Class is in session.

French Fighting game player Kayane recently announced that would start a new project in Paris called “Kayane Academy”, where she would teach fundamental skills that could be applied most fighting games (and for free, no less). Her motive behind this admirable gesture is simple: bring in new players the competitive scene desperately needs. If Kayane is willing to teach new players in France, why can’t other players teach in the rest of the world and grow the fighting game community?

Some people will object that there are indeed players who are willing to teach others how to play fighting games. I do know there are teachers of some sort but not usually the type of teacher beginners need to learn. To get somebody from the FGC to teach you properly, you need to be extremely lucky or have some sort of connection to a player that’s willing to teach. The more common “teachers”, however, repeat meaningless advice such as “practice your combos and get experience” or spend five hours beating on a scrub. This does not help new players to learn key basics such as spacing, zoning, or the rock/paper/scissors formula. You can play for a decade and never learn those core skills unless you find some obscure forum post or be on very good terms with a skilled player that can guide you.

When I decided to go compete in fighting games I was pretty much on my own. I lived in an area where there are almost nobody decent, most of my time was dedicated to work, and on the few times I do get to go to where all the good players are, there wasn’t really anyone who was willing able to teach me basics. It took me years self-teaching and following vague advice just to get decent but not everyone has that much time to learn enough to get decent. Most new players get easily discouraged with when they lose game after game and get the scrub treatment when they ask for advice (some of the “elitism” Kayane was talking about). This type of behavior is stunting the growth of the scene.

In David Sirlin’s book Playing To Win, he talked about types of top players: the Slaughterer who exists just to defeat everyone in sight and the Teacher who take time to educate and guide new players. Back when Sirlin wrote the book less than a decade ago the Slaughterer was often frowned upon. But in today’s FGC, being a Slaughterer is not only the latest trend, it’s now a worse version of the Slaughterer: one that kills competition before they even get a chance to compete. If a top player tries to teach a new player anything, the Slaughters turn the Teacher into the villain, punishing that player for training new people.

Let that sink in. If you attempt to teach someone new and bring them into the community, you are considered the bad guy in the FGC. This is something that must end.

Those who want to actively teach new players, should go ahead and teach new players. The fighting game community needs players so the community can grow. Anyone who tries to stop you from teaching anyone new and then says the FGC can grow “on its own” is either delusional or just plain selfish. If you don’t feel comfortable teaching your more advanced “secrets”, just go through basics. But don’t hurl out some meaningless advice and call it teaching. Set up your academy and be a legitimate teacher.

We can’t keep complaining about the FGC’s lack of growth only do nothing to bring new players in. And putting up your “No Scrubs Allowed” sign will certainly not help the scene. The competitive scene for fighting games doesn’t have to be easier for new players, just more welcoming, and more willing to educate. Only then is when the FGC can grow to it’s proper size.