What defines a bad player?

[Deleted member]

As someone who struggles with maintaining what I practice (consistency, resetting neutral from disadvantage, having a healthy mindset, etc), I feel like a pretty bad player, hence why my losses are much more common than my wins, even after 4-5 years.

Does this make me a bad player, or is there a different way to tell one is bad?

 

[Doc Monocle]

In short, you are not a bad player for not getting the same returns as a 'good' player in the same period of time. The only standard I recognize for a bad player pertains to attitude; to how one conducts themselves. However, there are, I believe, ways in which one may hinder their own progress unwittingly, such as taking advice without the 'grain of salt,' playing in a certain way simply because it is 'effective,' (believe it or not, some strategies work, on occasion, because of the very fact that they are deemed 'ineffective,' and are thus not expected, provided they are not overused.) playing in a way that is not natural for you, and becoming tense with anxiety as you play (it may surprise you that there is a significant difference to be experienced when your muscles are relaxed, as opposed to being under tension from panic).

 

[StrangeKitten]

I hesitate to call you a bad player. You're simply a player who needs improvement in those areas. Consistency can be difficult if you're playing a lot of characters, or if you're playing bad characters. I suggest focusing on only one or two, and choose characters regarded as high and top tiers. As tempting as it may be, maining a low tier so you can be a low tier hero is going to have you fighting an uphill battle. Choose your favorite among the better portion of the cast, whether that's in general, or in how they play. If you really do want to main a low tier, it may be best to play a better character for now, as that'll make getting better at the game easier. You can always switch to a low tier once you feel you've improved by a lot. You may need to spend a while getting a feel for some characters until you find one that fits you. I'd recommend training mode and maybe even fighting whatever difficulty of CPU you think you can handle, that way there are no stakes and you won't get swamped by dedicated mains as you try out, say, Mario for the first time.

Resetting netrual is tough, because advantage states are really strong in Ultimate. Remember that drifting away to put yourself offstage so you can recover is an option if you're getting juggled. I just noticed your signature - getting out of disadvantage is probably the hardest with super heavies. I would advise trying out other kinds of characters, as it's usually less rough with them.

As for mindset, play to practice and learn, not to win. Obviously, you should still be aiming to win, but it shouldn't be your primary goal. Save replays of losses, and think about what they can teach you. Think about the little things you could have done better, which may have resulted in a win, and keep them in mind for future games. Try to implement them. For an example, did you lose because you didn't know how your opponent's move(s) worked? Study up on that move. Playing against a CPU might not be a bad idea here either, if it was a seldom-seen character. CPUs aren't the best and can cause you to form bad habits, so fight them sparingly if you can, but they can help you get used to how a character's moves work. Acquiring more game knowledge can really go a long way.

Also remember, there's no shame in losing. Your opponent wanted to win as much as you did, after all. And don't let losing a stock/game tilt you too much. Remember that you're always capable of making a comeback. I've seen many players win games when they had been on the brink of defeat, and I have done so myself.

 

[Cutie Gwen]

In my eyes, a bad player isn't someone who loses, it's someone who loses but refuses to accept they're responsible for their losses and blames everything else. Like for example, screaming "I lost to a character so they should be nerfed!" only to be talking about a low tier character, whining about how your characters are in desperate need of buffs because you lost instead of thinking "What could I have done better?". The mindset is the major factor, after all, someone who loses a lot but doesn't care about it is a casual player. The worst players are those who actively go ballistic with rage, desiring harm onto others for having the audacity to beat you. Players like that will never be good until they change, though they may need help, which is fine

 

[StoicPhantom]

Put simply, a bad player is one that doesn't understand and adhere to fundamentals. Players that don't understand spacing are susceptible to whiff punishes, game state (advantage/disadvantage/neutral) are susceptible to being overaggressive/too passive, stage control are unable to pressure/defend properly, MUs/frame data are susceptible to being countered, and so on. Mindset and keeping your cool are important as well.

Whether or not you are a bad player depends on whether or not you adhere to the above I would say. Fundamentals are something you are always improving so it is hard to draw a line between bad and good. If you have a decent grasp of the fundamentals and aren't so bad in one area that you instantly lose when forced into it then I would say you are probably good. Good players tend to be well-rounded enough that even their inherent weaknesses aren't too easily exploitable and take some skill to beat them.

Whether or not you are a bad player isn't really something I can say as I haven't seen you play.