Rames
Smash Rookie
NOTE: The following are 100% theoretical, but will work. I am far from a great smasher, but these techniques are based off of those I have used in other competitive gaming scenes. Despite my Smash experience, I guarantee these techniques, with time, will accelerate your game and make you a better smasher.
10 Tips to becoming a better Smasher, faster
A guide constructed by: Rames
Aim:
The aim of this thread, and techniques within are to increase the rate in which you become a better Smasher. You will not become better overnight, we all know that - but lets just say for arguments sake using these techniques will get you to the same point in 4 months that would usually take you 6 (again, I'm just making this up in my head, giving you an idea). Again, getting better will still take months or even years, but there is always something to improve on, or learn.
The Wrong Way to Learn:
I say “wrong” but it really is not, rather it is just ineffective and slow. This method is that you either:
a) - There is nothing particularly wrong with this, and it may work faster than techniques listed below, but it will only work for AI characters. As we all know, over time the AI becomes predictable and becomes easy to exploit. We also know that human players act vastly different to level 9 CPU’s. If you’re goal is to just ‘beat’ level 9 CPU’s then fine, this method may work for you, but if you really want to improve your game on a whole, this is not the way to go.
b) - Again, as always there is nothing necessarily wrong with this method and it does work ! But, it just works very slowly. I’m not hear to complain that you shouldn’t do this because WiFi is slow and inaccurate, far from it. What I’m saying is that you shouldn’t just blindly go into a match and hope for the best. And then when that match is over you just move on to the next without much thought. WiFi, or online, is in fact the best way for a beginner to get early experience, and so I promote using it, just not in the way mentioned above.
What way is the right way then? Read on, and find out.
----
This is the first and by far most important way to increase your time/skill gain ratio, and I can’t stress this enough. Learn. From. Your. Mistakes! Unfortunately many people only focus on the negative side effects of this, and obtain the incorrect mindset such as; “Man I suck at this game” or “Wow he beat me so badly I should just give up”. Perhaps more common is the rage that comes with it. Let’s say a person just continually chain combos you and you try your best to survive, but no matter what, he 3 stocks you, and you only got him to 50%. This is when players let their emotions get in the way of learning experience. Instead of seeing what they could have done to avoid it, they “rage quit” and go find something to take their anger out on.
Please, avoid doing this! If you can, save the replay and go over it. Analyze it, several times if need be. See where you could have gone better, identify the enemies weak point (is he too aggressive, does he play with you off-stage a lot)? You can then punish it next time you come across the same, or a similar player (in terms of play-style).
“An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made, in a narrow field.” ~Niels Bohr
This is continuation of the previous Tip, but equally important. To do this you’re going to have to watch many a replay, but this is a good thing! Find out where and how people get the most damage on to you. Do you frequently die off-stage where the other player continuously edgeguards you? Is it that whenever you take to the air, you can never quite land any smashes? Find your weaknesses and work on them!
Training mode is there for a reason, so use it! Training mode is far and away more than just having a continuous battle vs a CPU opponent, in fact this is quite the opposite of what it should be used for! This is the place to work on your weaknesses (well the ones that can be worked on in this way).
Evade mode:
Go to the menu and put the CPU on evade, and chase him! This may not sound significant but one of the biggest issues for beginners is not being accurate (especially with timing) when they attack an opponent. Remember the CPU is not going to fight back, so once you approach him, there is no need to spam every button. In fact, you could even just ghost him, following his every step. Focus on your timing when you approach. As an example, lets say you practicing your spikes, if you spike to early or too late you will be punished, so work on getting the timing just right when you are approaching.
Practicing off-stage and edgeguarding techniques:
Training mode is the place to do it, and edge guarding is the best way to get those low percentage kills. Once you have gained comfort put the CPU on attack and focus fighting him off stage and getting those smash and spike kills.
Every character has an attack that is better than others, but just because they are better does not mean they should be used all the time. Avoid using your charge move (if your character as one) early on, save it to a higher percentage (charge moves include Falcon Punch, Warlock Punch etc). It is the little jabs that make the difference. Don’t rush and try to get your opponent to a high percentage asap, focus on getting an attack in here and there while avoiding your opponents.
Again, remember what attacks you should use at what time. When your opponent is at a higher percentage, this is when you should start focusing on your smashes more. Go to your characters forum and learn what attacks are most effective, and what should be used in what situation.
If you have no other choice, CPU opponents are generally sufficient. They are actually the best opponent to practice and perfect a new technique on. Sure you may have to re-perfect it once you fight human players, but at least you will have gained comfort on the technique.
If CPU opponents are your only real choice for an opponent, focus on beating them effectively, not cheaply. Try to beat your previous record for how much damage you have taken, that is try to beat the CPU by taking as least damage as possible while still pummeling him. Sure, they are not the smartest things, but they are not horrible opponents and are great when you are still learning.
Also, don’t exploit the AI! Sure this may allow you to 3 stock them without taking any damage, but thats not what you’re practicing for. This exploit won’t work on humans so spending all your time doing it is pointless. Take them seriously, and give it your best each time.
You all saw this coming, but this is the reason you practice! Tournaments are where the best of your region gather and where you can actually obtain a reward for all those hours put in! Check the Regional Forum section and look up any local tournaments. This is your greatest learning experience in all of Smash, so you should be trying to go as many as you possibly can. Chances are you’re not going to win, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that! Have a blast, smile when you lose and enjoy yourself when you win. Remember, everyone starts somewhere and you can only get better.
If there aren’t any tournaments in your area, try and start one! If it’s only you and a couple of other guys, there is nothing wrong with that. Encourage people to come along and convince them to keep playing competitively. There doesn’t have to be prize money, having fun and the learning that comes with it is more than a reward.
Also, always be a good sport! If you get 3 stocked, congratulate the other player and move on to your next fight. If you make the experience a positive one, it will only ignite your passion to become better even more. Ask other players for tips, because this is your best chance to do so.
Videos are a great way to learn but come with their downfalls. When you watch a video, watch what the person you’re observing does. You should be watching to learn, not to see who wins the fight then and exit the video. Replay the whole or parts of the video, observe what the person does right and what he does wrong. Watching a video in this way requires a lot of concentration and it’s easy to get distracted by the action so make sure you’re in the right state of mind before you do this.
Of course, watch videos for entertainment as well!
Knowledge is power, and knowing your opponents character can give you the upper hand. I am definitely not saying go out and learn every character, always focus on your mains but getting a feel for how other characters work is only of benefit to you.
If you have trouble fighting a certain opponent, practice fighting that character more. SWF is also the best place to learn about other characters in depth so always take the opportunity to ask for tips in that characters, or your owns forum.
NOTE: This tip applies to human players only.
If it’s in the game, it’s there with an intention to be used and if it helps you to win, use it! “Spamming” can infuriate many people but it can also be very effective. Being cheap is not being a bad sport, you are just doing what you have to do to win, and if spamming is what works for you, so be it. It is your opponents duty to adapt to your techniques.
Oh, I also don’t recommend being cheap with people who are significantly worse than you are, such as friends or family. They will probably just obtain a disliking to the game, get frustrated and quit.
Okay I take my statement in Tip #1 back, this is by far the most important tip! Always, always have fun. If it’s not fun, STOP! Always enjoy yourself, and have a good time, which is why I heavily emphasize good sportsmanship. Video games were designed to be fun, and if they’re not then the designer, or the player has done something wrong.
Again, if you are not enjoying yourself while playing Smash, then it is probably not the game for you. This is why you play, isn’t it? I think the top competitive players can learn the most from this tip, never forget about why you are playing.
----
How do I know if I’m getting better?
Easy, if you are beating some more ‘known names’ within a few months then you are doing great. If you are getting better rankings at tournaments each time, you are definitely getting better.
Remember; it’s not the practice, it’s HOW you practice.
-Rames
P.S: There's probably a lot of grammatical errors, sorry for those, it's late and I'm tired. I may also expand on this guide later on.
10 Tips to becoming a better Smasher, faster
A guide constructed by: Rames
Aim:
The aim of this thread, and techniques within are to increase the rate in which you become a better Smasher. You will not become better overnight, we all know that - but lets just say for arguments sake using these techniques will get you to the same point in 4 months that would usually take you 6 (again, I'm just making this up in my head, giving you an idea). Again, getting better will still take months or even years, but there is always something to improve on, or learn.
The Wrong Way to Learn:
I say “wrong” but it really is not, rather it is just ineffective and slow. This method is that you either:
- a) Continuously just fight level 9’s over and over, or:
- b) You jump into any WiFi game you can and hope for the best.
a) - There is nothing particularly wrong with this, and it may work faster than techniques listed below, but it will only work for AI characters. As we all know, over time the AI becomes predictable and becomes easy to exploit. We also know that human players act vastly different to level 9 CPU’s. If you’re goal is to just ‘beat’ level 9 CPU’s then fine, this method may work for you, but if you really want to improve your game on a whole, this is not the way to go.
b) - Again, as always there is nothing necessarily wrong with this method and it does work ! But, it just works very slowly. I’m not hear to complain that you shouldn’t do this because WiFi is slow and inaccurate, far from it. What I’m saying is that you shouldn’t just blindly go into a match and hope for the best. And then when that match is over you just move on to the next without much thought. WiFi, or online, is in fact the best way for a beginner to get early experience, and so I promote using it, just not in the way mentioned above.
What way is the right way then? Read on, and find out.
----
Tip 1#: Playing people better than yourself.
This is the first and by far most important way to increase your time/skill gain ratio, and I can’t stress this enough. Learn. From. Your. Mistakes! Unfortunately many people only focus on the negative side effects of this, and obtain the incorrect mindset such as; “Man I suck at this game” or “Wow he beat me so badly I should just give up”. Perhaps more common is the rage that comes with it. Let’s say a person just continually chain combos you and you try your best to survive, but no matter what, he 3 stocks you, and you only got him to 50%. This is when players let their emotions get in the way of learning experience. Instead of seeing what they could have done to avoid it, they “rage quit” and go find something to take their anger out on.
Please, avoid doing this! If you can, save the replay and go over it. Analyze it, several times if need be. See where you could have gone better, identify the enemies weak point (is he too aggressive, does he play with you off-stage a lot)? You can then punish it next time you come across the same, or a similar player (in terms of play-style).
Tip #2: Identify your Weak Areas.
“An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made, in a narrow field.” ~Niels Bohr
This is continuation of the previous Tip, but equally important. To do this you’re going to have to watch many a replay, but this is a good thing! Find out where and how people get the most damage on to you. Do you frequently die off-stage where the other player continuously edgeguards you? Is it that whenever you take to the air, you can never quite land any smashes? Find your weaknesses and work on them!
Tip #3: Training Mode
Training mode is there for a reason, so use it! Training mode is far and away more than just having a continuous battle vs a CPU opponent, in fact this is quite the opposite of what it should be used for! This is the place to work on your weaknesses (well the ones that can be worked on in this way).
Evade mode:
Go to the menu and put the CPU on evade, and chase him! This may not sound significant but one of the biggest issues for beginners is not being accurate (especially with timing) when they attack an opponent. Remember the CPU is not going to fight back, so once you approach him, there is no need to spam every button. In fact, you could even just ghost him, following his every step. Focus on your timing when you approach. As an example, lets say you practicing your spikes, if you spike to early or too late you will be punished, so work on getting the timing just right when you are approaching.
Practicing off-stage and edgeguarding techniques:
Training mode is the place to do it, and edge guarding is the best way to get those low percentage kills. Once you have gained comfort put the CPU on attack and focus fighting him off stage and getting those smash and spike kills.
Tip #4: Applying your Moveset
Every character has an attack that is better than others, but just because they are better does not mean they should be used all the time. Avoid using your charge move (if your character as one) early on, save it to a higher percentage (charge moves include Falcon Punch, Warlock Punch etc). It is the little jabs that make the difference. Don’t rush and try to get your opponent to a high percentage asap, focus on getting an attack in here and there while avoiding your opponents.
Again, remember what attacks you should use at what time. When your opponent is at a higher percentage, this is when you should start focusing on your smashes more. Go to your characters forum and learn what attacks are most effective, and what should be used in what situation.
Tip #5: CPU Opponents
If you have no other choice, CPU opponents are generally sufficient. They are actually the best opponent to practice and perfect a new technique on. Sure you may have to re-perfect it once you fight human players, but at least you will have gained comfort on the technique.
If CPU opponents are your only real choice for an opponent, focus on beating them effectively, not cheaply. Try to beat your previous record for how much damage you have taken, that is try to beat the CPU by taking as least damage as possible while still pummeling him. Sure, they are not the smartest things, but they are not horrible opponents and are great when you are still learning.
Also, don’t exploit the AI! Sure this may allow you to 3 stock them without taking any damage, but thats not what you’re practicing for. This exploit won’t work on humans so spending all your time doing it is pointless. Take them seriously, and give it your best each time.
Tip #6: Tournaments
You all saw this coming, but this is the reason you practice! Tournaments are where the best of your region gather and where you can actually obtain a reward for all those hours put in! Check the Regional Forum section and look up any local tournaments. This is your greatest learning experience in all of Smash, so you should be trying to go as many as you possibly can. Chances are you’re not going to win, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that! Have a blast, smile when you lose and enjoy yourself when you win. Remember, everyone starts somewhere and you can only get better.
If there aren’t any tournaments in your area, try and start one! If it’s only you and a couple of other guys, there is nothing wrong with that. Encourage people to come along and convince them to keep playing competitively. There doesn’t have to be prize money, having fun and the learning that comes with it is more than a reward.
Also, always be a good sport! If you get 3 stocked, congratulate the other player and move on to your next fight. If you make the experience a positive one, it will only ignite your passion to become better even more. Ask other players for tips, because this is your best chance to do so.
Tip #7: Videos
Videos are a great way to learn but come with their downfalls. When you watch a video, watch what the person you’re observing does. You should be watching to learn, not to see who wins the fight then and exit the video. Replay the whole or parts of the video, observe what the person does right and what he does wrong. Watching a video in this way requires a lot of concentration and it’s easy to get distracted by the action so make sure you’re in the right state of mind before you do this.
Of course, watch videos for entertainment as well!
Tip #8: Learn Characters other than that of your Own.
Knowledge is power, and knowing your opponents character can give you the upper hand. I am definitely not saying go out and learn every character, always focus on your mains but getting a feel for how other characters work is only of benefit to you.
If you have trouble fighting a certain opponent, practice fighting that character more. SWF is also the best place to learn about other characters in depth so always take the opportunity to ask for tips in that characters, or your owns forum.
Tip #9: Nothing is Cheap
NOTE: This tip applies to human players only.
If it’s in the game, it’s there with an intention to be used and if it helps you to win, use it! “Spamming” can infuriate many people but it can also be very effective. Being cheap is not being a bad sport, you are just doing what you have to do to win, and if spamming is what works for you, so be it. It is your opponents duty to adapt to your techniques.
Oh, I also don’t recommend being cheap with people who are significantly worse than you are, such as friends or family. They will probably just obtain a disliking to the game, get frustrated and quit.
Tip #10: HAVE FUN!
Okay I take my statement in Tip #1 back, this is by far the most important tip! Always, always have fun. If it’s not fun, STOP! Always enjoy yourself, and have a good time, which is why I heavily emphasize good sportsmanship. Video games were designed to be fun, and if they’re not then the designer, or the player has done something wrong.
Again, if you are not enjoying yourself while playing Smash, then it is probably not the game for you. This is why you play, isn’t it? I think the top competitive players can learn the most from this tip, never forget about why you are playing.
----
How do I know if I’m getting better?
Easy, if you are beating some more ‘known names’ within a few months then you are doing great. If you are getting better rankings at tournaments each time, you are definitely getting better.
Remember; it’s not the practice, it’s HOW you practice.
-Rames
P.S: There's probably a lot of grammatical errors, sorry for those, it's late and I'm tired. I may also expand on this guide later on.
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