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Inconsistent at battles - Sometimes brilliant, usually terrible

ItsASquid

Smash Apprentice
Joined
Feb 11, 2016
Messages
98
Location
SW England
I'm not sure why but there are rare times when I can perform much better than normal. I can see right through opponents, can practically see their next move and can perform well as anyone. In a matter of a couple of hours later, I suddenly become much worse, and get 3-stock perfected by everyone I face. Why the inconsistencies? What's so different about me in a day where I do amazing at first, but when I come back shortly after, everyone perfect game 3 stock teabags me?
 

SteadyDisciple

Smash Journeyman
Joined
Apr 13, 2015
Messages
248
NNID
Rorrim
Hmm... When you observe these inconsistencies, what are you playing? Local multiplayer? Quick play? Arenas? Different modes have different elements involved that could contribute. Also, is it always that you start good, then get worse, or is it the other way around sometimes?
 

KIRBY MAIN

Smash Cadet
Joined
Jan 9, 2019
Messages
38
Well, you are fighting different people everytime, right? That will almost always cause inconsistencies, due in part to the fact that everybody plays a bit differently.
 

Xelrog

Smash Lord
Joined
Feb 24, 2019
Messages
1,136
Location
Battle Ground, WA
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Save a replay from one of your early winning matches and one from your later losses and compare them. Are you playing differently? Maybe you're just fatigued after some time--that's very common.

Otherwise, it could be that you know how to predict some playstyles and characters but not others, and you just need to learn how to read the ones you're less familiar with.
 

Mischiiii

Smash Apprentice
Joined
Jan 2, 2019
Messages
117
Location
Germany (Hessen)
I know what you mean. I have the same issue. I think it’s concentration that’s going down or is already low when you start playing.

I wish i knew a workaround for this.
 

TheDuke54

Smash Journeyman
Joined
Apr 19, 2016
Messages
394
You're probably tired. I mean if you're trying to do do a few rounds before you go to bed or late at night after a fit day, you're going to be fatigued like Xelrog said.
 

Uffe

Smash Hero
Joined
Jun 14, 2008
Messages
5,500
Location
Fresno
I deal with this usually as well. I did great after three days of not playing, and then after sometime, I just got progressively worse. I'm beginning to think it's not that I'm inconsistent, but that people are just getting better than me within a few days, which is annoying, because it's like I have to work even harder to get to their level.
 

DelugeFGC

Smash Stick Space Cowboy
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Jan 30, 2019
Messages
737
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Tennessee (US)
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I'd say the mental aspect is playing the biggest role in this here. If you're having periods where you do really well, provided you aren't going up against someone WAY above you in skill level all of a sudden, there's reason to believe in terms of execution / knowledge you're in a decent enough place to get results. The reason is likely pressure, even subconscious pressure you put on yourself. Also could be anything from being tired or being stressed to having a bad day. ANY thing that mentally takes you away will result in imbalance in your performance.. lord knows I've done the walk of shame out my share of locals back in the day when I had a good run and all of a sudden cracked and made myself look like I didn't know how to play when I first got into the scene.

Nerves go a long way, as the mental game in Smash is a big aspect of it.. it's kind of like the fastest game of chess you can imagine.. cliche simile / example at this point but it's the truth. You can have some of the best execution in the world to carry you through advantage / edge when you get there, but if you can't get your mind to show up to dinner to win neutral it's an uphill battle for sure. It's almost baffling how many little aspects can throw off your game here (mentally) and going into them all would take.. a while, and I could also be 100% totally off the mark. But it's worth considering, it's been something that's affected me plenty in the past and I'm sure many other people.

Otherwise, if it's NOT that and you find your execution messing up clear / free follow ups and combos.. then it's likely more a mechanical issue (you can carry yourself to a POINT with good neutral or good execution in advantage, etc... but only so far, you need a well rounded game overall) and the solution is going to lab out your options more and just practicing for experience. Hell, that's pretty much ALWAYS the answer to a point. There will be times where you feel like you're plateauing, you may fear you've even peaked.. push through it, you haven't. It's a journey that never ends, this one.
 
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Crystanium

Smash Hero
Joined
Apr 28, 2008
Messages
5,921
Location
California
I know the feeling. I say inconsistency is my problem. It'd be nice to just be able to play consistently, even if you're fighting someone who may be a better player.
 

ItsASquid

Smash Apprentice
Joined
Feb 11, 2016
Messages
98
Location
SW England
Hmm... When you observe these inconsistencies, what are you playing? Local multiplayer? Quick play? Arenas? Different modes have different elements involved that could contribute. Also, is it always that you start good, then get worse, or is it the other way around sometimes?
It's never a set pattern. Sometimes I start rough against basic opponents, then I come back later and can stand toe to toe with bouncy, tourney-like opponents. Always in Quickplay though.
 

DelugeFGC

Smash Stick Space Cowboy
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Tennessee (US)
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But why? Seriously, without a clear indication of what's making you do bad, it pretty much only leaves a mental aspect like self-induced pressure or etc. Otherwise there would be an easy to pinpoint cause, such as 'oh I keep missing my kill setups' or 'man I can't DI to save my life', etc.
 

chipndip

Smash Journeyman
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Jul 14, 2014
Messages
439
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Chiptendo
3DS FC
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I'm having a hard time trying to make a response due to the inconsistency between your title and the post itself, so I'm just gonna scattershot this and hope something works

If your problem is that your performance degrades over time: Take a vitamin every morning, be well rested, stay hydrated, and stay fed. I don't think there's a way to "train" your long-term concentration, but there's ways to help.

If your problem is that you sometimes play "super well" but most of the time you don't: That's because most of the time...you don't play well. You may perform in short instances but your general play pattern might be bad. That can be fixed by just learning the game better. Working on reacting and playing around different variables, learning match-up knowledge and how it applies to your characters, learning combos and movement options, optimizing punishes and learning how to condition people...all sorts of stuff can help push you a few bits further. The fact that you have some small instances of strong play shows that you have some potential, but you need to work on being less random when it comes to creating your opportunities. Not saying that this stuff is formulaic...cause it's not, but you should have a game plan of how you want to do things and play to it. That comes with experience, and it varies A LOT depending on your character. Ask people that might know more than you about your character and what they should be doing when, both in general and in specific match-ups/match-up types.
 

chipndip

Smash Journeyman
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Chiptendo
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I deal with this usually as well. I did great after three days of not playing, and then after sometime, I just got progressively worse. I'm beginning to think it's not that I'm inconsistent, but that people are just getting better than me within a few days, which is annoying, because it's like I have to work even harder to get to their level.
If you're playing the same people over that time frame, they aren't getting better. You're just super predictable.

I have the same issue. Since I'm privileged with Yoshi's double jump, I have to actively fight myself to keep from doing the same Yoshi-covery (the whole "double jump over the ledge and f-air/d-air you for free damage" one) every time. Sometimes it's aight, but more seasoned players know it's coming and will just run back and f-smash your face. Learning to be less predictable and expanding my options definitely helps to keep me close to the top among my circle of friends and acquaintances that play this game.
 
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DelugeFGC

Smash Stick Space Cowboy
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Expanding upon what Chip posted, there's a million variables that can cause what the OP described. I've seen people with totally braindead neutrals who once they finally luck out and clip their opponent with something, go on some execution-heavy, jaw dropping slamjam that completely invalidates the other player's stock. At the opposite end of things, I've seen people play some of the most galaxy brain neutral games you'd ever see, then only to get trapped in disadvantage or perhaps win neutral and have a follow up / confirm window.. then just go completely dim and it's.. usually not pretty in the aftermath.

There are SO, SO many variables that will impact how you do. How good is your neutral game? How well are you able to apply pressure AND respond to pressure from an opponent? Are you being conditioned by your opponent.. do you know how to condition them? How good is your execution? Do you find yourself sometimes landing hype replay combos into kills, but most of the time find yourself missing what should be totally free follow-ups? How good is your DI and how consistently do you apply it to your general gameplay in matches? How much tech do you know? What is your movement like, what movement options do you know..? I could go on, and on.. and on..

Without some sort of clear indication of what it is, or replays.. or something like that.. well there's just SO much it could be that we're all left to really just shoot in the dark hoping we hit something. In order for us to try and help, try to think of specific aspects of your gameplay during matches that you wish were better.. and we can go from there. Anything like that, really.
 

Uffe

Smash Hero
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Fresno
If you're playing the same people over that time frame, they aren't getting better. You're just super predictable.

I have the same issue. Since I'm privileged with Yoshi's double jump, I have to actively fight myself to keep from doing the same Yoshi-covery (the whole "double jump over the ledge and f-air/d-air you for free damage" one) every time. Sometimes it's aight, but more seasoned players know it's coming and will just run back and f-smash your face. Learning to be less predictable and expanding my options definitely helps to keep me close to the top among my circle of friends and acquaintances that play this game.
I only know one person in person who I play against, but for the most part, I play against a lot of other players on Elite Smash. I probably am being predictable at times, though, I'm certain that's something I'm being.
 

DelugeFGC

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I haven't played much Elite Smash this past month, but if the meta of ES is the same then I wouldn't say it's a good place to practice anything as it's sort of rocking a different meta at the moment. Battle Arena games with people you know, all parties having good LAN connections and such, is by far the way to go if you don't have offline partners.

Playing the same person isn't going to kill you either, but it also isn't fantastic. One person is one person, and eventually (especially if the two of you don't fight anyone else between these sessions) you'll start basing how you play solely off how to counter that one specific person. Then later down the line you'll play someone else and everything you know will feel like a lie. Sort of like a.. less handicapping version of playing CPU's. Still better than CPU's though, and definitely better than nothing.
 
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chipndip

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I only know one person in person who I play against, but for the most part, I play against a lot of other players on Elite Smash. I probably am being predictable at times, though, I'm certain that's something I'm being.
It's possible you're just doing "what every Ness player does". When you gain GSP, you potentially run into people that can deal with your level of Ness play, and when you lose GSP, you're once again faced with people you can beat up on.

For starters, I preface this by saying that online results aren't super important and you shouldn't stress over them. Ever. The difference between online and offline isn't night and day...but it's bad. Kind of like morning and evening in the winter time...so it's pretty damn close to night and day.

Secondly, if you can work on developing and polishing a play style with your character (Ness in this case), you'll find good improvement for yourself. I used to feel really ****ty about my Palutena as a secondary pick, but then I decided to say "**** it" and work on developing my play on her to address WHY I wanted to pick up a pocket character in the first place...which was to deal with zoners and lame out super heavies. Working that angle into my play, and working on removing online habits, helped boost my confidence/performance on Palutena so I can pull her out during the little tourneys I go to when I think Yoshi isn't cutting it, which sometimes happens.

Bringing this back to your case, though: When you develop and polish a play style, it can help with your confidence in the neutral game, and confidence leads to a more commanding performance. Idk if having a flimsy/undercooked play style is your problem, but it could be, especially since randoms online are, apparently, figuring you out too easily mid match.
 

chipndip

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I haven't played much Elite Smash this past month, but if the meta of ES is the same then I wouldn't say it's a good place to practice anything as it's sort of rocking a different meta at the moment. Battle Arena games with people you know, all parties having good LAN connections and such, is by far the way to go if you don't have offline partners.

Playing the same person isn't going to kill you either, but it also isn't fantastic. One person is one person, and eventually (especially if the two of you don't fight anyone else between these sessions) you'll start basing how you play solely off how to counter that one specific person. Then later down the line you'll play someone else and everything you know will feel like a lie. Sort of like a.. less handicapping version of playing CPU's. Still better than CPU's though, and definitely better than nothing.
Honestly I can't give two flips about Elite Smash anymore. I love Smash but I rarely play it at home. I'd rather drive out and find some people that want to sit down and run it with me.
 

Uffe

Smash Hero
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Messages
5,500
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Fresno
It's possible you're just doing "what every Ness player does". When you gain GSP, you potentially run into people that can deal with your level of Ness play, and when you lose GSP, you're once again faced with people you can beat up on.

For starters, I preface this by saying that online results aren't super important and you shouldn't stress over them. Ever. The difference between online and offline isn't night and day...but it's bad. Kind of like morning and evening in the winter time...so it's pretty damn close to night and day.

Secondly, if you can work on developing and polishing a play style with your character (Ness in this case), you'll find good improvement for yourself. I used to feel really ****ty about my Palutena as a secondary pick, but then I decided to say "**** it" and work on developing my play on her to address WHY I wanted to pick up a pocket character in the first place...which was to deal with zoners and lame out super heavies. Working that angle into my play, and working on removing online habits, helped boost my confidence/performance on Palutena so I can pull her out during the little tourneys I go to when I think Yoshi isn't cutting it, which sometimes happens.

Bringing this back to your case, though: When you develop and polish a play style, it can help with your confidence in the neutral game, and confidence leads to a more commanding performance. Idk if having a flimsy/undercooked play style is your problem, but it could be, especially since randoms online are, apparently, figuring you out too easily mid match.
I usually do fine in Elite Smash. When I come across a match up I'm unfamiliar with, or if the person is just way better than me, then that's when I start to have trouble. Projectile characters also give me issues. Reflecting isn't necessarily a good option, either. I am trying to throw Ness' PSI Magnet into my playstyle, because I've seen its uses in top level play, so yeah, I'm basically trying to polish up my skill. Another issue I have is dealing with very evasive players. I see top players who use Ness make it look easy to deal with and I'm just never sure how they get away with the things they do.
 

chipndip

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I usually do fine in Elite Smash. When I come across a match up I'm unfamiliar with, or if the person is just way better than me, then that's when I start to have trouble. Projectile characters also give me issues. Reflecting isn't necessarily a good option, either. I am trying to throw Ness' PSI Magnet into my playstyle, because I've seen its uses in top level play, so yeah, I'm basically trying to polish up my skill. Another issue I have is dealing with very evasive players. I see top players who use Ness make it look easy to deal with and I'm just never sure how they get away with the things they do.
I mean, I can only give basic anecdotal advice since, after all my years of playing this franchise (all the titles), I could probably count the amount of times I've used Ness on my hands and feet. This is where you start digging deeper into character-specific advice.
 
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