Tips for Competitive Sagas

[Deadpool]

Since I've made it to the finale of the last three Dante's Abyss's I've competed in, I 'd like to think that I've pretty experienced in competitive sagas. Below, I've come up with some tips that could be beneficial for saga rookies, or even for vets that wish to learn some new tools of the trade.

• Don't go into a saga with a narrow objective
  Obviously, as writers we feel compelled to generate a storyline to give our characters reasons to join events. And that's fine. The problem often stems from narrowing your storyline objective to the point where it's hard to carry it through an entire competition. In competitive sagas, situations change so rapidly that it can be difficult to correlate the 'then-and-now' to your ultimate goal. The best bet is to form a very broad or vague storyline--something simple that doesn't require to you to limit your writing freedom. 
  
  
• Friends are still rivals
  Just because you grouped up with a party of other Primes does not guarantee an easier ride through the saga. Usually, your work will be compared to your allies more closely than other participants. In elimination scenarios, out-performing a teammate can mean the difference between life and death. This does not mean you should betray your comrades, it just means you should constantly stay aware of how your writing stacks up against theirs.
  
  
• Writing Trumps Stats, but Strategy Trumps Writing
  While the quality of your writing will be the ultimate determiner of your success, sound tactics can greatly improve your chances of survival, even more so than writing prowess--you can't die in a fight you were too smart to get involved in. Trust your logic; if you're outnumbered, or know that you're the least skilled writer in a battle, don't be prideful, be smart. 
  
  
• Dictate your own pace
  What I mean by this is do not let the saga host continually progress you through the storyline. It's exasperating, and boring. Progress things yourself; make the host react to your actions, not the other way around.
  
  

(I will update this as I think of more good tips.)




Feel free to also ask for advice and such.

[Crocodile]

One and only tip I have for competitive sagas is thus: Don't trust anyone. Ever.

[Amaterasu]

I'm not all that experienced with sagas (by that I mean "next to completely inexperienced") but here's one thing I especially found to be true in DA 2016:

Don't always try to group with the characters that are close-minded to you, in the same faction etc. A diverse group with characters that have different goals and interests but who are forced to work together (for now) can make for really good writing material.

[Illidan Stormrage]

One and only tip I have for competitive sagas is thus: Don't trust anyone. Ever.

[Alex]

Don't always try to group with the characters that are close-minded to you, in the same faction etc. A diverse group with characters that have different goals and interests but who are forced to work together (for now) can make for really good writing material.

This x100000

[Mark]

Don't be afraid to try new things. If you're not interesting, you're dead.