A Deep Dive Into THUG Pro Sportsmanship

A Deep Dive Into THUG Pro Sportsmanship

Prerequisite

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2YtUcoyp34

Above is a clip I found today that perfectly resembles the state of THUG Pro in 2023. Without any shade thrown at this creator, I want to invest some time into breaking this clip down for those who don’t play the game.

In THUG Pro (a Tony Hawk game mod that allows for online play), players show off their skill in timed game modes, much like how they did online in the PS2 era. These game modes allow for combos to be completed, running the timer below 0 seconds as a way to give players a chance to finish the trick line they started.

This player is using the timer system as a way to perform a long combo that utilizes glitches to do insane maneuvers, all while players who aren’t in combos are sent to a spectating screen to watch said player.

In this write-up, I’ll be delving into the nature of this play style in regard to sportsmanship as a whole. Keep in mind that this video was the inspiration for this write-up but not solely. I don’t blame this player for playing this way.

First, What is Sportsmanship?

Let’s start with a definition:

sports·man·ship

/ˈspôrtsmənˌSHip/

noun: sportsmanship

fair and generous behavior or treatment of others, especially in a sports contest.

"he displayed great sportsmanship in defeat"

But let’s dig deeper:

Sportsmanship stems from fairness. We go into any social setting, sports or not, with a general sense of order. If I go onto a public basketball court and play with some random people, they’d be understandably upset if I were to pull a gun and demand they exit the game. Not only is this a safety hazard, but it is also not expected as a game tactic. Do I win if every other player evacuates the court? Yes. Did I win via fairness? No. No one expected me to bring a gun, and said gun isn’t a game piece that is explained in the rules or in the created meta that is casual outdoor basketball. Because of this, it would be an unfair win to overtake the game at gun point.

Another, less dramatic way we could break from sportsmanship in Basketball is by refusing to dribble the ball, running around the court without dropping the ball at all. 99% of players would have an issue with that, even if I were to explain that I disregard the rules in favor of my own understanding of Basketball and how it should be played. In this situation, I may be correct that I’m playing Basketball as I see fit, but my refusal to engage with the meta of the other players is itself unfair to them.
So what’s the point? What is sportsmanship? My answer: Sportsmanship is playing in the way that is intended by the game rules or the rules that the playgroup makes up. This also extends to using fairness as a way to balance out fun, but I won’t be getting into that aspect today.

Part One: Timer Shenanigans

Running Out the Clock

In THUG Pro, the game modes are timed. Surprise, surprise. The point of a timer in a game is to assess ability in a specific timeframe. In Trick Attack, you are put up against other players to see who does the best in a 2-minute window of time. The goal is not a high score, but a score that reflects skill within a timeframe. Attached to this is a choice from the game developer: If a player is mid-combo as the timer runs out, they are given extra time to complete the combo. This makes sense. Why stop someone as they are finishing up?

Tony Hawk games expect average tier players who would take a couple more seconds to land a combo. The game expects players to hit 50,000-200,000 points within 2 minutes as that is what is expected in the single player level goals. It is reasonable to assume the extra time window is to help land those large, ~25,000 point combos. 

And hey, this makes sense. We’re on the couch playing split screen, and I’m laying down a sick combo as the timer runs out. You watch for a couple extra seconds, and we aren’t breaking the philosophy of being on a timer as I finish up in around 2 minutes as intended.

Still Running

My issue with the timer is due to unintended results. When players find ways to gain millions upon millions of points, what should be expected of the timer? Is the timer still serving its purpose of allowing a couple extra points to squeak through? I don’t think so. 

As much as I love the concept of a timer that allows for finishing moves, the game philosophy breaks when the timer becomes something it is not. Now, to some, the game mode is a high score run with the inability to continue after landing once the timer is over. The game mode has changed in favor of the skilled.

Your Basketball is Now My Basketball

So now back to my Basketball analogy. If I enter the court with a different game in mind, that even breaks the philosophy of Basketball, but call it Basketball, am I being fair to the 99% of people who just want to play Basketball? Maybe I bring a soccer goal and decide to kick the Basketball around. At what point am I ignoring sportsmanship in order to pass something, that isn’t the game, off as the original game? 

When I enter the court, or the Time Attack game, and introduce an aspect that breaks the game into something unexpected, I am showing unsportsmanlike conduct given my reasoning.

In Conclusion (TLDR)

Going into a game with the intention of playing in a way that breaks game philosophy on the grounds of a technical win, despite knowing that the average player does not play this way, is unsportsmanlike. If I enter a timed game mode with full intention of negating the timed aspect, and therefore not engaging with the game as it is intended, in order to gain a technical win, I am being unsportsmanlike.

Part Two: Exploits and Glitching

Game of Slap Ass, Anyone?

Following the concept of allowing a game to exist as it originally meant to be, I’ll now get into exploiting. A glitch is a malfunction in how something is meant to be used. An exploit is utilizing a flaw to get ahead. Let’s walk back into the Basketball court, except now I’ve found a way to break the natural universe, allowing me to move at light speed around the court. Doing so isn’t a result of lone skill, but is a workaround that enables me to do something that would never be accomplished by those who simply worked at getting faster/better. I am sidelining fairness in order to win via exploiting.

WalliePlanting the Point

The best players in THUG Pro utilize multiple glitches that allow them to obtain tremendous height or hang time that not only allow for unachievable combo lines, but continue the momentum needed to run the timer out for as long as possible. This isn’t just for the style points. Strategies that revolve around exploits allow players to do what is unexpected, unintended, and logically following, unfair. There comes a certain point in which becoming the best of the best online means conforming to those who refuse to conform to the original game. Not only does this dodge sportsmanship as a whole, but creates a culture that turns its attention towards getting ahead by any means necessary.

In Conclusion (TLDR)

Cheating is cheating. Strange concept.

Part Three: Addressing Your Questions (Even Though You Never Asked)

Isn’t my ability to run the clock just skill?

It is skill. There’s no doubt about that. Skill isn’t a part of sportsmanship. The skill required in Time Attack is more about the density of high point tricks rather than combo stamina. Breaking game philosophy in a skilled way is still the issue at hand.

Can’t everyone just glitch and run the clock?

They could, but they can’t. The issue is that not everyone possess the skill needed to do so, and it isn’t expected of them by the game developers or by the general fan base. Just because you can do something unintended doesn’t mean everyone wants that from the general population.

How is it fair if everyone else is being unfair?

Here’s the fun part: If you have a play group with its own meta, you don’t need to conform to metas outside the playgroup. You can do whatever you want when those around you all agree to use the same tactics.

How do we know what is a glitch/exploit?

This is difficult. We don’t know what game developers intended unless they outright say so. We would need to use context clues. Here’s what we know in regard to THUG:
You aren’t meant to fly. Momentum isn’t supposed to be infinite. Air/hang time is meant to be minimal and gathered through objects that exist on the map. 

If I’m supposed to end my combo early, when do I?

I don’t know. I generally use the timer hitting zero as a hint that I should wrap up. It’s a yellow light rather than a red light. We all run yellow lights on occasion, but we use our judgment of safety to guide us on which lights to run. If I’m working on a combo as the timer hits zero, I use my last bit of time to shoot for a million points before I land.

How do we stop an unfair culture?

Say something. If half of the lobby told people to hurry their combo up when they are clearly on track towards winning or are 15+ seconds over time, change may happen. Personally, I’d rather share my reasoning, but to each their own.

Why should I care about sportsmanship?

Do you like competition being fair? Do you expect or request fairness from human interaction? Sportsmanship may be for you!

Are you just saying all this because you’re bad at THUG Pro?

I don’t think so. I average 1-2 million points per somewhat serious combo. I don’t utilize the glitches I know into combos and prefer basic old school lines of tricks over improv.