• Welcome to Smashboards, the world's largest Super Smash Brothers community! Over 250,000 Smash Bros. fans from around the world have come to discuss these great games in over 19 million posts!

    You are currently viewing our boards as a visitor. Click here to sign up right now and start on your path in the Smash community!

Do well against good players but lose to FG stereotypes?

ItsASquid

Smash Apprentice
Joined
Feb 11, 2016
Messages
98
Location
SW England
Is this normal? I can stand toe to toe with good players but if they begin roll spammimg or smashing everywhere as Mac I lose on the spot.
 

|RK|

Smash Marketer
Moderator
Joined
Jan 6, 2009
Messages
4,033
Location
Maryland
It's actually very common in any kind of competitive sport. What usually happens is the tactics you learn to deal with stronger opponents don't work on people that aren't reacting how they should. Example - punishing a rare roll from a skilled player will discourage them from rolling again. But a newbie will just keep rolling.

Some of the best advice I got in fencing was "just hit them." I think it applies to Smash as well. They'll usually overuse something - just keep putting them in the situation that makes them perform a particular action and then hit them over and over again.
 
Last edited:

Nathan Richardson

Smash Ace
Joined
Aug 30, 2016
Messages
796
Location
Warren MI.
NNID
Zeratrix
It's actually very common in any kind of competitive sport. What usually happens is the tactics you learn to deal with stronger opponents don't work on people that aren't reacting how they should. Example - punishing a rare roll from a skilled player will discourage them from rolling again. But a newbie will just keep rolling.

Some of the best advice I got in fencing was "just hit them." I think it applies to Smash as well. They'll usually overuse something - just keep putting them in the situation that makes them perform a particular action and then hit them over and over again.
You took up fencing? That's awesome!
 

#HBC | Red Ryu

Red Fox Warrior
Joined
Jun 15, 2008
Messages
27,486
Location
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
NNID
RedRyu_Smash
3DS FC
0344-9312-3352
You need to change how you react to players and make it a player to player basis. Punishing weaker players needs you to play a certain way, where as stronger players you need to play a different way.
 

Mega-Spider

Smash Ace
Joined
Apr 16, 2015
Messages
955
Location
San Antonio, Texas
NNID
MegaSonic3
3DS FC
4124-5940-2103
Yeah, I've dealt with that a few times. Every time it happens, I'm always bewildered on how I could lose against someone like that, especially since I've played against far better.
 

Uffe

Smash Hero
Joined
Jun 14, 2008
Messages
5,500
Location
Fresno
If you play against better players and then are losing against people on FG because they're rolling a lot, it's because you don't deal with that situation often. Or maybe you do. Then it's a matter of adapting to their rolling habits and learning where they're going to roll next. Rolling is very discouraged, but for some reason, it's really good and effective in this game. But it's discouraged because it becomes predictable. Just look at this video of a well-known Smasher who was having a hard time against someone who rolled a lot:

 
Last edited:

GeflGabe

Smash Apprentice
Joined
Feb 14, 2016
Messages
186
Location
Hawaii, Oahu
NNID
GeflGabe
3DS FC
4141-7244-4594
Switch FC
SW-7469-5871-5880
I've been in your shoes. Adaption is key. From personal experience, I find that weaker players have much more patterns than more powerful players. Try to examine what their habits & patterns are and how to punish them. Once you get that down, some lower level players tend to panic and use very punishable attacks. Use what they do wrong to your advantage. That's my advice, good luck and stay sharp.
 

Ælude

Smash Cadet
Joined
Jan 18, 2016
Messages
55
Newer players usually can't adapt to bad situations on the fly so if you understand the game you should know how to deal with their bad habits and usually don't have to deal with the endless mindgames that follow like when you play better players.

I've always said this is a key indicator that your adaptation is nowhere NEAR where it should be if you consider yourself a decent player.

Its time to take a step back and examine yourself. Your likely at the stage where you've been told to follow a certain formula and have also come to expect the same from your opponents. But your playing the imitation game and clearly when your thrown out of your comfort zone you don't know what to do. When you can start thinking and applying things because YOU know and understand them and built the habbit of playing your opponent - not the game - then not only will you start pwning roll spamming noobs as a result but you'll do better than just going toe-toe with what you consider good players.

Smash is a puzzle game - not a beat 'em up.
 

Nathan Richardson

Smash Ace
Joined
Aug 30, 2016
Messages
796
Location
Warren MI.
NNID
Zeratrix
Newer players usually can't adapt to bad situations on the fly so if you understand the game you should know how to deal with their bad habits and usually don't have to deal with the endless mindgames that follow like when you play better players.

I've always said this is a key indicator that your adaptation is nowhere NEAR where it should be if you consider yourself a decent player.

Its time to take a step back and examine yourself. Your likely at the stage where you've been told to follow a certain formula and have also come to expect the same from your opponents. But your playing the imitation game and clearly when your thrown out of your comfort zone you don't know what to do. When you can start thinking and applying things because YOU know and understand them and built the habbit of playing your opponent - not the game - then not only will you start pwning roll spamming noobs as a result but you'll do better than just going toe-toe with what you consider good players.

Smash is a puzzle game - not a beat 'em up.
I agree with everything you say except for your last sentence (I'm being picky I know) smash is only a puzzle game if you're trying to outthink your opponent the technical term is 'mascot fighter' a fighting game isn't necessarily a beat them up but it certainly isn't a puzzle game.
 

Ælude

Smash Cadet
Joined
Jan 18, 2016
Messages
55
The sentence sole purpose was to illustrate a new way of thinking and approach to the game for the OP, not to get hung up on loose technical terms that aren't even a complete consensus.

But since you brought it up and also stated that you agreed with what I said (moral of the story being to outhink your opponent) then by your own definition you just gave the sentence stands technically correct and enforces the point I was trying to make.

If it makes you happy "think of smash more like a puzzle game than a beat 'em up" is more accurately what I was trying to say unless theres some other terms, punctuation, or grammar you would like to pick apart.
 
Last edited:

HoSmash4

Smash Ace
Joined
Jun 24, 2015
Messages
688
It's good to remember if scrubby tactics like rolling and buffering wake ups every time works, they will never have a reason to adapt.
 

Wintermelon43

Smash Champion
Joined
Feb 13, 2015
Messages
2,767
Oh my god thank god I'm not the only one. Noob habits sometimes actually make me lose.
 

Murlough

Euphoria
Joined
May 2, 2015
Messages
2,708
Location
Tennessee
NNID
Murl0ugh
3DS FC
4828-8253-7746
What Red Ryu said mostly.

Whenever you play against significantly worse players and find yourself getting hit by absurd moves or losing to idiotic tactics like roll spamming you should use the opportunity to work on your mental game.

Keep in mind that your opponent is worse and will make worse decisions and then punish them for it.

I just went against a Mario IRL who would use their double jump and raw up-b me when I was above them. It even killed me once because I hadn't expected that from a Mario player and was DIing wrong. However, I still won the match because I began keeping his usual habits and attack patterns in mind.

It comes down to your ability to adapt which is arguably the most important skill in high level play.
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom