KeroKeroppi · @KeroKeroppi64
5th Jan 2017 from TwitLonger
I am quitting Smash 64 for Melee
I realize that no words could possibly justify what I just said but you guys deserve an explanation.
Competing in tournaments has become the worst part of the game to me. I do not enjoy the unforgiving meta or the play style that is necessary to compete at the top level of play. This game is extremely slow and campy at a high enough level. The combination of broken defensive options and extremely hard punishes make it nearly impossible to approach safely. We're consistently seeing 8 minute games at majors because good enough players realize that there is virtually no incentive to ever be aggressive. The risk of approaching is not worth the reward of getting a hit due to defensive options completely outclassing offensive options in this game.
It is for those reasons that smash 64 isn't an exciting game to watch. People don't see the slow and drawn out neutral game and fall in love. As a result, it is the responsibility of the players themselves to promote the game. Which is unfortunate, because very few people in the 64 community actually care about the game growing.
I'm not saying that 64 players don't love their game. They do. They love how tight knit the community is. They love how small and close it is. They love that it's a family. It's the reason we're known as such a cool and laid back community. That's not a bad thing, but I want something more.
The laid back and comfortable nature of the 64 community makes it difficult for the game to grow. There are only a handful of people that actively work towards the growth of the game or put their hearts into improving. We have some incredible TOs like Shears who put a ton of time and effort into organizing and running events. We have some really talented content creators like Preston who work to produce high-quality material promoting our game. We have players like Bark who have put so much time and money into traveling the country to compete at events. Some of you are doing really amazing things for this game. But the truth is that the majority of the people who play this game do not take it seriously. They aren't doing what needs to be done to get this game off the ground.
A successful game needs people that are willing to push the community to its limits. A successful game needs players that are present and invested on social media. A successful game needs gameplay and a ruleset that is marketable and approachable. A successful game needs top players that are active and vocal faces of the community.
This community lacks the care and competitive drive that could make it flourish. While there are scenes developing in various parts of the country, the truth is that there still exists a ton of players like me who have to travel three hours minimum to play console. The amount of practice somebody gets in this game is directly related to where he/she resides, and while that is true for melee as well, they have more players, more scenes, and more tournaments than we do. The fact is that I would be able to play a lot more melee than I ever could 64.
But this isn't just about how much smash I could play. I want 64 to be huge. I want it to have big tournaments. I want it to be professional. I want people to care. But a game cannot accomplish these things if the players won't let it. The melee community is doing things for their game that our community isn't.
Melee is a fast-paced and exciting game. The gameplay and ruleset produce an involved and growing viewership. Their players and community leaders are extremely present on social media. Content creators posts material across multiple different media outlets. Top players recognize their influential roles and utilize them to promote the game. The melee community is filled with people pushing their game to a global level.
I want to be involved in a community that returns what I give in. The amount of time I invest in 64 is not worth what I get from it.
I'm a competitor at heart. I love to go to tournaments. I love to play new people. I strive for competition. It's who I am. Smash 64 cannot provide these things for me.
Genesis marks the end of my 64 career. I am done competing, but that does not mean that I am over 64. I am still going to bring my controller to tournaments. I am still going to play friendlies. I am still going to watch the game. I will always support this scene. This game and community mean too much to me to completely drop.
Over the last few years I've grown and matured with you all, this community has become my family. You guys have provided me with the best years of my life and I could never thank you all enough for that. I know this is sudden and I can't imagine how you all feel right now, but pease know that this is not an attack on 64. This is just something that I need to do.