IceNine
Tired, But Strong
I 100% agree about losing with humility. I believe in it regardless of reason, but whining at someone because you feel that your character is inferior is pretty high on the list. I really can't stand any behaviour by the loser that somehow attempts to "lessen" the win. It's bad sportsmanship, among other things. Can't blame anyone but yourself and your own decisions.
I'd say toward the end you mighta got a bit vicious and misrepresent the views of other folk who play to win (since I'm certain that winning is a form of fun for you, certainly!), but I get the message.
Personally, I play to learn/improve, so I can gain some sense of satisfaction from a loss if I feel that it's made me a better player/it's shown a marked improvement in my performance. That said, I want to win as much as humanly possible, as that's obviously the most satisfying form of self-evident growth. In that regard, I'm pretty neutral in this character loyalty vs top tier debate. I'll pick whatever I feel suits my personal style in a way that I can definitely see myself coming as close to that character's "ceiling" as possible , regardless of the character's in-universe background or their tier position (straight up viability could be a factor, though). If it doesn't work out and I feel that my play becomes stagnant, I'll explore other avenues in an attempt to find a better match until I'm satisfied. I'm not quite enough of a masochist to play a character that brings me no joy for any reason.
Pardon the rant, my whole idea here was to show one mindset that lie between the two extremes presented in the OP, and I kinda got out of hand. I'm sure there are plenty of other sorts of mindsets among the TYM populace, 'swell. Such a splendid spectrum of motivations all have their place, just don't be a dick if whatever drives you doesn't yield the win ratio you think you deserve.
I'd say toward the end you mighta got a bit vicious and misrepresent the views of other folk who play to win (since I'm certain that winning is a form of fun for you, certainly!), but I get the message.
Personally, I play to learn/improve, so I can gain some sense of satisfaction from a loss if I feel that it's made me a better player/it's shown a marked improvement in my performance. That said, I want to win as much as humanly possible, as that's obviously the most satisfying form of self-evident growth. In that regard, I'm pretty neutral in this character loyalty vs top tier debate. I'll pick whatever I feel suits my personal style in a way that I can definitely see myself coming as close to that character's "ceiling" as possible , regardless of the character's in-universe background or their tier position (straight up viability could be a factor, though). If it doesn't work out and I feel that my play becomes stagnant, I'll explore other avenues in an attempt to find a better match until I'm satisfied. I'm not quite enough of a masochist to play a character that brings me no joy for any reason.
Pardon the rant, my whole idea here was to show one mindset that lie between the two extremes presented in the OP, and I kinda got out of hand. I'm sure there are plenty of other sorts of mindsets among the TYM populace, 'swell. Such a splendid spectrum of motivations all have their place, just don't be a dick if whatever drives you doesn't yield the win ratio you think you deserve.