This weekend, the eight best Echo Arena players from Europe and the United States compete for the main prize of the Challenge League in Katowice, Poland. This is the first time that a virtual reality game is part of the official ESL line-up. But is that fun to watch? And what do you have to pay attention to in order to get the most out of it?
eSport, like 'normal' sport, is of course especially fun when you know the game, or at least understands the rules. Whoever looks for a pot of Dota 2 or StarCraft without prior knowledge, does not understand what is going on. Since Echo Arena is still a relatively unknown game that can only be played with vr, We seemed a good idea to put together a viewer's guide in the run-up to the first big international tournament so that you could even be a 'non-vr-gamer' 'can enjoy this very interesting futuristic sport with pleasure.
Basic rules
The rules of the game are very simple. A game of Echo Arena takes place in a large virtual gym without gravity. However, there are large blocks here and there as obstacles and on both sides of the hall a goal can be found. Two teams enter the arena via launch tubes, which propel them with great speed. They move on with small rocket engines, or by moving away from walls and obstacles. There is a discus in the arena and the aim is to aim it at the opponent's goal. A goal from outside the 'bubble' scores three points and one up close (a 'dunk') two points. If the score is the same at the end of the game time, there will be an extension with sudden death. The first to score then wins.
These basic rules are therefore easy to understand. It is a mix between water polo, basketball and ultimate frisbee. But with robots and in vr. Honestly, it is not difficult. More points is better and things like that. But what matters in every sport is the beauty of the tactics and the many subtleties that make a sport more than just a game.
Leapfrog
It actually starts at the launch. The most common opening move is that the three team members enter the same launch tube. The front holds on to the catapult ring and the other two hang like a train. At the moment the ring goes forward, the first player turns off, after which the second player disposes of the first and the third of the second. The third player can thus build up an enormous speed and try to be the first to get to the discus. It hangs at the beginning of the game in the middle of the arena. A good launch is a matter of split-second timing and teamwork.
A variant of this standard launch is the 'leap frog' (leapfrog). This ensures even more speed, but is riskier and therefore often goes wrong. The launch initially runs exactly like the standard method. Again the third player has the highest speed. But now player one seizes the third player and moves away from the third player. This gives a huge speed boost.
If one of the teams scores, everyone automatically returns to the launch room. The discus then appears close to the goal of those against whom it has just scored. This team immediately has the discus, which of course gives them the advantage that they can attack immediately.
This offensive game is reminiscent of American Football, where the quarterback gets the ball and crosses it to another team member, who is trying to gain ground forwards. In Echo Arena it is now up to the attackers to get past the defenders so that they are free to catch the discus and score. For the defenders it is now the choice to go full on the attack and try to take the discus off for a counterattack, or to stay close to the target in order to intercept the attack at the last moment. Or of course a combination of both.
Islands
The offensive team can also opt for a slower build-up, with all three players replaying to put the opponent on the wrong foot. Because the game is played in zero-G, it is not easy to change direction quickly in free space. Here players can make grateful use of. Beginners often make the mistake of 'flying behind the disc' instead of estimating where opponents and discus will soon find themselves. Convenient use of the various floating islands, ensures that you can change direction and position even faster.
It is also of the utmost importance for both teams to make frequent use of physical attacks. As said, a player can hit an opponent against the virtual head to freeze it for two seconds. However, if the defending player blocks (by holding two fists in front of the face), it is the blow that goes knockout.
Furthermore, it is possible (and strongly recommended) to grab players from the opposing team. For example, to turn them on for a speed boost, but also to distract the other person if, for example, he defends the goal as goalkeeper. It is very common that an attacking player, who owns the discus and approaches the enemy goal, instructs his fellow players to knock the goalkeeper out. A tactic that you do not easily see in other sports.
The dream
By building the arena and the many islands it is not easy to throw the disc from a great distance into the goal. But it is possible. A very special action (and one that often has more to do with luck than skill) is when the attacking player discards the discus from their own half and lets them bounce around the central island via one of the walls, sometimes with an extra bounce from the backboard, straight into the goal. This is also called 'The Dream' among players. If it is possible to make such a risky shot at a crucial moment, for example a few seconds before the end of the game time, this is a legendary event.
The nice thing about Echo Arena is that it is a unique marriage of computer game and physical activity. Although it is of course impressive how a good StarCraft or Street Fighter player combines tactical decisions and split-second reflexes, this is more 'thinking about steroids'. The beauty of Echo Arena is that physical player skill plays a major role in success or failure. In plain English: you really have to be able to throw well and aim to be successful. There are no dolls that do the work for you.
Hopefully the championship in Katowice will show the action, excitement and elegance of Echo Arena beautifully. Because if there is one game that in theory, like 'normal sports', is visually very attractive to watch, it is this. On Saturday and Sunday you can follow the competition via livestreams. And hopefully, thanks to this short introduction, you can also enjoy more.
Thanks for reading.
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