Does Character Loyalty matter? Why do the pros win?

[STB Shujinkydink]

Hey guys! made a video aboot character loyalty and how if effects gameplay. hope you enjoy

 

[Crusty]

Character loyalty is nice but depending on how viable the character is.

I care little of character loyalty anymore. However, it does play a factor on whatever character is good, if I like said character or not.

I might play for fun but I can't fun if I'm not winning. That doesn't make me a sore loser though.

 

[Kitanasbiggestfan]

Dope video mate. I haven't put down my day one main simply because I still think I need to and can improve. If I felt like I'd taken it as far as I could then I'd move on to another character. I'm blown away by people who can play multiple characters and counter pick the hell out of me as it's taken so long just for me to be equally skilled in all three variations.

 

[FL Rushdown]

No. if you're there to win you should pick what gives you the best chance to win. End of discussion.

 

[STB Shujinkydink]

No. if you're there to win you should pick what gives you the best chance to win. End of discussion.

But that's the discussion. Playing a top tier for 2 days or mid tier for 2 years

 

[Dankster Morgan]

I think in MKX where there is literally 100 different play styles to counter a character loyalist's 1-3 play styles (unless only one variation is viable) character loyalty isn't viable unless you play veeeeery select characters.

 

[FL Rushdown]

But that's the discussion. Playing a top tier for 2 days or mid tier for 2 years

I think my post adequately answers that question. If you've put in two years of work on a character even a low tier one it's better than a top tier that you don't play. I think that the muscle memory and matchup knowledge advantages that you listed are real, but they're also temporary. If you want to put in the work to switch you can, which if your end goal is to win, I believe you should. If you winning your local helps put food on the table for your kid or clothes on your back you pick whatever you gotta to win.

But like you said, it all comes down to how much do you wanna win, and I'd say people like dragon and sonic fox want to win more than people like tom Brady and pig of the hut. Doesn't make em better players overall, but it definitely makes them more likely to win.

 

[Skedar70]

Good video Dink. Thanks

 

[Eddy Wang]

Character Loyalty is only as good as the character viability, u can play a character for 2 years, if he has an exploitable weakness that can chop most of his chances off in whatever meta the game is currently playing if he is not viable, you're a sadomasochist @ROG Moonspell stop playing hat trick damn it.

 

[Espio]

Subscribed for the soothing vocals and dashing good looks!

This was a great video for sure, one thing I would like to add though is character loyalty at least in my opinion is also based around the notion of a character also fitting your strengths as a player really well. I've only played one game(Injustice) where I had a main(Hawkgirl) that fit me like a glove and I held my own against the vast majority of people mid and high level. A character that augments your strengths and offsets your weaknesses means so much in my experience.


Learning with her was fun, easy and constant, I never got to a point where I didn't feel I was learning more and enjoying every bit of it. Grinding bad match ups wasn't a chore either and after playing Hawkgirl for years I was comfortable in every match up, it's a rewarding feeling.

I know a lot of people say play to win and what not, but I don't think there's anything wrong with playing a mid tier and there are lots of past examples of low tier characters played by exceptional players making their mark like 16Bit's Catwoman.

Some find their place playing to the tiers, others find it with a character they're actually passionate about and put in consistent time and effort to succeed.

I know I learned my lesson from MKX, I tried to learn too many characters and strayed too far from my strength of being a character specialist.

 

[SneakyTortoise]

It completely depends on the player. Sonic is undoubtedly the best NRS player, and I don't think anyone could seriously argue that he's a character loyalist or will expect him to be one in I2.

Then there are people like 16 bit and revolver who show what success can be accomplished by being loyal to your character and learning the intricacies of every MU that counterpickers wouldn't have time for. But were both held back by their reluctance to have a back-up.

Something I find interesting though, is if 16 bit had learned another character for the Aquaman or Bane MU or if revolver had learned another character for Zod, would this have affected their labbing with their characters THAT much?

I know they'd both say they had no interest in playing other characters, but would it not be worth it to just suck it up for those absolutely disgusting MUs to give their main the chance to shine further on in the tournament? I'm sure that neither regrets their decision though

 

[STB Shujinkydink]

It completely depends on the player. Sonic is undoubtedly the best NRS player, and I don't think anyone could seriously argue that he's a character loyalist or will expect him to be one in I2.

Then there are people like 16 bit and revolver who show what success can be accomplished by being loyal to your character and learning the intricacies of every MU that counterpickers wouldn't have time for. But were both held back by their reluctance to have a back-up.

Something I find interesting though, is if 16 bit had learned another character for the Aquaman or Bane MU or if revolver had learned another character for Zod, would this have affected their labbing with their characters THAT much?

I know they'd both say they had no interest in playing other characters, but would it not be worth it to just suck it up for those absolutely disgusting MUs to give their main the chance to shine further on in the tournament? I'm sure that neither regrets their decision though

I totally agree with that! What I struggle with personally is ill learn a MU with my secondary, and then get mopped up by their counterpick to my counterpick cause i didnt have time to learn that specific MU lol. Then it becomes a game of whos up in the FT3, who gets the last counterpick kinda thing

 

[Johnny Based Cage]

Subscribed for the soothing vocals and dashing good looks!

This was a great video for sure, one thing I would like to add though is character loyalty at least in my opinion is also based around the notion of a character also fitting your strengths as a player really well. I've only played one game(Injustice) where I had a main(Hawkgirl) that fit me like a glove and I held my own against the vast majority of people mid and high level. A character that augments your strengths and offsets your weaknesses means so much in my experience.


Learning with her was fun, easy and constant, I never got to a point where I didn't feel I was learning more and enjoying every bit of it. Grinding bad match ups wasn't a chore either and after playing Hawkgirl for years I was comfortable in every match up, it's a rewarding feeling.

I know a lot of people say play to win and what not, but I don't think there's anything wrong with playing a mid tier and there are lots of past examples of low tier characters played by exceptional players making their mark like 16Bit's Catwoman.

Some find their place playing to the tiers, others find it with a character they're actually passionate about and put in consistent time and effort to succeed.

I know I learned my lesson from MKX, I tried to learn too many characters and strayed too far from my strength of being a character specialist.

Oh Hawkgirl fit your strengths? And what would those be: being an asshole and making us poor Grundy players want to die? Why do I even like you?

 

[Crusty]

Oh Hawkgirl fit your strengths? And what would those be: being an asshole and making us poor Grundy players want to die? Why do I even like you?

Whose Grundy?

 

[STB Shujinkydink]

Oh Hawkgirl fit your strengths? And what would those be: being an asshole and making us poor Grundy players want to die? Why do I even like you?

don't forget the frost players ;_; as ive heard its like a cat chasing a laser pointer

 

[Juggs]

Depends on the type of player you are and how quickly you learn characters and become adept with them. Players like REO and SonicFox for example will benefit more, imo, from using most of the characters and just picking the best character for the match-up. Players like me will benefit more from sticking to 1-3 characters max and learning them and their match-ups. It also depends on the game.

But a player being "loyal" to a character out of some weird fetish for the character is definitely not something I'd say is advantageous unless the character is solid and doesn't have a lot of terrible match-ups.

 

[Lokheit]

Personally I'd still try to master my favorite characters, and if I ever get into serious competition I guess I'd have to pick the ones from my favorites that are better for the match up, but I'd still try to solve every matchup with my favorite ones.

So I would play the characters that I like the most but at the end from that pool I would have to use the most viable ones. I wouldn't use a character that I don't like even if it's broken though.

 

[callMEcrazy]

MKX was almost purpose built to solve the character loyalty problem. You have 3 variations of each character that have loads of stuff in common. So if you are loyal to a character, you can always dump one variation that has fallen down the tiers, and pick up one that is doing well right now. Many Quan Chi loyalists were using summoner in the early days of mkx; now they use sorcerer. That's how you do it.

 

[Invincible Salads]

So remember,

if your doubting yourself, stop it.

Get some help

 

[Evil Canadian]

Character loyalty only matters if you are loyal to the truly worst of the worst. T.hawk forever!!!!

 

[Kooron Nation]

@STB Shujinkydink if Warlock's armoured portal stab worked properly I don't think you'd be asking this question

 

[STB Shujinkydink]

@STB Shujinkydink if Warlock's armoured portal stab worked properly I don't think you'd be asking this question

Give scoop a MB option like predator has

 

[The_Tile]

Give scoop a MB option like predator has

I still question why they didn't do this with Warlock and a couple of other characters, balanced and lackey also come to mind.

 

[neveradestroyer]

Take a Character like Kenshi, Jason or Kitana, downplay/cry about it until He/She becomes top tier (Kenshi mains still do this to this day). Then claim loyality to make the developers not to nerf it later. That's what has been happening. If the character is good at the beginning (Kung jin, Kung lao, Sub Zero, Jhonny Cage) is condemed to be nerfed.

 

[TarkatanDentist]

One thing I'd love to see (even though it's unrealistic as fuck) is someone who deliberately enhances their skills with every single character in the cast, and then goes to tournaments with absolutely no one being able to guess who they'll pull out next - the perfect antithesis to character loyalty.

In all seriousness though, character loyalty can be a very, very painful thing - try maining Zelda in any Smash Bros game and you'll see it for yourself!