ikodomo
Well-Known Member
In our 2nd half of our Holiday Season set of interviews, we come across a player who resides all the way from the UK. His name is XI C4I2L IX. As a highly credited player and organizer, XI C4I2L IX has been one of the pivotal figures in the UK scene as of late. With his attendance, he has helped establish a foundation for the UK circuit. The UK scene is starting to look brighter than ever before with him being part of the grandeur picture.
Name?
Carl
Gaming alias?
XI C4I2L IX
Country of Origin?
London, UK
Your name is eye catching. Very Cool Looking! How did you come up with the name, XI C4l2L IX?
I actually made it when I was like 16. Before I got my Xbox, I used to play Gears of War with a few people and everyone used to try and make their names look “cooler”. It was just the “Gears” way of writing “Carl” and I’ve just never changed it. Most of the time I just get people saying “Hey X I “ or “ Hey C four one “ (it’s actually an I,not a one) . One tournament organiser just started calling me “Roman Numerals” cos he couldn’t read it out lol. I’ve been thinking about changing it recently though.
Who are your main characters in DOA5LR?
People who never escape my rotation are Rig, Momiji, Lisa, Helena, Ayane and Tina, but I change it up pretty much every month. I had been experimenting with Honoka, Rachel, Zack, Mila , Marie and Leifang. I play a bit of everyone; it helps to keep things fresh and to understand matchups. But recently I’ve decided I need to focus it down more sometimes, when I start playing too many characters, my performance suffers. So for now I’ve abandoned all side projects and focused on Mila–for now - she’s really fun.
How long have you been playing DOA casually and competitively?
I’ve been playing casually offline since DOA2 with family. DOA4 was when I first started playing online and then DOA5 was when I first started attending events and tournaments.
If you were to describe your play style in 3 words; What would they be?
Hm can I do it in 4?… an “Adaptable yet Contemplated Mash” (lol). It depends on the player and my mood really. But I guess I’m more aggressive than defensive. If I’m having fun with people I know then the word “troll” should be thrown in there somewhere too
.
What's your typical routine when preparing for an upcoming tournament?
Usually I like to restrict it to about 2 or 3 characters a week or 2 before the tournament just so I can get comfortable and focus on specific setups with those characters. Other than that nothing in particular really. I usually go to tournaments just to see who’s there and meet new people. If I do win it’s a bonus. The tournament I organised was different. I was doing so much work organizing it that I didn’t really prepare as much as usual. I had casual matches online as per usual, but I didn’t really have a strategy… I was more focused on running the event (and perfecting my cosplay).
Do you have any players you spar with for an upcoming tournament?
Only the same people I usually play with online I guess. I do like to mix it up and play with different people to understand different characters, but I just kinda run with it. Usually HurricaneRev and I will have some pre-tournament matches if we have the time.
What are the tournaments you have attended? What were those results you had on those tournaments?
I’ve only ever attended smaller scale UK tournaments, but…
London Anime Con – 1st Place
Sakura Fight Festa – 1st Place
GameChanger – 2nd Place (Damn you, Gehaktbal! )
Any upcoming Tournaments you will be participating in the near future?
Someone said about a tournament in France in January. I’m thinking about it. I’d go if a group of us from the UK DOA scene went. I’m not sure I’d go all the way to France JUST to win / compete. I’d want to go with a group of us just to have fun and see the sights in France too. But I’m not as competitive as other players so I really just see how it goes and decide nearer the time.
Which version of DOA do you like and hate the most? Why?
Hmmm it’s a tough one. I liked them all for different reasons. I grew up with DOA2.
So many memorable quotes in that one...
I guess DOA3 was my worst one for no other reason than the fact I didn’t play it as much as the others.
DOA4 was great. I was a big Helena fan at the time and the story really got to me.(I didn’t play Christie for
ages after I saw what she did to Helena’s mum in the story lolol)
DOA5 is really good. It’s easy enough to get into that you can chill for a couple of hours and just play casually at home. I’m really looking forward to DOA6 , I just hope that it will have a clearer, more fluid story though…
Are there any things you would like to see changed, added or deleted in DOA such as character balances, more characters or stages?
I hope they don’t kill Lisa in DOA6. or give her the Kasumi treatment and turn her into some alpha type clone. She’s great as she is without a jelly mash. I also would like to see more taunts and win poses etc in the new game. I really like to see the characters’ personalities come out.
As far as balance changes go. A couple of months ago I would’ve just said “NERF CHRISTIE AND GEN FU”. But in the past year I’ve had to start acknowledging the faults that I make as a player too. Like “did I ACTUALLY counter that on time or am I just saying that?”
There's also a couple of players like JayceeChris (Ein) and Itr84100 (Eliot) who have really made me think about how we play characters. They use characters that are badmouthed consistently , yet I’ve seen them clear out lobbies with these “Low Tier Characters”.
I’m not for a second saying Christie and Gen Fu are as good as Ein and Eliot. Christie and Gen are a tad ridiculous and I actually suggested some balance changes to Team Ninja when DOA5LR first came out to make them more balanced (as well as other characters). I’ll probably still shout “NERF CHRISTIE AND GEN FU “ But at the same time when looking at character balances I really do think that we need to examine our own faults as well and spend a little more time playing those characters that don’t give you the easy win. That’s how we improve. Ultimately just play who you enjoy first and think about tiers later.
Any players you enjoy watching or would like to play against?
One day I’d love to play offline against some of the big US players. I’ve played some online and done reasonably well , so I’d like to see how well offline without occasional lag. I’ve always thought ElectrifiedMann was the best player around.. I played him once ages ago and he beat me straight in a Helena mirror. And when I was lost I was like “well even if I played you again I wouldn’t know what the hell i'm doing “. I’ve NEVER experienced that before. Even if I’ve lost against a good player, I’ve always been able to say – “oh ok I can see what I’m doing wrong” or “I know I could try this”. . But that day I just thought “Oh. Wow. Well, I guess I should go outside or something” LOL. This was a year or two years ago though so I’d love to see how I do against him now.
How is the UK scene? I heard about you and HurricaneRev. Can you tell us more about your scene and the players you have over there?
The UK scene is definitely growing with each tournament. It’s still very small but there’s a lot of cool people here. We’re all really chilled. No raging. No overkilling / taunting in tournaments (though when we’re playing with people we know in casuals then that doesn’t matter). It’s just a bunch of chilled people coming together to play DOA. We’re trying to do other stuff too (laser tag etc) so the franchise actually brought us together as a group. And yeah, Rev’s a really cool guy. I met him at a preview / promo event for DOA5 vanilla. Haven’t stopped beating him up since
Are there any ways you can think of improving your scene and its growth?
I think growth is just something that comes with regular offline and online events. It takes time but I’ve met someone new at every event so far so I’m hoping that trend will continue. I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank Koei Tecmo Europe (in particular Chin ) and Team Ninja (in particular Yasushi Tani) for supporting our recent events with prizes. Looking forward to seeing if we can do even more work with you!
Who are the players need to be aware of in the UK?
Hmmm it’s a tough one since there are so few UK players that come out to events. But I’d say HurricaneRev has a really solid Mila and is definitely worth watching out for. SeikenPaladin could also definitely become a threat to the scene.
Does the UK players have a specific style that is unique compared to the other European countries?
I think we can definitely be a bit more patient when necessary which is a bit of a double edged sword. We can definitely wait for the right moment but sometimes we’re too patient and it often blows up in our face. I’ve also noticed that we play to patterns a lot more than some of the more top competitive players and that’s something we all need to work on.
Do you have a personal tier list on DOA5LR?
Hmmmm it’s a tough one. I think Christie and Gen fu are the only two I have big problems with, depending on the player and who I pick myself. Then there are close seconds like alpha, zack,.. But once you get past the top 5 or so cheaper characters then it can get a bit convoluted and mostly depends on the matchup. I will say that there are obvious differences (e.g. Christie v Kokoro = lololololol) and that’s something that needs to be addressed in DOA6. I’m not even a street fighter fan, but I’ve seen the detail they’re going in to with SF5 and balances and I just hope that they do the same for DOA6.
If you were to pick one moment that defines you in DOA, what would that be and why?
It’s cheesy, but I don’t really have a single moment. I have loads with the people I play online and offline. Whether it’s the banter I have with someone like “Vollmis” taunting each other,, or secretly getting hyped if I beat Gehaktbal after hes beaten me like 3 times and shouting “YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS” to the party, then writing a cool “gg” in the lobby like it was nothing.
Any other games you play for fun or competitively?
Loaaadssssss. Cod, Gears, Halo, Mortal Kombat (Sometimes), Tekken, Soul Calibur, Super Smash Bros, Mario Kart, Mario Party (lol) . Really looking forward to Street Fighter 5 too. I play games a lot less these days though, as I’m thinking more and more about the charity projects that
I’m trying to run (that was the whole reason the “GameChanger” tournament I ran came about).
If you could create a DOA character from scratch for DOA6, How would you make that character?
Hmmm that is a tough one. If I had to pick a style… I’ve actually recently just started learning Wing Chun and I really like it so far. I’d love to see that implemented in DOA somehow.
In terms of personality I LOVE the cheeky characters so I’d need an element of that. It’d have to be someone like Tengu who's a massive troll, all the time. Like even when she’s charging her power blow the little laugh she does . Or Christie’s laugh when she wins (they need to make that into a taunt)… or even when Jacky wins and he’s like “that WASN’T your best shot” as if it’s a statement of fact. It just wasn’t xD. I’d need that sort of element in my character. It helps to keep them fun.
If you could give an advice for the aspiring competitive DOA player, what would you say?
1. Play the tutorial, combo challenges and command training before you ask anybody any questions. there’s so much information there. Don’t come online with your crap kasumi press ppppp or kkk and wonder why i roll my eyes when you say I’m cheating. Lol
2. (see number 1 because most people skip over it and expect to be the next EMann)
3. Learn the frame data. This is a step that most people don’t want to do because it takes so long. But it makes your DOA game INFINITELY better.
4. Learn the characters you struggle against. Play a character you hate for month or so to help you understand their possible options, strengths and weaknesses to help you understand what might be coming next.
5. Attend offline tournaments / events.
6. Watch tutorials on Youtube.
7. Watch high level players / competitive tournament streams on Youtube/Twitch.
Do you have a Twitter, Facebook or Youtube channel people can follow you on?
Twitter; @CarlFranciss
Any last messages?
Christie says it best
Shoutouts?
RubinRoon: One of the most chilled people I’ve ever met. A really cool guy and a better player than he gives himself credit for. A true friend.
Vollmis: Honestly the nicest person I’ve ever met on Xbox/PSN, and anyone who has spoken to her would probably agree. . She’s the whole reason I actually started to speak to people online (and not just jump in and out of lobbies without a mic). Love her (and her very broken / “very perfectly English”) to bits.
HurricaneRev: A worthy apprentice/punching bag and a great friend.
Miss Ella: One of the biggest bundles of positive energy I’ve ever come across. Also makes a great COD partner, and helps me to deal with Rev’s constant ability to die repeatedly
Xiuyinghong: Does everything he can to support the DOA scene and very intelligent. A great guy.
Z Canzer: Very understanding and ambitious. Also goes by the name “Blackie Chan”.
EternalDragon28 aka Spammy Bayman: A great guy that takes 100000000000000000 years to reply to anyones texts. Sort it out, Black Ops!
Omega Ayane: Shares my dark sense of humour and never fails to make me laugh. The Ayane to my Tengu
Croketta: One of the most warm hearted people I’ve ever met
DoatecBatesy: Douchebag
MistaPeach: Douchebag
SeikenPaladin: Douchebag that likes Marie Rose ‘s strawberry shortcake outfit a little too much…
Ultima Ivanov: A well-versed Christie Mash
Crazy Chin Guy: Meme Apprentice / Douchebag
Miyuuchen: KasumiDouche
Mujuryoku: Hayadoucha
Derek_Simmons: Douchebag
Gehaktbal: A great opponent… also a douchebag
The Rest of the UK DOA Scene: You guys are awesome! … douchebags
Anyone I’ve forgotten: This thing is long winded enough as it is. Sorry!
Name?
Carl
Gaming alias?
XI C4I2L IX
Country of Origin?
London, UK
Your name is eye catching. Very Cool Looking! How did you come up with the name, XI C4l2L IX?
I actually made it when I was like 16. Before I got my Xbox, I used to play Gears of War with a few people and everyone used to try and make their names look “cooler”. It was just the “Gears” way of writing “Carl” and I’ve just never changed it. Most of the time I just get people saying “Hey X I “ or “ Hey C four one “ (it’s actually an I,not a one) . One tournament organiser just started calling me “Roman Numerals” cos he couldn’t read it out lol. I’ve been thinking about changing it recently though.
Who are your main characters in DOA5LR?
People who never escape my rotation are Rig, Momiji, Lisa, Helena, Ayane and Tina, but I change it up pretty much every month. I had been experimenting with Honoka, Rachel, Zack, Mila , Marie and Leifang. I play a bit of everyone; it helps to keep things fresh and to understand matchups. But recently I’ve decided I need to focus it down more sometimes, when I start playing too many characters, my performance suffers. So for now I’ve abandoned all side projects and focused on Mila–for now - she’s really fun.
How long have you been playing DOA casually and competitively?
I’ve been playing casually offline since DOA2 with family. DOA4 was when I first started playing online and then DOA5 was when I first started attending events and tournaments.
If you were to describe your play style in 3 words; What would they be?
Hm can I do it in 4?… an “Adaptable yet Contemplated Mash” (lol). It depends on the player and my mood really. But I guess I’m more aggressive than defensive. If I’m having fun with people I know then the word “troll” should be thrown in there somewhere too
.What's your typical routine when preparing for an upcoming tournament?
Usually I like to restrict it to about 2 or 3 characters a week or 2 before the tournament just so I can get comfortable and focus on specific setups with those characters. Other than that nothing in particular really. I usually go to tournaments just to see who’s there and meet new people. If I do win it’s a bonus. The tournament I organised was different. I was doing so much work organizing it that I didn’t really prepare as much as usual. I had casual matches online as per usual, but I didn’t really have a strategy… I was more focused on running the event (and perfecting my cosplay).
Do you have any players you spar with for an upcoming tournament?
Only the same people I usually play with online I guess. I do like to mix it up and play with different people to understand different characters, but I just kinda run with it. Usually HurricaneRev and I will have some pre-tournament matches if we have the time.
What are the tournaments you have attended? What were those results you had on those tournaments?
I’ve only ever attended smaller scale UK tournaments, but…
London Anime Con – 1st Place
Sakura Fight Festa – 1st Place
GameChanger – 2nd Place (Damn you, Gehaktbal!
)Any upcoming Tournaments you will be participating in the near future?
Someone said about a tournament in France in January. I’m thinking about it. I’d go if a group of us from the UK DOA scene went. I’m not sure I’d go all the way to France JUST to win / compete. I’d want to go with a group of us just to have fun and see the sights in France too. But I’m not as competitive as other players so I really just see how it goes and decide nearer the time.
Which version of DOA do you like and hate the most? Why?
Hmmm it’s a tough one. I liked them all for different reasons. I grew up with DOA2.
So many memorable quotes in that one...
I guess DOA3 was my worst one for no other reason than the fact I didn’t play it as much as the others.
DOA4 was great. I was a big Helena fan at the time and the story really got to me.(I didn’t play Christie for
ages after I saw what she did to Helena’s mum in the story lolol)
DOA5 is really good. It’s easy enough to get into that you can chill for a couple of hours and just play casually at home. I’m really looking forward to DOA6 , I just hope that it will have a clearer, more fluid story though…
Are there any things you would like to see changed, added or deleted in DOA such as character balances, more characters or stages?
I hope they don’t kill Lisa in DOA6. or give her the Kasumi treatment and turn her into some alpha type clone. She’s great as she is without a jelly mash. I also would like to see more taunts and win poses etc in the new game. I really like to see the characters’ personalities come out.
As far as balance changes go. A couple of months ago I would’ve just said “NERF CHRISTIE AND GEN FU”. But in the past year I’ve had to start acknowledging the faults that I make as a player too. Like “did I ACTUALLY counter that on time or am I just saying that?”
There's also a couple of players like JayceeChris (Ein) and Itr84100 (Eliot) who have really made me think about how we play characters. They use characters that are badmouthed consistently , yet I’ve seen them clear out lobbies with these “Low Tier Characters”.
I’m not for a second saying Christie and Gen Fu are as good as Ein and Eliot. Christie and Gen are a tad ridiculous and I actually suggested some balance changes to Team Ninja when DOA5LR first came out to make them more balanced (as well as other characters). I’ll probably still shout “NERF CHRISTIE AND GEN FU “ But at the same time when looking at character balances I really do think that we need to examine our own faults as well and spend a little more time playing those characters that don’t give you the easy win. That’s how we improve. Ultimately just play who you enjoy first and think about tiers later.
Any players you enjoy watching or would like to play against?
One day I’d love to play offline against some of the big US players. I’ve played some online and done reasonably well , so I’d like to see how well offline without occasional lag. I’ve always thought ElectrifiedMann was the best player around.. I played him once ages ago and he beat me straight in a Helena mirror. And when I was lost I was like “well even if I played you again I wouldn’t know what the hell i'm doing “. I’ve NEVER experienced that before. Even if I’ve lost against a good player, I’ve always been able to say – “oh ok I can see what I’m doing wrong” or “I know I could try this”. . But that day I just thought “Oh. Wow. Well, I guess I should go outside or something” LOL. This was a year or two years ago though so I’d love to see how I do against him now.
How is the UK scene? I heard about you and HurricaneRev. Can you tell us more about your scene and the players you have over there?
The UK scene is definitely growing with each tournament. It’s still very small but there’s a lot of cool people here. We’re all really chilled. No raging. No overkilling / taunting in tournaments (though when we’re playing with people we know in casuals then that doesn’t matter). It’s just a bunch of chilled people coming together to play DOA. We’re trying to do other stuff too (laser tag etc) so the franchise actually brought us together as a group. And yeah, Rev’s a really cool guy. I met him at a preview / promo event for DOA5 vanilla. Haven’t stopped beating him up since
Are there any ways you can think of improving your scene and its growth?
I think growth is just something that comes with regular offline and online events. It takes time but I’ve met someone new at every event so far so I’m hoping that trend will continue. I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank Koei Tecmo Europe (in particular Chin ) and Team Ninja (in particular Yasushi Tani) for supporting our recent events with prizes. Looking forward to seeing if we can do even more work with you!
Who are the players need to be aware of in the UK?
Hmmm it’s a tough one since there are so few UK players that come out to events. But I’d say HurricaneRev has a really solid Mila and is definitely worth watching out for. SeikenPaladin could also definitely become a threat to the scene.
Does the UK players have a specific style that is unique compared to the other European countries?
I think we can definitely be a bit more patient when necessary which is a bit of a double edged sword. We can definitely wait for the right moment but sometimes we’re too patient and it often blows up in our face. I’ve also noticed that we play to patterns a lot more than some of the more top competitive players and that’s something we all need to work on.
Do you have a personal tier list on DOA5LR?
Hmmmm it’s a tough one. I think Christie and Gen fu are the only two I have big problems with, depending on the player and who I pick myself. Then there are close seconds like alpha, zack,.. But once you get past the top 5 or so cheaper characters then it can get a bit convoluted and mostly depends on the matchup. I will say that there are obvious differences (e.g. Christie v Kokoro = lololololol) and that’s something that needs to be addressed in DOA6. I’m not even a street fighter fan, but I’ve seen the detail they’re going in to with SF5 and balances and I just hope that they do the same for DOA6.
If you were to pick one moment that defines you in DOA, what would that be and why?
It’s cheesy, but I don’t really have a single moment. I have loads with the people I play online and offline. Whether it’s the banter I have with someone like “Vollmis” taunting each other,, or secretly getting hyped if I beat Gehaktbal after hes beaten me like 3 times and shouting “YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS” to the party, then writing a cool “gg” in the lobby like it was nothing.
Any other games you play for fun or competitively?
Loaaadssssss. Cod, Gears, Halo, Mortal Kombat (Sometimes), Tekken, Soul Calibur, Super Smash Bros, Mario Kart, Mario Party (lol) . Really looking forward to Street Fighter 5 too. I play games a lot less these days though, as I’m thinking more and more about the charity projects that
I’m trying to run (that was the whole reason the “GameChanger” tournament I ran came about).
If you could create a DOA character from scratch for DOA6, How would you make that character?
Hmmm that is a tough one. If I had to pick a style… I’ve actually recently just started learning Wing Chun and I really like it so far. I’d love to see that implemented in DOA somehow.
In terms of personality I LOVE the cheeky characters so I’d need an element of that. It’d have to be someone like Tengu who's a massive troll, all the time. Like even when she’s charging her power blow the little laugh she does . Or Christie’s laugh when she wins (they need to make that into a taunt)… or even when Jacky wins and he’s like “that WASN’T your best shot” as if it’s a statement of fact. It just wasn’t xD. I’d need that sort of element in my character. It helps to keep them fun.
If you could give an advice for the aspiring competitive DOA player, what would you say?
1. Play the tutorial, combo challenges and command training before you ask anybody any questions. there’s so much information there. Don’t come online with your crap kasumi press ppppp or kkk and wonder why i roll my eyes when you say I’m cheating. Lol
2. (see number 1 because most people skip over it and expect to be the next EMann)
3. Learn the frame data. This is a step that most people don’t want to do because it takes so long. But it makes your DOA game INFINITELY better.
4. Learn the characters you struggle against. Play a character you hate for month or so to help you understand their possible options, strengths and weaknesses to help you understand what might be coming next.
5. Attend offline tournaments / events.
6. Watch tutorials on Youtube.
7. Watch high level players / competitive tournament streams on Youtube/Twitch.
Do you have a Twitter, Facebook or Youtube channel people can follow you on?
Twitter; @CarlFranciss
Any last messages?
Christie says it best
Shoutouts?
RubinRoon: One of the most chilled people I’ve ever met. A really cool guy and a better player than he gives himself credit for. A true friend.
Vollmis: Honestly the nicest person I’ve ever met on Xbox/PSN, and anyone who has spoken to her would probably agree. . She’s the whole reason I actually started to speak to people online (and not just jump in and out of lobbies without a mic). Love her (and her very broken / “very perfectly English”) to bits.
HurricaneRev: A worthy apprentice/punching bag
and a great friend.Miss Ella: One of the biggest bundles of positive energy I’ve ever come across. Also makes a great COD partner, and helps me to deal with Rev’s constant ability to die repeatedly
Xiuyinghong: Does everything he can to support the DOA scene and very intelligent. A great guy.
Z Canzer: Very understanding and ambitious. Also goes by the name “Blackie Chan”.
EternalDragon28 aka Spammy Bayman: A great guy that takes 100000000000000000 years to reply to anyones texts. Sort it out, Black Ops!
Omega Ayane: Shares my dark sense of humour and never fails to make me laugh. The Ayane to my Tengu
Croketta: One of the most warm hearted people I’ve ever met
DoatecBatesy: Douchebag
MistaPeach: Douchebag
SeikenPaladin: Douchebag that likes Marie Rose ‘s strawberry shortcake outfit a little too much…
Ultima Ivanov: A well-versed Christie Mash
Crazy Chin Guy: Meme Apprentice / Douchebag
Miyuuchen: KasumiDouche
Mujuryoku: Hayadoucha
Derek_Simmons: Douchebag
Gehaktbal: A great opponent… also a douchebag
The Rest of the UK DOA Scene: You guys are awesome! … douchebags
Anyone I’ve forgotten: This thing is long winded enough as it is. Sorry!
Last edited:
