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Top tier abusers VS Character "loyalists"

Juggs

Lose without excuses
Lead Moderator
This discussion was sparked in This Thread about using top tier versus using low tier and/or being a character loyalist. It was mainly me arguing with Astrocytic about it. Anyway, let us get into this.

So before a fighting game comes out, everyone, usually arbitrarily, decides on who they think they're going to main. This may be whose story they like, who they think looks cool, whose gameplay they like, who they've used in the past, etc. There's many reasons why you choose certain characters before actually playing. For me, if I'm a die hard fan of the character, I will use them in one way or another no matter what. However, if that character turns out to be ass, that character will no longer be my "main". Some people see this as tier whoring. Which I absolutely do not deny. But the problem is the negative connotation associated with tier whoring. It is, for some reason, regarded as a bad thing and only people "desperate" for wins would pick characters only because they are good or top tier.

I do have some type of character loyalty. If MMH is in Injustice, I will use him no matter what and try to make him viable if he isn't already. But, that doesn't mean I'll use him for the sake of proving I can win with low tier. I'll use him just because he's my favorite DC character. The problem seems to be, for some of these supposed character loyalists and low tier advocates, that them winning with low tier automatically means they're better in every facet and them losing with low tier means little since, you know, they're using low tier.

What it really comes down to is your goal. If your goal is not to win, and to just have fun, go nuts using shitty characters all you want. If you don't want to win, who am I to say that is wrong? But, if you do want to win, and you STILL pick the bad characters, I absolutely do not want to hear any complaining that your character can't compete or that my character is broken. You can pick low tier and be a character loyalist all day, but once you start complaining about a choice that YOU and only YOU made, that's when it becomes a problem. No one is forcing you to use fish characters, no one but you have created this imaginary ideal that even USING low tier means you should be more respected. No sir, using low tier is not admirable. Winning is admirable. Sure, winning with low tier is harder and it takes more, but that is a personal handicap that YOU place on yourself, not me.

I have the playing to win mentality. Anyone who knows me knows I will play to win at all costs, at least when it matters. I will abuse the most broken tactic, and play super annoying. I couldn't care any less about doing fancy shit, appeasing a crowd, being respected for using low tier, or having a vast roster. There is only one thing that I care about. There's only one goal I am trying to achieve when I play fighting games. That goal is to win, and to win at any and all costs. As long as what I am doing is tournament legal, I will do it until the tactic is no longer viable. I will whore the top tier every single day and twice on Sunday if it gives me a better shot at winning. I'm a try hard, a fighting game nerd, no life, or whatever insult you can fling at me. As long as I'm winning, you can call me whatever the hell you want, I don't care. I play to win, it IS my satisfaction. It's the only thing that matters to me in fighting games. Fun is for scrubs and crybabies, I'm out for blood. I want you to get so mad at my gameplay that you throw your controller at your TV, break them both, and are unable to continue playing. My goal is to piss you off so you're on the verge of suicide. This is my goal. I'm here to exert my dominance. And I simply cannot do that by using fish characters just for some pointless respect or worthless honor.

When it all comes down to it, in the end, I'd rather win without honor, than lose for the sake of it.
 

xenogorgeous

.... they mostly come at night. Mostly.
Tier whores = goal : winning tourneys ($$) :eek:
Characters fanbase loyalty = goal : having fun no matter what :rolleyes:
 

Chongo

Dead Kings Rise
I use Kratos: A character who bounces between high B-tier and mid A+ tier. What does that make me? (Besides "banned-tier hero that does not matter.")
It makes you one in a million dawg pony.

Tier whore if you're trying to get money and use whoever in casuals.

Different strokes for different folks though, really is a stupid thing to argue about
I c wut u did thar.
 

Lt. Boxy Angelman

I WILL EAT THIS GAME
From what I was told, Top 16 at Winter Brawl had a Kano in it.

Anything is possible, but I'm doing both.

If there's ANYTHING MK has taught me, it's to follow your heart, but keep your options open.
Raven is my main, indisputably. She's the only character I've seen that genuinely made me go "I FUCKING MUST HAVE YOU," even Harley didn't get my jimmies as rustled as Raven did. So that was that. Easy.
But I plan on playing everyone for little bits here and there in order to build a solid trio. The hope is that Harley and Bane are both viable enough to keep them as my right and left hands, but either way, those two spots are reserved specifically for whoever's dirt is the absolute dirtiest. unless Raven turns out to have Kabal-like power, in which case, I can keep my Quinn and my monster regardless.
 

Rampage254

Ayy Lmao
I use Stryker but he isn't even my favorite character. What does that make me?

Btw some people tier whore and they don't even play offline. They just want a good online record.
 

VGB Joe Kerr

Insane Brilliance
since tiers are usually subjective to players/meta or what have you wouldn't the argument be irrelevant? In some instances isn't it those character loyalists that usually break underplayed characters and bring them to everyone else's attention? Isn't that why tier lists always change? players are players at the end of the day. If you fully support just one character and they turn out to be bad compared to the rest of the cast why not find a strategy to make them work? I mean it may or may not be great examples, but diago and dieminion have mid tier characters in ae and they do pretty well for themselves.
 

Smarrgasm

What's a Smarrgasm?
For most of MK9 i used a not so top tier character for all of my tournament life. When injustice drops i have a few favorites i will play, but when it comes to maining a character for tournaments, i definitely wanna see how well i can do with one of the best characters in the game.
 

KombatNerd

Justice 4 Firestorm
I just use my favorites and the characters I find fun to use. They usually turn up pretty solid, so I have no reason to tier whore.
 

Wemfs

The only morality in a cruel world is chance.
Tier whore if you're trying to get money and use whoever in casuals.

Different strokes for different folks though, really is a stupid thing to argue about
Different strokes for different folks. lol I love that
 

Killphil

A prop on the stage of life.
I use Stryker but he isn't even my favorite character. What does that make me?

Btw some people tier whore and they don't even play offline. They just want a good online record.
I use Ermac but my favorite character is Scorpion. Most people online use Cyrax or Smoke and usually body me anyway. :(
 

Wemfs

The only morality in a cruel world is chance.
My goal is to have fun, but of course I like to win too. I play Noob most of the time simply because he's my favorite character in the game, period.
 

Insuperable

My mom tells me I'm pretty
I'm playing whoever I like most aesthetically and in terms of gameplay I enjoy the most.


Sidenote: I have never played to be the best, or to win for that matter. If I did, you'd be in for a ride ;) I'll keep playing for fun. Unless I become WTFMLGPROZ at League. Then I'll have to try ;_;