and this guy writes like a darn poet, i'm both learning and having a blast at how he types

Losing is one of the most difficult things to deal with. A loss implies that you are wrong- your methods are wrong, your thinking is wrong. It suggests that- if I am wrong about this, what else am I wrong about? It can be a crippling, destabilizing event that damages your ego into disrepair.

But what about when you’re ready to change? What happens when you accept your loss for what it is, and you’re ready to begin to fight earnestly? You must throw away guilt and honor and social regard for others. As it turns out, the path to glory is only fit for the ruthless.


Do whatever it takes to win.

Spam your opponent mercilessly with the same move. Play dirty with ringouts, CE traps, and self-perpetuating okizeme situations. Disrespect your opponent to get him to lose his temper. Teabag, taunt, and overkill his corpse.

Anything goes. Honor does not have a meaning in this game.



Now listen carefully- I don’t mean you should log off now and start running naked in the streets.



Honor your opponent in real life, but not in the game.

Imagine being at a tournament. You sit down, plug your controller in. You look your opponent in the eye, you shake his hand. It’s good sportsmanship. Maybe you make some small talk before the match.

On that TV screen, you do the virtual equivalent of killing his parents, eating his children, and raping his wife. I’m talking total war, Genghis Khan, heads on stakes, streets run red. Guys with gas masks and flamethrowers. Burn everything. Flip open the glass cover and smack the big red button.

Scorched earth, nuclear winter, blackened sky, glass craters. Complete and utter annihilation.


In real life, you turn to him and say, “Good game”, and then shake his hand. Maybe go and eat dinner together or hang out and chat afterwards.


In a strange way, fighting in a no-holds-barred, “dishonorable” fashion in the game

is honor.

Holding back your cheap and dirty (read- your strongest) tactics implies that you think less of your opponent, that you do not show him your true strength, all that you have when you are pushed to your limit and nothing else exists besides your desire to win.