Analysis: How to Find Out Who's the Best

[@CoreAGaming]

True story, Pablo jumped on my stick during a ranked match in USF4 and lvl 3 red focused my opponent killing him. Couldn't get mad.

[@PrimusSheck]

Then you would think Pablo could beat Guy.

[@grimmkiller2161]

Core-A Gaming dude I love your videos they're are so well made.

[@WindHashira]

Haha Nicesuu

[@Zhalfrin]

Pablo and Maximilian dood's dog Benny need to battle now, animals with leet fighting game skills

[@silverrain530]

Core-A Gaming My cat killed a lvl 9 cpu Ganondorf by tripping over my controller's C-stick.

[@MrCactuar13]

Invitationals should be reserved for big events, something purely for spectators to see a game at its highest level. However, the majority of tournaments ought to be open. Like you said, honoring the arcade-era romance of anyone with a couple of quarters in their pockets becoming a local star is one of the greatest appeals of fighting games specifically, and that legacy deserves to remain through time.

[@ScribeAwoken]

I'd also add that there's another use for invitationals, that also are aimed more at spectacle than on actual competition: stuff with a more casual atmosphere and a heavier focus on player interactions and silly side events than on actual competition. See HyperX's stuff where they had players from multiple games, or the Smash Summit and Smash 4 Boot Camp invitationals for Melee and Smash 4 respectively.

[@canadiangooseok7281]

I completely agree, I love the arcade idea of all you need to start your fighting game career is a quarter

[@louisng114]

2:23 How is having a cat in a tournament a problem?

[@CoinBox170]

The world just isn't ready to accept cats into pro gaming.

[@esmo9728]

louisng114 discrimination against felines

[@leonardowatch6997]

Yea, I thought that comment was really discriminatory and unnecessary. Not cool dude. Lost a lot of respect for him. I have two wonderful cats, and I'd hate for them to hear that kind of bigotry.

[@toadstar1004]

Speciesism.

[@TAKEYOURCREATINE]

#NotAllCats

[@TheLeetCasualGamer]

The fundamental problem with Palblo the cat is that he always sleeps on his opponent. Otherwise he could do very well in Street Fighter tournaments.

[@Free-4554]

If we are talking melee Jigglypuff, then sleeping on the opponent is the real strategy.

[@canadiangooseok7281]

He’s like bed man, he could be god if he stops sleeping

[@xthe_nojx5820]

Mad Respect to Punk for knowing Money and Prestige are not the same thing. Also, I surprised they didn't call it the Deadpool. I mean, it was right there.

[@sarthakverma1030]

xThe_noJx Copyright. Sucks, I know. I also realize that you may have known that and I killed a joke. I don't regret anything.

[@Nice_Boy_555]

Sarthak Verma we have the same pic

[@Free-4554]

It's kinda sad to see him get brutally harassed in the tournament he was destined to win.

[@Spades20XX]

Pablo for EVO 2018!

[@brunop.8745]

Pablo for EVO 2019

[@kamui1847]

yo let's go Pablo

[@baton3779]

Pablo for EVO 2020

[@zojaXII]

@@baton3779 yeah about that...

[@ShivaM-dc4xe]

@@zojaXII lmao his comment didnt age well

[@miguelmora3629]

I think we all slept on pablo.

[@ssjgoten202]

Stop what you're doing, Core A uploaded a video. I'm going to enjoy these 10 mins.

[@arcadehayabusu2295]

ssjgoten202 me too

[@internetexplorer9492]

Damn straight

[@sheercold26]

Lol same

[@dcode1000]

I got high before watching this

[@S1Roni]

Gerald is life, bro. Also, I think I played a ranked match against you the other day in SFV lol.

[@fernandofelix892]

Damn Evil Bill put me against Infiltration in pools at EVO this year.

[@CoinBox170]

RIP

[@anappleaday1889]

Damn son...But hey if anything, I'd much rather lose to a legend like Infiltration than some random player. I least you could say " *I played Infiltration at evo* ".

[@Switcheroo4542]

Did you win? :P

[@onslauhtphoenix3962]

Tocsin haha fuck evil bill

[@warangelcloud]

Did you learn anything? I mean it's not like you can't grow. Become the next EVO champ.

[@edi4360]

9:18 this moment just puts a smile on my face. Two people from completely different worlds enjoying the same thing.

[@icaro9554]

dude you're one of the best channels out there holy shit

[@elwachinmanda]

we all know Diego is the best.

[@poketto5853]

+Ranc Henash you're right, Diego Brando is the best version of Dio

[@omg241]

Diego Umejuarez is love.

[@Cunt143]

Brian Pokettofan Estrada you are unironically correct

[@matheusaragao7640]

Yeah man, in tournament, Diego sure is a Scary Monster

[@nelsonrodriguez2085]

Diego UmeJuarez is the best Río in Fighting Street history

[@chriskim1521]

i think there needs to be a balance of both. opens give a chance for fresh new blood to enter the scene while invitationals reward players for strong performances in past tourneys.

[@RyuGuitarFreak]

Chris Kim Agree. I enjoyed the hell out of eleague SFV. The different format was really interesting. I say the same for Red Bull Proving Grounds.

[@CoinBox170]

Pablo placed 3rd? That's better than most of my placings in tournaments! Teach me your ways, Pablo!

[@CoinBox170]

Also, open tournaments always. I'd never get into an invitational.

[@AmyLionheartArtistry]

I absolutely adore these Analysis videos. Your hard work never goes unnoticed. Very informative, I must say.

[@aramisia]

One of the reasons why I loved my experience in open tournament (especially the "open training" gattering the evening before the official tournament at DreamHack Montreal) is meeting people from around the world who share the same passion. I cannot play anymore coz my hands are ruined by artritis but it was so great just to hang out, chill and learn. I have been able to chat with some of the greatest players (that you interview a lot on your channel), and everybody was equal on that day. By chatting with everyone I got way more involved as a fan to follow their career and their match. It kind of democratize the whole industry. My teen nephew was with me and he's too young to have really played with sticks on arcade machines and usb ones are quite expensive so he doesn't own one. But on that day he met somebody who decided to teach him the basics, he borrowed somebody's stick and a huge bunch of top player gamers started to coach him just for the fun of it. (They all saw something in him I guess!) The next event is in autumn and he's already asking me to go with him but he wants to play next time!! I also remember the frenzy my friend showed when his opponnent was his idol!! Thing were going quickly, he didnt check the bracket he just sat at his machine and than the player he loves the most just sat next to him. He was both horrified coz he knew he had no chance but psyched to meet him at the same time! My friend's greatest moment of the tournament was when he won ONE round over him. I think he still talks about it coz he cannot believe it himself!! Also, one of the thing I loooooove about open tournaments is how it creates some kind of reality check for people who are bragging non-stop on how good they are even tho they only played against their buddies or NPC. Open tournament makes some people more humble!!! 😅 ***Even tho, I will admit that if I watch a tournament online I love the invitation formula so I guess I like them both in different context.

[@HalosydneICS]

This is a really good video, it gives a really good overview of how tournaments within the FGC work. Invitationals are both good and bad. They allow the best of the best to compete against eachother, and generally cut out the 'clutter' of random players at big tournaments. But the thing is, this also cuts out some of the hype. With an invitational, it's just a display of pure skill against pretty evenly matched people, generally without a crowd and there's a winner and they shake hands, and that's the invitational over. With a massive tournament like EVO, there's a huge crowd cheering on the competitors, which adds to the hype. Random players also add to the hype, because it creates bigger and more devastating upsets, which sucks as a competitor but it's healthy for the viewers and for the community. As a competitor myself, losing to a random unseeded wifi player feels terrible, but watching and rooting for the underdog in a tournament is so much fun, and adds to the experience as a whole. Which is something that Invitationals take away. It's just the best, not the randoms of mixed talent or the people who shake things up. So an invitational is the best display of skill, but an open tournament is the best display for the viewers. So a mix is good.

[@BebehCookieIcecream]

Love your videos! I never understood the bracket system until you, Core-A-Chan

[@millefune]

The bracket having Maikky vs Dr. Mike bracket was hilarious. Thank you, Gerald.

[@mrfreakmaster2256]

i am a simple man....i see robotech/macross i like

[@sammayes948]

I think the last example is a great setup. It makes the community more welcoming and diverse. And honestly for a passive player like me who sucks it's just fun to feel welcomed and play this fun game with similar minded folks.

[@Guruc13]

This is such a well made video. As someone with only a cursory knowledge of Melee from my friends, I now feel like I understand and appreciate tournaments so much better. Thank you so much Core-A, I hope to see more vids from you in the future!

[@GrandLufaine]

Gerald, I love your videos!!! They are highly informative, clear and concise, and very well edited! You're probably the only educational YT channel that I drop everything to see to a notification for!

[@rachelslur8729]

Love at first sight with the song at the beginning 0:01. Don't regret looking it up.

[@ricard1414]

Your videos are the best in gaming genre. I keep rewatching them 3 years after, please keep them coming!!! So talented

[@youllgetnoinfoaboutmytwitt5689]

Very nice video dude. Love the visual aids and editing!

[@Magcargo96]

What I love so much about these videos is that they are actual analysis'. Very few videos go so in depth and explain thoughts so well.

[@SlayaBEE]

Right off the bat w/ Kim Wu's theme. *I'M IN*

[@hotmealdotcomma]

I'm a fan of Dota2, so I really appreciate their tradition of splitting tournaments half invites/half placements from open qualifiers. This means the organizers essentially have to put on two tournaments, and the open tournament to determine who qualifies often times suffers in terms of quality. But, it allows well known teams to essentially act as "bosses" for the qualified teams.

[@JmBlast]

That picture with all the randoms and then Diago at the front really hit home 🤣🤣

[@odeclas1460]

the production value of your videos keeps getting better. amazing work, keep it up!

[@kirjian]

Is that Secret of Mana soundtrack? I highly respect you.

[@AliMohamed-fu5lc]

AND I RESPECT YOU FOR NOTICING IT AS WELL

[@Nintega2K]

uh, check the description

[@kirjian]

Nintega94 I mentioned it because it's not in the description.

[@CoreAGaming]

Sorry, fixed that.

[@danaisduhbom]

Goddamn. Tournament design is a fascinating topic.

[@enochexe1620]

My boy Gerald coming through with the right subject at the right time. Thank you for exploring and clarifying this topic in the midst of the whole Shine 2017 debacle. Keep up the good work man!

[@dunnaredside8460]

Duuuuude! This is top 3 best KZbin channels I've EVER stumbled upon. I'm definetely getting all those songs. The guitars on the 1st one sound brutal!

[@AbzAden]

Capcom needs to see this asap

[@AureliusWhite]

Core-A your videos are so well made it baffles me sometimes. Thanks for the content man!

[@sdro106]

One of my favorite channels on KZbin. Great editing and commentary I hope you keep up the videos

[@oiopquatro4846]

That s my favorite video of this channel. Inspired me to organize one tounament with my friends (:

[@w0lkensucher]

You captured the essence of tournaments pretty much in your video, keep up the great work!

[@theibox360]

Great video man. Being someone who manages small-scale sports tournaments (Table Tennis, Carrom..etc), this video helps me understand some things better as well explain the idea behind single elimination, seeding, brackets ..etc in the most fun way possible.. Keep up the great work!!

[@DancingSwagMachine]

Open tournaments expands the community

[@deanmartin163]

Dude all of your content is so damn top notch. I love how much work you put into every single video you upload

[@ShuusakuSama]

I am always so pleased to see a channel with high quality and meaningful content. Please keep up the good work.

[@DiegoDora]

I think that a mix of those makes sense. You could have some very branded exclusive events by invitation and then have this massive and crazy open tournaments - variety is key. While invitation only events would be more easy to market and espectacular, the open tournament allows new members of the fighting community to jump into fame by kicking some ass publicly and becoming the new "invitation only event type of player" Great video btw!

[@tolontolon5538]

i see perfectly normal to have a cat in a tournament... as a mater of fact we need more cats on tournaments XD

[@Switcheroo4542]

Cat-only tournament

[@KidKarolus]

In certain competitive sports (I am thinking informal fencing tournies here) there is a "Super Bracket" then the normal brackets. The super bracket consists of the elite players, who get to round robin, whereas the normal bracket is played before hand, and allows anyone to join and get a shot at the round robin tourney. In fencing, this is used so amateur fencers can fence against peers and have a good time, and "A ranked" or very skilled fencers can participate in the finals. I think a concept like this could work very well, where after a certain number of victories, a walk-in joins a bracket to enter the round robin stage (for arguments sake say 10 victories in a row). Now you have a group of brackets that have been seeded with more skilled player, who then compete for the chance to join the round robin. You could invite pros (say 10) and then have 25 slots open for grabs out of the brackets, the number of victories in the open tourney needed to join the closed brackets and finally the round robin can be decided so the desired number of competitors in the final rounds are met.

[@bbqseitan7106]

the music at the end is epic as fuuu. I really like both, as mostly a spectator I appreciate the two formats for different reasons

[@Jacckwaite]

Bro, you make the best content on youtube. I've never played or been interested in fighting games in my life and love this series. Thankyou.

[@yeetyafeet2503]

Love these sick videos!! Keep up the great work!

[@freshyeska9875]

Dude this is my favorite channel on KZbin for sure.

[@RekkabitesThirteen]

Always exciting to see a new video from this guy!

[@3dthegamefreak]

I swear, im glad i subbed a few months back. I look forward to these videos all the time 👌

[@NMGardening]

Please don't stop making videos. You've got a hell of a talent good sir.

[@talbotsolenberger4434]

I didn't understand from the title that this video was going to be about how to organize the play in tournaments, but now I know exactly what video to show someone when they're learning this stuff. Thanks!

[@beyondtherhetoric]

This wasn't what I expected based on the title, but I couldn't have enjoyed it any more than I did. Thanks so much for what you do!

[@fernando4659]

as always a well crafted video, nice job Core-A, was missing your videos

[@smcdonough1427]

Good video! I think both open tournament and invitational formats are good and exciting to watch. We should just keep using both. Also, Austin was so cute at the end lol he's such a nice guy

[@superarisu]

Some other positive factors in open tournaments: formal access to players you might not otherwise get to play (not even if you are otherwise a famous player); people clawing their way up through losers to win it all/reface the people who sent them there (Garireo).

[@vnbt3932]

These are my fav videos no lie. Please never stop :)

[@robotdude2206]

6:12 > Ayn Rando My friend, you just launched my sides into orbit.

[@startingoverpodcast]

Your stuff is great. I use your videos in coaching sessions for my table top team I run. Keep up the excellent work!

[@LotusKST]

Awesome vid brah, your content is solid and I finally understand how fighting game tournaments work. Keep it up!

[@Cesariono]

I like this video's conclusion. I saw a lot of people complaining about Tekken 7's recent change to remove the visibility of player names during matchup and originally, I too was against it, believing that the quality of the match is what matters most so people should be free to avoid matching up with someone they know to be a bad player (not necessarily bad in the sense of skill but also bad as a sportsman e.g. abusing a particular move or ragequitting) but I see now that the dynamism and chaos found in something more open has its own benefits. (Now that I've brought that up though, I can't help but see this entire video as damage control/PR for precisely that patch) What exactly is it that brings players back though? Consistent quality matches or the chaos and fun found in an unexpected, quality challenger? Maybe, now that fighting games have hit their current international level (aided greatly by the internet), they don't need to be open anymore? Maybe, now it's okay to apply quality control?

[@SketchCarellz]

These videos are so well put together. Nice job.

[@iiPerfectGamer]

I finished marathoning your analysis videos yesterday, woke up today to find a new analysis video, finished the video, pressed replay button.

[@henriklintrup6009]

I enjoy your videos so much. Thank you so, so much for making them! Hope for many more in the future

[@smashjigglypuffisnotfemale1130]

Another thing that would make a great point is the unpredictable factor of open brackets. The possibility that a hidden boss could emerge from pools or a top player drowning in them. Viewers love underdog stories and become interested in how historic it could actually be to the game's history. A prime example is Mang0 at Pound 3 where he went out for his first national tournament. He got knocked into first round losers of a 220+ man tournament and came back to win the whole thing while beating almost every single favorite to do it.

[@chickrepelant]

another great video CAG i like both! i love being able to participate, and i love that the PROS can choose to enter the big ones, or wait for the invitationals. 2017 is a beautiful time. now only if sf5 can fix their input lag / throw "mix-ups", i'll be happy.

[@gracechan3039]

Each of your videos is like a smal documentary film on fighting games. I love it.

[@justinho6692]

This how I view the tournament types Open= Scouting new players, Finding those who will become the best Invitational= Professionals playing the game

[@AirLancer]

It's basically the same thing in a lot of sports. Amateur level competition where people can hone their skills, but also where the really talented can make themselves known. Once they make a name for themselves, they get called up to the big leagues.

[@MangaMarjan]

Only difference, in the FGC Amateurs play against Professionals. It's so pointless. EVO is the world cup of fighting games, but only in Top 8

[@renatoramos8834]

@@MangaMarjan "amateurs" play against the best in open sports too.

[@spencerbatute10]

It’s rare to see videos so well done

[@branwagon]

Great content as always Gerald, I always look forward to your videos!

[@ichigoshinobia.k.alitshino9781]

That secret of Mana music switch brought back a nice nostalgia 💪🏿

[@crunkplaya6929]

My mind involuntarily shut off because I don't ever see myself having to organize a tournament on such a scale but I did watch it all the way through because I was so intrigued. Thanks for another great vid!

[@Mr0mart]

Very interesting input , and the part about seeding and why it is so important its educative for TOs.

[@reignandbongao9497]

The animation of the still pictures of the top players are hilarious.

[@bingustavo]

WHO IS DE BEST?

[@sashicoolcrew]

lop must stop I am de best NotATK

[@hemangchauhan2864]

Ace Attorney Investigations 2?

[@joshywashy3453]

lop must stop Clearly, I'm the best. You can tell because I don't need to put a single minute or even purchase the game to beat all of you scrubs.

[@bingustavo]

Mathew James okay

[@mrwri]

1. Set goals and methods of achieving them 2. Determine who achieved them

[@scandergarcia6989]

I like a variety of invitationals and open tournaments. Opens give room for new talent while the invitationals showcase the best of the best it's an amazing thing.

[@romajimamulo]

Why not do Swiss or something like ELO rankings for the purpose of the tournament? Then, after it's down to a reasonable number, then you could do a single or double elimination final

[@Neoxon619]

I'll be rooting for Pablo at EVO 2018. As for me, I personally prefer open tournaments due to the sheer amount of competition involved. Plus I like seeing the rise of new top players happen.

[@Suika_Ibuki_The_Drunk_Oni]

Why not both? We can have both an open tournament, and later, based on feedback, we can choose the best of the best for an invitational. Everybody wins!

[@Slappa-]

The way the FGC and eSports is slowly evolving in the US, I like watching both Invitationals and open tournaments. E-League was actually a lot of fun to watch each Friday leading up to the finals so I was very surprised at how much I enjoyed that type of competition for SFV and being able to see a variety of pro players play each other without having to hope they match up in the brackets at an open tournament.

[@yumyumeatemup]

Awesome, Awesome, AWESOME job with this Core-A. Really well edited and put together and gets at the heart of the matter as to the different types of tournaments as well as how each helps determine player skill. To answer your question at the end I argue both need to work in a symbiotic relationship with one helping sustain the other. Massive tourneys like EVO, CEO and Final Round help introduce us to players previously unknown and gives them a venue and a platform to make a name for themselves. Where would Punk, Snake Eyez, Justin Wong really be on a national level with out these things to help them garner our attention and admiration? Similarly over in Japan, even with one man elimination events, through sheer determination and force of will from grinding it out, the best players are able to stand out and rise above the rest to form an identity within their community. However I feel once you've established a field of talent that is well and far above the rest, its nice to do things like E-League and invite the best of the best to a high-stakes, rigorous fight. Giving players that have already managed to stand out among their respective communities the ability to play longer more thorough sets in a round robin format helps really do a lot to show who is truly hot and who is not. With both of these types of tournament formats working in tandem you can come to a much more complete and informed opinion on who is truly the best at a competition, instead of spazzing out and exclaiming the guy who won that one tournament that one time is the best because he had really cool hair and you like really cool hair and he won, so OBVIOUSLY he's the best.......................................... -_- Like TOO MANY people in the FGC LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE to do sadly. SMH

[@SilverStarGG]

what is the cool hair guy problem you refer to?

[@gamefreak7ae]

open tournaments are always fun to watch, and there's just something romantic about how anyone has a shot at being a champion when they enter. Leagues are nice for spectators and pros alike to find a more stable and consistent competitive atmosphere. I hope EVO never dies, but I think having too many open-style tournaments would quickly make the prestige of topping thousands of competitors lose its luster.

[@jamz8729]

another facet of competitive gaming i never considered and am now dwelling on all of the possibilities of a tournament bracket setup and applying them to sports n shit while visiting contemplation nation. sikkk vidd as usual

[@broceedwin]

Great video! Love the Kim Wu theme on the video, keep up the good work!!

[@MisteryPlayer13]

Great analysis guys. Keep up the great work

[@Winged_Snek]

Open tournaments are genuinely awesome. Maybe notmas prestigious, or "legitimate", but seeing a random nobodies show up and dominate is not only entertaining, but it gives up hope that we can succeed if we put in the effort to be as good as we can be.

[@kfk4441]

Another analysis video!! Yes!! Thank you Core-A Gaming :D

[@elim9054]

Was kind of expecting some explanation about stuff like ELO or local/global ranking panels, but still a good video as always. It looks like most people agree with this, but invitationals definitely should never be more common than open tournaments. They have their place and they're a cool idea from a spectator standpoint, but one of the best things about fighting games is that literally anyone with transportation, a controller, and the entry fee can enter a tournament.

[@guzel_games]

I feel like you could've touched slightly on a point based system. For example many trading cards implement this. During day 1 you play many matches (depending on how many players joined and the length per round), a win grants 3 points, a tie 1 to each, and a loss 0. Each round you play against someone who got the same score as you. To qualify for day 2 (most of the time top 32) you need to get a certain number of points. Afterwards you get seeded depending on how much you exceeded the limit. From then on it's double elimination. For example the barrier might be 24 Points, you could either qualify by winning 8 times and losing twice, or by winning 7 times and tying 3 times, both granting exactly 24 points. But let's say you win 8 times, tie once and lose once. You get 25 Points, meaning a higher seed compared to 24 points. I agree that double elimination might be the most practical for fighting games but flying out somewhere, paying and entry fee just to play 3-4 games always feels bad. When looking at a point based system you can often play at least 4-5 relevant games (depending on amount of points) and those will be rather close, since after 4 rounds of assessing your skill you are more likely to fight an equal opponent. This format is really practical for tcg's because you just need a desk and maybe dice per set-up, everything else is expected to be brought by the players or not necessary

[@supan00bFTW]

Aaahhh Gerald is back. My favorite content on KZbin

[@franker86]

I want weekly videos like this! I really learn new things with your content

[@Sepums]

These videos take too much work to be released weekly, quality over quantity!

[@gurkiratsingh8747]

I think we should have everything, so people can choose whatever, but as you said I think the idea of open tournament is Assam(a state in India). So my vote goes to open.

[@epitomeofcake132]

Open tournaments are why fighting games will always be more meaningful to me than other eSports. It just feels so much more, real I guess. So uncontrolled and chaotic, just the fact that anything can happen and these top players prove themselves over and over again is so awesome to me. I'd care about top players way less if the only test of their skill was against each other.

[@coffeebot7016]

Your videos are fucking A+ quality my dude. Keep it up, we all really appreciate them.

[@Lewdology]

Goddammit that shawshank clip gave me the biggest grin of the century. Thanks Gerald, you are awesome.

[@Kernaus_]

MTG player here, having both invitationals and open tourneys is definitely the optimal way of going about it, for example in MtG, you need to win at a local qualifications tournament in order to access a GP, top players in said GP are qualified Pro-Tour and the best Pro-Tour players may be granted access to invitationals Heavily summarized but that's pretty much the way it works

[@ThemSensay]

Cute cat man.