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User:Semicolon/Treatise on the Existence of Tiers: Difference between revisions
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:''By the [[SLAPAHO]] Crew, coauthored by | {{ArticleIcons|protected=highrisk}}{{essay}}:''By the [[SLAPAHO]] Crew, coauthored by {{Sm|Foghorn}} and {{Sm|Ax}}.'' | ||
It seems that controversy over the actual existence of tiers is far more contentious since the release of Brawl, and since the last tier wars fizzled to a standstill, and as such, we here at SLAPAHO have decided to compile this volume. Its intent is to put away the idea that tiers do not exist. However, we're not asking you to like that tiers exist; we’re asking that you accept it. In other words, this treatise is designed to answer a qualitative question, not a normative one. | It seems that controversy over the actual existence of tiers is far more contentious since the release of Brawl, and since the last tier wars fizzled to a standstill, and as such, we here at SLAPAHO have decided to compile this volume. Its intent is to put away the idea that tiers do not exist. However, we're not asking you to like that tiers exist; we’re asking that you accept it. In other words, this treatise is designed to answer a qualitative question, not a normative one. | ||
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Here are some facts: in Super Smash Brothers Brawl, there are 39 media, at least 13 variables, and nearly unlimited constructs. In fact, the documented constructs are too numerous and variable to be enumerated here, though reference to the relevant SmashBoards thread may be enlightening on just a few. With all this variation, how could it be possible that it all could fall neatly so that every medium, played to its highest, be balanced? Simply put, the chance of this is so infinitesimal as to be absurd. Even in the most balanced game in existence, Starcraft: Broodwar, there are only 3 media and about five meaningful variables (there are some parts that are not analogous, but these do not invalidate the analogy). In the case of Broodwar and the professional scene, even the constructs are limited (in the form of build orders) to about seven to ten useful or efficient. These limitations allow for a more even playing field. The sheer number of these arguments (here meant in the sense of concrete items, referring to the number of media, variables and constructs) make balance impossible. | Here are some facts: in Super Smash Brothers Brawl, there are 39 media, at least 13 variables, and nearly unlimited constructs. In fact, the documented constructs are too numerous and variable to be enumerated here, though reference to the relevant SmashBoards thread may be enlightening on just a few. With all this variation, how could it be possible that it all could fall neatly so that every medium, played to its highest, be balanced? Simply put, the chance of this is so infinitesimal as to be absurd. Even in the most balanced game in existence, Starcraft: Broodwar, there are only 3 media and about five meaningful variables (there are some parts that are not analogous, but these do not invalidate the analogy). In the case of Broodwar and the professional scene, even the constructs are limited (in the form of build orders) to about seven to ten useful or efficient. These limitations allow for a more even playing field. The sheer number of these arguments (here meant in the sense of concrete items, referring to the number of media, variables and constructs) make balance impossible. | ||
A corollary to this is further enhancing the idea of the constructs. Constructs affect tier placement heavily. Look to the Melee Ice Climbers before Chu Dat, or now to Lucario before Azen. Before the constructs of these media were developed, their tournament placement (and by extension, tier placement) were not what they would become. These strategies cannot be predicted by the game developers. So, if this is reasoned to its limit, constructs affect balance, and balance affects tiers, then constructs affect tiers. If constructs affect tiers, and if constructs are unpredictable by developers, then it is clear that developers cannot program balance | A corollary to this is further enhancing the idea of the constructs. Constructs affect tier placement heavily. Look to the Melee Ice Climbers before Chu Dat, or now to Lucario before Azen. Before the constructs of these media were developed, their tournament placement (and by extension, tier placement) were not what they would become. These strategies cannot be predicted by the game developers. So, if this is reasoned to its limit, constructs affect balance, and balance affects tiers, then constructs affect tiers. If constructs affect tiers, and if constructs are unpredictable by developers, then it is clear that developers cannot program balance. Again, imbalance causes tiers. | ||
Now we move on to the argument of difference... | Now we move on to the argument of difference... | ||
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===Formation of tier lists=== | ===Formation of tier lists=== | ||
On the first point, this has most often been accompanied by the quote from designer Sakurai about how he did not want Smash Bros. to be competitive. First, it should be noted that his quote was taken completely out of context. All Sakurai said was that he himself was not a competitive person and did not want to design a game where the same person could win over and over simply by continuing to do the same moves. Yes, Sakurai probably would never play in a tournament. But that does not mean that others in the community cannot. I reference any other form of art: just because the artist meant for a singular concrete interpretation does not invalidate other interpretations. To Sakurai, the fun in Smash comes from the randomness of stages like Spear Pillar and the plethora of items. To others, it comes from heated competition, where it is simply your choices against another persons, without game-changing events getting in the way. Is one way better than another? No, of course not. We may prefer the latter, but that is no reason to reject the former or vice versa. Quite simply, people are free to | On the first point, this has most often been accompanied by the quote from designer Sakurai about how he did not want Smash Bros. to be competitive. First, it should be noted that his quote was taken completely out of context. All Sakurai said was that he himself was not a competitive person and did not want to design a game where the same person could win over and over simply by continuing to do the same moves. Yes, Sakurai probably would never play in a tournament. But that does not mean that others in the community cannot. I reference any other form of art: just because the artist meant for a singular concrete interpretation does not invalidate other interpretations. To Sakurai, the fun in Smash comes from the randomness of stages like Spear Pillar and the plethora of items. To others, it comes from heated competition, where it is simply your choices against another persons, without game-changing events getting in the way. Is one way better than another? No, of course not. We may prefer the latter, but that is no reason to reject the former or vice versa. Quite simply, people are free to choose the way they want to play the game. Therefore, there is nothing wrong with playing Smash Bros. under a tournament rule set just as there is nothing wrong with playing crazy games with lots of random things happening. | ||
Given that tournament play is acceptable, what then becomes unacceptable about tiers? The general argument is that tier lists should not exist because they only exist for tournament play or that they simply continue to reinforce themselves. For the first of those points, read the above paragraph again for the answer. Yes, they only exist for tournament play because ''that is what they are intended for''. As for the point on them reinforcing themselves, there is more to be said. Yes, there exist players who switched to Meta Knight the moment the Back Room announced him as top tier and now refuse to play any other character. But they are the small minority. Given the inherent neutrality of a mirror match-up, top players will always be looking for the counter to the top tier characters. Take, for example, Young Link in Melee. He was a low tier character, but he also developed into the best Peach match-up in the game. Players that consistently try to win are always looking for the best answer to each problem facing them. Picking a main and secondary characters is not a simple dart board toss or a look at the tier list for top players. They spend hours testing each character, discovering what that character is capable of and how they play them. No player would ever say, well Meta Knight is bad against Diddy Kong (this a purely hypothetical match-up description), so I am just going to have to lose all my Diddy match-ups. Instead, s/he would find another character to counter Diddy. Maybe s/he would discover a new technique(s) with that character and vault them up the tier list, just like Chu Dat and the Ice Climbers. By the nature of the fact that no character has perfect match-ups across the board, players will always being trying new things with other characters and constantly affecting the tier list. | Given that tournament play is acceptable, what then becomes unacceptable about tiers? The general argument is that tier lists should not exist because they only exist for tournament play or that they simply continue to reinforce themselves. For the first of those points, read the above paragraph again for the answer. Yes, they only exist for tournament play because ''that is what they are intended for''. As for the point on them reinforcing themselves, there is more to be said. Yes, there exist players who switched to Meta Knight the moment the Back Room announced him as top tier and now refuse to play any other character. But they are the small minority. Given the inherent neutrality of a mirror match-up, top players will always be looking for the counter to the top tier characters. Take, for example, Young Link in Melee. He was a low tier character, but he also developed into the best Peach match-up in the game. Players that consistently try to win are always looking for the best answer to each problem facing them. Picking a main and secondary characters is not a simple dart board toss or a look at the tier list for top players. They spend hours testing each character, discovering what that character is capable of and how they play them. No player would ever say, well Meta Knight is bad against Diddy Kong (this a purely hypothetical match-up description), so I am just going to have to lose all my Diddy match-ups. Instead, s/he would find another character to counter Diddy. Maybe s/he would discover a new technique(s) with that character and vault them up the tier list, just like Chu Dat and the Ice Climbers. By the nature of the fact that no character has perfect match-ups across the board, players will always being trying new things with other characters and constantly affecting the tier list. | ||
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===Nature=== | ===Nature=== | ||
The nature of tiers is a dramatically misunderstood concept. As enumerated in the introduction to this treatise, a tier is a ranking of sorts. It is does not contain information about matchups, player skill, stage balance, the effects of items, timed matches, or special brawls. It is relevant only in a single context: tournaments run by Smash Back Room rules. Tiers are | The nature of tiers is a dramatically misunderstood concept. As enumerated in the introduction to this treatise, a tier is a ranking of sorts. It is does not contain information about matchups, player skill, stage balance, the effects of items, timed matches, or special brawls. It is relevant only in a single context: tournaments run by Smash Back Room rules. Tiers are derived from a body of data from these very same tournaments, based on the performance of characters at these events. Thus, tiers are rankings of which characters are most effective in the aforementioned tournament context relative to other characters. Here are some important points: | ||
#'''Tiers are graded.''' A character at place 12 is more effective than a character at place 21, but the difference in effectiveness, theoretically, is less by relative position; that is, the difference in effectiveness is greater the larger the margin of separation between two relative places. | #'''Tiers are graded.''' A character at place 12 is more effective than a character at place 21, but the difference in effectiveness, theoretically, is less by relative position; that is, the difference in effectiveness is greater the larger the margin of separation between two relative places. | ||