What Defines a "Pro" Player?

[Kagsacar]

After some time has gone by i realized somethings that are very important. One my initial post that started all this was stupid, and was really dodging a much bigger question, and what the answer to the question of a pro player really is. Now being only 17, you can interpret what i say however you like, but i don't think their is such a thing as a "pro" player, and their never was or will be. Now this may seem a bit weird considering most of our gamer culture is built around pro players and noobs, but the problem is what separates the pros from the noobs? Play time? Well if that were the case being pro would be much less of a big deal. I mean if all that separated you from being pro was some arbitrary number in the hours played box, their wouldn't be pro tournaments, and people would not strive to be pro. Technical skill? Well that is the traditional thought, but since people learn and perfect their play styles at different rates, as well as no play style being exactly the same, as well as their being no way to calculated someones technical skill that can't be it. "But Wait!" You are saying, "K/D, that is a pretty solid measure of technical skill" Well yea, but K/D does not provide context in which those kills were done, which can be important. So what does separate a pro from a noob? People. People decide who is a pro and who is not. Just like who celebrities are , we decide who gets the completely meaningless title of "pro". We see the guy who has gotten six consecutive head-shots against you a pro, while the guy who backstabbed that guy who shot you thinks he is a noob. Without other people being pro means nothing, and being a noob means nothing... actually without other people nothing means anything, so yea, the meaning to life is other people. Didn't think i would get the meaning of life from this thread but yea that is how it turned out. Again being 17 i could just be terribly wrong i don't know i am only 17.

[Fano]

"Fairly high" is being incredibly generous, IMO. TheVille is certainly a step above a valve server, but it's nothing to write home about considering how I never really see anyone even attempt to rocket jump (and when they do, they go straight up and don't accomplish anything).

I disagree. Considering I can't remember ever seeing you in a Ville server in the last year, your opinion doesn't hold much value. Also, having personally played comp CS for over 6 years, attending multiple international tournaments, competitive tf2 has never gotten near the level of competition that game WAS. And, it never will. Ultimately, being a pro gamer is overrated. To be the best you AND your entire team have to play way too much. Teams prepping for CPL(huge bi-annual tourny) would play atleast 6+ hours a day for 3-6 months before the tournament, that's what it means to be a pro. To have the desire, dedication, & discipline(and team), to play all day every day and to focus on ALL the small details that can possibly give you an edge over your opponent. Ultimately, this is a job that is more fun than most jobs, but takes up too much time and does not pay.

I play on TheVille very occasionally, not very much lately since I've been playing other games (and I've been busy with life stuff). When I do play TF2 I have to play somewhere else since TheVille servers are usually full. I am also a regular on SA's servers, as previously mentioned, which IMO have a much higher degree of skill than here and I know pretty much every one on there.

I'm not a CS player (though I'm starting to get into CS:GO and doing fairly well) nor did I ever compare the two games since they are pretty different and this discussion is about TF2 anyway.

[Pwnstar]

Seems like a heated conversation of skill and wits! lets prove this test of skill with a 1v1......FOR HATS!

[Larry]

Ooooooooo stuff got serious...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoudYNeV ... ata_player

[Earthworm James]

The games are different in some ways, but very alike. Skill between FPS games is easily transferable. It's the map knowledge & tricks of the trade that differ mostly.

Not anything heated going down here, just calling it how I see it(or what I am not seeing). Can't miss an opportunity to fly my nerd banner!

[Earthworm James]

Seems like a heated conversation of skill and wits! lets prove this test of skill with a 1v1......FOR HATS!

Fun idea. I've got a few hats I could do without!! And, I probably WOULD end up without them after a 1v1.

[Cat Square]

To play at a high level you need focus, a good sense of 3d space, fast reflexes, the ability to line up accurate shots quickly, map knowledge, the ability to predict the movement of your opposition, good movement/dodging, and lots of other things that build upon or are built upon these skills. If you can do these things better/faster/more accurately than your opposition and can keep cool/focused while doing so, then your skills are superior. What makes a pro is just a competitive degree of skill and the desire to test/showcase/capitalize on said skill amongst a group of peers. I've played with plenty of invite-level players that don't play in leagues for various reasons, I wouldn't call those players pros, but it doesn't really matter because "pro" is just a word. Skill speaks for itself.

[El_Hefe]

it's all in the wave!