For anyone who might have missed them, longtime SRK community veteran Koop has begun writing an excellent series of tournament survival guides. He explains in great detail how to travel for major tournaments. To complement his efforts, this article will explain why traveling to major tournaments is worthwhile.
First of all, Evo is simply an awesome event for people who care about fighting games. It’s hard to describe the unique atmosphere inside that hall. There’s a constant buzz in the air, like sitting in the stands at a pivotal playoff game, surrounded by other equally passionate fans. There’s always something going on – whether it’s a marquee matchup played on the big screen, or news about a recent upset, or floating rumors about certain underrated characters wrecking shop. There’s always someone to talk to and always something to look forward to.
Setting aside the sheer experience of attending Evo, let’s look at the value of participating in a major tournament on that scale. Being surrounded by competitive players for an entire weekend will improve your game, guaranteed.
There’s no question about it – you’ll walk away a better player. Even focusing solely on preliminary matches within your own entry pool, you’ll see things you’ve never seen before and face opponents you’ve never fought before. Every single victory will build your confidence and every loss will teach you something the hard way.