It would be nice if "top players" had such skill, that they could use whomever they wanted to, and win. You would think match-up data, character ability, and overall determination would be the end-all at these times... but the more you watch "high level" play, the more you know this isn't how fighters really work.
Generally, it's more of a "The top players find the BEST tools, and then fight each other, to prove who is the best at using these tools.". Balance in a game is rarely so well done, as to make each character really hae a chance. I think XIII console is REALLY trying to achieve this, though, and I also think the 3 character choices + EX moves are trying VERY hard to make it so that people CAN play with anyone, as long as they're willing to balance their teams efficiently.
Zyn, at least there ARE top players of KoF XIII who try to put up a very good "play who I wanna!" fight with their characters, to achieve victory. Haregogo's Joe stands toe-to-toe with people like K' and Raiden, but at days end, often times, it's the characters with the stronger combo potential off EVERYTHING that wins out in top player matches. Makes me very happy to see Joe's changes, because it seems like he got exactly what he needed to be more competitive.
I think it was pretty clear what made characters OP in XIII, and I think that's being balanced well. I'm quite interested to see if the Japanese choose new characters, when they've been made more balanced, or if they just stick with who they have, because they actually LIKE them.
Zyn, have you ever tried to enter a competitive atmosphere and test out your own choices of characters? I've fought people I'd considered tourney-level players with my wonder low-tiers of choice, any often it does leave a bad taste in my mouth, that I'm losing more due to bad characters than SIMPLY my own lower skill, but I think that breeds good fundamentals, because you really have to known your characters inside out to even BE able to stand up to such overwhelming odds...