Custom CC Games are way better than Ranked

[gidsonBrand]

I'm not sure why OP is getting such hate. While I personally don't care for custom matches, I think the effort by OP is positive.

A beginner-friendly custom match environment with people to guide the beginners would likely be a great first experience with small-scale PvP for them, rather than tossing them into ranked matches where they can just die twice and lose within 2 minutes, all while learning nothing at all.

Admittedly, that's still a very real possibility at both servers I linked. Rising Stars definitely is geared more towards higher end players looking to break into organized play, but if we see something like that happen at either discord we'll give advice on how to play. Much healthier than ranked which just expects you to figure it out.

[Aravell]

The issue, I believe, is that many of us are a little tired of the attitudes that elements of Discord bring to PvP. They have the power to do so much good, and maybe these custom matches might fall into that category. But when one witnesses the contempt many in this Discord "community" hold for players who are not part of their clique, conflict follows. When that is compounded by abusive vote-kicking, harassment of dissenters and stalking of their FC friends who do not even play PvP, and being followed and harassed on Discord servers devoted to different games, yeah, claws get sharpened.

I see your point, personally the only interaction I had with any PvP community was an extremely toxic one back during The Feast, but I'm not about to hold every PvP community accountable for it. I'd like to believe that some genuinely want to just have fun.

Admittedly, that's still a very real possibility at both servers I linked. Rising Stars definitely is geared more towards higher end players looking to break into organized play, but if we see something like that happen at either discord we'll give advice on how to play. Much healthier than ranked which just expects you to figure it out.

I would say that as long as they learn something by the end of the match, it's probably worth it.

I notice that people dipping their toes into ranked for the first time just coast by relatively freely until about gold tier, then they get a harsh reality check where they start losing matches and have deaths from things they don't understand.

[Mawlzy]

I see your point, personally the only interaction I had with any PvP community was an extremely toxic one back during The Feast, but I'm not about to hold every PvP community accountable for it. I'd like to believe that some genuinely want to just have fun.

100%. I try to target my venom at the "community" directly responsible for my harassment.

[Valence]

Like Aravell I've never been especially attracted by scrims and LPs for the very reason of what is described with their gameplay in the OP. I do not find CC oneshots especially engaging, and it already can happen enough in crystal with randoms that I certainly do not wish to see more of this at split seconds all the time. I also feel that custom games are even more sensitive to class and comp meta, which I find frankly repelling if it's just to find the same variation of the same 5 or 6 jobs in both teams all the time because it's the best way to win. CCRC was a good example of this, and it happened in a time where balance was less rough than what it is at release like currently.

However as I said in another thread, I do wish you the best for your efforts and encourage people to join and try it out. Even myself I'm not completely sold on either side and perhaps it could make me less shit at the game. But I also understand the concerns about toxic circle jerks and malders because that's 99% of what i've seen at crystal level on certain discords, and 99.9% of the same crowd seen in old pvpaissa feast channels. I think a bit part of the pvp community really needs to clean its own bed because this is indeed, doing it a lot of harm, especially for all the nice players that try to make it less inbred.

[Loggos]

Funny enough, the PvP community has historically had less drama than the club scene or Ultimates.
Sure, there's teams blowing up due to differences in skill/mentality/results/etc. but generally we love the game enough to bounce back and shut up about it.

And while I respect anyone's wish to be anonymous or silent in VC, we have plenty of people who are mute. Just listening to a shotcaller in VC or adhering to a game plan is more than enough to earn respect and be part of the community!
There's a will and a way for everyone. On the whole, these communities are great and I encourage everyone to join them.

I didn’t mean to say communites/community events are inherently bad. My apologies if it came across that way. My intention was to respond to the sentiment “that it should be that way”.

I know communities can do much good and I respect you for the work you put into them. I know it takes a lot of effort and dedication and I have no doubt that the custom matches you host will make CC a good experience for people taking part (also, since this is the internet and tone often gets lost: I'm being sincere, this is not meant to be sarcasm). But I think it’s equally as fair if people don’t feel inclined to join a community. Imo it's just as "right" as joining one. I just want to push back a little on the idea of "xyz should be played like this".

(Also, you could argue if not being part of a community/discord gives you more peace of mind, which will lead to a better gaming experience and therefore most likely to a better performance on your part, then I think this might also lead to better games for "the broader pvp community", i.e. the people you get put on teams with by the matchmaking. I say that as somebody who is in a discord that I appreciate a lot but I definitely know the effects of "performance anxiety" that you just can't shake off, even when you are mute in a voice call, and that turns your gameplay into poop. As irrational as it may seem in some situations, sometimes you can't really turn that off. Some people do/feel better with complete anonymity or when flying solo.)

[gidsonBrand]

However as I said in another thread, I do wish you the best for your efforts and encourage people to join and try it out.
I think a bit part of the pvp community really needs to clean its own bed because this is indeed, doing it a lot of harm.

I appreciate the support! But we've already done the job of cleaning our own bed. Of the 10-something communities in, and the 30 teams I run tournaments for, half of them I'd like to have a beer with and the other half I can trust to be normal(ish). There's some catfighting and opinionated jerks for sure, but the majority of the community is great right now.

PvPaissa was a bit before my time, so I don't know what the gig with it is, but every event I've seen "modern" groups host has some good, chill vibes. It's worth being a part of it.

[gidsonBrand]

but I definitely know the effects of "performance anxiety" that you just can't shake off, even when you are mute in a voice call, and that turns your gameplay into poop. As irrational as it may seem in some situations, sometimes you can't really turn that off. Some people do/feel better with complete anonymity or when flying solo.)

I can definitely respect people who want anonymity or just want to solo queue, just didn't consider it but that's totally fine!

I think my message was more geared towards people who were too nervous to try rather than those who aren't interested. Like, as someone who is (I hope) competent at the game I still get performance anxiety, especially with my team. But I want to help people get over that anxiety if it's keeping them from getting the most out of the game. That's the purpose of Temari's customs anyway -- they're introductory games for those who want to play but avoid it due to a perceived lack of ability/knowledge.

Thanks for clearing the air though, I get what you were going for now!

[Atreus]

Where are you in the discussions of job balance? Of pressuring the devs to do better? Absolutely bloody nowhere.

You want respect? Work for the greater good. It's very simple.

You think the bulk of that happens in these FORUMS? HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA. The people who have been here a much longer time stopped wasting their breath on the [English] forums and have gone about it through other means. You talk about the broader community but this forum section represents an even smaller part of it.

That's fair. Like-minded griefers and padders, please follow Mr. Brand out the door.

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA

[Mawlzy]

You think the bulk of that happens in these FORUMS? HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA. The people who have been here a much longer time stopped wasting their breath on the [English] forums and have gone about it through other means. You talk about the broader community but this forum section represents an even smaller part of it.

And do those other means include prominent Discord servers using the power of their large memberships to lobby the devs? Or is there something so cunning and subtle going on that it is completely invisible?

[Bonoki]

I'm not sure why OP is getting such hate. While I personally don't care for custom matches, I think the effort by OP is positive.

I don’t know the OP or have experience with their community, but I want to offer some perspective on why promoting a community might face resistance. This isn’t about OP or their specific group—it’s a broader issue that some people have with communities.

There’s a perception among some players that communities can sometimes feel more like businesses disguised as social spaces. Instead of existing purely for the community, some groups have been known to use their platforms to promote themselves, often to grow into something bigger, like a Twitch brand or even a professional-level organization. Custom matches and events can sometimes feel like stepping stones for self-promotion, and while that’s not inherently bad, it can leave a sour taste for those who’ve seen it happen before.

The concern grows when these groups expand to the point where they influence how the game is played on a larger scale. For instance, if someone joins a community but doesn’t feel like they fit in, the group’s continued growth can still make it the dominant voice for a specific part of the game. Eventually, that influence might extend to solo play expectations, too—similar to how PF stratigies from certain Discords have become the unspoken expectation when playing in Party Finder.

For some, this kind of dominance feels stifling. They worry that as these groups grow, they’ll dictate the norms, strategies, or even culture of areas of the game that they’re most passionate about. It’s not about animosity towards the group or its members—it’s about a fear of losing autonomy in a space they deeply care about.

Again, this isn’t to say OP’s community is heading in this direction, but it’s worth understanding why some might approach these efforts with caution or skepticism. It’s rooted in experiences and concerns that are very real for many players.