Master WGS
Smash Lord
Link to original post: [drupal=1247]Melee and Keeping It Alive (NOT A MELEE > BRAWL TOPIC)[/drupal]
First and foremost, this is NOT A BRAWL VS MELEE BLOG. Don't do that here. I don't care WHICH side you're on, it doesn't matter. Leave your bias at the door.
My biggest fear for the years to come with Brawl's arrival isn't which game my friends will want to play. it's not about which tournaments will get the higher attendance. It's making sure BOTH games get to have a competitive scene that thrives and evolves. I fear that SWF might not be with me on this one.
Before you flip out and say that I'm only saying this because I'm a Melee-guy, let me stop you right there. Yes, I enjoy Melee more than Brawl, but by NO means do I hope Brawl's competitive scene fails/shrinks/ends. I want it to grow just as much as I want Melee to grow. Heck, I'd really like for 64 to make a comeback, even though it also isn't my cup of tea. I just feel that SWF has stifled it to the point of no return, and I'm really worried that Melee's going to have the same fate.
The SBR has posted the 'final' tier list for Melee, which sends up red-flags in my mind. A tier list will change/evolve so long as a game is being regularly played, and I'm REALLY hoping Melee stays that way. Sending out a "final" tier list is essentially saying this game has nowhere left to go, which I HIGHLY disagree with. Just because we have Brawl to play with, doesn't mean Melee is suddenly over. I'm sure new techs and such will be discovered within the next few years as long as people keep playing, which will only be possible if SWF keeps it alive.
Let me throw it to you this way: If Smashboards' top people (I.E., the Smash Back Room) start ignoring Melee, and stop giving us cool resources to work with with the game, it'll lose steam fast. With lower interest will make less tournaments happen. Less tournaments will result in less players. Fewer players makes the metagame evolution suddenly slow down. Dead metagame = Dead Competitive Scene.
I think us Melee veterans/Loyalists (again, I'm NOT SAYING MELEE IS BETTER, JUST THAT I PERSONALLY PREFER IT) will keep playing, but the game won't GROW, which is a problem.
I'm asking those of you in the SBR to step up, and give us Melee players faith that you'll stick with us too. I'm asking you skilled Melee players who lurk for tourneys and never contribute otherwise to pick up the torch those who played before brought to us. Let's make sure Melee has another healthy seven years next to its new sibling, Brawl.
How do YOU do this? Host tournaments. Share any and all information you gather during your games that you don't think anyone really knows/mentions. Let's get a Melee podcast going like Show Me Your News. Let's make a matchup chart. if the SBR really stops making tier lists, let's keep it going ourselves.
To all my fellow Melee players, let's keep this game alive. To the Brawl players: Please don't try and stifle our growth, and keep your game going too. Let's make the SMASH community (not the Brawl or Melee or 64) grow together and as a whole.
Please?
First and foremost, this is NOT A BRAWL VS MELEE BLOG. Don't do that here. I don't care WHICH side you're on, it doesn't matter. Leave your bias at the door.
My biggest fear for the years to come with Brawl's arrival isn't which game my friends will want to play. it's not about which tournaments will get the higher attendance. It's making sure BOTH games get to have a competitive scene that thrives and evolves. I fear that SWF might not be with me on this one.
Before you flip out and say that I'm only saying this because I'm a Melee-guy, let me stop you right there. Yes, I enjoy Melee more than Brawl, but by NO means do I hope Brawl's competitive scene fails/shrinks/ends. I want it to grow just as much as I want Melee to grow. Heck, I'd really like for 64 to make a comeback, even though it also isn't my cup of tea. I just feel that SWF has stifled it to the point of no return, and I'm really worried that Melee's going to have the same fate.
The SBR has posted the 'final' tier list for Melee, which sends up red-flags in my mind. A tier list will change/evolve so long as a game is being regularly played, and I'm REALLY hoping Melee stays that way. Sending out a "final" tier list is essentially saying this game has nowhere left to go, which I HIGHLY disagree with. Just because we have Brawl to play with, doesn't mean Melee is suddenly over. I'm sure new techs and such will be discovered within the next few years as long as people keep playing, which will only be possible if SWF keeps it alive.
Let me throw it to you this way: If Smashboards' top people (I.E., the Smash Back Room) start ignoring Melee, and stop giving us cool resources to work with with the game, it'll lose steam fast. With lower interest will make less tournaments happen. Less tournaments will result in less players. Fewer players makes the metagame evolution suddenly slow down. Dead metagame = Dead Competitive Scene.
I think us Melee veterans/Loyalists (again, I'm NOT SAYING MELEE IS BETTER, JUST THAT I PERSONALLY PREFER IT) will keep playing, but the game won't GROW, which is a problem.
I'm asking those of you in the SBR to step up, and give us Melee players faith that you'll stick with us too. I'm asking you skilled Melee players who lurk for tourneys and never contribute otherwise to pick up the torch those who played before brought to us. Let's make sure Melee has another healthy seven years next to its new sibling, Brawl.
How do YOU do this? Host tournaments. Share any and all information you gather during your games that you don't think anyone really knows/mentions. Let's get a Melee podcast going like Show Me Your News. Let's make a matchup chart. if the SBR really stops making tier lists, let's keep it going ourselves.
To all my fellow Melee players, let's keep this game alive. To the Brawl players: Please don't try and stifle our growth, and keep your game going too. Let's make the SMASH community (not the Brawl or Melee or 64) grow together and as a whole.
Please?