What does a main mean to you?

[Conda]

You can't have 13 mains, as they are not'mains' any more. Saying you have a 'main' implies "hey, I don't spread my focus through multiple characters."

So by having 4-10 mains or whatever means they are not mains. They are characters you focus on, sure, but 'main' is a word to use to make it clear you focus on one character. If you don't, then there's no reason to use the word 'main'.

You don't have anyone telling you how you should play. I play multiple characters too. This is not a competitive-vs-casual thing - we think you're cool however you play.

However, you are comparing the way you play with '13 mains' to how competitive players play with '1 main', and you're insulting them in the process. But it's not comparable, because those competitive players also play many other characters just like you do. They just aren't calling them 'mains' as you are. Just like how there's only one 'The One' in The Matrix.

-Cobbs

 

[JamesDNaux]

You can't have 13 mains, as they are not'mains' any more. Saying you have a 'main' implies "hey, I don't spread my focus through multiple characters."

So by having 4-10 mains or whatever means they are not mains. They are characters you focus on, sure, but 'main' is a word to use to make it clear you focus on one character. If you don't, then there's no reason to use the word 'main'.

I'm more than capable of focusing on more than one character. It's not my fault that some people can't do that.

As soon as I pick a character, I instantly know every trick that I previously learned for said character and how to play as them.

I'm not going to limit myself because some people get miffed about me using more characters, I'm not you.

 

[Dr.Megaman]

I'm sticking to 7-8 mains

(Snake)

 

[Conda]

I'm more than capable of focusing on more than one character. It's not my fault that some people can't do that.

As soon as I pick a character, I instantly know every trick that I previously learned for said character and how to play as them.

I'm not going to limit myself because some people get miffed about me using more characters, I'm not you.

Again, people with a 'main' don't ONLY ever play that main. It's just what they mainly use for competitive play at tournaments. Hungrybox is a Jiggly main, but he knows how to play other characters too. Have you seen ZeRo's stream, or M2K's stream? A majority of competitive players can play a bunch of characters.

You saying you have 13-14 mains is not special or strange. Most people can play that many characters, but that doesn't make them all their 'main'. A 'main' is a character picked from that pool of characters you can play, as your spotlight 'if I had to play a match for 1000 dollars, I'd go with the one I've spent most time on perfecting my play for and consider my best character."

Anyone who says they have 13 mains is actually just saying "I haven't found my main yet" or "I won't choose a main". And that's cool!
But that doesn't mean that you have 13 mains as a result. Which is fine. It doesn't matter, and we shouldn't feel the need to say we have mains just for the sake of it.

 

[JamesDNaux]

Again, people with a 'main' don't ONLY ever play that main. It's just what they mainly use for competitive play at tournaments.

There's the issue. So us "filthy casuals" have to stick strictly to the rules of people who take video games too seriously?

Even if I did go to tourneys, I would still swap out characters. Particularly if the one I'm using isn't working.

 

[Terotrous]

You can really only have 1 or 2 mains. To figure out which character is your main, answer the following question:

We are going to play Smash, and the winner gets $100. Which character do you pick?

This character is your main. If your answer is "it depends on what character you're using", you probably have 2 mains, some people have a second character that they use for bad matchups.


Of course, you can play lots of characters beside your main. I play random most of the time in funsies, so I can play every character somewhat well. Your main is just your best character, the one you pull out if the going really gets tough.

 

[Kenith]

The only character I will ever have confidence in using all of the time is Thank you based Sakurai, for giving me a Marth with a cooler sword, personality, and smack-talk I can actually understand.

 

[JKarmageddon]

I'm still working on being reasonably proficient with the characters I like, particularly the newcomers. I'll narrow down once the game has been out longer.

 

[Conda]

There's the issue. So us "filthy casuals" have to stick strictly to the rules of people who take video games too seriously?

Even if I did go to tourneys, I would still swap out characters. Particularly if the one I'm using isn't working.

What? I have no problem with people who play casually. How can that be misconstrued from that post? :/

You play 13 characters, cool. This is not a thread about 'mains', though, it's about 'what characters do you play'. That is a big difference.

I play around 10 characters. We're both great and awesome and it doesn't matter if we try and pass that 'list of characters' off as 'mains'.

This is like if someone boasted about having a part-time job when they actually have a full-time job. It's an irrelevant thing to try and definition-stretch for. I don't see the need for one to say they have a main when they don't. It doesn't matter if you consider your 13 characters 'mains' or not. It doesn't matter to us at all - we are cool with how you play the game either way. You don't have to try and convince anybody anything.

However, if it matters to you, then cool, but this isn't a discussion then. I play 10 characters. I do not have 10 mains, and I wouldn't ever say I did just because I think it's more impressive than people who only play 1-2 characters competitively. "pft, competitive players hate casuals then."

No, generally nobody has anything to 'discuss' when someone tells us how many characters they generally 'play'. We all play many characters. It's not a discussion topic in the way you are trying to make it by saying they are all your 'mains'. They are not, that is not what a main is.


You've insulted those who focus on just one character, saying it's because they can't process playing more than one character. That's a needless jab, and presumes you are disliked by the competitive community. It's a strange response :/

We don't mind that you play a lot of characters. We think it's cool (but really we don't care what you call them - it's not really something that involves anyone other than you.) Just an exercise in futility for everyone involved. We are cool with people who play a lot of characters, and we are cool with people who have a specific main. Nobody has to try and make either sound like the other.

 

[MisterVisceral]

Excuse me for not being closed minded,

I stopped reading your posts at about this point. If you're shutting everyone else's opinion down, yeah you're kind of being closed minded.

So I'm trying to get better at playing Smash. I feel like my process is going to be developing one character at a time. Right now I've gotten pretty confident with and , then I'm going to start playing around with and . I can't realistically see myself at this point getting really good with many more characters than that.

 

[JamesDNaux]

You can really only have 1 or 2 mains. To figure out which character is your main, answer the following question:

We are going to play Smash, and the winner gets $100. Which character do you pick?

The problem lies in the fact that this is a scenario that will never happen. I would still pick any of my thirteen mains regardless.

This is not a thread about 'mains', though, it's about 'what characters do you play'. That is a big difference.

Did you actually read the first post? The guy was specifically talking about having multiple mains. The word main is in the title.

I play 20 characters. I do not have 20 mains, and I wouldn't ever say I did just to needlessly challenge people's definition of the word 'main' in fighting games.

Smash is the only "fighting game" I play, so excuse me for not being well versed in the lingo of said community.
And I'm not trying to challenge anyone's definition, just disagreeing with "you can't have more than one main, deal with it."

I stopped reading your posts at about this point. If you're shutting everyone else's opinion down, yeah you're kind of being closed minded.

If anything, you're the one shutting my opinion down. I didn't say that competitive players can't stick to their one main, all I said was that they shouldn't be trying to make non-competitive players do the same.

"You can't have more than one main" is closed minded.

"You can stick to one main if you want, but I'll have more than one." is not closed minded.

 

[Conda]

"You can't have more than one main" is closed minded.

How? It's like saying "two main dishes can still be considered one main dish." It can't. If you are eating two chicken dinners, you are eating two chicken dinners. Trying to say "Naw, it's just a chicken dinner in general, yo" is someone trying to blur what is actually happening - someone's eating two chicken dinners! And that's fine, but they should be honest with themselves and not try to sound less gluttonous than they are haha.


Saying "I have 13 mains, whereas competitive players only have 1-2. That's cool for me, right? " is a bad starting point for a discussion.

Competitive players play many characters. You aren't the only guy who plays 12-13 characters. It's not contrarian to say you play 13 characters. However, when it comes to competitive play, many players pick a 'main'. The 'main' is the character they have is singled out from that pool of many characters they play (the same pool that you yourself has, as well as the OP). So all you are doing is not singling out 1-2 characters from your pool of played characters.

You don't have a 'main', because you just have a pool of characters you play.


That's awesome. Nobody really cares that you don't have a main and, instead, you play many characters.
It's not 'better' for you to have a main, or to call those characters your 'mains'. We don't care, you probably shouldn't, and it means nothing.

It's just a word, but it does have a use. You can't just use it how you want due to how you view the competitive community as being lame for making 'main' have a definition that you don't like. That's my main problem - this 'I have 20 mains' thing stems from people thinking the competitive community is lame for using the word 'main' a certain way.


But those 'many characters' aren't all your 'main', because the word 'main' implies they are the one and only. Hence why we say 'secondary main' when someone has a secondary mains. You wouldn't say you had TWO mains, though, because you can't. Main means "HEY, I've singled out a character."

Someone who plays 13 characters didn't single out a single character, so they don't have a main. There are many competitive players like this, it's no big deal. Nobody cares, so there's no reason to get combative over insisting your pool of characters be considered 'mains'. They aren't, and it's doesn't matter.

 

[XxBHunterxX]

I said it was my personal definition for a reason, as it's the one I go by. I wasn't trying to convince anyone, I was just sharing.

It also should be noted I said seriously because otherwise I play pretty silly, so while I am trying to normally win, if I wasn't trying to seriously win then I'd attempt to do really risky but fun things, like off stage rests.

No one is trying to tell you how many characters you can use and having a main doesn't mean you only use that character nor does it mean it's your favorite out of the cast so I don't know why you assume otherwise. Also it doesn't matter how good you say you are with the rest of the cast because you've already acknowledged the fact that you're the best with Oilmar so technically he would be not your favorite but your main

 

[RedFly]

Please rename the topic to "What does Main mean?".

 

[Terotrous]

The problem lies in the fact that this is a scenario that will never happen. I would still pick any of my thirteen mains regardless.

Uhh, loads of people play Smash for money. You are aware all majors and even most weeklies have a pot, right?

Even if you would never play the game for money you can imagine that prestige or something else desirable rests on the outcome of this match.

 

[Wintropy]

We are going to play Smash, and the winner gets $100. Which character do you pick?

Anybody at all because I don't need the money~

I dunno, I'm pretty content with a good handful of mains. I can play them to about equal levels of proficiency and do so regularly.

 

[JamesDNaux]

Competitive players play many characters. You aren't the only guy who plays 12-13 characters. It's not contrarian to say you play 13 characters. However, when it comes to competitive play, many players pick a 'main'. The 'main' is the character they have is singled out from that pool of many characters they play (the same pool that you yourself has, as well as the OP). So all you are doing is not singling out 1-2 characters from your pool of played characters.

You don't have a 'main', because you just have a pool of characters you play.

Well you see, this thread was about people who have multiple mains, even the OP has thirteen mains, the same amount as me. I don't care if you have one main or fifty mains, but a lot of people came in here saying "you can't have more than one main," "you can only have one main," "I can't take you seriously if you have multiple mains." I'm not exactly the one starting things with comments like these. But like I said, I'm cool with competitive people having a single main, but they don't need to restrict everyone else, you see what I'm saying? Main is singular, mains is plural, I have mains, not a main.

That's awesome. Nobody really cares that you don't have a main and, instead, you play many characters.
It's not 'better' for you to have a main, or to call those characters your 'mains'. We don't care, you probably shouldn't, and it means nothing.

It's just a word, but it does have a use. You can't just use it how you want due to how you view the competitive community as being lame for making 'main' have a definition that you don't like.

Nobody cares? Well, then nobody cares who your main is. This is a forum where people can state their opinions, this is a specific thread about multiple mains. "Main Train" surely implies more than one, wouldn't you think? If you don't care about people who have many mains, why would you specifically go into the thread that pertained to such a topic?

I never said anyone was lame either, don't put words in my mouth. About using the word, if competitive people can use the word how they please, then why can't I?

But those 'many characters' aren't all your 'main', because the word 'main' implies they are the one and only. Hence why we say 'secondary main' when someone has a secondary mains. You wouldn't say you had TWO mains, though, because you can't. Main means "HEY, I've singled out a character."

As I've stated above, I said mains, not main, singular. As the definition of the word states, a main would be the most important thing, or things in my case. No reason to get mad.

Someone who plays 13 characters didn't single out a single character, so they don't have a main. There are many competitive players like this, it's no big deal. Nobody cares, so there's no reason to get combative over insisting your pool of characters be considered 'mains'. They aren't, and it's doesn't matter.

If nobody cares, why are you arguing about it in the first place? I'm not trying to get on your case, so you don't need to get on mine. Let's just leave it all well and good, we play the game for different reasons. I don't want any hard feelings, especially over a video game on an internet forum, so no hard feelings right? Do what you do and I'll do what I do.

Uhh, loads of people play Smash for money. You are aware all majors and even most weeklies have a pot, right?

Even if you would never play the game for money you can imagine that prestige or something else desirable rests on the outcome of this match.

If by loads of people, you mean a niche group that doesn't include me and therefor has nothing to do with me. I said that I would never be in a position to make money from a video game, unless by some miracle I actually go to a tourney and by another miracle, actually do well enough in the tourney to reach the point of making money.

But like I said, if you're going to make money and you only want to use one character, good for you! But I'm not making any money and I prefer to use many characters for fun, rather than get good with a single character for no practical reason only to end up bored with the game. Winning is great and all, but if I lose I'm just going to tell you "good game, mate!"

 

[Conda]

Again @ JamesDNaux , saying "I have 15 mains" is like saying "I have 15 only childs." There's no reason to call them mains if they are not mains. Many competitive players play many characters, and many casual people play many characters. There's no reason in either situation to try and pass them off as 'mains' if they are not a singular character. And there's no problem with that - it's great to not have a main.

Saying you have '13 mains' doesn't really make anyone think anything - it is literally in one ear and out the other as a statement. All competitive players know how to play many characters well, just like you. It's great! We're all a happy family! YAY! WOO! We don't care how you play - have fun!
But if you start calling them mains, thats like M2K calling half of Melee's characters his 'mains', because he knows how to play them very well. They aren't actually mains, because a 'main' is 'a singular character' by definition. There's no reason to use the word 'main' otherwise.

But it doesn't matter what you call them. We don't care! S'all good! But then you started making it a competitive-versus-casual thing for no reason, and now you're just representing yourself in a poor light. Casuals and competitives get along just fine, but when one side starts getting needlessly defensive for zero reason, then everyone around you scratches their heads.


I don't have a problem with how you play - I play the same way. Having multiples means youre a player who doesn't have a main. That's cool. But you aren't doing anything that offends anybody, and it's insulting to think that the competitive community is going to come in and tell you you suck for not choosing a main. We don't mind how you play at all, yet your responses to our posts are very aggressive and defensive.

You're not defending against any offense! We think you're great and cool for how you play, don't you worry. There's zero reason to be defensive and call your 13 characters 'mains' to try and stop the non-existent horde of angry competitive players. Because we don't care how you play, which is the right way for us to be.


We know many people like you and we think they're awesome. We do NOT make them feel like they have to erroneously call them all 'mains'. That'd be silly. They aren't mains, and that's cool. Maybe one of them will become a main, and maybe not. It doesn't matter to anybody what they're called, but there's no reason to "stick it" to the competitive community.

We are not being imposing or anything, we don't mind how you play, so there's no reason to feel pressured to call your 13 playable fighters your 'mains'. If you feel the pressure to do that - then that's on you, not me. I'm against that sort of energy in the competitive community.

I would never tell a player they 'need' to call the characters they play 'mains', when they are not actually 'mains'. People should not feel pressured to do this, yet you are - and I'm trying to tell you that you don't have to, because it's alright to not have a main. It doesn't bother anybody. :/

This is not at all about competitive or casual play or anything. You seem to feel the competitive community has some sort of crappy use of the word 'main', and that's fine, but it's a negative energy and one I don't share at all. It's on you to feel that way about the competitive community, just know that you're the one providing the negativity.
This is about a word and how its being misused. M2K could come say "I have 10 mains", and I'd say the same thing to him - "Hey dude, '10 mains' makes no sense because a 'main' means it's someone's one-and-only character. You don't have a main, and that's cool!"

Please understand that I have no problem with casual players or competitive players. If you want to add that unneeded spin to this thread and continue saying things like "competitive play is lame because players are only capable of playing one character" and implying things like "you competitive players dislike us casual players", then go ahead and continue. But it forces me out of the discussion as I want no part of that.

 

[Wintropy]

Guys, come on. Calm down.

If you want to play loads and loads of mains, that's fine. Using the "children" analogy above, you don't demarcate between your favourite child and all of the others, even if they're the oldest and / or most successful or whatever else may be the defining attributes therein.

If you want to focus on your absolutely empirically best character, that's fine. It's great that you're so content with your favourite character that you can devote your time and effort into them and I respect your priorities in that case.

To borrow a theory from Jacques Derrida, words have different meanings for different people. Trying to objectively define them is redundant and only leads to further confusion and anger.

 

[JamesDNaux]

I'm not going to continue this here because this is getting seriously off topic.

I really think @ Wintropy explained it better than I ever could, but to add onto it:

Main is a single word, it's far easier for me to say "these are my mains" than "this is a list of characters I enjoy more than others."

 

[XxBHunterxX]

Well you see, this thread was about people who have multiple mains, even the OP has thirteen mains, the same amount as me. I don't care if you have one main or fifty mains, but a lot of people came in here saying "you can't have more than one main," "you can only have one main," "I can't take you seriously if you have multiple mains." I'm not exactly the one starting things with comments like these. But like I said, I'm cool with competitive people having a single main, but they don't need to restrict everyone else, you see what I'm saying? Main is singular, mains is plural, I have mains, not a main.


Nobody cares? Well, then nobody cares who your main is. This is a forum where people can state their opinions, this is a specific thread about multiple mains. "Main Train" surely implies more than one, wouldn't you think? If you don't care about people who have many mains, why would you specifically go into the thread that pertained to such a topic?

I never said anyone was lame either, don't put words in my mouth. About using the word, if competitive people can use the word how they please, then why can't I?

As I've stated above, I said mains, not main, singular. As the definition of the word states, a main would be the most important thing, or things in my case. No reason to get mad.


If nobody cares, why are you arguing about it in the first place? I'm not trying to get on your case, so you don't need to get on mine. Let's just leave it all well and good, we play the game for different reasons. I don't want any hard feelings, especially over a video game on an internet forum, so no hard feelings right? Do what you do and I'll do what I do.

If by loads of people, you mean a niche group that doesn't include me and therefor has nothing to do with me. I said that I would never be in a position to make money from a video game, unless by some miracle I actually go to a tourney and by another miracle, actually do well enough in the tourney to reach the point of making money.

But like I said, if you're going to make money and you only want to use one character, good for you! But I'm not making any money and I prefer to use many characters for fun, rather than get good with a single character for no practical reason only to end up bored with the game. Winning is great and all, but if I lose I'm just going to tell you "good game, mate!"

Dude main doesn't have a plural so what're you talking about? the problem I find is you posted the definition of main then stated that it was your personal definition ( which doesn't make sense) and then you immediately contradict yourself by saying none of your characters fit that definition while you're constantly calling all of those characters your mains

 

[JamesDNaux]

Dude main doesn't have a plural so what're you talking about? the problem I find is you posted the definition of main then stated that it was your personal definition ( which doesn't make sense) and then you immediately contradict yourself by saying none of your characters fit that definition while you're constantly calling all of those characters your mains

I'm not going to continue this here because this is getting seriously off topic.

You people are seriously getting way too worked up over someone doing things differently than you.

I will once again say, Main: thing or things that are the most important.

@ Conda
Please calm down and stop putting words in my mouth. I have nothing against you and want no hard feelings, so please refrain from ranting at me over something that supposedly doesn't even matter. Agree to disagree, that is all.

 

[Conda]

You people are seriously getting way too worked up over someone doing things differently than you.

I will once again say, Main: thing or things that are the most important.

@ Conda
Please calm down and stop putting words in my mouth. I have nothing against you and want no hard feelings, so please refrain from ranting at me over something that supposedly doesn't even matter. Agree to disagree, that is all.

You've said the following:

But like I said, I'm cool with competitive people having a single main, but they don't need to restrict everyone else, you see what I'm saying? Main is singular, mains is plural, I have mains, not a main.

You are claiming someone is 'restricting' you. Why? How is anybody restricting you? You cannot have multiple mains, that's like there being multiple 'Ones' in The Matrix. If you play 13 characters, then you play 13 characters. Calling them something incorrect, and then telling people they're 'restrictive competitive players' for telling you "hey, you're using a word incorrectly" is just strange.

We're just kindly saying "Hey that's awesome that you enjoy many characters like a lot of us do, but I think you used the word 'main' incorrectly. No biggie! "


Not to mention the vibe of this thread has been "let's show the competitive players that having ONE 'main' is lame and limiting - having multiple mains is way better. It's stupid they won't let us call our multiple characters 'mains' too, how limiting and crappy of them." Which is a totally made up premise. So yeah, that's an unneeded energy on this thread. We aren't supposed to be doing things like that here.

Example:

You people are seriously getting way too worked up over someone doing things differently than you.

The fact that you think we are bothered at all by someone playing multiple characters is strange, insulting, and offensive. You are using a word incorrectly, that is ALL. This could be about you calling a frying pan a 'chair' and we'd correct you. It has nothing to do with you being rebellious and angering the competitive community - you are not, and we are not even thinking about it like that. :/

 

[JamesDNaux]

@ Conda

I'm not going to continue this here because this is getting seriously off topic.

If you can't agree to disagree, then just leave me alone about it.

Calling them my mains is more convenient than saying "these are all of the characters that I enjoy more than the rest of the roster." Even so, I'm not using the word incorrectly, they are all the most important to me and that is the definition of the word.

 

[Conda]

Guys, come on. Calm down.

If you want to play loads and loads of mains, that's fine. Using the "children" analogy above, you don't demarcate between your favourite child and all of the others, even if they're the oldest and / or most successful or whatever else may be the defining attributes therein.

If you want to focus on your absolutely empirically best character, that's fine. It's great that you're so content with your favourite character that you can devote your time and effort into them and I respect your priorities in that case.

To borrow a theory from Jacques Derrida, words have different meanings for different people. Trying to objectively define them is redundant and only leads to further confusion and anger.

Do you actually think the competitive scene has a problem with people who play more than one character? Because that's what is being said of us here, and those of us being told that our point have to defend ourselves and correct it. It's obviously not working, as people still think the competitive community 'restricts' players to maining one character, and we 'dont allow' people to main multiple characters. We do. We just don't call them all mains, because they are not.

Sure, you can lobby to change how that word is used, but that's a different discussion that what you are turning it into - a competitive-vs-casuals thing. And I'm out of this thread if that's what it's gonna be about, because that is not Smashboards quality discussion.

@ Conda

If you can't agree to disagree, then just leave me alone about it.

Calling them my mains is more convenient than saying "these are all of the characters that I enjoy more than the rest of the roster." Even so, I'm not using the word incorrectly, they are all the most important to me and that is the definition of the word.

That does not defend what you've said about I and other posters in this thread. You have made comments about competitive play, and I want to make that abundantly clear. We did not ever say you cannot play multiple characters. I hope you enjoy doing that - I do too. But they are not 'mains'.

You can call them that if you want, but you cannot explode and insult the competitive scene because you insist on using a 'competitive play'-word in a way it isn't used. It's like calling roll-dodges' 'wavedashing' and then calling competitive players 'limiting' when they try to calmly correct you.

I can choose to learn how the word/term is used, or I can go on a rebellious streak and make a case of telling the competitive community they are angry when they actually aren't.

You think we care if a player doesn't have a main? Why would we care? Because we must be mean, obviously, and we like telling you how to play your videogame? That's the premise behind this kind of discussion, and you force us to try and defend ourselves and convince you finally that "Dude, we never care how you play! We hope you have fun!"


That's not how the word 'main' is used in fighting games, but that doesn't make us a horrible community that limits how you play your game. Are we not allowed to correct posts on this forum that use a word incorrectly, because that makes us a horrible competitive community that big-brothers everybody? Seriously, the level of defensiveness and hostility is alarming and has existed for many years. It's VERY difficult to speak to casual players in a friendly way because, while the majority of them are awesome, you'll randomly come across one that treats you like crap no matter what you say, just because they think you dislike how they play.

I'm tired of seeing people treat others like this when someone says anything corrective about a post.


If someone corrects a future post of yours regarding how you use the word "shield", will you continue the same rampage to the competitive players about how they limit how you can play the game? It happens constantly on smashboards and reddit, and it should seriously not be a thing anymore in 2014.

You are posting on a forum, and thus interacting with others. If you use a word in a way that is not used, expect people to kindly tell you that.

If you get defensive and create an underdog narrative for yourself out of nowhere, then you alienate others and kill the potential discussion that could have happened.

 

[XxBHunterxX]

@ Conda

If you can't agree to disagree, then just leave me alone about it.

Calling them my mains is more convenient than saying "these are all of the characters that I enjoy more than the rest of the roster." Even so, I'm not using the word incorrectly, they are all the most important to me and that is the definition of the word.

Or you could just call them your favorites it's just as convenient and it makes more sense, besides you already claimed Oilmar to be your best character so you obviously hold him to a somewhat more importance than the rest to be able to make such a claim.

 

[Artero]

Just wanted to add that I'm a filthy casual when it comes to Smash (never been to a tournament), but even so Conda just makes complete sense to me and I think this is the way the word 'main' is being used across all games.

Basically you're just saying you're so good with 13 characters, you don't need a main.

 

[JamesDNaux]

@ Conda
I never said anything against the competitive community, stop putting words in my mouth, again.
I said that you can do whatever you please, and I can do what I want. There is no need to argue.

And it seems that you don't understand the concept of dropping it. I would rather not turn this thread into a giant flame war that the mods will have to come and lock. This is the absolute last thing I am going to say to you before I just put you on ignore, because at this point, it almost seems like you're purposely trying to bait me into an argument.

Point: A sharp point. A place. Pointing with your finger. The point you are making makes no sense.
Words have multiple meanings, your PKT2 argument makes absolutely no sense.

Or you could just call them your favorites it's just as convenient and it makes more sense, besides you already claimed Oilmar to be your best character so you obviously hold him to a somewhat more importance than the rest to be able to make such a claim.

I said that Olimar is my best, yes, but that does not make him my favorite. I enjoy him as much as the next on my list.

But again, you're all arguing with me over nothing. I've already said to drop it, but apparently it's going to take a mod to stop this.

 

[Conda]

Just wanted to add that I'm a filthy casual when it comes to Smash (never been to a tournament), but even so Conda just makes complete sense to me and I think this is the way the word 'main' is being used across all games.

Basically you're just saying you're so good with 13 characters, you don't need a main.

Thanks mate. I'm a competitive community rep - while I'm the calmest guy, people who insist on a split between casual and competitive players get under my skin. It's NOT cool to divide people, and to spin friendly posts around. It stops friendly discussion in its tracks, and prevents us all from getting along. It's the worst offense.

I've been on this forum since 2008 and it was much worse back then, but it's still alive to this day.

I have a responsibility to clarify things and to communicate that the competitive community supports casual play.

Us saying 'hey, a main means a singular character' is us being friendly and correcting someone in a nice way. We are obviously not saying "you are not allowed to play multiple characters" - the only way someone would 'hear' that and take that incorrect defensive position is if they felt a dislike for the competitive side of this community.

 

[Hayzie]

You can't have 13 mains, as they are not'mains' any more. Saying you have a 'main' implies "hey, I don't spread my focus through multiple characters."

So by having 4-10 mains or whatever means they are not mains. They are characters you focus on, sure, but 'main' is a word to use to make it clear you focus on one character. If you don't, then there's no reason to use the word 'main'.

This. Main.

 

[Deleted member]

This thread.



Regardless,
Main:
Secondary

 

[Zero Suit Wario]

A better question- why was this thread necessary

 

[XxBHunterxX]

@ Conda
I never said anything against the competitive community, stop putting words in my mouth, again.
I said that you can do whatever you please, and I can do what I want. There is no need to argue.

And it seems that you don't understand the concept of dropping it. I would rather not turn this thread into a giant flame war that the mods will have to come and lock. This is the absolute last thing I am going to say to you before I just put you on ignore, because at this point, it almost seems like you're purposely trying to bait me into an argument.

Point: A sharp point. A place. Pointing with your finger. The point you are making makes no sense.
Words have multiple meanings, your PKT2 argument makes absolutely no sense.

I said that Olimar is my best, yes, but that does not make him my favorite. I enjoy him as much as the next on my list.

But again, you're all arguing with me over nothing. I've already said to drop it, but apparently it's going to take a mod to stop this.

Know what I'm done after this too, because you keep bringing up favorites after multiple posts have told you that's not what a main is, it's a character your the best with which you've already answered, so by "our" definition that's your main and since we've explained "our" definition multiple times you shouldn't be bothered by that at all

 

[Conda]

A better question- why was this thread necessary

The OP believed that competitive players only ever play 1 character. The OP stated "I play 13 characters, while the competitive players only play 1 which is lame and boring", effectively.

However, competitive players play more than 1 character.

The OP was mistaken in thinking 'main' meant "characters you play as", when that is not what it means.

It was a simple mistake, so people politely corrected him. Yay! Sunshine lollipops for everyone.

However, then it turned into a flamewar, because a few posters misunderstood this polite correction as "you are not allowed to play 13 characters because none of us do". Even though we do. Again, miscommunication. That's what happens when you don't understand the other side.

What's strange is it isn't even a competitive term. 'Main' is a word that both casual and competitive players use correctly.

 

[Wintropy]

Do you actually think the competitive scene has a problem with people who play more than one character? Because that's what is being said of us here, and those of us being told that our point have to defend ourselves and correct it. It's obviously not working, as people still think the competitive community 'restricts' players to maining one character, and we 'dont allow' people to main multiple characters. We do. We just don't call them all mains, because they are not.

Sure, you can lobby to change how that word is used, but that's a different discussion that what you are turning it into - a competitive-vs-casuals thing. And I'm out of this thread if that's what it's gonna be about, because that is not Smashboards quality discussion.

Again: please calm down. No need to take things so personally, and that goes for everybody here.

I think we've all seen enough for the time being. This is just turning excessively ugly and I'd recommend it be addressed before stones start to be flung.

 

[Conda]

This is just turning excessively ugly and I'd recommend it be addressed before stones start to be flung.

Agreed. This kind of thing has to stop happening. People cannot continue blaming the competitive scene for forcing them to play a certain way, when nobody is doing that sort of thing. We can't even correct someone's use of a random word because people get worked up over what side it's coming from.

 

[TypePositive]

I just wanted to pop in to add Lo Main. That is all.

 

[Oilpath99]

My true main is

I have a secondary main, which is

And there's a couple characters which I really like and could become mains in the future

 

[Funkermonster]

My 4 man-team in particular order, and the only ones I would ever use in a tournament. My true mains are Greninja and Sonic, Lucina and Duck Hunt are my secondaries.:


My semi-secondaries, who I consider myself decent with at best, but I'm not good enough with them to main them, and I wouldn't use them in tournaments. I might add one or thee few of them to my main team later next year once I master the ones I'm already playing:


Playabout characters, I don't take them seriously and I mostly only use them in friendlies or when I'm in a casual mood. I probably won't end up maining any of them, but I still have fun with them:
/

I Wish I could have a main team of all of these, but its a very bad idea to have more than 2-4 in a fighting game because it greatly slows down the learning process and I still haven't even mastered my current four. There is no way in hell I could ever become decent with every single one of these.

 

[JamesDNaux]

For what it's worth, I'd like to apologize to the people that were in the middle of that argument.

I pick Olimar. I hope this peace offering is accepted.