Is It Worth It?

[Shokwav]

Hey guys, I am new to the Melee scene, long time lurker here and long time spectator, but after recently purchasing a copy of Melee off eBay I've been interested in joining the community competitively. I just had one question, though: is it worth it? What I mean by this is that by the time I reach a reasonable level of skill, will Melee be on its last legs? Should I just wait and see how Smash 4 turns out before I get involved?

Thanks!

 

[CyberZixx]

How big is your local scene? If you have anyone to play with at all I say it is worth it.

 

[Papa+Stone]

No smash 4 will end up like brawl and melee will be elected for another term

 

[Shokwav]

How big is your local scene? If you have anyone to play with at all I say it is worth it.

I probably should have mentioned, I have a friend who is willing to play with me competitively. I live near Columbus, GA, if anyone is nearby. The area around here mainly plays Brawl, but I'm sure I could find the Melee groups if I looked.

 

[Tybis]

It'll be worth it as long as you're having fun.

 

[Construct]

Melee is more fulfilling than you could ever imagine. Do it.

 

[Pengie]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/209198555783942/ that's the GA melee Facebook group. The scene is mostly focused in Atlanta so if you can make it out here there's a smash fest every friday with like 15-20 or so people every friday night and we've started having monthlies as well.

 

[Comatose]

I like to think of it this way: if everyone gives up on melee, thinks it will be on its last legs by the time you're able to get good, then it WILL be on its last legs at that point. You have to have faith in the melee scene, to take the shot, and encourage others to take the shot, and the melee community will thrive, and it WILL be worth it. As long as people don't think it will die, it won't. In fact, with all the exposure from EVO and the documentary, I can see it growing even larger than it is now! Just pick up the game, have fun with it, and hope others do the same!

 

[NightShadow6]

**** yea its worth it.

 

[EscalatorBoy]

It is worth it.

First of all, it's a fun game. Like many things Nintendo, it stands the test of time as a brilliant game that hasn't died due to common graphical and technical issues related to the era of the Cube, PS2 and Original Xbox.

Second of all, the skills you work on playing Melee transfer over to Project M, the most promising future of Smash. Even if Smash 4 tanks, Project M will be there to pick up the slack and it's as fun as Melee has ever been with the same competitive feel.

Thirdly, trust your instincts. If you feel like Melee is the pinnacle of gaming and you just want to sink your passion into it, don't let popular opinions sway you away from it; love what you love and don't make any apologies for it.

Smash ****ing rules. It's a beautiful fighting game that can appeal to anyone, and approaching the game with a competitive mindset is a good thing for your brain.

 

[Mew2King]

obviously yes lol

and if ur scared of being too far behind, just pick up project M then

 

[Bones0]

I like to think of it this way: if everyone gives up on melee, thinks it will be on its last legs by the time you're able to get good, then it WILL be on its last legs at that point. You have to have faith in the melee scene, to take the shot, and encourage others to take the shot, and the melee community will thrive, and it WILL be worth it. As long as people don't think it will die, it won't. In fact, with all the exposure from EVO and the documentary, I can see it growing even larger than it is now! Just pick up the game, have fun with it, and hope others do the same!

I disagree with this. People have been claiming Melee is dying and on its last legs for over a decade now. I remember seeing old school Smashers say that they thought Melee was going to die after Game Over, then after FC, then after RoM, etc. Even if the whole community continues to claim the sky is falling, it still won't stop Melee because the people who think Melee is dying still keep playing in spite of it. Melee's population is independent of what the population believes because it's too damn good to turn away from.

 

[Comatose]

I disagree with this. People have been claiming Melee is dying and on its last legs for over a decade now. I remember seeing old school Smashers say that they thought Melee was going to die after Game Over, then after FC, then after RoM, etc. Even if the whole community continues to claim the sky is falling, it still won't stop Melee because the people who think Melee is dying still keep playing in spite of it. Melee's population is independent of what the population believes because it's too damn good to turn away from.

I never said it was dying haha. It is because of those who keep playing melee in spite of everything that the community is what it is, and what I was saying was as long as there are those people, the community won't die.

 

[pelotaz0]

It'll be worth it as long as you're having fun.

^This

 

[Fly_Amanita]

For what it's worth, I felt exactly the same way when I was learning the basics of this game in the summer of 2006. Melee has a lot of staying power, and while improvement can take time and be stressful, it's very rewarding.

 

[Bones0]

I never said it was dying haha. It is because of those who keep playing melee in spite of everything that the community is what it is, and what I was saying was as long as there are those people, the community won't die.

I never said you said it was dying. You were essentially saying that as long as people believe Melee is thriving it will continue to thrive. I don't think that's true based on the fact that the community has had the mentality of being on its last legs for the majority of its lifespan yet it is obviously still thriving.

 

[Double Helix]

Man. I am glad I wasn't the only one who thought this at one point. It is probably the most rewarding game I have ever played though. I continue working to improve, continue to see results, and continue to want to play. I don't even have many people to play, and I want to keep playing. If I get the money to travel and face people (and probably get ROFLstomped), I imagine the game will get that much better, because I have time to play with an entirely new network of people. In any case, this game is so good, and with a good network of people that I sadly cannot face as often as I would like, even if there were double digits left, I would play this game to death.

 

[TheCrimsonBlur]

Melee has been around for 12 years. No other game has ever had such sustained activity for this long a period of time. And, remarkably, the community is arguably at its strongest; so far removed from the game's release.

Instead of questioning whether Melee will die any time soon, you ought to question the longevity of its competitors. Just because they're newer doesn't mean they'll last longer. How long do you think Injustice will last? Is Street Fighter IV going to live through the inevitable V? What will Brawl be like in 5 years?

Melee's community has an extremely strong grassroots scene behind it. Corporate (MLG, EVO, etc) support goes in and out, but the grassroots will always be there. The core tournament organizers of the Smash scene are all Melee vets. When Smash 4 comes out, it will be hosted in tournaments run by Melee vets. As Project M gets better, its inclusion is entirely at the discretion of Melee vets. etc. Now tell me, what are the chances those organizers are just going to let Melee die, and stop including it alongside those other smash games? We're talking about the Juggleguys, Team OXYs, D1s, SilentWolfs, etc of the world. Do you think any of those guys, who are the actual hosts of all these tournaments, are just going to stop promoting Melee? Even if the newer games catch fire in popularity?

I can give you a list of reasons, but that ought to be enough. 2014 is going to be incredible for Melee, so you're coming in at a wonderful time. Just go to tournaments and have fun.

The funny thing is, the issue you're citing is what most members like about Melee the most: there is no deadline for improvement. We all just assume Melee is going to be around forever. Unlike other games (say, a new Mortal Kombat comes out...you have to get good before its first EVO because its doubtful it'd be back for a second one), its easy to keep Melee as a hobby and improve gradually, because, realistically, it isn't going anywhere. Ask around, and you'll find more smashers think Melee will be around for another 12 years, than not.

 

[Shokwav]

Wow, so far this community seems amazing... a noob comes in here and I have like 15 people (including M2K!) convincing me to play smash... amazing replies everyone (especially you, crimson). I will definitely be practicing this with my friend during breaks from uni, and maybe do some drives to Atlanta to do some tournys if I can't find some around here. What character would you guys recommend to a new player? I was thinking Fox, as he seems to be mosts technical character, and I figure that if I can get technical with him I can do it with anyone.

 

[Nicco]

Melee is only growing

 

[Krynxe]

What character would you guys recommend to a new player? I was thinking Fox, as he seems to be mosts technical character, and I figure that if I can get technical with him I can do it with anyone.

I would suggest not picking a character based on anything other than your enjoyment using that character. Tech skill is something that can be easily practiced on your own time, and shouldn't be relevant to who you want to put the effort towards improving with competitively. I've noticed that people who pick their character based on other factors, such as tech or tier list position, are often the ones who find themselves enjoying the game less. It just so happens that most of the high tier characters in this game are also the most fun, since they have so many neat and interesting options and play-styles to work with whereas lower tier characters are often limited to gimmicks and more monotonous strategies. Just play around with characters and decide who you think you'd like to make a commitment to. Work towards improving that character on a competitive scale, but don't feel completely limited to only using that character when practicing tech skill or when playing friendlies.

For instance, I main Puff because she's my favorite character and matches my style the most. Despite that, I spend a lot of my free time practicing tech skill and such with other characters to broaden my skill and knowledge of the game as a whole - since I seldom have other humans to play with. Because of this, I'm actually more technical at this game that many of the fox and falco mains I know, despite being significantly worse at these characters due to my inexperience using them in real matches. But I can say with certainty that my diligence towards tech-skill has lead me to be a better player with my main, since I spent all of my competitive opportunities focusing on Puff, while spending my time alone becoming more familiar with the game as a whole and thinking about how other characters move, feel, and even how they think about certain matchups.

I hope this helps and doesn't sound too ranty, lol tl;dr - Choose the character you enjoy the most. Practice other characters with the intent to learn more about your own character.

 

[4 Aces]

I probably should have mentioned, I have a friend who is willing to play with me competitively. I live near Columbus, GA, if anyone is nearby. The area around here mainly plays Brawl, but I'm sure I could find the Melee groups if I looked.

There's definitely a scene pretty much anywhere in the country if you look closely enough. I'm from Athens, Georgia, and I know plenty around the state. It's mostly near Atlanta/GA Tech, but yeah you can definitely find people. People are more or less willing to drive to you too. I can link you the the Georgia Melee group on Facebook.

Edit: Seems like Pengie's already on it.

 

[Engo]

Even if Melee for some reason doesn't last that long(though I think it'll be around for atleast a few more years) you'll understand the game and understand competition which will help you pick up the new game a lot quicker. You'll have knowledge and understanding that the people that start competitive smash with Smash 4 won't.

 

[milligraham]

I think it's definitely worth getting into melee. It's a ton of fun regardless of skill level. (To me at least) it feels like the melee community is only expanding. Melee has lasted this long, I don't see it going away any time soon. I bet it will outlive Smash 4 competitively without breaking a sweat. As long as copies of the game exist, people will be playing melee and competing at tournaments.

 

[JKJ]

I got into melee just over a year ago. I'm now happy to say that I consistently place top 5 at locals, I have improved a tremendous amount, and I am finally breaking into mid-level play (in my region). This game is only growing; every tournament brings a large number of new players. The scene is nearing its largest ever, and I don't see it going anywhere. It has brought me so much joy, and I truly believe it will never die. #12moreyears

 

[shadrach kabango]

only you can decide

listen to your heart

i've been in the scene since 06, more or less, and here are my succinct thoughts:

as far as growth in my own life, yes, it's been worth it

as far as individual growth/satisfaction/well-being wrt the game, the community, and everything that goes along with that:

def not worth it, not even close

by that i simply mean it takes more from you than it gives you in return. i'd say there are many other hobbies that will give you more than melee will, but if your heart does not yearn for them, it doesn't really matter

listen to your heart and let your intuition guide you. glhf