Future of the Doubles Metagame?

[The_Most_Effectual]

Doubles has always been something that really interests me, and I think it has been criminally ignored part of the Smash scene. There is next-to-no information out there about it, no guides, no recorded theories, and very little discussion about it. I feel like there is so much more potential to it, and by the time I win Evo 2020, doubles could be getting as many views as singles, there could be whole tournaments just for doubles, and players could be known just as much for their doubles' game as their singles'. That is, if the community begins to try to talk about it and bring it into the spotlight more. But what do you all think? Will it ever be more than just a side-event and an added source of income for the top players?

 

[Dolla Pills]

Today I entered doubles for the first time with a friend of mine, and it was a lot of fun. We did okay, but written theory and guides would really help me motivate myself to try to learn the game better because I'm still more interested in singles where I perform better. The main block for me is it's harder to practice doubles than singles and singles feels more rewarding.

 

[SwiftOfDaSouth]

Yes please oh my GOD I want to get good at doubles but there's NO RESOURCES on how to do just that

somebody halp pls

 

[Yeroc]

Honestly, the best advice I can offer to anybody is to just...play more doubles. At smashfests, instead of doing 4-man rotations, play doubles. Rotate teams partners or rotate characters to keep things interesting, but most importantly get a feel for the huge number of scenarios that can occur in a doubles match. Just play. Then you can come back to Smashboards with any information you find out (strategies, cool combos, teams you guys felt were "super OP", etc) and share your findings. That's how community knowledge grows.

 

[Bones0]

Honestly, the best advice I can offer to anybody is to just...play more doubles. At smashfests, instead of doing 4-man rotations, play doubles. Rotate teams partners or rotate characters to keep things interesting, but most importantly get a feel for the huge number of scenarios that can occur in a doubles match. Just play. Then you can come back to Smashboards with any information you find out (strategies, cool combos, teams you guys felt were "super OP", etc) and share your findings. That's how community knowledge grows.

I actually think rotating characters is a huge reason people stay bad at doubles. It's so different from singles that sticking with your main will force you to actually focus on learning teams. I'm as guilty as anyone when it comes to using secondaries in teams and just throwing hitboxes around mindlessly. You also need to make sure EVERYONE is taking it somewhat seriously. If your partner or the other team are just doing ridiculous things, you won't get much out of it.

Best videos for doubles BY FAR:

 

[SwiftOfDaSouth]

Thanks Yeroc, Bones. I guess you're right that you kind of just have to play, but isn't that pretty much the idea for singles as well? I dunno, maybe I'm just a whiner. All I'm saying is that after 14 and some odd years, there should be more of a database and interest on teams, especially after the huge focus on the dominant teams of the MLG era like Los Diablos Chocolates or whatever Ken and Isai's team was called.

 

[Y-L]

Actually there is a very thorough and in depth doubles guide by NMW: http://textuploader.com/6akt

 

[SwiftOfDaSouth]

Actually there is a very thorough and in depth doubles guide by NMW: http://textuploader.com/6akt

Wow, how about that. Y - L has melee info on LOCK

this list is tight as hell

 

[The_Most_Effectual]

Honestly, the best advice I can offer to anybody is to just...play more doubles. At smashfests, instead of doing 4-man rotations, play doubles. Rotate teams partners or rotate characters to keep things interesting, but most importantly get a feel for the huge number of scenarios that can occur in a doubles match. Just play. Then you can come back to Smashboards with any information you find out (strategies, cool combos, teams you guys felt were "super OP", etc) and share your findings. That's how community knowledge grows.

So, I guess part of what I'm asking is, if players did get together and create a source of accessible doubles information, stuff like tier lists for the best character combinations, etc., would their be enough interest in it to make it worth it? Would people actually pay attention that kind of stuff or would they just continue mindlessly throwing out hit-boxes like Bones said?

 

[-ACE-]

Doubles is awesome. It tests a different skillset entirely. The teams with excellent chemistry can be counted on one hand and that is sad.

Doubles will HELP this game. Just as many gamers don't like melee just because they haven't given it a chance...... We're doing that to doubles (as a whole). It's a chance for more players, AND MORE CHARACTERS to be in the limelight, and to be respected for having a set of skills that is VERY respectable imo. More views, more players. 100% I support teams.

 

[pagedMov]

Doubles is cool because we wouldn't have the wombo combo without it

It would be cool if we got some sort of doubles 20XX where wombo combos happened in every single punish

 

[The_Most_Effectual]

Doubles is awesome. It tests a different skillset entirely. The teams with excellent chemistry can be counted on one hand and that is sad.

Doubles will HELP this game. Just as many gamers don't like melee just because they haven't given it a chance...... We're doing that to doubles (as a whole). It's a chance for more players, AND MORE CHARACTERS to be in the limelight, and to be respected for having a set of skills that is VERY respectable imo. More views, more players. 100% I support teams.

You hit the nail on the head. You're absolutely right. But what can anyone but the top players due to move people to try doubles out? How can we raise awareness about it and get people hyped to play?

 

[-ACE-]

You hit the nail on the head. You're absolutely right. But what can anyone but the top players due to move people to try doubles out? How can we raise awareness about it and get people hyped to play?

It's really up to the top players sadly. M2K making a comment about wanting to see more doubles in an interview is the biggest thing that's happened recently towards the "movement". I know if a few top players voiced a positive opinion toward incorporating more team play (and if people like grsmash, whom I'm using strictly for example and nothing more, made more videos that hyped doubles, for example), it would make major waves. The fastest way to be heard by the masses is through the mouths of the top players.

I am the king of parentheses and run on sentences.

 

[mythbust4000]

A low-teir will become a doubles god we just don't know who

 

[TacoLord9000]

A low-teir will become a doubles god we just don't know who

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SigTEZulrO4
Zelda and Kirby confirmed S-tier team