jbro
Smash Ace
Link to original post: [drupal=4811]Chronicle of a Noob[/drupal]
Hello to anyone reading this for some reason.
My name is Davey. More commonly known (by very few) as JBro or JavierBrolina. I am a Melee player from the Pittsburgh area (Atlantic North by division, Midwest at heart).
I'm here typing this to tell you my story. To the veterans: so you can hopefully understand why I rage sometimes. To the other new players (if there are any): so you can see that there is hope for you to be a part of the community.
Where do I begin? I suppose I start with my first tournament ever. It was Carrollfest 2 in the early summer of 2011, hosted by fellow Pittsburgh player (and now roommate, but more on that later) Carroll. At this point I hadn't even played Smash for years. I played 64 as a kid and played a tiny bit of Melee when it came out, but never owned it. I had only touched Brawl once (at a GameStop store for all of 5 minutes).
I played Pikachu. It was all I ever knew. All I ever played. And like all Smash "players" that have barely played at all, they think they are the ****. I know I did. I knew I wasn't getting anywhere near winning the tournament, but it excited me greatly to be a part of the tournament. I've always been extremely competitive. I know, we all are. But it's like a drug to me. I'd play in a tournament for basically anything. It excites the hell out of me.
I didn't even play in doubles. No one wanted to partner, or they already found one. Understandable, but disappointing.
Eventually, my time came. The singles tournament.
The sad part is, I was one of the lowest seeds, so my first match was against a player just as bad as me. And I lost. I was under the impression that Pika's down+b was like the god of attacks. I loved it. Naturally, I lost.
Loser's bracket. Lost again.
But the seed had been planted. I loved the game already. Especially after seeing the last few matches. The hype was unreal. The biggest hyped match of the day was a pretty low-skill one, but it was absolutely hilarious, and anyone there can attest to that. It was fun. I wanted more.
Sadly, I didn't know I'd be entering myself into a downward spiral of pain and self-loathing.
I realize that sounds ridiculous, but it's not that far off.
I played a little, but not much before the next tournament I went to, /HOPE3. (Excited for /HOPE4, wooooo) Thank you to everyone I played in pools and friendlies there. I was still extremely nervous and had no idea what I was doing. Everyone I spoke to and played was very cool. Until this tournament, I didn't even know you could use the C-stick. Game changer. Didn't play doubles again, and went 0-5 in pools. I didn't mind losing at Carrollfest. Losing at HOPE was an issue. I had been playing off and on for a few weeks before it, and wanted to get out of there with at least one win under my belt. I guess I hadn't realized just how far behind I really was. But I still raged. Internally. It can't be healthy. I didn't really complain to anyone. Maybe a little. I kept it inside. But I've been a gamer my whole life, so when I'm not good at something, it really bothers me. So basically, me being a Melee player might be the worst thing ever.
The next few months went pretty quickly. I played a little bit, but mid-September I got an apartment with Carroll. I started playing more. I learned basic strategy, and could demolish my non-Smash friends. I still got dominated by all my Smash-playing friends, to be expected. I was told I had potential. At the time, this excited me. I wanted to get better. I wanted to be able to compete.
I practiced a decent amount. Probably not as much as I should have. But I was playing more Smash than FIFA or NHL, and that was a big move for me.
I also started to go to the Pittsburgh weeklies. Very good crowd (in talent and just being good people). I'll never put any blame on the Pittsburgh crew. They've all been very welcoming and encouraging. I love you guys. I've gotten a ton of practice there, but still lose 99 out of 100 games.
The build up to The Big House was amazing. (For those of you living under a rock, it was a Road to Apex event a few weeks ago in Michigan). Everyone was practicing like crazy, and Pittsburgh took 2 cars out. Again, our crew was awesome and so much fun. The tournament itself sucked (for me). Don't get me wrong, it was well-run and exciting. But I went 0-2 in doubles and 0-6 in singles pools.
It was at this point I legitimately considered retiring from Smash altogether.
From a veteran's point of view, I'm sure it sounds stupid. I couldn't wave dash, I had zero tech skill whatsoever. I was at a pretty large Road to Apex event. Of course I lost.
But from my depression-and-rage-induced point of view, it was simply this: I was working my tail off at this game for weeks, and when the time came to finally prove it, I was shut down. Hard. Rejection hurts. It's like I spent tons of time and money and put my heart into starting a relationship, only to be told that they "just want to be friends."
We've all been there.
But I did learn quite a few things at The Big House, and actually switched mains at this tournament. I felt like Sheik would fit my playstyle well, and I began learning her. I enjoy playing Sheik a lot now. It was a good move, and at least I can say I got something out of being there.
I went a few more months before playing in another tournament. I continued going to weeklies when I could, and I always have a good time.
But I kept waiting for my opportunity to finally have my first tournament win. I knew it was going to happen.
Then it came. A small house tournament, only a little over 20 people, in Butler, PA. It was mostly Butler/Pittsburgh, with a few people from Ohio and West Virginia. Finally, a venue where I could have that win. One win to give myself a little confidence to keep going.
Doubles. 0-2. Out.
Singles. Low enough seed to be in the only play-in game (everyone else in the tournament except us got a bye, just because of the number of players).
It was the dude that was running the tournament. Really nice dude, but definitely more around my skill level than the rest of the guys there.
He beat me a few times in friendlies (but it was on a laggy HDTV, so I didn't look into it too much).
Boom, I lose.
And then the worst possible thing happened.
What's that, JBro? Did you get matched up against the reigning world champ?
Worse. I got matched up against my roommate.
Which is bad for a few reasons.
A) He is better than me.
B) He knows everything about my playstyle. He's the person I play the most.
C) I DROVE A ****ING HOUR TO BE KNOCKED OUT OF A TOURNAMENT BY SOMEONE I CAN PLAY BY WALKING 5 STEPS TO HIS ROOM.
**** me.
I can't deal with it anymore.
This blog post was supposed to be inspirational.
It's just depressing.
That's pretty much the end of it. That Butler tournament was this past Sunday.
Allow me to say this, however, before you leave this page disappointed.
This community is amazing. I've only met one or two people out of probably at least 50 or 60 that I didn't like. If you're reading this, I probably like you. I hope you like me. If nothing else, I keep playing because it's just what we do. I would still hang out with these people even if I didn't play. But it's what brings us together.
Being a new player in a game that's been established and has had dedicated players for years is ****ing difficult. So I guess my advice to new players is to test the waters. If you like your local crew and enjoy their company, keep playing. The social experience is great and very rewarding.
As far as the game itself, I believe it's possible to learn and eventually become good and relevant. I am not either of these things.
You have to keep your head on straight. It's easy to get overwhelmed. I've seriously been depressed a few days at a time because of this game (especially after The Big House, I truly hated myself). Admittedly, I've had mental issues throughout the years, so I'm prone to depression to begin with. It probably wasn't smart for me to start playing in the first place.
I guess what I'm really trying to say is that if you are willing to work at this game, it can really be something special.
Just be aware that the good comes with the bad, and a lot of it early on.
You will meet a ton of cool people and realize that this community is so very tight-knit and is a blast.
Just try to not punch the next person who tells you "yeah, you'll be awesome soon" in the face.
It's a battle I have to fight daily.
If you read that entire thing, you have my eternal gratitude.
-Jbro da Basedgod
Hello to anyone reading this for some reason.
My name is Davey. More commonly known (by very few) as JBro or JavierBrolina. I am a Melee player from the Pittsburgh area (Atlantic North by division, Midwest at heart).
I'm here typing this to tell you my story. To the veterans: so you can hopefully understand why I rage sometimes. To the other new players (if there are any): so you can see that there is hope for you to be a part of the community.
Where do I begin? I suppose I start with my first tournament ever. It was Carrollfest 2 in the early summer of 2011, hosted by fellow Pittsburgh player (and now roommate, but more on that later) Carroll. At this point I hadn't even played Smash for years. I played 64 as a kid and played a tiny bit of Melee when it came out, but never owned it. I had only touched Brawl once (at a GameStop store for all of 5 minutes).
I played Pikachu. It was all I ever knew. All I ever played. And like all Smash "players" that have barely played at all, they think they are the ****. I know I did. I knew I wasn't getting anywhere near winning the tournament, but it excited me greatly to be a part of the tournament. I've always been extremely competitive. I know, we all are. But it's like a drug to me. I'd play in a tournament for basically anything. It excites the hell out of me.
I didn't even play in doubles. No one wanted to partner, or they already found one. Understandable, but disappointing.
Eventually, my time came. The singles tournament.
The sad part is, I was one of the lowest seeds, so my first match was against a player just as bad as me. And I lost. I was under the impression that Pika's down+b was like the god of attacks. I loved it. Naturally, I lost.
Loser's bracket. Lost again.
But the seed had been planted. I loved the game already. Especially after seeing the last few matches. The hype was unreal. The biggest hyped match of the day was a pretty low-skill one, but it was absolutely hilarious, and anyone there can attest to that. It was fun. I wanted more.
Sadly, I didn't know I'd be entering myself into a downward spiral of pain and self-loathing.
I realize that sounds ridiculous, but it's not that far off.
I played a little, but not much before the next tournament I went to, /HOPE3. (Excited for /HOPE4, wooooo) Thank you to everyone I played in pools and friendlies there. I was still extremely nervous and had no idea what I was doing. Everyone I spoke to and played was very cool. Until this tournament, I didn't even know you could use the C-stick. Game changer. Didn't play doubles again, and went 0-5 in pools. I didn't mind losing at Carrollfest. Losing at HOPE was an issue. I had been playing off and on for a few weeks before it, and wanted to get out of there with at least one win under my belt. I guess I hadn't realized just how far behind I really was. But I still raged. Internally. It can't be healthy. I didn't really complain to anyone. Maybe a little. I kept it inside. But I've been a gamer my whole life, so when I'm not good at something, it really bothers me. So basically, me being a Melee player might be the worst thing ever.
The next few months went pretty quickly. I played a little bit, but mid-September I got an apartment with Carroll. I started playing more. I learned basic strategy, and could demolish my non-Smash friends. I still got dominated by all my Smash-playing friends, to be expected. I was told I had potential. At the time, this excited me. I wanted to get better. I wanted to be able to compete.
I practiced a decent amount. Probably not as much as I should have. But I was playing more Smash than FIFA or NHL, and that was a big move for me.
I also started to go to the Pittsburgh weeklies. Very good crowd (in talent and just being good people). I'll never put any blame on the Pittsburgh crew. They've all been very welcoming and encouraging. I love you guys. I've gotten a ton of practice there, but still lose 99 out of 100 games.
The build up to The Big House was amazing. (For those of you living under a rock, it was a Road to Apex event a few weeks ago in Michigan). Everyone was practicing like crazy, and Pittsburgh took 2 cars out. Again, our crew was awesome and so much fun. The tournament itself sucked (for me). Don't get me wrong, it was well-run and exciting. But I went 0-2 in doubles and 0-6 in singles pools.
It was at this point I legitimately considered retiring from Smash altogether.
From a veteran's point of view, I'm sure it sounds stupid. I couldn't wave dash, I had zero tech skill whatsoever. I was at a pretty large Road to Apex event. Of course I lost.
But from my depression-and-rage-induced point of view, it was simply this: I was working my tail off at this game for weeks, and when the time came to finally prove it, I was shut down. Hard. Rejection hurts. It's like I spent tons of time and money and put my heart into starting a relationship, only to be told that they "just want to be friends."
We've all been there.
But I did learn quite a few things at The Big House, and actually switched mains at this tournament. I felt like Sheik would fit my playstyle well, and I began learning her. I enjoy playing Sheik a lot now. It was a good move, and at least I can say I got something out of being there.
I went a few more months before playing in another tournament. I continued going to weeklies when I could, and I always have a good time.
But I kept waiting for my opportunity to finally have my first tournament win. I knew it was going to happen.
Then it came. A small house tournament, only a little over 20 people, in Butler, PA. It was mostly Butler/Pittsburgh, with a few people from Ohio and West Virginia. Finally, a venue where I could have that win. One win to give myself a little confidence to keep going.
Doubles. 0-2. Out.
Singles. Low enough seed to be in the only play-in game (everyone else in the tournament except us got a bye, just because of the number of players).
It was the dude that was running the tournament. Really nice dude, but definitely more around my skill level than the rest of the guys there.
He beat me a few times in friendlies (but it was on a laggy HDTV, so I didn't look into it too much).
Boom, I lose.
And then the worst possible thing happened.
What's that, JBro? Did you get matched up against the reigning world champ?
Worse. I got matched up against my roommate.
Which is bad for a few reasons.
A) He is better than me.
B) He knows everything about my playstyle. He's the person I play the most.
C) I DROVE A ****ING HOUR TO BE KNOCKED OUT OF A TOURNAMENT BY SOMEONE I CAN PLAY BY WALKING 5 STEPS TO HIS ROOM.
**** me.
I can't deal with it anymore.
This blog post was supposed to be inspirational.
It's just depressing.
That's pretty much the end of it. That Butler tournament was this past Sunday.
Allow me to say this, however, before you leave this page disappointed.
This community is amazing. I've only met one or two people out of probably at least 50 or 60 that I didn't like. If you're reading this, I probably like you. I hope you like me. If nothing else, I keep playing because it's just what we do. I would still hang out with these people even if I didn't play. But it's what brings us together.
Being a new player in a game that's been established and has had dedicated players for years is ****ing difficult. So I guess my advice to new players is to test the waters. If you like your local crew and enjoy their company, keep playing. The social experience is great and very rewarding.
As far as the game itself, I believe it's possible to learn and eventually become good and relevant. I am not either of these things.
You have to keep your head on straight. It's easy to get overwhelmed. I've seriously been depressed a few days at a time because of this game (especially after The Big House, I truly hated myself). Admittedly, I've had mental issues throughout the years, so I'm prone to depression to begin with. It probably wasn't smart for me to start playing in the first place.
I guess what I'm really trying to say is that if you are willing to work at this game, it can really be something special.
Just be aware that the good comes with the bad, and a lot of it early on.
You will meet a ton of cool people and realize that this community is so very tight-knit and is a blast.
Just try to not punch the next person who tells you "yeah, you'll be awesome soon" in the face.
It's a battle I have to fight daily.
If you read that entire thing, you have my eternal gratitude.
-Jbro da Basedgod
