BatousaiNori
[10] Knight
I saw some thread the other day about somebody trying to gather other people who weren't that good, like him. I thought to myself "I don't see a general thread here for how to improve. I'm gonna be THAT guy and create one".
Every top player has a formula that works for them. There are rarely 2 people that play exactly alike. I'll pretty much start it off by saying what has worked for me, and what hasn't. If you ask anybody that knows me since the beginning of part 2, and has played me recently, they can feel free to reply here and bust my balls. I consider myself a top player, and I love to teach. I especially love seeing old and new players alike who love to learn. Let's be honest, as much as everybody flames each other here, the people that post here at least once a week, have a strong interest in this game. This thread will be a short rant from me, by try to connect the dots to see what I call my "evolution". Each game, I learned something that changed my playstyle and skill level dramatically.
I first started off in SC2 cocky as hell. I was beating my friends at the game, and I was a straight up masher w/NM. I thought 66B was broken, and was the best move ever. I had never entered tournaments before. I didn't know what broken meant, top tier, nothing. I found the SA thread and called out everybody, saying they were trash and I was better. You can safely assume I got my ass reamed and my pride hurt more than the losses. So from there, I was so passionate about getting better, I eventually stuck with Cervantes cause I was so impressed with DevilJim (very well known Tekken player), Super Nacho (old school TTT vets should know him) and watching vids of FetZ. I thought "someday, that's gonna be me". From there, this guy named "Zor" (Houston TX player, old school SC2 Ivy, oh and 1 small tidbit: Was at SC2 Nationals) had an amazing step w/Ivy. I then remember FetZ stepping that much and thinking "fuck, step 3B looks great". That's when I started whoring step (anybody that knows me again, knows I love to step and punish). Then this guy from Oklahoma comes down to TX, some guy nobody in TX heard of named "BrianHatesU". He had one of the most flashy, amazing Nightmares I've ever seen in part 2. He also played Cervantes. He stood by my house 1 weekend for a tournament (anybody remember that scam VGames?) and taught me I can do iBT faster w/Cervantes. I honestly believe it did instant BT faster than anybody in part 2 w/the pirate (hey, obviously I can't go back and time and prove myself right/wrong).
I remember going to Evo and playing SowNemesis and us having a lot of Cervy mirror matches, and damn were they fun. I even made a video of how fast I can do the iBT (1A+B, G right away, you can get sick shit but that's another topic).
Part 3 comes along and of course, my boner can't get any bigger that I want to prove myself. I constantly played w/Blaze (I'll always say, and many people who played Part 3 will say, that Blaze had the best Sophie in the nation). He always would poke, make you whiff and nail you. I took that into my game also. Anybody that misses a move in front of you, light them up. I played SC3, but I hated it. I'm a sucker, I'll always play no matter how bad the game is, I'll admit it. From part 3 until part 4, all I did was play Madden. That seemed to have increased my reaction time, cause I almost never get hit by lows that seem to hit lots of other people (pretty much any low Yoshi throws out, I usually block on reaction).
If you're completely lost at my point of this story, here it is: Do not ever, EVER be ashamed to ask for help. If you are like me a few years ago, and you feel stuck and you'll never get better, immediately stop that thinking. It is critical you have the following ready tournament time:
-Mixup offense
-Defense
-Confidence
-Spacing
Don't be repetitive on offense. Smart players will eat you alive. Don't rely on gimmicks, rely on 50/50s. Don't pick a char just because somebody isn't familiar w/her/him. Make people play YOUR game and I guarantee victory.
You can have the greatest offense in the world, if you can't break throws on reaction and if you duck too much and people know it, you'll die. I don't try to duck that much. Mitsu makes me duck, I won't lie. I can't see 2k, B on reaction, just can't. Yoshi, I don't duck. Lizardman, I don't duck. Unless I'm sure somebody is gonna throw me to death, then ok, but that's a risk that's on you.
Confidence is important. If you don't walk into the tournament thinking you're the baddest motherfucker alive, you won't win. Don't go in and get star struck. In other words, if you see a top player, you don't have to pull out a condom and drop your pants when he comes by you, say what's up and treat that player like everybody else, treat them like a person w/respect. Come tournament time, if you put them on a pedestal, I promise you will lose cause they are in your head already before you press start. I can speak from experience, trust me.
Spacing is EXTREMELY important. I get very sad when I see tourney vids left and right of people just throwing out moves hoping they will hit. Watch an old Tekken Tag Tournament video and you won't see that. If somebody completely misses BB in front of you, LIGHT THEM UP. Cervy does iGDR, Cass does 3B, Sophie does 44B, LM gets 3B, etc.
I have asked A LOT from JOP and BrianHatesU in part 4. If it weren't for them, I would be playing Cass (I played Cass mostly in part 3 cause I was losing w/Cervantes against really good players. I lost my confidence and my reaction time wasn't great). They put the confidence back in me, and now I'm extremely consistent in my city. Some players have natural talent and don't need anybodys help. I hate you people, you suck. I know for a fact there are more players out there who struggled like I did, and hopefully they became very good like I have. If you are getting destroyed, ask what you are doing wrong. 99% of the time, your friend/opponent will tell you (make sure it's AFTER the tourney, it's not cool to talk during).
Sorry for the rant, just trying to help as many people as I can. And before you reply, yes, I'm extremely confident in myself and dammit, you all should be too.
Every top player has a formula that works for them. There are rarely 2 people that play exactly alike. I'll pretty much start it off by saying what has worked for me, and what hasn't. If you ask anybody that knows me since the beginning of part 2, and has played me recently, they can feel free to reply here and bust my balls. I consider myself a top player, and I love to teach. I especially love seeing old and new players alike who love to learn. Let's be honest, as much as everybody flames each other here, the people that post here at least once a week, have a strong interest in this game. This thread will be a short rant from me, by try to connect the dots to see what I call my "evolution". Each game, I learned something that changed my playstyle and skill level dramatically.
I first started off in SC2 cocky as hell. I was beating my friends at the game, and I was a straight up masher w/NM. I thought 66B was broken, and was the best move ever. I had never entered tournaments before. I didn't know what broken meant, top tier, nothing. I found the SA thread and called out everybody, saying they were trash and I was better. You can safely assume I got my ass reamed and my pride hurt more than the losses. So from there, I was so passionate about getting better, I eventually stuck with Cervantes cause I was so impressed with DevilJim (very well known Tekken player), Super Nacho (old school TTT vets should know him) and watching vids of FetZ. I thought "someday, that's gonna be me". From there, this guy named "Zor" (Houston TX player, old school SC2 Ivy, oh and 1 small tidbit: Was at SC2 Nationals) had an amazing step w/Ivy. I then remember FetZ stepping that much and thinking "fuck, step 3B looks great". That's when I started whoring step (anybody that knows me again, knows I love to step and punish). Then this guy from Oklahoma comes down to TX, some guy nobody in TX heard of named "BrianHatesU". He had one of the most flashy, amazing Nightmares I've ever seen in part 2. He also played Cervantes. He stood by my house 1 weekend for a tournament (anybody remember that scam VGames?) and taught me I can do iBT faster w/Cervantes. I honestly believe it did instant BT faster than anybody in part 2 w/the pirate (hey, obviously I can't go back and time and prove myself right/wrong).
I remember going to Evo and playing SowNemesis and us having a lot of Cervy mirror matches, and damn were they fun. I even made a video of how fast I can do the iBT (1A+B, G right away, you can get sick shit but that's another topic).
Part 3 comes along and of course, my boner can't get any bigger that I want to prove myself. I constantly played w/Blaze (I'll always say, and many people who played Part 3 will say, that Blaze had the best Sophie in the nation). He always would poke, make you whiff and nail you. I took that into my game also. Anybody that misses a move in front of you, light them up. I played SC3, but I hated it. I'm a sucker, I'll always play no matter how bad the game is, I'll admit it. From part 3 until part 4, all I did was play Madden. That seemed to have increased my reaction time, cause I almost never get hit by lows that seem to hit lots of other people (pretty much any low Yoshi throws out, I usually block on reaction).
If you're completely lost at my point of this story, here it is: Do not ever, EVER be ashamed to ask for help. If you are like me a few years ago, and you feel stuck and you'll never get better, immediately stop that thinking. It is critical you have the following ready tournament time:
-Mixup offense
-Defense
-Confidence
-Spacing
Don't be repetitive on offense. Smart players will eat you alive. Don't rely on gimmicks, rely on 50/50s. Don't pick a char just because somebody isn't familiar w/her/him. Make people play YOUR game and I guarantee victory.
You can have the greatest offense in the world, if you can't break throws on reaction and if you duck too much and people know it, you'll die. I don't try to duck that much. Mitsu makes me duck, I won't lie. I can't see 2k, B on reaction, just can't. Yoshi, I don't duck. Lizardman, I don't duck. Unless I'm sure somebody is gonna throw me to death, then ok, but that's a risk that's on you.
Confidence is important. If you don't walk into the tournament thinking you're the baddest motherfucker alive, you won't win. Don't go in and get star struck. In other words, if you see a top player, you don't have to pull out a condom and drop your pants when he comes by you, say what's up and treat that player like everybody else, treat them like a person w/respect. Come tournament time, if you put them on a pedestal, I promise you will lose cause they are in your head already before you press start. I can speak from experience, trust me.
Spacing is EXTREMELY important. I get very sad when I see tourney vids left and right of people just throwing out moves hoping they will hit. Watch an old Tekken Tag Tournament video and you won't see that. If somebody completely misses BB in front of you, LIGHT THEM UP. Cervy does iGDR, Cass does 3B, Sophie does 44B, LM gets 3B, etc.
I have asked A LOT from JOP and BrianHatesU in part 4. If it weren't for them, I would be playing Cass (I played Cass mostly in part 3 cause I was losing w/Cervantes against really good players. I lost my confidence and my reaction time wasn't great). They put the confidence back in me, and now I'm extremely consistent in my city. Some players have natural talent and don't need anybodys help. I hate you people, you suck. I know for a fact there are more players out there who struggled like I did, and hopefully they became very good like I have. If you are getting destroyed, ask what you are doing wrong. 99% of the time, your friend/opponent will tell you (make sure it's AFTER the tourney, it's not cool to talk during).
Sorry for the rant, just trying to help as many people as I can. And before you reply, yes, I'm extremely confident in myself and dammit, you all should be too.
