Robotic players online?

[Conn1496]

Now, before I even start, I know this thread is gonna sound like I'm getting salty, but whatever. Let the salt pour.

SALT ENGAGED

In short, I've run into some players online recently who are literally too good to be believed. -and while I'm not exactly great, I know I'm not exactly a pushover either. But something just seemed off about these players that really rubbed me the wrong way. I've accepted many a loss in the past to truly skilled players, but these players act so oddly it's kind of unreal. In short, they:
- Do pretty bad for one stock, then always, always pull it back.
- Always choose a character with a fast (Read: "Spammable") projectile.
- Perfect gimping at high percents.
- Frame/range perfect punishes and combos when close to loss.
- Most eerily, one of these players in particular changed characters literally every time I did, without fail.

Now, the reason I bring this up is because - again, these players acted odd and were scarily good towards the end of a game, even in high lag. -and the spike in difficulty between stocks was just rediculous. I've never managed to win a single of these games, even if they come rediculously close, and I really don't understand it. Unless I've managed to press some sort of rage button post stock-1, these players are just completely robotic. They're like the Mario Kart rubber band AIs on steroids.

Closest I even got to winning was basically by moving weirdly and baiting like a cheap-o with Fox's blaster, and even then, it was still a pretty big curbstomping (Dropped from 2-stocks to dead after my first KO at 10% damage.). Anyone run into anything similar?

 

[stancosmos]

Now, before I even start, I know this thread is gonna sound like I'm getting salty, but whatever. Let the salt pour.


In short, I've run into some players online recently who are literally too good to be believed. -and while I'm not exactly great, I know I'm not exactly a pushover either. But something just seemed off about these players that really rubbed me the wrong way. I've accepted many a loss in the past to truly skilled players, but these players act so oddly it's kind of unreal. In short, they:
- Do pretty bad for one stock, then always, always pull it back.
- Always choose a character with a fast (Read: "Spammable") projectile.
- Perfect gimping at high percents.
- Frame/range perfect punishes and combos when close to loss.
- Most eerily, one of these players in particular changed characters literally every time I did, without fail.

Now, the reason I bring this up is because - again, these players acted odd and were scarily good towards the end of a game, even in high lag. -and the spike in difficulty between stocks was just rediculous. I've never managed to win a single of these games, even if they come rediculously close, and I really don't understand it. Unless I've managed to press some sort of rage button post stock-1, these players are just completely robotic. They're like the Mario Kart rubber band AIs on steroids.

Closest I even got to winning was basically by moving weirdly and baiting like a cheap-o with Fox's blaster, and even then, it was still a pretty big curbstomping (Dropped from 2-stocks to dead after my first KO at 10% damage.). Anyone run into anything similar?

You don't understand AI at all. The fact that their difficulty changes when they lose a stock would indicate human behavior, players getting aggressive because they need to kill you twice before you kill them once. Also why would an AI choose a projectile spammer? that sure sounds like someone a person would do hoping for an easy win. I've played just over 1000 games, and i can say for sure that none of those players were AI's, or at least if they were they were very obscurely designed and not as good as they could have been. AI behavior would be more like constant perfect shielding. It's possible for someone to design an AI and hack smash bros to put it into online games, but even then a level 9 computer isn't difficult. They would have to design an AI that's much better than anything nintendo has designed in the game. I'm positive you're just getting beaten and can't fathom that you might be playing a decent player.

 

[Conn1496]

You don't understand AI at all. The fact that their difficulty changes when they lose a stock would indicate human behavior, players getting aggressive because they need to kill you twice before you kill them once. Also why would an AI choose a projectile spammer? that sure sounds like someone a person would do hoping for an easy win. I've played just over 1000 games, and i can say for sure that none of those players were AI's, or at least if they were they were very obscurely designed and not as good as they could have been. AI behavior would be more like constant perfect shielding. It's possible for someone to design an AI and hack smash bros to put it into online games, but even then a level 9 computer isn't difficult. They would have to design an AI that's much better than anything nintendo has designed in the game. I'm positive you're just getting beaten and can't fathom that you might be playing a decent player.

No, you have fair points, I suppose. I can definately agree that maybe players are that good, I just seriously don't understand how on earth someone can go from playing so poorly to wiping the floor with me so consistently.

As I said, I've accepted some pretty nasty, curbstomp losses in my past, I just don't understand how there can be players that only do consistently well when they need to pull back games from the brink of death, rather than just straight-out win then.

 

[Ladyspiker]

What you described isn't impossible, but it seems very unlikely. Even more unlikely since the game is still pretty new and you described you met many of these people, not just one. I don't think I've met anyone like that before, in fact, I'm usually the player you are describing.

Here's some possibilities why this could be happening:
- adjusting to the match (maybe you're doing predictable moves and it took one stock to catch onto that)
- underestimating you
- having one play style the first stock and using another approach after the first approach clearly didn't work
- an arrogant player who lets you take the first stock easily on purpose and plays with all their effort the next (maybe playing some weird psychological game??)

Also, who you play as could explain why this is happening. If it's Bowser Jr, he's not seen that often, so I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people are unfamiliar with the match-up at first.

It certainly is weird though if this happens many matches in a row with the same person...

 

[Riskman]

Now, before I even start, I know this thread is gonna sound like I'm getting salty, but whatever. Let the salt pour.


In short, I've run into some players online recently who are literally too good to be believed. -and while I'm not exactly great, I know I'm not exactly a pushover either. But something just seemed off about these players that really rubbed me the wrong way. I've accepted many a loss in the past to truly skilled players, but these players act so oddly it's kind of unreal. In short, they:
- Do pretty bad for one stock, then always, always pull it back.
- Always choose a character with a fast (Read: "Spammable") projectile.
- Perfect gimping at high percents.
- Frame/range perfect punishes and combos when close to loss.
- Most eerily, one of these players in particular changed characters literally every time I did, without fail.

Now, the reason I bring this up is because - again, these players acted odd and were scarily good towards the end of a game, even in high lag. -and the spike in difficulty between stocks was just rediculous. I've never managed to win a single of these games, even if they come rediculously close, and I really don't understand it. Unless I've managed to press some sort of rage button post stock-1, these players are just completely robotic. They're like the Mario Kart rubber band AIs on steroids.

Closest I even got to winning was basically by moving weirdly and baiting like a cheap-o with Fox's blaster, and even then, it was still a pretty big curbstomping (Dropped from 2-stocks to dead after my first KO at 10% damage.). Anyone run into anything similar?

Maybe they were related to M2K?

 

[Conn1496]

What you described isn't impossible, but it seems very unlikely. Even more unlikely since the game is still pretty new and you described you met many of these people, not just one. I don't think I've met anyone like that before, in fact, I'm usually the player you are describing.

Here's some possibilities why this could be happening:
- adjusting to the match (maybe you're doing predictable moves and it took one stock to catch onto that)
- underestimating you
- having one play style the first stock and using another approach after the first approach clearly didn't work
- an arrogant player who lets you take the first stock easily on purpose and plays with all their effort the next (maybe playing some weird psychological game??)

Also, who you play as could explain why this is happening. If it's Bowser Jr, he's not seen that often, so I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people are unfamiliar with the match-up at first.

It certainly is weird though if this happens many matches in a row with the same person...

Does seem plausible that they'd catch on to my tactics quick, even if I do mix-up often - their mindgame would have to be an iron trap though. -and while I main The Koops I tend to play a lot of side characters so I doubt it was the MU. Played through all of my alts from Fox to Palutena to Shulk and seemed to get no improvement in terms of how the match played out.

Wasn't any specific playstyle changes either from them except accuracy and so on, so to be honest, I'm really starting to wonder if these rage button players are just "out there" and I got an unlucky streak. Happens a lot with players who aren't very good, where they'll wise up and just generally do a bit better, doesn't seem too impossible then that better players can do the same. They're absoloutely terrifying and infuriating to go up against. Would not reccomend sticking around. lol

(Do realise that this thread is kinda salty, but then again I knew that from the start - this was more a "What the [final smash]?" moment, if anything. Just wondering if anyone had any experience with anything similar.)