How do you guys feel about tourneys?

[Xxenace]

A while back i was having a conversation with a friend of mine about the upcoming EVO tournament and he asked me if i was going to watch any of it this year I told him only a little bit of the MK stuff then i'm done cause i don't like watching tourneys then it proceeded to a long argument about how i'm not a real fighting game fan cause i don't watch tourneys (and no he wasn't trolling)


tl;dr

i don't like watching tourneys


so how do you guys feel about them

[The Fluke]

Haha, that's silly! It's your passion that determines how much of a fan you are, if you don't like watching tourneys, don't. Lying to your self makes you no more of a fan.

I can watch tournaments sometimes, i've actually watched alot of spookys streams. Sometimes you learn stuff, sometimes.. It can be a real borefest. Some commentators can be ass, while others are enjoyable. But still, i appreciate them but don't take them all to seriously. They help build communitys and spark interest but just like with any game or sport, i'm all about playing, not watching.

[Xxenace]

Haha, that's silly! It's your passion that determines how much of a fan you are, if you don't like watching tourneys, don't. Lying to your self makes you no more of a fan.

I can watch tournaments sometimes, i've actually watched alot of spookys streams. Sometimes you learn stuff, sometimes.. It can be a real borefest. Some commentators can be ass, while others are enjoyable. But still, i appreciate them but don't take them all to seriously. They help build communitys and spark interest but just like with any game or sport, i'm all about playing, not watching.

same here i mostly dont watch em cause im tired if seeing nothing but high tiers

[THE ANSWER]

I like to watch tourneys because I think is a great way to lear. Tourney play is different than casuals I will sometimes skip on watching casual videos, but I know that in tourneys people will use all of their strategies and trick to win which sometimes they wont use during casuals.

[jinxhand]

I like watching some tourney streams only if the characters vary or if I'm bound to learn something. Most times you can read up on a strat already without watching a vid then test it yourself. I couldn't stand watching some vids from 3S and Tekken 5.0 primarily because everyone had Ken, Chun, Yun, or Urien and for T5.0 everyone was Steve Fox, Bryan or Nina. It was worse for T4... I like casuals more only because some players go all out on those too like its a tourney but its to put on a good fight while possibly trying things out and/or learning something new.

[AzureTAG]

Ill watch tourneys if a lot of people attending are skilled, I don't want to see just 2 or 3 people blow up
everybody. It doesn't really bother if its a bunch of high/top tiers, it depends on the game/characters play style. I don't usually watch zoning/runaway chars.

[l2slythe]

I don't usually watch tournament videos, I personally think its a waste of my time, but if someone recommends me a video to watch i will watch it.

[Ash]

I don't usually watch tournament videos, I personally think its a waste of my time, but if someone recommends me a video to watch i will watch it.

Check this one out, might have some useful stuff for you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD2LRROpph0

[l2slythe]

I don't usually watch tournament videos, I personally think its a waste of my time, but if someone recommends me a video to watch i will watch it.

Check this one out, might have some useful stuff for you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD2LRROpph0

Yeah, I've never seen those combos before. This one is better http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

[Ash]

I don't usually watch tournament videos, I personally think its a waste of my time, but if someone recommends me a video to watch i will watch it.

Check this one out, might have some useful stuff for you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD2LRROpph0

Yeah, I've never seen those combos before. This one is better http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

Awesome set up with the roll =P

[Cibernetico]

I really don't know how I feel about tournies because to tell the truth, I sometimes feel like too much of an outsider at them. And not in a bad way mind you, but in a gamer way. When I've gone to tournies, I find it hard to have conversation with other players because I'm the kind of gamer who doesn't give a damn about what top players are doing and to be honest, I don't put them on a pedestal like some people do.

At Winter Brawl, the only guys I felt a connection with were the Garou players because besides being the reason why I went, those guys actually talked about other things besides games. SteveH was another pretty cool guy who seemed down to earth. either than those guys, everyone just pretty much only wanted to talk about games.

And look, I'm not saying they have to do what I say or anything like that. I just sorta wish the majority of tourny goers actually had an idea of what conversation skills are.

Which is why I'm hoping that I will at least once get to go to Mexico for a KoF tourny cause from looking at DG's videos, I would get along with those guys much better than I would with the people who populate the American fighting game scene. That and I'm spanish so I wouldn't get lost in translation.

As for the streams, I've recently noticed I usually go on streams to see what stupid things people are bitching about now. Cause we all know how stupid those stream chatters are. Hell, I actually don't really give a damn about the tournament being shown mainly cause I just find SSF4 boring now(I used to love watching it being played) and the only game I like on stream is much Tekken.  My interest will probably be at Evo only for MK9.

[sibarraz]

I don't know, I hate the idea of livestreams for ''let's play this shit'' I just watch tournys after they finished and the most recommended fights, but a tourny spend so much time, that I prefer to play or doing anything else

that being said, I respect people who watch tournaments, is their time, and I'm sure that is a very valid way to learn, I learn with the highlight matches, is maybe more a time thing

[solidshark]

Tourney are by and large ok. It's something that everyone should attend at least once (especially the bigger ones like EVO). Sometimes going to any tourney you're struck by how much you have in common with everyone, and how little you have in common with some people at the same time.

While I like high-level tourney play, most of the good stuff is found in the casuals; tourney matches are usually filled with characters that are the highest rated (with some exceptions), while like some people have already said you see a lot more variety of characters, strategies, match-ups, and skill level. And I'm willing to believe just like professional basketball, the best players around aren't hitting the official circuts, or always. I know it's more than likely that most good players of a game will make every effort to attend a tourney to win, but with people's diminished ability to travel, you're probably going to catch their skill on a recorded casual instead of a tourney.

But at least in tourneys, nowhere else has the same degree of authentic arcade feel where people are clamoring to see and howl on the amazing beatdowns someone delivers. Best place to see a tourney will always be from a computer though, for three reasons: rewinding, fast-fowarding, and volume control. I'd change my answer though if there were more tourneys  for games I feel like mastering (mostly SNK games). SSFIV, MvC3, BB - fine games, but if I find myself able to compete with tournament regulars witht the time I put into those games, there's your proof they're too easy.