Reading Patterns

[Jr555]

Didn't see a general competitive section so I thought I'd place this somewhere related to where I first heard this term. So during one of Scar's matches at the Big House 3 one of the commentators used the term "reading a pattern", when referring to how Scar started punishing his opponent. I thought the term was specifically useful for me because while I am capable of making sporadic reads very often, and in more obvious settings consistent reads, a lot of times in tournament I drop more of my reads than I do in friendlies, and feel myself falling into patterns and losing my good habits.

So I thought I'd start this thread to ask everyone to share which 'patterns' they tend to look for (maybe in order if you have a system to your playstyle i.e. techs first, spacing second, movement third, etc) during matchups, specifically in tourney. I myself tend to spend a lot of time looking at tech read patterns, but I'm sure the more advanced Falcons have an better understanding of how to read defensive patterns, etc.

 

[Zhea]

It's Falcon Social. I know, weird right?

Reading, much like other aspects of this game is a skill. If you focus on it while you play, it will improve. That being said, I do have tactics I like to use.

Whenever I fight some one for the first time I always cover the missed tech/tech in place. Always. Lot's of players will tech in place against new opponents. I will continue to do this until they stop. This covers 3 types of play. New players (They will miss the tech a lot), Bad Habit players(There are a lot of technical players who love tech in place), and Sand Bagging players(Seriously, watch anyone who is sandbagging, they will always tech in place).

If during the first tech they either tech away or tech behind, there is a very good chance you have picked up their rolling habit, and that should become your default until proven otherwise.

Other things to keep in mind when tech chasing players:

1. Did you knock them down with a attack or a grab?
2. Where are you both on the stage during the tech?
3. Are they at a high/low percent?
4. Do they have a 4th option not always available to them(missing tech to fall off platform or grab edge)?
5. What are they reacting to from you?
6. What additional options does their character have(rare, but stuff like tech in place shine is habbit forming)?

In the middle of a fight it can look like they are just mashing a direction on their controller, but smasher's have tech patterns, you just have to figure out what line of logic they are following when making their decision. For example say you throw them while on a plat form and the land on the stage. A lot of people will tech under the platform. People also have much more predictable techs when they are knocked down by an aerial. Did they land on a platform? People are really bad with mixing this up, and you can cover at least 2 options with a hard punish, 3 with softer ones(like uair or nair). If WD up to land next to them, it causes a lot of people to not tech in place, and they usually favor teching behind. Same with if you jump after them as if you are going to punished a whiffed tech. They'll roll.

Mind you everything above also applies to NOT getting tech chased. People have tech chasing habits, and they influenced by the same factors as your teching.

 

[gravy]

I like to tech chase using only my reaction speed by getting an idea of what people do on wake up and punishing that. The easiest to punish is spotdodge, you just delay a knee or stomp. But you also have to be able to punish wake up attack, which most people choose.... Anyways I think that's a great area to learn habits.

 

[Jr555]

It's Falcon Social. I know, weird right?

Eesh, my bad Ok I'll try to be more social from now on.

Thanks for the reply though. Even though it seems like common sense it's still a good refresher. We've got a big charity tournament coming up this week and if I'm only focused on running the tournament stuff like this will escape me, no matter how practiced I am.

 

[Smokey Huntz]

It's Falcon Social. I know, weird right?

Reading, much like other aspects of this game is a skill. If you focus on it while you play, it will improve. That being said, I do have tactics I like to use.

Whenever I fight some one for the first time I always cover the missed tech/tech in place. Always. Lot's of players will tech in place against new opponents. I will continue to do this until they stop. This covers 3 types of play. New players (They will miss the tech a lot), Bad Habit players(There are a lot of technical players who love tech in place), and Sand Bagging players(Seriously, watch anyone who is sandbagging, they will always tech in place).

If during the first tech they either tech away or tech behind, there is a very good chance you have picked up their rolling habit, and that should become your default until proven otherwise.

Other things to keep in mind when tech chasing players:

1. Did you knock them down with a attack or a grab?
2. Where are you both on the stage during the tech?
3. Are they at a high/low percent?
4. Do they have a 4th option not always available to them(missing tech to fall off platform or grab edge)?
5. What are they reacting to from you?
6. What additional options does their character have(rare, but stuff like tech in place shine is habbit forming)?

In the middle of a fight it can look like they are just mashing a direction on their controller, but smasher's have tech patterns, you just have to figure out what line of logic they are following when making their decision. For example say you throw them while on a plat form and the land on the stage. A lot of people will tech under the platform. People also have much more predictable techs when they are knocked down by an aerial. Did they land on a platform? People are really bad with mixing this up, and you can cover at least 2 options with a hard punish, 3 with softer ones(like uair or nair). If WD up to land next to them, it causes a lot of people to not tech in place, and they usually favor teching behind. Same with if you jump after them as if you are going to punished a whiffed tech. They'll roll.

Mind you everything above also applies to NOT getting tech chased. People have tech chasing habits, and they influenced by the same factors as your teching.

All this stuff is mad useful thanks I already used a lot of it but you said some things I hadn't really considered before.

 

[Equal]

If it means anything to you, I heard Mango always rolls his control stick when teching, so even he doesn't know where he's going to end up. If you don't want to have bad habits a good way of getting rid of them is not having habits at all.

 

[Zhea]

If that's the case, then he is never going to tech in place, so if the person is doing that, you have a 50/50 shot of hitting something beefy, that is most likely going to kill them. I'll take a 50/50. This also means if he does use tech in place, he plans it, and therefore the above apply.

 

[Aggromidget]

I'm gonna talk about reading rolls, basically off their tech on your throws.
I find that you can influence the direction they choose to tech by initiating a dash in the opposite direction. This doesn't work all the time, but it seems to work. It's based on the fact that they're on the defensive, and want to get away from you.
Just a basic technique I use.

 

[Zhea]

It's actually an important tool to let you know if they are mixing up their techs or just watching you.

 

[Captain Smuckers]

If that's the case, then he is never going to tech in place, so if the person is doing that, you have a 50/50 shot of hitting something beefy, that is most likely going to kill them. I'll take a 50/50. This also means if he does use tech in place, he plans it, and therefore the above apply.

I thought if the stick was facing either up or down when you push L/R the game would read it as a tech in place

 

[Zhea]

Fair enough, but he is rolling it, so what happens on diagonals?

 

[Aggromidget]

Fair enough, but he is rolling it, so what happens on diagonals?

Then you jump diagonally up. loljk.
If he's rolling, there's next to no chance that the stick with be straight up or down at the designated time.
I'm quite sure I'm right when I say that on the diagonals, it goes in the left/right direction - whichever is closer.

 

[Equal]

This just allows more mindgames to occur IMO. If he plans a tech in place, then that's not what the opponent should expect, assuming the opponent knows that Mango does this random tech. I think the point of (for lack of a better term lol) roll-teching is to force the opponent to rely on reaction only which is pretty dang smart.

Regardless I'm not qualified in the least to be talking on what Mango does and the reasons why lol

 

[Jr555]

If it means anything to you, I heard Mango always rolls his control stick when teching, so even he doesn't know where he's going to end up. If you don't want to have bad habits a good way of getting rid of them is not having habits at all.

I've heard this in commentary a million times, and I've gotta say, there is no way you can eliminate habit by attempting to create something random this way. The subconscious pays as much attention to muscle memory as the conscious, and just because he's flicking the control stick doesn't mean after a million matches a year the guy isn't doing a similar flick pretty often.

The other thing I NEED to say about this is: having the commentators announce this part of Mango's gameplay, and making it common knowledge is a mind game in itself. Think of how much of an advantage it is to go into every matching making the other player think you have the least calculable habits of any player. It makes them never want to risk punishing your techs, and just try to punish safely every time you tech. As a player as aggressive as Mango is, that is a tremendous amount of unnecessary respect from almost the whole community.

DISCLAIMER: Mango is obscenely good and this is not the kind of thing where I'm saying he gets too much respect or credit or anything like that, I'm simply stating the premise of him having this mythic lore about his teching is obscene, and I would be shocked that an entire community as mind game intensive as you guys would feel like this is a legitimate thing. Mango if you read this you're a friggen inspiration and I learn from your matches constantly.

 

[Superspright]

Mango train gonna run on you son.

 

[Jr555]

Mango train gonna run on you son.

lol the only way that won't happen is if I never meet the guy. Obviously he's miles ahead of me.

 

[Twinkles]

I actually don't think Mango uses that trick

At the very least, I don't think he uses it exclusively, though he might certainly throw them in for mixups.

There are a good number of situations though where the "right" way to tech is obvious enough in terms of risk vs. reward though that it'd just be stupid not to do the smart tech.