What does it mean when I keep losing on FG?

[gamecubeguy214]

So I played like an hour of For Glory today and everyone I fought was exponentially better than me. Someone literally racked up 100% damage on me in what, 15 seconds? I always try my best, but it never works. I try to read, but I can't punish. If someone is only using getup rolls, I think "So that's how you like to get back on stage? Well I'll use a smash attack to punish at kill percent, then you're dead and the game is mine!" They're able to shield in time. If they like to jump airdodge every time I do a dash attack, I'll think "I'll run up and jump, wait for the airdodge, jump again, and to an up air." They do the jump airdodge, but my punish plan didn't work somehow. If I see a Spamus, I plan "I'll side B, then heal off the power pellet every time she throws a projectile" She just does a dash attack. When I see a shield, I grab, because hen they're shielding they can be grabbed. They just roll backwards and then smash me. What do all these FG losses mean? Does it mean I have room to improve? Does it mean that I'll never get better? Does it mean that I'm a mistake and shouldn't live on this planet?

 

[Deleted member 269706]

Alright so there's a few things you need to know about FG. It's not a great platform to train on. Reasons for this are the lag is not ideal to train with. Even if you don't feel it, there is input lag and that will never change. Second, a lot of people on there have been using the platform for quite some time and understand the ins and outs a lot better than most of us. Finally, when you're in the comfort of your own home, you're a lot less likely to take it as seriously and not have the proper mindset.

Here's the thing, I know several people who are capable of winning tournaments or placing really well at the very least, and they get destroyed on For Glory, myself included. Is it because they're actually bad? Of course not, it's because FG isn't the ideal way to play competitive smash. If you aren't doing good, that's okay. Don't be so hard on yourself. If you really want to get better, start attending your local scene. You'll see a ton of improvement there and you'll start to see why FG isn't something to be taken too seriously.

 

[Duplighost]

Considering you play a multitude of characters (judging by your Smashboards signature), focus on one character to begin with. It is most important to be comfortable and knowledgeable with a character so you will better be able to execute your movements. I can't give you professional advice, of course, but I would highly suggest finding that favorite character and staying with just them will be nothing but beneficial. If you already have the mindset to anticipate the opponent's strategies, you're probably already halfway there.

I come across the same issues quite a bit. As Palutena, punishing is virtually impossible at times. In Smash 4, rolls are almost not punishable at all, which makes it extremely difficult to follow through with a read despite knowing exactly what the opponent was going to do. You literally must anticipate the roll before the character even begins to roll, otherwise it will not work.

Some characters' attacks have longer lasting hitboxes than others. Obviously, for Pac-Man, punishing a getup roll with an u-tilt is going to be much much harder than with an n-air, because an n-air's hitboxes are out for longer (correct me if I am wrong). Find out which moves work best for your character. Similarly, Palutena's f-tilt is laggy and lasts for much longer than her f-air. In certain situations, f-tilt is the optimal move option.

I hope this helps at least a little.

 

[gamecubeguy214]

Considering you play a multitude of characters (judging by your Smashboards signature)

My signature is out of date, but PAC-MAN is certainly my favorite. In total, I've played about four days worth of PAC-MAN.

 

[kii]

Well, if you're having trouble punishing, then perhaps you should try and focus on playing a bit safer? Learn which attacks auto cancel, learn which moves are safe, and switch between playing offensively and defensively.

Also, make sure you aren't rolling too much yourself, since attacking out of a roll doesn't always leave time to punish their whiffed attack. Try relying a little more on jumping, and regular movement, with things like pivot grabs, or reverse tilts/smashes out of dashes.

Also, if you encounter a player who has a flaw you're having trouble exploiting, then have some pocket characters specifically for dealing with them.

 

[KirbCider]

So I played like an hour of For Glory today and everyone I fought was exponentially better than me. Someone literally racked up 100% damage on me in what, 15 seconds? I always try my best, but it never works.

There are some days where we just do terrible on For Glory. I've had them, others have had them, essentially everyone has.

Don't take your loss's so seriously because the bottom line is there is someone that will always be better than you Online (or in person) anyways. It sucks to have a losing streak and it's not fun, but take your loss's as a learning experience instead of "I'm terrible".

I try to read, but I can't punish. If someone is only using getup rolls, I think "So that's how you like to get back on stage? Well I'll use a smash attack to punish at kill percent, then you're dead and the game is mine!" They're able to shield in time. If they like to jump airdodge every time I do a dash attack, I'll think "I'll run up and jump, wait for the airdodge, jump again, and to an up air." They do the jump airdodge, but my punish plan didn't work somehow. If I see a Spamus, I plan "I'll side B, then heal off the power pellet every time she throws a projectile" She just does a dash attack. When I see a shield, I grab, because hen they're shielding they can be grabbed. They just roll backwards and then smash me.

Reading is only a part of the equation. While it's great to read your opponents to land easier punishes you have to know what attacks you can punish with, rather than thinking anything will work. It sounds like you're playing Pac-Man, and his Smash attacks have some start up and end lag I believe. It would give someone the perfect amount of time to shield if you cannot time it right. His grab is no better as it's slow and laggy, plus it leaves you open to getting hit pretty hard. It's advised to not use it unless it's 100% guaranteed to work.

And sometimes it's better to wait on the ground rather than try to do an aerial on someone air dodging because you'll be able to take advantage of their landing lag a lot better than trying to punish them in the air (especially since you can shield their air attacks too).

Also, just because they're a Spamus doesn't mean they don't have any of their brains left. Never underestimate an opponent.

What do all these FG losses mean? Does it mean I have room to improve? Does it mean that I'll never get better? Does it mean that I'm a mistake and shouldn't live on this planet?

One always has room to improve whether they win or lose. People get better through time and practice, so have some patience.

Don't throw yourself into the garbage just because you lost a lot.