[FONT=sans-serif]BEWARE: LOTS-O-TEXT (TL;DR at the bottom) [/FONT]
[FONT=sans-serif]Ok so I just picked up SSFIV AE Saturday. This is the first time I played a fighting game since Killer Instinct was in arcades. A buddy and I (he is a non-gamer btw) played for hours just trying out characters and seeing how this game has progress since I last remembered playing it. (It’s has a really cool art style). However, I quickly started to realize we were basically button mashing and just trying to do our specials, supers, and ultras to each other which isn’t really meat and potatoes of the game. I have since stumbled on the forums and have been lurking for a few days and I have been bit by the bug. I want to play this game at a higher level and love the atmosphere and camaraderie of the tournament scene (thanks youtube!). So I decided to start in the training mode and started trying to find a main to focus on. Everything I have read says new players should be Ken or Ryu but I HATE playing the most popular characters in any game, however; because I am serious about becoming a quality player I will play them if it is the right choice for a beginner. Anyway, after fooling around in challenge mode with Sagat, Ryu, Ken, C. Viper, Blanka, and Blarog, I didn’t know what to really focus my training on. So I said screw it and jumped online and figured I would learn by getting my butt handed to me. Unfortunately, every time I joined a match I was kicked before it started so I have not yet played online. [/FONT]
[FONT=sans-serif]So my real question is if you could come fresh to this game all over again but knowing what you know now, what should a beginner focus on? I’m not going to asked you to help me pick my main, I’m not going to complain when I lose 100 matches straight, that all comes with the territory. My questions is where should I start. (BTW, I am looking for an arcade stick and have read the threads. Are the tekken ones really that bad??? I have seen plenty of youtube reviews, saying it is good for a beginner.). Should I play through the arcade or story modes? Should I just jump online and get as many matches as possible under my belt? [/FONT]
[FONT=sans-serif]Also, I would love to join a group of new or experienced players to start training with as well.[/FONT]
[FONT=sans-serif]TL;DR: Where should a beginner start?[/FONT]