TaFoKiNtS
Smash Lord
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2005
- Messages
- 1,027
Welcome to Week 2 of Melee FFA. There have been many interesting developments for the Melee development in the past couple of weeks. This week’s topic will focus on legacies and 2013 happenings.
Past Issues
Week 1: Apex Players
1. On a scale of 1-10, how surprising was Armada’s retirement announcement?
Eric Lee, Violence, Canada: 6. I saw the signs, it was just a matter of when. I didn't think Armada was enjoying himself as much as he was trying to prove something when he played. I do think that he is not a huge fan of the way he has to play to get the results he does, but he accepts that he's capable of doing it at the top level, and wanted to show people he could. Now that he's done it, I can understand why he wants to lay down the controller and rest.
Jason Yoon, Bizzarro Flame, NorCal: 9. So, I woke up one morning at Ahmad’s (chill smasher from Nor-Cal) place. Julian Simington woke up around the same time I did and told me that Armada is retiring. I called his statement bull**** while I was trying to recollect my thoughts in a calm manner. Julian told me to check Daniel Lee’s post, and it was true: Armada said so himself. It was surprising mainly because of two reasons. First, I thought that Armada had a strong desire to break the tie with Mango (1-1) at the third Genesis. Second, I wanted to see how long his legacy would last, but I guess it is already cut short now. But, never was I disappointed nor irritated with his decision because all smashers have the right to quit melee whenever they want to, regardless of their motive. So, on a scale of 1-10, I would rate the surprise a 9.
Lance Von Ah, LanceinthePants, MidWest: 11. Definitely an 11. If you weren't surprised by this announcement then you are full of bull****. Even Armada's brother (Android) was surprised, and he plays with Armada for hours everyday. Armada definitely intended it to be a surprise, so not to ruin his trip to Apex. His retirement also sparked some interesting discussion on how much the top players actually impact the scene as a whole. Should they just play for themselves or also for the sake of the community? Even Mango weighs in on the issue saying “The thing I learned a while back is that we play for something bigger then us.” Armada assures that he is quitting melee for good, but we all know no one quits melee.
Adam Oliver, Strong Bad, Missouri: Probably an 8 or a 9. I had no real indication that he was even considering it, although he did a pretty good job of not letting on until post-APEX. Apparently some people in Sweden weren't too surprised though...
Arian Fathieh, The Crimson Blur, SoCal: 9. If only because we've seen other players with similar long stretches of dominance lose motivation over time. But it was still a shock. Armada has been such a perfect smasher in and out of the game, it's easy to forget hes human, and that his greatness isn't forever. The community is still reeling from the news, and most are still in the first stage of grief: doubt. We'll see if that doubt is justified in due time, but if Mango goes to BEAST 3 and Armada doesn't enter, then the collective heartbreak might be too much to bear.
2. How does Armada rank in terms of Smash Legacy? (Ken, M2K, Mango thrones etc…)
Eric Lee, Violence, Canada: I'd say it's below M2K/Mango level of dominance. His reign was not as long lived as Ken's, but he was pretty much a step above everyone else like M2K/Mango. However, there were many players biting at his heels. Mango taking two sets at Genesis, HBox taking one here and there, PP taking one here and there. He wasn't as invincible, the other players were closer to him than compared to previous champions, but he always persevered.
Jason Yoon, Bizzarro Flame, NorCal: Everyone ranks evenly in terms of their SSBM Legacy. Every player brought a big change to the metagame, Armada being no exception. The one thing that differentiates Armada from the previous kings is the fact that he is an invader who took over America by the fleet. His victory has given Americans the incentive to focus more on the international smash scene, and, at the same time, given other top place contenders such as Javi and Leffen to look up to Armada as encouragement to overtake their U.S. rivals.
Lance Von Ah, LanceinthePants, MidWest: There is no doubt that Armada will have an era carved out for him in smash history. The man has a winning record against every opponent in tournament except for SilentSpectre. He hasn't lost a tournament since Pound 5, which was almost 2 years ago. He is the man that showed there was still players outside the U.S. that could still compete at top level. The length of his legacy might not be as long as the others, most notably Ken, but Armada has sat at the top of the game in the highest level of competition the game has ever seen.
Adam Oliver, Strong Bad, Missouri: It's really hard to compare, not only because of the different eras but because of the logistics of being able to "dominate" that Armada faced. As expensive as it is for American smashers to travel within the country, it's 4+ times that for Europeans to travel here. And of course, the tournaments with the deepest pools of competition are here in the US. The prior 3 throne-holders were all not only dominant at the game, but were also capable of traveling to big tournaments all over the US to demonstrate that dominance. For Armada, more than 2 tournaments a year was an impossibility. I'll say that Armada will probably go down as the most influential player to the competitive scene post-Brawl, if not of all time.
Arian Fathieh, The Crimson Blur, SoCal: I think its hard to argue that Armada is anything but the best to ever play the game. That goes without saying. However, with his reign being as short as it was, the greatness of his accomplishments doesn't stand against the longevity of Mango or M2K. Those two have been top 5 players for over a half-decade now, and best in the world during that period in their own right. Armada didn't play long enough to meet his usurper.
3. Who is most likely taking the throne in 2013, if at all?
Eric Lee, Violence, Canada: Dr. PeePee, Probably PP's year to shine realistically. It honestly depends on how badly Mango wants to win it. HBox will be enjoying his spot at 2nd/3rd, wrecking M2K for days as M2K slowly loses the motivation to get better with Armada gone.
Jason Yoon, Bizzarro Flame, NorCal: Dr. PeePee. With Armada out of the picture, so many different situations are possible to the point where it is almost impossible to predict who will be future king of the SSBM throne. Dr. PP, M2K, Mango, and HungryBox are the likely candidates. However, there are many other contenders such as Javi, Leffen, Zhu, Hax, and many more who can snatch the spot depending on how motivated they each are. But if I had a gun pointed to my head, I would place my bet on Dr. PP. In lack of better words, he is such a smart and motivated player, and he really stepped up his game in Kings of Cali and the last Apex. However, he tends to be inconsistent depending on his mood and mindset, and controlling himself is probably the most important flaw he needs to work on unless if he already fixed it.
Lance Von Ah, LanceinthePants, MidWest: Mango/Dr. PeePee (tie). It is very difficult to say if there will be one person who completely dominates 2013, but if there is it will be Mango or Dr. Peepee. Those 2 are the ones that have shown they can beat the others. They both have dominant records against Hungrybox and M2K, even with Mango losing to M2K twice at Apex. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you, but these are the guys to watch in 2013.
Adam Oliver, Strong Bad, Missouri: Dr. PeePee. I don't really think 2013, or any year for that matter, will have enough big tournaments to determine an accurate "throne." In general though, I'd probably go with Dr Peepee. Mango has so much raw talent and skill but it's clear that as far as practicing and putting effort into improvement (as well as ensuring he's able to perform well at a tournament) goes, he tends not to care as much.
Arian Fathieh, The Crimson Blur, SoCal: Mew2King, Before APEX, it'd be a no brainer. Before Kings of Cali, it'd be even simpler. But M2K's recent play has got me thinking. With Brawl declining, and Melee on a meteoric rise leading up to Gen3 and EVO in the summer, I expect Jason to (finally) focus his full attention on one game. Plus, this interview after Brawl GFs makes me think he's finally got his head on straight again...and a determined M2K is one of the scariest things this game has ever seen.
4. With many people contemplating retirement after APEX 2013, how is the health of melee, currently? Good or bad?
Eric Lee, Violence, Canada: Melee won't die with a couple of players leaving. It hasn't in the past, and it won't in the future. Another generation will ascend to the challenge, a new champion will be crowned, and hype will return to its rightful level in the community.
Jason Yoon, Bizzarro Flame, NorCal: The health of melee currently is neutral. I will provide the positive and negative effects of this phenomenon. On the positive side, the competition will be fiercer because of the expansion of opportunity for the top players to snatch the first place spot, and, of course, more competition usually brings more hype, and ultimately bolsters the competitive scene. On the negative side, dedicated fans will lose their favorite players, and it is hard to predict whether or not they will have a new favorite that can satisfy their hype meter. Already, the Mango and Armada rivalry has sprouted so much pride and excitement to many players and spectators. It will be hard to replicate or even surpass the same amount of hype since Genesis 1. So, it can go either way, but of course I am hoping for the former (positive effect) to come through.
Lance Von Ah, LanceinthePants, MidWest: The health of the melee, since the release of Brawl, is at all time high. I know both Hungrybox and M2K have both started contemplating retirement since Armada's announcement, but how many times has M2K said he was going to retire and has come back? It is no doubt an emotional moment for a lot of people, but with G3NESIS and EVO up ahead, the future looks bright for Melee.
Adam Oliver, Strong Bad, Missouri: A lot of people said they were going to retire after APEX 2012, too. I think the same sentiments go around after every super-major tourney, just players getting "smashed out," but it's not a real threat IMO. It kind of depends on which regions you look at, but overall I'd say the health of Melee is the highest it's been in a few years now, especially with Genesis 3 & EVO hype.
Arian Fathieh, The Crimson Blur, SoCal: I think Melee is the best its ever been. Sure, 06/07 had MLG and EVO, but we now have an organizational structure and ability to mobilize like never before. Streams are finally growing in popularity, quality, and abundance. Conversation and buzz about top level Melee has increased -- hype/interest is higher than I ever remember, in part due to having a running conversation via the Melee it On Me podcast. Social media is helping us connect to new players, and soon, our improved Smashboards platform will give us the capacity to focus our message. Leadership worldwide has gotten formalized; VGBC in MD/VA, the APEX - Clash Tournaments crew in tristate, Team OXY in Socal, DBR in Norcal, umsmash in midwest...everyone is excited to contribute to the community, and is willing to work hard to see it grow. The future is bright. I think Melee in 2013 will be compared to the FGC in 2009, when all is said and done.
5. SSBM is currently in the lead in the Cancer Donation Drive for EVO2013. On a scale of 1-10, how important is it for the melee community to integrate with the FG community?
Eric Lee, Violence, Canada: 4. It is definitely a huge step in the right direction, but we are not really reliant on them. This is our victory lap after 12 years. This is our time to say, "We got here on our own, we did this ourselves. We withstood the test of time, look at what you're missing."
Jason Yoon, Bizzarro Flame, NorCal: 2. For me, I will give a score of 2 for the importance. This is such a tricky question to answer because other questions need to be asked to answer this question. However, I will provide the most important question: will integration into the FGC community provide benefits to the melee scene? Then, there are two main goals, that I interpret from being in the smash community for many years, to consider in order to answer this previous question: (1) to gain respect of the FGC community and (2) to increase awareness, ultimately building a bigger melee community and tournament scene.
For the first goal, I am a skeptic when it comes to contemplating whether the FGC community will accept melee or not. The most important question that will always drive a wedge between these two communities is if Melee is a fighting game or not. People will always have different answers to this question, regardless if it is true or not, because it is a subjective question without an objective standard of what a fighting game is. Because of this, it will be almost impossible to convince most FGC members that Melee is a fighting game, and more importantly should be a respected one.
For the second question, this is a much easier goal to achieve. However, the FGC community will not try to pick up melee just because more of its members are aware of the melee scene. And this ties in with the first goal because if the FGC members look down on the melee community, then they are probably not going to try out melee. But hey, it might be worth a shot because there are always open-minded members of the FGC community who might give our game a shot and possibly join our community.
And, just to clarify, I am 100% supportive of SSBM as being the 8th game of the EVO 2013 event, mainly for the reason of spreading this game’s awareness. I am largely looking forward to the stream viewers of the SSBM event if it gets in because there is a considerable portion of the stream viewers without much negative bias against melee who, hopefully, will become engrossed with the game after watching our top players compete.
Lance Von Ah, LanceinthePants, MidWest: 7.5. Melee being at EVO2013 will change the future of Melee. I would say for the community to thrive it needs more exposure. There are so many people who have played smash when they were younger and still love the game. If Melee gets the viewers that the EVO main stage can bring, it would put a lot of life back into the community. Hell, just this fundraiser for EVO alone has put a spark in the community that I have never seen. There are so many FG’s that have a much smaller scene than we do, but they still get more sponsors and viewers compared to smash. It is because they are part of an already established system: The FGC. It we become a respected part of that system, the Melee community can become much more than it already is.
Adam Oliver, Strong Bad, Missouri: I'd say 7 or 8. I'm not sure about "integration," but I think both communities have a lot to gain and learn from each other. There's a lot of things about running tournaments that the FGC does very, very well and we should definitely take notes. Regardless, Melee getting into EVO 2013 could mean big things for Melee and the community at large, and is a 10 on that scale of importance. More importantly though, the EVO donation drive has challenged our community to come together and work toward a common goal, something we we've been lacking for a long time. Even if we don't get into EVO, we will come out better and stronger than ever by the end of this.
Arian Fathieh, The Crimson Blur, SoCal: 5. We need to be separate and integrated at the same time, if that makes sense. We should be grateful to be included in the FGC events, but not so much that we forgo our grassroots efforts. There are strengths to our format, and a reason why we have such a high player retention rate: a Melee tournament experience is so good its hard to stay away. We need to continue to refine that, and maintain a certain level of independence should certain opportunities not work out our way.
Past Issues
Week 1: Apex Players
1. On a scale of 1-10, how surprising was Armada’s retirement announcement?
Eric Lee, Violence, Canada: 6. I saw the signs, it was just a matter of when. I didn't think Armada was enjoying himself as much as he was trying to prove something when he played. I do think that he is not a huge fan of the way he has to play to get the results he does, but he accepts that he's capable of doing it at the top level, and wanted to show people he could. Now that he's done it, I can understand why he wants to lay down the controller and rest.
Jason Yoon, Bizzarro Flame, NorCal: 9. So, I woke up one morning at Ahmad’s (chill smasher from Nor-Cal) place. Julian Simington woke up around the same time I did and told me that Armada is retiring. I called his statement bull**** while I was trying to recollect my thoughts in a calm manner. Julian told me to check Daniel Lee’s post, and it was true: Armada said so himself. It was surprising mainly because of two reasons. First, I thought that Armada had a strong desire to break the tie with Mango (1-1) at the third Genesis. Second, I wanted to see how long his legacy would last, but I guess it is already cut short now. But, never was I disappointed nor irritated with his decision because all smashers have the right to quit melee whenever they want to, regardless of their motive. So, on a scale of 1-10, I would rate the surprise a 9.
Lance Von Ah, LanceinthePants, MidWest: 11. Definitely an 11. If you weren't surprised by this announcement then you are full of bull****. Even Armada's brother (Android) was surprised, and he plays with Armada for hours everyday. Armada definitely intended it to be a surprise, so not to ruin his trip to Apex. His retirement also sparked some interesting discussion on how much the top players actually impact the scene as a whole. Should they just play for themselves or also for the sake of the community? Even Mango weighs in on the issue saying “The thing I learned a while back is that we play for something bigger then us.” Armada assures that he is quitting melee for good, but we all know no one quits melee.
Adam Oliver, Strong Bad, Missouri: Probably an 8 or a 9. I had no real indication that he was even considering it, although he did a pretty good job of not letting on until post-APEX. Apparently some people in Sweden weren't too surprised though...
Arian Fathieh, The Crimson Blur, SoCal: 9. If only because we've seen other players with similar long stretches of dominance lose motivation over time. But it was still a shock. Armada has been such a perfect smasher in and out of the game, it's easy to forget hes human, and that his greatness isn't forever. The community is still reeling from the news, and most are still in the first stage of grief: doubt. We'll see if that doubt is justified in due time, but if Mango goes to BEAST 3 and Armada doesn't enter, then the collective heartbreak might be too much to bear.
2. How does Armada rank in terms of Smash Legacy? (Ken, M2K, Mango thrones etc…)
Eric Lee, Violence, Canada: I'd say it's below M2K/Mango level of dominance. His reign was not as long lived as Ken's, but he was pretty much a step above everyone else like M2K/Mango. However, there were many players biting at his heels. Mango taking two sets at Genesis, HBox taking one here and there, PP taking one here and there. He wasn't as invincible, the other players were closer to him than compared to previous champions, but he always persevered.
Jason Yoon, Bizzarro Flame, NorCal: Everyone ranks evenly in terms of their SSBM Legacy. Every player brought a big change to the metagame, Armada being no exception. The one thing that differentiates Armada from the previous kings is the fact that he is an invader who took over America by the fleet. His victory has given Americans the incentive to focus more on the international smash scene, and, at the same time, given other top place contenders such as Javi and Leffen to look up to Armada as encouragement to overtake their U.S. rivals.
Lance Von Ah, LanceinthePants, MidWest: There is no doubt that Armada will have an era carved out for him in smash history. The man has a winning record against every opponent in tournament except for SilentSpectre. He hasn't lost a tournament since Pound 5, which was almost 2 years ago. He is the man that showed there was still players outside the U.S. that could still compete at top level. The length of his legacy might not be as long as the others, most notably Ken, but Armada has sat at the top of the game in the highest level of competition the game has ever seen.
Adam Oliver, Strong Bad, Missouri: It's really hard to compare, not only because of the different eras but because of the logistics of being able to "dominate" that Armada faced. As expensive as it is for American smashers to travel within the country, it's 4+ times that for Europeans to travel here. And of course, the tournaments with the deepest pools of competition are here in the US. The prior 3 throne-holders were all not only dominant at the game, but were also capable of traveling to big tournaments all over the US to demonstrate that dominance. For Armada, more than 2 tournaments a year was an impossibility. I'll say that Armada will probably go down as the most influential player to the competitive scene post-Brawl, if not of all time.
Arian Fathieh, The Crimson Blur, SoCal: I think its hard to argue that Armada is anything but the best to ever play the game. That goes without saying. However, with his reign being as short as it was, the greatness of his accomplishments doesn't stand against the longevity of Mango or M2K. Those two have been top 5 players for over a half-decade now, and best in the world during that period in their own right. Armada didn't play long enough to meet his usurper.
3. Who is most likely taking the throne in 2013, if at all?
Eric Lee, Violence, Canada: Dr. PeePee, Probably PP's year to shine realistically. It honestly depends on how badly Mango wants to win it. HBox will be enjoying his spot at 2nd/3rd, wrecking M2K for days as M2K slowly loses the motivation to get better with Armada gone.
Jason Yoon, Bizzarro Flame, NorCal: Dr. PeePee. With Armada out of the picture, so many different situations are possible to the point where it is almost impossible to predict who will be future king of the SSBM throne. Dr. PP, M2K, Mango, and HungryBox are the likely candidates. However, there are many other contenders such as Javi, Leffen, Zhu, Hax, and many more who can snatch the spot depending on how motivated they each are. But if I had a gun pointed to my head, I would place my bet on Dr. PP. In lack of better words, he is such a smart and motivated player, and he really stepped up his game in Kings of Cali and the last Apex. However, he tends to be inconsistent depending on his mood and mindset, and controlling himself is probably the most important flaw he needs to work on unless if he already fixed it.
Lance Von Ah, LanceinthePants, MidWest: Mango/Dr. PeePee (tie). It is very difficult to say if there will be one person who completely dominates 2013, but if there is it will be Mango or Dr. Peepee. Those 2 are the ones that have shown they can beat the others. They both have dominant records against Hungrybox and M2K, even with Mango losing to M2K twice at Apex. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you, but these are the guys to watch in 2013.
Adam Oliver, Strong Bad, Missouri: Dr. PeePee. I don't really think 2013, or any year for that matter, will have enough big tournaments to determine an accurate "throne." In general though, I'd probably go with Dr Peepee. Mango has so much raw talent and skill but it's clear that as far as practicing and putting effort into improvement (as well as ensuring he's able to perform well at a tournament) goes, he tends not to care as much.
Arian Fathieh, The Crimson Blur, SoCal: Mew2King, Before APEX, it'd be a no brainer. Before Kings of Cali, it'd be even simpler. But M2K's recent play has got me thinking. With Brawl declining, and Melee on a meteoric rise leading up to Gen3 and EVO in the summer, I expect Jason to (finally) focus his full attention on one game. Plus, this interview after Brawl GFs makes me think he's finally got his head on straight again...and a determined M2K is one of the scariest things this game has ever seen.
4. With many people contemplating retirement after APEX 2013, how is the health of melee, currently? Good or bad?
Eric Lee, Violence, Canada: Melee won't die with a couple of players leaving. It hasn't in the past, and it won't in the future. Another generation will ascend to the challenge, a new champion will be crowned, and hype will return to its rightful level in the community.
Jason Yoon, Bizzarro Flame, NorCal: The health of melee currently is neutral. I will provide the positive and negative effects of this phenomenon. On the positive side, the competition will be fiercer because of the expansion of opportunity for the top players to snatch the first place spot, and, of course, more competition usually brings more hype, and ultimately bolsters the competitive scene. On the negative side, dedicated fans will lose their favorite players, and it is hard to predict whether or not they will have a new favorite that can satisfy their hype meter. Already, the Mango and Armada rivalry has sprouted so much pride and excitement to many players and spectators. It will be hard to replicate or even surpass the same amount of hype since Genesis 1. So, it can go either way, but of course I am hoping for the former (positive effect) to come through.
Lance Von Ah, LanceinthePants, MidWest: The health of the melee, since the release of Brawl, is at all time high. I know both Hungrybox and M2K have both started contemplating retirement since Armada's announcement, but how many times has M2K said he was going to retire and has come back? It is no doubt an emotional moment for a lot of people, but with G3NESIS and EVO up ahead, the future looks bright for Melee.
Adam Oliver, Strong Bad, Missouri: A lot of people said they were going to retire after APEX 2012, too. I think the same sentiments go around after every super-major tourney, just players getting "smashed out," but it's not a real threat IMO. It kind of depends on which regions you look at, but overall I'd say the health of Melee is the highest it's been in a few years now, especially with Genesis 3 & EVO hype.
Arian Fathieh, The Crimson Blur, SoCal: I think Melee is the best its ever been. Sure, 06/07 had MLG and EVO, but we now have an organizational structure and ability to mobilize like never before. Streams are finally growing in popularity, quality, and abundance. Conversation and buzz about top level Melee has increased -- hype/interest is higher than I ever remember, in part due to having a running conversation via the Melee it On Me podcast. Social media is helping us connect to new players, and soon, our improved Smashboards platform will give us the capacity to focus our message. Leadership worldwide has gotten formalized; VGBC in MD/VA, the APEX - Clash Tournaments crew in tristate, Team OXY in Socal, DBR in Norcal, umsmash in midwest...everyone is excited to contribute to the community, and is willing to work hard to see it grow. The future is bright. I think Melee in 2013 will be compared to the FGC in 2009, when all is said and done.
5. SSBM is currently in the lead in the Cancer Donation Drive for EVO2013. On a scale of 1-10, how important is it for the melee community to integrate with the FG community?
Eric Lee, Violence, Canada: 4. It is definitely a huge step in the right direction, but we are not really reliant on them. This is our victory lap after 12 years. This is our time to say, "We got here on our own, we did this ourselves. We withstood the test of time, look at what you're missing."
Jason Yoon, Bizzarro Flame, NorCal: 2. For me, I will give a score of 2 for the importance. This is such a tricky question to answer because other questions need to be asked to answer this question. However, I will provide the most important question: will integration into the FGC community provide benefits to the melee scene? Then, there are two main goals, that I interpret from being in the smash community for many years, to consider in order to answer this previous question: (1) to gain respect of the FGC community and (2) to increase awareness, ultimately building a bigger melee community and tournament scene.
For the first goal, I am a skeptic when it comes to contemplating whether the FGC community will accept melee or not. The most important question that will always drive a wedge between these two communities is if Melee is a fighting game or not. People will always have different answers to this question, regardless if it is true or not, because it is a subjective question without an objective standard of what a fighting game is. Because of this, it will be almost impossible to convince most FGC members that Melee is a fighting game, and more importantly should be a respected one.
For the second question, this is a much easier goal to achieve. However, the FGC community will not try to pick up melee just because more of its members are aware of the melee scene. And this ties in with the first goal because if the FGC members look down on the melee community, then they are probably not going to try out melee. But hey, it might be worth a shot because there are always open-minded members of the FGC community who might give our game a shot and possibly join our community.
And, just to clarify, I am 100% supportive of SSBM as being the 8th game of the EVO 2013 event, mainly for the reason of spreading this game’s awareness. I am largely looking forward to the stream viewers of the SSBM event if it gets in because there is a considerable portion of the stream viewers without much negative bias against melee who, hopefully, will become engrossed with the game after watching our top players compete.
Lance Von Ah, LanceinthePants, MidWest: 7.5. Melee being at EVO2013 will change the future of Melee. I would say for the community to thrive it needs more exposure. There are so many people who have played smash when they were younger and still love the game. If Melee gets the viewers that the EVO main stage can bring, it would put a lot of life back into the community. Hell, just this fundraiser for EVO alone has put a spark in the community that I have never seen. There are so many FG’s that have a much smaller scene than we do, but they still get more sponsors and viewers compared to smash. It is because they are part of an already established system: The FGC. It we become a respected part of that system, the Melee community can become much more than it already is.
Adam Oliver, Strong Bad, Missouri: I'd say 7 or 8. I'm not sure about "integration," but I think both communities have a lot to gain and learn from each other. There's a lot of things about running tournaments that the FGC does very, very well and we should definitely take notes. Regardless, Melee getting into EVO 2013 could mean big things for Melee and the community at large, and is a 10 on that scale of importance. More importantly though, the EVO donation drive has challenged our community to come together and work toward a common goal, something we we've been lacking for a long time. Even if we don't get into EVO, we will come out better and stronger than ever by the end of this.
Arian Fathieh, The Crimson Blur, SoCal: 5. We need to be separate and integrated at the same time, if that makes sense. We should be grateful to be included in the FGC events, but not so much that we forgo our grassroots efforts. There are strengths to our format, and a reason why we have such a high player retention rate: a Melee tournament experience is so good its hard to stay away. We need to continue to refine that, and maintain a certain level of independence should certain opportunities not work out our way.
