Four Important Questions For The Aspiring Competitive Gamer

    Competition is a wonderful thing.  It has the potential to bring out the best in someone, and is what keeps people striving to better themselves even at the top.  At some level, we all value competition.  It's evident in the way the human mind works.  A certain degree of respect is given to those who have talent or skills in a number of activities, from music, to sports, to academics.  Each of these fields have competitions, whether we know of them or not.  In each of these worlds, there are people striving to be the best -- striving to reach a goal.  Whether it be the NBA Championship Ring or a Grammy Award, these people put all they have into the activity of their choice -- dedicating their lives to the pursuit of their interest.

    In recent years, Competitive Gaming Leagues have become a much more common thing.  Much in the same vein as sports leagues, and amateur music competitions such as a "Battle of the Bands", people have begun to congregate in an attempt to prove their worth and skill.  Often, these have culminated in tournaments where the sole purpose of play is simply to seek out the best of the best.  However, the world of competition is not for everyone.  It takes true dedication and a mindset that simply does not allow one room for compromise.  In order to help prepare the aspiring player, I've put together a set of four questions that illustrate just the kind of dedication you might need in order to succeed.

Question 1:
What are your realistic goals?

    The first question is to ask yourself what you intend to get out of it.  Some players intend simply to be "the best".  Number 1 is the only acceptable result, and anything else is simply unacceptable.  Some others simply want to see how good or bad they really are, while even more people simply find competition and the concept of progress and self improvement to be a joy.  Whatever your answer is, make sure it's reasonable.  It's one thing to set a goal like "I want to win the EVO Street Fighter 4 Tournament without ever taking damage".  Such a goal is simply unreasonable.  However, a goal such as "I want to win money at a Mortal Kombat 9 tournament" would make sense.  It's not only achievable, but it's very reasonable.  Again, the key is what are your *realistic* goals.  There isn't much use in a goal that is unattainable.

Question 2:
Are you willing to invest the necessary resources?

    Question 2 is meant to reinforce question 1.  Each player should assess their resources -- time, patience, money, etc.  If a player finds themselves unable to devote a certain amount of their resources to the act of practicing, playing, and otherwise improving themselves, they can most certainly not expect to do better than those who do so.  As an example, professional Starcraft players in Korea spend 10 hours a day, six days a week training and practicing.  This is the *bare minimum* to maintain their employment.  The best players practice *even more*.  However, in comparison, some professional players for other games have found plenty of time to hold down jobs, raise families, and other such things.  As you can see, it is important for each player to assess just how much of their resources can realistically go towards practice and the actual act of competing.

Question 3:
Are you willing to actively seek out competition?

    It isn't enough to simply sit in your room and tell people you're the best.  The important part is proving it, and the only way to do so is to get out there and show it.  Seeking competition isn't just about showing how great you are though.  Quite frequently, the people who are out to show that they're the best find themselves far more lacking than they believed themselves to be.  In the end, competition is a tool to be used for improvement.  It's true that a certain amount of practice by oneself is important.  After all, the minute details are difficult to analyze on the fly if you're worried about your opponent.  However, the simple truth is that there are often things that others discover that will aid in your journey to the top.  With more people to analyze and break down strategies, concepts, and mechanics, there is more depth to their findings.  By playing with these people, you may find them using strategies, introducing concepts, or showcasing mechanics that were otherwise not known to you.  In that way, many people who are competitors can gain respect for each other and a community can be formed for the mutual betterment of all competitors.

    The willingness to seek out competition is paramount to any competitor's quest to better themselves.  Without that drive, it is impossible to experience the myriad of strategies and ideas that are employed in any competitive game.  Without the drive to constantly seek out the next great opponent, it becomes very easy to stagnate and fall into the mindset that plagues so many would-be champions.  I cannot personally count the number of people who have told me they were "the best" because they "beat all of their friends".  These people are the players who did not seek out competition actively.  Because of their limited view of what the game had to offer, these players often suffer defeat against strategies they had not come across before.  As a player who intends to compete, it is important to expand your world view and consider the premise that there may be people who are better than you are.

Question 4:
Are you willing to play the game, even if it stops being fun?

    This last question is possibly the most difficult one.  Many people play games competitively because they are fun.  All too often, people tell me that they enjoy the idea of self improvement and simply like competition as it keeps things fresh.  However, these same people have also come to resent some games because of competition.

    The simple truth is that any competitive player will lose.  As the saying goes, "you can't win them all."  This is especially true in the world of competitive fighting games.  There is a difference between victory and loss, and most people who have the drive to compete do not enjoy losing.  It's heartbreaking sometimes.  There's really no way to describe that feeling of playing your hardest, only to be outdone by someone you feel you could have defeated.  I have experienced it many times.  It never gets any easier.

    However, despite that, it is important to have the fortitude and determination to continue.  Without the drive to work through the hard times, players frequently give up saying that "the game simply wasn't fun anymore."  If the only thing you really wanted from the competition was fun, then certainly the logical choice is to give it up.  But many players do not play because a game is fun.  They play because victory is fun.  They play because testing themselves against others who are also trying to be the best is fun.  To many people, myself included, the fun part is what comes *after* the hard work.  After spending hours practicing, weeks travelling, and only minutes actually playing, the fun comes when finally at the end you can finish a match with your arm raised in triumph.

    Competition presents a strange dichotomy that exists in the human mind.  We value victory and skill, but cannot stand loss.  However, the nature of competition dictates that they both must exist -- without one, we could not have the other.  We engage in competition putting our pride, our hearts on the line.  With our qualities exposed, we engage our opponents in the field of our choosing -- whether it be a test of wits, reflex, or brute force.  In this sense, competition is the truest form of knowing a person.  To ensure that we see as much of our competitors, and ourselves as we possibly can.  When we can compete, and offer a shaky hand to our opponents and utter the words "Good Game" with an honest heart, there is an understanding between the two players that goes beyond mere words.