Does the chance of "Not being the best" hurt your ego to attempt to main a character?

[Ayx]

This is mostly for people who are intermediate players who are interested in competing in the tournament scene, or in general. I'm not really a person with a huge ego but I have some friends and know people who do and simply want to be known as that "Character". As soon as you mention that character you already compare it to the Pro that mains it. Pretty much meaning the face of the character.

I'd name drop but obviously that's begging for disaster so I'm just going to use this example:

Let's say I try to main Cyrax, no matter how much I gain in Tournament Experience and I have a different gameplay style to a certain pro's Cyrax, I'll be known as the guy who "Has a nice Cyrax, but This Pro's Cyrax is totally better." even though we both have good rankings and beat people of high prestige in the fighting community. It's almost like as soon as you start winning games with your tournament character, you're known as that character and everyone other person who mains him/her is devalued.

I know, opinions are like asses, but we're talking about people's ego where opinions (sadly) matter often.

Does this have an impact when trying to main a character later as the game evolves?

Do you choose a character people aren't familiar with JUST so people can know you as "that character"?

Discuss.

 

[Lou Kang]

As much as i haaate loosing mirror matches this never really ran through my mind when i decided to pick liu. Although since i do tend to pick characters that few others do maybe means i like to at least be considered in an upper echelon level of that character.

 

[CitizenSnips]

I always main Reptile in every MK game. While I do think I have a good Reptile, THTB, Chris G and Art Sanchez will always be known as the best unless I end up winning every single tournament EVARRRRRRR.

I don't mind knowing that there are better Reptiles.

 

[Cibernetico]

It sounds to me like you are describing someone who is trying to get recognized by the entire Fighting Game Community. Almost like this player wants to be a household name within the community like Daigo, JWong and Yipes are.

But at the same time, if that player is just trying to have his name be completely associated with a certain character, are they even playing that character because they love the character ot because they have some sort of jealousy that they have put in so much time and noone bothers to associate them with said character?

It's an odd situation but I get what you are saying.

 

[FrothyOmen]

I play Smoke because I feel he is comparatively unexplored and heavily underrepresented by the community, despite everyone saying "yeah, smoke's a pretty good character". I don't have the means to travel to any tournaments to test my mettle, especially since they're all nowhere near me, but I'm sure I can speak for myself, KT Smith, and most of the other guys in the smoke forum when I say that we would all like to try to be "that guy" with Smoke. CD Jr. and Aris don't really count since they don't play Smoke anymore...

I guess you could say that what you're talking about has a reverse effect for us. I'd be interested to hear about other characters/players perspectives.

 

[YougotCaged1]

Personally I picked my main character Scorpion because I enjoy playing him. It's cool that there's 2 well known scorpion players(slips and check) to look up to when working on improving with him. So in short, I don't care if there's already a face of the character I play, if anything I learn from them. Kind of reminds me of how Tom Brady is the face of sub zero but everybody started to think Denzel was the best sub.

 

[Ayx]

It sounds to me like you are describing someone who is trying to get recognized by the entire Fighting Game Community. Almost like this player wants to be a household name within the community like Daigo, JWong and Yipes are.

But at the same time, if that player is just trying to have his name be completely associated with a certain character, are they even playing that character because they love the character ot because they have some sort of jealousy that they have put in so much time and noone bothers to associate them with said character?

It's an odd situation but I get what you are saying.

Well to be fair, I'm pretty sure everyone in here wouldn't mind being a person with prestige within the fighting game community, given the credentials of course.

Sometimes (if the game evolved a bit of course.) I've tried low tier or characters that I see rarely showcased on tournaments just to see why and how can I make that character go further. Just like how when people see a High Level Jax, Sonya (Back then, they're becoming more frequent now.) and people used to seeing KL dominate it gives them a "that's the Jax Representing MK" and so on.

I will always have a soft spot for one character in any game, but I always like to expand my options.

Personally I picked my main character Scorpion because I enjoy playing him. It's cool that there's 2 well known scorpion players(slips and check) to look up to when working on improving with him. So in short, I don't care if there's already a face of the character I play, if anything I learn from them. Kind of reminds me of how Tom Brady is the face of sub zero but everybody started to think Denzel was the best sub.

Face of the character, that's what I meant. I think I might tweak it in case people don't know what I mean. Thanks for that.

 

[TakeAChance]

I main Rain...so I am pretty sure I have enormous shoes to fill....

 

[rev0lver]

I play Kitana, and only Kitana, and I'm starting to go to VSM. My first match there was a mirror against CD. So, no, in fact it shows me what I can do differently than top players like him while still learning his strats.

 

[16 Bit]

Let's say I try to main Cyrax, no matter how much I gain in Tournament Experience and I have a different gameplay style to a certain pro's Cyrax, I'll be known as the guy who "Has a nice Cyrax, but This Pro's Cyrax is totally better." even though we both have good rankings and beat people of high prestige in the fighting community. It's almost like as soon as you start winning games with your tournament character, you're known as that character and everyone other person who mains him/her is devalued.

Not really, there's often multiple top players for each character or hype and controversey over who's best.

 

[Ayx]

Not really, there's often multiple top players for each character or hype and controversey over who's best.

Of course there is, I've seen some epic Shang Tsung battles between Alex and Detroit who both main him.

It's not always the case, but not everyone likes to fight for the top to earn the right to be called the face of [X] character.

 

[HammerZeit88]

Since I only have the ability to play online I would have to say that I don't. But if there was a any kind of offline community around Saint Cloud, MN I know i would shoot for being the best Johnny Cage in my area and than start going to bigger tournaments. But alas I might be the only MK9 player within a 60 mile radius that i know of.

 

[Gamin_Guru]

When I started maining Shang Bang, no one famous used him. A couple weeks later, Alex Valle started appearing on streams with similar tactics as mine. I could care less who uses Shang now.

 

[SilverKeyMan]

I main Sub-Zero, I'm definitely an "intermediate" casual player, and I don't compare to some well known Sub-Zero pros, for a number of reasons. I'm not nearly as good, I don't use ice clones nearly as much, and I don't whine on youtube when I lose. =P

 

[ZeroEffect]

Very Interesting topic. When I played Soul Calibur 4 tournaments, I mained Talim. Talim was bottom tier in that game, so naturally I was one of few that played her. I placed very highly in tournaments with a character doomed to be garbage, and thus, became well known as "the best Talim in the world". (they called me that, I didn't rank myself) Now with MK9, I main Mileena. After Evo, REO will always be known as the best Mileena even if he never plays her ever again. I can win many tournaments and never get out of his shadow.

Fact is, he's a well-known player.. sponsored, adored by the community, almost mini celeb status. I am not... and no amount of wins will change this.

So i just focus on getting better and hopefully winning. I don't need to be seen as the best Mileena, all I need is to be the best player at that given tournament

 

[G4S MinotaurLord]

As a Reptile/Kenshi main, I have big shoes to fill on one side (that I doubt I could ever go toe to toe with) and pretty much nothing but crickets on the forums on the other side. Each has distinct advantages and disadvantages.

I love that there are so many people who are incredibly awesome with reptile and are infinitely better than I am (I don't need to list them, you've all seen them around here). They all play differently and the Reptile forums are always active and alive. I'm always picking up new tricks and ways to play with him, and those players who will ensure I will never be as good as them still help me up my game tenfold. My constant leveling up with Reptile comes with the drawback that I will, in fact, always be a scrub when compared to the big guys.

Kenshi, on the other hand, is a fairly unexplored character (or at least what has been explored hasn't been utilized competitively to the best of my knowledge). He generates the largest amount of my hatemail inbox because many people don't know how to fight against a lot of what he can do. The amount of Kenshi players I've run in to are small, and the ones that I would consider better than me (DISCLAIMER: THAT I'VE PLAYED AGAINST) are smaller still. The downside to this is that I don't have nearly as much tech with him as I do with reptile, and I get massacred in some matchups because I simply haven't seen players at the top of their game do that matchup at all. I'm not claiming that the key to success is to watch pros do something and then pick it up, but anyone who thinks it doesn't help is a moron.

Would we all love to be "that guy" with a character? Sure, but there's something to be said about having those people in the community we can look up to, also.

 

[shinzo123]

Good thing you aren't playing Sub Zero, cause there is only one subzero. TOM MUTHA FUCKIN BRADY!

 

[webreg]

If there is a very good player that mains the same character I do and I know I will never be able to surpass him/her, then that's not a problem. I even see this as an encouragement to become better and try to learn from that player. I absolutely hate playing characters that are common though and I have never ever even tried to play Kung Lao, Reptile or Raiden because of that. That's why I'm perfectly happy settling for a mid tier character and don't even wish for buffs because that could increase the number of players significantly. Maybe my chances at winning are lowered because of that decision but it makes winning all that sweeter.

 

[Lumpymoomilk]

I play over half the cast somewhat moderately ok, I definitely have characters I'm better with but I don't think I'm ever going to be the best at anyone so I don't set the bar high. I find it more fun to play a variety of characters than keep playing the same one to be the best honestly. I have video game attention deficit disorder I think.

 

[Tremloc]

if it hurts your ego when someone is better at you in something, you're in for a rough life.

 

[A F0xy Grampa]

I AM THE BEST! LOLOL

 

[CptXecution]

Eh it's not always the case. Look at Erik Warda...he's turned some heads after every one said Mike had the best Kabal.

 

[A F0xy Grampa]

I think its got alot to do with where you come from. For example the greek players arent exactly taken seriously by the US. But in europe theyre top notch and I have no doubt that Nivek (Raiden) Metsoz (Ermac) and Hidan (Quan Chi) are all be better with their characters than their US counterparts. Same can be said about Usedforglue and his CSZ, I reckon he'd be likely to take REO out, or it'd be incredibly close.

 

[B W1zZ]

I main Raiden, and in a way I kind of see myself as the player most representing him. I've mained him in every MK game he was in. I like to think of myself as the best player for my character, but the fact of the matter is not too many people represent him at a high level. The most known Raiden players besides myself are JOP and Justin Wong, and I've been told by several people that neither one of theirs is anything like mine. These happen to be the only two Raiden players I was somewhat impressed with (JOP at PDP, not EVO, and JWong at Sin City Heat).

JWong is just an overall great fighting game player with great fundamentals, but he doesn't really invest much time into MK or know the character as thouroughly.

I've played against and beat many top, known tournament players offline (not going to mention any names), and most of them (win or lose) say I'm the best Raiden they have seen or played against by far. I didn't go around claiming I was the best Raiden, I've basically just played against great players and that's what they all say.

Sure I feel a little cocky about it sometimes (moreso confident), but that's only because I have so much experience.

I'm sure there are other Raidens similar to me who simply haven't surfaced, and I know anyone who is fundamentally good at this game could pick the character up and learn to play him in a similar manner. Only some things come with experience, though.

Besides Raiden I at least have the basics down for most of the roster, save for a few characters.

I think its got alot to do with where you come from. For example the greek players arent exactly taken seriously by the US. But in europe theyre top notch and I have no doubt that Nivek (Raiden) Metsoz (Ermac) and Hidan (Quan Chi) are all be better with their characters than their US counterparts. Same can be said about Usedforglue and his CSZ, I reckon he'd be likely to take REO out, or it'd be incredibly close.

I loled @ UK players being better than US players with their respective characters. Naturally I understand you'd like to think so, but that's essentially not true.

The only impressive thing I seen from Nivek is aa jump punch into B312 superman, unfortunately. Dont get me wrong his Raiden is good, but from what I seen he played sub optimally, and inconsistently.

 

[SwiftTomHanks]

It's always neat to have a character that you feel is "yours". To be honest, I really wanted to play Kung Lao before the game came out since I played him all the time in MK2. But after his extreme and quick rise to popularity I chose the character I used in MK3 (never played either games competitively), Sektor. So I guess you could say I made the change due to others playing a character - but more so due to him being over exposed than thinking I'm the best with a character.

@FoxyGrampa - I wish there was a way I could play some EU players. There's this guy...Ketchup... I hear he's free.