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What is a "Scrub"

Justice

Justice

Warrior
I was surfing TYM one day and I found a post by STORMS where he calls himself a scrub. So that got me thinking, What exactly IS a scrub? How would you define the state of "scrubness"? How does one elevate him(her)self above this state of scrub?

I ask because I know I'm a scrub, but I am no longer satisfied with playing at that level. I am trying to elevate my game and would like some concrete idea of when I can happily call myself a Noob, rather than a Scrub.

I'll use myself as an example. I know I'm a scrub because even in the few short weeks I've been really hammering on Sonya kombos, tactics, etc., I can't beat Shang Tsung on Expert, the only way I've been able to beat Shao Khan on Normal was to spam Teleport > ChoppingBroccolai (what me and my friends called Raiden's Superman in the days of MK1 cuz that's what it sounds like he's saying as he's flying), and even THAT tooke me 4.5 hrs to win with learning the timing for the Teleport to coincide with Khan's attacks (Spammin' ain't Easy ;)).
 
D

DFogz

Noob
According to the fine ladies of Destiny's Child, a scrub is a guy that thinks he's fly and is also known as a buster. Always talkin' about what he wants and just sits on his broke ass. A scrub is a guy that cant get no love from me. Hanging out the passenger side of his best-friend's ride, trying to holler at me.

All joking aside, scrub is fairly synonymous with noob, or newbie. Especially someone who thinks they're good, but in reality sucks balls.

Playing against the AI isn't really a good way to determine noob-ness or scrubness. Shao Kahn is a cheap, good-for-nothing bastard of a boss and generally everyone has a tough time against him even on a good day.

I would say, based on the info you provided, you're definitely more noob-y than scrub. Just keep up the hard work, and practice. If you can, get in some offline matches with some friends, or if your internet connection isn't atrocious, try out some online play. Fighting against a human-controlled opponent is much different than an AI controlled one. You might be pleasantly surprised with your skill level then, and even if you lose you can still learn something useful from every match against a person.
 
hardwire

hardwire

Apprentice
well original a scrub was some one that looked like they were trying to scrub there controller clean with all there button mashing
 
Saint

Saint

Kombatant
You ask what a scrub is.

You ask because you know you are a scrub.

Whatever you are, is the definition of scrub.

You have asked a question and answered it in your own post.


To me a scrub is a competitor of inferior skill, a newbie, or noob if you will.

Somebody whose skill is insignificant to mine and doesn't pose a threat.


If you keep doing whatever it is you do, you'll get the results you've always got.

You need to play better competition than yourself to improve, if you play someone of lesser skill than yourself you will not only be standing still in terms of development, it might even hurt your game in a negative way.


Also, what Raiden actually says is 'fizzy bubbelech', the Israeli drink from the movie 'You don't mess with the Zohan'.
 
R

retic

Noob
Newbies/noobs are...

...new to the game
...trying to learn how to be better
...practice until they get better

Scrubs...

...think throwing is cheap/should be banned in "real tourneys"
...think Scorpion is OP because his fatality is sooo easy to do
...think that the best players are the ones who can pull off the most number of hits in a combo
...think "backdooring" in games like HoN/dota is comparable to using Akuma in Super SF 2 Turbo OR using the Venom+Spiderman handcuff glitch in Marvel Versus Capcom 1...or simply "throwing"
...think that the best players are the ones who pull off the most number of specials in a match
...think that winning by chip damage is lame
...insist that ANY character in a fighting game can be played as a rushdown character
...scream that Sub Zero is cheap because they keep jumping into an ice clone
...scream that Reptile is cheap because Elbow Dash > naked uppercut

Hope this analogy helps ;)
 
Massive Kano

Massive Kano

Black Dragon
I'm skeptical of the common "scrubbing the SF controls" explanation for the terms, frankly. Precisely because of things like the TLC video. You mean to tell me tthat song has its origins in dorky SF arcade slang? Doubtful...
 
rev0lver

rev0lver

Come On Die Young
What I consider a scrub isn't a noob, they could've been playing the game since the demo. I consider someone a scrub if they sit at one level the whole time and make no effort to level up. Refusal to learn matchups, refusal to learn defense against certain tactics, and above all, refusal to accept that they are the reason for their losses and nothing else (except online lag, of course).
 
xxvic1ousxx

xxvic1ousxx

Awake and Dreaming...
iplaywinner`s definition:


  • SCRUB
    Term for someone who is terrible at fighting games with no intentions of getting any better due to the fact that they are convinced they are already a legit player.
 
jamessmk

jamessmk

I am your god
Scrub is something a nurse wears, also a sponge similar to a loofa, or a person of lower ranking and skill level in video games, that is unwilling to learn to better himself.
 
doomfarmer

doomfarmer

unorthodox
A few posters already did a good job of what I personally use the "scrub" term for. Someone who THINKS they are the shit. Not willing to learn anything more than what they know. Talks down on certain tactics because he thinks they're cheap or spamming, etc.

OP, if you're saying, "I think i'm a scrub because i'm not good, and i'd like to get better"... you're not a scrub. You might be someone who is not that great at the game, but you want to learn. You want to be a better player. There's nothing scrubby about that. You can get beat every time you play, but if you're trying to adjust your playing style, ask questions "what am I doing wrong" etc, there's no way you're considered a scrub.

I see scrubs on this website pretty often. People giving out bad advice. Getting super defensive when someone else tries to tell them they're wrong. Major scrubs. You play online? You get hatemail? Scrubs. If someone can say, "well you only won because of this"... they're a scrub. You'll get messages like that online if you win. Scrubs makes excuses about everything.

The good news for scrubs, is that you don't have to be one. Some of you scrubs need to just get over yourselves. :coffee:
 
Fuzzymic14

Fuzzymic14

FC Bound
If I were to call someone one of these names, I couldn't call anyone a Noob if they had played like more than 400 games... I would use scrub.

Noob is just newbie right?
 
Reedoms

Reedoms

Champion
Scrub is someone who just slams their hands across the stick like they are scrubbing the buttons.
Typically means they are bad.
 
bipolar_shango

bipolar_shango

" Bros before Hoes"
You are no longer a scrub when you can beat the game on Expert without any problem.. At very least with your main! Then we shall welcome you to the order of N00bs ;)
 
GamerBlake90

GamerBlake90

Blue Blurs for Life!
A scrub isn't exactly defined as a bad player. It's often confused with the term "noob."

What a scrub truly is...well, let me give you an example: I was online this morning and I got challenged by some guy named xplayerZER0x. He had skill, but atfer I tied him three-to-three by taking advantage of his jumping, he pulled and talked down on me for winning with teleport tactics. He was clearly under the impression that teleporting is the sign of a bad player...

Another example is when I beat somebody in Smoke mirror matches and he sent me messages telling me to go kill myself just for using R1.

Do you know what this makes people like them? IDIOTS.

A scrub is somebody who makes up his own code of rules as to how a game should be played. He'll refuse to take responsibility for his losses, instead choosing to label the tactics that beat him as ones that are "weak." This is out of a desire to keep his ego from collapsing. Often you'll hear terms like "spam" and "cheating" from such losers.

Scrubs can have skill, but if they choose not to learn how to counter specific tactics in any fighting game, they can't develop as a player. Some are so infernally convinced that true players only win with aggression and combos rather than exploiting all the advantages you have, LOL. Often the scrubs get looked down on because egotism never receives any favor at all.

If you don't do any of the above things I just named, then even if you're only a learner...you most certainly are not a scrub. In fact, there's hope for you improving as long as you don't slip into the mindset that there should be rules to a game.
 
Vagrant

Vagrant

Champion
My definition: A Scrub is a player of sub elite skill without the desire to respectfully learn and develop his skills.

The guy who loses and goes back and looks at what he did wrong, what he can improve, and respects his opponent is not a scrub.

The guy that PMs you complaining about the 111 string your scorpion just beat him with.... Thats a scrub.
 
SHAOLIN

SHAOLIN

内部冲突
A Scrub- A person who wants to play a fighting game on a Competitive level but doesn't take the time or effort to actually learn how to play the game(Bnb,footies,spacing,etc)
 
Tong Lung

Tong Lung

What is a breaker?
This is a scrub

To me a scrub is someone that has no desire to improve and yet expects to succeed. It's that person who'd rather complain and get mad instead of learning from his mistakes and change his tactics.
 
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