"5 truths about videogame tournaments"

[Argentus]

You can always fight back. Your brain is capable of finding the answer to the situation.

No. I can't.

Doesn't matter what my brain can do if my character is caught in stuns/ hard knockdown/ juggles.

For example. Was trying against Awesmic other night again. First couple matches go okay. Then he stops going easy.

Wakeups? Nope, force tech prevents that.
Wakeuos when no force tech? Nope, Christie either goes right through any kicks, or her strings cause her to crouch, either way, my wakeuo just passes harmlessly through her.
Block and punish? Nope, Christie is too fast.
Grab? Nope, her stance makes it damn near impossible.
Hold? Nope, hi holds barely read as it is, and Christie throws out a billion in a matter of seconds.
Sidestep? Nope, she tracks.
Low/mid/high? Nope, her jabs crush them all.
This is all on top of the fact that if I'm ever hit, I get to just wait and watch my character flop around for about 5-10 seconds with me unable to do anything but hope hold in puts will read for once.

That's why after a certain point I just put the controller down. I remember against your bay man, I literally had no control of my character for all there rounds. Just stuck on the ground or in some kind of stun, completely locked out of my controls and unable to get up or do anything.

If I'm missing something fine, but as I see it....I literally can't do anything.

So......what exactly are you expecting my brain to think up there? I can't move or control my character or fight back or anything.

 

[Rikuto]

You're making excuses and coming up with situations in your head that don't exist in reality.

Every situation you just mentioned has a way around it.

My solution to killing Christie has always been to hold her, and read into her string patterns and look for an interrupt point. My hold damage is extremely high, her throw damage is extremely low. What the hell is she going to do about it?

Her attacking faster just means my holds are going to kill her faster. If the player has a habit of actually finishing strings, I will sometimes hold loss and block more, then start up a striking string-delay game to instigate some offensive holding situations instead. That's all there is to it for that matchup. For every fight, re-calibrate your thinking.

 

[Awesmic]

Wakeups? Nope, force tech prevents that.

Techroll as you're being knocked down.

Wakeups when no force tech? Nope, Christie either goes right through any kicks, or her strings cause her to crouch, either way, my wakeuo just passes harmlessly through her.

Try getting up without a wakeup kick in this situation, then use a low OH. You have one. It'll go through lows, especially if you're seeing a roll coming as you wake up.

Block and punish? Nope, Christie is too fast.

Christie's 214p (which is typically used to punished whiffed wakeup kicks) can not only be throw punished on reaction, it can also be sidestepped and punished with a strike. Also, the last two punches in her 6pppp string can also be throw punished. Lastly, her 9kk (which can be used to whiff punish low wakeup kicks) is also unsafe on block, and can be punished with a low throw on reaction.

Grab? Nope, her stance makes it damn near impossible.

It's difficult, but not impossible.

Hold? Nope, hi holds barely read as it is, and Christie throws out a billion in a matter of seconds.

You have something Christie doesn't have: Quick low-high strings and better lows. All you need now is to make better reads. This isn't something that can be taught though, only experienced by playing the opponent more often and diligently.

Sidestep? Nope, she tracks.

Again, you'll have to make better reads with her tracking moves, especially after getting caught in the wall throw.

Low/mid/high? Nope, her jabs crush them all.

Jabs, or pokes? It's best you know the difference between them. Jabs are your basic neutral punch, which is always a high. Pokes are attacks of any other height that are around 12 frames or less. If you read the jab string on reaction, one of your lows - particularly 1p - would've connected well before the third punch (a mid) hit you.

 

[Intelligent Alpha]

Rikuto is right though! Believe it or not, these people are quite helpful. They've been through what you have, so don't be so quick to ignore the advice given! Win or lose, you can and should always take away something whether it be positive or negative. This is how you get better. I've gotten my ass handed to me on many occasions, but as long as some kind of improvement is shown regardless of how big or small, that's a good thing! You lose alot before you start winning! That's not as bad as you think!

 

[Argentus]

Techroll as you're being knocked down.


Try getting up without a wakeup kick in this situation, then use a low OH. You have one. It'll go through lows, especially if you're seeing a roll coming as you wake up.


Christie's 214p (which is typically used to punished whiffed wakeup kicks) can not only be throw punished on reaction, it can also be sidestepped and punished with a strike. Also, the last two punches in her 6pppp string can also be throw punished. Lastly, her 9kk (which can be used to whiff punish low wakeup kicks) is also unsafe on block, and can be punished with a low throw on reaction.


It's difficult, but not impossible.


You have something Christie doesn't have: Quick low-high strings and better lows. All you need now is to make better reads. This isn't something that can be taught though, only experienced by playing the opponent more often and diligently.


Again, you'll have to make better reads with her tracking moves, especially after getting caught in the wall throw.


Jabs, or pokes? It's best you know the difference between them. Jabs are your basic neutral punch, which is always a high. Pokes are attacks of any other height that are around 12 frames or less. If you read the jab string on reaction, one of your lows - particularly 1p - would've connected well before the third punch (a mid) hit you.

Maybe its because we are online, but half of that is just plain nope.

If I get up without wakeups, you are still attacking anyway which beats out anything I can try. Its the same result.
If I tech roll, you are still attacking anyway which tracks and hits me during tech roll.

I can't punish your strings because with delays, by the time I've even stopped blocking, you are attacking again, so I don't have time to try to punish.

Me having lows doesn't matter when you hit me out of all of them anyway.

And I'm saying jabs in reference up all of her moves being quick pokes, which beat out all but a couple of my moves.

Again I am/did try those things but, at least online, they flat do not work for me. Which leaves me with...nothing I can do.


Like I said, I AM trying, but nothing is working so after a certain point my attention wanders elsewhere.

 

[BlankOctober]

I say FUCK SHIT UP with no remorse. The top players didn't get where they are by an "honor code". That shit is just a fabricated ruleset put forth by scrubs. That's it. Scrubs.

 

[Rikuto]

Coming out a little hot there, but yes.

 

[Artyom]

I went to a DOA tourny once a few years back. It was kind of cool to see some of the people I have played online with but other than that it was kind of eh. I'd have to be really passionate about a game to travel for that kind of stuff again. Lately I shoot more than anything so I guess I'd travel for that and Blizzcon is the only big thing for WoW and that only happens once a year with getting tickets being pretty impossible. Also, Arge, it seems more like you're describing that you play the game to have fun. Which there is nothing wrong with at all. That's what I do anymore. It's a social thing for me now.