Hi, I just found this site today, its great that there are so many people who understand that smash is one of the greatest games ever made. Although I've not been here long, I have played my share of smash along with a group of about four others. We've honed our skills to the point were its pointless to play with anyone else we can find. (To those who don't have quality competition, I feel sorry for you, because while its fun to cream someone, that's nothing compared to the rush of a battle among equals that comes down to the last life of the last of a series). Anyhow, once you play with the same few people every day for months, it gets boring just playing battle after battle, so eventually we came up with a great format that gives each game more meaning and thus results in some very exciting moments. We call it The Factor Sequence.
------------The Factor Sequence-------------
The Factor Sequence is a series of battles that is designed to establish a single winner among 4 people through playing only team battles. In order to complete a Factor, (casual reference to a full sequence), you must have four players. This is not a party game for taking turns and passing controllers around, so any more than four will not work. Also it is comprised exclusively of team battles, so three players will not work either. Once you've got four people, the Factor proceeds as follows: you will play three separate best-of-three series , so the Factor can last as long as 9 battles or short as 6. After each series the teams are changed, so that by third series everyone will have been on everyone else's team. The individual battles can be set up any way imaginable to fit personal preference. We have found that playing 7-life stock battles work very well and provide a Factor that usually lasts around 30 minutes. That's all the basics, now the important part, the reason it is called The Factor Sequence. Once you have completed all three series and everyone has played together it is a mathematical certainty that either one person will win all three times, or one person will lose three times, no matter what. Once you've finished, one person has three losses or three wins, that person is called The Factor, because for good or bad they were the most influential at determining the outcome of the Sequence, they're the determining factor. So as the game unfolds the object is to become The Winning Factor by winning all three of your games, while avoiding losing all three and becoming The Losing Factor.
That is the basics of The Factor Sequence, it may sound a little complicated but once you've played a Factor, it becomes very clear. The Factor Sequence has a lot more potential for exiting games because it puts something on the line in each game. The last series is especially exciting, because by the time the last series starts there is always someone who has lost both games and someone who has won both games, so there is a potential winning and losing factor at the beginning of the series. Furthermore both potential Factors will be playing on the same team in the final series, thus making it more exciting because they both have strong motivation to win, one to be the Winning Factor, and the other to avoid the shame of becoming the Losing Factor. However if one person is on the clear path to becoming the Winning Factor, the person who plays with him last becomes the potential Losing Factor by no fault of their own, simply that they were the last to play with the Factor.
The Factor Sequence is very customizable and can be played to anyones likings. I've found that 7 lives provides a good Factor length, but everyone has a way they like to play, and the Factor Sequence is open to all different preferences. Furthermore, if you don't have much time to play the Factor can easily be shortened to a Mini-Factor, by playing just one game per series, so at just 3 games it is very convenient.
I'm sorry to be so long winded but I wanted to properly do justice to a game that has brought me a great deal of enjoyment while keeping Smash Bros. fresh and lively. I can't take any credit for inventing this though, the credit goes to my group of players.
If people have any comments before or after playing a Factor, I'd love to hear them. Also if anyone has any good games that they've come up with, it would be very interesting to see how other people play smash.
------------The Factor Sequence-------------
The Factor Sequence is a series of battles that is designed to establish a single winner among 4 people through playing only team battles. In order to complete a Factor, (casual reference to a full sequence), you must have four players. This is not a party game for taking turns and passing controllers around, so any more than four will not work. Also it is comprised exclusively of team battles, so three players will not work either. Once you've got four people, the Factor proceeds as follows: you will play three separate best-of-three series , so the Factor can last as long as 9 battles or short as 6. After each series the teams are changed, so that by third series everyone will have been on everyone else's team. The individual battles can be set up any way imaginable to fit personal preference. We have found that playing 7-life stock battles work very well and provide a Factor that usually lasts around 30 minutes. That's all the basics, now the important part, the reason it is called The Factor Sequence. Once you have completed all three series and everyone has played together it is a mathematical certainty that either one person will win all three times, or one person will lose three times, no matter what. Once you've finished, one person has three losses or three wins, that person is called The Factor, because for good or bad they were the most influential at determining the outcome of the Sequence, they're the determining factor. So as the game unfolds the object is to become The Winning Factor by winning all three of your games, while avoiding losing all three and becoming The Losing Factor.
That is the basics of The Factor Sequence, it may sound a little complicated but once you've played a Factor, it becomes very clear. The Factor Sequence has a lot more potential for exiting games because it puts something on the line in each game. The last series is especially exciting, because by the time the last series starts there is always someone who has lost both games and someone who has won both games, so there is a potential winning and losing factor at the beginning of the series. Furthermore both potential Factors will be playing on the same team in the final series, thus making it more exciting because they both have strong motivation to win, one to be the Winning Factor, and the other to avoid the shame of becoming the Losing Factor. However if one person is on the clear path to becoming the Winning Factor, the person who plays with him last becomes the potential Losing Factor by no fault of their own, simply that they were the last to play with the Factor.
The Factor Sequence is very customizable and can be played to anyones likings. I've found that 7 lives provides a good Factor length, but everyone has a way they like to play, and the Factor Sequence is open to all different preferences. Furthermore, if you don't have much time to play the Factor can easily be shortened to a Mini-Factor, by playing just one game per series, so at just 3 games it is very convenient.
I'm sorry to be so long winded but I wanted to properly do justice to a game that has brought me a great deal of enjoyment while keeping Smash Bros. fresh and lively. I can't take any credit for inventing this though, the credit goes to my group of players.
If people have any comments before or after playing a Factor, I'd love to hear them. Also if anyone has any good games that they've come up with, it would be very interesting to see how other people play smash.
