Board 8 > Contest Stats and Discussion - Part 1302

(+) Yeah! (+)

KanzarisKelshen posted...

BlAcK TuRtLe posted...

KanzarisKelshen posted...

This match...

Honestly, I have no words for this. I can't even feel angry. I just feel like I've lost something very valuable because the contests are probably not for me anymore. I feel so, so disconnected from this Squall/Zelda result. I don't even know what to do with this. I'm just...numb. Has it ever happened to you guys before? Feeling like there isn't any reason to care for the contests anymore?

An out of nowhere upset that drastically changes the tiering of elite characters based solely on natural strength instead of bullshit rallies is what kills the contest for you? This is the best result of the contest so far!

And to all the Snake naysayers, remember that he is also in smash, meaning if anything he should have also boosted again.

Yes, because I feel completely unrepresented demographically, BT. That's kind of important to me.

I've been watching all my favourite characters lose in these things for years. Who cares? Doesn't change how I feel in the slightest.
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Guys just imagine how strong Link is right now

Does he put 66% on Cloud?

I think current Link gets like 55% on 2013 Draven.

60% if no DDoS.

70% if no DDoS or vote stuffing.

ZeldaTPLink posted...

Guys just imagine how strong Link is right now

Does he put 66% on Cloud?

Hell, he's gonna 69 Cloud.
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(the post above is like 70% joke)

ZeldaTPLink posted...

Does he put 66% on Cloud

If he makes it over 55% on Cloud then he has to be retired permanently and only be in a post-contest bonus poll with whoever wins that contest

He would genuinely be unstoppable without a rally
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I've been watching all my favourite characters lose in these things for years. Who cares? Doesn't change how I feel in the slightest.

Who are your favorite characters, out of curiosity?
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KanzarisKelshen posted...

This match...

Honestly, I have no words for this. I can't even feel angry. I just feel like I've lost something very valuable because the contests are probably not for me anymore. I feel so, so disconnected from this Squall/Zelda result. I don't even know what to do with this. I'm just...numb. Has it ever happened to you guys before? Feeling like there isn't any reason to care for the contests anymore?

Yeah.

Draven.
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snake_5036 posted...

ZeldaTPLink posted...

Does he put 66% on Cloud

If he makes it over 55% on Cloud then he has to be retired permanently and only be in a post-contest bonus poll with whoever wins that contest

He would genuinely be unstoppable without a rally

Considering Cloud may have weakened himself that is likely.

the only thing getting me down about the contest this year is the pathetic vote totals
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Yeah, maybe I come at this a bit differently since most of my favorite games and characters are like niche and would get wrecked by even fodder line entrants. I think you'd have to go fairly deep into a Top # list of my games/characters to find even a midcarder here.

See what happened to Estelle? She's probably one of the luckier cases for me!

So the contests are like their own little universe to me. In some cases (mostly Link) my enjoyment of them is entirely separate from their actual character and more because I just find his obscene dominance funny. Kind of like Alabama in College Football to use a real life analogue.
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The Owner of FF9 posted...

Lightning Strikes posted...

KanzarisKelshen posted...

WhiteLens posted...

Kanz is just sad that the waifus are beating the husbandos this time around.

And Auron, because SOMEONE has to win a match between 2 husbandos.

I voted for bayonetta, that's not really a problem

It's specifically Squall's match. It really kills my enjoyment because I always loved the fact my favorite FF protagonist was very strong even if he wasn't the strongest. It made me happy to know he could always make some noise (before getting fed to Snake, forever, because...I don't know why, really). But this hurts because it indicates a downward spiral that is not reversible. Characters are not like sports teams, they don't have down years followed by rebounds - they weaken and weaken and weaken unless a very good and respected new game comes out to make them strong. And that's not going to happen for Squall because Final Fantasy is not that kind of franchise, so I have no reasonable way of clinging to hope that things will get better. It's a very bitter pill, really. Even if Mario (my other big beloved character) got the most unreal boost ever out of mario odyssey and scored 48% on Link, it wouldn't compensate the fact I know Squall's super finished now.

KamikazePotato posted...

Undertale is probably the only contest I've ever been able to enjoy on a 'fan' level, simply because something I actually like won for once.

I liked Draven winning just because I was involved with it, but Undertale making something happen was a very happy moment for me because that game literally helped me fix a years-old broken friendship. I guess the other shoe had to drop sometime, maybe?

Of course FF characters get new games, as well as rereleases. Squall has had a ton of appearances since FFVIII and I think those keeping the games and the characters relevant is part of why they have stayed strong. Lately though, honestly, Square has been a wreck. That company is in an absolute state right now, the worst since 2001, and I think it has reflected on their characters here.

I agree, but wait, what happened in 2001? I feel like Square was going strong til FFXIII.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51nENSUpbQL.jpg
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KanzarisKelshen posted...

I've been watching all my favourite characters lose in these things for years. Who cares? Doesn't change how I feel in the slightest.

Who are your favorite characters, out of curiosity?

I'll bite. Some of my favorite characters and their most recent results are:

Solid Snake (Metal Gear Solid series) - Actually strong but always comes up short in the end
Francis York/Zach Morgan (Deadly Premonition) - Around 20% vs. Lugia
Shulk (Xenoblade) - 38% vs. Sub-Zero
Vyse (Skies of Arcadia: Legends) - Last result was getting obliterated by Squall or something
Velvet Crowe (Tales of Berseria) - 29% vs. Yoshi
Raiden (Metal Gear Solid series) - 27% vs. LFFd Link
The Nameless One (Planescape: Torment) - LOL
Phoenix Wright (Ace Attorney series) - 31% vs. Kirby
Kaine (Nier) - LOL
James Sunderland (Silent Hill 2) - 38% vs. Velvet

You think Squall losing badly one year since 2003 is bad? Get on my level of contest nihilism.
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Lightning Strikes posted...

https://goo.gl/images/THZqTw

You really think Spirits Within was the company's low point? Not having to completely remake their second (SECOND) MMO?
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Spirits Within was literally the low point of Square, seeing as how it pretty much killed the actual company.
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Xenosaga III making a GotD vote-in was basically my Super Bowl.

it got 4.53%, finished 11th of 12, including losses to world beaters like elite beat agents, ogre battle 64, and lost odyssey
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that is some very good taste in characters KP, just wanna say that

But yeah it's like...I actually really like a lot of those characters too, but I don't have great expectations for them. Like, Phoenix getting doubled by Kirby is fine to me because he's not a guy I expect to do a lot vs the puffball. If he'd gotten doubled by Ike, though, it would've really stung because there was no reason to think it could happen. I guess what I'm feeling here is like a bigger version of that - a lot of my contest enjoyment is predicated on trusting a couple of my faves to do well, but now it's basically just Mario who might be able to do something...and I have that lingering fear from Vivi's victory in 2013 to keep me worried until and unless he comes out and demolishes everybody. If Mario was suddenly beatable by Aeris it'd be really really hard to care about this stuff in any way, really.
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xp1337 posted...

Xenosaga III making a GotD vote-in was basically my Super Bowl.

it got 4.53%, finished 11th of 12, including losses to world beaters like elite beat agents, ogre battle 64, and lost odyssey

aww yeah my boy ogre battle 64 beat something
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I'm honestly a lot more upset about Zelda beating Squall this badly than Squall being beat. Like Donkey Kong obliterating him would be kinda funny

I'm at the point where Zelda series crap doing so damn well is much more irritating than all of my characters getting blown up
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KanzarisKelshen posted...

I've been watching all my favourite characters lose in these things for years. Who cares? Doesn't change how I feel in the slightest.

Who are your favorite characters, out of curiosity?

Mega Man, Zero, X has been getting screwed every year since he started in these brackets. Then you have the CT and FF6 crew that have been in a downward spiral for years.
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@LeonhartFour sorry I made a gif specifically calling you out and using a post saying Zelda isn't good in a clutch, I didn't think it would be this much of a slaughter and the "i'll wait" thing worked too well
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The Owner of FF9 posted...

Lightning Strikes posted...

https://goo.gl/images/THZqTw

You really think Spirits Within was the company's low point? Not having to completely remake their second (SECOND) MMO?

Hey, FF14 turned out pretty good after they redid it
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Lopen posted...

I'm honestly a lot more upset about Zelda beating Squall this badly than Squall being beat. Like Donkey Kong obliterating him would be kinda funny

I'm at the point where Zelda series crap doing so damn well is much more irritating than all of my characters getting blown up

same but pokemons

Though I guess if pokemon is on a downswing now besides pikachu I can live with that probably

BlAcK TuRtLe posted...

KanzarisKelshen posted...

I've been watching all my favourite characters lose in these things for years. Who cares? Doesn't change how I feel in the slightest.

Who are your favorite characters, out of curiosity?

Mega Man, Zero, X has been getting screwed every year since he started in these brackets. Then you have the CT and FF6 crew that have been in a downward spiral for years.

...Doesn't Megaman get a chance to run real deep in the legends bracket this year? Or am I imagining things right now
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https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/poll/955-east-division-round-1-solid-snake-vs-squall-leonhart
This is how Squall performed before KH1 released. With how bad KH has looked, there may be a good reason why FF decline is hurting Squall way more than most other FF characters.

(really hoping KH3 is good!)
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For as good as you felt about Undertale, I was sitting there scratching my head as to why it was beating every other game in the bracket which is better than it
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xp1337 posted...

Yeah, maybe I come at this a bit differently since most of my favorite games and characters are like niche and would get wrecked by even fodder line entrants. I think you'd have to go fairly deep into a Top # list of my games/characters to find even a midcarder here.

See what happened to Estelle? She's probably one of the luckier cases for me!

So the contests are like their own little universe to me. In some cases (mostly Link) my enjoyment of them is entirely separate from their actual character and more because I just find his obscene dominance funny. Kind of like Alabama in College Football to use a real life analogue.

I've never played a Metal Gear game but I think I'd vote Snake over a lot of things because of contest lore.

(And also because he looks cool af)

KanzarisKelshen posted...

same but pokemons

Pokemon was humbled this year so yeah. Hated it in 2013 though. No problem with just Pikachu being legit.
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I think Mario is gonna be fine.

I don't see him losing to Cloud or Snake anymore.
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So much for Bayonetta 60/40ing Geralt

Maybe I need to give Geralt (and Rosalina) some respect...

If everything holds I'll go 4/4 for the first time this round...
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AxemRedRanger posted...

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/poll/955-east-division-round-1-solid-snake-vs-squall-leonhart
This is how Squall performed before KH1 released. With how bad KH has looked, there may be a good reason why FF decline is hurting Squall way more than most other FF characters.

(really hoping KH3 is good!)

That's what I was thinking. All the guys that boosted hard with KH have looked bad, stands to reason it's related to Sora and Roku shitting the bed
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KanzarisKelshen posted...

Though I guess if pokemon is on a downswing now besides pikachu I can live with that probably

Nah pokemon is just on a lag between consoles.

Watch them get a real Switch game and we go back to 2013 levels imo.

I don't have great expectations for them either, but it still doesn't make it fun! Like during the Velvet match 90% of the topic posts were "generic female anime girl defeats generic dude man, of course" from people who have played neither of their games.

Doesn't just extend to characters, either. For me the last two games were nightmares in terms of the stuff I wanted to win or do well, actually winning or doing well.

Vivi>Mario is perhaps the only contest result ever for me where I was able to truly soak in the result as being this truly amazing experience (Vivi is like #11 on my list, just misses that Top 10).

It's stats or bust. Or just attach yourself to random entrants for fun. I'm rooting for Geralt here and I don't even like Geralt. I just want *something* from the west to do okay.
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pjbasis posted...

I think Mario is gonna be fine.

I don't see him losing to Cloud or Snake anymore.

Funny thing is that he never actually did.
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KamikazePotato posted...

Or just attach yourself to random entrants for fun. I'm rooting for Geralt here and I don't even like Geralt. I just want *something* from the west to do okay.

True story these contests are probably like 70% of the reason I like Master Chief so much because I want *something* from the west to do well

Also cause his trends are so damn lopsided his matches are a hoot. Even this year he still had em, somehow
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pjbasis posted...

I think Mario is gonna be fine.

I don't see him losing to Cloud or Snake anymore.

I hope so

but after 2013, I won't know for sure until I see him kick ass
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GAME FUEL year was the only time I've ever cared about Master Chief. Voted for him in like every match because it was just fun to see him randomly beasting over everything.
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Velvet is an excellent character, but it's all about managing expectations! People doubting her in R1 was always silly, IMO, so her putting up 60 was immensely satisfying.

Do I wish Yoshi didn't wipe her out that badly? Of course, but that was always going to be an ugly match.
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man you all talk about contest nihilism but have you tried being a Magus fan
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ZeldaTPLink posted...

Nah pokemon is just on a lag between consoles.

Watch them get a real Switch game and we go back to 2013 levels imo.

I feel like a true Pokemon game on the Switch (next year's game) could be a game changer for the series. It would be the first true mainline game that can be played on a big screen TV, something that people have been wanting for a very long time.

But for those who were never into handheld gaming to begin with, I don't see this game getting people on board with Pokemon now that it would appear on a console for the first time.
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I mean I expected Velvet to get obliterated, but that doesn't mean I LIKE Velvet seeing obliterated

If you don't particularly care about Nintendo characters and you're just here to see your favorites do well, than these contests mean nothing to you, especially this year
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Kinda sad Geralt is probably the strongest Western character now and he's struggling to beat a midcard
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Janus5k posted...

man you all talk about contest nihilism but have you tried being a Magus fan

magus has one of the most fascinating contest lores

every time you think it can't get crazier it does

that sandbag match man. dammit.
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Janus5k posted...

man you all talk about contest nihilism but have you tried being a Magus fan

No, because I'm not a masochist
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Honestly my contest nihilism comes from 2013 proving everything new would never hold up.
And in a way that predicted it would only get worse as votals decreased as we see now.

Maybe a smash deboost could happen in the coming years, but overall I don't see the relative character strengths changing much or at all. These contests are not worth running as often as they used to be.

My favorite era had to be the 2007-8 era. It really was able to reflect a good slice of hardcore + broader audience opinions.
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Just looked at these

...welp
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Another character I really like who is often put into situations where he can win: Dante
Another one: Tidus
Another one: Zidane
Another one: Ike, who still gets made fun of even when he wins

Vivi is the savior of GameFAQs Contests as far as I'm concerned
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Funny that this was thought to be a debatable match.
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pjbasis posted...

Honestly my contest nihilism comes from 2013 proving everything new would never hold up.
And in a way that predicted it would only get worse as votals decreased as we see now.

I think 2015 was a lot worse about that. New games looked like total garbage.
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New stuff has won the last two main contests in dominating fashion never before seen.
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Hard results to see for us Squall fans.