How do you treat beginners in For Glory 1v1?

[missla]

Tonight I played 7 or 8 For Glory 1v1 matches with a player whom it was obvious had just gotten the game and was trying out the characters by playing online rather than by practicing against computers in regular Smash. They selected a different character against me each time and it was just clear that they were checking buttons and trying out different attacks for the first time. When I would beat them with a character, they'd follow up by playing the same character I just played and start playing around with the moves, almost like, "Hey, that worked well when they did it against me, so I want to try it too!" Once they figured out that Charizard was invincible during his rock smash, he just followed me around the stage pulling out that rock and trying to land it on me.

As soon as I figured out they were a very beginner, I dialed back my skill so they could figure out their moves and get some hits in. My question is, how would you play against a very beginner in a For Glory 1v1 match?

On the one hand, For Glory is a really competitive mode and it really would be better if they practiced with each of the characters against computers first before launching into that. Especially on 1v1, one should never expect to find an easy match, so launching straight into it right off the bat isn't always the best decision. Playing at full skill against them would be a wake-up call that they need to practice their characters more and not just be figuring out buttons in an actual match.

On the other hand, I don't want to discourage players who might immediately quit For Glory mode because it's too hard, when they could be so much better after some time. A few times during those matches, I stood back, let him figure out his moves, and let him approach me rather than going in to fight him (then again, would people take that as disrespect?). When he played Little Mac and started Jolt Haymaker-ing all over the place, I stayed towards the middle so he wouldn't accidentally fly right off the edge and SD with it.

So, what would you do? Stand back and let the beginner practice against you, giving them time to learn their moves and allow them to hit you a few times? Or would you display your full skill against them and let that be their learning experience? Would you continue to play them to get easy wins, continue to play them with your skill toned down so that they can continue to have a gentler learning experience, or would you leave and try to find a different opponent that would be more your skill level?

 

[PKBeam]

use them as easy experience for your secondaries. maybe let them live up to 200%. i just keep going at it til they leave.

 

[Eisal]

It's not always I get the hint when people are beginners or not until it's too late. But when I do get the hint, I slow down a bit and just attack people with jabs and forward attacks pretty much, and then I try to accustom myself to the fight.

 

[pixelatedcody]

It really depends, sometimes I'll just try to get them to leave by going all in- or I pick other characters that aren't apart of my main 4 I usually play.

 

[MarioFireRed]

If it's a character I play as well, I switch to their character the next round and use my own playstyle to show my opponent a decent way to play them.

 

[JingleJangleJamil]

I usually go for showing my full skill. I do it because of two reasons:

1. To show them how most players will be so they can get better.

2. To show them that they shouldn't just go on FG and use characters they have never touched before, they should first go to training mode and test out all of the characters moves.

 

[PurpleWeeaboo]

I just play normally honestly.

No point in dumbing down your abilities just to give them a fair advantage.

Losing is a big part in any sort of game, and if they truly want to get better you have to give them a reason to get better.

 

[EndlessRain]

I try to "teach" them a little bit. If they are constantly using the same attack, I will consistently punish it the same way. I stick to two or three easily-punished moves or strings, in the hopes that they will realise that spam can be beaten. I will also focus on their character's weaknesses: vs. Mac, I will always put him offstage even if a usmash can kill him off the top, vs. Shulk I will play reactively, avoiding attacks and punishing their lag, so that they get that they need good timing and spacing, that committing can be bad. If they suck at say, recovering in general, I will kill them only through edgeguards, to get them to work on that part of their game.

If I myself want to practice, I go Gdorf and 2 stock them in like 16 seconds, then leave.

 

[genesis_SOC]

Give them an honest beating so they can see how the game is meant to be played then leave.

 

[FatSlapper]

I usually try to keep things fair if my opponent self destructs early, I'll SD early, if he isn't moving, I'm not gonna rack up damage on him but maybe I'll just pick him up a lot, he trolls I troll blah blah.

I don't really care about my record stats and quite a few games left me with very salty balls because I SDd myself and my opponent didn't want a rematch but whateva, whateva, I'll do what I want.

 

[Zatchiel]

Pick apart their habits and hope they show some signs of adaptation. If they don't seem to be learning from that then I don't want to continue abusing the fact that they aren't as experienced as I am, and I wouldn't be enjoying the games doing that so I would leave. If they do seem to be adapting then I'll use a weaker secondary, while trying to avoid the ditto (even if I know the character well) unless we've played enough for them to appear to understand that I mean no disrespect during our games.

In general I play a lot slower and more attentively while moderating my punishes so they have some time to think about what they're doing wrong. I don't condemn the other players that choose to give an earnest, outright beating to someone apparently less experienced than they are though, as it is For Glory.

 

[TheGreatShal]

I guess I can give my take since well, I am a bit of a beginner to begin with!

As others have said, when I used to spam the Bowser Bomb constantly, the pros would punish me a lot, but it helped me out in the long run, until I would do something else incredibly stupid like trying to spike them with down a. And yeah, losing was a huge help for me in the long run, it helped me get much better.

 

[warionumbah2]

I use them as a punching bag and style on them, then i leave right after.I won't gain anything out of staying.

 

[Inger]

I try to go easy. I punish them for noob tactics so they dont repeat them (projectile spamming) but let them learn the character and the mechanics. Basically, constructive punishment. Spam roll, and I punish, etc.

 

[Xcano]

I always confuse them for people who want to lay back and be friendly. What Smash is really all about.

 

[Moustachio]

I win once and then leave. Why stay if there's no challenge?

 

[GSM_Dren]

No mercy IMO. If they are a new player then show them what you and your character can do. Inspire them to better themselves. Destroy their hopes and dreams... But really, there is no point to dial back skill. FG is a mode to learn and be competitive, if they are new, then they better be sure to put up their best game.

 

[LunarWingCloud]

I just pick characters I want to practice more instead of my best, like if I see a newbie I'll switch to Dark Pit or Falco so I'm not just wrecking them. I have had a few games where I was doing rounds with Pikachu and I'd reach a newbie and the poor person would be rocked on until I realized I wasn't facing someone my skill level (even though my skill level isn't all that high). By picking a different character I can learn my character's spacing a bit while also giving them a chance to learn to play. It's a bit of a win win.

Despite what others may say if you just trash on a newbie without any purpose it doesn't actually help them improve. You need to do it in a specific way so they realize "oh okay I should improve on this". Sometimes you need to give them a few seconds to grasp what their character's arsenal is and using a non-main can help both players.

 

[Morbi]

I do not really treat beginners any differently as I am usually oblivious as to whether or not they are actually beginners.

 

[Madolche ♦ Procione]

I'm kind of a softie. When I'm decisively crushing someone I start to play around when they're on their last stock, even letting them take a stock off me sometimes so they don't get 2-stocked. Just today I faced a Captain Falcon who wasn't faring so well but I let him get a dair kill because spikes feel nice. Probably not helping them get better but eh.
Usually I just go my secondaries.

 

[Nocally]

My play style is all over the place when I face someone with a lower skill level. If i'm up against the lowest of the lowest I'll just leave, if they are slightly better than beginner i'll just beat them, but play against them in multiple matches. Sometimes when I underestimate someone and I lose or nearly lose, all bets are off since I don't like to boost someones ego because of some mediocre play.

 

[Alfonzo Bagpipez]

I try to time them out XD

It's not satisfying when I succeed.
But I do it anyway.
The troll in me is too stronk.

 

[JingleJangleJamil]

I'm kind of a softie. When I'm decisively crushing someone I start to play around when they're on their last stock, even letting them take a stock off me sometimes so they don't get 2-stocked. Just today I faced a Captain Falcon who wasn't faring so well but I let him get a dair kill because spikes feel nice. Probably not helping them get better but eh.
Usually I just go my secondaries.

I honestly think you should never go easy on a player, a lot of people will take that as an insult. If you really want to be a softie for new players you should go all outer to teach them instead of giving them a false sense of hope.

 

[Madolche ♦ Procione]

I honestly think you should never go easy on a player, a lot of people will take that as an insult. If you really want to be a softie for new players you should go all outer to teach them instead of giving them a false sense of hope.

I make it pretty convincing, so I don't think I've insulted anyone yet. I feel worse when I style on someone. Just personal preference. I do understand your point though.
Remember that some people are just playing the game and not really looking to get better. You could ask why they would be on For Glory in the first place, but it might be because that's more fun for them. I know my casual friends prefer items off when we play, and they sometimes like to break away from FFA to 1v1 each other. I guess circumstances would be different with friends you see more often than just a random dude online, but I think playing them kind of put the sandbagging habit in me.

 

[Lionman]

I destroy them before they grow

 

[Banjo-Kazooie]

Its confusing if you think about it. "Oh, just one game then I'll leave. No point in staying more if I can't learn from him". But with that judgement, someone who is better than you has no obligation in staying more than one game. No matter how much you want to try your luck against them because "now you know how to counter him".

Of course, neither should you stay 10 games against someone who is starting to play the game to boost your win ratio and your e-peen. But when I see someone who is trying its best, I stay at least one more game. After all, the universal tournament setup is
"2 out of 3 games".

TL;DR: Treat the beginners the way you would like pros to treat you.

 

[Shadow_I)ragoon]

Its confusing if you think about it. "Oh, just one game then I'll leave. No point in staying more if I can't learn from him". But with that judgement, someone who is better than you has no obligation in staying more than one game. No matter how much you want to try your luck against them because "now you know how to counter him".

Of course, neither should you stay 10 games against someone who is starting to play the game to boost your win ratio and your e-peen. But when I see someone who is trying its best, I stay at least one more game. After all, the universal tournament setup is
"2 out of 3 games".

TL;DR: Treat the beginners the way you would like pros to treat you.

^this
More often then not good players leave when they see there opponent doesnt have the skills but they shouldnt, its by playing against someone better then you that you start learning if you want to learn that is, if he doesnt, he probably will leave on his own because of saltyness cause he cant see his own mistakes.

 

[Born in 1839...]

I win and continue to stay in the room.

 

[link2702]

i play em just like I do any player. I don't let up.

 

[LOGIA666]

I can certainly see the appeal in going easy on them so they can slowly learn, but I usually just wail on them until they get better or quit. Losing is a part of any competitive game, so when you're getting trashed over and over, you can either use it to your advantage and learn, or let it eat away at you until you quit playing for good. People like Mew2King came about as a result of following the former rather than the latter.

Truth be told, a balance of the two is also nice. Against my girlfriend, who is new to Smash, I'll go slow for a few matches so she can learn, and then go all out for a few matches so she can understand where she is at. A balance of the two is great.

So all in all, whether you go all out, go easy, or switch back and forth doesn't matter, because all three options are good. People learn all sorts of different ways, so you just have to decide for yourself the most ideal method.

 

[BBC7]

I treat them like ****.

 

[stancosmos]

Tonight I played 7 or 8 For Glory 1v1 matches with a player whom it was obvious had just gotten the game and was trying out the characters by playing online rather than by practicing against computers in regular Smash. They selected a different character against me each time and it was just clear that they were checking buttons and trying out different attacks for the first time. When I would beat them with a character, they'd follow up by playing the same character I just played and start playing around with the moves, almost like, "Hey, that worked well when they did it against me, so I want to try it too!" Once they figured out that Charizard was invincible during his rock smash, he just followed me around the stage pulling out that rock and trying to land it on me.

As soon as I figured out they were a very beginner, I dialed back my skill so they could figure out their moves and get some hits in. My question is, how would you play against a very beginner in a For Glory 1v1 match?

On the one hand, For Glory is a really competitive mode and it really would be better if they practiced with each of the characters against computers first before launching into that. Especially on 1v1, one should never expect to find an easy match, so launching straight into it right off the bat isn't always the best decision. Playing at full skill against them would be a wake-up call that they need to practice their characters more and not just be figuring out buttons in an actual match.

On the other hand, I don't want to discourage players who might immediately quit For Glory mode because it's too hard, when they could be so much better after some time. A few times during those matches, I stood back, let him figure out his moves, and let him approach me rather than going in to fight him (then again, would people take that as disrespect?). When he played Little Mac and started Jolt Haymaker-ing all over the place, I stayed towards the middle so he wouldn't accidentally fly right off the edge and SD with it.

So, what would you do? Stand back and let the beginner practice against you, giving them time to learn their moves and allow them to hit you a few times? Or would you display your full skill against them and let that be their learning experience? Would you continue to play them to get easy wins, continue to play them with your skill toned down so that they can continue to have a gentler learning experience, or would you leave and try to find a different opponent that would be more your skill level?

I use these opportunities to try out new characters i want to learn but never really got the chance. (duck hunt, greninja). Basically I always play falcon. Unless i feel i'm a decent amount better than the opponent than i'll do my secondary Shiek. If i feel i'm blowing the opponent out i'll **** around and try to get the feel for a new character.

 

[Butch2884]

I'll use different characters but they'll often get blasted by yoshi or pit in the first match.

 

[Amish Punkrocker]

Ruthless Aggression, my friends. I did the same thing...When I first got Smash and my 2DS, I was completely unaccustomed to the feel of the system. I lost roughly my first 15 FG matches because I wasn't used to the feel of the 2DS. Since I've gotten it, however, I've had much better results. I figure it's better to learn against real people rather than level 9 CPU's I can 4 stock my first time playing. Thus, I do the same service for all the other new players.

 

[neohopeSTF]

I switch to Bowser and try to bowsercide them when I have the stock lead.

 

[N7Kopper]

Wreck them.
Wreck them, then grab their NNID, message them on Miiverse, and offer some pointers.

 

[Mericus]

I wouldn't say I'm " good " , but when it's obviously someone struggling with the basics I change my play up a bit since this is alot of player's " 1st Smash game " after all and FG is the ONLY 1v1 mode with actual players so I understand why they'd go to that mode more than 2 Minute / Items On / I can't stand Yellow Devil mode :u

-I'll generally never edgeguard a new player and stick to center stage to let em recover
-I'm prone to sometimes SD myself if I saw they didn't recover,
-I'm MUCH less agressive
-I don't Taunt
-I try out characters I'm unfamiliar with or I'll just Mirror them
-I may leave > hope they get someone new as well

EDIT :
Yeah... , some of what I'd do may not benefit em as they'd be less prepared for " the real deal " , but IF they can walk away having learned even one bit.... then I'm happy :]

 

[JingleJangleJamil]

Honestly, going HAM on them could be a double edged sword, it can either make them want to catch up to your skill level, or it could discourage them and make them want to give up.

 

[ItsMeBrandon]

I've only seemed to meet one person online so far that I could easily win against, though it took me one game to realize it. After that I let up a bit. I can respect people playing their best no matter what, and heck, I can't read minds, maybe some beginners out there get motivated most by taking a beating. But I'd rather try to help out the other player get better with the game if I can by going a bit easier on them; I think that being full-on aggressive on a beginner is not the best way to do it. It's not how I want to do it, anyway.
And in all seriousness, I just start to feel bad if I outright beat someone down even when they play their best.

 

[Latte]

I'm more or less a beginner myself. When fighting someone who is considerably worse than me, I'll choose characters I don't normally play as.