HTOTM: FUSION
Original Post
What does it take to be the best?
Despite the large portion of opinion which is involved in choosing who the best of anything is, it can still be debated upon what it takes to become even considered so.

"The Best" per say of Wushu normally gets linked to clan Alpha. But why do people perceive that? What are the elements in wushu that one needs to actively practice to be performing at the highest state of the players? Is it consistancy in comebacks? Creative, unique, effective, speedy openers? The ability to anticipate the opponents next turn and act accordingly?

"The Best" players best fit to moderate the forums, Is it by name recognition? Intellectual posts involving debate, support, tutorials, etc? Maturity? And how does one show their exemplorary skills in such social matters on the forums to be on a high enough level to moderate?

Another topic is how an amazing clan (Alpha, RAWR, bncy, NO, spirit...etc.) chooses whether or not you should be able to join their group? I know all clans are looking for different things but what are the marks of excellence that always helps? Or better yet, how does someone go about joining a clan like these?

Again, I think we all agree that this clearly an opinion question, but I would like to ask the top of the top to shed some light on this. Promo Team members: how did you join? What seperated you from the pack? What do you "bring to the table"? Members of clans that I spoke about above (again, I am sorry if I missed a few, such as Inq), how would you want someone to approach you if they would like to join the clan? How do you decide? Top players of your respective mods: what makes what you do the skilled manuever? How are you the top of the top?
Last edited by rittu; Sep 18, 2009 at 03:29 AM. Reason: ;D
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Originally Posted by hxcbbqimo View Post
"The Best" per say of Wushu normally gets linked to clan Alpha. But why do people perceive that? What are the elements in wushu that one needs to actively practice to be performing at the highest state of the players? Is it consistancy in comebacks? Creative, unique, effective, speedy openers? The ability to anticipate the opponents next turn and act accordingly?

Good wushuers always have good openers, and have spent some time experimenting and molding their moves. They've also got a good understanding and cognition when it comes to the workings of the Toribash Physics Engine, and the routine needed to stay in the match - along with the routine needed to do comebacks.

Originally Posted by hxcbbqimo View Post
"The Best" players best fit to moderate the forums, Is it by name recognition? Intellectual posts involving debate, support, tutorials, etc? Maturity? And how does one show their exemplorary skills in such social matters on the forums to be on a high enough level to moderate?

Name recognition is definitely a plus, seeing as more recognized community members are usually redeemed to have longer community experience (which is a highly-regarded element when it comes to selecting moderators). Intellectual posts is a necessity, maturity perhaps even more so. As proven before by some of our moderators, being socially adept isn't a requirement, but lacking them will be a handicap seeing as respect can be gained in two ways: The first one is through fear - which is a limited sort of respect seeing as it necessitates that you have resources at your hands, with the people that despise you and wish you stripped of powers. The second one is through responsibility and an external show of neutrality and justice. With that kind of respect, getting people to do what you tell them, and getting points through, is much easier.

Originally Posted by hxcbbqimo View Post
Another topic is how an amazing clan (Alpha, RAWR, bncy, NO, spirit,..etc.) chooses whether or not you should be able to join their group? I know all clans are looking for different things but what are the marks of excellence that always helps? Or better yet, how does someone go about joining a clan like these?

All of those clans have very different recruitment patterns. RAWR and Alpha places emphasis on ingame prowess, aside from personality and potential for integration, while the others mainly focus on the latter.

Originally Posted by hxcbbqimo View Post
Again, I think we all agree that this clearly an opinion question, but I would like to ask the top of the top to shed some light on this. Promo Team members: how did you join? What seperated you from the pack? What do you "bring to the table"?

I were approached due to my services as a GameKeeper. I had been hosting some pretty successful tourney series. Otherwise my contributions to the Promo-Team were mostly creative feedback.
Originally Posted by CMon View Post
All of those clans have very different recruitment patterns. RAWR and Alpha places emphasis on ingame prowess, aside from personality and potential for integration, while the others mainly focus on the latter.

Yeh. For example, NO is a purely social clan. Absolutely none of our recruitment process involves ingame skill.
Instead, we just focus on whether we like the person, they have a fitting sense of humor, etc. Probably the same as the rest of the social clans.
"The best" is a relative term. Remember that, people, and remember these discussions are purely opinion-based.

Just a warning.
Originally Posted by RedDevil View Post
"The best" is a relative term. Remember that, people, and remember these discussions are purely opinion-based.

Just a warning.

He's asking for opinions on those specific matters. Alternatively, feedback from people in the relevant positions.
Originally Posted by hxcbbqimo View Post
Is it consistancy in comebacks? Creative, unique, effective, speedy openers? The ability to anticipate the opponents next turn and act accordingly

You probably have a pretty good idea, but I'll answer anyhow.
Third one more than anything else. Any noob can memorize down an opener and do it 100 times on end, probably winning a good portion of fights against other streak-padders. Ability to move well enough to cover long distances fast is the second most important thing. And really, that's all you need. You don't even need attack openers because most of them are useless against careful players anyway.

Another topic is how an amazing clan (Alpha, RAWR, bncy, NO, spirit,..etc.) chooses whether or not you should be able to join their group? I know all clans are looking for different things but what are the marks of excellence that always helps? Or better yet, how does someone go about joining a clan like these?

'Amazingness' is pretty subjective, but anyhow..
Won't speak for other clans, but we generally look at both in-game skills and sensibility of a person. Skill and the way you handle yourself are the two facets that represent you in toribash. The question we ask is usually "do we need this person?" For us keeping a clan small is a big priority, and an applicant has to stand out significantly (in a positive way) to get our interest. So, all common sense stuff really.
Last edited by Odlov; Sep 17, 2009 at 07:44 PM.
The word "best" is too ambigous here - so let me answer the two most relevant meanings of the word;

First there's the 'best' by being well known;

Popularity, fame, l33tness, whatever you want to call it, actually has very little to do with true skill and experience in a game/contest. It can still play a part - let me explain ; if you're part of a clan, or you're playing behind a name, and then you constantly win over others, espically in a way that makes them stare in awe, then rumours of your suposed 'greatness' will spread. If the more well respected ( at that point) members of the community hear of this - and believe it - there's a high chance your greatness will spread more. The irony, however, is that you don't need to actually be good at the game to let this procedure go through. You just need to get lucky, amaze some people, and then they'll simply spread your legacy - the more people you subject to this, the more and more powerful your image will become - and even if you suck you will be considired 'good' at toribash at this point. Once you have this sort of image, and if there no other such images present, and you're known as ,an example, the supreme judo clan, then others will have a hard time replacing you - since most people consider your clan better than anyone else. The key point here is that this is completely subjective - this leads to the consquence that it's far more important to appear skilled/mature/etc, rather than to actually be skilled/mature/etc. This principle applies both to a group and an indiviual.

Then there's the second common defination ; to be the best objectively. That's simple - it requires skill (the ability to overcome situations where you are in a disadvantage more consistantly than others, or to be able to press an advantegous situtation towards your favour even more more consitently) and skill only. "Skill" extends not to only skills in a game - but also to skills such as maturity, etc. This, however, doesn't mean that you will be populaur - your chances might increase, but these traits/skills mean suprisingly little to your image and reputation. You can be uber skilled and be seen as a greenhorn - that's not a contradiction.
tl;dr: deprived is spergin'
Originally Posted by hxcbbqimo View Post

Another topic is how an amazing clan (Alpha, RAWR, bncy, NO, spirit, inq..etc.)...

fixed that for you :P

As for your question, you have probably gotten the best answers you may get out of this thread. But my question to you, as it always is, is why are you concerned with all this? I can see wanting to be the best, and I acknowledge that that is a healthy goal in most cases in life...but I also think that when it comes to something like Toribash, your main goal should be to have fun. Now, if the only way you can have fun IS to be the best...well, you might always have a long way to go to outdo some of the amazing things people have already done with this game.

As for wushus, just as a general comment, I have found I do my best when let the game work for me, letting my tori flow and such and dont meticulously plan every move I make, but use what little knowledge I have of the engine to predict what will happen next.

Lecture over...I feel like the janitor in some 80s coming of age movie when I post things like this.
Last edited by deady; Sep 18, 2009 at 07:20 AM.
Organisation of Awesome: Member.
Deady: I wasn't trying to imply that I would follow these guidelines to become the best by any means, I was simply curious based off an article written on the wall of Sports Clips and I found the topic interesting.

Everyone else: thanks for the input, hope we find more opinions ^^
Need help?
Creati0n says: still my favorite. <3
I sacrificed my firstborn for this great human being to join (M) ~R
Just Use Thunder!
Originally Posted by hxcbbqimo View Post
Another topic is how an amazing clan (Alpha, RAWR, bncy, NO, spirit...etc.) chooses whether or not you should be able to join their group? I know all clans are looking for different things but what are the marks of excellence that always helps? Or better yet, how does someone go about joining a clan like these?

Well, this might not give faith to some new comers of which hope to join RAWR, but it took me 9 months to become an official member of the clan.
At the moment, here at RAWR, (and any member will tell you this) we base our opinion of a player on atleast 3 things:

1)Skill and knowlage of either the game or forum of Toribash as a whole.

2)Over-all likeness and attitude in any situation.

3)Whether we are willing to share quality moments with the player for years on end without the dought of unconditional respect.

Members of clans that I spoke about above, how would you want someone to approach you if they would like to join the clan? How do you decide?

If you want to join RAWR, tell one of our members in-game. We can all read English and, unless drunk or intoxicated, will acknowlage said request to join.
If you really want to join you pretty much only have to do 1 thing.

Talk to us.

Whether it be in game or on the forums. A little conversation never hurt.

Oh, and we make our decisions by asking everyone if they want the person in the clan. All opinions are repsected and considered in making the final decision.

EDIT: I might add something to mastery of Multiplayer tomorrow.
Last edited by IceShadow; Sep 18, 2009 at 05:25 AM.

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