Case Study: Research on the Successful Players of Our Time

DrakeAldan

Follow the rules!
Some players are... more successful than others.
Some players land more hits, some players have better defense, some players win more tournaments. It goes without saying.

But it is not enough... to leave this statement as it is.

If improvement is ever desired, we must ask why and how these players achieve the feats that they do.

In order to find the answers to these questions, we must study the players themselves.

It is still not enough to merely study them in casuals or gross approximations.
In order to draw out the purest specimen for research, we must construct a controlled environment to the best of our ability.

Enter the simulation.

Three rounds out of five.
Four matches out of seven.
The setting of a Grand Finals match in a standard tournament.

It is then, through the simulation, that truth can be obtained, and possibly...
a shred of applicable technique can be gleaned from the scraps.

These are... the case studies.
 
Case Study: Research on the Successful Players of Our Ti

ATL_R3dd

A prodigious, experienced player from the ATL area, R3dd recently won a small online tournament hosted by a member of the GameFAQs boards. Many players speak of his prowess- he himself has visual proof of achieving perfect victories on skilled players.

How is this possible? What is it that gives him these seemingly "magical powers"?


The Unrelenting Offensive

The answer is a calculated, overbearing dance of death.
One may be lead into thinking that this is merely pure aggression; however, it is not.
Along with a constant threat of nunchaku-to-the-face, R3dd uses frame traps and carefully timed Guard Impacts to forge the appearance of a towering, unstoppable tsunami of force.

The end result- a seed of doubt planted in the opponent's mind. Faced with a seemingly unstoppable mass of attacks, it is difficult to see when to interrupt the oncoming flow, much less perform said interrupt. With the momentum sharply tilting, the opponent locks up due to the pressure, making needless mistakes and staying on the defensive.

Play-By-Play

With that being said, let us look into the details of this clash,
and analyze exactly what happened- the techniques he has used,
and the mistakes I have made.

Part 1

:47 - R3dd rolls my 33B oki attempt. I try to BT B+K him- he hits me out of it with a wrA.
This happens multiple times during the entire duration of the study.

:49 - R3dd whiffs a couple of moves.
An attempt to rush in to take the situation by force is met with a BT B+K of his own.

1:05 - Note the wrA interrupt again.

1:10 - An error in my defense causes my death, most likely because of unfamiliarity.

1:17 - R3dd smacks me with the opening move of 66A.
This happens multiple times during the entire duration of the study.

1:29 - A habit I have of B+King after performing a 66A+B is punished by a swift 6A+B.

1:47 - A blocked 1A, while not punished, ruins the momentum of the round.
I am counterhit attempting to interrupt.

1:58 - Because of my tendency to whiff punish or attack at range with a 66A+B combo, R3dd nails me with a 66B4 trap. This happens multiple times during the entire duration of the study.

2:51 - R3dd repeatedly performs a 66B4G LI B. Because of the built-in sidestep, interrupts may be dodged. My attempts to B+K aGI fail because of the slight delay. I finally manage to GI the move- however, my retaliatory throw is broken.

3:52 - I stay wary of the 66B4 trap. However, attempting to run in and strike gets shut down by a delayed LI :Bh:.

4:02 - R3dd throws out a blocked AA. However, it is yet another trap, as I eat a Wavering Dream combo.

4:10 - The constant pressure is getting to me- I counter a blocked Wavering Dream combo with A+B, but fail to perform the full follow-up. This happens multiple times during the entire duration of the study.

4:40 - Swept right out of the ring by a RC KK.

Part 2

8:16 - R3dd pulls out a little treat.
Due to the constant offensive pressure of all the matches beforehand, I am not ready for the next move;
4[A+B], which is guaranteed on block.


Notable Traits

So what can we learn from this playstyle?

Well, for close-quarters-combat, it is important to shower your blade onto your opponent when possible. Being constantly attacked can crack a player's will and leave him unable to fight back or think of a way out.

When at disadvantage, use evasive moves and guard impacting to continue the offensive. One should note that R3dd does not block much- when he does he does not block for very long. Note that what is being crafted here is an underlying message: "I will attack from disadvantage. I will interrupt everything you do until you are unsure about your ability to fight back."

Learn to use your frame advantage, and constantly tilt the momentum in your favor. Poke through the enemy's defenses, and evade his eventual counterattacks. If you have been applying pressure correctly, the retaliation strikes should be simple, your opponent befuddled with defense and easy to read.

Countering

How could we possibly mount our own offensive against this playstyle?

Learn the attack patterns. You must know when you can stop guarding and when you should start guarding. You cannot guard forever, due to the Critical Finish system; Maxi in particular cannot activate a Critical Finish in stance, but R3dd has performed Critical Finishes on players regardless, so do not think that Maxi players will not take advantage of the fact.

Learn when it is safe to interrupt, or attempt a GI. Because of the numerous frame traps and constant pressure, you will have to be patient and wait for an opening. However, this is easier said than done- while you are waiting, you may be hit by a low; while you are waiting, you may become impatient and attempt to interrupt only to receive a sharp counterhit.

Anticipate evasive maneuvers. If you have watched carefully you have probably noticed that R3dd can escape dire situations at times, and tip the scales again in his favor. As such it may not be advisable to immediately attack at certain times (lest you risk a GI); other times you may not want to make your intentions clear (lest you are stepped, or your low/throw is evaded).



Thanks to ATL_R3dd for participating in this experiment.

Until the next study... see you next time.
 
Case Study: Research on the Successful Players of Our Ti

I'm not too sure myself, Twilight-

I have a few ideas, but scouting's gonna take some time...
 
Case Study: Research on the Successful Players of Our Ti

Gotta say I loved the original Soul Edge music for the videos ~

Although the purpose of the thread is a good one, to sum up the thoughts of the majority of high level players:

In no way should anyone's performance online be a sufficient judgement of how they play offline, which is what the competitive scene cares about.

You can implement smart strategy and tactics online like any good player, but never should it be used for such evaluation unless all you're able to play is online.

This thread can be much greater if you list videos from known players in large offline tournaments, and there are plenty of those out there as far better examples.

The work here appreciated though, it's always awesome to see people who want to improve their game ~


-Manta-
 
Case Study: Research on the Successful Players of Our Ti

Manta, I did have that in mind.

However- I decided to overlook it.

The exhibition shown here isn't a definite, isn't written in stone; not only does online tamper somewhat with the game, but depending on the situation people can do better or worse (for no explicable reason) as well.

Watching a certain player (who I may do one of these on in the future) however led to me seriously giving this some thought.

It is true what you said. Online is not a sufficient judgment of offline play.

But- I feel that when you are playing against a player who sees online as what it is- a way to reach out and find different styles that could not be possible with local transportation- you can feel their intent behind their gameplay, as they play online as they would offline, all things considered.

I believe said intent is what wins tournaments.

Of course, there will be dissenting opinions, but I am just pursuing what I feel is right.
People have the freedom to completely ignore every point I bring up.

(And FYI, I will be attempting to travel to tournaments if it is within my power- however, as you probably know, the quality of the capturing itself is hassled and generally lower than my controlled environment at home, unless it is specifically outlined to be captured.)
 
Case Study: Research on the Successful Players of Our Ti

But- I feel that when you are playing against a player who sees online as what it is- a way to reach out and find different styles that could not be possible with local transportation- you can feel their intent
I agree. Many times I fail to break throws while playing online, but it's not because the latency has anything to do with it. It's because my opponent could read my intent.
 
Case Study: Research on the Successful Players

would be better if the other player posted his thoughts on the same videos (how he thought he did, what he was planning, what mistakes he saw in your vids and how he reacted.)
 
Case Study: Research on the Successful Players

I want to troll this thread so badly, but I think the basic idea is really cool.

I'm just going to say that online really is a whole different game, one that can't be used for these purposes. There are some fighting games which might be considered somewhat online-friendly, but Soul Calibur is not one of them. There is just too much reaction-based stuff (blocking lows, breaking throws, GIs), and any characters dependent on timing-based just frames (*coughcoughSETSUKAcoughcough*) get screwed even further.

If you were to try this thread with SF HD Remix, on the other hand, I think it would be great. Now THAT'S how you do online play, Namco...
 
Case Study: Research on the Successful Players

Setsuka makes up for her lack of 1A : A : A with 2A+B instead.

How to beat Maxi : guess correctly and know him. Reaction hardly matters.

Next "online is different" bullshit please.




And I'd also like to hear what ATL_R3dd has to say about these matches.
 
Case Study: Research on the Successful Players

begin case study of pensdragonsfall, another highly touted player on the gamefaqs forums much like ATL_R3dd. Here is the list of tiers, pendragon is top tier like ATL_R3dd. Let us compare and contrast the two mighty online players http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/genmessage.php?board=940047&topic=46862197



Match no1

round1: notice the amazing air combo he does with mitsu that rings out, all should do that.

round2: notice how he hits 2a and WC 1B to the beat of the music, very important.

round3: note the well placed 3b's, genius!!!!
 
Case Study: Research on the Successful Players

Pendragon should be #1 on that list IMO. That shit is unstoppable. I've never seen a player fuse DDR and SC as well as he does. NO ONE does that. Amazing. I'm really impressed.
 
Case Study: Research on the Successful Players

When do we get our case study of Sword Lord?
 
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