Some real dumb newbie questions

Belegorm

New Member
Hello all, I have had this game for about a week and after being completely confused for pretty much this whole week and losing every match until today, I'm starting to figure this game out. But I still have some oddly specific questions, and no amount of internet searching has helped me here. While I'm not that good at them, the fighting games I have experience in are SF3, SF4 and KOF. I got curious about 3D fighters so tried playing VF5FS, really liked it, except... there's hardly anyone playing so thought I'd try DOA.
Some questions

This sounds dumb, but is there a "right" way to block? In 2D fighters it's of course holding back or down back so I'm pretty used to that, but in VF5 (which fundamentally controls fairly similar, if slower, than DOA), you've got the guard button (which is for me in the exact same spot as the hold button in DOA). I feel like using the hold button to block helps me avoid walking backwards if I don't want to so gives more control, but frequently I tend to hit a direction and so do an actual hold on accident, which of course whiffs. I read somewhere that changing sidestep to 3 buttons + up or down is the "right" way to do it, I tried it and it really helped. Is there a "right" way to block?

Maybe this is just me but... is online ranked a total crapshoot? I'm playing on PS3 with a good internet connection and while I either go for 3+ bars or 4+ bars, frequently I get laggy matches. Additionally it seems to take a long time to get into a match. And then when I do, about half the time it is a Kasumi player, and they kind of mash jabs all day, which isn't very fun or helpful to play against because all I end up doing is blocking the strings, then hitting them with lows which they don't block. Lobby matches seem to definitely be better, but if I search for a room usually there's several people in there, sometimes that's fun to watch people but I'd like to play for more than 1 game in a row (I'm new so in a winner stays room I get to play once every several matches). Also if I create a room with 2-3 slots it usually takes fooorrrrreeeevvvveeeerrrr to get someone to play.

I can't seem to make up my mind if I prefer playing Pai or Hitomi. Pai is fast, no one I play against seems to understand her moves at all (I don't either!), but she's a lot more technical and does little damage with pokes and short combos (which I as a new player tend to rely on for my damage). Hitomi is slower, simpler, far more damaging, but in some ways a one-trick pony. So far my strategy with her seems to be poking with lows, till they start blocking low then try mids for actual damage. My question is, any more explanation of Pai compared to Hitomi, which is more of a good beginner character, and what's the gameplan for each of them? Also, it's easy to find nice simple bnb combos for Hitomi, but nearly every Pai combo I've been able to find are kind of advanced and I'm still adjusting to the execution in 3D fighters.

Lastly, any recommendations for finding local DOA players to play offline? I have just recently started looking into the local fighting game scene, and from what I've found so far it seems to be 3S, USF4, KOF XIII, Tekken, and Smash. Any recommendations for finding helpful players to play online on PSN?

Sorry for the essay but I'm always wordy and wanted to get all of the questions I had about the game out of the way right at the start.
 

AsheMann21

Well-Known Member
Hi there! I'll try to help out however I can.
This sounds dumb, but is there a "right" way to block? In 2D fighters it's of course holding back or down back so I'm pretty used to that, but in VF5 (which fundamentally controls fairly similar, if slower, than DOA), you've got the guard button (which is for me in the exact same spot as the hold button in DOA). I feel like using the hold button to block helps me avoid walking backwards if I don't want to so gives more control, but frequently I tend to hit a direction and so do an actual hold on accident, which of course whiffs. I read somewhere that changing sidestep to 3 buttons + up or down is the "right" way to do it, I tried it and it really helped. Is there a "right" way to block?

You're given two options for blocking: 1) holding back just like 2D fighters and 2) holding the Hold button. Which one you choose is up to you. It's not really a matter of "right" or "wrong" but more towards your comfortability. If you're ok with using the Hold button, then by all means do so! Accidentally Holding is something that you must train yourself.

Maybe this is just me but... is online ranked a total crapshoot? I'm playing on PS3 with a good internet connection and while I either go for 3+ bars or 4+ bars, frequently I get laggy matches. Additionally it seems to take a long time to get into a match. And then when I do, about half the time it is a Kasumi player, and they kind of mash jabs all day, which isn't very fun or helpful to play against because all I end up doing is blocking the strings, then hitting them with lows which they don't block. Lobby matches seem to definitely be better, but if I search for a room usually there's several people in there, sometimes that's fun to watch people but I'd like to play for more than 1 game in a row (I'm new so in a winner stays room I get to play once every several matches). Also if I create a room with 2-3 slots it usually takes fooorrrrreeeevvvveeeerrrr to get someone to play.
Online gameplay is somewhat irksome in various aspects. Having a good internet does not guarantee a smooth session as the netcode for this game is pretty bad to say the least. Plus, you'll encounter all sorts of nonsense in rank. Your best bet for online play is to make a lobby and invite some friends.

As for your other questions, I'm afraid I can't really provide much help. I don't play neither Pai nor Hitomi, so I can't say much about that. What I can say is Hitomi is better than Pai as a beginner character. I suggest you should take your time to learn the basics of the game with Hitomi. Once you've gained enough experience and fundamentals, then you should be able to tackle more complex characters.

For your recommendations of offline, I'm sorry but I can't help in the part as well. Primarily because I'm not American and there is no offline scene where I live. Sorry!
 

lotr9690

Well-Known Member
Maybe this is just me but... is online ranked a total crapshoot? I'm playing on PS3 with a good internet connection and while I either go for 3+ bars or 4+ bars, frequently I get laggy matches. Additionally it seems to take a long time to get into a match. And then when I do, about half the time it is a Kasumi player, and they kind of mash jabs all day, which isn't very fun or helpful to play against because all I end up doing is blocking the strings, then hitting them with lows which they don't block. Lobby matches seem to definitely be better, but if I search for a room usually there's several people in there, sometimes that's fun to watch people but I'd like to play for more than 1 game in a row (I'm new so in a winner stays room I get to play once every several matches). Also if I create a room with 2-3 slots it usually takes fooorrrrreeeevvvveeeerrrr to get someone to play.

I can't seem to make up my mind if I prefer playing Pai or Hitomi. Pai is fast, no one I play against seems to understand her moves at all (I don't either!), but she's a lot more technical and does little damage with pokes and short combos (which I as a new player tend to rely on for my damage). Hitomi is slower, simpler, far more damaging, but in some ways a one-trick pony. So far my strategy with her seems to be poking with lows, till they start blocking low then try mids for actual damage. My question is, any more explanation of Pai compared to Hitomi, which is more of a good beginner character, and what's the gameplan for each of them? Also, it's easy to find nice simple bnb combos for Hitomi, but nearly every Pai combo I've been able to find are kind of advanced and I'm still adjusting to the execution in 3D fighters.

Lastly, any recommendations for finding local DOA players to play offline? I have just recently started looking into the local fighting game scene, and from what I've found so far it seems to be 3S, USF4, KOF XIII, Tekken, and Smash. Any recommendations for finding helpful players to play online on PSN?

Sorry for the essay but I'm always wordy and wanted to get all of the questions I had about the game out of the way right at the start.

Bolded = LOL! :)

I would wait until Last Round drops to try anymore Ranked matches because hooooopefully they will have improved the netcode for PS3 owners by then. All I can say is: You doing great. I would stick with whichever you are comfortable with and welcome to DOA haha! It's great having new members :)
 

Belegorm

New Member
Bolded = LOL! :)

I would wait until Last Round drops to try anymore Ranked matches because hooooopefully they will have improved the netcode for PS3 owners by then. All I can say is: You doing great. I would stick with whichever you are comfortable with and welcome to DOA haha! It's great having new members :)

Well I mean it usually takes like 10 minutes for someone to show up, probably due to either people not wanting to play against the same guy for a bunch of matches, or due to "oh mean this guy's rated F+ this guy's trash." I did get some decent matches in earlier against someone who seemed only slightly better than me; I think I had an edge over him in fundamentals (somehow some stuff carries over from 2D fighters), but he was someone who'd evidently spent some time in training mode as his combos were quite damaging.
Lots of the lobbies going on are "mics only!" and while I now have a way to plug my headset into my ps3 I avoid those like the plague because so far my experience with voice chat in this game is that I've heard the worst kind of shit you hear on the internet, the worst I've heard since playing counter-strike source.

As for last round I'll finally be able to migrate to my true home, the PC, but sadly no online play for 3 months. Could get it on PS4 but I have a PS3 stick.
 

Matt Ponton

Founder
Staff member
Administrator
Standard Donor
You can guard mid/high attacks by holding :4_: or holding :h:.
You can guard low by holding :h: and then pressing :2: will guard low. It takes 5 frames to duck but it will instantly guard low if a low comes and it will instantly duck a high.

Also if you aren't holding :h: then by holding :2_: while free stepping then you will instantly guard any low attack coming. This is often used by players on wake-up to free step to the foreground so they auto guard the low to punish it or react to the mid wake-up kick.

For the accidental holding you'll just have to practice to press :h: slightly before you push a direction. Accidental holds will happen (and sometimes it gets you lucky holds), but generally it's because there's a 1 frame buffer between the :h: press and the direction to be recognized as a hold. Also if you accidentally do it while in a deep stun.you may accidentally have a hold happen as a buffer from recovery of an attack. Some players use this to their advantage by buffering a low hold after performing a poke so that if they get counter hit they will immediately hold from a light stun to put them close to neutral on guard.
 

lotr9690

Well-Known Member
Well I mean it usually takes like 10 minutes for someone to show up, probably due to either people not wanting to play against the same guy for a bunch of matches, or due to "oh mean this guy's rated F+ this guy's trash." I did get some decent matches in earlier against someone who seemed only slightly better than me; I think I had an edge over him in fundamentals (somehow some stuff carries over from 2D fighters), but he was someone who'd evidently spent some time in training mode as his combos were quite damaging.
Lots of the lobbies going on are "mics only!" and while I now have a way to plug my headset into my ps3 I avoid those like the plague because so far my experience with voice chat in this game is that I've heard the worst kind of shit you hear on the internet, the worst I've heard since playing counter-strike source.

As for last round I'll finally be able to migrate to my true home, the PC, but sadly no online play for 3 months. Could get it on PS4 but I have a PS3 stick.
Same here. I don't mess with mics only. I'm getting it on both but that's because I have friends who play. I hardly ever do public matches. It's honestly more fun to play this game with people you know personally. I hate going online TBH. My friends, siblings and sibling's friends usually play this game in my living room or we go to the arcades and play it. I genuinely can't handle the environment in online games.
 

Belegorm

New Member
I feel like often when I lose it's to character gimmicks that seem super unsafe but I don't know how to counter them. For example, the most irritating one, when ryu falls out of the sky into a really damaging grab, how do I avoid, counter or punish this?
 

Matt Ponton

Founder
Staff member
Administrator
Standard Donor
I feel like often when I lose it's to character gimmicks that seem super unsafe but I don't know how to counter them. For example, the most irritating one, when ryu falls out of the sky into a really damaging grab, how do I avoid, counter or punish this?

Free step if he's doing it from mid to long range.
If he's up in your face it is a solid mixup but to avoid that specific option you have to be in crouch state (either by attacking with a crouch tech move, defensive holding low, or just ducking low). It's probably best to do the low defensive hold, but keep in mind you'll have 10 more frames of recovery if you're holding while in critical stun than if you're holding at neutral.

I recommend going into training with him as the opponent and record him doing that move so you can see what you can punish him with (typically a throw). Since it's an Offensive Hold attack he's doing, you'll get a Hi-counter Throw bonus even if you connect your active hit frame from your throw to his recovery frames of the OH.
 

tokiopewpew

Well-Known Member
Standard Donor
For example, the most irritating one, when ryu falls out of the sky into a really damaging grab, how do I avoid, counter or punish this?

Though posted in the Mila forum, given answers in this thread should help you:

http://www.freestepdodge.com/threads/against-ryus-spamming-teleports.5127/

Lastly, any recommendations for finding local DOA players to play offline? I have just recently started looking into the local fighting game scene, and from what I've found so far it seems to be 3S, USF4, KOF XIII, Tekken, and Smash. Any recommendations for finding helpful players to play online on PSN?

Depending on where you life, you could check out the player base map. You can find the link in the main navigation bar on the top of this page here, next to the "HOME" and "FORUMS" buttons.
 
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