Why does tier whoring feel dirty to me?

[#HBC | Red Ryu]

Link to original post: [drupal=2781]Why does tier whoring feel dirty to me?[/drupal]



When I look at character choice I look for the qualities about the character that sit well with myself. I ask myself,

1. Does this character play in a way that sits right with me?
2. Do I like this character?
3. Am I having fun?

Nothing about tier positions comes up, nothing about how good the actual character is. Why do me or others do this? This seems like it's an odd thing to do if people are playing to win. I try to use Link in tournaments, yet he is the second worst character in the game for many reasons.

When people are playing to win they should aim to use the character that is the best possible chance of winning. From this people tier ***** to aim for the best character in the game and only play them for being the best character in the game. I should feel as though this is a legit tactic and I should expect people to do this, but at the same time it doesn't feel right with myself.

I guess they main reason this doesn't appeal to myself is the fact people really don't care if they are having fun or if they like the character at all or his/her playstyle, they just want to take a path to victory that seems to be the easiest method. If people are playing to win I should expect people to do this, yet I see people around me playing characters that aren't the best possible choice to victory some even that have questionable viability.

I should be able to accept other people's choices in character even if the reasons are not ones I can personally accept, but it just doesn't feel right to me. There is no reason why I should be Playing Link in SSBB or even SBB64, he is inferior to so many other characters in so many ways, but I still play him due to my liking of him as a character and his play-style. If I want to win I should play Snake who has a simular play-style but is much more viable, but I don't because, well I'm not entirely sure myself outside of my personal fanboy inside of me.
The same thing can apply to me playing Sakura in Street Fighter 4 or Full moon Len in Melty Blood.

I try to play competitively in anything I play, but at the same time I try to play what is the most comfortable with myself, even if the options have limited viability. I play to win yet I go for options to win that aren't the best course to win. I love to play competitively, it's not like I'm a super casual trying to shove morals into places it doesn't always belong. I understand this even if I do believe knowing that I'm having fun is more important to me than making money.

I guess this whole rant/blog is mostly me saying, I play to win, but I use options that are very questionable. I want people to do the same, but when I see people play a character that is top tier only because they are top tier or the best character in the game, it feel dirty when they don't really give a **** about who they play.

Illogical thoughts of my own in a nutshell.

 

[Man of Popsicle]

Press buttons and choose the character that does stuff right.
That's my philosiphy.

 

[Jim Morrison]

I get more fun out of winning or having a somewhat close lose with MK than getting ***** with a **** character I enjoy playing.
I enjoy playing MK, what makes you think someone would not like playing with him? You have to realize people also enjoy winning.

 

[mountain_tiger]

I don't go to tournaments, and really unless you do, there's no reason to pick top tiers simply because they're top tier.

My mains evolved over time, and I eventually ended up joint maining Peach, Zelda and Zero Suit Samus (who are C Tier, D Tier and B Tier respectively).

 

[NintendoMan07]

Playing to win in general doesn't sit well with me.

I just don't see how a system that prevents the people that want to improve from improving is any good at all.

 

[Teran]

You know this argument is timeless, and really, there's a simple answer.

Everyone has their own style, and gets the most out of the game with the mindset they're comfortable with. Just stick to what you're comfortable with, and don't badmouth anyone else's style, because if it works for them, they shouldn't change it.

Just stop caring.

 

[GunmasterLombardi]

All the main characters I use are high and top tiers ( ). It's not my fault they came this far even though I was just playing and having fun. I use my best character to win, he's a top tier, but I mained him before the game came out so I didn't know.

 

[Teran]

I really don't see why people have to make excuses for maining a top tier character.

 

[zeldspazz]

I agree with Teran. People shouldnt have to feel bad/defensive about maining a good character.

I dont think you should main a character you dont like, unless winning to you is more improtant than liking the character. Its all reletive to how each person feels. Personally I hate the playstyles of all the top tiers, but to compromise I picked up ZSS as a secondary because she is a fairly good character that I enjoy using. I get both of what a I want. The ability to use a character whose tools give her the ability to stand against most of the cast, and I get to use a character I really like.

 

[Pierce7d]

I have fun playing Smash regardless of the character I'm playing, to a degree. It's like, if I'm playing Clue, it doesn't matter which piece I choose, it's more about just playing the game for me. Now, whether I win or lose doesn't really matter. I actually enjoy losing (as long as it's not to BS) because it doesn't happen often, and I get to learn, and try harder. I actually enjoy playing the other characters, because they have more viable options, and don't get shut down or gimped, which is not fun. I enjoy playing Ganondorf and Link against players not quite at my skill, because these players don't know how to restrict my options. I enjoy playing MK, Marth, Falco, Mario, because these characters can approach well, and have a lot of fun options, and can maintain a fast pace of play and high momentum. Still, I've been picking the random button quite frequently lately, because just playing Smash is enjoyable to me, and you shouldn't let the stigma of tiers really affect you at all. I find MK's abundance of options fun.

Perhaps fighting against MK with a much weaker character isn't fun because of his ability to restrict your options so utterly. This could make it a reason to "feel dirty" playing MK, but in the end, a lot of characters can do this, and skill is more determining. Especially at levels of play which aren't the top, players are relatively bad at limiting options, so it doesn't really matter anyway. I limit the hell out of options using Marth, and I don't feel bad for it. If anything, you should feel equally bad for choosing a horrible character in which you cannot really participate in the fight, because your options suck to begin with.

More people need to learn to just enjoy Smash for what it is, and not worry about stuff too much. There's nothing wrong with playing MK. I love smash and understand it to a high enough degree that I can play most characters potently and enjoy playing almost all of them.

In every other game but Smash, I'm a tier *****, and I don't care. I check who is the best character, because this puts me in the best position to win, and if I ever care to play competitively, I'm already on the right track.

 

[UltiMario]

The problem is, theres things like me where I saw that first Brawl trailer, and from that instant I KNEW I was maining Meta Knight, even if he was the worst character in the game.

I never expected some people to yell and ***** about how I'm using some "cheap" character, and said character nearly getting banned.

Its just, play who you want to play, and play who you play best as naturally. For me? Meta Knight.

 

[GunmasterLombardi]

Deleted for being reported as spam

 

[Man of Popsicle]

I mained him before the game came out

lolololololololol

 

[Pierce7d]

The same. I originally mained MK when the game first came out, and secondaried Marth because of Melee. At that time, I was no one, and not educated in Smash as I am today, so I was falsely under the impression that MK could not kill well. I still played him, but overtime my Marth just took over, because of the Melee familiarity carrying over and making him perform better.

 

[Eddie G]

I play Peach because she's sexy like myself and can maintain a fast paced form of play, as well as switch from offensive to defensive on the fly. I'm also getting more and more accustomed to Diddy as well. Just play who you want to play.

 

[Smoom77]

I LOVE playing ICs even though they're high tier.

But I see it this way. Let's say you do cross-country and you're entering races. Are you going to pick the shoes most comfortable or the shoes that will increase your performance? I can choose the better shoes, but I still love to run.

We're playing to win, but we can still have fun on the way. Playing top/high tier doesn't mean you don't like your character. I know lots of people who play MK because of his playstyle, not that the fact that they can win.

 

[WindMajor]

You know this argument is timeless, and really, there's a simple answer.

Everyone has their own style, and gets the most out of the game with the mindset they're comfortable with. Just stick to what you're comfortable with, and don't badmouth anyone else's style, because if it works for them, they shouldn't change it.

Just stop caring.

qft. This has to be my sig, since my current sig is pretty pathetic.

 

[XDemono]

A Child's Intuition

Haha

When I first played brawl
I was like "Oh sweet theres Meta Knight in this one!!!"
I didnt learn that he was god tier until 2 years later!

 

[Paladin77]

Kirby all the way
You know, he was my favorite since ssb.
Thats right, since i was in elementry school
I didnt know squat about Brawl tactics/etc, i just had a long history with kirby, and i rly admired him.
My 'admiration' for kirby followed in meele, and stopped for a bit in brawl. About a month ago, i started playing brawl again, and i picked kirrby to be my main... I didnt know about teirs/strategies/techs yet.
A few days ago, i signed up to this board, and found out all the pro ways to play kirby, and found out that he was an A class teir.
So as you see, i played kirby before i knew his teir

 

[CRASHiC]

I picked D3 before the chain grab cause D3 is just too cute :3
/not a girl, I'm a mainly man with side burns

 

[Nashun]

Low-tier characters are low-tier because they just can't DO things that the better characters can. The vast majority of the time low-tier players don't play their character for playstyle; there's almost always a better character with the same playstyle that just does it better. A lot of these people can't even define the unique "playstyle" that their character has. You DON'T play Link for his playstyle; if you did, you would play Snake. You play Link because of your character loyalty or simply because he's low-tier. Don't rationalize.

 

[DanGR]

Playing top tier characters will only feel wrong if people around you john about your character, that character's option select, or just flat out treat you more poorly as a person because you happen to use a good character. (I totally don't understand the latter.)

I've learned to ignore those type of people. They're usually bad, uneducated, and unsportsmanlike players anyways- why care what they think? If you do for some reason, then either get over it or play Ganondorf. Heck, I've seen people complain that Ganon is overpowered. <.< They're not going away, so just learn to deal with it.

Play who you want to use, for whatever reason.

 

[wowoduend]

Tiers are gay. If they put my main on low tier, then i don't care.
Gotta beat Sagat with Rose
Gotta beat metaknight with Captain Falcon

 

[highfive]

Yeah.... I feel dirty when playing as Snake. But the temptation of that Utilt is just too much. That and abusing DACUS is far too good to pass up every once in a while.