Will you accept hugs/handshakes at UFGT?
heck yeah! i'm a big fan of hugs in particular.
Ask @pattheflip
Previous
When are you going to the Insert Credits Podcast?
Oh man, I haven't been on in a while! Whenever they want me, I guess.
Are you still looking for something to write about? Something you could write about is the inevitable e-begging from people come EVO season. Last couple years, there have been a bunch of people begging for a last minute trip to Vegas on twitter. It's a lot of irresponsible minds at work.
Thanks for the note! I may do this, though I don't really have a huge problem with people helping other people go to Evo.
Related users
Let's say someone wanted you to play Skullgirls. What is your preferred way to be hospitalized? I'm asking for a friend.
something sexy, please ~ <3
Opinion on Skullgirls?
Really cool game that I want to learn how to play if I am ever hospitalized for a long period of time. I am biased though because I have a few friends on the dev team.
Outside of Evo, what is your favorite major to attend? Are there any majors you really wish you could attend every year, but haven't?
Evo is the only major I've consistently attended. Looking forward to catching my first CEO and first (and last...) UFGT this year; also wanna make it out to Final Round someday.
You're stranded on an island, with no one around, and you've only brought one fighting game with you to play by yourself forever. Which would it be?
CvS2. There's so much stuff to practice in that game!
Liked by:
nothingxs
So you know that Kenjimurasame guy? Didn't think you were a SJW type since you're in the fgc, lame.
That's funny! If you read my blog (pattheflip.tumblr.com) you'll find I'm a huge SJW type. There are a lot of us in the FGC, btw.
Liked by:
nothingxs
What other fighting games do you think deserve the level of attention and tourney entrants that SF4 and UMVC3 enjoy?
I don't think games "deserve" any more attention than they get. I'd love it if ST was at Evo with 1000+ entrants, but I don't think ST "deserves" it even though it's a great game.
That said, I'd love it if Guilty Gear got up there next to SF4/Marvel. I think it's that kind of game.
That said, I'd love it if Guilty Gear got up there next to SF4/Marvel. I think it's that kind of game.
What do you think about the physical execution aspect of fighting games?
Love/hate relationship.
My execution has never been that great, and I typically gravitate towards characters that give me good options that are easy to execute consistently.
On the other hand, I think execution adds a very real, critical, human element to fighting games. It's what sets our games apart from a CCG. I like that players aren't given access to the entire strategic toolset immediately; that copying a new technique means burning it into your bones. (Even if it means that my personal experience isn't as rich as it could be.) Hell, I like that there's a physical performative joy to these games. That when I win, my body is moving well, and when I lose, my body isn't moving so well.
When it comes down to it, I think the physical execution aspect is a crucial element of fighting games -- we just haven't found the right learning curve or balance yet.
My execution has never been that great, and I typically gravitate towards characters that give me good options that are easy to execute consistently.
On the other hand, I think execution adds a very real, critical, human element to fighting games. It's what sets our games apart from a CCG. I like that players aren't given access to the entire strategic toolset immediately; that copying a new technique means burning it into your bones. (Even if it means that my personal experience isn't as rich as it could be.) Hell, I like that there's a physical performative joy to these games. That when I win, my body is moving well, and when I lose, my body isn't moving so well.
When it comes down to it, I think the physical execution aspect is a crucial element of fighting games -- we just haven't found the right learning curve or balance yet.
Who were the most interesting people you've met at conventions/tournies/etc?
This is a novel, not an ask.fm post :)
why you duckin' me on ggpo omg??? (what I mean: let's play ST sometime)
ok
when will you play some ST again? also, would you consider spreading the word a bit about the STRevival donation drive? http://www.strevival.com/donate/ ty!
I'll always play ST whenever anyone wants to! And sure thing. :)
Favorite non-KoF Neo Geo fighter?
I love me some Last Blade 2 and Waku Waku 7! Haven't really played much of either against other human beings, though.
How do you feel about Marvel right now? Are you planning to compete in it at Evo this year?
Honestly, I think it's in a good place! I am planning on competing in it at Evo, though I don't hold high hopes for my performance.
Right now, we've settled on a few top tier characters/shells that allow for a whole lot of variable play styles at differing levels of execution in different roles. Zero, Magneto, and Morrigan are all fascinating characters with a lot of versatile toolsets; Wolverine is insane enough to be able to beat those teams; Firebrand brings something new and dangerous to the point character game; even second-tier point characters like Nova can hang. We've got teams that can snowball off a first hit, teams that can play keepaway and zone, teams that only start playing after you've killed off their first two characters, and point-heavy teams with two dedicated assists.
I'm really excited for the next few years of Marvel, because this is when the chaos of LOOK AT ALL THESE DIFFERENT CHARACTERS is replaced with subtle, nuanced innovations -- a new setup, a different assist, whatever. Now that the tiers have coalesced, we'll get to see people leave their mark on the game in far more interesting ways.
Right now, we've settled on a few top tier characters/shells that allow for a whole lot of variable play styles at differing levels of execution in different roles. Zero, Magneto, and Morrigan are all fascinating characters with a lot of versatile toolsets; Wolverine is insane enough to be able to beat those teams; Firebrand brings something new and dangerous to the point character game; even second-tier point characters like Nova can hang. We've got teams that can snowball off a first hit, teams that can play keepaway and zone, teams that only start playing after you've killed off their first two characters, and point-heavy teams with two dedicated assists.
I'm really excited for the next few years of Marvel, because this is when the chaos of LOOK AT ALL THESE DIFFERENT CHARACTERS is replaced with subtle, nuanced innovations -- a new setup, a different assist, whatever. Now that the tiers have coalesced, we'll get to see people leave their mark on the game in far more interesting ways.
Would you be more excited or worried if Capcom announced today that they're making CVS3?
Excited, without a doubt. If it sucked, I'd just keep playing CVS2.
What is the best and worst thing about working in the game industry?
I'm relatively new to the actual-industry-part (having mostly worked in press and then briefly in events), so I'm pretty sure this answer is the most cliched one possible, but!
The best, for me, is meeting the people who build the crazy stuff we play, and learning more about how someone's work reflects their personality and history.
A close second is seeing people talk about how happy they are to play our game. I don't work on the dev side of things, but I feel an immense pride in knowing that I'm indirectly contributing to a game that makes a lot of people happy. The other day, a cosplayer tweeted something about how thrilled she was to see her picture as the highlighted image for a cosplay photo roundup that we linked in the client -- I was a part of that!
The worst thing is probably seeing mean people on the Internet say mean things about the people I know who make such cool stuff. Seriously it's awful.
The best, for me, is meeting the people who build the crazy stuff we play, and learning more about how someone's work reflects their personality and history.
A close second is seeing people talk about how happy they are to play our game. I don't work on the dev side of things, but I feel an immense pride in knowing that I'm indirectly contributing to a game that makes a lot of people happy. The other day, a cosplayer tweeted something about how thrilled she was to see her picture as the highlighted image for a cosplay photo roundup that we linked in the client -- I was a part of that!
The worst thing is probably seeing mean people on the Internet say mean things about the people I know who make such cool stuff. Seriously it's awful.
Where in the World is Carmen SanDiego?
Last I heard she was kickin' it with Waldo.
What's the hardest thing you've ever had to do professionally or personally, and are willing to share?
Interesting question, though "hard" could be read multiple ways.
Closing down Game Developer Magazine was emotionally really taxing for me. It didn't close because I fucked something up -- unless you count "not single-handedly reversing the death of print publishing" as "fucking up" -- but there is a small part of my brain that still asks "What if you had tried harder/done better/etc." And I guess I didn't feel like I had done enough with it, yet.
Before I worked full-time in tech writing. I was a boxing coach for teenagers in East Oakland, and I've never experienced anything quite so nerve-wracking as cornering one of my fighters. When I compete myself, I trust that my coaches helped me prepare as best they could; knowing that someone out there goes out thinking that of me is way more intense.
I also practiced Zero lightning loops like every day for almost a year. I've never been an execution specialist, never learned how to consistently do PTF/Shoshosho custom combos or anything, so it was kind of a personal triumph to get Zero loops down as consistently as I can do them.
Closing down Game Developer Magazine was emotionally really taxing for me. It didn't close because I fucked something up -- unless you count "not single-handedly reversing the death of print publishing" as "fucking up" -- but there is a small part of my brain that still asks "What if you had tried harder/done better/etc." And I guess I didn't feel like I had done enough with it, yet.
Before I worked full-time in tech writing. I was a boxing coach for teenagers in East Oakland, and I've never experienced anything quite so nerve-wracking as cornering one of my fighters. When I compete myself, I trust that my coaches helped me prepare as best they could; knowing that someone out there goes out thinking that of me is way more intense.
I also practiced Zero lightning loops like every day for almost a year. I've never been an execution specialist, never learned how to consistently do PTF/Shoshosho custom combos or anything, so it was kind of a personal triumph to get Zero loops down as consistently as I can do them.
If you could only choose one of them to eat for the rest of your life: Ramen or pho?
Ramen for sure. I'm actually not that big on pho unless I'm feeling under the weather. Huge fan of tonkotsu ramen, the fattier the better. Muteki in Ikebukuro was my shit.
Can you talk a little about your actual writing process? Ever write on phone or tablet? Ever in markdown?
Sure. If it's on the weekend, I get something caffeinated and something alcoholic, sit down at my home desk, put on some music that doesn't have words, and keep the fluids and protein bars/leftovers coming until neat stuff is done. If it's at night, I probably won't get the caffeine.
There's something romantic about writing in cafes on mobile devices, but I don't really do it because I like having two monitors and a full keyboard. If I am writing outside the home, I'll sometimes use a USB adapter with my iPad to plug in a full mechanical keyboard.
There's something romantic about writing in cafes on mobile devices, but I don't really do it because I like having two monitors and a full keyboard. If I am writing outside the home, I'll sometimes use a USB adapter with my iPad to plug in a full mechanical keyboard.
I'm having a hard time articulating some thoughts and feelings about how White eSports feels. I feel a lot of that has to do with needing a sponsorship and them looking for a demographic (white, male). Are sponsors going to help make gaming "more white" as it goes on? How far off base am I?
I think there are all kinds of potential contributing factors to why established eSports definitely come off as "white" (even though when you look at who's winning LoL/SC2, it's usually Asian people winning international competitions) -- you can look at the costs of entry for PC-based eSports, you can look at traditional marketing definitions of the "gaming" demographic, online gaming communities and conversations as largely white-dominated, etc.
Really, though, I think the best observation on this topic came from Seth Killian: Modern-day fighting games communities were predominantly built by men of color, so of course we'd build things that attract people like us. When you build something from a place of privilege, your blind spots are typically reflected in your output.
So, insofar as most traditional eSports orgs are run by white people, that's probably what they're mostly going to end up attracting, intentionally or not.
Really, though, I think the best observation on this topic came from Seth Killian: Modern-day fighting games communities were predominantly built by men of color, so of course we'd build things that attract people like us. When you build something from a place of privilege, your blind spots are typically reflected in your output.
So, insofar as most traditional eSports orgs are run by white people, that's probably what they're mostly going to end up attracting, intentionally or not.
Wat is your favorite hentai?
Can't say I have watched enough to have a favorite, but I will admit that I binge-watched School Days in 2008 and oh my god did I feel disturbed for a few days after.
What's your elevator pitch for getting people to pick up and get good at CvS2?
If they're new to fighting games in general, I wouldn't recommend it, actually.
If they're veteran fighting game players, my elevator pitch is "It's the best god damn fighting game ever."
Its virtue as a fighting game, for me, comes from three major things:
-Execution is HARD. I've played a lot of the game and my execution is pretty booty, just because the game is SO demanding to consistently execute ideal combos. So you have to design a team with your physical limitations in mind and then find a way to win against people who execute better and have more dangerous options (A-groove kill combos, RCs, consistent 1f links). It's hard, but not impossible, and really rewarding to do right. This tension is present in any fighting game, but SF4/UMVC3 definitely don't get nearly as crazy on execution barriers or execution-related options like CVS2 does.
-Footsies are really, really important, and it's a different kind of footsies than, say, 3s/SF4 footsies. You need to be able to punish rolls/jumps and really use positioning to push your opponent into the corner to shut down their options in a way that isn't quite so pronounced in newer SF games. I like to joke that 3s players went into SF4 with a really good idea of how to play the knockdown pressure game ("Oki Fighter 4"), and CVS2 players went into SF4 with a really good idea of how to play Blanka and Vega (which, sadly, did not help so much).
-There are a lot more variables you have to read in match momentum than there are in most other SF games. Thanks to the KOF-style team format, health regen and time management are much bigger factors than they are in SF4 -- in SF4, winning a round with 10% left has the same effect as winning a round with 90%. Also, SNK grooves' temporary meters give them another momentum-shifting tool. It's really fun, fascinating stuff that other Capcom games don't do at all.
If they're veteran fighting game players, my elevator pitch is "It's the best god damn fighting game ever."
Its virtue as a fighting game, for me, comes from three major things:
-Execution is HARD. I've played a lot of the game and my execution is pretty booty, just because the game is SO demanding to consistently execute ideal combos. So you have to design a team with your physical limitations in mind and then find a way to win against people who execute better and have more dangerous options (A-groove kill combos, RCs, consistent 1f links). It's hard, but not impossible, and really rewarding to do right. This tension is present in any fighting game, but SF4/UMVC3 definitely don't get nearly as crazy on execution barriers or execution-related options like CVS2 does.
-Footsies are really, really important, and it's a different kind of footsies than, say, 3s/SF4 footsies. You need to be able to punish rolls/jumps and really use positioning to push your opponent into the corner to shut down their options in a way that isn't quite so pronounced in newer SF games. I like to joke that 3s players went into SF4 with a really good idea of how to play the knockdown pressure game ("Oki Fighter 4"), and CVS2 players went into SF4 with a really good idea of how to play Blanka and Vega (which, sadly, did not help so much).
-There are a lot more variables you have to read in match momentum than there are in most other SF games. Thanks to the KOF-style team format, health regen and time management are much bigger factors than they are in SF4 -- in SF4, winning a round with 10% left has the same effect as winning a round with 90%. Also, SNK grooves' temporary meters give them another momentum-shifting tool. It's really fun, fascinating stuff that other Capcom games don't do at all.
Do you like foot massages?
oh heck yeah! though i am kinda ticklish.
Next
