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Celever

Celever

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Sometimes life throws things at you which you just need a little bit of help with. If you feel there is discussion to be had or want lots of responses, you can start your own thread separately in this forum. If you think your question is too minor to warrant its own thread but you still need help with whatever in life, just make a post here! The other members of the forum will be happy to help you in any way they can.
 
RunningWithScizors said:
What is the best thing to do when you can't decide on something, whether it's a Pokemon deck or what to eat at a restaurant?
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  • Chose the more convenient option to you (this restaurant / meal is closer / cheaper, I have all the cards for this deck already, etc). Do you really need that meal that will cost you $20+, or could the $5 meal fill you up just as well? Ask yourself these questions all the time before you make a decision.
  • In terms of decks or video games, pick the objectively best option you're most comfortably with learning and using. Always play to win if it's a tournament. Never pick a fighter who's countered by half the cast or a deck with all-around bad matchups. Rogue decks and niche fighters are for friends and local scenes.
  • As a chef I can tell you to always read the damn sanitation grade. I can't count the number of times I've heard people complain about a place they ate at when the restaurant clearly had a grade under 90. Anything less than 95 should be avoided tbh, and even that's low by my standards. Sometimes restaurants do a cleanup before the inspector arrives to raise their grade, so the restaurants with a really high score were already somewhat good before the inspection.
  • Sometimes, just pick which comes first to your mind when you think of making these decisions. It could have come first because it's your preference or you like that option more.
  • Research what others think of this or that. Obviously your experience could be different, but it's always nice to see what others went through before you yourself give it a try.
Obviously some of these options contradict each other, but that's because we all go through a different mental process for deciding what we want to do.
 
PG24 said:
  • In terms of decks or video games, pick the objectively best option you're most comfortably with learning and using. Always play to win if it's a tournament. Never pick a fighter who's countered by half the cast or a deck with all-around bad matchups. Rogue decks and niche fighters are for friends and local scenes.
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What do you do, then, if you can't really find anything you're comfortable with, when there's so many good choices and matchups that it totally paralyzes you with indecision?
 
RunningWithScizors said:
What do you do, then, if you can't really find anything you're comfortable with, when there's so many good choices and matchups that it totally paralyzes you with indecision?
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Test them all out then and find that option you're comfortable with. Ask yourself various questions while doing so. Which generates the most wins? Do I have the correct skillset to run this? Which did I see highlight my skillset the best? Is this thing I'm running really good? Is it my skill that makes this deck better than it should be? Am I even playing the right playstyle?

I think the last question is probably the most important question that ever needs to be asked when deciding what to do. No matter how good the deck or fighter is, if your mindset isn't the right type to run that, you're never going to be able to feel comfortable and run it correctly. If you're interested on learning your playstyle, check out David Sirlin's Playing to Win book online here. The part you should really focus on is the section name "Play Styles" which compares top Street Fighter players to some top Chess Players, showing the parallels of how each of them both use similar tactics and mindsets despite the differences between the two games. While you may wonder why this matters to you, a TCG player, Sirlin explains, "Every gaming community is a weird mirror image of every other gaming community. The same personalities and the same play styles seem to repeat themselves, ad infinitum." Use this to help evaluate yourself. I'm sure you can find a deck out there that highlights your playstyle and skillset just right if you first have a proper understanding of who you yourself are as a player. As someone who doesn't play TCG, that's really the best I can help you with.

(honestly recommend reading the whole book just because it's such a great learning tool for any competitive player)
 
Test them all out? There has to be 20 different decks out there that are currently viable. Nobody has the time, patience, or resources to test them all out.

And what is meant by "skillset?"
 
RunningWithScizors said:
Test them all out? There has to be 20 different decks out there that are currently viable. Nobody has the time, patience, or resources to test them all out.

And what is meant by "skillset?"
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Some examples of a skillset can be that you're good at pressuring opponents, you're good at metagaming, you're very analytical, you can read the opponent, you're able to make accurate predictions, you're able to make use of tricks and deceit in your plays, ability to properly zone, etc. For example, a player that plays a rushdown (overwhelming the opponent with offense) character in a fighting game should have the skillset to pressure the opponent into defense and make correct high-risk decisions. A player who is used to turtling (heavy defense) will have a bit of the opposite skillset, being able to lure the opponent to make high-risk plays and taking the less risky plays. A TCG player who values decks that have a fast setup by the second turn (rushdown) should have the skills to pressure your opponent who doesn't setup as fast. A player who would prefer a deck with a longer yet more sustainable setup (turtle) will have the skills to make calculated decisions to ensure their setup. So, if you're used to taking risks and applying pressure, the turtle concept isn't for you.

These are just a few examples. You don't have to test all 20 decks if you can narrow it down with your skillset. If you want to play a fast and aggressive deck because you can pilot decks like that better, narrow your search down to decks with fast engines and attackers.
 
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