Poppo
What is it about fighting games that stands out to you?
My favorite aspect about fighters is the conversation. These games get personal in a way I haven't experienced anywhere else. It always starts in a match, but the exchange of concepts and ideas between players can go as far as you're willing to take them afterwards. Those conversations have expanded my perspective, introduced me to many lifelong friends, and have kept me coming back for years.
What does THE FGC mean to you?
The community introduced me to a lot of people I likely would not have otherwise met. Many of my lifelong friends have come from this community. We celebrate our victories together and we are there for each other when we experience our biggest defeats. People often say the FGC is like a family to them and I feel the same way.
Even though we compete in a head to head format I'm constantly reminded that it's much easier and more fun to get into fighting games with other people than attempting to do it all on your own. This is why I decided to start a public discord called NorCal Strive. My goal was to not only help all of our local scene improve at the game but also to make it easier for the community to connect with each other. One year and 380 members later I can confidently say that we reached those goals.
If you'd like to join NorCal Strive, feel free to use this invite link. https://discord.com/TjPEha9XAB
What does being a competitor mean to you?
Someone who strives to constantly improve their skill set is my definition of an ideal competitor. It sounds simple enough but this often becomes incredibly tricky to achieve especially over a long period of time. At the beginning of a game's lifespan it's easier to find ways to get better. The deeper you get into them the more major effort you'll have to put in just to make a minor beneficial change to the way you play.
It includes honestly being able to judge your performance, accurately identifying what areas require the most work, creating game plans and strategies for how you can approach your biggest hurdles, and to not get discouraged or be too hard on yourself when you hit a plateau or aren't achieving the results you desire. It's challenging to balance all these factors but the satisfaction you get from reaching those major milestone is very rewarding in a unique way.
What do you think of the Full Combo Fights events so far?
The FCF event I attended was great for anyone interested in competitive gaming. Each tournament that was being ran had more than enough set ups to keep brackets running smoothly and allowed for tons of casual matches before and after. The organizers provided a live stream for the main event and the location had more than enough space to comfortably host everybody. I couldn't ask for more from an esports event.