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PPMD's Falco Discussion Thread
- Thread starter Dr Peepee
- Start date
Druggedfox
Smash Champion
I don't disagree with what you all are saying at all, I'm just unsure of how to improve in that regard.
The main issue is that understanding the mentalities I need is very different than actually *having* the mentalities I need. I'm a very confident person by nature, and I don't think I've ever gone into a match in my life thinking that I'm about to lose. I don't lose confidence when I play, I simply play worse. It's not a matter of nerves, either. I used to feel nervous in tournament, but I got over that quite a while ago.
Things are simply less clear to me in tournament. When I play normally, everything makes sense. It doesn't matter if I'm playing a random nobody, or I'm playing Dr. PP; I can make the reads I need, I can adapt well, I can manipulate my opponent, and I have good execution. Suddenly, it completely flips when I'm in tournament; once again, it doesn't matter if I'm playing a random nobody or Dr. PP. Rather than being able to read my opponent, suddenly I have no clue what they're about to do. Rather than adapting to the fact that they're shielding too much by grabbing, I just keep doing the same pressure I've been doing all match. My execution is finally fine in tournament; I think that's because my execution used to be bad due to nerves. At least I'm over *that* part now.
Bottom line has something to do with things being less clear to me in tournament. It's like I'm playing through a fog or haze, while normally when I play it's like a sunny day without clouds. Ideas?
The main issue is that understanding the mentalities I need is very different than actually *having* the mentalities I need. I'm a very confident person by nature, and I don't think I've ever gone into a match in my life thinking that I'm about to lose. I don't lose confidence when I play, I simply play worse. It's not a matter of nerves, either. I used to feel nervous in tournament, but I got over that quite a while ago.
Things are simply less clear to me in tournament. When I play normally, everything makes sense. It doesn't matter if I'm playing a random nobody, or I'm playing Dr. PP; I can make the reads I need, I can adapt well, I can manipulate my opponent, and I have good execution. Suddenly, it completely flips when I'm in tournament; once again, it doesn't matter if I'm playing a random nobody or Dr. PP. Rather than being able to read my opponent, suddenly I have no clue what they're about to do. Rather than adapting to the fact that they're shielding too much by grabbing, I just keep doing the same pressure I've been doing all match. My execution is finally fine in tournament; I think that's because my execution used to be bad due to nerves. At least I'm over *that* part now.
Bottom line has something to do with things being less clear to me in tournament. It's like I'm playing through a fog or haze, while normally when I play it's like a sunny day without clouds. Ideas?
Didn't I already send you something on aim about that, Druggedfox?
sounds like you're having some sub-conscious aversion to playing in tournament. like, maybe you feel you shouldn't play relaxed/in your casual style. if you feel like you naturally have a competitive style in friendly matches don't look at tournament matches as having more weight than a friendly. alternatively, play less casually.
Druggedfox
Smash Champion
Yeah we talked about it PP, and everything you said made sense and I appreciate it 
. I just haven't had the chance to test it out yet, so in the mean time I'm trying to find out what others think as well so it'll give me more to work with. More couldn't hurt, and I'm tired of entering tournaments and underperforming/playing like ***/SDing last stock (>_>)/losing to random people.
Thanks brookman; I think your first suggestion is the better one for me. If I could just treat tourney matches as no more weight than friendlies, I'd be gold. The issue is that I can only practice doing that *at* tournaments; on the other hand, I can practice the latter method any random day in casuals with friends. The downside to that is that... well, I think the first method would be more effective, given the chance to sit down and practice/try it out.
. I just haven't had the chance to test it out yet, so in the mean time I'm trying to find out what others think as well so it'll give me more to work with. More couldn't hurt, and I'm tired of entering tournaments and underperforming/playing like ***/SDing last stock (>_>)/losing to random people.Thanks brookman; I think your first suggestion is the better one for me. If I could just treat tourney matches as no more weight than friendlies, I'd be gold. The issue is that I can only practice doing that *at* tournaments; on the other hand, I can practice the latter method any random day in casuals with friends. The downside to that is that... well, I think the first method would be more effective, given the chance to sit down and practice/try it out.
Rubyiris
Smash Hero
It makes it impossible to smash with people on the regular, but it's alright, otherwise.
Fortress | Sveet
▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀
An appeal to authority is only a fallacy if the authority's specialty is not in the area that he is giving advice, like Micheal Jordan telling you to buy Hanes. A doctor telling you what medicine to take is not a fallacy. In the same way, using the opinion of a high level player is perfectly valid.
Bones0
Smash Legend
@Druggedfox
What sounds like is happening to you is your expectations are changing. I wrote a post a while ago about how confidence and expectation can completely alter your gameplay. It sounds like while you may not be nervous going into tournament, you are almost too concerned with the results, and this is detracting from your focus on the game itself. I know it happened to me a few times in Smash, and also a lot outside of Smash doing different stuff. When you care more about the outcome of something, you can perform worse because you are trying to mash stuff into your head about things that aren't valuable. If you go into tournament respecting your opponent way too much, you will end up respecting their options way too much. This is exactly the sort of thing you seem to be doing when people shield. In friendlies when people shield, you just grab their dumb *** because you are in that "IDGAF! You're getting *****!" attitude. In tournament you are more conscious of what they COULD be doing to stop you instead of what they HAVE been doing. I believe you can see this mentality clearly reflected in Mango's play as well as his demeanor when discussing the game. He's practically written the book on playing with the mentality "IDGAF! You're getting *****!" and the result is him shutting down options with his sheer presence.
So if you want a simple training goal next tournament, get into a "TURBOOOOOO!!!" mentality. This doesn't have to be confused with super aggro play (I would say whichever style you usually play with should help you feel most "in the zone"). If you can't look your opponent in the face before a match and tell them with a straight face "I AM GOING TO **** YOUR **** UP," then how can you expect yourself to actually play that way? (if you actually need to say it out loud, go for it! lol)
A few notes:
- You can take this mentality too far; it is definitely the road to Johnsville, so I would heavily advise trying to make your Melee mentality a separate entity from your regular mentality so when you want to go back and review film or practice something specific in friendlies you aren't going "meh, could have done that/you got lucky" as a result of you believing you can do whatever the **** you want. You need an Eminem to your Marshall Mathers, and a Slim Shady to your Eminem. Compartmentalizing mentalities like that obviously is kind of unnatural and it will never be perfect, but it can help to sort of "flip the switch" to **** mode.
- Practice this mentality with things outside of Smash. Even dumb things. Maybe it's laundry day. Turn on your Slim Shady mode and just be like "yeah, I'm gonna just bust this **** out in record time, LET'S GO."
- Rituals are another thing that can help you flip the switch. I listen to Seventeen Years by Ratatat before every tourney match cause 1. it's a ****ing baller song, and 2. the music accurately depicts (for me) the emotions that one may go through during a tournament. NBA players do specific dribble patterns before free throws; NFL kickers space themselves with steps the same way; Dr. PP dash dances before games, etc.
What sounds like is happening to you is your expectations are changing. I wrote a post a while ago about how confidence and expectation can completely alter your gameplay. It sounds like while you may not be nervous going into tournament, you are almost too concerned with the results, and this is detracting from your focus on the game itself. I know it happened to me a few times in Smash, and also a lot outside of Smash doing different stuff. When you care more about the outcome of something, you can perform worse because you are trying to mash stuff into your head about things that aren't valuable. If you go into tournament respecting your opponent way too much, you will end up respecting their options way too much. This is exactly the sort of thing you seem to be doing when people shield. In friendlies when people shield, you just grab their dumb *** because you are in that "IDGAF! You're getting *****!" attitude. In tournament you are more conscious of what they COULD be doing to stop you instead of what they HAVE been doing. I believe you can see this mentality clearly reflected in Mango's play as well as his demeanor when discussing the game. He's practically written the book on playing with the mentality "IDGAF! You're getting *****!" and the result is him shutting down options with his sheer presence.
So if you want a simple training goal next tournament, get into a "TURBOOOOOO!!!" mentality. This doesn't have to be confused with super aggro play (I would say whichever style you usually play with should help you feel most "in the zone"). If you can't look your opponent in the face before a match and tell them with a straight face "I AM GOING TO **** YOUR **** UP," then how can you expect yourself to actually play that way? (if you actually need to say it out loud, go for it! lol)
A few notes:
- You can take this mentality too far; it is definitely the road to Johnsville, so I would heavily advise trying to make your Melee mentality a separate entity from your regular mentality so when you want to go back and review film or practice something specific in friendlies you aren't going "meh, could have done that/you got lucky" as a result of you believing you can do whatever the **** you want. You need an Eminem to your Marshall Mathers, and a Slim Shady to your Eminem. Compartmentalizing mentalities like that obviously is kind of unnatural and it will never be perfect, but it can help to sort of "flip the switch" to **** mode.
- Practice this mentality with things outside of Smash. Even dumb things. Maybe it's laundry day. Turn on your Slim Shady mode and just be like "yeah, I'm gonna just bust this **** out in record time, LET'S GO."
- Rituals are another thing that can help you flip the switch. I listen to Seventeen Years by Ratatat before every tourney match cause 1. it's a ****ing baller song, and 2. the music accurately depicts (for me) the emotions that one may go through during a tournament. NBA players do specific dribble patterns before free throws; NFL kickers space themselves with steps the same way; Dr. PP dash dances before games, etc.
what i meant when i said to play less casually was to literally play less in casual environments. especially when playing with people who you can sleep on. i'm sure we all have the ability to do certain technical feas with ease in friendly or solo settings and then wonder how we can botch simple wave shines...
the fact of the matter is that the pressure you feel in a tournament match is not related to the game itself but by the opponents desire to win. when you play casually, with casual players, this pressure is notably absent.
'playing to win' is not so tangible as a dollar bill. if you have to play 'casually' you should play sets and assign some sort of value to them. then always remember that not only are you playing to win but also that you have a reason for winning.
ultimately, if you're play style isn't conducive to winning or it's not in alignment with the rules and parameters in the game you may have to address your style or decide that this isn't the game for you
the fact of the matter is that the pressure you feel in a tournament match is not related to the game itself but by the opponents desire to win. when you play casually, with casual players, this pressure is notably absent.
'playing to win' is not so tangible as a dollar bill. if you have to play 'casually' you should play sets and assign some sort of value to them. then always remember that not only are you playing to win but also that you have a reason for winning.
ultimately, if you're play style isn't conducive to winning or it's not in alignment with the rules and parameters in the game you may have to address your style or decide that this isn't the game for you
Druggedfox
Smash Champion
Thanks both of you, duly noted ^__^
I'll be thinking about all of this for a while probably, maybe respond after I get my thoughts together on the subject. I understand the ideas but... the next tournament I'll get a chance to work with all this is... apex >_> Not the best time to try stuff out but I'll just have to work on it in casuals in the mean time.
I'll be thinking about all of this for a while probably, maybe respond after I get my thoughts together on the subject. I understand the ideas but... the next tournament I'll get a chance to work with all this is... apex >_> Not the best time to try stuff out but I'll just have to work on it in casuals in the mean time.
D
Deleted member
Guest
CK Momentum
Smash Apprentice
yeah i think thats how the lav at game underground got broke at the last Mass madness sry guys.
yeah thats true theres a big diff. between trying to dj reverse magnifier falcon punch, and reading the person's mind to the extent that they want to die inside.
Edit: brookman i must have been to like a thousand tournaments u havve been at why have we never talked except for to say hi?
**** you're making me so nostalgic!
did I play against your Falco? I can't remember.
Wake
Smash Master
Wow Brookman's signature...
CK Momentum
Smash Apprentice
lol yeah brookman can u tell us a story about that?
Niko45
Smash Master
Everyone has nerves in tournament even the best players. It's all about dealing with them and playing through them as best you can. Experience is the best way to get better at playing in tournament imo as well as mental preparations like shedding expectations or pre-tourney anxiety about wanting to do well and just playing the game focused one set, one game at a time. I only feel like I've just started to get better at this and it's a great feeling.
Druggedfox
Smash Champion
Yeah Zoso, we played, if only very briefly (I think 1, *maybe* 2 matches?). We ended up talking more pokemon than playing =P
CK Momentum
Smash Apprentice
Niko, I remember being really impressed with your focus at ROM4, even though I wanted Matt/Mafia to beat you. I've studied ur games with mafia pretty extensively, but like the most impressive thing about your play is in one match u space against james like you're threading a needle. If I look in my notebook I can find the exact moment to show it to you but your dash dancing was sublime.
crush
Smash Master
yeah i think the page in ur notebook where you write about nikos dashdancing is before the page with the picture of ur **** on it
CK Momentum
Smash Apprentice
go watch that part he spaces a dash dance against mafias dash A, and like its so good. I like your advice u wrote for me though lmfao.
Rubyiris
Smash Hero
critique get?
CK Momentum
Smash Apprentice
honestly ruby, green falco is the least fashionable.
Veetaak
Smash Lord
Get out... NAOW!
CK Momentum
Smash Apprentice
<3 Veetaak why so much hate? I actually should study these matches.
crush
Smash Master
really ruby nobody wants to critique some fat guy who lives in the desert playing unfashionable falco versus a gay peach player who throws his controller each time he loses
CK Momentum
Smash Apprentice
crush, i hate you.
Veetaak
Smash Lord
Crush and CK, are you brothers or something?
CK Momentum
Smash Apprentice
All smashers are brothers.
Veetaak
Smash Lord
I hate incest
Sounds like we are a cult who reproduce at a farm
Sounds like we are a cult who reproduce at a farm
crush
Smash Master
>implying dr peepee has siblings
crush
Smash Master
i dont know what "incest", "cult", or "reproduce" mean, but i assure you i do not live at a farm, that would be SOOOOO unfashionable.
Veetaak
Smash Lord
You are the most unfashionableististest ( true word, trust me
) so I wouldn't be surprised at all if you do live at a farm.
crush
Smash Master
that reminds me of the time you put the coconut up mafia's butt
