Granted, it definitely seems harder to maintain constant aggression with Falcon, as opposed to the space animals, but I feel like if I'm just better than the people I play against, I should be able to be as aggressive as I want. As far as the neutral game goes, I feel like these are my goals right now.
Being "agressive" may seem like a style choice to you, but to your opponents, it's you jumping at them repeatedly. If you're approaching, then there's an answer to that, and unless you're a spacie or peach you can't really just mash your tech skill and win the trade. While being "better" than your opponent may seem like the way around this problem, you gotta consider what actually being better means. Most of the time, it's just being more consistent, or a more well rounded skillset, sometimes a combination of the two. So do what you can: Have consistent followups, and have a solid approach. But you're not helping yourself if you're placing your style of play over winning. Falcon's really good at moving in, but once he's in, he's pretty vulnerable. Why not use his skillset for getting out, too?
in summary, don't plow headfirst into bad situations. It's asking to get *****, and if you keep doing it, you'll keep getting *****, because you're falcon.
1. I have to maintain near perfect spacing, and understand how to make the spacing perfect. I think this sometimes means something as simple as being at the max range, but it seems like sometimes it might mean more. Let me give you a scenario. Imagine that as falcon, you have landed a perfectly low and far away nair on the front of marth's shield. Instead of just doing it again, maybe I should start the other nair while moving through marth, so by the second hit I hit the back of his shield and if he tried to wavedash backward oos, I'll hit his retreat and be able to combo into x. It seems like there are situations like that where spacing is more complicated than it seems to be.
This is correct but I suggest you remove the "move length" concept of spacing from the equation. Like, if you're throwing nairs and you end up in shield grab range, then you've got a problem. But otherwise don't be too concerned with it, falcon's range is kinda ***.
What he does have though is a *****ing jump heights, the illest running speed and a ****ton of momentum. Your spacing should be more concerned with where you're jumping from, where the strong parts / sweetspots of your attacks are going to be in your jump arc, and where you're landing and what you're doing to mix up upon landing. Then, if your move gets blocked, who gives a ****! You're out of there by now.
The best advice I can give you in this situation to move before you attack. Good players make more adjustments to where they are before they throw a move, especially in close quarters.
2. I have to be able to recognize the instant defensive options become available. One thing I think I've had a lot of trouble with is getting hit with things like spotdodge shine because I think that the falco is still in teching animation or is still in lag for some reason. It seems like amazing players have a much better sense of timing than normal players, not only in continuing their combos, but also in the neutral position in general. How do I train myself to always know when not to attack, and how do I learn the best things to be doing with the time I gained by not attacking?
David Sirlin wrote some cool stuff to this same tune. Chapters 8 & 9 of his book,
Critical Points and
Presence of Mind, respectively, have segments that talk about hard knockdown and audio cues. I suggest reading both pages, it's good fighting game food for thought.
Most people will tell you "experience", but when on the offensive, I find I hit my tech chase when I make a mental note of whatever happened last time. if they neutral tech shined and I got hit, I need to remember they did that, because otherwise I'll get hit by it again. That's wasting a valuable techchase, and the knowing I wasted something valuable helps me keep it in mind.
In neutral, it's a similar deal. "I overshot a nair last time we were both under the platforms. I won't overshoot a nair again
unless I can put him in a position where he's retreating." While it's OK to try things from neutral, it's not ok to make the same mistake twice. That's called a habit.
3. Pressure. . . If I'm dedicating myself to this aggressive playstyle, I need to be able to make sure the game is ALWAYS being played on my terms.
I cut out that paragraph because S2J's knowledge basically covered it. However, I did want to respond to this sentence. This is the something said by someone who watches falcon, but not someone who plays him. Falcon just can't apply that kind of pressure. To have that kind of presence requires punishing the opponent for everything they try in neutral; they'll be too scared to try anything after getting their 3rd stock **** comboed away. Doing so involves safely closing distance until your opponent tries something, then out-manuvering and punishing.
Key word is "Safely". If your opponent can make falcon shed blood in neutral, they know he isn't a god, and then they aren't scared anymore. It seems to me like you want that kind of presence for the sake of
not playing the neutral game.
Irish Mafia, I was thinking about getting hacked melee so I can visually see when things are in hitstun (if that's possible) I feel like that would help my combo game and maybe convince me to wiggle out a little faster...
I believe that all melee players have a better sense for hitstun than they could describe. We've all seen fox get juggled a billion times. And BTW, wiggling out doesn't decrease hitstun, it only gets you out of tumble faster. It doesn't help falcon out much, because you can aerial/jump out of tumble just as easily.
