Is Smash 4 not my kind of Game?

[KenMeister]

I'll admit, I started out okay when I first got the game, and having a bit of Melee and PM competitive experience, I never had much trouble starting off. Nowadays, I feel like I've either come to a standstill with the game, whether I'm not making the right reads, mixing up enough, or making the right punishes as of late. I mostly play online on Anther's and from friends online, and it's not a pleasant feeling getting read even though I do my best to put on pressure without playing too defensive, because my reaction time, or at the very least my timing online sucks. Is this a wifi thing? Should I stop and try to get an offline scene at my college (even though most people play Melee and Pm competitively, smash 4 players here for the most part are casuals)? Do I need to take a break, or is Smash 4 not my kind of game and I should just focus on Melee? I'm 21, just started competitive play 2 years ago, and can't help but feel I'm behind, in Smash 4 at least, and me working every weekend (which prevents me from going to tourneys regularly) doesn't help the case. Any advice?

 

[Purin a.k.a. José]

Play the game if you want. If you are not finding any way of getting better, then it's better to move on.
...But, we are talking about Online modes!!! I'm not trying to insult your connection neither the opponent's, but there is a certain latency, even if minimal. Then, it's better to fix up your timing problems. It is something crucial at Smash; once you done something wrong, you may be dead. Adapt your timing to online situations or totally check your general timing if it is a "Universal" problem. Try to get in Online Tournaments too

 

[PokÉmblem]

Practice. That's the only way to truly get better and try the offline scene or fighting cpus. The lag might mess you up even if it's slight.

 

[Guillaume1987]

What ever kind of activity you do, you will reach a serie of plateau when trying to improve. It's normal. Breaking past those plateau can be hard. A sense of stagnation or even regression will often precede the transition between your current self and the improved self. It's easy to pick smash4 and starting playing, but to Master the fundamentals, the specifics and the matchups is a long path. Sm4sh is it's own game. Coming from a melee and pm May have cursed you with the idea that sm4sh is Easier and for causals so this game should be Easier and faster to Master, so Failing to get as good as you would like to leaves you thinking maybe that game is not for you. THis mindset is a pitfall you should avoid falling into.

You do not level up just like that. You need efforts, and efforts in the right places. Getting reads is one thing, and that thing is getting into your opponent's head. Unmastered techniques that limits your playstyle, that is another. Thing like knowing about pivot tilts and grab is fine, but what's game changing is when you have found a use and a consistent use for it. When your New found tech become part of your every day playstyle, that's when you have broke a plateau and upped your game.

As for me, I only plays sm4sh, dividing my attention on 3 different smash games would just screws with my feeling of the games and my brain and muscle memory would get confused/ having harder time to get totally comfortable with the physics of each smash.

I think you should ask yourself how important getting better at sm4sh is for you, and then decide if the time and energy spent in the lab/ practicing is worth your while.

 

[eviljoeybonkers]

It's actually a lot more common than you think. I'd suggest practice.

 

[Sünta]

The lag may have something to do with this, but from what I've experienced with switching between smash 4 and pm rapidly is that they feel different. Smash 4 seems to be a slightly more defensive game where the punish game and reads are king (with some pressure), but in pm, it is usually a game where yougo all in and apply that pressure and really get into the fight. This may be totally wrong, but this is what I think.
Tl;dr Pm/melee have a different play style than smash 4 imo and switching between the two can be detrimental