Royal_Tea
Smash Cadet
- Joined
- Sep 17, 2015
- Messages
- 47
- NNID
- Royal_MC7
Before I begin, let me just say this post is not entirely made from me. It was made from another player online for Tekken. If you would like to read the original, I'll include the link at the bottom. For simplicity, I will change the terms in relation to Smash Bros.
"Why I love to Lose"
I was inspired to write up this thread after facing an opponent online with real technical skills. There was perfect-pivoting, ledge trumping, feints, mix-ups, unbelievable spacing and range, knowledge of common character tools, deep understanding of edge guarding and risky moves to use yet remain unharmed, and borderline 6th sense reads. I was entirely dismantled; it was like watching a professional artist carve their will into everything that was my game. The most amazing part about it was, there was such a level of poetic movement that I couldn't bring myself to be upset or bothered. I was sincerely awestruck; my ego was shattered in what seemed like an extended flash of brilliance that paralyzed me.
But hey, why am I saying all this, and what is the whole point of this topic? The reason I am writing this is to not only remind myself of the importance of losing, but to share with others how to 1. lose with purpose, and 2. understand themselves better through the ability to reflect on defeat. I have played Smash Bros for only one year, but only recently have I really wanted to up my game. I may be a beginner in the game, but I have spent years in other fighting games that take practice and perseverance to succeed. There are important lessons that I want to share with all those who desire to learn and better themselves. So here we go.
1. Going for the win is the biggest waste of time for beginners.
When you sit down to play, the thoughts will sometimes run through your head of "Alright, I'm going to rock this and beat up some people! Kick some butt! I'm awesome!" But where does this get you? If you lose, you are upset because you failed, and if you win, you know the reason you won was because maybe the opponent is less skilled, which doesn't improve your game.
For me, it's about finding out and practicing what works. Example, I use Peach. Nothing says awesome feelings like deadly F-airs and watching the opponent dive into the blast line. For a while this worked really well, how fantastic. Well guess what? Now someone knows that I like to use this move a lot, and they decide to punish me hardcore for using such a slow move in an obvious manner. So now where am I at? I have a move that doesn't work all the time, and I'm obviously not winning any more matches with it. So if I'm focused on winning, I'm SOL. But if I'm focused on discovering what works, I can use his punishment to MY advantage.
Example, I do shorthop to fair. I get busted. Now I try shorthop to airdodge, then N-air. You have to sometimes think "Whats going through my opponents head when I do this? How do I feed him incorrect information and use that to my advantage?" The name of the game is to hit and not be hit, and by making the opponent read you incorrectly, he plays puppet to your deceptive strings, which causes breakdowns in the game and more mistakes. Basically, I never try to win. I try to do things that work, and every so often I do it enough where I obtain the victory, but this is never my goal, especially at this stage in my training.
2. Understand why you are getting busted. And kick around potential solutions.
This is how we further our game, by expanding and extending our knowledge through critical and creative thinking. Example, being bumrushed by Captain Falcon's jabs and pressure. I try to get off an attack, but I am always interrupted. I just can't break through, and it feels like I'm being forcefed into a woodchipper. So, I look at what I am doing, and I look at what can be done. I get bumrushed by Captain Falcon, alright. Can I block? Sure, I block pretty well except for the occasional grab which overwhelms me. So while I may not have the time to pull off contact to interrupt, I do have enough time to begin startup on a move that will evade or beat his throw (such as Peach's B-air or her jab). I wouldn't have discovered the important uses of these tools, unless someone went online and bumrushed the hell out of me with throws repeatedly. Always look at the tiniest little successes you have against something (in this case being able to block most of the attacks) and use that as the ground to develop yourself around the situation.
3. There may be no such thing as cheap, but abuse is still abuse.
Even if you win matches by spamming Ness's PK Fire, it wastes your time because you are developing a habit that has absolutely no use. I love throws, love them. Love them so much, free damage. The problem is I usually do them after a turnip toss or N-air and I really notice myself doing this. When higher level players come on, not only do they read my rhythm and break virtually every throw, they space in a way that makes them near impossible to grab, and bait me into attacking before busting me-basically making me get frustrated and impatient.
So when you are playing online, and you find one or two moves or specials that constantly work well, take a deep breath and be willing to back away from them. They are the wine of the Smash world. You may become drunk with power after a few wins, but reality can knock sobriety into you faster than a counter. Sure you can spam moves when your opponent is high on percentage so he can bite the dust, but then that just shortens the potential of practice. Unless you are trying to show your opponent the error of his ways, you are wasting an opportunity for punishing, spacing, hard reads, and combos. You may as well just beat up your clone in the online waiting room.
4. Know Thyself - Go into practice mode and look at what your characters are capable of.
I like to watch 'EOE' play Peach, because it is such violent poetry to watch his timing and reading ability. I've noticed when I watch him, he usually only uses around 8 separate moves, and about 3~5 separate combos (depending on the stage and the character). I thought to myself, cool! I'll just use those moves and I'll be grand champion one day! Here is the problem. Even though 'EOE' uses a few techniques, you better understand that he has a deep understanding of almost every ounce of Peach's game. He knows what moves can be used for what situations, where to use them, their risk/reward ratio, ect. Think of it like this...he is an incredible repairman with a box of tools, yet all you ever see are the hammer, screwdriver, saw and duct tape. That doesn't mean it's all he has, it means that he has not come across a situation where he has needed to call on the other readily available albeit less common tools.
So, sit in practice mode for a bit every so often. Go through the movelist, look at the animations of the techniques, and kick around their advantages and disadvantages. How fast is this move? What's its range? Does it seem safe? Does it look like it has invincibility? What's its recovery? Then think about some of the recent opponents you have faced. What would they do if you used this move? Where might this move fit into a game? It's this kind of understanding that allows for a more fully developed and more secure style (both with game mechanics and the natural ease of mental familiarity) when learning and playing a character.
5. It may be just a game, but that doesn't mean you can't take it seriously.
While it's nice to sit down, load up the game, and smash around with random people, this doesn't always cut the cake for everyone's wants and needs.
The entire reason I play fighting games is because it allows you to reach into a persons heart and mind, and communicate with him wordlessly through the dance of battle (or sometimes with words, depends on if they have a mic). When I fight, I see what the opponent is thinking, what runs through his head, his emotions, his reactions, his very being. I see his anger at being tricked, I see his caution after a hard read into a punish, I see his panicked aggression as he is high on percentage and low on stocks, I see him hunting for that kill when I only have a few percentages of life left. It allows a person to share their entire psyche with you, and it is like having an unfathomably deep conversation with someone through the medium of a controller.
So when it comes to me, it's not about winning or being good or successful or any of that. I don't care about the fact that it is just a game, because that doesn't make a difference. What matters is that it can allow you to reach levels of your own mind through artistic expression of technique and ability. It's the art of the mind, and I am drawn to it.
That's me, and obviously other people can be different! The major thing is this: everyone has their own reason for playing, their own reason to do what it is they do. When you think about it, ask yourself, why do I play? The major answer will be "because it's fun, duh", but that joy is greater and more sweet the further down the rabbit hole you go.
When you find yourself really wanting to get good but worried you are wasting your time, don't get caught up in thinking that it is just a game even though it is. It's about what it can mean, about what it means to you. Everyone has hobbies, everyone looks for that pleasure and joy. It just so happens I have found it here, in this game. Don't beat yourself up for really wanting to spend time playing, as if you think it is a waste of time. Just let what you feel flow naturally, and put in the effort you wish to put in, to reap the rewards you wish to reap, regardless of what others think or say.
The End
http://www.tekkenzaibatsu.com/forum...10cbf&threadid=127111&perpage=20&pagenumber=2
"Why I love to Lose"
I was inspired to write up this thread after facing an opponent online with real technical skills. There was perfect-pivoting, ledge trumping, feints, mix-ups, unbelievable spacing and range, knowledge of common character tools, deep understanding of edge guarding and risky moves to use yet remain unharmed, and borderline 6th sense reads. I was entirely dismantled; it was like watching a professional artist carve their will into everything that was my game. The most amazing part about it was, there was such a level of poetic movement that I couldn't bring myself to be upset or bothered. I was sincerely awestruck; my ego was shattered in what seemed like an extended flash of brilliance that paralyzed me.
But hey, why am I saying all this, and what is the whole point of this topic? The reason I am writing this is to not only remind myself of the importance of losing, but to share with others how to 1. lose with purpose, and 2. understand themselves better through the ability to reflect on defeat. I have played Smash Bros for only one year, but only recently have I really wanted to up my game. I may be a beginner in the game, but I have spent years in other fighting games that take practice and perseverance to succeed. There are important lessons that I want to share with all those who desire to learn and better themselves. So here we go.
1. Going for the win is the biggest waste of time for beginners.
When you sit down to play, the thoughts will sometimes run through your head of "Alright, I'm going to rock this and beat up some people! Kick some butt! I'm awesome!" But where does this get you? If you lose, you are upset because you failed, and if you win, you know the reason you won was because maybe the opponent is less skilled, which doesn't improve your game.
For me, it's about finding out and practicing what works. Example, I use Peach. Nothing says awesome feelings like deadly F-airs and watching the opponent dive into the blast line. For a while this worked really well, how fantastic. Well guess what? Now someone knows that I like to use this move a lot, and they decide to punish me hardcore for using such a slow move in an obvious manner. So now where am I at? I have a move that doesn't work all the time, and I'm obviously not winning any more matches with it. So if I'm focused on winning, I'm SOL. But if I'm focused on discovering what works, I can use his punishment to MY advantage.
Example, I do shorthop to fair. I get busted. Now I try shorthop to airdodge, then N-air. You have to sometimes think "Whats going through my opponents head when I do this? How do I feed him incorrect information and use that to my advantage?" The name of the game is to hit and not be hit, and by making the opponent read you incorrectly, he plays puppet to your deceptive strings, which causes breakdowns in the game and more mistakes. Basically, I never try to win. I try to do things that work, and every so often I do it enough where I obtain the victory, but this is never my goal, especially at this stage in my training.
2. Understand why you are getting busted. And kick around potential solutions.
This is how we further our game, by expanding and extending our knowledge through critical and creative thinking. Example, being bumrushed by Captain Falcon's jabs and pressure. I try to get off an attack, but I am always interrupted. I just can't break through, and it feels like I'm being forcefed into a woodchipper. So, I look at what I am doing, and I look at what can be done. I get bumrushed by Captain Falcon, alright. Can I block? Sure, I block pretty well except for the occasional grab which overwhelms me. So while I may not have the time to pull off contact to interrupt, I do have enough time to begin startup on a move that will evade or beat his throw (such as Peach's B-air or her jab). I wouldn't have discovered the important uses of these tools, unless someone went online and bumrushed the hell out of me with throws repeatedly. Always look at the tiniest little successes you have against something (in this case being able to block most of the attacks) and use that as the ground to develop yourself around the situation.
3. There may be no such thing as cheap, but abuse is still abuse.
Even if you win matches by spamming Ness's PK Fire, it wastes your time because you are developing a habit that has absolutely no use. I love throws, love them. Love them so much, free damage. The problem is I usually do them after a turnip toss or N-air and I really notice myself doing this. When higher level players come on, not only do they read my rhythm and break virtually every throw, they space in a way that makes them near impossible to grab, and bait me into attacking before busting me-basically making me get frustrated and impatient.
So when you are playing online, and you find one or two moves or specials that constantly work well, take a deep breath and be willing to back away from them. They are the wine of the Smash world. You may become drunk with power after a few wins, but reality can knock sobriety into you faster than a counter. Sure you can spam moves when your opponent is high on percentage so he can bite the dust, but then that just shortens the potential of practice. Unless you are trying to show your opponent the error of his ways, you are wasting an opportunity for punishing, spacing, hard reads, and combos. You may as well just beat up your clone in the online waiting room.
4. Know Thyself - Go into practice mode and look at what your characters are capable of.
I like to watch 'EOE' play Peach, because it is such violent poetry to watch his timing and reading ability. I've noticed when I watch him, he usually only uses around 8 separate moves, and about 3~5 separate combos (depending on the stage and the character). I thought to myself, cool! I'll just use those moves and I'll be grand champion one day! Here is the problem. Even though 'EOE' uses a few techniques, you better understand that he has a deep understanding of almost every ounce of Peach's game. He knows what moves can be used for what situations, where to use them, their risk/reward ratio, ect. Think of it like this...he is an incredible repairman with a box of tools, yet all you ever see are the hammer, screwdriver, saw and duct tape. That doesn't mean it's all he has, it means that he has not come across a situation where he has needed to call on the other readily available albeit less common tools.
So, sit in practice mode for a bit every so often. Go through the movelist, look at the animations of the techniques, and kick around their advantages and disadvantages. How fast is this move? What's its range? Does it seem safe? Does it look like it has invincibility? What's its recovery? Then think about some of the recent opponents you have faced. What would they do if you used this move? Where might this move fit into a game? It's this kind of understanding that allows for a more fully developed and more secure style (both with game mechanics and the natural ease of mental familiarity) when learning and playing a character.
5. It may be just a game, but that doesn't mean you can't take it seriously.
While it's nice to sit down, load up the game, and smash around with random people, this doesn't always cut the cake for everyone's wants and needs.
The entire reason I play fighting games is because it allows you to reach into a persons heart and mind, and communicate with him wordlessly through the dance of battle (or sometimes with words, depends on if they have a mic). When I fight, I see what the opponent is thinking, what runs through his head, his emotions, his reactions, his very being. I see his anger at being tricked, I see his caution after a hard read into a punish, I see his panicked aggression as he is high on percentage and low on stocks, I see him hunting for that kill when I only have a few percentages of life left. It allows a person to share their entire psyche with you, and it is like having an unfathomably deep conversation with someone through the medium of a controller.
So when it comes to me, it's not about winning or being good or successful or any of that. I don't care about the fact that it is just a game, because that doesn't make a difference. What matters is that it can allow you to reach levels of your own mind through artistic expression of technique and ability. It's the art of the mind, and I am drawn to it.
That's me, and obviously other people can be different! The major thing is this: everyone has their own reason for playing, their own reason to do what it is they do. When you think about it, ask yourself, why do I play? The major answer will be "because it's fun, duh", but that joy is greater and more sweet the further down the rabbit hole you go.
When you find yourself really wanting to get good but worried you are wasting your time, don't get caught up in thinking that it is just a game even though it is. It's about what it can mean, about what it means to you. Everyone has hobbies, everyone looks for that pleasure and joy. It just so happens I have found it here, in this game. Don't beat yourself up for really wanting to spend time playing, as if you think it is a waste of time. Just let what you feel flow naturally, and put in the effort you wish to put in, to reap the rewards you wish to reap, regardless of what others think or say.
The End
http://www.tekkenzaibatsu.com/forum...10cbf&threadid=127111&perpage=20&pagenumber=2
