Hate Speech: Character Selection
- Thread starter Dr. Hates
- Start date
BLACKSTAR
[10] Knight
Wow. Thanks, Hates -- this topic really made me think back to times I haven't thought of in awhile. And while I was thinking, I ended up typing too. Beware the upcoming Calibur autobiography. :)
Sorry. :P Procrastination does things like this.
As far as picking characters, I know in my earlier SC1 years, I loved exclusively picking chicks. I say then as I would say now, if I had a choice at looking at a fictional character in the training room for hours-on-end-until-my-eyes-bleed-or-something, then I'd naturally pick a good looking female. Seems logical to me. Funny enough, I disliked Sophie from day one (eventually turning into HATE). She's looks good, but, here was just something about that chick....that's just.......eeeew.
But I've always prided myself on picking fast characters. That's just the type of style I've always gravitated to. So naturally I picked Taki first, and stuck with her for awhile. But her style just didn't click with me for some reason...I never figured out why, though I would use her more later on, when she became my secondary in future games. I think it was because I would use moves like her Wind Roll, and couldn't figure out how to make them useful.
I ended up trying out Xianghua, because I ran out of options. This chick looked like a child, had a flat-chest and a high-pitched voice, and rocked a style that seemed too slow for my tastes. I figured I'd play her for an hour. But once I picked her, I couldn't stop picking her. Trying out her Tai Chi-style moves, they seemed like they were built for tricking and outsmarting your opponent. I loved that -- the only thing I love more in fighting games than a fast female, is a female with moves that can make people look like complete idiots through superior yomi skills. I became enamored with her, obsessing over her by trying to figure out how these moves of hers were to be used to make my opponents pay dearly for their mistakes.
Well that was, what, 10 years ago? That was 8 before I was introduced into any sort of competitive community. I had the right mindset, but I didn't have to tools or the environment necessary to achieve that goal. But I love fighting games, and Calibur, so I kept playing them, and I loved Xianghua, so I stuck with the character ever since then. People might have character loyalty between games, but I had a reason for mine: I wasn't going to stop playing Xianghua as my main character until I achieved my goal of becoming an expert with her. And even then, I'd still play her, because I've grown so fond of her style and character.
As far as SC4 was concerned, I discovered 8wayrun.com in '09-'10, was amazed at the player skill level, loved being apart of the bi-weekly online tournaments, and loved being in a group of like-minded people for once in my life. :D I went to the Xianghua soul forums to check out videos of the world's top Xianghua players to see what they were doing that made them so smart. I then got really pissed off. I remember watching videos of Kayane, I think Mick, and a couple of other players and thought 'these are the best Xianghua players??'. I spent a long time trying to learn Xianghua's playstyle, and I see these guys using a very very minimalistic,simplistic (read:boring) style, with only a small fraction of her movelist. It's funny but I was quite literally insulted. I would later realize, that there was (at least) a reason why their playstyles were the way they were, and would come to respect it (and, in ways, try to emulate/recreate it in my own style). But at the time, I made it my goal in SC4 to show these players 'how to really play Xianghua'. :D That was my inspiration behind going to SC tournaments.
The only Xianghua/Calibur-in-general player that inspired me was Serge. He really explored her character depths in SC4 when nobody bothered to. Most other Xianghua players I've seen back then played an annoying style that's content with just using AA, 44B, 2K, etc. When everybody, including top players called her SXS stance 'useless', he was the one to discover the potential behind the moves, particularly the very-much-used-now SXS(Blue) Waterfall/B guard crush. I don't know how his relationship with other players, but like I told him at FSAK, I'll always have the utmost respect for him, as he was the model which, unbeknownst to him, I'd shape my own playstyle from.
But I've always prided myself on picking fast characters. That's just the type of style I've always gravitated to. So naturally I picked Taki first, and stuck with her for awhile. But her style just didn't click with me for some reason...I never figured out why, though I would use her more later on, when she became my secondary in future games. I think it was because I would use moves like her Wind Roll, and couldn't figure out how to make them useful.
I ended up trying out Xianghua, because I ran out of options. This chick looked like a child, had a flat-chest and a high-pitched voice, and rocked a style that seemed too slow for my tastes. I figured I'd play her for an hour. But once I picked her, I couldn't stop picking her. Trying out her Tai Chi-style moves, they seemed like they were built for tricking and outsmarting your opponent. I loved that -- the only thing I love more in fighting games than a fast female, is a female with moves that can make people look like complete idiots through superior yomi skills. I became enamored with her, obsessing over her by trying to figure out how these moves of hers were to be used to make my opponents pay dearly for their mistakes.
Well that was, what, 10 years ago? That was 8 before I was introduced into any sort of competitive community. I had the right mindset, but I didn't have to tools or the environment necessary to achieve that goal. But I love fighting games, and Calibur, so I kept playing them, and I loved Xianghua, so I stuck with the character ever since then. People might have character loyalty between games, but I had a reason for mine: I wasn't going to stop playing Xianghua as my main character until I achieved my goal of becoming an expert with her. And even then, I'd still play her, because I've grown so fond of her style and character.
As far as SC4 was concerned, I discovered 8wayrun.com in '09-'10, was amazed at the player skill level, loved being apart of the bi-weekly online tournaments, and loved being in a group of like-minded people for once in my life. :D I went to the Xianghua soul forums to check out videos of the world's top Xianghua players to see what they were doing that made them so smart. I then got really pissed off. I remember watching videos of Kayane, I think Mick, and a couple of other players and thought 'these are the best Xianghua players??'. I spent a long time trying to learn Xianghua's playstyle, and I see these guys using a very very minimalistic,simplistic (read:boring) style, with only a small fraction of her movelist. It's funny but I was quite literally insulted. I would later realize, that there was (at least) a reason why their playstyles were the way they were, and would come to respect it (and, in ways, try to emulate/recreate it in my own style). But at the time, I made it my goal in SC4 to show these players 'how to really play Xianghua'. :D That was my inspiration behind going to SC tournaments.
The only Xianghua/Calibur-in-general player that inspired me was Serge. He really explored her character depths in SC4 when nobody bothered to. Most other Xianghua players I've seen back then played an annoying style that's content with just using AA, 44B, 2K, etc. When everybody, including top players called her SXS stance 'useless', he was the one to discover the potential behind the moves, particularly the very-much-used-now SXS(Blue) Waterfall/B guard crush. I don't know how his relationship with other players, but like I told him at FSAK, I'll always have the utmost respect for him, as he was the model which, unbeknownst to him, I'd shape my own playstyle from.
Sorry. :P Procrastination does things like this.
JOSUEY_DE_PR
[05] Battler
if yun seong isnt in sc5 then ill pick patroclus but idk really ill just give them all a go and see which one suits my playstyle, i like to dodge verticals cuz there so easy to predict, yun seong suits my play style cuz of his mixups and auto vertical dodge crane stance move, i like to zone(in and out) and do mixups i dont like to be all in my oponents face and button mash
Pocky-Yoshi
[14] Master
I pick Yoshi because my main goal is to be the hardcore silly yet devious fighter. So I like mind games, being patient with my prey, being able to adapt while having fun, and seppuku when things are going out of favor(but I only do this when an opportunity presents itself).
Hilde and Natsu because I get boners from them. But on the hardcore side, I want to try new things by playing people I like. Should they somehow turn me off, I'll play someone that will fit my needs:
Fun factor, solid feel, and looks. All the hardcore stuff falls in later once I get use to whatever main I choose. If they're low tier, I'll find someone solid I like and play that someone that has the looks, solid feel, and fun factor.
End of ramble.
Hilde and Natsu because I get boners from them. But on the hardcore side, I want to try new things by playing people I like. Should they somehow turn me off, I'll play someone that will fit my needs:
Fun factor, solid feel, and looks. All the hardcore stuff falls in later once I get use to whatever main I choose. If they're low tier, I'll find someone solid I like and play that someone that has the looks, solid feel, and fun factor.
End of ramble.