xDD-Master
Smash Champion
(Long text incoming, but I would appreciate it, if you give it a read, even though my english isnt the best one. I apologize beforehand, english is not my first language)
[You can skip to the orange sentence to go to the main reason/part for this thread. The following piece is just something I wanted to share with you that adresses some of the stuff this thread is mainly about. It doesnt really matter if you agree with it or not, as it is just one possible solution to the problem I adress in the main paragraph this thread is all about (The stuff that starts after the orange sentence)]
So today, I played Wifi with a fellow smasher from my region, and we were just trying out some of the banned Stages (Brinstar, JJ, Onett, PTAD, Green Greens etc.)
Until we finally did our last match... it was on a stage we didnt play before today. It was Falco VS MK on Green Hill Zone. He (Falco) completely dominated me (MK) in the first stock, by just positioning himself really clever and using the propellors of the stage extremely clever. I still managed to adapt and win the match, but that's also because he opted to not go full campy, I think he wouldve won otherwise.
Nevertheless, in this match I came to realize something - this match was REALLY strategic, it was more about using the stage to our advantage than the usual outplaying of your oppenant. It felt like playing a minigame inside 1v1 itself. It was a very intense but extremely funny match. A completely different metagame than the usual Brawl.
I realized why love Brawl so much again, it can be played in SO many ways. It offers you so much content. And the match we just had, it felt like playing something completely unique, it offered me a layer of fighting, no other fighting game ever could (Note: I play all the smashes and tons of other fighters too).
But what has the Brawl Community done the past years? It got rid of more and more stages, and even considered banning a character.
While it does in fact removes some of MKs best stages, it also got rid of many possible counterpicks for other characters. I can totally see MK losing to certain characters on some of the counterpick stages. Instead we opt to reduce our stage list a lot, and what do we get? Still, 2 characters, MK/ICs, dominating the (meta-)game. (Even if this isnt exactly, it doesnt change the fact that there is still lots of inbalance in the cast)
We got rid of plenty of stages, and still see only a handful of characters dominating. What could we have instead? Many Stages with maybe also just a handful of Characters dominating and situational counterpick-characters on certain stages... Mhm! At least we would see a bigger variety of stages...
Now, we all know that Brawl also offers you something that other games don't - A really nice and fluid item game. With Item specific techniques like Glide-Toss, Jump-Canceled Item Throws and Instant Throwing after an air dodge etc., and even general stuff like picking them up with Aerials and Dash Attacks, other than in Melee for example, Items in Brawl can be really integrated extremely well into your gameplay.
And you know what? If we just use certain Items and not all of them, Item play in Brawl can be totally competitive too! (For example check out this ruleset, it has been tested a lot, and proved itself to be quite competitive usable: http://smashboards.com/threads/core...native-ruleset-for-side-events-mostly.340044/)
With Items & many Stages, Brawl is a completely unique game that offers you a metagame NO OTHER FIGHTING GAME EVER HAD.
Instead, the Community tries to make Brawl be like Melee or other Fighting Games. And many people just don't want to accept that Brawl simply isnt not very good at that. Dont get me wrong, I personally love Brawl, no matter if its with SV Only or Hyrule, no items or bumper only, Brawl is always great. But for outsiders, what does Brawl offer them that other games dont already have - BUT DOES A WAY BETTER JOB AT IT!!! For outsiders its easy to hate on Brawl. Someone watches a stream and sees 50% of the time MKs, or campy MK vs ICs, the same 2 stages all over again, sees characters tripping, and so one, why wouldnt he choose to watch a Melee stream instead? (Or another fighting game if thats what they like)
Another game, that is fairly similar, but does offer a way better viewing experience.
What could potentially be the case, if Brawl was about more stages and maybe even Items: The viewer sees a metagame / gameplay, they have never seen before. There will be an actual reason for Brawl to exist in the ocean of all the fighting games. Different than right now, where brawl only is a shadow of all the other (successful) fighting games and especially it's closest 'friend', SSBM.
Think about it.
And even if you don't agree with the stuff above (I can totally understand if you don't, no problem), pls put down the ruleset discussions (MK Ban or not, 3vs1 stock etc.) for a moment and first think about this:
What's makes Brawl unique, compared to other (Fighting) Games?
What does Brawl offer you, that other games dont have?
Why should you play Brawl, instead of others?
These are the most basic questions we need to ask to ourselves, and from there, if we found something we can agree on, move on and show it to the world.
As I see it right now, it's all about this 1stockVS3stocks nonsense. This won't change ANYTHING in the long run, you need to realize this.
What really should be focused on, is a way to present the stuff that makes Brawl special and different to other games. Only this can save Brawl. There has to be a reason for Brawl to exist, other than being 'just another fighting game, that some people like to play' or else it will simply be outnumbered over the time by games, that offer stuff no other game has (Or are simply more popular).
1stock, MK Ban, less Stages - all of those don't fix this basic problem the Brawl Community is facing right now.
[You can skip to the orange sentence to go to the main reason/part for this thread. The following piece is just something I wanted to share with you that adresses some of the stuff this thread is mainly about. It doesnt really matter if you agree with it or not, as it is just one possible solution to the problem I adress in the main paragraph this thread is all about (The stuff that starts after the orange sentence)]
So today, I played Wifi with a fellow smasher from my region, and we were just trying out some of the banned Stages (Brinstar, JJ, Onett, PTAD, Green Greens etc.)
Until we finally did our last match... it was on a stage we didnt play before today. It was Falco VS MK on Green Hill Zone. He (Falco) completely dominated me (MK) in the first stock, by just positioning himself really clever and using the propellors of the stage extremely clever. I still managed to adapt and win the match, but that's also because he opted to not go full campy, I think he wouldve won otherwise.
Nevertheless, in this match I came to realize something - this match was REALLY strategic, it was more about using the stage to our advantage than the usual outplaying of your oppenant. It felt like playing a minigame inside 1v1 itself. It was a very intense but extremely funny match. A completely different metagame than the usual Brawl.
I realized why love Brawl so much again, it can be played in SO many ways. It offers you so much content. And the match we just had, it felt like playing something completely unique, it offered me a layer of fighting, no other fighting game ever could (Note: I play all the smashes and tons of other fighters too).
But what has the Brawl Community done the past years? It got rid of more and more stages, and even considered banning a character.
While it does in fact removes some of MKs best stages, it also got rid of many possible counterpicks for other characters. I can totally see MK losing to certain characters on some of the counterpick stages. Instead we opt to reduce our stage list a lot, and what do we get? Still, 2 characters, MK/ICs, dominating the (meta-)game. (Even if this isnt exactly, it doesnt change the fact that there is still lots of inbalance in the cast)
We got rid of plenty of stages, and still see only a handful of characters dominating. What could we have instead? Many Stages with maybe also just a handful of Characters dominating and situational counterpick-characters on certain stages... Mhm! At least we would see a bigger variety of stages...
Now, we all know that Brawl also offers you something that other games don't - A really nice and fluid item game. With Item specific techniques like Glide-Toss, Jump-Canceled Item Throws and Instant Throwing after an air dodge etc., and even general stuff like picking them up with Aerials and Dash Attacks, other than in Melee for example, Items in Brawl can be really integrated extremely well into your gameplay.
And you know what? If we just use certain Items and not all of them, Item play in Brawl can be totally competitive too! (For example check out this ruleset, it has been tested a lot, and proved itself to be quite competitive usable: http://smashboards.com/threads/core...native-ruleset-for-side-events-mostly.340044/)
With Items & many Stages, Brawl is a completely unique game that offers you a metagame NO OTHER FIGHTING GAME EVER HAD.
Instead, the Community tries to make Brawl be like Melee or other Fighting Games. And many people just don't want to accept that Brawl simply isnt not very good at that. Dont get me wrong, I personally love Brawl, no matter if its with SV Only or Hyrule, no items or bumper only, Brawl is always great. But for outsiders, what does Brawl offer them that other games dont already have - BUT DOES A WAY BETTER JOB AT IT!!! For outsiders its easy to hate on Brawl. Someone watches a stream and sees 50% of the time MKs, or campy MK vs ICs, the same 2 stages all over again, sees characters tripping, and so one, why wouldnt he choose to watch a Melee stream instead? (Or another fighting game if thats what they like)
Another game, that is fairly similar, but does offer a way better viewing experience.
What could potentially be the case, if Brawl was about more stages and maybe even Items: The viewer sees a metagame / gameplay, they have never seen before. There will be an actual reason for Brawl to exist in the ocean of all the fighting games. Different than right now, where brawl only is a shadow of all the other (successful) fighting games and especially it's closest 'friend', SSBM.
Think about it.
And even if you don't agree with the stuff above (I can totally understand if you don't, no problem), pls put down the ruleset discussions (MK Ban or not, 3vs1 stock etc.) for a moment and first think about this:
What's makes Brawl unique, compared to other (Fighting) Games?
What does Brawl offer you, that other games dont have?
Why should you play Brawl, instead of others?
These are the most basic questions we need to ask to ourselves, and from there, if we found something we can agree on, move on and show it to the world.
As I see it right now, it's all about this 1stockVS3stocks nonsense. This won't change ANYTHING in the long run, you need to realize this.
What really should be focused on, is a way to present the stuff that makes Brawl special and different to other games. Only this can save Brawl. There has to be a reason for Brawl to exist, other than being 'just another fighting game, that some people like to play' or else it will simply be outnumbered over the time by games, that offer stuff no other game has (Or are simply more popular).
1stock, MK Ban, less Stages - all of those don't fix this basic problem the Brawl Community is facing right now.
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