Zigsta
Disney Film Director
Link to original post: [drupal=4360]Overcoming the Scrub Mentality: How to Maximize Your Tournament Potential[/drupal]
For those of you who've been wondering why I've been posting only my iPhone for the past month or so, I developed tendinitis due to too much time on my laptop (screenwriting, SWF, schoolwork), desktop (animating), and Smash. And lemme tell ya, it's been KILLING me because I've had an idea for a blog in my head for a LONG time now, and I literally couldn't use my computer long enough to type it up. So without further ado, here goes:
You arrive at your first tournament. You're an avid visitor of Smashboards, but you don't post too often because you feel you don't have much to contribute. You instantly notice the majority of the top players there. You know them my name and character, and you just stand there and silently watch them. You wonder if you made the right decision coming here. You're gonna get wrecked in the first round if everyone here plays this good.
I've been to a fair share of tournaments since Brawl's release, and I see tons of new players acting like this. Hell, there's some players who act like this for three plus tournaments. It's a real shame to me because I used to be that kind of player.
Fortunately for me, I had two top players give me lots of great advice on how to maximize my tournament potential: Hylian and PhantomX. Ever since then, I've done my best to pass on their teachings--along with a bit of my own--to newer Smashers.
Still interested on how to get active in your scene? Read on!
1. Be friendly. If you're quiet, get over it.
This might sound obvious, but we like being around positive people. At the end of the day, we remember people who made us happy or made us feel good.
There are two ways to become known in your scene: Be quiet but wreck other Smashers OR be the life of the party.
I absolutely followed the last one. I knew I had hardly any natural talent for Brawl compared to really good players, so I decided to get everyone to know my name by being the guy everyone loved to be around.
I'd like to give a shoutout to my buddy Mike3 of Austin, who joined our scene halfway through last semester: Mike3 first met me not at a tournament or a Smashfest, but at a film shoot. I needed a crew and posted in the Austin Thread, and Mike3 volunteered despite not knowing me at all. He instantly made a great first impression because he showed he wasn't interested just in showing up and playing Brawl--he was interested in being a friend.
2. DON'T talk about Brawl.
Now I know what you're thinking: "WTF, don't talk about Brawl at a BRAWL tournament?" Hell yes!
The quickest way to get someone to remember you at a Brawl tournament is to come across as a genuine person. Show you're interested in things outside of Smash.
For example, if I got to Europe and spot Leon. I could ask him how he got ***** by a Bowser. But then again, he's probably been getting that a lot lately. The last thing you want to do when meeting someone new is to sound like everyone else. But if I compliment him on his shirt, then I'm different. I'm in.
I'm not saying you shouldn't bring up anything about the game should it arise naturally in conversation. Be natural, not forceful.
3. Ask a top player for a friendly as soon as you can.
You're gonna get *****. Deal with it. The sooner you get the nervousness of playing a top player, the better. It doesn't matter how many more hours he's got logged on Brawl than you do: You're both still people, and you both started at the same place.
Top players almost always start the day by playing other top players. It's not because they hate newer players or don't want to play newer players--top players have been in the scene together for a while. A lot of these guys don't even get to hang out outside of tournaments, especially if it's a large state. This is their time to hang out and catch up.
Rookie Smashers hardly ever ask these top players for "ups." They feel they'd be a waste of time for the top player, one of the players would be mad, etc. Don't worry about it. Jump in and call ups.
4. Play to LEARN, not to win.
You're not gonna win your first tournament. Accept that fact.
Accepted it yet? Good. Now to win in the future, you need to learn how competitive Smashers play. They're nothing like CPUs or your friend down the block or your ten year old sister.
After your matches with good players, ask them what you can do to improve.
I'd like to give a big shoutout to a new Smashers who went into his first tournament with the right mentality: Jrugs of San Antonio.
Jrugs didn't enter his first tournament in San Antonio. Instead, he played friendlies. He came over to me and asked for some, and we played for like 30 minutes or so. Afterwards he asked how he could improve and he told me he was glad to play me after seeing all my videos. Double bonus points for Jrugs! Not only did he ask a good player for friendlies, but he also asked how he could improve and then complimented him. We LOVE being complimented as long as it comes across as a genuine compliment and not a scrubby brownnose one.
5. Every tournament you go to, meet THREE new people and learn THREE new things about them.
This may seem like a bit of a chore, but I promise it helps.
Remember when I said to not talk about Brawl? Well here's how you find more ammo to add to your conversation pile. You'll get to slowly yet surely know your scene better, which leads to the next item of the list...
6. DON'T talk about yourself.
Again, "WTF?!" I'm really crippling your ability to converse, aren't it?
If you've never read the book How to Win Friends and Influence People, I highly recommend it. It's very helpful not only in Smash but also in life.
In the book, it says to ask as much as you can about other people's interests. Whether you realize it or not, we all love to talk about ourselves and our interests. Everyone has a passion of theirs--you can see that glimmer in their eyes when they talk about it.
Ask people about what they're interested in. If their people skills are top-notch, they'll quickly ask for your interests, too. And even if they're not the best people person, you'll soon find them coming up to you asking how your life's going.
7. Smile.
Again, this is obvious, but smiles are infectious. Not those fake smiles you force out when your parents tell you to smile for the camera. A real smile.
But what's a real smile?
Go in front of a mirror. Smile for the camera.
Now think about a happy moment in your life. It could be a person, a place, an event--anything that makes you come alive.
A true smile forces the skin to the sides of your eyes (left of your left and right of your right) to wrinkle ever so slightly.
It's a deeply subconscious thing, but people can tell when you're truly smiling. And they can't help but dig it!
I once had a fellow Austin Smasher named Battery Guy tell me when I play Brawl, I'm incredibly serious, but immediately afterwards, I'm all smiles. I've even had people tell me they can't tell who won or lost just by looking at my face.
Be real.
8. Pick an avatar you feel best represents you.
This one's rather optional, yet effective.
I chose Louis for my avatar because I was born and raised in Louisiana. The film The Princess and the Frog just makes me feel like few films really can. I feel so alive when I watch that movie. It reminds me what I want to do for the rest of my life.
As such, people know me as the Disney guy. It's a great conversation starter.
You'd be surprised how many people recognize other Smashers by their avatar. And if your avatar truly reflects yourself, people will remember you much easier.
9. After you first tournament, continue forging your new relationships.
Smashboards is a very powerful tool at your disposal. It's a great way to keep up with new friends you've met.
Regional subforums often have social threads for their respective states and even cities if that state is large enough. Get involved and post in them. Continue to keep in contact with the people you've met.
And as you're posting, you're also showing that avatar of yours!
10. Phone numbers are online for a reason--use them!
Oftentimes social threads have phone numbers of its members in the original post. Contact the leader/Smashfest hoster and see when the next fest or tournament will be.
11. Remember it's a game.
Again, obvious. But Smash is a GAME. Treat it as such. If you lose, don't whine or john or complain. You DON'T want to be remembered as "the guy who ragequits." Those are the people who have the hardest time being actively involved in their tournament scene. Make that first impression a strong one, and then don't taint it.
So in conclusion, here's our list:
For those of you who've been wondering why I've been posting only my iPhone for the past month or so, I developed tendinitis due to too much time on my laptop (screenwriting, SWF, schoolwork), desktop (animating), and Smash. And lemme tell ya, it's been KILLING me because I've had an idea for a blog in my head for a LONG time now, and I literally couldn't use my computer long enough to type it up. So without further ado, here goes:
Overcoming the Scrub Mentality: How to Maximize Your Tournament Potential
You arrive at your first tournament. You're an avid visitor of Smashboards, but you don't post too often because you feel you don't have much to contribute. You instantly notice the majority of the top players there. You know them my name and character, and you just stand there and silently watch them. You wonder if you made the right decision coming here. You're gonna get wrecked in the first round if everyone here plays this good.
I've been to a fair share of tournaments since Brawl's release, and I see tons of new players acting like this. Hell, there's some players who act like this for three plus tournaments. It's a real shame to me because I used to be that kind of player.
Fortunately for me, I had two top players give me lots of great advice on how to maximize my tournament potential: Hylian and PhantomX. Ever since then, I've done my best to pass on their teachings--along with a bit of my own--to newer Smashers.
Still interested on how to get active in your scene? Read on!
1. Be friendly. If you're quiet, get over it.
This might sound obvious, but we like being around positive people. At the end of the day, we remember people who made us happy or made us feel good.
There are two ways to become known in your scene: Be quiet but wreck other Smashers OR be the life of the party.
I absolutely followed the last one. I knew I had hardly any natural talent for Brawl compared to really good players, so I decided to get everyone to know my name by being the guy everyone loved to be around.
I'd like to give a shoutout to my buddy Mike3 of Austin, who joined our scene halfway through last semester: Mike3 first met me not at a tournament or a Smashfest, but at a film shoot. I needed a crew and posted in the Austin Thread, and Mike3 volunteered despite not knowing me at all. He instantly made a great first impression because he showed he wasn't interested just in showing up and playing Brawl--he was interested in being a friend.
2. DON'T talk about Brawl.
Now I know what you're thinking: "WTF, don't talk about Brawl at a BRAWL tournament?" Hell yes!
The quickest way to get someone to remember you at a Brawl tournament is to come across as a genuine person. Show you're interested in things outside of Smash.
For example, if I got to Europe and spot Leon. I could ask him how he got ***** by a Bowser. But then again, he's probably been getting that a lot lately. The last thing you want to do when meeting someone new is to sound like everyone else. But if I compliment him on his shirt, then I'm different. I'm in.
I'm not saying you shouldn't bring up anything about the game should it arise naturally in conversation. Be natural, not forceful.
3. Ask a top player for a friendly as soon as you can.
You're gonna get *****. Deal with it. The sooner you get the nervousness of playing a top player, the better. It doesn't matter how many more hours he's got logged on Brawl than you do: You're both still people, and you both started at the same place.
Top players almost always start the day by playing other top players. It's not because they hate newer players or don't want to play newer players--top players have been in the scene together for a while. A lot of these guys don't even get to hang out outside of tournaments, especially if it's a large state. This is their time to hang out and catch up.
Rookie Smashers hardly ever ask these top players for "ups." They feel they'd be a waste of time for the top player, one of the players would be mad, etc. Don't worry about it. Jump in and call ups.
4. Play to LEARN, not to win.
You're not gonna win your first tournament. Accept that fact.
Accepted it yet? Good. Now to win in the future, you need to learn how competitive Smashers play. They're nothing like CPUs or your friend down the block or your ten year old sister.
After your matches with good players, ask them what you can do to improve.
I'd like to give a big shoutout to a new Smashers who went into his first tournament with the right mentality: Jrugs of San Antonio.
Jrugs didn't enter his first tournament in San Antonio. Instead, he played friendlies. He came over to me and asked for some, and we played for like 30 minutes or so. Afterwards he asked how he could improve and he told me he was glad to play me after seeing all my videos. Double bonus points for Jrugs! Not only did he ask a good player for friendlies, but he also asked how he could improve and then complimented him. We LOVE being complimented as long as it comes across as a genuine compliment and not a scrubby brownnose one.
5. Every tournament you go to, meet THREE new people and learn THREE new things about them.
This may seem like a bit of a chore, but I promise it helps.
Remember when I said to not talk about Brawl? Well here's how you find more ammo to add to your conversation pile. You'll get to slowly yet surely know your scene better, which leads to the next item of the list...
6. DON'T talk about yourself.
Again, "WTF?!" I'm really crippling your ability to converse, aren't it?
If you've never read the book How to Win Friends and Influence People, I highly recommend it. It's very helpful not only in Smash but also in life.
In the book, it says to ask as much as you can about other people's interests. Whether you realize it or not, we all love to talk about ourselves and our interests. Everyone has a passion of theirs--you can see that glimmer in their eyes when they talk about it.
Ask people about what they're interested in. If their people skills are top-notch, they'll quickly ask for your interests, too. And even if they're not the best people person, you'll soon find them coming up to you asking how your life's going.
7. Smile.
Again, this is obvious, but smiles are infectious. Not those fake smiles you force out when your parents tell you to smile for the camera. A real smile.
But what's a real smile?
Go in front of a mirror. Smile for the camera.
Now think about a happy moment in your life. It could be a person, a place, an event--anything that makes you come alive.
A true smile forces the skin to the sides of your eyes (left of your left and right of your right) to wrinkle ever so slightly.
It's a deeply subconscious thing, but people can tell when you're truly smiling. And they can't help but dig it!
I once had a fellow Austin Smasher named Battery Guy tell me when I play Brawl, I'm incredibly serious, but immediately afterwards, I'm all smiles. I've even had people tell me they can't tell who won or lost just by looking at my face.
Be real.
8. Pick an avatar you feel best represents you.
This one's rather optional, yet effective.
I chose Louis for my avatar because I was born and raised in Louisiana. The film The Princess and the Frog just makes me feel like few films really can. I feel so alive when I watch that movie. It reminds me what I want to do for the rest of my life.
As such, people know me as the Disney guy. It's a great conversation starter.
You'd be surprised how many people recognize other Smashers by their avatar. And if your avatar truly reflects yourself, people will remember you much easier.
9. After you first tournament, continue forging your new relationships.
Smashboards is a very powerful tool at your disposal. It's a great way to keep up with new friends you've met.
Regional subforums often have social threads for their respective states and even cities if that state is large enough. Get involved and post in them. Continue to keep in contact with the people you've met.
And as you're posting, you're also showing that avatar of yours!
10. Phone numbers are online for a reason--use them!
Oftentimes social threads have phone numbers of its members in the original post. Contact the leader/Smashfest hoster and see when the next fest or tournament will be.
11. Remember it's a game.
Again, obvious. But Smash is a GAME. Treat it as such. If you lose, don't whine or john or complain. You DON'T want to be remembered as "the guy who ragequits." Those are the people who have the hardest time being actively involved in their tournament scene. Make that first impression a strong one, and then don't taint it.
So in conclusion, here's our list:
