The premise of this article stems from new players who want to get involved, but do not really know what they should be doing at a tournament.
1. Enter the tournament!
Alright, this seems to be kind of silly, but I have seen a bunch of players who will make the drive to a venue and then not enter the tournament. When I ask players why they do this, they usually say they aren’t ready to play in a tournament environment and would like to improve to a certain level before doing so. It may seem like a waste of money to enter, but I recommend entering regardless because of the experience you get from playing people who will be playing their hardest. This also gives you a feel for how to play a tournament set (stage striking, counter-picking) and allows you to get feedback, which leads me to my next point
2. Ask for pointers!
Unlike other toxic communities, Smashers are very generous in giving advice. I highly recommend bringing a notebook/pen to every tournament you go to. After every set you play with someone (friendlies or tournament set), ask for advice! Some questions you can ask include:
1. Did you notice any bad habits (rolling, spot dodging)?
2. How can I improve _____?
3. What stage should I be playing for that matchup?
After a full day of playing, you should have pages of notes that you can practice and implement throughout the rest of the week.
3. Identify your own technical errors
An easy thing to do that I personally don’t do enough. After a series of sets, you should begin to notice some mechanical errors about your movement or technical skill. For example, I tend to full hop when I want to short hop. In last week’s tournament, I noticed I also had a difficult time dashing out of a grab. These are two specific techniques that I have identified as weaknesses that I can practice before the next tournament.
4. Network! Introduce yourself to people
A local tournament is the perfect way to get to know people in your community. This will give you opportunities to exchange contact information for potential smashfests during the week. Getting to know people is a great way for people to know who you are and make you tournament experience more enjoyable. Some communities take more initiative in making new people feel welcome, but don’t expect everyone to go out of their way for you. Generally speaking, most people are really friendly and pretty chill.
5. Play lots of friendlies with different people
The fortunate thing about locals is that they tend to have ample time and set ups to play friendly matches with other people. Take advantage of this opportunity to play people outside your normal circle of smashers. It’s sad to see that people will travel hours to a tournament only to play in the corner with the one friend they came with. As mentioned previously, play different people and ask for their insight. This is one of the quickest ways to improve in Melee.
MIOM|Tafokints
Reblogged this on Just Sayin' and commented:
Because I’ve had no time to write something and I want to put something up, here’s a post about making the most out of a tournament. This applies not just to Smash, but to any game you’re attending tournaments for!