Yeah I miscalculated how much time I have, but today I have a lot of time actually so I'll definitely get this done this time. =p
I think sitting on the idea for a few days helps me keep fresh perspectives and not be mad about the last post haha.
-
Welcome to Smashboards, the world's largest Super Smash Brothers community! Over 250,000 Smash Bros. fans from around the world have come to discuss these great games in over 19 million posts!
You are currently viewing our boards as a visitor. Click here to sign up right now and start on your path in the Smash community!
PPMD's Falco Discussion Thread
- Thread starter Dr Peepee
- Start date
I think sitting on the idea for a few days helps me keep fresh perspectives and not be mad about the last post haha.
Bl@ckChris
Smash Hero
kevin you don't have a lot of time today you'll be busy gettin yo A whooped by this ganon YEEEEEEEEEAAAAAH LETS GO
edit: plus all you're going to do is tell these birds to fullhop lol.
edit: plus all you're going to do is tell these birds to fullhop lol.
Yeah but maybe they don't know HOW CHRIS
Well while I'm messin around anyway, I'll talk about some Full Hopping.
Falco's FH is awesome because it's huge, fast, and you can Dair/Bair people out of it. Falco having a super fast fall is also awesome because he can adjust his position on the stage quickly. Give him the option to fade in the opposite direction that he jumped AND a DJ for more trajectory mixups, and you have a really hard to handle technique.
So let's break down some of that, shall we?
Why it matters the FH is "huge:"
Basically, being able to scale a large distance quickly is good in any fighting game because you get a larger threatening area to work with. No one wants to recover high vs Falco because FH Bair and Uair exist LOL(big hitboxes in conjunction with big movement) and he even gets the Utilt mixup if he fakes the jump so there's another layer of depth to it.
Additionally, since Falco is in the air so long, he gets more mileage out of drifting(air controlling as I may have called it before). Drifting is basically not FF'ing and holding a direction. You can get a surprisingly large amount of distance covered with non-FFs, and I encourage everyone to experiment with it/watch as other top Falcos abuse that mechanic.
What it matters that it's "fast:"
Speed in fighting is crucial. Seems obvious, but it's good to throw out there. Without speed, it's tough to hit an opponent with a solid reaction time and excellent setups to keep you out/throw you off when they're attacking. Said differently, speed is how you get into an opponent's zone quickly to attack them or how you can intimidate them into attacking you(and various in between options). Combine this speed with the distance you cover with FH and it's a very scary technique.
Why having a "super fast fall" is important:
Again, speed. The fact that the OPTION to have the fastest(max acceleration) fast fall at ANY time in that huge span of time Falco is in the air exists is incredibly useful and very easy to manipulate opponents with. This is because they can't react to a FF and only sort of guess where you may end up, especially once they adjust for Dair's hitbox size or laser's great reach upon landing. Having the option not to do this and still drift really far is also amazing, so it should be noted.
Putting all of this together, the general reaction to a FH from Falco is something like:
-I get free stage since he's leaving the ground!
-Better move around so I'm not predictable!
-Oh crap gotta watch out for Dair/laser
-....what
-Crap got hit by the Dair/laser OR I'm being pressured
-rinse and repeat
Video example involving a DJ mixup(same principle applies mostly) is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHEKNqqy4O0 at 0:41. Mango DJs forward, drifts back a little, I try to shine his landing lag to punish his Dair assuming it would be FF'd, I get Dair'd and proceed to die LOL.
Well while I'm messin around anyway, I'll talk about some Full Hopping.
Falco's FH is awesome because it's huge, fast, and you can Dair/Bair people out of it. Falco having a super fast fall is also awesome because he can adjust his position on the stage quickly. Give him the option to fade in the opposite direction that he jumped AND a DJ for more trajectory mixups, and you have a really hard to handle technique.
So let's break down some of that, shall we?
Why it matters the FH is "huge:"
Basically, being able to scale a large distance quickly is good in any fighting game because you get a larger threatening area to work with. No one wants to recover high vs Falco because FH Bair and Uair exist LOL(big hitboxes in conjunction with big movement) and he even gets the Utilt mixup if he fakes the jump so there's another layer of depth to it.
Additionally, since Falco is in the air so long, he gets more mileage out of drifting(air controlling as I may have called it before). Drifting is basically not FF'ing and holding a direction. You can get a surprisingly large amount of distance covered with non-FFs, and I encourage everyone to experiment with it/watch as other top Falcos abuse that mechanic.
What it matters that it's "fast:"
Speed in fighting is crucial. Seems obvious, but it's good to throw out there. Without speed, it's tough to hit an opponent with a solid reaction time and excellent setups to keep you out/throw you off when they're attacking. Said differently, speed is how you get into an opponent's zone quickly to attack them or how you can intimidate them into attacking you(and various in between options). Combine this speed with the distance you cover with FH and it's a very scary technique.
Why having a "super fast fall" is important:
Again, speed. The fact that the OPTION to have the fastest(max acceleration) fast fall at ANY time in that huge span of time Falco is in the air exists is incredibly useful and very easy to manipulate opponents with. This is because they can't react to a FF and only sort of guess where you may end up, especially once they adjust for Dair's hitbox size or laser's great reach upon landing. Having the option not to do this and still drift really far is also amazing, so it should be noted.
Putting all of this together, the general reaction to a FH from Falco is something like:
-I get free stage since he's leaving the ground!
-Better move around so I'm not predictable!
-Oh crap gotta watch out for Dair/laser
-....what
-Crap got hit by the Dair/laser OR I'm being pressured
-rinse and repeat
Video example involving a DJ mixup(same principle applies mostly) is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHEKNqqy4O0 at 0:41. Mango DJs forward, drifts back a little, I try to shine his landing lag to punish his Dair assuming it would be FF'd, I get Dair'd and proceed to die LOL.
Squirt
Smash Apprentice
About the fast full hop: Do you know like in frames how fast a full hop could get you out of range for a shine during shield pressure? I was watching some vids of you and noticed that you used full hop to escape shield pressure.
unknown522
Some guy
When I was on the train, I saw a female clone of stab. Lol
Depends on how close the other Falco is during the shield pressure. If they're really close it may be impossible or very difficult. If they're spaced, then you get more lenience.
Keep in mind that there are other factors affecting this question like shield DI, conditioning, and shine staling.
Squirt
Smash Apprentice
What, would you consider, is a good indicator that full hop oos is a good option during shield pressure?
I like doing it when people are spaced more than anything else. Most people have to space on Falco's shield after initially pressuring it anyway since shine OOS is so threatening.
stabbedbyanipple
Smash Master
Can't just not provide pics man lolWhen I was on the train, I saw a female clone of stab. Lol
And that's good advice pp (both about the vid and the full hops)
How do you like to handle the other falco's full hops in dittos?
TheCrimsonBlur
Smash Master
I'm so happy Marth has uair/utilt
Bair is tight.Can't just not provide pics man lol
And that's good advice pp (both about the vid and the full hops)
How do you like to handle the other falco's full hops in dittos?
Also, taking middle from them and lasering where they would land if they drift back is good because at worst you trade lasers.
Then there's a ton of situational stuff and I need to work on it more so I won't go beyond that haha.
Def a great asset, but kinda tough to set up well on this tactic surprisingly. I can catch Mango jumping with FH/DJ Uair sometimes but that's if I'm calling it lol. Falling down Falco is tough to pin.
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2011
- Messages
- 5,493
Screw you guys. We (Peach) basically have to wait until Falco feels like coming down. Or maybe get a turnip, but Falco should be looking out for it.
/salty
No idea how Puff deals with it.
/salty
No idea how Puff deals with it.
That Nair's pretty big dude!
But yeah lol it can be a real pain sometimes, especially if Falco mixes in platform use with his FHs. Most spacies don't like staying above Peaches for very long(unless Dreamland/maybe top of BF) so that should speak to how relatively threatening she is despite FH being a solid option. =p
Puff has to trade Uair with Dair if she can afford to or Uair landing lag, both of which are kinda doable since she weaves better than Falco. The only issue is he falls faster so he's more likely to FF vs Puff before she can set up a good punish on his landing imo. That matchup has some cool intricacies like that.
But yeah lol it can be a real pain sometimes, especially if Falco mixes in platform use with his FHs. Most spacies don't like staying above Peaches for very long(unless Dreamland/maybe top of BF) so that should speak to how relatively threatening she is despite FH being a solid option. =p
Puff has to trade Uair with Dair if she can afford to or Uair landing lag, both of which are kinda doable since she weaves better than Falco. The only issue is he falls faster so he's more likely to FF vs Puff before she can set up a good punish on his landing imo. That matchup has some cool intricacies like that.
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2011
- Messages
- 5,493
If she calls an empty FJ, or baits/waits out an aerial, yeah, nair is good there. I just don't like jumping after Falco when he does that, cause he's fast and getting hit sucks (unless I want a trade with nair, which is good unless you dair, I guess).
Armada likes brave calls with uair, too. Random combo starter off of a read is pretty good too.
It's true, even though Falco is usually in the advantage in that position, it's still dangerous vs Peach to hang around there too long, which seems weird. There's a lot of cool interaction between Falco and the other character when he FJs (even though it sucks having to deal with it sometimes).
Armada likes brave calls with uair, too. Random combo starter off of a read is pretty good too.
It's true, even though Falco is usually in the advantage in that position, it's still dangerous vs Peach to hang around there too long, which seems weird. There's a lot of cool interaction between Falco and the other character when he FJs (even though it sucks having to deal with it sometimes).
Xyzz
Smash Champion
Getting turnips is pretty good against people who try to camp you in general, I think. It cuts off escape paths, and there's always the chance of getting a stitch. And they always risk getting deathtouched if they screw up.... but Falco sure is annoying if he doesn't feel like fighting. I don't think it's his best (or even really viable) option, but it sure is the most annoying thing to face :D
G
genkaku
Guest
what is ftilt good for other than pokes on shield?
rpotts
Smash Lord
Edgeguarding spacies, especially during side b and up bs downwards towards the ledge. The low ftilt (Sparta kick) works well against them as well as Ganon, falcon and much of the rest of the cast.
unknown522
Some guy
Setting up edgeguards.
Like combo laser -> f-tilt at high percents. On or offstage
Like combo laser -> f-tilt at high percents. On or offstage
stabbedbyanipple
Smash Master
yeah what they said^^
and pop them up with dair -> upward angled ftilt -> crazy ****
LOL
and pop them up with dair -> upward angled ftilt -> crazy ****
LOL
Fortress | Sveet
▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀
Why is there so much serious discussion here? Everyone knows it doesn't matter what moves you use when you play falco, as long as you blinkblink occasionally
Voltz
Smash Journeyman
You are confusing naive with contemplative as it is simply a general idea. Naive would be not looking into the match-up and saying, "Others believe it is even, so it must be so." Stating my opinion is not simply being "naive." The truth is that none of us actually know the match-up ratio.
Wretched
Dankness of Heart
Don't misinterpret that; I wasn't calling you naive or criticizing the fact that you or anybody assigns a number to the matchup. I'm just saying that I think we should look past it.
Voltz
Smash Journeyman
Well I stated that I am not certain, and I was really rounding up. Specifically the match-up is close to 53-47 or something like that. The MU could could be even, but as I stated, no one knows.
flaw
Smash Apprentice
noob here, what to do against fox shield pressure? Especially drillshinegrab? What about DI on the fox drill if I get hit, can I learn to SDI it to not get shined? Also, if I cc the shine and don't get knocked over, I'm still surprised by this when it happens but should I buffer roll or try to jab or what? (wish I could practice these situations on my own)
I feel that cc is important in this matchup but the foxes I play spot my cc a mile away and drill instead of nair/bair. What is the best way to setup a CC? Can't cc during dash, so wavedash in place hold down?
I feel that cc is important in this matchup but the foxes I play spot my cc a mile away and drill instead of nair/bair. What is the best way to setup a CC? Can't cc during dash, so wavedash in place hold down?
Shield DI the drill so you can escape the shine/grab. You can also shine Fox before he shines/grabs depending on how stale his drill/shine are. Basically try shield DI and shine OOS haha.
SDI the drill when you get hit/tech the shine to avoid being comboed.
Your next option depends on the opponent, so just try different stuff. Foxes usually WD into you when they get a shine so you have to work with their reaction time/spacing then.
CC'ing out of lasers is pretty good since most Foxes try to attack you after you laser. You can also WD into crouch or walk into crouch sometimes but this all depends on conditioning.
Jim Morrison
Smash Authority
To be honest, I don't really know how you would crouch cancel against Fox, because me as a Fox player, I don't come in with Nair/Bair out of fear of the CC'd shine, so you won't catch me with your CC since my only aerial you -can- CC will be D-air. If you do get shined by Fox and you can CC that, you sometimes catch them off-guard since they try to thunders combo you. You can buffer a roll with shield + Cstick if they do jab. If they grab, though luck, shouldn't have CC'd.
But what PP says makes the most sense, don't CC in a defensive situation, instead do it in an offensive situation when most Foxes would try to turn it around, like you doing U-tilts trying to bait them in, and then crouch cancel.
But what PP says makes the most sense, don't CC in a defensive situation, instead do it in an offensive situation when most Foxes would try to turn it around, like you doing U-tilts trying to bait them in, and then crouch cancel.
flaw
Smash Apprentice
How does the stale work on drillshine? Is there a post on the details? Is it realistic to rely on the shine oos or am I better off rolling/wd out etc. once I use the shield DI to escape the shine? I need to experiment with shield DI but from what I understand: My shield starts getting hit and I hold hard left or right, correct? I def. need to work on timing the tech, too...
Jim, I understand you and most of the time the foxes are coming down with drill, but I often spot situations where the ones I play bair/nair. Especially when I'm on platforms, I'm thinking cc the raising nair/bair will at least teach them to leave me alone.
One more thing, I try to go up on platforms w/ lasers to stop foxes from camping there all day, but they eventually figure it out, hard read it and run under me. I find myself really at a loss in this situation and it's hard to get back down, so I become conditioned to let fox have the platforms unharassed. Is my cc idea ok? One thing I try to do is the laser -> isai drop->dair I see shiz do a lot but it barely works. PP you've mentioned this situation before(i think in shiz vs eggm) but never expanded on it.
One more thing, can I cc during grounded moves? As in, utilt starts, I hold down, I'm in CC during the length of the move? I've seen m2k mention something like this.
Jim, I understand you and most of the time the foxes are coming down with drill, but I often spot situations where the ones I play bair/nair. Especially when I'm on platforms, I'm thinking cc the raising nair/bair will at least teach them to leave me alone.
One more thing, I try to go up on platforms w/ lasers to stop foxes from camping there all day, but they eventually figure it out, hard read it and run under me. I find myself really at a loss in this situation and it's hard to get back down, so I become conditioned to let fox have the platforms unharassed. Is my cc idea ok? One thing I try to do is the laser -> isai drop->dair I see shiz do a lot but it barely works. PP you've mentioned this situation before(i think in shiz vs eggm) but never expanded on it.
One more thing, can I cc during grounded moves? As in, utilt starts, I hold down, I'm in CC during the length of the move? I've seen m2k mention something like this.
Naughty Pixel
Smash Apprentice
Hey what kind of follow ups can I get off of grabbing shiek
Wenbobular
Smash Hero
- Joined
- May 26, 2006
- Messages
- 5,744
Uthrow -> ???? depending on how she DIs the throw / lasers
Fthrow - > positional advantage
Dthrow on a platform -> possible techchase??
Bthrow -> bad DI -> ????
Fthrow - > positional advantage
Dthrow on a platform -> possible techchase??
Bthrow -> bad DI -> ????
I will answer those questions in a bit, but I would suggest anyone checking in on this thread as I make this post to come back in about an hour. I have a VERY long post I'm making about Kings of Cali and what I've been doing since my last big post(Pound 5.)
I think you guys will enjoy! =)
I think you guys will enjoy! =)
Wenbobular
Smash Hero
- Joined
- May 26, 2006
- Messages
- 5,744
I hope you're making it in Notepad cuz I don't want to hear any "my browser died" johns
yeah don't worry I super saved it bro =)
The Business
Smash Journeyman
- Joined
- Nov 11, 2012
- Messages
- 249
Kings of Cali, and everything else since Pound 5
Hey all, I'm actually kind of glad my last post got deleted on this topic come to think of it. I had so much more to say that I kind of skipped over. I'm back to writing because it's fun and not trying to cut out anything I think is necessary when it comes to a decent explanation.
With that out of the way, I have some GREAT things to cover since the last time I wrote a big post. As far as motivation goes, I've made a big personal breakthrough I'd love to talk about. I feel amazing every moment I'm thinking of and playing Melee, and honestly, I feel good otherwise too. Motivation isn't enough though, I had to have a way to apply it. So you guys will also get a look into how I prepared for KoC.
The MOST important part of all of this, to me, is that I overcame two big personal barriers to my play at KoC that have hindered me at times, some more than others. These two barriers are being sick and not playing a lot/playing people decently far beneath my skill level(we can call this lack of efficient play).
Alright enough with the preamble, let's get to this thing!
So I'm going to guess that I quit writing large posts after Pound 5. Genesis 2 was by no means my favorite tournament so I'm pretty sure I didn't say much about it publicly haha. At any rate, I'd like to talk about how the losses I have experienced since Genesis 2 have affected me and how they paralleled my life.
Genesis 2 was tough for me. I doubt many remember this now, but EVERYONE was calling me the best player in the world after Pound 5. I'd like to say this didn't go to my head, but that'd be a lie. I was getting an ego, or at least pretty confident, and everyone said something to me about it. I didn't believe them at first, but after how hard I fell when I got destroyed at Genesis 2 I knew it was more than my personal fear of failure that got me. I raged all of the time, I was sad the rest of the time. I couldn't stand to read one internet comment about how I'd suddenly fallen off and how so many people were better than me now, so you can imagine my life wasn't made easier when there were scores of comments online making similar statements. Around the same time, I was having a few serious personal issues that seemed to reflect my smash life perfectly. As I'm pretty sure I've said before, smash has been my personal journey, and now I'll add that whatever happens in my regular life seems to be mirrored in my smash life, and vice versa.
I tried to pick myself back up after Genesis 2 and began focusing on positivity. Some may notice that I made a post a couple weeks before RoM4 talking about what I did to play my best play. This success I saw largely came from a self-help book I had been reading at the time, but it did not give me motivation(partly because I never finished it <.<) beyond some immediate bursts of creativity. These bursts pushed my personal game until I had an amazing day vs Twitch and chronicled exactly how I did it. Sadly, I got overconfident again at that point and wasn't motivated to keep practicing. Mango destroyed me.
My lack of motivation came from still reeling from my previous personal issues as well as my desire to try and play for myself(motivation I discuss in my Smashers Reunion interview). The wounds did heal, but not before Apex2012.
I got sick before Apex2012, and it wasn't even more than a stubborn cold(though it did drain my energy, aggravatingly enough). Still, I felt so terrible about it and the stigma associated with my illnesses that I let it get to my head. I remember telling my parents "well, maybe I'll get 3rd" before I left. I beat myself before I even showed up to the tourney.
Even so, I remember enjoying Melee a lot after I was knocked out and the friendlies were all very fun. I hadn't enjoyed Melee in a while, and it was the beginning of a more positive time for me. My life was picking up in general, and my Melee game became more positive in turn.
Northwest Manifest(that Washington tournament I flew out to in March) was actually really interesting. I wasn't sick at all for that tournament, but it was the tournament where I had the most energy/emotionality I've had in a very long time. Maybe since one of my early tournaments/Pound 4. I remember actually being nervous since I had so many extra thoughts haha. Biologically, I was soooo much healthier! I had been eating less junk food and running every day, usually a couple/3 miles a day. I had lost weight and felt awesome. Mentally, this gave me increased blood flow and the ability to play at better performance for much longer.
*Everyone should always remember mind and body are linked, and if you want success in either area, you would do well to master both aspects of your being!*
So, I'd like to take a minute to step back here and think about what I've said thus far. I haven't blamed only my illnesses for my losses, but I've also had mindset problems and even other biological issues that I had to learn about before proceeding to improve. In all of my 5.5 years of playing this game, I did not think it would still be possible to learn about competing in tournaments and what it takes to succeed in competition, but here I am.
Let's tackle some relevant questions now: How did I solve being sick? Well, you can see that I solved it by being healthier(NWM I was not sick) and keeping a better mindset(I was not sick at RoM4).
How did I solve my mindset issues related to being sick or nerves? Well, based on what I have said so far, it doesn't seem like I have. So I'd think it's fair to say that I hadn't mastered my mindset as well as my body at this post-NWM point in time.
I feel like I had some ups and downs after this point, and I didn't have control of my mind or body going into Zenith. It was just more on a down point for some reason. Not much to say there.
Going deeper into the summer, my mindset of playing for myself had come a little farther. Why does this matter? Well, for me it meant I had really begun to heal from my previous wounds and my other life successes were building me up and making me more confident. I was far from self-sufficient, but I didn't crutch on others as I used to. I believed I was stronger.
Getting into a mindset/motivational change raises this question for me: How does playing for oneself work? There are people who do it, and I wanted to be like them. My main line of thought, courtesy of Cactuar, was that I wanted to play to fulfill my own potential. The idea that I had so much untapped power was interesting to me, and I wanted to see where I could take my game. By not playing for people, I wouldn't have to worry if I was considered the best again, because I'd be the same person to myself and continuing on my own journey. It solves the old mindset problem I had, and feels perfectly honorable.
This felt like a perfect solution for me, but it didn't give me the old fire I used to have leading up to Pound 4/5. Still, I felt good enough and confident enough to begin revamping my game and beat everyone. My sets with Mango proved I had real drive, and in a particularly proud moment for me at some point in one of the matches on FD I bring back my stock deficit vs Mango and take the match because I thought "there's no WAY I can lose this match!!!"
Still, I lost GFs. I feel like I ran out of gas mentally, and I'm guessing that my natural energy levels just weren't high enough anymore since I slacked off again since NWM. Finals that go to last game are extremely draining haha. I also feel like I waste some mental energy doing inputs I don't need to be doing so I have done considerable work since that time cleaning up my game and body.
I'm going to skip Smashers Reunion because there's nothing particularly interesting to discuss there as far as my personal smash journey goes. The basic product of that trip I learned was for travelers to rest frequently and not to freak out about going on a trip LOL. That's just something experience teaches though. I want Armada to represent something for me in smash I just realized, but I don't know what yet. I will think on this and maybe update this section of the post with what I come up with later.
I'd like to stop again here and point out that I have continually made note that my body needs work, but I have yet to show a real solution for my mind. Well, I am very pleased to say I made some wonderful breakthroughs in BOTH areas around the same time at the end of the summer!
Body first. I learned a few things about how food interacts with one's physical state(some may recall me talking a lot about diet around this time) and lost more weight in addition to setting up a regular exercise routine that lasted me from the time this semester started to about a month ago. I learned that fruit was AMAZING and I began ingesting lots of fruits and some vegetables as my only diet for increased energy and weight loss(combined with lots of water of course). I didn't even get hungry since my body adjusted quickly to the diet and my stomach shrunk thanks to my aerobic exercise(running.) I have plenty of work to be done before I can claim much understanding of diet, but the end result here is that I have been doing VERY well for myself physically for the first time since I started playing Melee.
That is, until I got sick at KoC. =(
(Funnily enough, I got sick because I hadn't been sleeping well instead of stress or poor diet/exercise choices....I imagine I'm running out of ways to mess myself up at this point since I will have an immaculate sleep schedule by Apex).
And now, for my VERY happy part of my post! I discovered my mindset solution at the same time I had a very wonderful thing happen for me in my real life(go figure right?!): I got a girlfriend =D
......I just rewrote about 5 different ways to do this part and can't get it right LMAO I've never had such a funny experience before.
The effects of me dating that overlap my real and smash life are that I am happier, more positive, and I care more about others. In my real life, this can only mean increased productivity and better day-to-day interactions. In my Melee world, there is actually more productivity and an almost insatiable desire to think about/play Melee too, WHO KNEW? By being happier, I take each second of life and enjoy it more, consider it more earnestly, and have the clarity of mind to evaluate it more honestly and from multiple perspectives.
So, 2 things need to be addressed at this point: How did I work against that generally accepted theory of "top player falls off after he begins dating," and what did this change about my motivation exactly? Well, the second question will actually answer the first, so let's start there.
My motivation was changed because I felt compelled to play for someone besides myself for the first time in quite a while. I dearly love my girlfriend so I have no issue playing for her as well as myself(and maybe a few others haha). It feels more natural to me. When I give advice I try to always make it so people take what I say and put it into their own words, because they can't use what I give them directly. The knowledge has to seem/be intuitive when someone is taught/learns, it has to be understood in their own way of thinking(in their own words as some might say.)
This all adds up to me playing for other people, just as I used to play when I was improving and doing well. It is my intuitive learning process and method of feeling comfortable. It is not nearly as many people now, but it is enough so that I feel like I can never slack because there is a purpose beyond myself I am playing for now. There is nothing more motivating than that for me, so it feels amazing and I feel ready to take on anyone now!
That all does sound fine and good, but how is it applied directly to my smash game? Well, I have to first tackle the logistic issues of having a girlfriend and going to school full time(luckily I don't have to work since Melee money gets me by). I cannot waste time idly chatting about Melee so often now, but the time I do get for Melee can be insanely productive and easily remembered thanks to how motivated I am now. I actively take notes on any friendlies I have so I never waste time right after I finish my session(s), and I'm back to brainstorming new things to test in each friendly session I commit to in order to not waste my time or the other person's time. I require less time warming up since my brain is more aware now so I don't need to play much to keep stronger muscle memory, and I don't fall for the same tricks as often, keeping matches fresh and challenging. All of these changes happened instantly when I started feeling motivated, I didn't even have to put much effort into thinking them up or maintaining them!
This all adds up to me getting more out of Melee, even though I have much less time for it now! As I will write about in MD later, this is just a maximization of resources(like time or people) I have, and is a lesson everyone desiring to improve should note.
Now then, let's fast forward to the fun part of KoC: my matches with Mango. I had been playing VERY well and then fizzled out after a couple hours of tournament play since my stamina had been greatly reduced by my illness and I felt terrible. I had everything come together for me and because of SLEEP I wasn't going to be able to beat Mango! Mango had also been playing more than me(a fact he had no problem reminding me about frequently leading up to the tournament) so I felt like I had lost any advantage I had over him. That was the mindset I had leading up to WFs, and the result very obviously reflects that.
After my loss to Mango, I went outside and felt probably the worst I had felt after a loss since Genesis 2. I didn't know what to do and was pretty frustrated. Fortunately, Pink Reaper(<333333) gave me a bit of a pep talk. He didn't say a lot but he made me laugh some and joked on Mango a little bit to give me some confidence and I decided that was just going to have to be enough despite how much less I had been playing and how my body was against me. It was at this time I also reminded myself how I had studied Mango intensely in our Impulse matches before this tournament and there was no reason to fear him when I had that surprise on my side so he couldn't just trick me like he tricked everyone else. I got fired up to show everyone Mango was a bunch of Jigglypuff tricks and wasn't going to let anyone down.
If you watch the player cam as I come in and sit down, you can see how serious I look and that is a look I haven't worn so effectively in quite some time. Not very gracefully in my opinion, I manage to overcome my obstacles and beat Mango, the person who always pushed me to get better, in the matchup that was my statistically worst matchup, Falco dittos, with the crowd against me. I am not counterjohnning or anything of the sort, but I am pretty excited about what that victory meant for me. I've never overcome such a disadvantage mid-tournament and pulled out the win before. This showed to me how far I have come, how much I have grown as a person and player, and that preparation(on all fronts outside of just playing the game) is how tournaments are won. I feel that experience will serve me as a reminder that I can come back from any lapse I find myself in and succeed, and hopefully give some inspiration to others who may be struggling personally or striving for success.
I, of course, was pretty happy after my win but couldn't believe it. Easily the best part was sharing in that joy with my girlfriend and everyone else who was happy for me as well. I hope to never make the mistake of shutting others out again as long as I live. Here's to hoping my Melee success and life success and happiness continue to build on themselves!
I cannot wait for Apex by the way.
**************************************************************
I'll summarize the main smash-related improvement points here for convenience:
-body and mind are interrelated, and proper maintenance of those areas will lead to success in all other areas of life you may wish to succeed in
-make all knowledge you take in intuitive, that is to say make it your own knowledge or in your own words
-find what works best to motivate you and do it! build on other people only as necessary.
I really hope you all have enjoyed this read. I certainly enjoyed writing it! Respond with any questions/concerns/criticisms/comments/anything so I can see what people think about me pouring my heart out over here! Thanks for reading!
Hey all, I'm actually kind of glad my last post got deleted on this topic come to think of it. I had so much more to say that I kind of skipped over. I'm back to writing because it's fun and not trying to cut out anything I think is necessary when it comes to a decent explanation.
With that out of the way, I have some GREAT things to cover since the last time I wrote a big post. As far as motivation goes, I've made a big personal breakthrough I'd love to talk about. I feel amazing every moment I'm thinking of and playing Melee, and honestly, I feel good otherwise too. Motivation isn't enough though, I had to have a way to apply it. So you guys will also get a look into how I prepared for KoC.
The MOST important part of all of this, to me, is that I overcame two big personal barriers to my play at KoC that have hindered me at times, some more than others. These two barriers are being sick and not playing a lot/playing people decently far beneath my skill level(we can call this lack of efficient play).
Alright enough with the preamble, let's get to this thing!
So I'm going to guess that I quit writing large posts after Pound 5. Genesis 2 was by no means my favorite tournament so I'm pretty sure I didn't say much about it publicly haha. At any rate, I'd like to talk about how the losses I have experienced since Genesis 2 have affected me and how they paralleled my life.
Genesis 2 was tough for me. I doubt many remember this now, but EVERYONE was calling me the best player in the world after Pound 5. I'd like to say this didn't go to my head, but that'd be a lie. I was getting an ego, or at least pretty confident, and everyone said something to me about it. I didn't believe them at first, but after how hard I fell when I got destroyed at Genesis 2 I knew it was more than my personal fear of failure that got me. I raged all of the time, I was sad the rest of the time. I couldn't stand to read one internet comment about how I'd suddenly fallen off and how so many people were better than me now, so you can imagine my life wasn't made easier when there were scores of comments online making similar statements. Around the same time, I was having a few serious personal issues that seemed to reflect my smash life perfectly. As I'm pretty sure I've said before, smash has been my personal journey, and now I'll add that whatever happens in my regular life seems to be mirrored in my smash life, and vice versa.
I tried to pick myself back up after Genesis 2 and began focusing on positivity. Some may notice that I made a post a couple weeks before RoM4 talking about what I did to play my best play. This success I saw largely came from a self-help book I had been reading at the time, but it did not give me motivation(partly because I never finished it <.<) beyond some immediate bursts of creativity. These bursts pushed my personal game until I had an amazing day vs Twitch and chronicled exactly how I did it. Sadly, I got overconfident again at that point and wasn't motivated to keep practicing. Mango destroyed me.
My lack of motivation came from still reeling from my previous personal issues as well as my desire to try and play for myself(motivation I discuss in my Smashers Reunion interview). The wounds did heal, but not before Apex2012.
I got sick before Apex2012, and it wasn't even more than a stubborn cold(though it did drain my energy, aggravatingly enough). Still, I felt so terrible about it and the stigma associated with my illnesses that I let it get to my head. I remember telling my parents "well, maybe I'll get 3rd" before I left. I beat myself before I even showed up to the tourney.
Even so, I remember enjoying Melee a lot after I was knocked out and the friendlies were all very fun. I hadn't enjoyed Melee in a while, and it was the beginning of a more positive time for me. My life was picking up in general, and my Melee game became more positive in turn.
Northwest Manifest(that Washington tournament I flew out to in March) was actually really interesting. I wasn't sick at all for that tournament, but it was the tournament where I had the most energy/emotionality I've had in a very long time. Maybe since one of my early tournaments/Pound 4. I remember actually being nervous since I had so many extra thoughts haha. Biologically, I was soooo much healthier! I had been eating less junk food and running every day, usually a couple/3 miles a day. I had lost weight and felt awesome. Mentally, this gave me increased blood flow and the ability to play at better performance for much longer.
*Everyone should always remember mind and body are linked, and if you want success in either area, you would do well to master both aspects of your being!*
So, I'd like to take a minute to step back here and think about what I've said thus far. I haven't blamed only my illnesses for my losses, but I've also had mindset problems and even other biological issues that I had to learn about before proceeding to improve. In all of my 5.5 years of playing this game, I did not think it would still be possible to learn about competing in tournaments and what it takes to succeed in competition, but here I am.
Let's tackle some relevant questions now: How did I solve being sick? Well, you can see that I solved it by being healthier(NWM I was not sick) and keeping a better mindset(I was not sick at RoM4).
How did I solve my mindset issues related to being sick or nerves? Well, based on what I have said so far, it doesn't seem like I have. So I'd think it's fair to say that I hadn't mastered my mindset as well as my body at this post-NWM point in time.
I feel like I had some ups and downs after this point, and I didn't have control of my mind or body going into Zenith. It was just more on a down point for some reason. Not much to say there.
Going deeper into the summer, my mindset of playing for myself had come a little farther. Why does this matter? Well, for me it meant I had really begun to heal from my previous wounds and my other life successes were building me up and making me more confident. I was far from self-sufficient, but I didn't crutch on others as I used to. I believed I was stronger.
Getting into a mindset/motivational change raises this question for me: How does playing for oneself work? There are people who do it, and I wanted to be like them. My main line of thought, courtesy of Cactuar, was that I wanted to play to fulfill my own potential. The idea that I had so much untapped power was interesting to me, and I wanted to see where I could take my game. By not playing for people, I wouldn't have to worry if I was considered the best again, because I'd be the same person to myself and continuing on my own journey. It solves the old mindset problem I had, and feels perfectly honorable.
This felt like a perfect solution for me, but it didn't give me the old fire I used to have leading up to Pound 4/5. Still, I felt good enough and confident enough to begin revamping my game and beat everyone. My sets with Mango proved I had real drive, and in a particularly proud moment for me at some point in one of the matches on FD I bring back my stock deficit vs Mango and take the match because I thought "there's no WAY I can lose this match!!!"
Still, I lost GFs. I feel like I ran out of gas mentally, and I'm guessing that my natural energy levels just weren't high enough anymore since I slacked off again since NWM. Finals that go to last game are extremely draining haha. I also feel like I waste some mental energy doing inputs I don't need to be doing so I have done considerable work since that time cleaning up my game and body.
I'm going to skip Smashers Reunion because there's nothing particularly interesting to discuss there as far as my personal smash journey goes. The basic product of that trip I learned was for travelers to rest frequently and not to freak out about going on a trip LOL. That's just something experience teaches though. I want Armada to represent something for me in smash I just realized, but I don't know what yet. I will think on this and maybe update this section of the post with what I come up with later.
I'd like to stop again here and point out that I have continually made note that my body needs work, but I have yet to show a real solution for my mind. Well, I am very pleased to say I made some wonderful breakthroughs in BOTH areas around the same time at the end of the summer!
Body first. I learned a few things about how food interacts with one's physical state(some may recall me talking a lot about diet around this time) and lost more weight in addition to setting up a regular exercise routine that lasted me from the time this semester started to about a month ago. I learned that fruit was AMAZING and I began ingesting lots of fruits and some vegetables as my only diet for increased energy and weight loss(combined with lots of water of course). I didn't even get hungry since my body adjusted quickly to the diet and my stomach shrunk thanks to my aerobic exercise(running.) I have plenty of work to be done before I can claim much understanding of diet, but the end result here is that I have been doing VERY well for myself physically for the first time since I started playing Melee.
That is, until I got sick at KoC. =(
(Funnily enough, I got sick because I hadn't been sleeping well instead of stress or poor diet/exercise choices....I imagine I'm running out of ways to mess myself up at this point since I will have an immaculate sleep schedule by Apex).
And now, for my VERY happy part of my post! I discovered my mindset solution at the same time I had a very wonderful thing happen for me in my real life(go figure right?!): I got a girlfriend =D
......I just rewrote about 5 different ways to do this part and can't get it right LMAO I've never had such a funny experience before.
The effects of me dating that overlap my real and smash life are that I am happier, more positive, and I care more about others. In my real life, this can only mean increased productivity and better day-to-day interactions. In my Melee world, there is actually more productivity and an almost insatiable desire to think about/play Melee too, WHO KNEW? By being happier, I take each second of life and enjoy it more, consider it more earnestly, and have the clarity of mind to evaluate it more honestly and from multiple perspectives.
So, 2 things need to be addressed at this point: How did I work against that generally accepted theory of "top player falls off after he begins dating," and what did this change about my motivation exactly? Well, the second question will actually answer the first, so let's start there.
My motivation was changed because I felt compelled to play for someone besides myself for the first time in quite a while. I dearly love my girlfriend so I have no issue playing for her as well as myself(and maybe a few others haha). It feels more natural to me. When I give advice I try to always make it so people take what I say and put it into their own words, because they can't use what I give them directly. The knowledge has to seem/be intuitive when someone is taught/learns, it has to be understood in their own way of thinking(in their own words as some might say.)
This all adds up to me playing for other people, just as I used to play when I was improving and doing well. It is my intuitive learning process and method of feeling comfortable. It is not nearly as many people now, but it is enough so that I feel like I can never slack because there is a purpose beyond myself I am playing for now. There is nothing more motivating than that for me, so it feels amazing and I feel ready to take on anyone now!
That all does sound fine and good, but how is it applied directly to my smash game? Well, I have to first tackle the logistic issues of having a girlfriend and going to school full time(luckily I don't have to work since Melee money gets me by). I cannot waste time idly chatting about Melee so often now, but the time I do get for Melee can be insanely productive and easily remembered thanks to how motivated I am now. I actively take notes on any friendlies I have so I never waste time right after I finish my session(s), and I'm back to brainstorming new things to test in each friendly session I commit to in order to not waste my time or the other person's time. I require less time warming up since my brain is more aware now so I don't need to play much to keep stronger muscle memory, and I don't fall for the same tricks as often, keeping matches fresh and challenging. All of these changes happened instantly when I started feeling motivated, I didn't even have to put much effort into thinking them up or maintaining them!
This all adds up to me getting more out of Melee, even though I have much less time for it now! As I will write about in MD later, this is just a maximization of resources(like time or people) I have, and is a lesson everyone desiring to improve should note.
Now then, let's fast forward to the fun part of KoC: my matches with Mango. I had been playing VERY well and then fizzled out after a couple hours of tournament play since my stamina had been greatly reduced by my illness and I felt terrible. I had everything come together for me and because of SLEEP I wasn't going to be able to beat Mango! Mango had also been playing more than me(a fact he had no problem reminding me about frequently leading up to the tournament) so I felt like I had lost any advantage I had over him. That was the mindset I had leading up to WFs, and the result very obviously reflects that.
After my loss to Mango, I went outside and felt probably the worst I had felt after a loss since Genesis 2. I didn't know what to do and was pretty frustrated. Fortunately, Pink Reaper(<333333) gave me a bit of a pep talk. He didn't say a lot but he made me laugh some and joked on Mango a little bit to give me some confidence and I decided that was just going to have to be enough despite how much less I had been playing and how my body was against me. It was at this time I also reminded myself how I had studied Mango intensely in our Impulse matches before this tournament and there was no reason to fear him when I had that surprise on my side so he couldn't just trick me like he tricked everyone else. I got fired up to show everyone Mango was a bunch of Jigglypuff tricks and wasn't going to let anyone down.
If you watch the player cam as I come in and sit down, you can see how serious I look and that is a look I haven't worn so effectively in quite some time. Not very gracefully in my opinion, I manage to overcome my obstacles and beat Mango, the person who always pushed me to get better, in the matchup that was my statistically worst matchup, Falco dittos, with the crowd against me. I am not counterjohnning or anything of the sort, but I am pretty excited about what that victory meant for me. I've never overcome such a disadvantage mid-tournament and pulled out the win before. This showed to me how far I have come, how much I have grown as a person and player, and that preparation(on all fronts outside of just playing the game) is how tournaments are won. I feel that experience will serve me as a reminder that I can come back from any lapse I find myself in and succeed, and hopefully give some inspiration to others who may be struggling personally or striving for success.
I, of course, was pretty happy after my win but couldn't believe it. Easily the best part was sharing in that joy with my girlfriend and everyone else who was happy for me as well. I hope to never make the mistake of shutting others out again as long as I live. Here's to hoping my Melee success and life success and happiness continue to build on themselves!
I cannot wait for Apex by the way.
**************************************************************
I'll summarize the main smash-related improvement points here for convenience:
-body and mind are interrelated, and proper maintenance of those areas will lead to success in all other areas of life you may wish to succeed in
-make all knowledge you take in intuitive, that is to say make it your own knowledge or in your own words
-find what works best to motivate you and do it! build on other people only as necessary.
I really hope you all have enjoyed this read. I certainly enjoyed writing it! Respond with any questions/concerns/criticisms/comments/anything so I can see what people think about me pouring my heart out over here! Thanks for reading!
Wenbobular
Smash Hero
- Joined
- May 26, 2006
- Messages
- 5,744
So basically
PP is Ike
Got buff and fought for his friends
And now he is the King of Cali
****ing ****
Also I liked the part where you tried to read a self help book but didn't have the motivation to finish it
PP is Ike
Got buff and fought for his friends
And now he is the King of Cali
****ing ****
Also I liked the part where you tried to read a self help book but didn't have the motivation to finish it
Tee ay eye
Smash Hero
10/10
well done
well done
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2011
- Messages
- 5,493
I also give this a 10/10, even though there were some sappy parts. 
I'm interested to hear what you think that Armada means to your smash career.
I'm interested to hear what you think that Armada means to your smash career.
LMFAO amazing last sentence. Self-help books are really weird. I really want to talk to people about them because they get a bad rap but seem okay for getting yourself back on your feet for short-term thinking if nothing else *shrug*
tyyy
man yo I am a straight bleeding heart what can I say!I also give this a 10/10, even though there were some sappy parts.
I'll rewatch my matches with Armada either this week or after exams are over and reflect on it for you and anyone else curious.
Thanks for reading and responding guys!
Great post, but
it made me very sad )=
-zio
*****, we didn't play a single friendly at KoC
it made me very sad )=
-zio
stabbedbyanipple
Smash Master
good post PP
really motivational
I suppose everyone is on their own "smash journey" to better themselves.
Sometimes this game feels like too much to handle, but I think we only get stronger as players and as human beings by persevering through the bad times.
Your story is a great example of that imo.
Cheers!
really motivational
I suppose everyone is on their own "smash journey" to better themselves.
Sometimes this game feels like too much to handle, but I think we only get stronger as players and as human beings by persevering through the bad times.
Your story is a great example of that imo.
Cheers!