Posted ByArbiter on December 05, 2001 at 18:26:05:
In Reply to: Advice needed posted byBill Helfer on December 05, 2001 at 15:40:49:
: Hi all! When I first posted on this board back in August I never in a million years thought Id still be on here in December. You guys have really helped me focus on my game. Thanks!
And thanks to you for all your contributions! I, for one, appreciate having you around.
And now for the advice:
Playing "alternate" on an RPS team is in many ways harder than being part of the regular rotation. Even though you won't play as many rounds as other players, you can be sure you'll play a few and quite possibly one or two truly critical matches. Injury and illness often being in the eye, stomach, and sinuses of the beholded, team captains will often downcheck a player for excessive quantities of alcohol or other substances in the bloodstream (as evidenced by side effects). Revoltingly enough, the higher up you go in the team circuit, the more likely this type of scenario becomes. It's also not uncommon for a team captain to use the "alternate" as a substitute for a player who is simply not playing well. Concrete definitions of "illness" and "injury" are a rarity, so any excuse will do.
This puts you in the unenviable position of having to study not just one opponent at a time, but all of the opponents you will potentially face. It's not easy, and you shouldn't expect to play the game of your life. But it can be done. I myself have pulled my weight as an alternate in the team circuit a time or two. Here are a few things I found helpful:
1) Do your homework in advance. Your team has to post a roster; their team has to post a roster. Look up their players, get stats and histories, favorite gambits and endgames, and so forth. DON'T try to memorize all that information. You don't want your head cluttered with useless data. Instead, make index cards with the most important nuggets on each player and file them. By "important", I'm referring to the items that make the most critical and immediate impact on your personal strategy ÷ the things that mean the most to you.
2) It's mind-blowing to try and come up with a scissor-cut strategy for each opponent you may face. As a regular team member, you can plot those things out day to day, but you're playing with too many possibilities. Instead, develop and work on four or five basic plans for varying situations. For instance, develop a plan for aggressive rock/gambit opponents, one for Sicilian backtrackers, one for cloak-and-scissors players, etc. Practice those and hone them daily until the tournament starts (by that time, you'll have other things to do). On your index cards, mark which strategy you think will work best for each possible opponent, then the next, and so forth to the last. That way, when you step into the spotlight you can pick your strategy at a glance.
3) Use your down time. You won't be playing every round, so use that time to mill around and watch. But DON'T watch your teammates. Watch the matches between players of two other teams. You can get firsthand data on two potential opponents if you pick your observation matches well enough. Remember, you have too much to juggle to try and get too in depth on any one individual. Move about and try to see two or three face-offs per set.
4) Most importantly, DON'T PANIC! If you find yourself in a match that isn't going your way, just keep playing. Remember, you're a substitute. Your team captain can pull you out at any time if he or she doesn't like what's happening. Sometimes, though, captains don't put you in to win the match. He or she may be giving another player down time to rest and study up for a more important match coming up. It's not within the abilities of an alternate to prepare completely for each potential opponent, so you can't be expected to win every time. Your job is to be versatile, and the tips I've listed here should help you get there.
I hope that helps. Let me know how it goes!
Arbiter
Zone Captain, Media Brigade
"Scissors for scissors' sake."