Q&A Game Play Advice and General Discussion

[Octagon]

That sucks like really bad man, I know the feeling of being in a bad slump. Just taking a few days of a break from Smash and coming back will clear your mind and you'll be ready to smash well again

 

[anaglyphix]

Ok, but what about the first thing I said, forcing situations where they have limited choices? what's the easiest patterns/situations to make reads, based on downloaded info?

 

[Hawke753]

Hello
ok so this is the catch, i have this 2 friends that are really good at smash, in fact, they're the ones that got me back into smash again (used to play 64 and melee a TON when i was a kid, but none of my friends liked it (cuz i always beat them and they really didn't bother to get better so the matches were a bit boring and one-sided) so i stopped playing and in fact i even skipped brawl entirely because of this)

getting to know them was awesome because they really revived the passion for smash in me and i finally had someone to play with, so i bought Smash 3DS so i could play them, both of them have Wii U too, sadly i have no money for it :'(

at first they completely dominated me in the game, i couldn't even touch them... so i made it my mission to get really good so i can beat them someday

i finally think i have reached that point skillwise, however i have one problem, i always choke :'(

idk what't wrong with me, it's just that everytime i play them i messed up a lot because i get really nervous

i just make stupid decisions in general

its weird because that only happens with them, when i play strangers online i generally do really good

can someone here relate to me? maybe someone can give some tips to stop being such a scrub?

Thanks

 

[moofpi]

I wonder what playing in Training Mode with a second player would be like. Would it be funner without rage and stale moves?

 

[deepseadiva]

Also, watching their matches on Youtube.

I'm almost joking but people actually do that haha.

 

[Mega Rayquaza]

What characters and what techniques do you drill?

My main(s) mostly. I try to plan to be more precise with them, find which moves are better for which situations. And I drill any technique I'm not doing with muscle memory yet. Ex: short hop fast falling/roll cancelled grab/pivot grabbing. If I don't succeed in doing x number of short hop fast falls (I full hop accidentally or something), I start over and try again.

 

[Pazx]

Yeah watching their earlier matches is fantastic.

Things to look out for:

• Teching habits: do they tech in place, roll away or roll towards the most? Do they tend to roll away from the edge? Do they miss a lot of techs?
• Recovery: do they recover the same way every time? Do they always sweetspot the ledge?
• Dodging: do they mash airdodge in combos? (Alternatively: do they wait for you to airdodge when performing their own juggles?)
• Edge guarding: do they do it at all? Do they have one usual way of doing it?
• DI: is it on-point? Do they DI correctly when being combo'd?
• Pressure: How do they play at a high percent? Do they get campy when they're on their last stock? What is their preferred "get off me" move? Do they sit in shield? etc
• ATs: is their execution flawless? Are they consistent with using whatever tools their character has?

These are things you can focus on when watching them play or playing them yourself. The best players are hard to download though, as they'll mix most of these things up.

 

[Rango the Mercenary]

My main(s) mostly. I try to plan to be more precise with them, find which moves are better for which situations. And I drill any technique I'm not doing with muscle memory yet. Ex: short hop fast falling/roll cancelled grab/pivot grabbing. If I don't succeed in doing x number of short hop fast falls (I full hop accidentally or something), I start over and try again.

We should play sometime.

 

[Mega Rayquaza]

Hello
ok so this is the catch, i have this 2 friends that are really good at smash, in fact, they're the ones that got me back into smash again (used to play 64 and melee a TON when i was a kid, but none of my friends liked it (cuz i always beat them and they really didn't bother to get better so the matches were a bit boring and one-sided) so i stopped playing and in fact i even skipped brawl entirely because of this)

getting to know them was awesome because they really revived the passion for smash in me and i finally had someone to play with, so i bought Smash 3DS so i could play them, both of them have Wii U too, sadly i have no money for it :'(

at first they completely dominated me in the game, i couldn't even touch them... so i made it my mission to get really good so i can beat them someday

i finally think i have reached that point skillwise, however i have one problem, i always choke :'(

idk what't wrong with me, it's just that everytime i play them i messed up a lot because i get really nervous

i just make stupid decisions in general

its weird because that only happens with them, when i play strangers online i generally do really good

can someone here relate to me? maybe someone can give some tips to stop being such a scrub?

Thanks

You could be choking because you have some sort of 'rivalry' or w/e with these people and you've set it as your mission to try really hard to best them. Then when you go to fight them you could be getting too nervous because you have it in your head that they might still be better than you. You don't have these expectations of yourself with random people. Try letting loose some more. Relax. Believe that you can beat them.

We should play sometime.

Sure I'd be up for it. Send me a message with your NNID and whenever you wanna play.

 

[HeroMystic]

So, in need for some advice, and I'm hoping for tourney-goers for input.

How do I minimize mental fatigue?

I seem to have this trend where I warm up, then I'm winning consistently through my brackets, then the closer I get to the finals, the worse I start playing, and I can feel it in me when I start losing focus.

It's somewhat hard to explain, but it's like I start noticeably playing worse the further I get into bracket.

 

[NGUY (guitarstage)]

ok so i know this is a pretty common question,but mine is the case when im going to win,everything goes wrong and il ose the match,there are many reason that this may happen to me,but it happens when i get on online tourneys too and even on anthers ladder .Check this out and tell me a way to prevent it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaRpRxw7ReA i lost the first one by what i got into almost all of its hits please i need your help

 

[ATH_]

Take more time in between games, think out what you need to do to change it. Try and practice going into each new game with a fresh mind.

An issue I see all the time that carries from Friendlies is having constant thought of the last game instead of refreshing for the next game. Close your eyes, and clear your mind. Then think of what you wanna do.
You won't be perfect at this at first, but over time, if you practice doing this, it'll become second nature.

 

[NGUY (guitarstage)]

i will probably try that the next time i play anthers ladder or a tourney thx for the advice

 

[Shaya]

So, in need for some advice, and I'm hoping for tourney-goers for input.

How do I minimize mental fatigue?

I seem to have this trend where I warm up, then I'm winning consistently through my brackets, then the closer I get to the finals, the worse I start playing, and I can feel it in me when I start losing focus.

It's somewhat hard to explain, but it's like I start noticeably playing worse the further I get into bracket.

Your body is slowing down as is natural. Your peek mental capabilities are during 10am-2pm and activity only trends downwards from there until sleep.
Eating meals during the day will also slow you down quite a bit. Most top players I know will either not eat on a tournament day at all or only breakfast + very light things throughout.
Keep hydrated, help your TO make brackets run faster, try to find a focus and stick to it and do everything in your might to not let it sway.
I'm not sure how many years of tournament experience you have but it could just be the nerves of it all hitting you hard, and it just takes frequency + perseverance to get over it.

 

[Endei]

Can anyone give me some tips on how to get EVEN better at this game? Like top 16 level? I'm already good at this game. But i'm really having trouble being masterful.

I know how to be aware, how to space, admittedly i'm a bit slow on the inputs but that can't be all i'm doing wrong.
I play every single character so I know how to play and what they do.

I try not to fish for kills when the % is high and I am careful when i'm a stock ahead.

Is playing very good people strongly encouraged? Am I just being unlucky? I miss 90% of my moves. Am I really that predictable?

If it does take playing very good people can any of you help me out? I really want to prove my worth for this game.

 

[Funkermonster]

What do you guys to cure your own salt and make it go away? Playing online, I get this every now and then and it affects me quite a bit. Like in one of these scenarios

• If I'm on a losing streak for more than 3 games
• I lose to somebody I don't feel is very good at the game, and I feel really stupid for not reading his obvious patterns during the fight and falling for them. Whenever I lose to somebody I don't think very highly of, I almost always want to stick around for revenge (and unfortunately sometimes I don't get it and keep losing) and try to beat them again, saying in my mind "I shouldn't have fallen for that, he's not that freakin' good. I don't go out like this, let's try that again.". Sometimes they leave immediately after winning only one game, which makes me even saltier.
• On some days, I feel like my physical execution is really sloppy and I feel that I am playing a little worse than usual. Other times, I feel like I've reached a peak where I can't improve anymore and I've gotten as good as I can get, and still not that good overall.

Any pointers on dealing with my own saltiness?

 

[Endei]

What do you guys to cure your own salt and make it go away? Playing online, I get this every now and then and it affects me quite a bit. Like in one of these scenarios

• If I'm on a losing streak for more than 3 games
• I lose to somebody I don't feel is very good at the game, and I feel really stupid for not reading his obvious patterns during the fight and falling for them. Whenever I lose to somebody I don't think very highly of, I almost always want to stick around for revenge (and unfortunately sometimes I don't get it and keep losing) and try to beat them again, saying in my mind "I shouldn't have fallen for that, he's not that freakin' good. I don't go out like this, let's try that again.". Sometimes they leave immediately after winning only one game, which makes me even saltier.
• On some days, I feel like my physical execution is really sloppy and I feel that I am playing a little worse than usual. Other times, I feel like I've reached a peak where I can't improve anymore and I've gotten as good as I can get, and still not that good overall.

Any pointers on dealing with my own saltiness?

In For Glory it's real easy to get frustrated. And when they leave after only one victory they know that you're going to beat them in the next round. At least that's what I like to think. Often times you'll find yourself SD'ing and missing attacks and that doesn't necessarily make you a bad player, its just misinterpreting the game in terms of how much it'll let you do. Like I know i'm a good player and I know I can rival a top player but the mistakes/slips I make are costly where I think i'm safe but i'm actually not.

 

[NGUY (guitarstage)]

What do you guys to cure your own salt and make it go away? Playing online, I get this every now and then and it affects me quite a bit. Like in one of these scenarios

• If I'm on a losing streak for more than 3 games
• I lose to somebody I don't feel is very good at the game, and I feel really stupid for not reading his obvious patterns during the fight and falling for them. Whenever I lose to somebody I don't think very highly of, I almost always want to stick around for revenge (and unfortunately sometimes I don't get it and keep losing) and try to beat them again, saying in my mind "I shouldn't have fallen for that, he's not that freakin' good. I don't go out like this, let's try that again.". Sometimes they leave immediately after winning only one game, which makes me even saltier.
• On some days, I feel like my physical execution is really sloppy and I feel that I am playing a little worse than usual. Other times, I feel like I've reached a peak where I can't improve anymore and I've gotten as good as I can get, and still not that good overall.

Any pointers on dealing with my own saltiness?

Like ATH_ saidto me get the frustration out of your mind close your eyes and forget about the past game

 

[KittyKyat]

What do you guys to cure your own salt and make it go away? Playing online, I get this every now and then and it affects me quite a bit. Like in one of these scenarios

• If I'm on a losing streak for more than 3 games
• I lose to somebody I don't feel is very good at the game, and I feel really stupid for not reading his obvious patterns during the fight and falling for them. Whenever I lose to somebody I don't think very highly of, I almost always want to stick around for revenge (and unfortunately sometimes I don't get it and keep losing) and try to beat them again, saying in my mind "I shouldn't have fallen for that, he's not that freakin' good. I don't go out like this, let's try that again.". Sometimes they leave immediately after winning only one game, which makes me even saltier.
• On some days, I feel like my physical execution is really sloppy and I feel that I am playing a little worse than usual. Other times, I feel like I've reached a peak where I can't improve anymore and I've gotten as good as I can get, and still not that good overall.

Any pointers on dealing with my own saltiness?

Honestly, don't think about the game like in skill level. I like to think "okay, they're doing [insertspam,rolling,whateverhere] alot, what can I do about it?" and try to play around it. Watch replays and stuff and just see where things go wrong and learn from it. But, bad games happen and you just gotta shake it off and have fun! Don't take For Glory too seriously and have fun learning your characters, whether you get bodied, or you dominate. If you find it to be too common, take a break for a little bit and come back later with a fresh mind.

 

[RBreadsticks]

What do you guys to cure your own salt and make it go away? Playing online, I get this every now and then and it affects me quite a bit. Like in one of these scenarios

• If I'm on a losing streak for more than 3 games
• I lose to somebody I don't feel is very good at the game, and I feel really stupid for not reading his obvious patterns during the fight and falling for them. Whenever I lose to somebody I don't think very highly of, I almost always want to stick around for revenge (and unfortunately sometimes I don't get it and keep losing) and try to beat them again, saying in my mind "I shouldn't have fallen for that, he's not that freakin' good. I don't go out like this, let's try that again.". Sometimes they leave immediately after winning only one game, which makes me even saltier.
• On some days, I feel like my physical execution is really sloppy and I feel that I am playing a little worse than usual. Other times, I feel like I've reached a peak where I can't improve anymore and I've gotten as good as I can get, and still not that good overall.

Any pointers on dealing with my own saltiness?

Every loss you get consider it a win, because you learned something from it. Maybe you learned something about a particular match up. Maybe you learned something punishable about your particular play style. Maybe you picked up something your opponent did that will help you with your fundamentals. In games like this a loss is a win because as cheesey as it sounds knowledge is power

Save and rewatch your replays. You'll be able to spot what you did wrong or your opponent did right and make adjustments for the future.

Don't play mind games with yourself. If you're frustrated or upset your opponent will have an easy time winning. Mixup your play style so your opponent feels frustrated instead. Save the mind games for them.

Overall practice makes perfect. Play your main every day as many matches as you can. Search the character forums and practice new techniques and combos as you go.

 

[outfoxd]

What do you guys to cure your own salt and make it go away? Playing online, I get this every now and then and it affects me quite a bit. Like in one of these scenarios

• If I'm on a losing streak for more than 3 games
• I lose to somebody I don't feel is very good at the game, and I feel really stupid for not reading his obvious patterns during the fight and falling for them. Whenever I lose to somebody I don't think very highly of, I almost always want to stick around for revenge (and unfortunately sometimes I don't get it and keep losing) and try to beat them again, saying in my mind "I shouldn't have fallen for that, he's not that freakin' good. I don't go out like this, let's try that again.". Sometimes they leave immediately after winning only one game, which makes me even saltier.
• On some days, I feel like my physical execution is really sloppy and I feel that I am playing a little worse than usual. Other times, I feel like I've reached a peak where I can't improve anymore and I've gotten as good as I can get, and still not that good overall.

Any pointers on dealing with my own saltiness?

Everything everyone else said it's good, but sometimes, go play another game. or paint. Write. Box a couple rounds with a friend. Whatever floats your boat. I had an ugly session last night do I cut it early and played some Monster Hunter.

 

[HeroMystic]

I only recommend grinding if you consider yourself a low-tier player. At that point, you do need to play as many games as possible in order to build up the reaction time and muscle memory for the game.

At a point though, grinding becomes less efficient because you already have muscle memory down, and at that point you need to play better players to find the holes in your playstyle. It's by that time I would recommend only playing a few serious games a day and use the rest of the time watching videos of other players, practicing techniques, and communicating with your practice partners.

 

[Cypher99]

Anyone have any basic what to do and what not to do for playing in tournaments

 

[Endei]

I only recommend grinding if you consider yourself a low-tier player. At that point, you do need to play as many games as possible in order to build up the reaction time and muscle memory for the game.

At a point though, grinding becomes less efficient because you already have muscle memory down, and at that point you need to play better players to find the holes in your playstyle. It's by that time I would recommend only playing a few serious games a day and use the rest of the time watching videos of other players, practicing techniques, and communicating with your practice partners.

I'm assuming you're replying to me. Thanks.

 

[extremelotus]

What do you guys to cure your own salt and make it go away? Playing online, I get this every now and then and it affects me quite a bit. Like in one of these scenarios

• If I'm on a losing streak for more than 3 games
• I lose to somebody I don't feel is very good at the game, and I feel really stupid for not reading his obvious patterns during the fight and falling for them. Whenever I lose to somebody I don't think very highly of, I almost always want to stick around for revenge (and unfortunately sometimes I don't get it and keep losing) and try to beat them again, saying in my mind "I shouldn't have fallen for that, he's not that freakin' good. I don't go out like this, let's try that again.". Sometimes they leave immediately after winning only one game, which makes me even saltier.
• On some days, I feel like my physical execution is really sloppy and I feel that I am playing a little worse than usual. Other times, I feel like I've reached a peak where I can't improve anymore and I've gotten as good as I can get, and still not that good overall.

Any pointers on dealing with my own saltiness?

From what advanced gamers tell me, nobody is better than you, unless they are willing to bet money with you and play first to 5. That determines who the real better player is. so don't even get mad, let them blabber all they want. Every game you play with them is just practice, but when the chips start betting in, that's when the real game starts

 

[SimplyMilk]

I have been having a few issues getting into the Smash 4 scene.
I've been into Melee for a few weeks now, and even go to events for it, and I'd like to say that I understand it. At the very least I know how to progress and I know who I like to play, and I know that they're worth playing.

But in Smash 4, I can't seem to dive in. I don't know how, or what, to practice, I don't know who to play, and I don't even know how to play the characters I want to play.

Ness, Bowser Jr., Peach and Zelda right now seem to be my interests as far as characters, but I don't even know how viable each character is, and I can't seem to put my finger on what skills are important im Smash 4.

I understand Ness is suddenly high tier, which gives me a lot of interest in him, even if the game is still new and tiers are to be taken lightly.

What should I really be aware of? What advanced things should I be practicing? What are just general things you might tell someone when they tell you "I want to get into Smash 4, but I don't know where to begin."

 

[KittyKyat]

I've been playing smash for a while, but I feel like I have one major issue keeping me from improving.

I can't space well.

Considering I main Shulk, it really hurts that I get shield grabbed trying to nair and just messing up my positioning, and losing to someone I feel I could beat only if I could space. How should I practice spacing and the such so I can actially improve?

 

[Neoleo21]

Smash 4 is extremely match up oriented (meaning there are many meaningful matchups that you are going to have to understand eventually) and fundamentals based highlighting footsies, stage positioning, spacing moves properly and using your given options at the correct time (rolling, spot dodging etc.). Since you've narrowed down some of your character choices, it would be wise to visit the individual character boards so you can better make a decision. Also check out the stickied stage list thread to see what stages you should be practicing on. Lastly, once you do figure out your "main", unlock the custom moves for them using all star mode on hard and learn how those work.

 

[AnchorTea]

Figure out your main that feels the most comfortable (fits your playstyle)

Find that main by testing all of the characters in stock battles

Join the character boards of your sm4sh main

read a guide about your main (optional)

Good Luck.

 

[Raijinken]

Play lots of characters, learn lots of characters. There isn't really much refined technique to practice, so your best improvements will come from just playing other players and characters more.

 

[HeavyLobster]

I'm not sure if anyone's really sure about how good Peach and Jr. are. They're two of the bigger question marks on the roster. Ness is good and Zelda is bad. The best way to get good in Smash 4 is by playing good people. You can play on Anther's Ladder or get involved in tourneys, either online or offline. There's plenty of ways to find matches against quality competition, so be sure to take advantage of them.

 

[popsofctown]

As a Mario main I feel like I progress a lot an learn a lot by identifying what moves I have that are safe on block, and on which characters they are safe on block, and making sure to find opportunities to use them. I've found safe on block to be really important in Smash 4, because blocking (shielding) itself is more frequent and stronger than in Melee.
Ness probably has some safe on block, I'm not sure. Peach I have no doubt has loads of it. And learn which of your fsmashes are safe on block on which characters! Bowser Jr. I think does have it in the form of rising aerials out of car dash, but he camps a lot and stuff.
Don't play Zelda. She was in the bottom 15% of characters in the past two games and did not receive enough overhaul to seem like a good investment of time.

 

[extremelotus]

I've been playing smash for a while, but I feel like I have one major issue keeping me from improving.

I can't space well.

Considering I main Shulk, it really hurts that I get shield grabbed trying to nair and just messing up my positioning, and losing to someone I feel I could beat only if I could space. How should I practice spacing and the such so I can actially improve?

Go to training mode, and use all of shulks moves. Make sure you only hit people with only the very tip of your moves. Calculate the max range on your moves so that you can space it well. Practice it and you'll be fine

 

[Shin Chie]

This is a question that has been asked probaly many times but, how do I improve my mental game in general? Its really hard for me, for some reason, to read people. I don't know what to do in a lot of situations.

 

[BranFlakes217]

So, i'm gonna do doubles with a friend at a Sm4sh tourney, and i need to get a clear grasp on Stage choosing and striking .

 

[Supersmashbrothers.]

So I am a casual looking to improve my Smashing. I've played Melee, Brawl and currently SSB4 U and only recently have considered playing competitively. I need some tips and I thought It would be appropriate to ask the Smash community.

 

[HeavyLobster]

Play good people. Learn your basic options with the characters you play. Get involved in tourneys, online or local, depending on what's available to you. If you really want to get into competitive you can face me. I'll send you a friend request.

 

[HeavyLobster]

It seems you've disabled the option to receive friend requests. Anyways, if you want to play, just add me as HeavyLobster43.

 

[anaglyphix]

sweaty hands. anyone know a way to fix this?

 

[HeroMystic]

I know a few players in other games that have that problem (There's one player from Starcraft II that is literally known for this). The best thing you can do is relax. When you're tense, you sweat a lot more. If sweat is that much of an issue, it's advised to bring a hand towel to keep your hands and controller dry between matches.