What's a smasher to do...

[cheesdog]

It seems to me like many of the people on here have someone to play against (or at least have the patients to tolerate WiFi). If that's true then I am jealous.

For those of you who don't, how do you improve/practice?

Personally, I have started exploring new characters, setting two 9s against me in a team match, trying to improve my free4all game, and occasionally trying to break my 600k+ allstar score.

I would love a chance to go up against some good people, but I have it on pretty good authority that there are slim pickins in my area. So there is no real way for me to tell how good I have gotten.

Anyone else facing similar competitive deprivation?

 

[superyoshi888]

If you want to get good, don't practice against level 9 CPUs. Just practice on level 1s. The 9s are not reliable, having inhuman reflexes and worse DI(or so I have read) than the level 1s.

Try just going one on one. The only time there will be four people at once in a tournament is for teams, so doing a FFA isn't gonna help you there.

 

[ndayday]

Yeah, only I actually have people I play every now and then, play on Wifi to learn matchups, and can't use the location john.

There really is no other way then to play people, sure you can practice spacing and the little tech skill Brawl requires, but there really isn't much you can do without someone to play with. What I do is just study the matchups like mad, and then watch videos of the better players in those matchups to see how it really is. Then, I can apply that to Wifi (which is great to learn matchups), rinse and repeat.

I'm sure that you live near some kind of Smash scene though. Where do you live?

 

[superyoshi888]

BTW, Wi-fi isn't bad if you play with friends. Find some people who will be willing to help you and get their friend codes.

 

[Gekori]

i found a site with a lot of people to exchange friendcodes with and thats how i found out i have MUCH to learn...
i dont know if im alowed to post links but its 'fsmash.org'
i got to the site myself through a post here on smashboards

oh, and local with friends is good too but not daily ofc...

 

[ash1986]

I'm looking for members wii codes, where can I find them!

 

[cheesdog]

I am in the Beaumont, Tx area. From what I am told there is a small scene here, but they are not that good. Long story short, a friend of mine played the guy that comes in second place all the time at the tournies and beat him soundly. The tournies are small and always involve the same people. I havent personally made it to a one because the dates have been horrible for me so far. Stupid play-n-trade.

I don't find the lvl 9's to be hard really. Their "inhuman" reflexes aren't that bad, although they do become predictable. I tried the lvl 1 thing...they are way too boring. Easily killed, and they don't attack all that much so I don't get hit at all.

With a friend code is the lag less prevelant. My game is all about timing and a split second can mess me up bad.

 

[superyoshi888]

I don't find the lvl 9's to be hard really. Their "inhuman" reflexes aren't that bad, although they do become predictable. I tried the lvl 1 thing...they are way too boring. Easily killed, and they don't attack all that much so I don't get hit at all.

Its not that they are hard, its just that a normal person would NEVER do those things and you make bad habbits. Level 1s may not be fun, but its better to practice combos on them then to play against level 9s for practice.

 

[cheesdog]

I see what you are saying, but I have to disagree. I do the things a lvl 9 does. The only person I have around here that I consider very good and I actually get to play now and then plays just like I do...very fast. The quick shields, dodging at weird times, and guessing before hand what your opponent will do is how we play.

I don't want to blow my own horn (and I know thats how its coming off), but being able to perform combos and such on a lvl 9 regularly, and to be able to do it without losing more than a life to their 3, IMHO, is pretty good practice.

The human factor is always big when I get a chance to play someone new, but after having to move as fast as I do agasint a 9, there hasnt been anybody that was above me or my friend.

Heh, I read all of what I just wrote and I realize it means nothing to talk about it in a game like this. I need to play some people in person or find a tourny. Anyone around SE texas?!

 

[DDM]

It's been my experience that human players are vastly different than Level 9's. With Olimar I regularly 2- and 3- stock Level 9's, then jump online and get the **** beaten out of me. While the CPU's can at times be tough, you experience a different kind of tough playing with real people with real experience.

As far as practicing with handicap matches goes, I've heard that a lot of people do it (or at least they did in Melee). Me personally, I don't see how the experience constantly going back and forth between two or three opponents translates to focusing on one good player's tactics.

Ironically, in my opinion the best way to get better is to ramp yourself up much in the same way one would ramp up from facing a Level 1 to a Level 9. If at all possible, play some beginners and intermediate players and defeat them regularly, then try to match up with increasingly better players.

I'm not saying any of this to be all "lol n00b", just giving a perspective.

 

[cheesdog]

I agree with everything you just said. My problem is I am well beyond the beginners and intermediate players I have come across. I have played people that claim to be great only to be very dissapointed at their lack of skill. Working 9s has been fine for me.

I am actually curious to find out how other people practice when they don't have people to practice with. I am confident that if/when I go to a local tournament I will hold my own against the top competitors.

 

[Coney]

I agree with everything you just said. My problem is I am well beyond the beginners and intermediate players I have come across. I have played people that claim to be great only to be very dissapointed at their lack of skill. Working 9s has been fine for me.

I am actually curious to find out how other people practice when they don't have people to practice with. I am confident that if/when I go to a local tournament I will hold my own against the top competitors.

Of course you are. It's your first tournament.

 

[Platinum]

Level 9's are good to practice against in moderation. It is a good opportunity to practice your shielding/dodging and gimping, but you have to remember that it is very different than playing real players. Training mode is a great place to get better in my opinion. As long as you keep your shielding and dodging skills fresh, training mode is a good place to practice AT's and become comfortable with combos.

 

[daisho]

Have you noticed how bad level 9s are? Half the time if you hit them into the air they air dodge immediately. Then you can follow up with another attack...and another... and another... Nobody in real life will do that.

The computer is also ridiculously easy to gimp so you won't get any practice gimping real people.

It is also not good for matchups because the computer doesn't play like people play.

It is DECENT for learning spacing, but the computer won't predict your spacing and mess it up
(on purpose).

Play online by getting other people's friend codes. I recommend using allisbrawl's ladder because then you can really see how good you are. Also, start going to those local tournaments and start winning. Maybe they will get better from watching you and youll have more people to play (and youll win money).

 

[Lythium]

You could check out the Regional Zones for people in your area. You need to play against real people, not CPUs. I cannot stress this enough. It is the only way you'll improve.

 

[uhmuzing]

My problem is that I don't have Wi Fi. Dang it, I really want to fight the people on here, but nope...

I've been training against level three's to practice combos. Level Nines really do not fight like human beings at all, so I don't see sense in fighting them anymore. I have developed horrid habits from fighting them, and I'm still trying to break them.

Really, the best way to practice is against real people, but that isn't helpful for you, I suppose. I don't have any good opponents either; it IS frustrating....

 

[BSP]

Do your best to fight human opponents. They will actually have strategies for their character, while cpus don't.