Character Strength vs Player Strength

This is a common thing discussed in the realm of competitive gaming and its the strength of characters and player strength. In this instance I'm referring to fighting games. I'll shed some light on my opinion on this subject.

So with that being said you get into the game, play your new main and gradually you start to realize he's/she's not all that strong? What's wrong here? Where's my CHARACTER STRENGTH at?? Well first things first, I think it's a good idea to check out some matchup charts, do your match video research and understand the tier listings. The tier listings are NOT set in stone and are ALWAYS subject to change! But, it's always good to get some insight on the work you have to put in versus the higher echelon of characters. If your character isn't in the higher ranks it's due to one or several of these factors; 

A. Limitations in matchups
B. Lacking tool sets
C. Unexplored potential
D. Lack of damaging options/Okizeme/Abare
E. Poor neutral game
F. Poor movement options

What this can some times mean is that you can peak/max out with the character early. Which in turn means you have to strengthen the lacking areas mentioned and more importantly to improve your technical skill. Tech Skill means your ability to use every system mechanic to your character's advantage along side the toolset to improve your results. I'll go into this later.

I'd like to touch on a very very VERY common misconception, there not being bad matchups or rather I say no 7-3's or 8-2's out of a character's favor. These number ratios are based on what the current meta game/high level play is. Now to be honest 8-2 is really really extreme however those DO and CAN exist. The statement "There are no bad matchups! Only bad players!" is a really really bold statement in the sense that some matches are just absolutely UNBEARABLE. So lets say you've improved on your faults but weaknesses glare at you right in the face and you realize how limited you are in your bad matchups. What now? Does this mean you can't win? Not entirely. The odds are just not in your favor so you have to work harder than your opponent. Human error and decision making also play a role in this and it's THOSE things that make the matchups horrible ON TOP of toolset vs toolset. 

Now let's flip this into the character being on the upper echelon vs the lower. The above still applies just your work load may be lighter but now the strength lies in how well you play that character.

Bad matches do exist and learning how to outplay your bad matchups is a good thing to do. So now we get to PLAYER STRENGTH. This subject is based around how well a player understands the game fundamentally and the system mechanics aka Technical Skill. Learning to use every inch of the system mechanics to your advantage is absolutely critical to improving. Not to mention that being fundamentally sound can go a very very long ways. A lot of the time there are characters that absolutely rely on the system to make it happen in game. There are others that don't need the system mechanics as much as others so those characters end up with a more utility based toolset. Now I'd like to mention before you crucify me, this doesn't mean everyone CAN'T utilize the system mechanics. Quite the contrary actually as there are characters that utilize both their toolset on top of the system mechanics. For example, everyone in GG:AC can Dead Angle (alpha counter) > Roman Cancel > Combo. Some lead to corner carry (FANTASTIC), hard knockdowns (GREAT!), others damage (GOOD!), while some get positioning (OK!). It's all about the end reward for utilizing the mechanics is what pushes who takes advantage of what SYSTEMATICALLY.

Technical Skill can be used to shift things in your favor when your opponent doesn't understand HOW it works in your favor. These factors push characters and matchups to the limits. This also makes your opponent think more about how to approach the matchup vs your character. Tech Skill can also intimidate opponents as some times more often than not players rely on the strength of their characters alone to bail them out of not being so strong at the game's system mechanics. But it's a double edged sword in this regard as a strong player using strong characters WITH the Tech Skill will be even more dangerous than the above latter. 

So in understanding all this, one can ask themselves, "Why does XYZ player (or why do "I") play XYZ not so strong character? I am/He's/She's so good with that character that if they (or I) played a stronger character the results would be different!" This is very very true and it's hard to say why not just play the stronger character with the technical skill they (you) possess. There are many many reasons for this. Maybe they just like the character so much that switching isn't an option. Who knows? Sometimes brining out the best in a character can show the game's balance or it could very well push the game in a different direction and push the players to think differently about their approach to the game. These things are what make games have longevity and also gives insight to the underlying layers of the game.

In the end it's up to the player to understand these concepts and improve. In my experiences and MY PERSONAL OPINION, improving your Tech Skill and being fundamentally sound is the most important because you can apply it to any character. Whereas relying on Character Strength alone will make you strong with the character but at times give you tunnel vision to utilizing the system and your fundamentals. Nothing wrong with that though, it happens just don't overlook the fundamentals and how to utilize the system! If you apply both however...The sky is the limit.

My 2c.

Guilty Gear Xrd Impressions

So after watching a good chunk of Xrd. My early impressions are:

-Faust and Venom are looking like REALLY STRONG top contenders in this one thus far. I'm sure another part of the roster will be added and this can change but from watching options and knowing how both these characters operate I can say this very safely even without playing. It's early so my predictions can be off. Take it with a grain of salt.

-Ky looks like he can take on just about anything.
-Sol well, its Sol lol. He makes it hurt if you play dumb but requires good fundamentals as always. Hella solid.
-Axl holy shit they improved this guy on all fronts! Not like he sucked before but he's looking like he'll develop very very well.
-Millia  looking like a good blend of AC and Reload! Still have yet to see more from her but looking at how the toolset can be applied she's going to develop back where she was. Mixup Queen.
-I-No is drastically improved as well. Her dash doesn't look like it gets her in as much trouble any more and she can get knockdowns better with the new follow up to Chemical Love. I think she can definitely be a problem if players like Koichi put in that work.
-Zato/Eddie looks like he'll be scary in time. Still a lot to figure out with him but so far I've only seen someone use him in training mode. His combos look the same and the new wall splat dust combos will be nuts when they get the unblocks afterwards.
-May, Slayer & Potemkin no data really, especially May.

CHIPP!!! He's looking to be on par with AC Chipp with some new additions that make him pretty damn strong in the right hands.
-Find me > CANNOT SEE CHIPP UNTIL HE DOES A MOVE! Scary stuff~
-Wall Cling > Mixup potential is looking higher from this option.
-2D looks to have more knockdown time, meaning the FDC mixups will be better.
As a whole this guy is looking to be pretty dangerous and its still early yet I can see Chipp going really far. But that's still a ways from now and this is just my impressions from watching.