Which of these options are the best for someone who wants to "git gud"?

[this isn't pete i swear]

im pretty sure that many people (including your uncle pete here, obviously) have no access to local smash tourneys.
while we can (and do) watch videos of these events on youtube, i'm fairly certain that alone isn't enough!
so, as you can (hopefully) see above, i've created a poll with a couple of options i have used in the past to practice with.
after casting a vote, please feel free to comment why you chose what you did (or why none of these are good ideas)

 

[GreenMonkey]

Play with friends!

Honestly, I recommend this option the most. With friends, you can request to see different match-ups, have some fun friendlies to relief stress, ask for advice and tips, and even practice using custom moves! Soooo many benefits!

Amiibos and CPU's are robotic and won't give you any helpful feedback or let you see how a human player will react to certain situations. You won't learn how to catch frequent rollers, or how to bait and read an airdodge.

For Glory provides human players, but there's three aspects that drags its reputation down: Lag, Bad Players, and a Toxic Community. (I have no idea why I capitalized them and made them blue...) FG is well-known for having bad connections, and you really can't perform under laggy conditions...

Players that are simply below your skill level wouldn't benefit you at all. You might be elated to win matches, but beating really easy opponents won't help you improve yourself, sadly. And sometimes, you may even encounter some uber-crazy good player who destroys you with perfect pivoted Smashes and flawless frame-perfect punishes. You would want to avoid those, as well.

The community online is atrocious. Not only do people excessively taunt, which can get to a point where it's simply rude and disrespectful, they will use tags that include offensive language. I've seen so many people that use cuss words or racism in their tags after losing matches, just because they're angry and salty... I would recommend not using FG just for this reason, specifically. You'll feel furious and frustrated with dealing with these people, so just avoid them.

That was a loooong rant, but I hoped I helped you, Pete, or any other curious soul out there.

 

[Wintermelon43]

If I played with friends, items would be on.

And there's only like 20 people in my grade that know what an Amiibo is. Let alone play Nintendo.

So that option only works for some people GreenMonkey just so you know

 

[ELITEWarri0r115]

If you have friends at equal or a bit better than you, learn off of them. Maybe an amiibo will work. I suggest training it from your friends and the amiibo get their moves altogether, then you can practice against it. Or train it yourself and train off of it.

 

[ZafKiel]

For Glory is out the question in my opinion. Rarely do you find a decent player who isn't a spammer. Lag can also become an issue as well. I don't even know why they call it For Glory since people online are so disrespectful. Some people think they're that good just because they can roll and F-smash you all day. As for CPU's, there's only so much one can do. I mainly use them to help me learn a character.

In order to "git gud", I would play your friends who are much better than you. Playing someone weaker doesn't teach you anything and playing someone at your level won't teach you enough. I've found that playing some good players I know highlights your weakness. Even though it sucks to pretty much lose every match, you can gain more insight on what you are doing wrong as opposed to playing someone on your level. It's hard at times and believe me, you feel like you've gone nowhere but it's going to help you out in the long run.

If you have no one that good you are friends with or you know, try reaching out to other players online. I'm sure many of them are more than willing to find a new face to fight with,

 

[Jenna Zant]

When you don't have anything else, play For Glory. Otherwise, play real people IRL, or play on Anther's.

 

[GreenMonkey]

If I played with friends, items would be on.

And there's only like 20 people in my grade that know what an Amiibo is. Let alone play Nintendo.

So that option only works for some people GreenMonkey just so you know

Yeah, some people don't have friends who play Smash, but that's why there's online communities such as the boards and Anther's. It should be relatively easy to find another player who is willing to help you practice.

But if you can't find matches that way, then I suppose For Glory is the only option left... but I only suggest FG as a last resort...

 

[BlueX]

There are many options that you can choose to practice Smash 4 and get better and improve.

You can choose to play with friends or like what ZafKiel said is to play with players who are better then you so you can learn and try to understand why you are choosing the wrong options and get them to study the matches for you so you can easily recognize the situation and choose the best option or mix up the option for that situation.

Practicing with CPU's can be good too as you can practice combos and improve your character once you have learned the combos you can do and practice at doing those combos. One of my mains is Sheik and she requires a lot of precision and practice.

Anther's ladder is good too but there are salty people on there but if you don't care about that then it is OK.

 

[Chief Hotsuin]

About FG, l have amazing luck with finding decent players late at night (probably has something to do with my 3000+ matches, 70% win rate, but still....), so FG might not be TOO bad if you like staying up. Five year olds won't be awake later at night. Keep that in mind.

About CPUs and amiibo, l honestly really enjoy these for practicing my spacing and combos. Not very useful otherwise. Amiibo can adapt a little, but they aren't human. Playing with the amiibo of your waifu, unfortunately enough, won't help. lf you're going with CPUs at all, go with 9s.

Anther's Ladder is quite a big upgrade from FG. Have only been on the PM and 3DS rankings ('cause l'd have to run around the house to use the Wii U), but l'm sure the Wii U community won't be terrible. l've had some hilarious times.

Finding friends would easily be the best option to git gud. Not only are they actually human, you'll be fighting in a real time scenario, not with some input delay or lag spikes. Lucky boy l am, l actually have a friend or 3 that takes the game seriously and understands the competitive mindset some. We're all about equal. lf your friends are casual, try to show them the cool stuff they can do when they know what they're doing. Slowly try to convert them into try-hardism.

 

[this isn't pete i swear]

thanks for all the feedback, guys! i'll start fighting with my friends/people online more often

Playing with the amiibo of your waifu, unfortunately enough, won't help.

)':

 

[_SoRa_]

Play Anther's ladder

 

[Chief Hotsuin]

)':

Tis an unfortunate truth. However, l've come to terms with the fact that my Palutena amiibo sucks and there's nothing l can do to make it dthrow into nair.

 

[KirbCider]

I suppose it would depend on what skill level you are already at and what you want to practice on specifically.

If you are just starting out with the game just playing the game and practicing on CPUs would be a good start. You have to get a feel for the game first and at least get a basic understanding of it after all. CPUs also aren't particularly a bad option for trying to perfect combos and seeing what works with what characters. People are going to argue CPUs will give new players bad habits but you need to start somewhere, right? I do understand though that CPUs can only get you so far, and they can be a bit dumb no matter what level.

It's because of this that I believe going against actual people, Online or IRL is the best option (unless again, you are completely new to the game). I've never been to a Tournament or any local Smash gatherings, and I also have very few friends to play Smash with IRL. You'd honestly be surprised how much of a difference For Glory/Online made for me. I was never able to go against different people before.

I began to discover what characters actually worked for me. I used to believe I was amazing at Mr. Game & Watch and a few others simply because none of my friends could ever beat me with certain characters, and I got a slap of reality once I jumped into For Glory.

Yes, there's going to be lag, bad players/spammers/campers online, and more but I consider that to be typical for Online play. Despite all of this I've gained a vast improvement with how I play simply because I was just able to go against different people. If I didn't encounter spammers or campers then I never would of learned how to go against them. I never would of learned what are bad moves and what are effective moves with certain characters. Online alone helped me improve so much, even if people consider it a garbage mode.

Online is all I really have to go against actual people, and despite what anyone says about it I have seen myself improve greatly.

This is of course, my own answer and opinion. Not everything works the same for everyone unfortunately.

 

[this isn't pete i swear]

looks like practicing with friends/anther's is in the lead, with for glory and the other choices
quite a bit behind

keep voting, it ends in just 2 days!

 

[banana29]

I haven't won a single For Glory match but I can beat level 8 CPUs easily. So For Glory looks to be the better option

 

[Red Shirt KRT]

1. Play on anthers ladder

2. For glory - whoever says for glory is the worst is a moron. It is better than CPUs for the most part. There are some general rules to follow with for glory. If it is laggy don't play that person. If they are really bad. Work on combos and offstage gimps, you can experiment with these players to learn new things that work and perfecting them. Then when playing a good player you can try to land these combos that you have perfected. If they are better than you keep playing them until they leave, you can save some replays and look back at what you were getting punished for. Whoever said spammers or rollers weren't worth facing is clearly really bad at this game. In a tournament what if someone rolls or spams projectiles? You are goin to lose! Learn how to deal with this.

3. Read about tactics and strategies for fighting games (almost all will apply to smash bros as well as other fighting games)

 

[GreenMonkey]

1. Play on anthers ladder

2. For glory - whoever says for glory is the worst is a moron. It is better than CPUs for the most part. There are some general rules to follow with for glory. If it is laggy don't play that person. If they are really bad. Work on combos and offstage gimps, you can experiment with these players to learn new things that work and perfecting them. Then when playing a good player you can try to land these combos that you have perfected. If they are better than you keep playing them until they leave, you can save some replays and look back at what you were getting punished for. Whoever said spammers or rollers weren't worth facing is clearly really bad at this game. In a tournament what if someone rolls or spams projectiles? You are goin to lose! Learn how to deal with this.

3. Read about tactics and strategies for fighting games (almost all will apply to smash bros as well as other fighting games)

Well, thanks for calling me a moron. Love you too, dear.

While For Glory is superior compared to playing against AI, it's still far below the benefits of playing with a friend, either online or offline. You can practice combos and techniques with both FG and friends, but only friends will help you by giving you advice and tips on improving your game. With friends, you're also almost guaranteed a decent connection. No one wants to suffer through laggy matches, even if they only come once in a while.

Even if a tournament player spams or constant rolls, you should have developed strong enough fundamentals to defeat them. They would also probably have a negative reputation for having such a playstyle, so I don't think you'll find too many of those types of players in tournaments.

All of the Pro's you listed for FG are present and more prominently shown when you play with friends. Even if it's better than CPU's, it's by no means a good option to resort to.

 

[Red Shirt KRT]

Friends are better than for glory players if they are the right skill levels, no question. You do need those players of higher skill though to really challenge you. Of course if you have friends of different skill levels that is optimum, but for glory gives you the option of playing a vast array of skill levels and charachters and playstyles.

If you read my post I said laggy matches should be left immediately.


Also players that spam constantly or roll a ton don't have a negative reputation at tournaments. Any legit player respects any other players playstyle that works. If they are spamming or rolling and getting rekt no one cares about them anyways.

 

[GreenMonkey]

Please, I didn't mean any offense or negativity with my post, and I don't want to spark an argument here. :<

If it is laggy don't play that person.

Let's analyze dealing with laggy opponents. It may just take a minute or two for you to enter a room and actually start a match. However, if the connection turns out to be slow and choppy, you have to endure through the whole match, which are typically around 3-6 minutes, unless you quit. Quitting forces you to be put on a timer - usually ten minutes or so - until you can play online again.

The whole process of encountering and leaving a room with a laggy player will take about 10 minutes, perhaps give or take a few minutes. Not only are laggy opponents rather common on FG, it can be frustrating to deal with them, even if you leave as soon as the first game ends. Unless you magically predict which players are laggy and quickly flee before a match starts, you're bound to undergo some unpleasant matches.

Friends are better than for glory players if they are the right skill levels, no question. You do need those players of higher skill though to really challenge you. Of course if you have friends of different skill levels that is optimum, but for glory gives you the option of playing a vast array of skill levels and charachters and playstyles.

What's the difference of playing with 10 different people on FG and 10 friends? Unless all of your friends are at the same skill-level, which I highly doubt, FG and playing with friends will both result in interesting and new battles.

The only major difference is that playing with friends has benefits that were already mentioned before~

Also players that spam constantly or roll a ton don't have a negative reputation at tournaments. Any legit player respects any other players playstyle that works. If they are spamming or rolling and getting rekt no one cares about them anyways.

Take ZeRo as an example. I love ZeRo. Many people do. He has a very well-established fanbase, and for good reasons, too. He dedicates time into Smash and works hard to perfect and hone his skills.

Many people dislike him because he use high-tier characters, such as Diddy Kong, and now Sheik. Their reason is that he simply wins because the characters he use are "easy" and "broken". They don't care that his choices helps him win; they just think his ways are lowly and cheap, which isn't true at all.

If ZeRo won tournaments such as Apex and Genesis 3 by rolling around and spamming, do you really think his reputation won't be impacted? People wouldn't respect him for using a playstyle that works if it involves such low-skilled techniques, not even so-called "legit players".

 

[Red Shirt KRT]

If it is laggy just SD twice it takes like 30sec or less.

I agree in person opponents are better. Not many people always have that many friends around at once to play like that unless at a smash fest.



And as far as the roll/ spam thing players are respected for being able to win, it doesn't matter how. If it were such an easy tactic to win why doesnt every good player do it?

 

[GreenMonkey]

If it is laggy just SD twice it takes like 30sec or less.

Ooh I like that idea. Didn't think of that~

I agree in person opponents are better. Not many people always have that many friends around at once to play like that unless at a smash fest.

Yeah, unfortunately this is true...

And as far as the roll/ spam thing players are respected for being able to win, it doesn't matter how. If it were such an easy tactic to win why doesnt every good player do it?

... I don't want to start a quarrel, so I guess I'll just shrug and move past this~

 

[Tino]

Playing online with friends, Anther's Ladder or going to a Smash tournament in your area are the best ways to improve.

**** For Glory.

 

[Dar4]

I completely disagree with the prevailing opinion that level 9 CPUs are not good to train against. That's how Nairo claims he got good. What you need most is volume.

Level 9s are much better than hoping you're lucky enough to run into someone on for glory that is both a good player and doesn't have a laggy connection. While they certainly are not as good an option as playing a human player at or above your skill level, I've absolutely gotten considerably better by playing them.

But, you must play them honest, don't cheese them. Don't take advantage of the fact they don't adapt. When you're used to fighting a level 9 that's frame perfect, fighting human players that actually aren't is refreshing.

So in my opinion best option is in person with someone at or above your skill level. Next best is against better or similar level players on a good internet connection. Third is level 9 CPUs. Fourth is For Glory.

Also you must build muscle memory in training mode. That's probably the best overall way to practice if you main a technical character. Practice your setups over and over.

 

[ItsMeBrandon]

I think what you're trying to improve about your game might influence what you should do to improve.
Granted I don't have a lot of experience with For Glory or playing other competitive players, so most of this is mostly based on observing what others have said.

If you struggle against CPUs under Level 9, you should probably spend some time with the game itself and get a good grip on fundamentals and all that. It is true that CPUs don't act like humans very much, you don't play against CPUs in tournaments, after all, but I still think playing against computer opponents is a good place to start if you're close to a complete amateur. Otherwise, if you want to practice combos, your performance in places like neutral/edgeguarding/etc., CPU matches might be considered good for that sort of thing.

If you're better than that, you can pretty much go between playing against other competitive Smash players and playing online For Glory. For Glory isn't as optimal, as far as I know, but it can help since you are going against human players, and it's probably more convenient. Like others said, though, playing For Glory is typically kind of a toss-up, but I wouldn't discourage you from trying it out, especially if it's your only option at any given time.

The best way to improve probably is playing with other competitive Smash players, whether it's locally with friends or online with others you meet. I imagine you can get a lot of feedback from them, and this is the closest environment out of all these choices to a tournament setting, so you probably would prepare for tournaments better in this case.

My best advice is probably to just think about what you want to improve in particular. Not everyone improves their game in exactly the same way, so it might be more power to you if you can figure out how you improve each aspect of your game the best.

 

[PsychoPuff23]

play with Friends is the best Option for me .
for Glory Mode is infested by bad players like Zss paralyser spam or bow only Links.
So you take the habits to play bad for win against bad players.
But play with friends who are a little better is the best option

 

[Red Shirt KRT]

If you are getting beat by spam then you are bad so you need to learn how to beat them to get gud.

Everyone hates on spam because they are bad at this game.

 

[Mothman]

play with friends (especially with ones you can't beat), for glory is alright sometimes but you gotta take into account it's laggy af, and you only play on omega stages, going to weeklies if there are any around I would say helps the most overall. You could also try anthers ladder.....I would also recommend watching videos of players who main your character, and also watching your own replay videos

edit: I just read that you don't have acces to tourneys, so ignore that part

 

[Brandybuck]

Ahh as someone who is trying to get gud and has limited access to irl people I feel your pain!

Playing L9 CPU's is a good way to grasp the basics but unless you're exteremely conscious to avoid it they sure can teach you some bad habits. I had no real options and I chose to go the L9 CPU route and I'm still unlearning nonsense from that. I win almost all L9 matches unless it's a brain fart day,but I'm still only passable on FG. Also you don't really get the whole mindgames aspect of it with any sort of CPU/amiibo. But if you are thoughtful when you play them I find them useful for refreshing your skills.

Playing For Glory is a mixed bag. On one hand you get Omega-only stages, laggy matches, spammy opponents, and rude jerks. Lag is pretty much the worst thing, and even in good matches you will have some input lag due just to the fact that it's online (this is likely the case for Online with Friends as well and the reason it's best to play in person imho). Characters/combos/tech that need precise timing suffer for it and this affects you and your opponent so things you can get away with online might not fly in person and options you have in person you might not be aware of because they won't come out rigt online. Also you won't get to play with the different stages which could lead to you having no idea what to do against opponents who use platforms well.
On the other hand, it's nice to find players who are as eager to learn or help you improve as you are, and when you find such players at and above your skill level you can actually learn quite a bit (and if you friend them you can have them for online with friends). You also do get mindgame experience here (although lag can tamper with it). When I've got a limited bit of time to kill and I don't really want to commit to much I use CPU or For Glory.

Online with Friends (and Anther's Ladder?) have pro's of For Glory and fewer con's so I'd go with that over FG for improving skill.

And of course if you can find any irl person who also wants to get gud at all play agains them when you can. I only have one so I still have to supplement with the online (and CPU) to avoid falling into a playstyle trap, but I've definitely learnt most from the irl matches with no lag and a real thinking person. (Also as a result I'm pretty darn good at one particular matchup above all others lol)