Questions about "Random"

[GimmeAnFSharp]

Here's a link to the thread that inspired mine, as I will reference it once: http://smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=177840

Everyone on this board and others (all is brawl, for example) seem to be set on having mains. There's inevitably going to be that character that you're either exceptionally better at, or that you just find incredibly fun to do. So, this got me thinking of one "character" that is never mentioned- Random. There are going to be those few players who can switch between all of the characters somewhat fluently, and might get a kick of enjoyment from doing so. There's always the question of "Tier Titans" and "Entrepreneurs" (check the OP of the thread I referenced), and I think "Random" is as "Entrepreneur" as they get.

So, thinking in a tournament scene, where most people enter with a "main" pre-selected, my thought-provoking questions are these:

1. Do you think "Random" is a viable main? If so, in what context?

Do you think that it might be viable because it'd be a riot (fun) to do it in a tourney, or do you think that it could actually be used competitively if used correctly?

Also: do you think if someone ranked high in a tournament with "Random" as their main (and if it happened often enough), that "Random" might somehow achieve a spot on some future tierlist?

2. There are obvious advantages and disadvantages to "Random", as there are with any character. What are some that come to mind, if you were to enter a tournament as "Random"?

My immediate thought, is it becomes a competition of who can adapt fastest to your new character at the beginning of a round. All of the sudden, familiarity with the game takes a large precedence over being comfortable with one character- you start the battle with Jigglypuff, than it becomes a race to who can do which better: Can you play as Jiggly better than they can play against a Jiggly player who wasn't a Jiggly player 5 minutes ago?

Also, players will for the most part be unable to watch your matches and learn how you play "your character" to take any mental notes... to an extent.

I'm going to be doing this in tournaments just because it'll be fun- or, at the very least, I'll start each round with Random. But have you experienced something like this before, and do you think you'd ever be trying it soon?

Again, if you haven't read the OP of the thread I linked to, I'd suggest taking a glance in that direction before you comment.

This thread is a FUN thread- there's always the idea that knowing the game better by using Random to your advantage could be one day a viable choice, but... well, maybe it is now. WHO KNOWS. Discuss.

 

[The Executive]

Everyone on this board and others (all is brawl, for example) seem to be set on having mains.

Hi, my name is Exception.

1. Do you think "Random" is a viable main? If so, in what context?

I play Random almost exclusively, but only in friendlies, for the following reasons:

A. In a tournament comprised of people who play to win, there will nearly always be more high-tier characters than low-tier characters, in proportion to the stakes.

B. Higher-tier characters have more advantages than disadvantages, many of which are so severe that skill becomes less necessary to win certain matchups.

C. Tier distribution is unequal. There are many more "lower-tier" characters than "high-tier" characters.

Other things equal, it is unlikely that an entrant choosing Random every match will win a tournament, with likelihood decreasing as aggregate skill level increases.

2. There are obvious advantages and disadvantages to "Random", as there are with any character. What are some that come to mind, if you were to enter a tournament as "Random"?

See prior answer.

Random is great, but it's not tourney-suited. If someone were to form a Random-only tournament, however, I would join in a heartbeat.

 

[GimmeAnFSharp]

B. Higher-tier characters have more advantages than disadvantages, many of which are so severe that skill becomes less necessary to win certain matchups.

So someone can play Snake well- so they've learned one character well enough to abuse their advantages and what appears to be relatively few disadvantages. But, isn't half the battle knowing your opponent?

My belief is someone who is going in as "Random" is going in knowing that they are more comfortable with a wider range of characters than someone who is going in with one- that person who is playing as Snake might not have played a lot of good Marios in his time, but assuming the person playing "Random" has taken time to get to know the character, I would think that, optimistically, that might be advantage enough.

If people main certain characters, there's always the chance that they aren't terribly familiar with the other characters as much as they should be. I've recalled many times where I pull a new character out of random, and I will undoubtedly fight them with a method that they weren't prepared for because they hadn't dealt with it enough to adjust quickly enough.

All fair points though, and I do agree. I'm just trying to get some thought into the idea of "Random" as a viable choice; it doesn't need justification, but I think it's an interesting idea.

Edit: It was unfair of me to assume no one mains "Random". My apologies. I did notice someone else who did in the forums, but it slipped my mind. I "main" Random myself, although I have a slight affinity for the Mother boys and MK (obviously).

 

[DanGR]

Think about it. When you choose your main in a match against someone you've never played before, to them, it's just as if you chose random, except you're more familiar with the character.

 

[eMORAY21]

It's a stupid idea. Just main snake

 

[LOLhahaDEAD]

I think Random is a great choice for a main. You get to experience all of the characters and can really learn a lot of the ins-n-outs of each one (assuming you play a lot). The only real downfall is that you can't really "master" any one character.

 

[choknater]

LOLhahaDEAD your avatar is amazing

but not as much as mine

sorry shimon, i love you *fades away*

 

[Starwarrior27]

I think Random is a great choice for a main. You get to experience all of the characters and can really learn a lot of the ins-n-outs of each one (assuming you play a lot). The only real downfall is that you can't really "master" any one character.

I agree. I think that if someone picked random at a tourny, it would throw your opponent off. They wouldn't know what character to expect.

One disadvantage of random is getting a character that you aren't very good with. One example is when my friends and I do random matches and I get Peach or Ice Climbers. I'm not very good with either of them, which puts me at a major disadvantage. The other disadvantage is having to have a broad knowledge of every character. Other than that "random" would be a great choice.

And about "random" being on the tier list, "random" is just any character, so it's placement on the tier list would be whatever character you got for that match. So, "random" couldn't really be put on the tier list because it is always different.

 

[acv]

for me there is only 1 big reason.

opponent chooses DDD, i choose random i get DK/bowser/samus/luigi/mario.i lose.

or my oppnent chooses marth,i choose random,i get ness/lucas

or my opponent chooses pokemon trainer,i choose random ,i get ness.

or my oppnent chooses lucas, i choose random,i get lucas. i could avoid this by simply choosing snake.

 

[KoopaKoopaParatroopa]

Think about it. When you choose your main in a match against someone you've never played before, to them, it's just as if you chose random, except you're more familiar with the character.

quoted for truth

 

[Yuna]

Random is not a viable main because you can never ever counterpick properly using random unless you luck out. Using random, you might also get a character that has a catastrophic matchup against your opponent's character.

But if you want to Play To Win, Random is not a viable main, at least not when playing againsst people who are any good.

 

[Xaile]

Well, here's an interesting scenario, let's say that you were in a best-of-three against another person. I think it might be interesting, if you were familiar enough on the characters, not to select random on the first match, but to select it on the second.

On the first match, pick a character you feel you can with with (Snake, Metaknight, etc). IF you manage to win the first match, traditionally the winner has to pick their character first, then the loser gets to pick their character (counterpicking, most likely) and then pick the stage.

If you (hypothetically) won the first match and picked random on the second match, there's no way they could counterpick a character and stage reliably against your character, since they wouldn't know what character you're using.

...

Of course, they could just pick Snake, Metaknight, some other strong character and pick a stage helpful to them, most likely overpowering whatever you get as random, but at least they wouldn't be able to counterpick your character.

 

[GimmeAnFSharp]

Many Snake supporters here! So- if you've read the other thread, do you believe that the entrepreneurs- or mayhaps the people who are "playing to learn"- are a lost cause?

And while I'm aware you can't effectively counterpick WITH Random, the advantage would be if you were to win that first match you'd be impossible to counterpick AGAINST. You lose your first match you can always counterpick; being a main in Random certainly doesn't restrict you to that if the option of counterpicks is at hand.

Edit: again, I'm aware that some characters have more advantages than disadvantages. But I'm of the strong belief that being familiar with a wide range of characters- moreso than your opponent- might let you actually take on a Snake player with someone like Yoshi (assuming the Snake player has had minimal experience with Yoshi due to his low turnout at tourneys).

I can understand the disadvantages of those infinites though. But it's not like if you main'd any of those characters anyway they wouldn't just counterpick you the second round.

 

[The Real Inferno]

I main random at tourneys and do quite well usually, but when I'm going to a more serious event, I might random in the first round if I think I'm up against an easy match, but I'll usually fall back on ROB, Dedede or (in a rare occasion) Wolf. Especially if money is on the line.

One of my beefs with maining True Random is that you are completely kept from using Sheik or ZSS or from starting as Ivysaur or Charizard. For this, when I'm playing online, I use a Random Number generator instead of the real random function in order to incorporate all characters. Another problem with using it in a tournament is obvious in the character specific infinites that will mean an instant loss to you. I can't explain how many times I've audibly groaned when finding myself up as DK against Dedede.

 

[DKKountry]

I could definitely pull of "maining random", so to speak, with the exception that I might end up with either Wario, ROB, Lucario, or the PKids. It's not that I haven't attempted to function with these characters, they simply have certain aspects that make them opposite to my playstyle. The PKids I could survive with, but I can't REALLY function with them. In a best-of-three match I can definitely go with random on the first match, and second if I win the first.

I think it may be a little much to refer to random as a playable character, but we get what you're saying and it's a nifty idea.

 

[DKKountry]

One of my beefs with maining True Random is that you are completely kept from using Sheik or ZSS or from starting as Ivysaur or Charizard. For this, when I'm playing online,

Well if you really need Sheik or a specific pokemon you can switch after the battle easily but if you get hit with Samus, you'll have to do that up-down-up taunt thing to get your character of choice.

 

[GimmeAnFSharp]

I dunno about you, but I've NEVER been able to get that darned Samus trick to work in a competitive fight. Atleast not without getting punished for it.

 

[Crizthakidd]

maining random is too good. just hope random gives you snake or mk and youll be good to go

 

[JLynn943]

I pretty much play exclusively as random in FFAs, but, if I were in a tourney I'd most likely stick with G&W and Peach (my mains)