NorCal Melee Power Rankings - Summer '15 Update - In Sickness and In Filth

[Lovage]

smash is a really hard game and it takes a lot of hard work to get really good at it. that said it's a very rewarding experience to see yourself get better and see what your hard work has done for you.

the trap a lot of people fall into is they get frustrated by the game at some point early on and lose their drive to get better, but they keep going to tournaments and stuff because the community is full of cool and welcoming people.


i'm not sure if it's a bad thing that we have a good community. if we were all mean and elitist like other game communities, would the people who get frustrated early on just quit the game? or would it make them work harder to get recognized by the community.


i think pac west can be blamed for a lot of this. even though someone hasn't earned any respect in smash, everyone in california knows their name just cuz they post a lot and go to tournies sometimes. so in a way that person feels accomplished just because they're accepted by the community, NOT because they've improved enough in smash to earn that acceptance and respect.

 

[Squidster]

That's true to some extent but if someone stops being motivated just cause people know their name, they probably weren't gonna get good regardless of the environment.

Melee is tough to get good at. It's weird because the only real way of getting better is to have that drive / motivation that P is talking about, but that's definitely not something that you can instill in someone. It's sad when you see someone who wishes they were better but they clearly don't have the drive that's necessary to get good...

Its not like you can tell someone "don't get frustrated" cause it really is something they gotta do by themselves.

 

[chiZZLeSD]

smash is a really hard game and it takes a lot of hard work to get really good at it. that said it's a very rewarding experience to see yourself get better and see what your hard work has done for you.

the trap a lot of people fall into is they get frustrated by the game at some point early on and lose their drive to get better, but they keep going to tournaments and stuff because the community is full of cool and welcoming people.


i'm not sure if it's a bad thing that we have a good community. if we were all mean and elitist like other game communities, would the people who get frustrated early on just quit the game? or would it make them work harder to get recognized by the community.


i think pac west can be blamed for a lot of this. even though someone hasn't earned any respect in smash, everyone in california knows their name just cuz they post a lot and go to tournies sometimes. so in a way that person feels accomplished just because they're accepted by the community, NOT because they've improved enough in smash to earn that acceptance and respect.

wow you've highlighted my greatest fear haha. being known for just posting and saying hi to everyone rather than being good. i'd like people's respect in both senses tbh... reading everyones thoughts is actually really inspiring/motivating!

 

[pockyD]

that's not really a trap

most of the people that stick around primarily for the community rather than the competition are well aware of that fact and would likely move on to something else if the community wasn't a factor rather than devote intensive efforts to the competition

 

[Shroomed]

i jus thought about how the other fighting game communities dont consider smash a competitive game

n it's funny cuz that seems to be how the majority of this community plays the game

not competitively, but for fun

 

[joeplicate]

people r homos

you gotta man up



like asking shroomed for advice

boy, did i have to swallow some pride!





but generally, you can just tell when somebody's ready for advice. if they john when they're playing, or challenge the tidbits of advice you give (like "Oh, yeah! I know, BUT......"), then they ain't ready!

if they try hard, and seem to really think through everything you say, then they're a good pupil.

IMO the first step to getting good at smash is getting in the mindset to get good. you have to do the pre-lab before you get to mixing test tubes and beakers and bunsen burners, or else you're gonna scald yourself with some wicked chemicals.

 

[SuperRad]

God ****it. I had a big post typed up to respond to all this, but I guess this will have to do.

It's really easy to get frustrated when you're trying to improve. Even though I've gotten a lot better in the past year or so, I still lose to pocky's secondaries nearly every time. Justin can 4 stock me still. I know I'm making strides, but I have nothing to show for it yet. My improvement is generally slow moving, and I can't tell if I'm raising my position in the community or just keeping up with everyone else as they get better.

Personally, I barely understand how to get better at this game. I don't know how to recognize most of my bad habits or how to fix them if I do recognize them. When I'm playing, I still have to focus most of my brain power on what's going on, and can't think about what I'm doing. I'll be in the middle of a match, hear someone say "Wow, that was nice Brian" and I have no idea what they're referring to, even though it was something that I just did.

 

[pockyD]

that probably means

1) lack of tech skill - still thinking 'short hop, neutral air, fast fall, shine' instead of nair => shine, which multiplies your in-the-moment thought process by a ton

2) you're just doin' moves aimlessly without a plan, so when something works (or doesn't) you don't remember why/how it worked, so you won't be able to repeat it

 

[Adam M!]

like hugo told me back when i sucked, just compartmentalize

 

[The___cheese]

What I kind of did to get better was play more than one game.

You can learn how to read people and how to mind game in any game. Then pretty much all you have to do after that is make sure your tech skill is good.

 

[NintendoKing]

I thank Kevmoney and Geo for how moderate I am.

 

[chiZZLeSD]

What I kind of did to get better was play more than one game.

You can learn how to read people and how to mind game in any game. Then pretty much all you have to do after that is make sure your tech skill is good.

i agree. i apply (or try to anyway) concepts of "spacing" to games like tekken 6, etc

 

[Hypethug]

Wow really good discussion

 

[Squidster]

Superad is right that it's definitely hard to improve at a rate faster than everyone around you. Especially when the people around you are also motivated.

But that's just another example about not getting frustrated. Focus on your game!

 

[SuperRad]

I get 'distracted' by other things when I should be focusing on my own game. I think I need to work on not worrying what other people are doing or how good they are.
I definitely need to get tech skill on point so I can focus more in matches. But even when I was playing sheik I never really played with a "plan"

 

[Zoap]

go read my 3 M's article you nubs

 

[pockyD]

link it

also who would be in for a smashfest tomorrow [saturday] afternoon => night?

 

[PokemonMasterIRL]

smash is a really hard game and it takes a lot of hard work to get really good at it. that said it's a very rewarding experience to see yourself get better and see what your hard work has done for you.

the trap a lot of people fall into is they get frustrated by the game at some point early on and lose their drive to get better, but they keep going to tournaments and stuff because the community is full of cool and welcoming people.


i'm not sure if it's a bad thing that we have a good community. if we were all mean and elitist like other game communities, would the people who get frustrated early on just quit the game? or would it make them work harder to get recognized by the community.


i think pac west can be blamed for a lot of this. even though someone hasn't earned any respect in smash, everyone in california knows their name just cuz they post a lot and go to tournies sometimes. so in a way that person feels accomplished just because they're accepted by the community, NOT because they've improved enough in smash to earn that acceptance and respect.

Wow really good post Lovage.

Got me thinking.

that probably means

1) lack of tech skill - still thinking 'short hop, neutral air, fast fall, shine' instead of nair => shine, which multiplies your in-the-moment thought process by a ton

2) you're just doin' moves aimlessly without a plan, so when something works (or doesn't) you don't remember why/how it worked, so you won't be able to repeat it

This really helped me out a lot, good post.

like hugo told me back when i sucked, just compartmentalize

Bad post, stay in your cave.

go read my 3 M's article you nubs

Link please?

link it

also who would be in for a smashfest tomorrow [saturday] afternoon => night?

I would be down but I would want to know by tonight if it is going down, or actually can I just come over tomorrow either way?

 

[NintendoKing]

I could give a **** less about getting better. I have a great time just hanging out with smashers and playing smash.

I think a lot of smashers go on an ego trip when they get better at the game and start winning or placing high in rankings and what not. The notoriety they gain just goes to their head.

Take Zelgadis for instance. In real life, Zelgadis is a straight up *****. In the smash world though, he makes a combo video or two, and maybe goes midtier in rankings and he thinks he's the ****. But we all know, deep down, he's a *****.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is, don't be a ***** like Zelgadis. The end.

<3 Trebor

 

[frotaz37]

Getting good at smash is really easy.

The 5 (6?) Step Frotaz Recipe For Success In Melee

Step #1: Tech skill Play against level 1 computers for days, doing random tech nonsense that gets super boring after 5 minutes. But do it for like 5 hours a day.

Step #2: Abuse stupid bull**** Always try and play with a style that is no fun for the other person to play against. Even if it doesn't always work, they will get so tired of trying to counter it that it will eventually work. Wavedash back spam? Spot Dodge spam? CC downsmash spam? Shield grabbing with Samus? I mean come on.

Step #3: Attack if you jump The more I play, the easier it gets to destroy people who jump above me and don't attack right away. Bad foxes are so fun to do this to. They jump above you? BOOM UP AIR. Works every time.

Step #4: Walk It's super intimidating and a lot of people just don't know how to deal with it.

Step #5:DON'T PICK GANONDORF I can't stress step 5 enough. It's a path that will ultimately lead to your demise. I mean holy **** you guys, all you have to do is stay near him and wait for him to jump and he literally cannot do anything. His recovery is great for one thing: Delaying the inevitable. You get knocked off the stage at 20%. After about 6 recovery attemps, you'll be at 100%+, and no better off than you were at 20%. Seriously?




(Step #6?: Play Powerstone )

 

[pockyD]

ok smash today chez moi

 

[Kira-]

I get 'distracted' by other things when I should be focusing on my own game. I think I need to work on not worrying what other people are doing or how good they are.
I definitely need to get tech skill on point so I can focus more in matches. But even when I was playing sheik I never really played with a "plan"

hah that's funny cause I think I should plan more. as an extremely simplified example, spam dsmash so they shield, then switch to grabbing.

Getting good at smash is really easy.

The 5 (6?) Step Frotaz Recipe For Success In Melee

Step #1: Tech skill Play against level 1 computers for days, doing random tech nonsense that gets super boring after 5 minutes. But do it for like 5 hours a day.

Step #2: Abuse stupid bull**** Always try and play with a style that is no fun for the other person to play against. Even if it doesn't always work, they will get so tired of trying to counter it that it will eventually work. Wavedash back spam? Spot Dodge spam? CC downsmash spam? Shield grabbing with Samus? I mean come on.

Step #3: Attack if you jump The more I play, the easier it gets to destroy people who jump above me and don't attack right away. Bad foxes are so fun to do this to. They jump above you? BOOM UP AIR. Works every time.

Step #4: Walk It's super intimidating and a lot of people just don't know how to deal with it.

Step #5:DON'T PICK GANONDORF I can't stress step 5 enough. It's a path that will ultimately lead to your demise. I mean holy **** you guys, all you have to do is stay near him and wait for him to jump and he literally cannot do anything. His recovery is great for one thing: Delaying the inevitable. You get knocked off the stage at 20%. After about 6 recovery attemps, you'll be at 100%+, and no better off than you were at 20%. Seriously?




(Step #6?: Play Powerstone )

i liked this a lot

except a lot of people dont know how to abuse the cheap stuff and walk correctly. sounds simple if you know already but most people dont

 

[Kouryuu]

Smash is easy. You only need to follow two rules:

1. Do whatever is needed to hit your opponent.

2. Don't get hit (the golden rule).

Note: Spacing IS everything.

I'm completely serious btw.

 

[Shroomed]

Smash is easy. You only need to follow two rules:

1. Do whatever is needed to hit your opponent.

2. Don't get hit (the golden rule).

Note: Spacing IS everything.

I'm completely serious btw.

doesnt this apply to pretty much every game?

 

[The___cheese]

There's a lot more disjointed hitboxes in melee than other games.

 

[LumpyCPU...]

if they challenge the tidbits of advice you give (like "Oh, yeah! I know, BUT......"), then they ain't ready!

that's usually my response.

my motivation is the most inconsistent roller coaster i've ever been on.
as little as i play, one smash session where i'm "playing bad" will shut down all motivation for a good week.
i tend to blame things like having slow reactions, having nobody to play, or just not knowing how to counter something.

i used to think that getting 4 stocked over and over couldn't help someone improve because the skill gap between the two players was too great. now i'm a bit more lenient with that thought.

playing someone like kfc or brandon for a while used to crush my moral completely because i felt like they could read me too easily and i had no chance to counter what they were doing. once i got the right mindset to improve (though still with inconsistent motivation) it's really helpful to analyze what they're doing. instead of "he gets me with that every time i do this" i ask "why is he able to do that every time i do this?" or "what can i do to bait his reaction and still be able to punish it?" and i watch them adapt to each of my new strategies or tactics. it'll seem like i'm not improving until i play someone else and it feels soooo much easier to punish and not be punished.

kfc and brandon (from what i remember) do what i call aggressive camping.
kfc will dash dance my face for an entire match and brandon will do the same or wave dash back all the time depending on which character he was. both of them bait me in really easily and neither of them like to let me breath once they have me yet they know exactly when to back off. it's so easy for them and so hard for me to grasp but it makes me so much better every time i play someone like that.

 

[Shroomed]

kfc and brandon (from what i remember) do what i call aggressive camping.
kfc will dash dance my face for an entire match and brandon will do the same or wave dash back all the time depending on which character he was. both of them bait me in really easily and neither of them like to let me breath once they have me yet they know exactly when to back off. it's so easy for them and so hard for me to grasp but it makes me so much better every time i play someone like that.

**** that

ATTACK ATTACK ATTACK

that's how you win!

cept vs samus/bowser, they'll jus **** you if you play like that

 

[PokemonMasterIRL]

that's usually my response.

my motivation is the most inconsistent roller coaster i've ever been on.
as little as i play, one smash session where i'm "playing bad" will shut down all motivation for a good week.
i tend to blame things like having slow reactions, having nobody to play, or just not knowing how to counter something.

i used to think that getting 4 stocked over and over couldn't help someone improve because the skill gap between the two players was too great. now i'm a bit more lenient with that thought.

playing someone like kfc or brandon for a while used to crush my moral completely because i felt like they could read me too easily and i had no chance to counter what they were doing. once i got the right mindset to improve (though still with inconsistent motivation) it's really helpful to analyze what they're doing. instead of "he gets me with that every time i do this" i ask "why is he able to do that every time i do this?" or "what can i do to bait his reaction and still be able to punish it?" and i watch them adapt to each of my new strategies or tactics. it'll seem like i'm not improving until i play someone else and it feels soooo much easier to punish and not be punished.

kfc and brandon (from what i remember) do what i call aggressive camping.
kfc will dash dance my face for an entire match and brandon will do the same or wave dash back all the time depending on which character he was. both of them bait me in really easily and neither of them like to let me breath once they have me yet they know exactly when to back off. it's so easy for them and so hard for me to grasp but it makes me so much better every time i play someone like that.

PLaying brandon taught me a lot about playing safer and baiting.

 

[LumpyCPU...]

i hope if they read that, they take it as a compliment.

i know little girls like dujuan will complain about it when someone doesn't go super saiyan agressive the whole time. you play doc L2WDBACK lol

 

[Zoap]

http://www.smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=94602


lazy ****s

 

[PokemonMasterIRL]

Motivation Is The Foundation Of Improvement. Without The Passion, There's No Love.

Mentality Also Is What Elevates The Foundation And How Quickly You Can Improve.

Momentum Is The Adrenaline In Your Mentality To Make Things More Thrilling As Well As Making You Improve At Rapid Paces. It Never Tires You Out In A Tournament. Way More Energetic Than A Red Bull Drink.

<3 <3

 

[Lovage]

i really like that kdj quote

 

[PokemonMasterIRL]

Yeah I need to go watch some of his old *** vids now.

 

[NintendoKing]

I attack cause it's boring to wait. Not even joking.

 

[chiZZLeSD]

I attack cause it's boring to wait

wooooord haha

 

[Kira-]

how do i get the motivation back

in anything

 

[PokemonMasterIRL]

how do i get the motivation back

in anything

You pray to Jesus.

 

[choknater]

nice miles

i concur

 

[PokemonMasterIRL]

Also we had a December update, so should we be expecting the next update by April?

 

[HyugaRicdeau]

If you all behave yourselves you may get an update before NSH.