birdseye

[melvin]

I am not sure I buy that. Baha wants a for-fun 1v1 win vs Birds 99.99% as much as he wants a DCL win.

[Lee]

Yeah and thats a fair point. Whilst fun/tracker games could potentially be fought as hard as ladder matches, I agree its often the case that they aren't contested so fiercely. A different beast you might say.

However, I disagree that putting DCL in the title (playing a ladder/DCL match) guarantees the legitimacy of a contest. Theres been countless examples of bogus DCL matches where people have played tired, sick, drunk, blinded by rage, suffering from concussion and so on, yet they're still happy to report or approve if they're so lucky.

The Observatory tournament (granted its questionable whether its no stakes but you could argue either way) and LAN (as far as I'm aware sadly, as I've never been so correct me if I'm wrong) games are two examples of non-ladder matches that are fought hard despite not being DCL/ladder contests. I've lost to Cyrus plenty of times in tracker/fun games lately and he hasn't gone into these games half-assed on account of them being non-ladder matches. The MCL (having spoken to Melvin in the past) was arguably a collection of non-ladder matches that both players fought hard to win. As mentioned earlier, the Bahamut vs. Birdseye games from the other day, Birdseye vs. MD-1224 and Birdseye vs. Jediluke tracker/fun games, amongst others have also been fought hard (having watched most of these first-hand).

If you think carefully about what makes for a 1v1 and strip it right down to its core, you're left with two people trying to outscore one another. They put their skills to the test to see who would prevail in a game contested with a certain set of rules and stipulations agreed prior to the match. If you're serious about seeking out your next challenge and being able to compete with the best; then a tracker/fun game would be sufficient. As interesting as it is to look at the detailed collection of records and statistics on the DCL website, they are immaterial. Skill ratings, tiers, expectations, dominance, trophies, streaks, awards and honours are nice, but they pale into insignificance where raw competition is concerned.

The two players involved in a 1v1 are the most significant part of a contest. Their drive to compete hard and defeat their opponent is what really counts. If one or both players are serious about seeking out the next challenge and improving their skills, they wouldn't go half-assed on account of the game title. Neither would they write off a loss as just a tracker/fun game if they tried their best. Just because these games don't appear on the DCL website it doesn't mean they didn't happen. Ultimately, you get back what you put into them, this goes for your opponent too. If you go half-assed into a match then you're not going to gain from the experience.

So, are tracker/fun games a different beast to DCL/ladder matches? = Yes

Are most tracker/fun games fought casually in contrast to competitive ladder matches? = Yes

Do ladder matches guarantee a legitimate contest? = No

Can you have a legitimate contest in a tracker/fun match? = Yes

Is it essential for players to join a ladder to ensure games are contested at the optimum level? = No

Is it fair for DCL members to goad inactive/retired/non-DCL pilots into joining the ladder? = No

Can you only get back what you and your opponent put into your matches? = Yes

[Mark392]

All extremely valid points, Lee! =)

[Jediluke]

It's perfectly fair to goad a former #1 ladder pilot to join up and compete imo.

[bahamut]

[The@$$Man!]

Hehe! 100% with what lee had to say. Cheer/Kanpai!

[LotharBot]

There are players who give 100% every time they fly. There are others who reserve an extra gear and certain tactics for high-stakes (ladder/obs) matches.

There are players who won't exert any willpower in low-stakes matches and will just kinda derp around and look for engagements. There are others who will try to dominate their opponent and bend them to their will every time they play, in every circumstance.

There are some who'll play for-stakes matches when they're drunk, ill, or just having an awful day. There are others who will only play for-stakes matches when they're at their peak.

You'll never know for yourself which pilots have a high-powered "ladder" mode until you actually play them on the ladder.

[Sirius]

The Observatory varies. I definitely, as Lothar puts it, derp around in the qualifier stages - I know I'm going to qualify anyway, so I just try to do something fun to watch, even if it does apparently wind up in 40-minute Black Rose games more often than not. Finals are different - at least until the inevitable Jediluke home match - but that's after a few weeks to warm up.

I do think most people take it more seriously than I do though.

[bahamut]

I might actually have a 6 speed, I just don't know it yet