Trying to get "gud" seems so freaking pointless...

[JBGamer2300]

Call me a frustrated noob. I started trying to play Smash with other people back around when Brawl came out, but when I first attempted a tournament...you couldn't even call the game I was in a "match". It was a travesty, a miscarriage of what it means to play a game, they were so beyond me. I've learned quite a few things about how people ACTUALLY play smash since then and gotten quite a bit better, but...any online tournament I try, as well as For Glory mode, I still can't seem to win EVER. And I mean...as far as tournaments, with the double elimination system and random pairings, the game doesn't have to give a crap if you're good enough to beat 50 of the 64 people in it, if you get paired round 1 with one of the other fourteen well, it's off to losers bracket for you buddy where you can eventually go up against the same guy again because he got sent there by someone way better than HIM.

I mean, I doubt I'm good enough to beat ONE person in a Challonge bracket yet but I mean, there's no point trying to be good enough to beat 60, 70, or 80% of the average field because of those elite few who are on such a level that when they enter, basically they may as well be spectators--like tennis was with Roger Federer for a while. And I am NOT going to reach that level, it requires more effort than I am willing to put in and more time than I have to practice.

Is there EVER going to be a game where people can just...freaking play the bloody game with other people as well as having the option for going truly competitive? I mean beyond "getting friends together" to play and such. I don't HAVE any gamer friends!

 

[Karsticles]

Your last paragraph has no internal logic.

 

[JBGamer2300]

Your last paragraph has no internal logic.

If you want clarification, I'm gonna need you to be more specific. ^^;

 

[SwoodGrommet]

What do you want us to tell you? Keep crying and maybe things will eventually work out? There are a lot of reasons as to why you're not improving. Here, have some well-meaning advice.

- Get over your losses.
- If you're going to sit around whining about the game instead of practicing, you're going nowhere fast.
- You are not enjoying the game, therefore will most likely not improve.
- Ask for advice every chance you get.
- Practice.
- Take a break.
- Come back with a fresh mindset.
- Don't get caught up on winning. Instead of focusing on winning, focus on improving.

 

[JBGamer2300]

What do you want us to tell you? Keep crying and maybe things will eventually work out? There are a lot of reasons as to why you're not improving. Here, have some well-meaning advice.

- Get over your losses.
- If you're going to sit around whining about the game instead of practicing, you're going nowhere fast.
- You are not enjoying the game, therefore will most likely not improve.
- Ask for advice every chance you get.
- Practice.
- Take a break.
- Come back with a fresh mindset.
- Don't get caught up on winning. Instead of focusing on winning, focus on improving.

I see what you're saying. Basically, I AM taking a break right now. It's just...I feel that I HAVE improved a hell of a lot from a year ago but it still feels like I've gotten absolutely nowhere. ANYONE would be frustrated with something like that, surely. Really, I have no blithering idea what I want anyone to tell me, this is basically a rant/vent post.

 

[SwoodGrommet]

I see what you're saying. Basically, I AM taking a break right now. It's just...I feel that I HAVE improved a hell of a lot from a year ago but it still feels like I've gotten absolutely nowhere. ANYONE would be frustrated with something like that, surely. Really, I have no blithering idea what I want anyone to tell me, this is basically a rant/vent post.

Well alright, at least you admit it's a "ranty" post. And that's fine. But surely it's a good feeling to know that you have improved greatly from a year ago. I'd love to be able to offer more advice, but all I can say is to practice whenever you're getting back into the game. Make sure your main is definitely who you want it to be. Try a laddering site; it's definitely how I personally improved and enjoyed the game at the same time.

Good luck with whatever you do

 

[dragontamer]

There's plenty you can do to improve the game, but this topic is way to abstract to be of any use.

Lets start with the correct mindset: Which character do you use, and which character are you losing to?

 

[JBGamer2300]

Well alright, at least you admit it's a "ranty" post. And that's fine. But surely it's a good feeling to know that you have improved greatly from a year ago. I'd love to be able to offer more advice, but all I can say is to practice whenever you're getting back into the game. Make sure your main is definitely who you want it to be. Try a laddering site; it's definitely how I personally improved and enjoyed the game at the same time.

Good luck with whatever you do

It's not a good thing. It's like scaling a plateau only to see the mountain stretching too high to see the top before you. It's "WHAT is it going to take?!" However, another thing you said intrigues me--making sure my main is "who I want it to be." Basically I started with Marth in Melee because I thought he was cool, stuck with in Brawl because same and he's top tier and I liked having a counter, then eventually switched to Lucario when I realized the way I played him didn't involve the reason he was top tier, and Lucario was virtually the same moves and covers Marth's lack of a projectile.

I have legitmately NO IDEA who I "want" my main to be beyond that. I don't even know where to begin defining criteria for a main I'd "want". Really it's just the main I'm *used to*.

 

[revengeska]

It sounds to me like you feel that if there are people in a tournament that you can't beat, there's no point in playing. Nowhere in your post did you mention anything about having fun. Don't you enjoy playing the game in itself and potentially playing the 50 players you might be able to beat(at some point)? If the answer is no, then you're right, getting good really is pointless.

 

[JBGamer2300]

There's plenty you can do to improve the game, but this topic is way to abstract to be of any use.

Lets start with the correct mindset: Which character do you use, and which character are you losing to?

Um, afaik, all of them in competitive setting. And I use Lucario.

 

[dragontamer]

Um, afaik, all of them in competitive setting. And I use Lucario.

Lets start with Shiek as your opponent. You'll need to learn all the matchups one on one. Shiek vs Lucario is very different than Diddy vs Lucario.

So, lets say it is Shiek vs Lucario.

Describe to me your neutral game. When the game starts, what is your plan?

EDIT: You caught me at a bad time btw, I'm going to have to go for the next few hours. We'll continue this theory discussion later. If the topic gets locked or something, reach out to me privately. But I would rather discuss this sort of thing in public, to help out the other newbiees in your situation.

 

[JBGamer2300]

It sounds to me like you feel that if there are people in a tournament that you can't beat, there's no point in playing. Nowhere in your post did you mention anything about having fun. Don't you enjoy playing the game in itself and potentially playing the 50 players you might be able to beat(at some point)? If the answer is no, then you're right, getting good really is pointless.

Well...that's complicated. Honestly I don't really derive enjoyment from pure gameplay in ANY video game. Rather, I derive enjoyment from what I call the "two stories" of every video game--the story the game tells, and what I can't explain better than as "the story created by the act of the player playing the game." And right now, my story kind of reminds me of FFX Auron before the actual game--trying and trying but in end of, failing to accomplish a darn thing. But it literally just hit me as I typed that--the story doesn't end there, does it? Maybe one of these days soon I'll keep going on that road to redemption.

 

[JBGamer2300]

Lets start with Shiek as your opponent. You'll need to learn all the matchups one on one. Shiek vs Lucario is very different than Diddy vs Lucario.

So, lets say it is Shiek vs Lucario.

Describe to me your neutral game. When the game starts, what is your plan?

EDIT: You caught me at a bad time btw, I'm going to have to go for the next few hours. We'll continue this theory discussion later. If the topic gets locked or something, reach out to me privately.

Uhhh...plan? Do you mean like, my general overall playstyle? I...really don't even know. I tend to overuse smash attacks, though but I already know I need to work on that. And my air dodges never seem to actually work.

 

[T0MMY]

Call me a frustrated noob.

As a TO looking to create a better environment for the players I understand your predicament all too well.
As a competitive player who has gone fairly far with a "Smash career" I can tell you I've been on the same path you have and much further beyond.

As for tournaments, see if you can talk to your TO about running a Swiss or Round Robin pool so you do not have just a 0-2 experience. If the tournament is big enough see if they will run a "pro bracket" for all the hardcore players looking to put money down and have an intense competitive battle and then have an additional normal bracket for you to play against other new players, casuals, and people who are interested in seeing how they are improving without losing money going 0-2 every time.

And as far as advice from a pro player - please listen to what a lot of other people have already stated.
When you are first starting off in competition the worst thing you can do for your mindset is focus on wins and losses. Understand that competition is a journey towards an ideal that will never find an ending.
There's always going to be someone better than you, and when you find them and beat them you're going to have to find greater competition and greater and greater until you find that the greatest competitions are the internal conflicts that bind you and keep you from the glory of the heavens.
Where does it end?

Take a break if you have to, rest if you must, but the journey will always continue.

 

[JBGamer2300]

As a TO looking to create a better environment for the players I understand your predicament all too well.
As a competitive player who has gone fairly far with a "Smash career" I can tell you I've been on the same path you have and much further beyond.

As for tournaments, see if you can talk to your TO about running a Swiss or Round Robin pool so you do not have just a 0-2 experience. If the tournament is big enough see if they will run a "pro bracket" for all the hardcore players looking to put money down and have an intense competitive battle and then have an additional normal bracket for you to play against other new players, casuals, and people who are interested in seeing how they are improving without losing money going 0-2 every time.

And as far as advice from a pro player - please listen to what a lot of other people have already stated.
When you are first starting off in competition the worst thing you can do for your mindset is focus on wins and losses. Understand that competition is a journey towards an ideal that will never find an ending.
There's always going to be someone better than you, and when you find them and beat them you're going to have to find greater competition and greater and greater until you find that the greatest competitions are the internal conflicts that bind you and keep you from the glory of the heavens.
Where does it end?

Take a break if you have to, rest if you must, but the journey will always continue.

No results for as long as I've played is still pretty painful, but like I said, the story doesn't need to end this way. But as for talking to my TO...I don't have one. The in person gaming community is REALLY weak in my area, basically the only games played with any prevalence are Magic the Gathering and Warhammer 40k. I can do online events only.

 

[stancosmos]

Call me a frustrated noob. I started trying to play Smash with other people back around when Brawl came out, but when I first attempted a tournament...you couldn't even call the game I was in a "match". It was a travesty, a miscarriage of what it means to play a game, they were so beyond me. I've learned quite a few things about how people ACTUALLY play smash since then and gotten quite a bit better, but...any online tournament I try, as well as For Glory mode, I still can't seem to win EVER. And I mean...as far as tournaments, with the double elimination system and random pairings, the game doesn't have to give a crap if you're good enough to beat 50 of the 64 people in it, if you get paired round 1 with one of the other fourteen well, it's off to losers bracket for you buddy where you can eventually go up against the same guy again because he got sent there by someone way better than HIM.

I mean, I doubt I'm good enough to beat ONE person in a Challonge bracket yet but I mean, there's no point trying to be good enough to beat 60, 70, or 80% of the average field because of those elite few who are on such a level that when they enter, basically they may as well be spectators--like tennis was with Roger Federer for a while. And I am NOT going to reach that level, it requires more effort than I am willing to put in and more time than I have to practice.

Is there EVER going to be a game where people can just...freaking play the bloody game with other people as well as having the option for going truly competitive? I mean beyond "getting friends together" to play and such. I don't HAVE any gamer friends!

For fun mode dude. It was included so the salty few like you who can't compete can still play. I have no idea how you play, so i don't know if this will be helpful but here's the problem i see with a lot of the worse players online. Too readable. Mix it up, start by coming back from the edge in many different ways in a match. Try to read the opponent, if you notice every time you run at him he rolls back, wait an extra second before attacking and catch him at the end of the roll. Save replays, and watch for patterns, most players are stuck doing the same moves thinking there's some button combo they can memorize to win the match. All you need to do is watch your opponent closely, and notice which moves they spam the most. Most people who crush in FG have played well over 1000 matches, so if you have only played 20 and you keep dying, that's to be expected.

 

[T0MMY]

No results for as long as I've played is still pretty painful, but like I said, the story doesn't need to end this way. But as for talking to my TO...I don't have one. The in person gaming community is REALLY weak in my area, basically the only games played with any prevalence are Magic the Gathering and Warhammer 40k. I can do online events only.

Sorry to hear that. My area was vastly empty until I did something about it and started running tournaments. Maybe you can do the same thing and help build your scene? Fair warning, it can be hard work.

There are more online events that are starting to offer more than just the usual double-elim 1v1s. I would suggest checking out Hypest and see what they have to offer.

 

[JBGamer2300]

For fun mode dude. It was included so the salty few like you who can't compete can still play. I have no idea how you play, so i don't know if this will be helpful but here's the problem i see with a lot of the worse players online. Too readable. Mix it up, start by coming back from the edge in many different ways in a match. Try to read the opponent, if you notice every time you run at him he rolls back, wait an extra second before attacking and catch him at the end of the roll. Save replays, and watch for patterns, most players are stuck doing the same moves thinking there's some button combo they can memorize to win the match. All you need to do is watch your opponent closely, and notice which moves they spam the most. Most people who crush in FG have played well over 1000 matches, so if you have only played 20 and you keep dying, that's to be expected.

Wait, does For Fun have a 1v1 option now? 3DS version doesn't and I never checked Wii U version.

 

[JBGamer2300]

Sorry to hear that. My area was vastly empty until I did something about it and started running tournaments. Maybe you can do the same thing and help build your scene? Fair warning, it can be hard work.

There are more online events that are starting to offer more than just the usual double-elim 1v1s. I would suggest checking out Hypest and see what they have to offer.

I tried but absolutely no one seemed the least bit interested...though it really doesn't help that I have no idea where to go to even attempt to generate interest.

 

[GdspdUblkprzdnt]

What do you want us to tell you? Keep crying and maybe things will eventually work out? There are a lot of reasons as to why you're not improving. Here, have some well-meaning advice.

- Get over your losses.
- If you're going to sit around whining about the game instead of practicing, you're going nowhere fast.
- You are not enjoying the game, therefore will most likely not improve.
- Ask for advice every chance you get.
- Practice.
- Take a break.
- Come back with a fresh mindset.
- Don't get caught up on winning. Instead of focusing on winning, focus on improving.

I love your profile pic.

 

[dragontamer]

Uhhh...plan? Do you mean like, my general overall playstyle? I...really don't even know. I tend to overuse smash attacks, though but I already know I need to work on that. And my air dodges never seem to actually work.

Think about your neutral and your opponent's neutral. When you make a strategy, post it up and we can discuss it.

If you dont have a plan, you will follow your opponents plan and are destined to lose.

Your plan doesnt have to be perfect... or even good. Just have one and always work to improve it. If you don't have a plan, you can't improve.

 

[GdspdUblkprzdnt]

Think about your neutral and your opponent's neutral. When you make a strategy, post it up and we can discuss it.

If you dont have a plan, you will follow your opponents plan and are destined to lose.

Your plan doesnt have to be perfect... or even good. Just have one and always work to improve it. If you don't have a plan, you can't improve.

Not true, one can also improve through intuitive learning as opposed to a more logical meta-cognitive learning process. Conscious analysis and plan making works great for a lot of people but some people bypass language and don't approach things microscopically.

 

[JBGamer2300]

Think about your neutral and your opponent's neutral. When you make a strategy, post it up and we can discuss it.

If you dont have a plan, you will follow your opponents plan and are destined to lose.

Your plan doesnt have to be perfect... or even good. Just have one and always work to improve it. If you don't have a plan, you can't improve.

I don't think I don't have a plan. I just don't CONSCIOUSLY have a plan. I don't consciously know what that plan is.

 

[dragontamer]

I don't think I don't have a plan. I just don't CONSCIOUSLY have a plan. I don't consciously know what that plan is.

Make it conscious next time you play. Discussing issues in your gameplay is very difficult unless you can describe it in words.

 

[ninrok]

In regards to thinking of what your plan is, I highly recommend looking at your own replays and thinking of it as though you had to do some sort of commentary on them. Not perfect commentary mind you (no ones going to see them but you), but look at when/where you're dong things and legit ask yourself, "why did I do that there?"

That worked for me in otheir games, and I did a YT series that way as well that helped me think more about why I did things... It was rather eye-opening for me, especially those times where I asked myself "man....why did I do that" and had no real answer.

That happened way more than I care to admit lol... but also made me think more about what my plan was going into matches.

 

[revengeska]

In regards to thinking of what your plan is, I highly recommend looking at your own replays and thinking of it as though you had to do some sort of commentary on them. Not perfect commentary mind you (no ones going to see them but you), but look at when/where you're dong things and legit ask yourself, "why did I do that there?"

That worked for me in otheir games, and I did a YT series that way as well that helped me think more about why I did things... It was rather eye-opening for me, especially those times where I asked myself "man....why did I do that" and had no real answer.

That happened way more than I care to admit lol... but also made me think more about what my plan was going into matches.

Sounds like what I do, much of a live match, during the match..

 

[Amazing Ampharos]

Maining Lucario is good; he's a very strong character and has many smart, helpful people who main him. I suggest getting some footage of you playing (and presumably losing) and bringing it to the Lucario character forum. Ask for specific advice about what you are doing wrong, and I'm sure someone will want to help.

Also, adjust the mindset on how you have to do in tournaments. Realistically out of almost any tournament at best 20% of the field has a realistic chance of winning the event, often significantly fewer than that. It's about skill gaps, and you can't just think you're entitled to be a better player than someone else because you've been playing longer or for really any other reason. Just try to level up your game and take pride in placing better than you did last time, beating players you might not have been able to beat before, and otherwise just growing. The fun in a competitive game is in walking the path of continual self improvement, and you walk it hand in hand with everyone else in the community. Don't just look at your losses as awful; look at every last person you play as a competitor worth of respect, and take pride in every step you take on that long, long road to the top. So if you lose winners round one, beat three people in loser's, and then lose in loser's round 4, you didn't just lose twice to players so much better than you; you also were able to win games against three other players, and if you work at it, maybe next time you'll beat four. Even if you, like most of us, never reach the absolute summit, you can find it rewarding if you can look at it that way.

 

[Jrzfine]

And I am NOT going to reach that level, it requires more effort than I am willing to put in and more time than I have to practice.

If this is your mindset, nothing we say can help you. Losing sucks, but you need to man up, suck it up, or get out, because this is not a game with a 'pick up and play' competitive scene.Every famous Smasher, from Ken to M2K to Isai to Mang0 to Westballz to Boss and everyone else in between have spent years playing the game before they even entered the competitive scene, and even then they were pretty bad. And they were teenagers, so they had all the time in the world when they first started out to play.
If you cannot commit, leave now, because there is no 'half-way' with this games competitive scene.

You are a casual, or you are a competitor.
Choose.

 

[JBGamer2300]

If this is your mindset, nothing we say can help you. Losing sucks, but you need to man up, suck it up, or get out, because this is not a game with a 'pick up and play' competitive scene.Every famous Smasher, from Ken to M2K to Isai to Mang0 to Westballz to Boss and everyone else in between has spent years playing the game before they even entered the competitive scene, and even then they were pretty bad for at least another year. And they were teenagers, so they had all the time in the world when they first started out to play.
If you cannot commit, leave now, because there is no 'half-way' with this games competitive scene.

You are a casual, or you are a competitor.
Choose.

People spend years playing before they even enter the competitive scene? That's really kinda a friggin problem for me because I don't HAVE anyone to play with that's not in the competitive scene. And that's my mindset for reaching TOP level, not competitive level.

 

[Meek Moths]

thread about bad players being bad #7456515

 

[Raijinken]

People spend years playing before they even enter the competitive scene? That's really kinda a friggin problem for me because I don't HAVE anyone to play with that's not in the competitive scene. And that's my mindset for reaching TOP level, not competitive level.

I had similar issues before I came to college (no access to a local scene), and the best I can suggest is to either take the above advice and buckle down and prepare to lose a lot in the meantime (including in For Glory and online tournaments), or decide that you really just don't care about playing competitively at this point in time, and just play for whatever timeframes you find it fun.

Not every game is for everyone. I love Starcraft, Dota, Smash, you name it, but I'm bad, average, or meh at all of them and far more. If attempting to be super competitive isn't something you're mentally prepared for, don't stress over it. It's not worth stressing out just because you have a perceived (or enforced, doesn't matter) skill deficiency that you can't overcome. Heck, I've gotten worse at Smash (or maybe my friends have gotten better, frustrating either way for someone who used to win 95% of matches in my group), and I just treat it like a learning experience, and whenever I get tired of it, I go play something else.

In other words, if there's a disconnect between your skills, goals, and attitude, you'll either have to forcibly bridge the gap, or just come to terms with taking another path. There's nothing wrong with doing so, but it is very difficult to consider that one might not actually be decent enough at a game to compete. I've been playing Smash as long as it's existed, and I'm still too underconfident to compete with any regularity. And I'm still trying to decide if I even care, when I enjoy just playing single player or getting a few friends over and playing.

 

[danzibr]

This makes me think of mathematics. People who aren't good at it don't enjoy it.

 

[outfoxd]

Don't even trip about time, man. I'm doing what I can and I'm starting this crap at 28 trying to find time between a full time job, writing, and occasional athletic endeavors. Just keep a regular play schedule and read a lot of meta discussion. And go to a lot of tournaments.

 

[dragontamer]

Don't even trip about time, man. I'm doing what I can and I'm starting this crap at 28 trying to find time between a full time job, writing, and occasional athletic endeavors. Just keep a regular play schedule and read a lot of meta discussion. And go to a lot of tournaments.

In any case, playtime is the chief factor to improvement. Those in the fighting game community know that it takes years of effort to elevate yourself to the competitive level.

Take any other competitive sport. Martial Arts, Basketball, Soccer, whatever. The truth is you need to play for years to keep up with even "moderately decent" players. Even varsity high-school players (who are much removed from college-level, semi-pro level, and professional level sports) require years of effort to get where they are.

Just don't expect yourself to be playing at pro-level Smash without any effort. Understand that even moderately skilled players (ie: a low-ranking Purple Belt in Brazilian Juditsu still requires around 3 years of training) have put a huge effort into this game.

But that's fine. There are plenty of people who don't necessarily want to play at the highest level. This specific forum is named "competitive discussion" for a reason, almost everyone here wishes to reach or excel at that competitive level. Honestly, years of Smash sounds difficult to accomplish, but for many of us it isn't. I've personally been playing fighting games since 1993, and have been playing Smash since the first game was released.

I didn't reach "competitive" level in any video game until 2002, when I entered the budding TeamLiquid Starcraft Brood War scene. I didn't reach "competitive" level in fighting games until 2008 when I dedicated several months to learn BlazBlue. And finally, I barely am entering "competitive" Smash today as I prepare myself for Xanadu weeklys.

If you hang around fighting games long enough, you suddenly end up in a position where you realize you have decades of experience. In any case, the competitive level in all games, from Chess, to Go, Shogi, Fighting games, Smash, Starcraft, League of Legends, Sports and Martial Arts... they all require years of effort.

Now, we can accelerate your learning. When I started video games, the "scene" didn't exist at all, and the internet also barely existed. It was basically impossible to discuss strategies or improve outside of sinking more and more quarters into arcade machines (against players who would never give you advice). Video Games were still looked as a strange fringe "Nerd" thingy that you kept private.

Today, you have the benefits of forums like Smashboards, where you are connected to hundreds of players who are willing to help you out... if you ask the right questions. I'm confident that in a period of months, a dedicated newbie can actually reach my level with all of the benefits of today's technology.

-------------------

If you really do wish to improve, please discuss your gameplan with us. Lucario is a fine character in my experience. But you'll need to communicate your experiences if you want any hope of getting a useful response from this community.

People spend years playing before they even enter the competitive scene? That's really kinda a friggin problem for me because I don't HAVE anyone to play with that's not in the competitive scene. And that's my mindset for reaching TOP level, not competitive level.

And if you're surrounded by players who are significantly better than you, you are in a significant learning advantage. You best improve when you can watch players live and discuss the game with them.

I honestly wish I was in your position, to be surrounded by players better than me. The stronger your peers are, the faster you can learn. Just keep playing with them, even subconciously you'll be improving.

 

[outfoxd]

In any case, playtime is the chief factor to improvement. Those in the fighting game community know that it takes years of effort to elevate yourself to the competitive level.

Take any other competitive sport. Martial Arts, Basketball, Soccer, whatever. The truth is you need to play for years to keep up with even "moderately decent" players. Even varsity high-school players (who are much removed from college-level, semi-pro level, and professional level sports) require years of effort to get where they are.

Just don't expect yourself to be playing at pro-level Smash without any effort. Understand that even moderately skilled players (ie: a low-ranking Purple Belt in Brazilian Juditsu still requires around 3 years of training) have put a huge effort into this game.

But that's fine. There are plenty of people who don't necessarily want to play at the highest level. This specific forum is named "competitive discussion" for a reason, almost everyone here wishes to reach or excel at that competitive level. Honestly, years of Smash sounds difficult to accomplish, but for many of us it isn't. I've personally been playing fighting games since 1993, and have been playing Smash since the first game was released.

I didn't reach "competitive" level in any video game until 2002, when I entered the budding TeamLiquid Starcraft Brood War scene. I didn't reach "competitive" level in fighting games until 2008 when I dedicated several months to learn BlazBlue. And finally, I barely am entering "competitive" Smash today as I prepare myself for Xanadu weeklys.

If you hang around fighting games long enough, you suddenly end up in a position where you realize you have decades of experience. In any case, the competitive level in all games, from Chess, to Go, Shogi, Fighting games, Smash, Starcraft, League of Legends, Sports and Martial Arts... they all require years of effort.

Now, we can accelerate your learning. When I started video games, the "scene" didn't exist at all, and the internet also barely existed. It was basically impossible to discuss strategies or improve outside of sinking more and more quarters into arcade machines (against players who would never give you advice). Video Games were still looked as a strange fringe "Nerd" thingy that you kept private.

Today, you have the benefits of forums like Smashboards, where you are connected to hundreds of players who are willing to help you out... if you ask the right questions. I'm confident that in a period of months, a dedicated newbie can actually reach my level with all of the benefits of today's technology.

-------------------

If you really do wish to improve, please discuss your gameplan with us. Lucario is a fine character in my experience. But you'll need to communicate your experiences if you want any hope of getting a useful response from this community.



And if you're surrounded by players who are significantly better than you, you are in a significant learning advantage. You best improve when you can watch players live and discuss the game with them.

I honestly wish I was in your position, to be surrounded by players better than me. The stronger your peers are, the faster you can learn. Just keep playing with them, even subconciously you'll be improving.

As a plateau'd blue belt in brazilian jiu jitsu I can attest to this and appreciate the analogy. Mat/play time is paramount.

 

[The Revolutionary Cafe]

Is there EVER going to be a game where people can just...freaking play the bloody game with other people as well as having the option for going truly competitive? I mean beyond "getting friends together" to play and such. I don't HAVE any gamer friends!

It's called Smash 4.

 

[digiholic]

I'm sorry, but if you want to be a tournament player, that's going to require near constant training and people at the competitive level to play against. If you don't have the time to dedicate to the game, and you're not willing to pay money to go lose tournaments solely for the experience, then you're not going to improve.

The only thing that's required to get good is time and losses. If you're unwilling to give one and refuse to learn from the other, nothing will help you. Change your mindset or just accept that the best you can be is just "pretty good"

 

[JBGamer2300]

It's called Smash 4.

Then, if I may ask again, DOES Smash 4 have a 1v1 "For Fun" option? If it does well then yeah, problem bloody well solved.

 

[The Revolutionary Cafe]

Then, if I may ask again, DOES Smash 4 have a 1v1 "For Fun" option? If it does well then yeah, problem bloody well solved.

That would be implying for glory is competitive which it isn't since 90% of the people on there suck. If a player like me only needs to use less than half their brain power on fg to 2 stock people, you don't need to "go competitive" for it.

 

[JBGamer2300]

That would be implying for glory is competitive which it isn't since 90% of the people on there suck. If a player like me only needs to use less than half their brain power on fg to 2 stock people, you don't need to "go competitive" for it.

Well, when I tried it on the 3DS version the people I was up against never seemed to suck.