you want to do now is to win and prove yourself to the community that you’re a top player.
This is a very common situation for lots of players, but having love for the game or for your character will show a lot more signs of improvement than someone whose only interest is to win. If you look at the player DJ Huoshen on how he play and how he reacts to things. You can tell that he loves to play with the team he uses; Felicia/Skrull/Taskmaster. He loves this game and he takes the game as it is. He understands that the game is cheap and his characters have a high chance of losing but he makes it work and still comes out on top. Why? Because he loves to play the game. He doesn’t just care about winning. Winning is nice but staying true to your heart means a lot more and that’s where winning matters the most.
You can find a full archive of all of EG|Justin Wong's columns here.
Perfect article, this is exactly what I was going through as a player. Answered many of my questions.
@2
thats an excuse to use an OP character. I guess the 80% of people that use wesker must love him huh? they also love using wesker as anchor because he looks cool glowing red and without glasses huh? If everyone used characters they actually liked personally and it had nothing to do with tools and abilities...you would obviously see a much varied use of characters. BTW, I like wesker too...But i refuse to use him until they fix him properly.
#4 Don't forget how EVERYBODY loves Dante and Vergil.
If you love the character so much, would it kill you to actually learn combos instead of teleporting behind me only to get scooped with an air throw? These people still don't know those teleports are unsafe after 9 months.
I am 100% with JWong on this, and I hope all the people who seem to play, message me on PSN, and post EventHubs comments in a perpetual state of blind, unthinking rage will give his point some serious thought.
Play the characters you like, play the way you like, and remember that the point is to enjoy yourself and to test and surpass your own limitations.
#7 The people on PSN take it too seriously. But anyway, what's your team?
Reading this help me out a lot because i have no friends to play and get better at the fighting games that i love so i have to learn everything on my on, and i get discouraged sometime. I play online but online is full of disrespectful people sending you hatemail because you beat them or they beat you or you didn't play the way they wanted you to play.. but i'm not going to give up. Thanks j.Wong.
@4
Are you serious? What makes you so high and mighty to say that "its an excuse" I like Resident Evil. I played every single resident evil game too date. I can explain nearly every aspect about the story of resident evil. And guess what, One of my favorite characters in Resident Evil, Next to Jill, Is WESKER. I use both jill and wesker, you know why? Because I like the character. Just because he might be too good doesn't mean i'm going to stop using him. and if he gets nerfed i'm still going to use him. I'm tired of everybody crying wesker. Once Wesker gets nerfed, spencer is next.
Are you dudes serious? Dozens of people playing a characters they barely now how to play effectively is a clear sign that they like the character. Plenty of people don't take the game seriously and they just pick who they like and do what they think looks cool (what is effective and adapting doesn't matter to them). Dante was one of the most requested characters on the capcom side for MvC3.
"I like wesker too...But i refuse to use him until they fix him properly". Behavior like this is extremely dangerous for the community. If people cared about what you said and bought into your basesless eliteism bordering on a superiority complex we would be nothing but a bunch of screaming whiners...crap...eventhubs comment section. I give my bad.
Jokes aside there are some characters who get picked because they are easy to pick up, but if everybody picked based on fond memories we would not see tons of characters anyway. As I've said a lot of the Marvel side would have been completely ignored because most of the audience only knows 90's cartoons marvel. Oh and Spencer would have almost nobody until the alt dropped.
Not that it matters, but I picked my team based on what playstyles I like (They could have 3 of my favorite characters from anything and if I hated the way they played I'd think twice about using them) and my playsyle shifts now and then, so sometimes I change it up.
@4 A lot of people use Wesker because they're fans of the Resident Evil series. I happen to be one of them. Once he was announced for vanilla I wanted to use him. Been using him ever since. He just happens to be really good. I also use Nemesis, I've wanted him since MvC2. Just because people are using a top tier character, it doesn't mean it's for the fact that they're top tier.
Another good example: Spencer and Combofiend.
Everyone wrote Spencer off in Vanilla, CF showed he had potential. Now in ultimate people know the character is scary but still veer away from him. I think CF with Spencer is probably the definitive version in Marvel of MAKING a character top tier.
Seth and Poongko is probably the definitive version for SF4 of playing a character because you love the character and play it till it works. Every jap player wrote off Seth until Poongko perfected Daigo at EVO, then he shot up from last tier to B tier, and some say higher in 2012.
some people play characters they like and some people dont,heck I still see phoenix users still and Iam sure they play the character because they like her,I cant say the same for every wesker player I feel alot of people play him because he is really easy to use and does really good damage,ah well I dont really care much,,but I do believe that capcom will be watching scr to see if they should give wesker a quick nerf,I just wish people would just deal with it
i swear the FGC is so sensitive now. what ever happen to playing around the powerful characters, having actual strategies, and handling these characters like a man (or woman). wesker is not vanilla phoenix/wolverine level broken. i have yet to see any pro player complain about him. its like no one wants to learn how to beat these characters anymore, they just cry for nerfs and buffs.
http://shoryuken.com/2011/12/06/guest...
Anybody remember Zangief in Vanilla SF4 or Sentinel in the first weeks of MvC3? Man they sure stayed the best (sent's health wouldn't save him from a billion overheads/zoning/spencer).
Pick who you want, and screw the haters. Since day one vainlla, my team was X-23/Wolverine/Akuma. Why? X-23 looks sick and sexy, Wolverine's been my fav marvel character since I was a child (I've played him in every vs game), and Akuma has always been my fav sf character. I never even KNEW wolverine was considered OP till ppl started complaining. So my fav and best character was nerfed, but you know what? I'm STILL playing him, cuz I love the character, and he's still gdlk. I've recently picked up a new team of Vergil/Dante/Nova, because I'm a huge fan of DMV, and I always wanted to play Dante but I was intimidated by hid complex combos, but now that my execution skills have gone I've picked him up, even though he was nerfed. I picked Nova just cuz he looks awesome.
My point is, if you like a character, play that character whether he/she is broken or not, likewise if your character is low tier, keep playing he/she and make them GOD TIER, that's all there is to it. I play this game because I love it, and that's good enough for me. I'm not proofing this b4 I post so excuse any grammar errors.
I find this completely awesome, because recently I've been the same way. I forgot why I originally started, which was to honor the memory of my oldest brother who used to play SF all the time back in the ST days when I was little. (He's still here, but he has a brain injury that has pretty much taken away his fast reflexes/ability to play fighters ever again)
Now that i've started playing for his memory and just playing because I love the game, i've noticed an increase in my play, being smarter and making smarter decisions in game. Really great article. :)
#20 ROFL!!
DMC is my favorite game series. (Though I can't stand Trish's playstyle)
Magneto is my favorite villain.
Wesker is my favorite game villain.
Super-Skrull loves me.
I actually have a copy of 2007's Bionic Commando and I like it. He looks like me damn it!
MODOK cries for me.
Arthur is a old school knight in a shining armor that made me cry out of anger (in his game).
Firebrand ia a old school demon that made Arthur cry.
Phoenix is the most awesome X-Men of all. (If only Gambit and Cyclops were in there... The XMvSF dream would be complete)
World War Hulk.
Doom is a pimp and his combos look cool.
Strange is totally strange to my confort zone, but I'm trying.
I love how Nova says Energy Javelin but a bit salty that he made Yipes drop Magneto.
Storm isn't like XMvSF v1.00 Storm. BTW, if you guys want to complain about BROKEN CHARACTERS, play against XMvSF Storm in GGPO. You won't ever touch her.
You get the idea... I play almost everyone but th characters I don't like... I don't like.
I'll never play Sentinel, Nemesis (he gave me nightmares when I was a kid), Wright (too silly and gimmicky though I like his games).
@#15 that exactly how I think I love the challenge of beating someone down when they use a character like that sentinel was a prime example b4 his health nerf I was like BRING IT ON! and I got annoyed at times but then it forces u to think up ne strategies and such not to mention that undeniable sense of NOW WHAT!!! when u beat the person to me in fighting games there is no greater feeling!
Despite her nerfs I still love to play as Phoenix. I love Jean Grey and the Phoenix Force as characters and I love how Phoenix plays in the game. Having her DLC costume gives me more reason to play as her to. I like to use a lot of characters because of their playstyle and the games they come from.
My main team is not top tier but I don't get because I love playing as them: Shuma/Morrigan/Phoenix.
At least he's not being hypocritical, about it, after all the man is still riding with Storm, his fave Marvel character. Sure, she was top tier in MvC2, according to legends (I no good @ MvC2 ;), and he still did user her on MvC3 and now UMvC3 where the gameplay changes gave her indirect buffs--even it really means similar buffs for other characters, the difference is, she actually needed them more.
I love Guile, since I was a kid, but what Capcom did in AE just made not want to play the game anymore. Sure, it wasn't that alone, I enjoy other characters and etc... but I hate the design philosophy or nerfing for the weaklings, how about buffing the weaklings so all characters are closer to their potential withing reasonable balance.
I always played She-Hulk and she was the only reason for buying umvc3 when I did. Traded the game after I found out how strong and sometimes brain-dead the zoning was. I'm talking about that 1 button zoning from Ghost Rider, Nemesis etc. Not fun at all.
It's funny how you guyz like/love a character until effort is needed to use that character like for example the amount of people who play ryu in sf4 2 the amount who play him in umvc3 with virtually the same people playing both and now phoenix is no longer popular sure you guyz like a character for " good innocent " reasons until effort is required to use them then you move on.
Can you take a wild guess at who I play? You bet your azz I play the character I love! I play her as if the Phoenix Force has chosen me and only me, every other Phoenix user in MVC3 is a Stepford Cuckoo.. LOL!
You think I care about what other people think or say? Nope..because I guarantee you pick,a team of the worst in the game and win you will get hate, lose with them u will get tea-bagged...THE online community is full of salty trolls so why give a damn what they think
Play who u love....
(This message excludes all frauds, who teams are unoriginal, and they play what they see pros play, U love Justin Wong so u play his Wolvie, Akuma, (she-hulk)? U love Yipes so now u play his umvc3 team...You are not Viscant so why u play Wesker, Hagger. Phoenix?)
People care way too much of what other people play and what people think of the character they pick.
Also, the take away from the article is to enjoy what you're doing and not just pick your favourite character. The more fun you have when you play, the more motivated and easier it is for you to level up.
It's hard to tell who likes a character because they are a fan and who likes them because they are trying to play like Combofiend.....and fail miserably. But it is annoying to fight the same team or unvaried team combinations of Weskers, Vergils, and Dantes.
And I think thats where the hate comes from. The number of players online and off just pick to win (Although this does'nt mean they do but you can tell what their personality is by who they pick, it's not genuine). It's a weired thing because thats the goal right? But I think people just forget that at the end of the day it's just a game yet you have to play serious.
I blame things like emersion of Youtube and streams because they by accident glorify the elite and skillful. It's natural for people to want this kind of attention and exposure so I think we have arrived at a crossroad where people want to be as good as them and people who want to be as famous as them. Sadly it's not the same.
Maybe people agree with me or not but I think there is some truth to my theory.
@ not everyone who uses wesker likes him, he is like pheonix now.
I think people are more impress with players that don't play top tier and win, than players that play top tier and always win... well at least that is me. especially when a team that wins, wins with mid teir and beat top teir with those midtier. That is why I think combo fiend is a great influence.
@ 18 I picked Makoto pre A.E and I never understood why she was so underrated. I'm not a tournament player or any of the like. But if people play the characters they like, they'll find options for that particular character.
@ qubert69 the best way to honor your brother is to play for fun, back in the day that's what a majority of us did.
lol crazy how 1 people see a few others use a character who just happens to be overpowered, and no EVERYONE who uses them does it just b/c their overpowered.
that's fool's logic.
i used Dante because i thought he's cool and i liked him. Deadpool's like my favorite character in comic books so i use him, psylocke would be uses if she was in the game b/c it's my fav chick in comics. i use zero because i was always a huge fan. believe it or not, MANY people just use character that they like, and not just because it's easier to win with the said-character. NO, this does not mean that every fool out their picking Doom, Wesker, Sentiel, etc are huge or even moderate fans of the character... but it certainly doesn't mean that every who does use them aren't, either....
This is amazing stuff in this article... Absolutely agree... In any endeavor, your love and passion for it are critical and often overlooked. And you can't manufacture it.
Most of the comments are about character loyalty, it seems, but he's talking about simply loving to play, too...
@29 I have someone on my friend's list who I play from time to time who uses Clockw0rk's new team (Ammy, Doom, Strider) and beats ass with it. He was pulling out Doom combos like you've never seen (Well, maybe you did because of Maximilian), and his execution was flawless - I've never seen him drop a combo. So he was no fraud. But I see where you're coming from. Like Combofraud, who actually impersonated Combofiend and took his identity, not just used his team.
Justin should follow his own advice. I was really looking forward to seeing his Nova/Ironfist but he didn't use them.
Talking of marvel, anyone get there hands on the new HORI UMVC3 stick, make an unboxing video and then shamelessly promote their video? No? I did: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlG3Nf...
@37 Yeah I mean long as he's not playing because he thinks he's clockwork and yes people like combofraud are exactly who I am refering to, u know he don't give a damn about those characters, he's beyond obsessed with his fav pro LMAO
A
My team right now is Skrull/Spencer/Haggar. I picked them all for odd reasons, but mainly because I liked what they can do together as a team and what they can do individually by themselves. I'm thinking of making another team with Shuma and Dr. Doom. I always stick with the characters I like. Never cared much for the tiers, because they are nothing more than the opinions of people who believe how strong or weak a particular character is. I say this so many times, but the character(s) is only as strong as the person holding the controller.
Of all the players in the world, Justin has me as a big fan. Probably more so in MVC3 than anything. I liked seeing him on Wednesday night fights along with other players playing various different teams each week. I fondly remember Thor week.
When vMVC3 came out I started with Spider-man.. and built a team around him. Now my go too team is Marvel Super Heroes with Spidey/Hulk/Cpt.America. I have the most fun playing that team. But I know I don't play with the utmost winning edge. It's alright with me.
@44 i been on spidey from day 1 also... you almost have to know you will lose alot playing characters you love... like hsein-ko, spidey, and so on.....i just think they made spidey too difficult to use consistently.... web swing should be like taskmaster forward H yo!!!!
yeah, tell that to everyone who uses wesker