RISE UP! Street Fighter V on PS4 and PC

[d3v]

I give up. @Mr. Wah, I don't know why you would think a video aimed at helping experienced players get better would be a good starting point for someone completely unfamiliar with the game. Ironically, Mike Ross was the second person to beat me online yesterday - my second match ever in Street Fighter. I didn't even know how to pick a different character yet because there isn't even a character select and you're left to figure it out. You're trying to teach me a second language when I don't have a first one. Can you see how that's not beginner friendly?

Character selection in ranked is VF style where you have to set your favorite character in the Battle Settings.

As for how to play, what we're trying to tell you is that each button "controls space". In other words there's a certain range and angle where each button that your character has works best. What you need to learn as a beginner is which button is best for what situation.

Three different strengths of punch and kick are actually a small guide to that.

• Light buttons (leftmost) - I want to try to get my opponent off me
• Medium buttons (middle) - I want to reach out and touch my opponent from afar
• Heavy buttons (rightmost) - I want to hit my opponent hard

Again, the goal is simply to figure out which buttons work best against your opponents buttons at which ranges.

You shouldn't approach the game like DOA/VF where you want to get close and try wailing on the punch button to get a string. Instead, it's more about getting in the proper range to use the proper buttons.

EDIT: Screw it, go watch Capcom's old tutorial VHS from the 1990's. It's sonewhat SF2 centric, but the concepts, especially the ones about timing, distance, and reaction still apply.

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0D35A227D967804D

 

[grap3fruitman]

So the person with the most space at the end wins? I thought it was the person with the most health because that's what the game told me.

EDIT: Screw it, go watch Capcom's old tutorial VHS from the 1990's. It's sonewhat SF2 centric, but the concepts, especially the ones about timing, distance, and reaction still apply. http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0D35A227D967804D

At 4:45 in the intro video, "these combos and strategies are for intermediate and advanced players." I am a brand new player, I have never played before, and I cannot stress this enough. I do not have your base knowledge on fighting games. People are not born with the inherit knowledge on how to play Street Fighter. Please stop making this assumption about me. How can I learn to read if I don't know the alphabet first?

 

[Argentus]

I give up. @Mr. Wah, I don't know why you would think a video aimed at helping experienced players get better would be a good starting point for someone completely unfamiliar with the game. Ironically, Mike Ross was the second person to beat me online yesterday - my second match ever in Street Fighter. I didn't even know how to pick a different character yet because there isn't even a character select and you're left to figure it out. You're trying to teach me a second language when I don't have a first one. Can you see how that's not beginner friendly?


I did play, then asked for advice and now we're having this conversation. Where's the tutorial for newbies then? That's what I want!

Well what else do you want to know? @Mr. Wah is going to explain meta game when it sounds like you still need fundamentals. But what are you having trouble with?

There's "hit them" and "first to zero health loses".

Spacing is literally just making sure they're not in your face to mash pokes to cancel to guaranteed supers.

I can link some of my old 3s matches to help explain things hut all Mr wah is saying is the basic stuff like "don't try a mid or heavy at point blank, a jab will beat it out", and vice versa like "don't try to jab at range". Control where you and your opponent are, like with Alex I try to keep them at mid range so keep knocking them back with heavies as they approach till they're frustrated and rush straight into my close range grapples.

 

[grap3fruitman]

But what are you having trouble with?

I have never played Street Fighter. I have zero experience. I don't know the first thing. I don't know how to make an attack appear on the screen. Where would I start?

Am I really asking too much? Was everyone but me born with the knowledge on how to play fighting games? Or all you all just trolling me at this point?

 

[Argentus]

I have never played Street Fighter. I have zero experience. I don't know the first thing. I don't know how to make an attack appear on the screen. Where do I start?

Am I really asking too much? Was everyone but me born with the knowledge on how to play fighting games? Or all you all just trolling me at this point?

Sounds more like you're just trolling at this point -_-. There's 6 attack buttons and you can't find a way to attack?

Okay for each button there's a few different versions. Standing, crouching, jumping, forward and back. Then if you press two buttons (light punch and light kick for example) you'll get secondary attacks like grabs or game specific functions like overheads and focus attacks.

Check the move list to see their specials and inputs for those. Which character are you using?

Double tap joystick to dash forward or back, hold back to block or down back to block low, sometimes if you press down up instead of just up you'll do a higher jump, etc etc

We already explained spacing, specials and cancels and how you string attacks together.


Keep in mind I haven't played V yet so I'm just telling you the ABSOLUTE basics from all past street fighters. Anything specific to SFV I can't help you with.


Here a some of my old vid if it helps to loom at at all.
@d3v this also shows what I was talking about with Alex. I'm no pro by any means but I am showing that he can go straight through most everything with his heavies and grapples including ex attacks, projectiles, dashes and supers.

Spoiler

 

[Argentus]

Sorry for multiple posts but wanted to show how another "beginner" does fights as well as further discuss Alex considering he's first dlc.

More of my old Alex fights. again not pro or even good but does illustrate what I was talking about priority with grapples.

Spoiler

 

[Argentus]

Last batch again sorry for multi post it only allows 5 media at a time

Spoiler

 

[d3v]

Sounds more like you're just trolling at this point -_-. There's 6 attack buttons and you can't find a way to attack?

Okay for each button there's a few different versions. Standing, crouching, jumping, forward and back. Then if you press two buttons (light punch and light kick for example) you'll get secondary attacks like grabs or game specific functions like overheads and focus attacks.

Check the move list to see their specials and inputs for those. Which character are you using?

Double tap joystick to dash forward or back, hold back to block or down back to block low, sometimes if you press down up instead of just up you'll do a higher jump, etc etc

We already explained spacing, specials and cancels and how you string attacks together.


Keep in mind I haven't played V yet so I'm just telling you the ABSOLUTE basics from all past street fighters. Anything specific to SFV I can't help you with.

Maybe he just wants to press buttons and see stuff/combos happen like you'd get in a 3D fighters like DOA/VF where you can hit PPP and have a string come out. That's not happening in SF and it's more important to learn poking and footsies.

As for Alex, compare with something like this from someone who's probably America's best Alex, ReNiC (going against probably the best Akuma in the US, 5 Star).

You can see how he uses EX much more. The only time you really see him going for grapples is once he has 5 Star in the corner. Any grab attempts are usually done off dashing in, which anyone who knows the match up will know how to stuff.

 

[Russian-chiropractic19]

i dont think thats going to be happening in SF5 that much. meter builds slower and can only store up to 3 sections. since you also cant just block low and throw tech at the same time anymore that's also going to make it harder to defend against the throws.

it ultimately depends on what properties they decide to give him. that said thank yall for the footage i look forward to playing him when he comes out. though i am rooting for Argentus grappler centric vision of him.

 

[Argentus]

Maybe he just wants to press buttons and see stuff/combos happen like you'd get in a 3D fighters like DOA/VF where you can hit PPP and have a string come out. That's not happening in SF and it's more important to learn poking and footsies.

As for Alex, compare with something like this from someone who's probably America's best Alex, ReNiC (going against probably the best Akuma in the US, 5 Star).

You can see how he uses EX much more. The only time you really see him going for grapples is once he has 5 Star in the corner. Any grab attempts are usually done off dashing in, which anyone who knows the match up will know how to stuff.

But the problem is that even in that first round, I saw so many openings to just annihilate the akuma with command grabs, but instead he waited to poke for ex attacks. Could've knee lifted akuma during jump ins, power bombed him during his landing attacks, DDT'd him during other attacks, headbutted him when landing, etc.

I think the big problem is that people are too scared to take supposed risks, even when there really isn't any. Like he's talking about how he is/should've gone for guaranteed damage, and I'm watching going dude you missed a ton of guaranteed damage, akumas literally walking into your open arms, your just neglecting to actually punish. He never uses the stomp, either, which is a great punish.

Out of curiosity did you actually watch all the vid I posted? You should. As I said I'm no top player but it does showcase how useful the grapple actually are and how they go through things

As for grape, I think he's expecting something ike marvel/Bb/gg/p4a where you can just mash and get high flying 39 hit combos.

 

[grap3fruitman]

As for grape, I think he's expecting something ike marvel/Bb/gg/p4a where you can just mash and get high flying 39 hit combos.

I'm not expecting anything because I don't have any frame of reference because I've never played any thing else before.

Sounds more like you're just trolling at this point -_-. There's 6 attack buttons and you can't find a way to attack? Okay for each button there's a few different versions. Standing, crouching, jumping, forward and back. Then if you press two buttons (light punch and light kick for example) you'll get secondary attacks like grabs or game specific functions like overheads and focus attacks.

Here's me trying to figure out how to do Bison's moves:

Check the move list to see their specials and inputs for those.

I couldn't figure out those hieroglyphics. Like one move said Z plus punch but it doesn't tell you which punch and my controller doesn't have a Z button. I remember the six-button Genesis controller did but I'm not sure how that works here. Again, I have never played a Street Fighter ever before. I've barely touched an arcade stick and I'm kind of pressing buttons and trying to see what comes out. You can see in the video how excited I get when I figure out his sliding thing finally. I used the shit out of that the next match but I couldn't figure out how to make it special like Ryu's red fireball or ultra like Ryu's huge finisher fireball. I know it has to do with the meters at the bottom but I'm not quite sure how they relate and I can't really get it with Ryu either so... yeah. There.

I literally, not figuratively, do not know how to play this game. Here's another video of a match of mine where I actually thought I did pretty okay. My mindset here is hit these buttons, you don't know what they do, and see which ones hit my opponent and I just do that over and over, mixing up the few moves I've figured out. I basically play DOA the same way but I know more moves and some properties.

Maybe he just wants to press buttons and see stuff/combos happen like you'd get in a 3D fighters like DOA/VF where you can hit PPP and have a string come out. That's not happening in SF and it's more important to learn poking and footsies.

What am I supposed to poke with if I'm not allowed to press a punch button? How do you do a footsies without pressing a kick button? I don't understand your world.

 

[Matt Ponton]

Grap3, it's going to take some self learning and experimentation to figure out what the buttons do honestly.

As for the hieroglyphics you mentioned about Bison's move list, the Yellow arrows mean "Hold down this direction for 2-ish seconds", similar in difference between and in DOA, but holding it down further.

In general with street fighter as well, if you have the buttons laid out like an arcade, then the buttons on the stock characters are useful for a frame of reference for the space they control. So if you push LP, MP, or HP you will generally attack with a high-ish hit, LP being the shortest range and HP being the longest range. LK, MK, and HK will generally attack lower than the LP, MP, or HP but have generally the same range.

As a tip, going "I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO TELL ME FROM THE BEGINNING!" isn't helpful for us to help you out. Saying "Here's where I'm stuck. I'm trying to do this one move and I don't understand what the screen is telling me in the command list. How do I perform this?" is more helpful as we can help you quicker and easier on a case by case basis instead of guessing at what you do and don't understand.

Also, if you are truly a beginner, ignore any of the bars at the bottom for now. Just focus on your and the life meters.

 

[grap3fruitman]

Grap3, it's going to take some self learning and experimentation to figure out what the buttons do honestly.

There is no where in the universe that explains how to perform the moves in this game? I think I should suggest it to the developers.

As for the hieroglyphics you mentioned about Bison's move list, the Yellow arrows mean "Hold down this direction for 2-ish seconds", similar in difference between and in DOA, but holding it down further.

Where do you see arrows on that screen? I see two minus signs, one yellow and one white. Why doesn't it tell you yellow means to hold it down for ___ seconds?

As a tip, going "I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO TELL ME FROM THE BEGINNING!" isn't helpful for us to help you out. Saying "Here's where I'm stuck. I'm trying to do this one move and I don't understand what the screen is telling me in the command list. How do I perform this?" is more helpful as we can help you quicker and easier on a case by case basis instead of guessing at what you do and don't understand.

I highlighted key words, in my posts and the ones I was quoting. I was attempting to use formatting to make those key words stand out because you clearly ignored them when they weren't bold and when they were, you misinterpreted them. I really can't win. I'm not expecting anyone here what to do or to hold my hand - all I asked was to be pointed towards a god damned guide for new players because I was almost certain that I could not be the first Street Fighter player in the world. Here's where I'm stuck (just a few quotes):

• "I don't understand why there are six buttons when the characters only have like two or three moves each and no strings whereas in DOA you have characters with 100+ strings. Where's that kind of info?"
• "I need Remedial Street Fighter but those videos are like Street Fighter 102 to me."
• "I'm a complete SF newbie and could really use a 101. Heck, I probably belong in Remedial Street Fighter to be honest."
• "See, I'm not at this level. I am new. Please understand. I can make a fireball come out (sometimes)"
• 'There's no "command training" because there aren't any strings you need to memorize.'-d3v
  "How are you supposed to learn how to perform a fireball then or any other move?"
• "where can I go to learn to play this game from scratch? I don't know how to ask more clearly."

Up until that point, I was quite calm and asking pretty politely. It's at that point that I started getting frustrated with everyone here mocking me. "This is as basic as it gets!" and shit like that. But no, I'm the jerk. For the record, I opted for bold because anything quoted is automatically italicized, which would negate anything I was trying to emphasize. Blame Xenforo.

 

[d3v]

I
I couldn't figure out those hieroglyphics. Like one move said Z plus punch but it doesn't tell you which punch and my controller doesn't have a Z button. I remember the six-button Genesis controller did but I'm not sure how that works here.

There is no "which punch" because every special move has versions for each punch button. There's also color coding for specific strengths which you can see in the button config.

Z motion is the "shoryuken/dragon punch" motion, which is forward, down, down+forward, or 623. It's a Z motion because, starting from neutral (centered), you do a Z motion on the stick or pad.

• "where can I go to learn to play this game from scratch? I don't know how to ask more clearly."

Go into training mode and look up the movelist.

The symbols you see show how you're supposed to move the joystick/dpad.

All the lines are actually arrows that point you towards the direction of the motion. The tip of the arrow is where you should end up.

In DOA terms, a quarter circle forward like Ken's Hadouken is done in the same motion as Christie's Dokuja-Hiten. Heck, FSD actually has the notation icon for it - .

General rule of thumb is that where the arrow point is is where your input should end up in.

But the problem is that even in that first round, I saw so many openings to just annihilate the akuma with command grabs, but instead he waited to poke for ex attacks. Could've knee lifted akuma during jump ins, power bombed him during his landing attacks, DDT'd him during other attacks, headbutted him when landing, etc.

I think the big problem is that people are too scared to take supposed risks, even when there really isn't any. Like he's talking about how he is/should've gone for guaranteed damage, and I'm watching going dude you missed a ton of guaranteed damage, akumas literally walking into your open arms, your just neglecting to actually punish. He never uses the stomp, either, which is a great punish.

I'm pretty sure ReNiC, again the top Alex player in the US, states why he's doing what he's doing in the video.

Alot of the stuff you're talking about is unsafe or easily reactable at high level.

Here's another match, this time with Japanes player KSK taking on a few other known Japanese players.

Again the same thing, SA2 and lots of poking into EX. The only time you see command throws are when he tick throws from jump in, or from a dash up that his opponents forget to punish.

 

[Matt Ponton]

"I don't understand why there are six buttons when the characters only have like two or three moves each and no strings whereas in DOA you have characters with 100+ strings. Where's that kind of info?"

There are three different types of punches and three different types of kicks. These make up the six buttons. These basically make up unique moves, and as I stated before, depending on what state you're in depends on how many moves you have in that given situation.

If you're standing, pressing any of the six attack buttons will give you a different "move" by default.
If you're crouching, pressing any of the six attack buttons will give you six other different "moves" by default.
If you're jumping, pressing any of the six attack buttons will give you six other different "moves" by default.
Jumping forward or backward, depending on the character, can also each add an additional six other "moves" by default.

Then you have special moves which require at least one of the six buttons to be used in combination with a directional command, which the number varies by character.

Then you have some "moves" that only can be done if the buttons are entered in a "string" like DOA, these are called "Target Combos" and are also character specific.

The six different buttons are read on the command list screen based off color code along with one of the 3 letters L, M, or H. Blue is associated with L, Yellow with M, and Red for H. L stands for Light, M for Medium, and H for Heavy. If you see the color of the circle as Gray it means any of that button severity can be accepted. In most cases, the button severity you choose in attacks that display a gray icon of the attack in the command will alter the properties of the move. So you could have a "move" that has three sub unique move "variants".

The icon that shows a fist means to press a Punch button. The icon that shows a boot means to press a Kick button.

d3v already discussed the joystick input icons, but basically it's saying where on the "arcade stick" the joystick should be placed. These look like "minus" signs when saying to go left or right. You generally should follow the path of the line in relation to the arcade stick to perform the input.

• 'There's no "command training" because there aren't any strings you need to memorize.'-d3v
  "How are you supposed to learn how to perform a fireball then or any other move?"

There is a 'command training" of sorts in the release version of SF4. There will probably be a "command training" in the final release of SFV, but right now as it's in beta it's only relying on players who already know how to play SF. The command training is called "Trials" but doesn't go over every single attack, only key special moves and target combos.

 

[d3v]

Then you have some "moves" that only can be done if the buttons are entered in a "string" like DOA, these are called "Target Combos" and are also character specific.

One important distinction though is that unlike strings, target combos only come out on hit or block.

There is a 'command training" of sorts in the release version of SF4. There will probably be a "command training" in the final release of SFV, but right now as it's in beta it's only relying on players who already know how to play SF. The command training is called "Trials" but doesn't go over every single attack, only key special moves and target combos.

Some of the earlier stress tests also had a short bit of the game's tutorial mode, which should be in the final game.

 

[Argentus]

I'm pretty sure ReNiC, again the top Alex player in the US, states why he's doing what he's doing in the video.

Alot of the stuff you're talking about is unsafe or easily reactable at high level.

Here's another match, this time with Japanes player KSK taking on a few other known Japanese players.

Again the same thing, SA2 and lots of poking into EX. The only time you see command throws are when he tick throws from jump in, or from a dash up that his opponents forget to punish.

But they aren't react able when being used to punish. I'm not talking leading with them or dashing in for it like you are. I'm talking using them when the opponent is trying to attack, q situation where they CANT react to it.

Like yeah trying to knee lift an opponent just standing in front of you is stupid, you'll get shoryukend. But doing it on a jumping or otherwise airborne attacking opponent? That's smart.

Like in one of my vid, Alex knee lifted Hugo right out of his butt slam. In another, power bombing ken right out of his super animation. In another, headbutting ken out of his fireball to the point the fireball just passes through Alex harmlessly. You can command grab Q out of his lunging attacks, you can knee lift Chun out of her axe drop, you can DDT Hugo most of the time he's trying to do anythinf, you can knee lift Sean out of his wheel kick, you can powerbomb Yun out of his dash, etc etc.

And to boot threw no reason to use light versions so they're always HEAVY punishes that destroy the stun gauge.

See what I'm saying? The guy may be the top but he's still ignoring Alex' main strength in favor of bnb setups (which he's admittedly good at). He's just going the formulaic approach which isn't what grapplers are for. You use em right and they can function like Holds in DOA.

 

[grap3fruitman]

There is no "which punch" because every special move has versions for each punch button. There's also color coding for specific strengths which you can see in the button config.
Z motion is the "shoryuken/dragon punch" motion, which is forward, down, down+forward, or 623. It's a Z motion because, starting from neutral (centered), you do a Z motion on the stick or pad.

See, how would you have even known that was a motion? I see a button with the letter Z on it. I don't see how you're getting 623 from a Z though, shouldn't it be 7895123? And you say there's no "which punch" but the web movelist has a red icon but the in-game one is gray? So is that a clerical error on Capcom's part? They're kinda known for their typos. "PECIAL MOVES" on the page with Ken too.

The symbols you see show how you're supposed to move the joystick/dpad.

I know what the symbols are supposed to represent but is there a legend or guide somewhere explaining how to decipher the symbols? Why wouldn't they put that in the game or somewhere? I can't find a guide or video to go over this - and I've been to the newbie section on SRK and they all skip over all that because it's assumed you "just know."

All the lines are actually arrows that point you towards the direction of the motion. The tip of the arrow is where you should end up.
In DOA terms, a quarter circle forward like Ken's Hadouken is done in the same motion as Christie's Dokuja-Hiten. Heck, FSD actually has the notation icon for it - .
General rule of thumb is that where the arrow point is is where your input should end up in.

...I had to zoom in 5x before I could even see an arrow (how would you do it on the TV?) but now I'm really confused. So... I'm supposed to be holding down the hard punch then I do 852369 plus hard punch again or a regular punch? The more I look at the movelist, the more confusing it is. Above you said I don't need a specific punch but Wah says red means one of the hard buttons and it's inconsistent between the in-game manual and online one. Or did they change it so you could hold any punch between betas? Maybe the manual's old? I only tried beta 2.

If you're standing, pressing any of the six attack buttons will give you a different "move" by default.
If you're crouching, pressing any of the six attack buttons will give you six other different "moves" by default.
If you're jumping, pressing any of the six attack buttons will give you six other different "moves" by default.
Jumping forward or backward, depending on the character, can also each add an additional six other "moves" by default.

Why would they not include 24 moves on the movelist?! Don't you see how this kind of stuff just gives experienced players a completely one-sided advantage?


Look guys (and gals), please don't write out huge explanations for me. I'm not looking for hand-holding "give me the answer" stuff. I just wanted to know if there was a guide for new players because I couldn't find one and the game does a poor job of explaining how to play. It doesn't even try. There's a huge difference between a "beginner player" and a "beginner high-level player." Everything seems aimed at the latter, which is a shame and why fighting games will remain a niche.

Every other genre of game in the last 15 years comes with a campaign that includes a decent tutorial explaining its rules and how to play. I think DOA's training mode could use some improvement but it is lightyears ahead of other fighting games'. That's why it traditionally appealed more to casuals - the instruction was better, not the game being easier. People can perform brain surgery, given the proper instruction. I don't know why people think learning a fighting game is out of the question. Maybe I can record some beginner stuff this weekend during the beta if I can figure out a little more. It's kind of ridiculous that I'm the first person in the universe to think of this.

If the background of the Fist symbol is red/orange it means to press the Heavy Punch button. Sometimes its also denoted by having a square next to the Fist symbol colored in Red/Orange with an H on it.

Wait, then what does the button under the motion represent? The timing of the button press in regard to the motion?

 

[Matt Ponton]

The red circle with the arrow is always "red" in design to separate it from the black path arrow you're supposed to follow. The color doesn't matter on those, as long as you can tell the difference between the "Joystick playable area" and the "pathway of your notation".

If the background of the Fist symbol is red/orange it means to press the Heavy Punch button. Sometimes its also denoted by having a square next to the Fist symbol colored in Red/Orange with an H on it.

 

[Russian-chiropractic19]

Grape, coming from somebody who thought i was reading greek any time i went into a new game's notation you need to keep in mind this DOES make sense. they wouldn't have kept it around for so long if it didn't. you're just going to need to practice till you see why. its a bit difficult though at the moment so honestly i would advise you just not to bother, having to quickly scramble for limited hours of a non finished game isnt the best way too learn.

i can remember facepalming when i realized directional notation was literally just counting down from 9 or when i learned that Arksytem and Tekken's button presses were just the buttons on your controller slightly tilted.