Am I just not cut out for Fighting games?

Newbie Saikyo Dojo
#1

Hello, this is my first post, mostly since nobody else seems to have my same exact issue.

Recently I taken an interest in UMVC3, and after buying the game, the cashier recommended me a “versus pad” which makes fighters easier, and only $20. I thought this was a great deal, mostly since most arcade sticks are in 50-150 range which I do not want to spend.

I’ve now had 10 online matches, 0 wins 10 losses. All battles against a ghost rider leader. Thinking I was complete garbage, I went to training mode and what most people say to do “practice, practice, practice” Which led me to learn a few tricks. So i turned the dummy on easy. I got my ass kicked yet again.

I don’t know what to do exactly. I can get past easy arcade mode with 2 gameovers at most, but it just seems I can’t do combos under stress, and i cant block and time atttacks correctly, this usually leads to me slamming on buttons in actual fights, while training mode I can do combos pretty well when the opponet is a lifeless, moveless dummy.

What should i do to get better? I’m right now using Ryu, Frank West, and keep switching third member (Strider and Viewtiful are top choices, probably).

Heres the versus pad I bought btw http://www.gamestop.com/xbox-360/accessories/xbox-360-versus-controller-pdp/90035

#2

It would really help if you’d upload a video of yourself playing a few matches, that way we could really get into the meat and potatoes of where you’re making the mistakes.

Otherwise, it sounds like you’re not sure what to do during the neutral game, when both characters are free to act and have all their options available to them. If I could, I would bet that you’re probably just trying to get in to hit your opponent, but get frustrated when you’re kept out, and when you finally do get a hit in you aren’t ready for it and end up not capitalizing on your opportunity. What you should do is work on getting yourself able to keep your wits about you, even under stress. Fighting games require a person to execute a specific action with not much time to think about getting it started, such as punishing a whiffed normal with a damaging combo. I can understand how, to use SF4 as an example, punishing a whiffed or blocked shoryuken can seem basic or even trivial to an experienced player, while a newer player might not have their minds in a place where they can react to that situation with the proper response. However, if you want to get better, you need to be able to react to specific situations with the correct responses. Try playing the computer, and this time, when the opponent does something unsafe try to stay calm and react properly, because in that moment your enemy really is as vulnerable as the training dummy.

TL;DR: Try to think “when my enemy does X, respond with Y, and no matter what try to stay calm.”

#3

Learning combos is half the battle.

Learn setups! Ways to get in! Maneuverability with your characters. You need to find synergy/ assists that work well with your team. Team order matters as well. Who can survive best on there own? Probably go in 3rd slot. It’ll take awhile, and you need to learn matches.

When the challenge rises, so does my peni…I mean determination.

#4

A lot of people have been where you are at…the starting line.

If UMVC3 is your first go at a fighting game…then you have quite a bit to go in you want to good at it.
A pad/arcade stick is not going get you automatic wins unless you put in the work…which means learn the basics of the game and your team.
Also, if you can’t accept and learn from your losses…then you are probably not cut out for fighting games.

#5

Didn’t somebody make a thread like this already? Im getting deja vu…

If you like your game keep playing. If its not fun quit for a while and do something else. It also depends on what you’re trying to do. If you’re trying to win majors and be a well-known dominant player then you’ve got your work cut out for you, but its possible it just takes work. If you just want to be an online warrior/beat your friends then it doesn’t matter what you do to be honest.

But a relationship with a Fighting game is like being in a realationship with a Hot but bitchy woman. She’s fine as fuck she just beats on your self esteem and makes you feel like shit, but shes so hot you keep coming back and trying to tame that bitch.

#6

Yeah you’re not really at the point to know cut out/not cut out for this kinda thing - that’s like am I cut out for being a rock star after having stared at a guitar for a couple minutes. Just keep playing around, enjoy the game and then if you wanna get in depth theres a ton of resources in this very subsection in the stickies. FGs are needlessly esoteric compared to other genres of games [read instruction booklet, play trials, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, beat Daigo] so just try to get a feel for it for now and then if you want to get more serious you’ll have a better framework to go off of.

#7

just enjoy yourself. games are supposed to be fun. you’re expecting to much too soon.
is umvc3 your first fighting game?
play some kof 2002, or kof 98, or kof xi, or sf3, or sf4. something that teaches you fundamentals first.
give it time.
think of it like this. micheal jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. so don’t expect to beast in one night. just keep at it.

#8

Ok, so after reading all these, I have a reply for most of them, so I’ll just put it in one post.
@Airlancer That sounds to be my exact problem, I do get rather frustrated while trying to get in or trying to block.
@Geese pants I sorta bought because I thought you were supposed to use a stick/fight pad. It does work alot better then playing with a average controller. I think I got the “basic” of the basics to the game, I just can’t get in without leaving myself wide open to combos and whatnot/
@Axl_m4ster this is my first fighting game that isn’t a flash game on the internet, I saw videos of gameplay of sf4 and mvc3 and just became so intrigued. I chose mvc3 because Sf4 felt to be more about mind games while Mvc3 felt to be a more fun looking game.
@Mr.Unbrockable I didn’t exactley say I wasn’t having fun (did I? I can’t remember :S) it just feels like practice isn’t helping me, it helps with execution, but when it comes to an actual fit, I can’t just keep focus and forget most combos and plans I have, and start smashing buttons D:
I posted the versus controller to see if anyone else uses/used it and knows if this is a good controller to use. It seems fine, but I hear alot of complaints of malfunctions that I havn’t seen/had yet.

EDIT: I don’t know how I forgot to mention this, buy I don’t own anything to record gameplay. I guess I could play somebody, but i’m not sure how much that would help.

#9

You are not alone, I have the exact same problem. You just described me in a nutshell lol.

#10

I didn’t enjoy the versus controller, but it isn’t the controller that controls the player. Wolfkrone uses a PS2 pad. Fanatiq uses an Xbox/PS3 pad. Snake Eyez uses a brawl pad. These are all top players who learned their characters to the fullest.

If you get a chance, play a game like super street fighter II HD Remix, I know it is not Super Street Fighter II Turbo, but that game gives you fundamentals. That is along with King of fighters and Capcom vs SNK 2. SF3 3rd Strike is good for reactions and footsies. If you play on an HDTV, I would highly recommend playing in the most lag free environment. I realize that an ASUS Monitor (EVO Monitor) may be expensive, but it is the cheapest HDTV choice I would recommend. Otherwise visit this thread: Sub 1 frame HDTV/Monitor Input Lag Database to see what you would want to buy. I personally play on a SDTV just because I don’t want to pay for any of these. You want to have this become the most lagless environment if you want to compete in an offline environment. Online doesn’t prove anything because the lag is too messy, especially in Marvel vs Capcom 3. Hope these tips help while I could post.

#11

I don’t experience too much lag on my lcd hdtv, so it may just be me not used to fighting.

I have played SF2 (Which I know isnt SF2HDR but still) and I seem to start doing the strategy of hadoken til my fingers break off, which I’m guessing won’t help much and makes me look 'salty".

Good news, however. I have made a new team of Chris, Firebrand, and Ryu and actually won 2 games! (1 ranked, 1 player match). Which has boosted my confidence a little bit.

Now, I still seem to have problems with getting into hitting range without setting myself up for a big ol’ combo of doom, is their a guide to help with this?

#12

Jakeyjake, can you see if you have a scene where you are. You might be able to find people who play FG’s in your area and maybe they will invite you to casuals or just playing at a player’s home. That is one thing that I would try to get into. Also try to make it out to regional majors. Midwest = UFGT8, Seasons Beatings, etc.

#13

You need to put in work. A LOT. You’re going to be playing people who’ve been playing fighters for a decade+. Fighters are not easy to get into and 10 matches is nothing. I have like 8000 games on my Ultimate disk and I still have a bit to learn.

Like 10+ hours of practice. And not just combos, setups, movement, game mechanics, everything. If you’re not willing to, go return the game and buy Call of Duty 13.

#14

Now now. You’re a legit player but don’t scare the poor kid.

#15

Sorry but I had to laugh at your story. Not because you’re struggling, but because you didn’t expect that you would. Fighters are one of the few genres of games you can’t expect to jump right in and hand out ass whippings to everyone. You’ll take your fare share of lumps as you build skill, everyone goes through it.

How long you’ll remain in this faze depends on how much time you’re willing to put into the game to see results. I’ve been playing for two years and I still get curb stomped, granted two years in retrospect isn’t very long to have been playing fighters.

But for my advice, I would consider you get SF4. UMVC3 is too chaotic to learn fundamentals from, plus there’s a lot of abusable and frankly put stupid shit in that game. You need to learn spacing, and defense basically fundamentals to build from. SF is much better for this. If you don’t care that much then stick with UMVC3 and grind it out. You say you can’t hit combos under stress of more accurately moving opponents. That’s because the combos you’ve been practicing need to become muscle memory. You should never have to think when you get a hit, your fingers should already know what to do. Since you don’t have a fighting game background this will probably take a while to develop.

Other then that when you’re in training mode turn the dummy to cpu, that way you can get used to hitting moving opponents. Also try not to get down on your losses, but think about what you could have done to win. I won’t suggest you divulge in the deeper ends of fighting games, like frames tech traps setups and resets since you should be focused on building fundamentals first. Otherwise you’ll just get over whelmed. Just have fun for now, you don’t need to beat yourself up just yet.

#16

No offense, but you sound like a fighting game noob with little prior experience. Its going to take a long time of gameplay & experience to develop that “sense” about fighting games.

To add to this your playing UMVC3, which is a rather strict game where little mistakes can lead to big punishments off a single hit. I’ve been playing fighters since back in the days of the original Street Fighter II WW in arcades, a long time Marvel VsCapcom 2 veteran, and play UMVC3 all the time---- and despite my respectable victories, i get my ass kicked a lot i admit.

My point is while UMVC3 is a quality, and fun game, its not noob friendly. You should delve into something else.

#17

Ya, I don’t really know why I thought this would be jumping into a platflormer or something which it slowly teaches you how to play. Where here you need to learn by yourself really. I have tried the cpu, and I find it harder then an actual player. They can somehow always throw me halfway through their combos and knock me down while I’m hitting them. I may be exagerating there but I seem to never be able to do anything there.

@Crimson This may not work out too well. I am rather young, and I live in Pennsylvania, in a town that if nuked, would probably be forgotten about. Most friends are the “COD IS DA BEST GAME EVAR” kind of guys, but maybe I can get my brother or some friends to play.

#18

yesterday I played a few fighters on ggpo, supercade and SFIV. 0 wins - 50 losses total outcome, but against good players, though I could have won a few KOF98 games. I played without thinking about victory or loss. i played just to play. sometimes you want to play in order to lose. you just accept it and move on.

then you play much better, even if you lose again. My total record against good players would be probably 1 win and 30 losses. Against players of my level ratio is around 40-60.In Blazblue CT I have 17 wins and 117 loses, though I came 3 years late to the game and without any GG experience.

Fighters are not for me. My background was 2D platform and point and click adventure games. Games that do not require fast reflexes. that cost me in the long run, but if you can offer some quality match even if you lose, then that is a reward.

#19

I decided to just fight the cpu. So I went to training with 99 secs, and fought a normal level cpu. I had a lot more wins then losses against A dante/Viper/Sentinel team.

Feeling confident that I may actually understand what I am doing, I decided to do ranked matchs again. Each and every game was a loss, and I felt like I havn’t learned anything. I went to player matches instead, and decided to verse the same person until I got 10 losses. I did this for I believe an hour. Against two people. I had 0 wins, and 20 losses. you’d think by the 4th or 5th loss I would of learned all of the guys moves, but no, I still lost with all of his characters alive.

I’m really at the end of wits here, I feel like i get better, but then I go online and get my confidence shot right in the face. My friends won’t buy this game because it isn’t “Brown and bloom shooter 100” which they are inlove with. Can somebody “train” me or some sorts?

#20

What he said was true though. I don’t understand why people who are just starting out with fighting games start with ranked (Especially Marvel, jesus christ). It’s like the equivalent of a normal human trying to fight a DBZ character. It can’t end well. Just stick with player matches, learn what needs to be learned (your characters, character matchups, advanced shiz like combos and setups) and THEN take it to ranked to gauge how far you’ve come.