Tournament play!

[MasterOfEnts]

I competed in my first tournament today (Arcade UFO's tourney in Austin). Let me tell you, playing in a tournament is worlds different than playing at home -- or even in the arcade!

Why?

Well, for starters, the place was packed. Tons of action going on and lots of skill spectators watching. Under these conditions, I experienced an incredible adrenaline rush! So, during the first match the adrenaline is pumping and keeping me going -- I did very well in the first match of each bracket I played.

After the first match, the adrenaline high starts to wear off and I start to experience the inevitable crash that follows it. Some shaking in my hands and a bit of mental cloudiness. Still, I do pretty well and make it to the third match of each bracket.

By then, the crash is complete and I'm totally sucking. lol I lost both times I played... narrowly avoiding victory each time. I was proud of my Guile!

I find that this form of play is really exhilirating. I can't for the life of me think of a reason why I never did this before! I'm hooked! Gee... I hope my wife will put up with a bit of tournament travel. :)

Does anyone that's played in tournaments had a similar experience? Any ideas of how to combat the adrenaline rush?

[deadfrog]

Everyone who's played in tournaments has had similar experiences. Any techniques you use to keep control of yourself in all other facets of normal living life can benefit you here. The best solution for improving in this regard is to play in as many tournaments as possible. :smile:

[PeterTheBohemian]

You experienced what many of my friends did at their first SF4 tournament. I've been in tournaments for years so I don't get the rush unless it's a really good match. My friends, at their first tournament a couple weeks ago, had cold, shaking hands and were surprised at how nervous they were.

How many players were in the tournament and how'd you place? Just wondering how one of my Guile forum comrades did :D

[Slinkun]

Haha! If you guys haven't seen it yet, that video of me vs. viscant at ranbat 2.1 was my first "real" tournament. It's seriously one of the most memorable moments of my life. 80+ people in a small, dark room all screaming when someone would ultra... or air-throw... or super... or combo... or anything. There was so much friggin hype! At one point, sanchez, after winning a match with his ultra as dictator, started pounding on the machine because he didn't cancel his ultra off of a jump. Two of the buttons flew off the machine and the match had to be restart. People were crawling all over looking for those missing buttons...

Oh, ya, but on topic. Like I said, it was my first tourney. My first match was against a pretty average ken and while I won most of the matches, I did so very sloppily. I had the shakes, I was missing my combos, missing my anti-airs, whiffed my ultra... it was an absolute mess. I won but was ashamed at how I played. I told this to Viscant and he just said:

"Who cares, this is what it's about. Moving on and advancing to the next bracket."

Next match was against a decent dictator, which was an easy match-up for me. I remember air-throwing him out of a stomp and the crowd going crazy... then backing up, throwing a jab boom, only to jump up and air throw him out of another stomp. It was insanity how loud people were! Next round the same guy picked blanka, which is VERY hard for me and I got destroyed. I had the shakes again, was missing my anti-airs, getting scared, getting mixed up... the works.

Then... something just clicked man...

I came back and won the next round, and the shakes didn't come back for the rest of the night... not as bad anyways =p. In then end, this nobody random guile player that no one had ever heard of ended up taking 5th place in a 64 man AI ranbat.

Closing this novel up now, haha. Get HYPE socal!

[MooFX]

Next round the same guy picked blanka, which is VERY hard for me and I got destroyed. I had the shakes again, was missing my anti-airs, getting scared, getting mixed up... the works.

Then... something just clicked man...



Same thing happened when I played my first tournament last month at Nakano TRF. I was up against this average Rufus, normally I should be able to do alright, but I had the shakes, was nervous as shits, kept missing my sonic booms (which ends up to be random jabs, real cool), timing of my anti air's werer way off. It was just horrible, and nothing clicked, I did not make a come back. It was hella embrassing, but it wasnt so bad cause I think the Japs were already expecting me to be hella n00b (was playing as "no name' and 4000bp at the time.

But after that once I got used to the tournament enviroment and try not to hype it up too much and just play it like casual matches I became alot more solid. I guess I'm the type who needs to be at his "quiet/calm place" in order to play at his full potential.

But yes, I'm definitely hooked on tournaments, it is not like casuals where losing is "ok". If you want to advance, you HAVE TO win the match, which gets pretty intense (the Japs make noise too, but just not nearly as much as the Americans lol).

I'm going to miss playing in weekly tournaments when I get back to Vancouver. :(

[naveed]

This isn't really tournament play, but I haven't been to an arcade even in ages, I am outta town for a few weeks, and boredom finally got me to look up the closest place that had SF4, I then realized that since console version has came out, I haven't even thought of going to an arcade.

So I show up and I am playing versus a few people that aren't great, about my skill level, but holy crap is it a different feeling having to look the guy in the face you just dominated or having to say good match and walk away as you get put in place.

After playing tonight at an arcade again, I have to say its a sad reality of the new era of gaming where the face to face energy, humbleness, and community is left behind. There are pro's and cons to the new era of in your basement online gaming, but there are experiences that will be lost forever.

[cabl3]

Man I'm dying to play in a tournament. Theres a bunch around my area (NYC) but I just never know when things are going down. Is there a site that collects all this info? Sorry if thats a noob question.

My slight relation to this is that I just started playing at arcades (Chinatown Fair) last week and its totally different than playing online. I like it much better, even though people there don't wear deodorant.

[AbeFroman]

did you ever play competitive sports in HS or college?

If you could block out the distraction and control the excitment when you played, than playing in a video game tournament shouldn't be an issue at all.

[MasterOfEnts]

Nope. Thus why I get the adrenaline shakes. :) I'll beat it out of me...

[DStroyer4]

did you ever play competitive sports in HS or college?

If you could block out the distraction and control the excitment when you played, than playing in a video game tournament shouldn't be an issue at all.

That's exactly what I was going to ask. I actually quit competing in SF tourneys (this was in the mid-nineties - I don't think Chicago has any arcades left at this point) because basketball took up all my practice time. Anyway, you'll get used to the crowds. I was pleasantly surprised by the crowd at the first one I played in. It gives you the same feeling as the opening tip of a big game. You'll get used to the pressure. As long as you practice good habits, crowds don't matter.

I don't like this game enough to compete. It frustrates me WAY too much. But, I'm rooting for anyone that is willing to enter a tournament as Guile.:tup:

[AbeFroman]

That's exactly what I was going to ask. I actually quit competing in SF tourneys (this was in the mid-nineties - I don't think Chicago has any arcades left at this point) because basketball took up all my practice time. Anyway, you'll get used to the crowds. I was pleasantly surprised by the crowd at the first one I played in. It gives you the same feeling as the opening tip of a big game. You'll get used to the pressure. As long as you practice good habits, crowds don't matter.

I don't like this game enough to compete. It frustrates me WAY too much. But, I'm rooting for anyone that is willing to enter a tournament as Guile.:tup:

the quicker people can adjust to the speed and intensity, the quicker they can get rid of the shakes.

[Sideshow20]

My first tourney i went to i was NERVOUS man i was shakin and shit. combos was not coming out right or nothing. i ended up getting 13th place.

but then my next tourney i ended getting 3rd in teams with my boy (3rd in gamestop tourney) and i was holding my own! but when singles started i just lost all my stuff...just stood there and turtle...

i have came to the conclusion (and my boy did as well) that i worry too much about who i am fight instead of just fighting. i play better when i dont see my oppenent (ex. online)

[Sideshow20]

That's exactly what I was going to ask. I actually quit competing in SF tourneys (this was in the mid-nineties - I don't think Chicago has any arcades left at this point) because basketball took up all my practice time. Anyway, you'll get used to the crowds. I was pleasantly surprised by the crowd at the first one I played in. It gives you the same feeling as the opening tip of a big game. You'll get used to the pressure. As long as you practice good habits, crowds don't matter.

I don't like this game enough to compete. It frustrates me WAY too much. But, I'm rooting for anyone that is willing to enter a tournament as Guile.:tup:

yea thats true because its like when yo do something sweet and the crowd goes wild you are shocked and you dont know what to do next.

[kruldar]

Does anyone that's played in tournaments had a similar experience? Any ideas of how to combat the adrenaline rush?

I had a similar experience as the others at tourneys. My breathing got short, my heart felt like it was going to explode, I couldn't keep my focus (THIS is the biggest thing that screws me up) and GAWD I WANTED A CIGARETTE. I've only participated in 4 in the past 5 years, so I'm sure the single biggest step i could take in the right direction is playing in more.


Here's a list of things I'm trying next tourney that I'm confident will help alot (besides just showing up to enough tourneys and just getting used to it):
CHEWING NICORETTE!!!
Warming Up before it starts
Lots of sleep the night before
MP3 Player
A drink or two before the tourney or during breaks

The last two tournaments I went to were following nights of very little sleep due to my job, no warming up beforehand, and no chewing gum to help me forget about cigarettes. Don't make these mistakes if you intend on going to any tournament (or at least if you intend on playing well).

[a falling mango]

Blockbuster is going to be hosting tournies here in hawaii next month, I hear. Winner gets an evo seed or something. Thinking about entering, but Dagger_G is here...

I'm definitely not going to win it, but hell I'm sure it'll be a great learning experience.

[ultraman zoffy]

There is apparently no SF4 arcade machine anywhere in the Vegas valley, so I'm quite envious of anyone who's lucky enough to even get to play on one, let alone compete in a tournament...