Lean Melee - Please submit your questions about how to improve! Yes, you personally!

[Massive]

My biggest weakness is that if I start talking while I'm playing, I will do awful.

People seem to figure this out about me pretty quickly (within a match or so) and will usually start a conversation when I have the upper hand. I will have a 3 stock advantage and I will end up losing the match because somebody started talking to me or dudes will be shouting **** somewhere close-by.

I've tried headphones, but I don't like listening to music while playing. Earplugs are a maybe, but they irritate my ear canal pretty badly.

HOW DO I LEANEN UP MY MELEE TO NOT BE DISTRACTED BY STUPID **** SCAR?

 

[Xyzz]

Kindly asking your opponent to shut (his goddamnass**** mouth) up, would be a start. Have you tried playing something close to white noise on your headphones, if you don't enjoy music? (I couldn't, I'm far too reliant on sound effects for some things )

I really like the point Violence makes; some ideas on analyzing ones individual matches / overall gameplay should be a great thing to have.

 

[Jonas]

What should I look out for when I watch my own matches? I obviously try to look for bad habits (eg repeatedly doing unsafe moves that get me punished or just don't seem like smart things to do) and how I'm spacing myself vs my opponent, but what else? How do I make sure I learn the correct things while watching my own videos?

 

[KrIsP!]

HOW DO I LEANEN UP MY MELEE TO NOT BE DISTRACTED BY STUPID **** SCAR?

Have you thought about noise cancelling headphones plugged into the tv your playing on. You can't possibly be distracted by that sweet sweet melody that is puff while lighthearted kirby music plays in the back. Seriously, at the very least you shouldn't be, it's the game your playing!

Here's a question, I don't use SDI(yet). I know what it is, how and when one should use it, it's just hard incorporating it into gameplay. I've pretty much looked at is as a habit I have to make instead of one that needs to be broken and decided as long as I consciously think about it and use it from time to time it will get ingrained into muscle memory, in the end though that might be an empty promise to myself.

Spoiler

tbh I think I just need more practice in training mode with it, but I'm sure the answer from scar will help others as well.

 

[Divinokage]

My biggest weakness is that if I start talking while I'm playing, I will do awful.

People seem to figure this out about me pretty quickly (within a match or so) and will usually start a conversation when I have the upper hand. I will have a 3 stock advantage and I will end up losing the match because somebody started talking to me or dudes will be shouting **** somewhere close-by.

I've tried headphones, but I don't like listening to music while playing. Earplugs are a maybe, but they irritate my ear canal pretty badly.

HOW DO I LEANEN UP MY MELEE TO NOT BE DISTRACTED BY STUPID **** SCAR?

Then your focus is weak! Concentrate x10 more!!

 

[MonkUnit]

Have you thought about noise cancelling headphones plugged into the tv your playing on

but then the opponent can't hear the game because the sound is being redirected to the Massive's headphones

 

[Scar]

I am so happy to see the recent influx of questions. Suggestions for cool ways to answer them are well-received, too! Examples are, making the blog post (of course), responding through PM or on the boards, analyzing your videos and posting my commentary, or me analyzing my own play and recording the video/commentary.

Like any of those?

 

[Xyzz]

but then the opponent can't hear the game because the sound is being redirected to the Massive's headphones

He could bring a pair of speakers, and use a audiosplitter :D Or focus more. Bringing noise cancelling headphones, some cheap stereo, an audiosplitter and all the cables sounds hella fun though :D

@krisp!: It might be helpful to play some matches against a fox player, who is happy to up air you at any opportunity
At least for me that was really helpful. Living at any percentage vs dying from ~80% upwards is really motivating to me (:

@scar: I think it would be great to see you analyzing the matches of somebody else, since we've already gotten some info on your gameplay, and seeing some new examples (another perspective) would be great I think.

 

[Battlecow]

Scar- what's your position on talent vs. practice? I've often heard it said that if you play for a while and then stop improving you're never going to move all that far forward. True?

Does not apply to me btw

 

[Violence]

I would love to see a blog post dedicated to reponding to reader questions.

An example analysis of gameplay would be nice as well.

 

[Scar]

Scar- what's your position on talent vs. practice? I've often heard it said that if you play for a while and then stop improving you're never going to move all that far forward. True?

Does not apply to me btw

My opinion is that this is palpably nonsense.

Further, I've heard it said even more often that top players think that, besides other top players, "everyone is bad" at the game, and I'm inclined to believe at least a part of that. I believe there's a fundamental component of Melee that we as a community largely not tapped into. This component is at the heart of gameplay, and focusing on it will push the metagame and increase the average skill throughout the community. My guess is that the weakest link is the balance of thought and technical ability that leads to creative and focused play.

Circling back, there is doubtlessly some inherent "talent" that all people have. However, given the current field of players, at this current moment I would say that nearly anyone has the potential to be a regional-level top player if they are disciplined in their practice.

 

[FrootLoop]

lately I've been having problems converting a positional advantage and today I worked through it much like scar's example blog post minus the numerical data and I saw noticeable improvement over the hour or so I played today.

I like the idea and definitely plan on using it more in the future.

 

[taylosun]

Ever going to update again?