Slavic
Ask not the sparrow how the eagle soars
I've done a lot of introspection in the recent few Make Your Moves, and 23 has been perhaps the most introspective. It goes without saying that 2020 was a rough year. Working as an essential worker during one of the most stressful and dangerous times I've been alive for kept me busy both physically and mentally. Not only did this give a huge case of writer's block but I also found myself unwilling to read or comment others' sets as well. I was basically running on survival instincts and just relying on MYM for some bonus social interactions that I couldn't get in person anymore. Being constantly exhausted, however, I was far from the most active in MYM even socially.
I won't get too in depth about the actual drama that emerged this contest, but I will touch on how it affected me. A lot of things were happening between the scenes with members and leadership, conversations and actions with I understandably wasn't privy to. Spending most of my online time on Discord in a chat branched off from MYM, I sought out inclusion pretty desperately, exaggerated by the inability to hang out with friends, go to the movies or bars. When things started to go downhill I didn't really have the information to pick sides, but a wedge was still hammered between MYM and my trust as a result and my MYM inactivity was heightened. It wasn't until I was given the full picture where I could confidently make a decision that ran with my beliefs.
Since then I've been much more focused on MYM. This contest saw the most commentary I've ever put out (admittedly it was all backloaded). I secured both 7th place and 26th place in a very competitive contest. I have set plans out the wazoo and am currently switching between four sets actively and adding to them. I am very glad to be a part of this community as the last few contests especially I have felt valued and wanted around. Not just in terms of my setwork and commentary, but just to be around for conversation. It's nice! I'm glad I'm back on my feet after the second half of this contest.
First off, congratulations to US for a well-earned victory on top of an all around productive contest! "Lucky" Louise was an incredible set with a near perfect score on votes and for good reason! She's the kind of set that would normally end up falling short of the potential given how many options it has, but instead you went all out and bled every drop of potential from this Fantendo article turned character. Also mad props on characterization here, Louise manages to feel like a long running and established character with the way you wrote about her and her universe, part of what makes the set so appealing.
Of course, you had not one, not two, but three sets landing in the Top 10, completely dominating this contest. While I wasn't as big a fan of Hina Merrel as a lot of others, I still think she was a great set and I'm happy to see her land 4th. She's got the same kind of complexity that Louise has, though I think Louise tended to be a bit easier to follow. Wriggle Nightbug I was a huge fan of after reading, surprising as I hadn't heard people talk about her as much as Louise or Hina when I got to her. I'm clearly in the minority for preferring her to Hina but either way she took 10th and I can't complain about that. Bleak rounded out your contest in 23rd which is still very respectable in a contest like this, if lower than your other sets. Bleak was simpler than the other three by a fair margin but was still fun to read. Like I said, excellent work on such a solid contest in such a stressful time!
FA continues to not know what the word retirement means, grabbing both 2nd and 18th. FA's a great presence to have around and even between sets is one of the more reliable commentators. Having comments throughout the contest is both important and unfortunately a bit scarce and yours manage to be thorough and objective without coming off as mean. Of course, then you go ahead and drop not one but two excellent sets before having the audacity to retire as a leader. Yeah, we'll see how long that lasts
I joke, of course, you've done excellent work in your time as leadership.Primordial Darkness was an impressive set. I mentioned in my comment how a lot your sets tend towards playing by their own rules, having very experimental ideas of what makes a moveset tick. Even before balance issues were addressed it was one of the best sets I'd read, being a convincing sell on a pretty abstract character. Sekuna went opposite of PD, playing way more into how Smash and fighting games in general work. While I do think she ended up with too many statuses under her belt she was still a good set and 18th place is no slouch!
Froy's output may have been slower this contest but quality was top notch! Grabbing 4th and 12th is no easy feat, especially when there was such a clear struggle for motivation and setmaking compared to other contests. Despite this, you continue to help other people with their sets, leading to some strong contenders thanks to your input (Mami and from what I understand PD both benefited from your eyes) and you continue to keep people on track for reading, commenting, and voting.
Despite melee generally being considered your thing you continue to dominate with projectile heavy sets. Rufus actually blended the two nicely, combining Rufus' shotgun and coin tricks with Darkstar's melee and command grab to make a really tight combo-focused set that's enjoyable and really fun to envision. Unfortunate he landed outside the top 3 but he placed very well against stiff competition. Shou added onto the pile of Touhou sets we got this contest and while Wriggle beat her out by a bit there's no doubt that she did well, especially for an 11th hour set like she was. I'm glad you were able to finish her so you could get at least two sets out this contest, and I do hope you can manage a higher output for 24! (and I do hope you finish that most wanted list for me)
Kupa did not waste any time warming up after properly rejoining last contest! All three of your sets this contest were solid reads and varied heavily from each other, giving a good spectrum to experiment with your setmaking. 5th, 13th, and 20th is a great run that follows up your last contest with aplomb. Our leadership has gone through some rapid changes in recent times and you've stepped up to the plate and helped keep MYM stable over the past year or so. You're a great presence to have around and it's good to see you becoming more and more active in chat as well.
Mysterio was an incredibly made set based on a mostly retired concept in MYM and, like Rufus, is sad to see him walled out of the top 3, especially given he's still my third favorite set this contest. Illusions and trickery were played to their maximum potential here in a satisfying and surprisingly balanced and practical way and leads to one of the most galaxy brain sets out there! Wolfgeist may have missed out on the top 10 but I don't think anyone would complain about him getting a set or the set he got. The passion for the character really shows through the writing and moves, adding a personal depth to the set that really elevates it. skekMal may not have been my favorite set of the contest but does fill an important role in terms of setmaking development as you yourself even mentioned. Practicing a more melee focused set is pretty much never a bad thing as the concepts there can be applied to 99% of the other sets you'll make.
Smady may have missed top 5 just barely but still beat me by placing 6th! Taking a second top 10 win with 9th and going home with 16th are big deals as well. Despite basically everything happening throughout this contest you've stayed an active grounding presence both in the thread and in the chat, even if it took you some time to start getting sets out. Considering how late your first set came out it's impressive you got two more after that! I read your sets in the opposite order I liked them which led to getting more and more hype as I read them.
skekUng I've talked about in detail in comments and chat but I really enjoyed this set and would have really liked to see it place top 5. It's a really brilliant take on a minion set that packs a lot of creatures and constructs in that do way more than just acting as extra hitboxes. There's a lot of clever use of mechanics and references to the Dark Crystal that make this set really flourish in my eyes. Armano in 9th feels about right, another enjoyable set and with some excellent writing to boot. Armano plays a different minion game, instead relying fully on his underlings, er, his son, to fight for him. Obviously this is for balance so that Armano doesn't completely steamroll the opponent. Il Blud was a great set to read, getting a YGO monster set from someone who doesn't normally do them this time. Given how fast Il Blud was written taking 16th is an impressive feat and it seems to have kickstarted an interest in YGO again from you, so hopefully you'll visit the series again for future sets.
Kat's output has been insane this contest, with only GolisoPower beating you out for set count. 8 sets, all of which placed, is a damn fine job, not to count being on top of commenting throughout the contest. You've really earned your spot back on leadership after this contest, and leaving with 8th is very respectable. I do think there was an unfortunate case of different sets appealing to different people in a very competitive contest that hurt your rankings a bit, but of all the problems to have that's a good one. You really showed the breadth of your ideas and Smash knowledge leading to an incredibly diverse lineup of sets (I'm going to talk about the top 4 here for the sake of brevity).
Pennywise was beloved by many and is an excellent love letter to a character with a solid history and fanbase in MYM. There's really nothing else that could even be featured in a set for everyone's favorite dancing clown, and it's fun to see mindgame sets resurge so much this contest. Great work here! It's no secret that I was a huge fan of Dragonmaid Chame, and landing as my 6th favorite set this contest is a pretty big deal. I was a bit torn on the Dragonmaid movement last contest and was happy to see it refined in Chame for a really slick and smooth set. Jalter was a set that could have honestly ended up anywhere in the top half of the contest and not surprise me, but I'm glad she ended up closer to the top 10 than farther. Excellent job in terms of making minions feel fleshed out and relevant beyond just serving as hitboxes, and very fun as a lightweight hardhitter. Hotaru Futaba may not have been the Futaba we wanted but she is the Futaba we needed. She's an impressively written fighting game set that has a unique way of focusing on defense. Bringing the TOP mechanic into MYM hopefully sticks because that opens a wide range of possibilities for characters.
WCF continues to impress in MYM with a solid output grabbing both 17th and 29th. While Kilton may have placed much higher in the past I would say that your output here is still better, just unfortunate that other sets pushed your rankings down. Cap'n Cuttlefish is absolutely supervote material, it just ended up that a good chunk of the sets this contest were supervote material. Cuttlefish did an excellent job at really experimenting with inputs while still blending them into a cohesive idea. Daisy was conceptually a bit more focused than Cuttlefish was, and had a fun focus on stage control with some unique constructions. You've shown clear improvement over the last few contests despite placements slipping, so I hope you come back with a vengeance and take a top 3 spot with Daisy Fire Emblem.
Almand has had an incredible outing. Placing with all your output in 22nd, 30th, and 34th is fine work and leaves you primed for an excellent MYM24. Even if Ditto hadn't placed at all you've made it one of the most memorable sets of the contest, completely out-of-the-box thinking especially when compared to your other sets. One of the most fun move-copying mechanics in MYM mixed with surreal, bizarre attack choices keeps this set fresh and iconic. Ty I've mentioned as being an impressive job at a weapon-switching set, and I do think Cooking Mama was a bit underrated as she had fun ways of incorporating and mixing up existing Smash contests. You've shown yourself to be a thorough and dedicated setmaker, so I'd love to see how you turn the commentary on your sets into growth for next contest.
Speaking of growth, bubby continues steady improvement each contest! Another triple-placement run with 25th, 28th, and 33rd, it's great to see you still sticking around MYM after a few bouts of drama. Cyclohm handily grabs your highest place, in no small part due to having a more MYMian base concept with direct stage control. Polterkitty was not to be overshadowed, however, gathering her own fans and having an unabashed full-on melee set. While she may have placed lower Polterkitty feels pretty significant and you should definitely use some of the experience of writing her for future sets. Robobot Armor may not have garnered the same fanbase as either of your other sets but still ended up a solid way to start the competition and a good measure for your growth over the some odd 9 months MYM23 has been running. I am excited to see the kinds of sets you bring to the table for 24, particularly if they are of the Futaba variety.
GolisoPower has proven to be un unstoppable force for setmaking. 12 sets in one contest is insane, especially for a first outing. On top of that placing both 35th and 39th is some excellent work. Your dedication to the craft is admirable and just mathematically speaking we can expect some major growth from you moving forward. The Chosen Undead proved you have the chops for some really inventive setmaking with a lot to set him apart from other sets. Regardless of placement and balance issues, this is a great starting direction for sets and I hope you pursue this line of thinking in the future. Getting Judgement to place is a nice addition as well, which also had some unique ideas in terms of inputs. Glad to have you around and excited for your next dozen sets!
Rychu has also made a return to MYM and cracked both sets squarely into the top 50. Broly and Phoenix are very different as sets, one being an all out bulldozer while the other focusing on more technical gameplay, so it's nice to see you stretching out to try different things while you warm back up. Taking 37th and 38th back to back on top of that is a nice touch as well. You've also been solidly active in the chat as well, making it feel as if you hadn't left! Excited to see what 24 has in store for you and it's good to have you back!
I'm not sure if Chase is even checking the thread anymore but congratulations on securing a spot on the top 50 with Ganon! I don't have too much to say here since you're not a properly active community member but good work!
dilliam may not have placed this time around but did release three sets and has been an active presence in the community and did manage to squeeze in the reading at the end (no judgement as I also was playing catchup lmao). Your sets all have decent bases this time around and a good idea of how Smash plays, I just think they need that extra pizzazz to really catch everyone's attention. Reading and comments help with that, but also I can tell from previews that you are poised to do just this next contest. Don't disappoint me
Torgo the Bear I have not really interacted with in chat or thread very much just due to timing, but in a similar boat I think practice will be what helps you draw attention with your sets more. I would also recommend popping into the chat more frequently just so I can get a better idea of you as a person and getting more moveset advice directly.
Khold finish making Overhaul.
Seriously, though, with everything that happened this past year it's understandable that you, Pnut, and IQ would see a drop in setmaking (though we did get that definitely great definitely original Sonic '06 set for April Fool's!). Hopefully you three can get motivation for setmaking for 24 because it would be great to see y'all comeback. Especially PNut who's been out of it for some time now
. Thanks for all staying active in the chat at least!I think that just about covers everyone...
Ah, oh wait, I'm here too.
I am extremely proud of this contest despite all the issues I was having during it. I came away with 7th place, beating out Gamagori for my highest placing set, and grabbing 26th is nothing to be ashamed of here either. I had some serious breakthroughs in terms of understanding how Smash gameplay works, both as a result of more in depth reading of sets and commenting and also taking playing Smash much more seriously. I think that really shined through with Mami, who I am more than happy to be my current best set. I spent a lot of time designing and refining my ideas for her and it payed off in a major way with her set turning out exactly how I was envisioning it. Big thanks to MYM for being so receptive of her because I put of lot of mental work into her. If she had flopped I'm not quite sure what I would have done to be honest.
Gnasty Gnorc was never intended to be this groundbreaking set or even come close to what Mami accomplished. I was inspired by the Franchise challenge and figured he'd be a fun character to crank out. I do wish I had gotten around to fully fleshing out all my original ideas for him regarding gems and the different Gnorcs but in the end he placed relatively well which was my goal. I might recycle some of those scrapped concepts in Ripto later on down the road but I don't think people were disappointed by Gnasty as he's not quite the highest potential character.
Exeggcute was an April Fool's jokeset gone wild. Originally it was planned on being pretty short like most April Fool's sets but as I wrote I got more and more wild ideas and decided to just go with them and make Exeggcute a fully complete and unviable jokeset. There's fun experiments with ideas in there but I left things very deliberately unbalanced because at the end of the day I didn't really want Exeggcute to be a competitive set, just a joke. The response I got was mixed, but if nothing else FA gave me the exact reaction I was hoping for so all said I would consider this a successful joke.
I'm excited for next competition as I've got a lot of ideas I want to get off the ground as I've shown off in my previews! Excellent work to all who participated in the face of adversity, and to those that didn't I hope that you can get back into it next time around!
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