Is it normal to hardly ever win?

[otter]

mine is 20 percent now >.< before I started actively seeking out help I had a 60 percent win rate but ever since I started trying to "improve" i've just been losing and losing.

yeah, youre definitely over thinking it. just try to have que of things to work on, and when they become habit, add a couple more.

fighting games are hard.

 

[rabbit.soaring]

Seriously, just main random. If you only play three characters out of a 45+ roster, it's extremely unlikely you'll find a playstyle you win with and enjoy. If you main random, you'll probably lose, but that's to be expected, and you might find that a character you might have never tried otherwise is a really good fit for you. An example of this is Diddy Kong, a lot of people will just refuse to play Diddy Kong despite him being a great character, due to reasons like not liking his design or the noises he makes. Be open minded.

 

[AngeloHollow]

You should just take a break. How much of the other smashes have you played? If you're really into the series as a whole then you'll probably end up wanting to come back to the game after a certain point. You should also keep in mind that losing gets you better faster than winning. Looking at your video, it seemed to me that you would benefit from playing better people (that ZSS didn't particularly impress me). Of course, that would result in losing more--but again--that's the best way to get better: playing people better than you.

This is true. However, let me also point out that you will improve this way, if you don't learn anything or fail to understand what you did wrong, then this method will actually be of no help to you. Getting better at any game like this though is through trial and error. You want to get better? Well, you have to first really suck at the game. Let me provide you an example of something. I'm sure many of us have played some insanely hard platform games. Some of the levels just aren't fair, right? And they're ridiculously hard. When we first went through that level, we couldn't do much and died almost right away. You don't give up though. As you keep dying, you start noticing more and more about the level and the way it's laid out, and because of that, you're slowly making more and more progress because you are learning about the game's conventions and how to overcome the level through means of trial and error. Soon enough, after you've died 300 times, you can now beat the level. Here's where this gets fun now. You beat the level once, and every subsequent time you go through that same god forsaken level, you beat it more quickly, with less deaths, and with far more technique and skill than compared to before. After all that time spent with the level it becomes trivially easy to do and it's not a problem anymore. This sort of thing also overlaps with something called "training from Hell".

I'll provide a personal example now. I'm pretty good at Smash 4, but I wouldn't be as good as I am now without a friend who would ONLY play me in Super Sudden Death back when Melee was the latest game. I lost many times to him, and since there was no reasoning with him, I had to learn how to defend myself the hard way. This paid off because even though I kept losing to him, I kept doing better and better every time. It's about trial and error, and being able to learn from those errors.

That will bring me to another point. You WILL lose games, even if you are really good, however, you must learn how to be an honorable and graceful loser. Your opponent did better than you, so congratulate them. Don't cloud your thoughts with hate or anger, because then you get frustrated, you start playing worse, and your skill growth starts stagnating because you're unable to learn from your matches. Don't let the mental fog of war keep you from improving.

 

[Starry.]

well I've been playing on for glory on random and surprisingly it's been really successful. In fact my win rate has gone up from 20 to 49 percent.

I don't know if it's because I was just terrible with sheik or if there was just some other reason but I've actually been having fun with the game again. I still don't know who I like or what characters i'm good as but yeah overall a good result so far. Not really sure if I should just keep playing random or if I should try picking who I want to main. I've been asking people and apparently my best character is still sheik (apparently I was using her a lot better after I started playing random matches but I don't know how true this is lol)

 

[AngeloHollow]

Just keep exploring and see who you perform the best with. I've been dabbling in Shulk and Pac-Man lately, and I might make them 2 new mains of mine.

 

[JingleJangleJamil]

well I've been playing on for glory on random and surprisingly it's been really successful. In fact my win rate has gone up from 20 to 49 percent.

I don't know if it's because I was just terrible with sheik or if there was just some other reason but I've actually been having fun with the game again. I still don't know who I like or what characters i'm good as but yeah overall a good result so far. Not really sure if I should just keep playing random or if I should try picking who I want to main. I've been asking people and apparently my best character is still sheik (apparently I was using her a lot better after I started playing random matches but I don't know how true this is lol)

Another piece of advice: Watch tournament matches and watch how they play. You can learn a lot from watching those matches. You can also watch people play as one of the characters you like to use and learn what are the best options with them.

 

[Senko Zero]

well I've been playing on for glory on random and surprisingly it's been really successful. In fact my win rate has gone up from 20 to 49 percent.

I don't know if it's because I was just terrible with sheik or if there was just some other reason but I've actually been having fun with the game again. I still don't know who I like or what characters i'm good as but yeah overall a good result so far. Not really sure if I should just keep playing random or if I should try picking who I want to main. I've been asking people and apparently my best character is still sheik (apparently I was using her a lot better after I started playing random matches but I don't know how true this is lol)

Sounds to me that you were getting frustrated with the rut you were in and taking a break from that helped you get out of it.

Outside of Shiek, where there any characters in particular you liked playing on random? You can try just playing them for a while. You'll likely surprise yourself with what you can do with what you least expect.

 

[PingPongCop]

Just keep playing, bro. You're new to smash. We all came from somewhere. I used to SUCK at Smash Bros when I first played it 6 years ago. I sucked HARD. I didn't even know how to use my specials. Keep in mind I was 8 back then. I didn't let my age hold me back. 6 years of playing the game I love and here I am. I'm 13, still not the best, not even close. But I've definitely improved IMMENSELY and I laugh at how horridly bad I was back then! These things take time.

Just remember: The people who are GOOD at Smash now are the people who played it and SUCKED back then!

Trust me. You'll succeed. You'll fail. You'll get frustrated. You'll come back and play again. That cycle, if you choose to keep playing, will NEVER end. That's just part of playing games competitively.

 

[Code Bread]

After having played random online, have you found a character that you feel fits your playstyle?

 

[Starry.]

After having played random online, have you found a character that you feel fits your playstyle?

I'm still not really sure what my playstyle is. I've been playing a lot but I can't really figure out who i'm good with or what characters I like >.<

 

[Code Bread]

You'll probably end up liking the character that you're best with.
Just curious. Keep experimenting, find characters that you enjoy using and they'll tell you all kinds of stuff about the player that you are.

 

[Starry.]

You'll probably end up liking the character that you're best with.
Just curious. Keep experimenting, find characters that you enjoy using and they'll tell you all kinds of stuff about the player that you are.

From what i've played I like dedede but I always lose against people using stuff like fox where I just get combo'd and two stocked without being able to land a hit which is no fun at all.

 

[Senko Zero]

From what i've played I like dedede but I always lose against people using stuff like fox where I just get combo'd and two stocked without being able to land a hit which is no fun at all.

Bigger characters are something that takes some getting used to, so don't fret with it. It's a far cry from Shiek.

Why do you or what do you like about Dedede?

 

[Starry.]

Bigger characters are something that takes some getting used to, so don't fret with it. It's a far cry from Shiek.

Why do you or what do you like about Dedede?

He just makes me laugh, he's a funny character and hitting people with a giant hammer is so satisfying. I dunno those are probably terrible reasons but yeah.

 

[JingleJangleJamil]

He just makes me laugh, he's a funny character and hitting people with a giant hammer is so satisfying. I dunno those are probably terrible reasons but yeah.

Those are not terrible reasons. I play Marth because landing tippers feels so good and he just seems like such an honorable character. YOU MUSTAH DEFEND YO HONAH! Besides that, try to find more than one character you like using. You don't want to just use multiple characters that fit the same style. Heavy characters are easy to combo so find a lighter character (they don't have to be light, just be lighter than the heavy characters) to help you deal with people who are very combo heavy, mind you some people are good enough to combo by predicting where you try to go to escape the combo,but that is something I am not skilled enough to do.

 

[Starry.]

Those are not terrible reasons. I play Marth because landing tippers feels so good and he just seems like such an honorable character. YOU MUSTAH DEFEND YO HONAH! Besides that, try to find more than one character you like using. You don't want to just use multiple characters that fit the same style. Heavy characters are easy to combo so find a lighter character (they don't have to be light, just be lighter than the heavy characters) to help you deal with people who are very combo heavy, mind you some people are good enough to combo by predicting where you try to go to escape the combo,but that is something I am not skilled enough to do.

I really dislike heavy characters, dedede is literally the only one I do like a bit lol. I guess I like Lucina as well.

 

[Ragnabrock]

Seriously, just main random. If you only play three characters out of a 45+ roster, it's extremely unlikely you'll find a playstyle you win with and enjoy. If you main random, you'll probably lose, but that's to be expected, and you might find that a character you might have never tried otherwise is a really good fit for you. An example of this is Diddy Kong, a lot of people will just refuse to play Diddy Kong despite him being a great character, due to reasons like not liking his design or the noises he makes. Be open minded.

This.
I initially started Smash 4 as Marth, but I was simply unable to handle zoning and proper tipper mechanics so I knew I wouldn't be as good as him as other characters.
I then decided to look around on the character roster and a friend watching suggested I play a different character against the AI I was practicing against, so I decided to go with Captain Falcon (because "Show me ya moves!" is just so fun to spam), I then instantly loved how much faster Falcon seemed in comparison to Marth, I could now play a more aggressive tactic (which is my prefered playstyle) due to my great melee ability (for my playstyle) and speed and I decided to stick with Falcon from them on (plus it feels great doing a d-Taunt after a knee disrespect).

I have a 33% win rate out of about 28 online matches so far, a fair few of my deaths are from having an aerial Falcon Kick go the wrong way straight off the stage but in all honesty I expected much worse, I even had some fun matches with a Marth/Captain Falcon player.

Another thing I'd like to mention regarding improving, what I used to do when I played another game (CS:GO specifically) is save a replay of the match and look over it and see where I went wrong, I'd also write what I did wrong down on some paper and take it as a way to improve, I've been actively doing that while playing Smash too, it helps quite a lot with getting problems down, for instance I noticed I tend to not use grabs as often as I could so I went to practice grabs, along with learning combos from a grab setup.
Another problem I noticed is that I overused Falcon Kick in the air (often getting me KOed) and underusing it on the ground despite it having a fast startup and being quite good as a surprise attack.

Thats my thoughts with helping you with improving, finding a character you like and want to play as through experimenting (being a good character also helps as some would say), along with looking back at replays to find where you go wrong in matches and improving on those mistakes.

 

[rabbit.soaring]

Sorry to repeat myself, but, you should really check out smashladder. I thought I was pretty decent, but then I joined smashladder and was 3 stocked 5 times in a row by a Shiek because I didn't know how to escape her crazy combos. The players won't gloat if they win, and are more than willing to give you tips to help you beat them.

 

[Starry.]

Sorry to repeat myself, but, you should really check out smashladder. I thought I was pretty decent, but then I joined smashladder and was 3 stocked 5 times in a row by a Shiek because I didn't know how to escape her crazy combos. The players won't gloat if they win, and are more than willing to give you tips to help you beat them.

I might check it out at some point. At the moment I really don't have a clue what I'm doing. I need to at least have a character I know how to play a little before I start doing other stuff. Though I don't know I've played every character and I can't find anyone who just stands out as "I really love this character!" I just kinda suck with everyone >.<

 

[Starry.]

I think I also really need people to play against me. Maybe help me find a character that i'm good with? maybe show me how not to be an awful player? and maybe just practice with me + have fun. I don't know if that's a good idea but when I play on for glory it's just not that fun because i'm playing against someone I don't know and that I can't talk with so I don't really learn from my mistakes.

 

[rabbit.soaring]

I think I also really need people to play against me. Maybe help me find a character that i'm good with? maybe show me how not to be an awful player? and maybe just practice with me + have fun. I don't know if that's a good idea but when I play on for glory it's just not that fun because i'm playing against someone I don't know and that I can't talk with so I don't really learn from my mistakes.

I could probably play a few matches Sunday afternoon.

 

[Ragnabrock]

I think I also really need people to play against me. Maybe help me find a character that i'm good with? maybe show me how not to be an awful player? and maybe just practice with me + have fun. I don't know if that's a good idea but when I play on for glory it's just not that fun because i'm playing against someone I don't know and that I can't talk with so I don't really learn from my mistakes.

I could also probably play a few matches on Saturday or Sunday, I'm from the UK so it might have some lag if you live somewhere like NA.

 

[Senko Zero]

Feel free to add me. As I said earlier in the thread, I don't mind playhing and giving some advice.

Can't play at present but will eventually.

 

[Starry.]

I could also probably play a few matches on Saturday or Sunday, I'm from the UK so it might have some lag if you live somewhere like NA.

I live in the UK. It's all good

 

[Ragnabrock]

I live in the UK. It's all good

That's good, do you want me to send over a friend invite?
My friend code is to the left.

 

[Zoljinx]

hi! a friend directed me over to this thread, and it's sounds almost exactly like me a couple weeks ago, i even made a thread about it just like you did here.

I'm glad to see that your looking for people to play with now, playing against people you can talk to is alot better than getting frustrated in for glory. i'd like to play against you at some point, i kind of want to see how you play and try and find a type of character that would fit your playstyle.

EDIT: i'm in NA by the way, so not 100% certain how our connection would be, but it's worth a shot at least.

 

[rabbit.soaring]

I'm NA too, pretty close to the eastern coast. The connection should probably be OK. FC's to the left as well.

 

[Starry.]

i'll get around to adding you all tomorrow because i'm a little sleepy atm

 

[PingPongCop]

He just makes me laugh, he's a funny character and hitting people with a giant hammer is so satisfying. I dunno those are probably terrible reasons but yeah.

No way, man! No such thing as a terrible reason to main someone. I initially ended wanted to main Duck Hunt because I though he was the trolliest character in the game, and the only reason I like Fox is because he looks cool :D

 

[Mazdamaxsti]

I might be a bit late but I main sheik so I can help out a bit.

-Don't charge up smashs unless you know a guarunteed hit/trying to mess around with their heads
-Bouncing Fish is a great way to get on and go for a grab, don't spam it for recovery
-Don't be afraid of Down B
-Down Grab your opponent and do a fair or a uair followup for comboes
-Don't always roll, its an easy read
-Burst Greande is only good in certain situations. I use it for edge guarding and when I'm near the edge trying to bait. An excellent thing to do is use your grenade a bit off the stage after you jump off, if done correctly it should throw the grenade and then you will grab the ledge, the long animation is cancelled.
-Fair is something that needs to be used a lot, dash attacks only sometimes.

If you wanna skype I would be glad to: juicebox5555

 

[Stilll Alive]

I usually win 2 out of every 3 matches but I find if I play at night (I'm in pacific standard time) I play nothing but ridiculous Asian players and can never win lol

 

[TurnUp]

Honestly as someone who plays random all the time I can understand seeing my w/d ratio plummet as I get DK against tryhard sheiks or just plain bad matchups for for glory, you can definitely improve easily by facing someone of higher skill despite the losses.

I play nearly every character on For glory (have won with every single one) but the loss ratio is still there and it's so hard to bring it up.

If you want a moderately skilled person to play with I'm available most of the time.

 

[Code Bread]

Honestly as someone who plays random all the time I can understand seeing my w/d ratio plummet as I get DK against tryhard sheiks or just plain bad matchups for for glory, you can definitely improve easily by facing someone of higher skill despite the losses.

I play nearly every character on For glory (have won with every single one) but the loss ratio is still there and it's so hard to bring it up.

If you want a moderately skilled person to play with I'm available most of the time.

wats rong wit

 

[TurnUp]

wats rong wit

He's just easily combo'd by Sheik is all, pre-patch at least.
I love DK, I 2 stocked a Sonic and beaten tons of people, but Sheik is so fast and moves that I can't get out of with DK.

I love playing as DK but some matchups are really annoying, I like all characters too though which is why I play random.

 

[Code Bread]

I've never had a problem playing against Sheik with DK. Maybe I'm playing all the wrong Sheiks. But I've also watched the table invitational False vs Bajisci and False's DK utterly wrecked Bajisci's Sheik. But that was before American release, so... I don't know.

 

[Codster]

I see people post pictures of their records showing they have over 1,000 FG wins and have won 100% of their last 100 matches. I must say. That really baffles me. Especially considering I only have a 50% win rate.

 

[HanZee]

I hardly ever win......and that's because I'm a horrible casual player with a win rate of 15 ;(

 

[Grass]

I see people post pictures of their records showing they have over 1,000 FG wins and have won 100% of their last 100 matches.

Competitive players wouldn't be on FG to begin with lmao. These guys must play exclusively on FG. I don't think it's possible to get a 100% win rate on FG. Cause you never know what kind of tourney players go on there.

 

[Mazdamaxsti]

I hardly ever win......and that's because I'm a horrible casual player with a win rate of 15 ;(

That bump jssss

 

[HanZee]

That bump jssss

i wanna commit i'm casual trash ;(