E-Sports, FGs, Trophies, Audiences and VF

e-sports fighting games should be easy to watch not easy to win.
e-sports fighting games should be easy to understand not easy to master.

One of the primary goals for an e-sports fighting game is to reach the largest possible audience. To reach this goal the match has to be entertaining and comprehensible in its entirety to the audience. It should have simple rules that any spectator can understand. It should not require complex insider knowledge to know whats going on in a match. The progression of the match should be transparent to the audience. And the emergent winners and champions should be agreed upon by all who saw the match. The match should be free from gimmicks, hidden trap doors, portals, and wtf-mechanics.

The idea of dumbing down the e-sports fighting game is counter-intuitive to the notion of the fighting sports and martial arts. Anybody can watch a MMA match, but not anybody can be in a MMA match. Anybody can watch and understand a boxing match. But very few could challenge a Mohamed Ali, or Mike Tyson.

e-sports fighting games should be easy to watch and enjoy, but becoming a champion in an e-sport fighting game should require extreme skill just like it does in non digital sports.

The idea of watering down the move sets, and command lists for fighting games so that more people can compete in the e-sport is ironic and contradiction in purpose. The idea of simplifying the roster so the competitors can easily learn the match-ups defeats the purpose of identifying a true champion. If the competitors of any fighting game are whining about command-lists being too long, or too diverse, or the roster being too big. Then those competitors are not eligible to be true champions and they certainly don't represent the elite.

The true champion will have mastered the move sets/ command list without needing it to be watered down. The true champion can successfully train for all the match-ups in the game without requesting a simplified or streamlined roster.

Its easy to watch Amanda Nunes, or Bones Jones fight, its an entirely different proposition to reach the skill level of these champions. They are champions precisely because what they do, is very hard and takes exceptional skill.

Determining an e-sports fighting game champion should identify an individual who was able to master an uncensored, non-watered down move set and command list. An individual who could face a complete diverse, un fettered roster that contains exceptional challenge. This individual should have:

• exceptional eye-hand coordination
• endurance
• ,mental tenacity
• deep knowledge of the game
• impeccable execution
• sportsmanship
• courage
• requisite speed

The idea of simplifying the movelists and rosters to the point that anybody could enter and win a tournament begs the question of have you really identified the 'best'. Anybody should be able to watch and understand a tournament but only the elite should be able to win a tournament.

Many boxers may want to be as good as Mike Tyson, Mohammed Ali, Floyd Mayweather etc., But the truth is most boxers will never reach this skill level.

e-sports fighting games should have the ability to identify true champions, not mediocre FG enthusiasts.

So to the contrary. Instead of simplified, watered down, command lists, and rosters, an e-sports fighting game should have a challenging and demanding move set and command list, and an intimidating roster. Instead of minimizing and streamlining the offensive and defensive options , a e-sports fighting game should have a comprehensive set of offensive and defensive options. The mastery of these options would demonstrate someone worthy of at least being considered for a championship fight.

e-sports should be easy on the spectator, but should require extreme performance and skill on the part of the competitors.

This is what makes Virtua Fighter the ideal e-sports fighting game. Its simple, clean, easy to watch and understand. There are no meters to understand, no tricky come back super moves, no power-up gauges. No fireballs, whirlwinds, or pyrotechnics to explain. Only a simple life bar, with clean, precise and to the point combat where anyone can see and understand who is winning and who is losing and why. And while Virtua Fighter is easy to play it takes a great deal of effort to master, and true skill to consistently beat high level players. Precisely because it does have a deep command list, and formidable roster of unique fighters.

Tekken and DOA got it exactly wrong by simplifying their command lists and rosters. The developers thought they were preparing their games for e-sports but instead they were simply devaluing the Tekken 7 and the DOA trophy. It literally requires less skill to play Tekken 7 than Tekken 6. It requires less skill to play DOA 6 than DOA5LR. Because options have been removed, diversity of challenge simplified and streamlined, the command list generalized. Because Tekken 7 and DOA 6 are watered down games the can now only offer counterfeit trophies and championships.

I'm not saying it requires no skill to win the a Tekken 7 tournament trophy or a DOA 6 tournament trophy. I'm just saying that in preparation for e-sports, it takes less skill to win trophies in these games that it would have in previous versions. So the e-sports versions aren't really identifying the best Tekken players, but rather the best Tekken 7 players, which may not be as good as Tekken Tag 2 or Tekken 6 players.

The game developers shouldn't confuse the spectators of the game, with the competitors in the game. The game should be easy for the spectators but challenging, demanding and rigorous for the competitors. The game should be simple and streamlined for the spectators and the audience, but it should be a trial by fire for the competitors.

Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown gets this balance right. If anything the e-sports version of Virtua Fighter should be made more demanding and challenging not less

Winning a Virtua Figher e-sports tournament should carry with it the highest level of prestige and there should be no question of whether earlier versions of Virtua Fighter required more skill

 

Oy!

 

@masterpo
Good read Po.