johnnylaw505
Smash Journeyman
What kind of player am I?
This question seems a little bit obvious but I will indulge myself; maybe there is something I can express that may bridge the gap between greatness and I.
What kind of player am I? That is the question I have posed for myself and yet I think I need first answer another question before I can answer the initial question coherently. Other players, the “pro” players all share something. They have to otherwise there would be a huge gap between skill level. And from the video footage of tournaments I have seen, the matches are often too close for there to be much difference between the players. First, I am aware it is their knowledge of the game, tactics, techs, and an overall mastery of their respective mains. Another aspect of this is natural gaming talent, charisma aka Mind Games. But what are the ratios? Can someone who does not hold any sort of significant natural talent still become one the greatest players to pick up the controller? This is my hope. I have worked very hard for my skill level and yet there is still something missing. And that is what I intend to discover through writing this essay.
I now find it very necessary to criticize myself. This is because I know see something I had not before. In the entire scope of players, the community of brawl, there is only the good, the bad and the ugly. The community as a whole only contains a handful of good players. M2K, DSF, and other regular top finishers in major and even smaller tournaments make this cut because of their consistency and obvious talent. Players like myself finish well but are not consistent and not an attendant of many major tournaments. Those of us in smaller communities, those of us who do well amongst our friends, those of us who almost win and almost make an impact are the “Bad”. Yes this is true. It is most likely YOU are not a good player and the GOOD players know this. I am not a good player, not yet. Then there are those of us who like to think they are good, and find fault in their own mistakes when experiencing a loss instead of attributing it to the obvious higher level of skill then themselves, these are the “Ugly”. Those are the individuals who do not think they are “Bad” and are those who John, examples “If only I (insert John) I would’ve won” that the equivalent to saying “If was a better player I would have won”, its ridiculous. And don’t forget the “You didn’t kill me, I killed myself” Well that’s just saying a lot about your “supposed” skill isn’t it? The “Ugly” also have another nickname already made famous; ‘Scrub”.
“Bad” players are capable of becoming “Good” players. The “Ugly” players, sadly, do not have a light at the end of tunnel, unless they change their Scrubby ways. The distinction between “Bad” players and “Ugly” players is simple. “Bad” players are Naïve, falling for mind games, not analyzing “Heaven, Earth, and everything in between”. Yet they are willing to learn and willing to take criticism not as a personal attack or player degradation but an opportunity to better themselves. “Bad” players have in them every ounce of potential needed to become a “Good” player they must merely work to achieve it.
“Ugly” players on the other hand are ignorant and take far too much pride into the game. They take a loss as a personal reflection on themselves and cannot handle the shot to their pride and then continue on the path many of us have seen; Johning. These individuals are stubborn and refuse defeat. Refusing defeat as a possibility is denying yourself the most crucial of stepping ladders to becoming a “Good” player. These individuals are also the ones who seem to take FAR TOO MUCH pride in winning 1 out of 5 matches, and neglecting the fact that they had been losing the previous four matches. They refuse that they have been losing day after day. Once they win they extend the moment further than it should be allowed. They also take these not too often occurring wins as them reaching a certain “standard” a standard that implies that they are “Good” and they have no quam with convincing themselves of it. They also may be knowledgeable, reading, practicing of AT’S and such but they do so only to convince themselves even further how “Good” they are. They love knowing the terminology just for the sake of regurgitation. And again, the attribute a loss to everything but the resounding one, THE OTHER PLAYER WAS BETTER THAN YOU.
“Bad” players learn and practices, techs, and AT’S because they know it is crucial to know. But also know that AT’S are but only another puzzle piece in the entire picture. Knowing terminology and AT’S does not convince them of anything, but only that the game they are attempting to be “Good” at requires a lot of them.
So now again I ask myself what kind of player am I?
I am a bad player. One who has yet to “ascend” to the level I know I can ascend too. I may become frustrated; loss after loss but it is only a loss and not a predetermined perspective as to the kind of player I will always be. I will utilize others, whether their skill is higher or lower than my own, so that I can attain the skill necessary for me to able to say that yes indeed, I am a good player.
What kind of player am I? That is the question I have posed for myself and yet I think I need first answer another question before I can answer the initial question coherently. Other players, the “pro” players all share something. They have to otherwise there would be a huge gap between skill level. And from the video footage of tournaments I have seen, the matches are often too close for there to be much difference between the players. First, I am aware it is their knowledge of the game, tactics, techs, and an overall mastery of their respective mains. Another aspect of this is natural gaming talent, charisma aka Mind Games. But what are the ratios? Can someone who does not hold any sort of significant natural talent still become one the greatest players to pick up the controller? This is my hope. I have worked very hard for my skill level and yet there is still something missing. And that is what I intend to discover through writing this essay.
I now find it very necessary to criticize myself. This is because I know see something I had not before. In the entire scope of players, the community of brawl, there is only the good, the bad and the ugly. The community as a whole only contains a handful of good players. M2K, DSF, and other regular top finishers in major and even smaller tournaments make this cut because of their consistency and obvious talent. Players like myself finish well but are not consistent and not an attendant of many major tournaments. Those of us in smaller communities, those of us who do well amongst our friends, those of us who almost win and almost make an impact are the “Bad”. Yes this is true. It is most likely YOU are not a good player and the GOOD players know this. I am not a good player, not yet. Then there are those of us who like to think they are good, and find fault in their own mistakes when experiencing a loss instead of attributing it to the obvious higher level of skill then themselves, these are the “Ugly”. Those are the individuals who do not think they are “Bad” and are those who John, examples “If only I (insert John) I would’ve won” that the equivalent to saying “If was a better player I would have won”, its ridiculous. And don’t forget the “You didn’t kill me, I killed myself” Well that’s just saying a lot about your “supposed” skill isn’t it? The “Ugly” also have another nickname already made famous; ‘Scrub”.
“Bad” players are capable of becoming “Good” players. The “Ugly” players, sadly, do not have a light at the end of tunnel, unless they change their Scrubby ways. The distinction between “Bad” players and “Ugly” players is simple. “Bad” players are Naïve, falling for mind games, not analyzing “Heaven, Earth, and everything in between”. Yet they are willing to learn and willing to take criticism not as a personal attack or player degradation but an opportunity to better themselves. “Bad” players have in them every ounce of potential needed to become a “Good” player they must merely work to achieve it.
“Ugly” players on the other hand are ignorant and take far too much pride into the game. They take a loss as a personal reflection on themselves and cannot handle the shot to their pride and then continue on the path many of us have seen; Johning. These individuals are stubborn and refuse defeat. Refusing defeat as a possibility is denying yourself the most crucial of stepping ladders to becoming a “Good” player. These individuals are also the ones who seem to take FAR TOO MUCH pride in winning 1 out of 5 matches, and neglecting the fact that they had been losing the previous four matches. They refuse that they have been losing day after day. Once they win they extend the moment further than it should be allowed. They also take these not too often occurring wins as them reaching a certain “standard” a standard that implies that they are “Good” and they have no quam with convincing themselves of it. They also may be knowledgeable, reading, practicing of AT’S and such but they do so only to convince themselves even further how “Good” they are. They love knowing the terminology just for the sake of regurgitation. And again, the attribute a loss to everything but the resounding one, THE OTHER PLAYER WAS BETTER THAN YOU.
“Bad” players learn and practices, techs, and AT’S because they know it is crucial to know. But also know that AT’S are but only another puzzle piece in the entire picture. Knowing terminology and AT’S does not convince them of anything, but only that the game they are attempting to be “Good” at requires a lot of them.
So now again I ask myself what kind of player am I?
I am a bad player. One who has yet to “ascend” to the level I know I can ascend too. I may become frustrated; loss after loss but it is only a loss and not a predetermined perspective as to the kind of player I will always be. I will utilize others, whether their skill is higher or lower than my own, so that I can attain the skill necessary for me to able to say that yes indeed, I am a good player.
Can you honestly answer what kind of player you are?
