Is it that important to main a character?

[Colin Steele]

I mean, I'm having trouble deciding who I'll focus on, let alone devote most of my game-time to. Playing with friends I was able to play efficiently with all the characters in Brawl and most in Melee. So my question is whether or not you think you'll be able to get by online in Glory mode without spending all your time as one character.

 

[Naoshi]

I guess it depends on the person. Sometimes it's best to focus on one character that is well suited to you, because you'd build up a lot of skills the more you play as them. Some people might end up being rusty with their best character if they focus on many characters at once.

For Glory mode is just basically very competitive, given that you have no items and no stage hazards to aid you. You have to rely on your skills as the character you're playing. So it makes sense that one would focus on one character to main, so they can get the best out of it.

But really though, you don't need to main a character. The beauty of Smash Bros is that you can play however you want. It's just that people happens to like maining characters.

 

[Ffamran]

I got by messing around with characters in Brawl online, but then again, my aim wasn't to win so... Yeah, take my words with a grain of salt. It was all right to fight well, but if I met a tryhard, "pro", "gonna be number 1" player, I'd get my tail handed back to me on a silver platter.

 

[Colin Steele]

I guess I'll have to conquer my indecisiveness!

 

[supersmasher]

I think it's fun to play as many characters. Typically there is one character you gravitate to, or are the best at. Part of the thing that's driving me nuts about this demo is that there is only 5 characters (2 of which I don't care for) and one stage (2 if you count the final destination). It's worth investing time into mastering a character so you can beat your friends and what not, but there is also the fun of the game. For example I like playing as Villager, he's a fun character to play. But if I want to kick some butt I'll play as Mario or Mega Man.

 

[HenryZusa]

I don't think having a main is really necessary.
I must say I'm not a competitive player, I'd consider myself an average one but yet I'm able to play and control without problems any character from Melee, Brawl, Project M and the Smash 4 demo (<
I occassionally play with friends and I think I have the same chances of winning no matter who I play as, so I don't think a main is exactly a good idea because that way you limit yourself and your possibilities too much.
That would be just picking the same charater over and over and over, actually making the game boring cause IMO Smash Bros. was made with the intention of playing with any character and have the same fun despite who you play as.
Also, in the competitive scene I consider it is a good idea to have more than a character, not only because they can counter your main according to the matchup, but also because that would help you to know your opponent and what he can do.

TL:DR-> Use everyone, it has many advantages over having a main.

 

[Colin Steele]

I think it's fun to play as many characters. Typically there is one character you gravitate to, or are the best at. Part of the thing that's driving me nuts about this demo is that there is only 5 characters (2 of which I don't care for) and one stage (2 if you count the final destination). It's worth investing time into mastering a character so you can beat your friends and what not, but there is also the fun of the game. For example I like playing as Villager, he's a fun character to play. But if I want to kick some butt I'll play as Mario or Mega Man.

See I'm gravitating towards Link for the lvl 9s, but any lower than that and I'm playing Villager. I guess I'm wondering just how competitive For Glory will be. I mean I know people are gonna be pretty good on there, but I also wonder if anyone will just be messing around.

 

[Pirate Goomba]

Main a single character, no. Having multiple characters to fit the situation that you are really good with yes, as it will give you a great advantage.

 

[smashbroskilla]

I plan on maining one character that represents my childhood like little Mac, duck hunt dog, or mega man. I played all 3 games when they came out(yes I'm old) so they appeal to me. Then I'll main one character that will be focused on it's tier ranking. Hopefully one of those 3 will have that option but I haven't for my hands on the full US version yet so I don't know. I'm frustrated that the other side of the world has a head start but that comes with video game territory especially lately. Time will tell.

See I'm gravitating towards Link for the lvl 9s, but any lower than that and I'm playing Villager. I guess I'm wonderingjust how competitive For Glory will be. I mean I know people are gonna be pretty good on there, but I also wonder if anyone will just be messing around.

Your best bet is to consider level 9's as a training dummy because they don't have the human brain. No comp AI can prepare you for human competition.

 

[Colin Steele]

I plan on maining one character that represents my childhood like little Mac, duck hunt dog, or mega man. I played all 3 games when they came out(yes I'm old) so they appeal to me. Then I'll main one character that will be focused on it's tier ranking. Hopefully one of those 3 will have that option but I haven't for my hands on the full US version yet so I don't know. I'm frustrated that the other side of the world has a head start but that comes with video game territory especially lately. Time will tell.



Your best bet is to consider level 9's as a training dummy because they don't have the human brain. No comp AI can prepare you for human competition.

Yeah everyone I know that plays, I see at school so I'll have the weekend to beat on some dummies and then we'll see how I do against a real human. I was always pretty good at Brawl, so I'm not worried, but I do want to do well. I'll have to try to cover all the bases. I bet I can get by with focusing on about 5 characters or so.

 

[Masonomace]

Saying the term "Main" these days is getting wishy-washy, for that, I'm teaching myself to say "Primary" & the rest being "Secondaries". But to answer the OP, no it's not important to main a character, yet by definition of "maining a character", that primary fighter you choose to play with over the rest of the cast would distinct yourself that you would know who your go-to character is. Mains can be backed up by Secondaries, or Pockets. So yeah it's noted to have a character you like best playing first, then the 2nd-besties come after.

 

[BoAA]

I don't think having a main is really necessary.
I must say I'm not a competitive player, I'd consider myself an average one but yet I'm able to play and control without problems any character from Melee, Brawl, Project M and the Smash 4 demo (<
I occassionally play with friends and I think I have the same chances of winning no matter who I play as, so I don't think a main is exactly a good idea because that way you limit yourself and your possibilities too much.
That would be just picking the same charater over and over and over, actually making the game boring cause IMO Smash Bros. was made with the intention of playing with any character and have the same fun despite who you play as.
Also, in the competitive scene I consider it is a good idea to have more than a character, not only because they can counter your main according to the matchup, but also because that would help you to know your opponent and what he can do.

TL:DR-> Use everyone, it has many advantages over having a main.

I agree that if you aren't playing smash competitively then there's really no need to have one main but many people have multiple "mains" as well. I actually play competitively and main Peach but the reason why I main her is because I enjoy playing her the most. Its not just because she fits my play style the most but its because she's my most favorite character to play as. On the contrary to what you said about playing one character over and over again CAN get boring to some people, but I actually only enjoy playing Peach. I don't enjoy playing other characters besides her. The only reason I'd pick another character is to play with my friends who play casually cause I don't want them to get bored losing to the same character all the time. Lol

 

[LancerStaff]

It really depends on how serious you are. If you're hoping to compete with tournament level players someday, main one and see how the character matchups play out. If the character you chose has a debilitating matchup, then you will most certainly need another character. Really, main the bare minimum if you're shooting for the stars.

For Glory? Three to five sounds good to me. Any more then that is pushing it IMO, even for casual play.

 

[KokiriKory]

I've always had around 4 favorite characters.

64 it was

Melee it was

Brawl it was

And beyond them, I've enjoyed most of the characters anyway.

Commitment to one, the way I see it... is failure to know the whole game. I tried that with Samus for a while in the Melee days. I was great, but I capped, and I had to evolve.

 

[Colin Steele]

The best person I ever played against in Brawl actually would not play anyone other than Marth, Rob, Meta-knight, and Snake. Seriously in the few sessions I played with him he never once used another character. I almost just don't really respect that style of play though - like are you so devastatingly afraid of losing that you refuse to explore other possibilities? I mean I guess I can't blame him since as cool as Brawl's roster was, it wasn't exactly a balanced game.

I've always had around 4 favorite characters.

64 it was

Melee it was

Brawl it was

And beyond them, I've enjoyed most of the characters anyway.

Commitment to one, the way I see it... is failure to know the whole game. I tried that with Samus for a while in the Melee days. I was great, but I capped, and I had to evolve.

Samus is certianly the most fun for me in Melee, it was really sad for me to see her in the state she was in in Brawl. I'm hoping she'll make a comeback.

 

[Reila]

I like the idea of maining characters. I want to be known as a "____ player", you know? It is not even about winning tournaments (don't give a flying squirrel about tournaments), I just find the idea really cool. That said, if you want to git gud and participate in local tournaments, maining one (or at least a few) characters is a must, or so say competitive players.

 

[fearless.leader]

This is smash boards and most of us here are a bit more competative than average, as such we tend to want to consolidate our skill into fewer characters so we play better, nothing wrong with trying or playing every hero there...just some people like to specialize.

I specifically really enjoy the mastery of one character I tend to not get bored with one very quickly. some of my friends though cant stand playing the same one more than twice in a row

 

[SevenYearItch]

If you're competitive with Smash, yes having a Main is nearly a must. That way you can master your main and then have pockets for matchups. Being just good at all the characters at once with your friends would probably get you whooped on a tournament level for the most part. But if you're not looking for anything more than just messing around and playing for fun with friends then mains are useless.

 

[PKNinja95]

You can have a main if you want or you don't have to. It's up to you.

Online I usually alternate characters instead of just using one character all the time it would get boring that way.

 

[DMG]

Having a Main this early in Smash 4 is probably not a good idea. Many of the better DFW players would be screwed if the first impression is what they stuck with: Denti and others are probably moving on to much better characters.

Once characters are understood better, you should have an idea of what character fits your playstyle or taste. Having a main is not a bad thing, unless it's a hopeless low tier or something and you're specifically trying to win National sized events. Otherwise, play who you want! Especially right now as the game is new

 

[KoiKazma]

If you're not planning on playing tourneys/higher up matches, don't stress about maining characters! You should only main a character if you REALLY want to get to master a character for the big stuff

 

[Reila]

If you're not planning on playing tourneys/higher up matches, don't stress about maining characters! You should only main a character if you REALLY want to get to master a character for the big stuff

Maining a character helps at winning online matches too, you know

 

[KoiKazma]

Maining a character helps at winning online matches too, you know

Well yeah, but no point in stressin' about it

 

[smashbrolink]

I mean, I'm having trouble deciding who I'll focus on, let alone devote most of my game-time to. Playing with friends I was able to play efficiently with all the characters in Brawl and most in Melee. So my question is whether or not you think you'll be able to get by online in Glory mode without spending all your time as one character.

Well, I can't speak for most of the community as a fact, but I would imagine that the majority of players have at least two characters, one that they "secondary" and one that they "main", with lots of "subs" for various situations.

A part of being a good Smash player is experience, and since each character plays differently and offers different levels of experience for the person playing them [such as differences in attack frames that teaches players how to time attacks better than if they stuck with the timing of just one character, etc etc etc], it's a good idea to have at least a few specific characters that you focus on perfecting.

But having one specific main player is always a good thing, because you can take all the accumulated knowledge and training you've done with other characters, the things that have improved your timing, reaction speeds, and knowledge of the characters themselves, how they operate and how to counter what they can do, and apply it as best you can to the character you are maining, so that you stand a better chance in competitive play against others.

Think of your characters as an army in Hyrule Warriors: Your subs are your standard soldiers, there for you to gain experience with.
Your secondary main is your general, a sort of second line of defense, one that you're pretty good with but not the greatest.
And your main, is your general, the toughest of your bunch, the one you've put through the most training and is obviously the most powerful opponent you can offer to your rivals.

No army is complete without a powerful and wise general.
So train an army, and get to smashing.^_-

 

[Cruncher93]

While Maining one character has its benefits, you should at least know how to play every character. It helps a lot in understanding their weaknesses, so you can exploit those with your Main.

 

[Fex13]

for casual play you dont have to stick to any character but if you want to win tournaments then you definitely have to focus on one or two characters.

 

[SirIanAsh]

Choosing your mains is just memorizing the movesets and the combos, if you wanna play it competitively I prefer you choose a main or else you'll have to memorize 49 characters movesets, but when I play casually I choose every character, (thats when it doesn't matter if I win or lose)

 

[Tino]

Playing as a single character you want to be good at really does help a lot for online matches but it's also fun to play as other characters as well, so my answer to that question is...definitely not. It's really up to you to decide whether you want to main one character or play as more than one character.

 

[Carrill]

When OP says they were able to efficiently play all of the characters, it make me think they weren't efficient with most of them at all. Especially not ones with steeper learning curves like Jigglypuff, Peach, or Yoshi.

Personally, I main characters for two reasons. First of all, I always aim to get good at the game so I only focus on a few. Second, I'm simply not interested in using every single character like some people are. My interests in characters tend to be really specific. I've enjoyed Peach, Zero Suit Samus, and Jigglypuff because I find them all to be a fun and unique in playstyle. That and I find all of their character personalities appealing in some way. I just don't feel the same way towards characters like Falco or Shiek so I have no interest in using them.

 

[Capt. Butt Stallion]

If you want to be good at the game and wreck everyone, you should certainly focus on one (or maybe two) characters. That said, it's not important unless you REALLY want to be very good. You can be moderately good with almost every character and have tons of fun without maining any of them.

So it's completely up to you. Do you want to spend hours playing as the same character to know everything they have to offer? Or maybe you'd find it funnier to use all of them?

If my opinion is of any use, I prefer playing with every character in the game. Granted, I won't be that good, but I can do pretty decently with almost all of them.

 

[Hero of the Winds]

Saying the term "Main" these days is getting wishy-washy, for that, I'm teaching myself to say "Primary" & the rest being "Secondaries". But to answer the OP, no it's not important to main a character, yet by definition of "maining a character", that primary fighter you choose to play with over the rest of the cast would distinct yourself that you would know who your go-to character is. Mains can be backed up by Secondaries, or Pockets. So yeah it's noted to have a character you like best playing first, then the 2nd-besties come after.

This. Yes. Like, I love Lucina as a character and her play style from watching streams is awesome! I'm going to "main" her, or make her my primary just be because I know I'll enjoy playing as her and end up gravitating towards her. But that doesn't mean I won't be using TL, Villager and Rosalina too. And when I'm just having fun with friends I'll be using all the characters-

 

[TheAnvil]

I really don't believe in "maining" characters in the sense that some people only pick 1 or two characters, and they'll never ever deviate from that.

I use everyone as much as possible, but I have favorites.

 

[Toon612Link]

I don't think maining 1 or 2 character's matter that much as it did in melee, since this game is less competitive, And easy for new and old. Use whoever you like in brawl, Your chances of winning is cut when you come up against an experienced meta knight... And I am sure its the same in this game, except with a different character.

 

[Mario & Sonic Guy]

Simply choose who you want to use the most.

 

[many37]

In my opinion, it depends on the person.

Me personally, I don't really care that much for maining (although I already have my mains planned out, ironic isn't it?) but to have fun with the game. The main reason why I think maining a character is a "thing" now is because of the competitive aspect of the game. Before all of these competitive shenanigans in the community even existed, it was just about having fun with the game at hand (and it is fun because its "spirit" lived on in the hearts of the fans).

Competitive gaming may take away the fun factor out of the game and make it a competition instead of a silly/fun interaction between human beings (people take things too seriously). The same applies for having lots of fun and not competing. A balance between both fun and competition might be the "ideal" way to play the game (this is if an "ideal" way of playing the game even exists).

However, competitive gaming also has a good side in which people who play the game become better at it and are able to entertain both gamers and non-gamers alike.

 

[KaZe_DaRKWIND]

I main Random

 

[Raijinken]

You could be fine in For Glory mode without a dedicated main, probably, but it's harder to compete in tournaments. The main disadvantage to lacking a main is that your learning rate with each character is slower than if you focus on one, so it takes longer to reach a comparable skill level.

In For Glory, if the matchmaking works as advertised, you should be fine. I, too, get sick of only playing a character or two (it's why I bumped Marth off of being my top character finally), but it does help a lot to focus on a few. Have a lot of 'em to use in general, but keep a few for when you just really want that win.

 

[RascalTheCharizard]

Get by? Yes.

Obliterate scrubs and dance on their graves whilst wearing a clown suit? Probably not.
-----------------
A couple of tips when it comes to maining:

1. Sometimes you don't find a main, your main finds you. This was me in Brawl. I mained Marth for my first month of competitive play because I just thought he seemed cool. Then after that first month (and first 1 or 2 tourneys) I started experimenting with more characters, realising how little thought I put into my choice. I played Wolf, a character who as a casual-becoming-competitive I thought was some kind of Fox ripoff because I focused too much on Specials, and he was PERFECT for me. I never thought I'd be playing Wolf, but his attacks, style and physics just "clicked".

2. Consider how much time you have to spare. I'm surprised I haven't seen anyone mention this (maybe I skimmed over it?). In Project M, I've been near-exclusively playing as Roy for about 9 months now. The reason for this is because I actually don't have PM; I play it at my partner's house. So since I can't practice at home, I'm really limited to what I can do. If you think you've got plenty of time to screw around with and get a good understanding of many characters, go for it. If you think you'll only be playing for maybe 2 hours a week, might be best to stick to just one or two characters.

 

[strawhatninja]

For me I just play with every character until I find characters which movesets fit my playing style the best or I simply make myself adjust to a character because I really like the character.

 

[SmashBro99]

It's good to have a main but it's better to learn a bunch, if not every character.

I'll be maining the vets I enjoy playing most while also playing all the newcomers I'm glad got in as well as some vets that now play differently or don't change form anymore for everyone else I'm either not a fan of them / salty that they exist and are in this game over other characters I wanted in but will still play them all.