Precision practice with combos and movement

[Phoenixazure]

This isn't so much but a general Fighting game issue that's been plauging me since I started so many years ago and whats been sort of my bane of trying to get past newbie/scrub level in fighting games. Does anybody have any techniques or pratice as far as being able to get the motions down perfectly and consistently? Any basic drills or whatnot that anybody performs to practice? This is probably a very noobish question but hence why its posted in a training room topic

[SAB-CA]

Practice, Repetition, and trying to get something done from multiple situations...
I try and find a rhythm to the madness, and learn that rhythm so well, that I could do the motions with my eyes closed.

If you have a game that allows you to list your button and stick inputs on screen, turn that on. See if you have a bad habit of pushing odd directions after finishing off moves, or if you hold certain directions too long.

I hated it when friends would swoop their finger over the D-Pad, and then just let their finger fly completly off the pad, as if they didn't need to start preparing their next move after a special. If you do that by some chance, I'd suggest training yourself to keep you them right on or over the pad, and also to get used to going back to neutral when needed. Habits start to come up when you're in the middle of battle, so learning something to overwrite bad habits is a very useful endeavor.

[bigvador]

the best thing to do for any KOF game is to slow down. I come from street fighter and i had to slow down my input to get what i want when i want it. I still struggle when im in a real but not as much when i first started. it do depend on what KOF game your playing i think KOFXII is the slowest out of XI XIII 2002 UM. you dont have to mash like street fighter

[desmond_kof]

perfectly and consistently? Any basic drills or whatnot that anybody performs to practice? T

All of that comes from practice, proper acknowledgment and discipline to fixing bad habits and mistakes.

You can practice a million hours and still not gain any progress if you do not constantly try to change what mistakes you are making while you are doing it.

For example, I used to have lots of trouble doing Chris' down+C, f+a XX qcfx2+A/C after his direction change (dp+A). What usually came out was just his qcf + A instead of the qcfx2+A/C super.  So what I had to do in training mode is to just practice as accurately as possible making sure I was getting the super instead of the qcf + A. I had to pay attention to my hands and where the joystick was going, making sure it was accurately hitting the inputs at the correct times, and if I made a mistake, I tried different and small adjustment until it was right and proper. After that, I just kept practicing against the computer then against human opponents until now I can hit it about 95% of the time in a heated battle.

But I keep practicing it make sure I stay sharp because I can get rusty easily. LOL.

[Phoenixazure]

Well i booted up MVC3 since it had a input show, and i seem to input 3 directions when i go for my df/db/uf/ub. i guess thats where I first have to practice. Also, is it adviceable to be hitting the next button multiple times in hopes of getting it to link in or is that just another bad habit i should work on breaking next.

[Kane317]

Well i booted up MVC3 since it had a input show, and i seem to input 3 directions when i go for my df/db/uf/ub. i guess thats where I first have to practice. Also, is it adviceable to be hitting the next button multiple times in hopes of getting it to link in or is that just another bad habit i should work on breaking next.

For the most part, it's a bad habit.  Some chains are spammable but eventually it'll get you into trouble since there are certain links that won't come out if you spam it.  Think Shen's d.B --> d.C; Kyo's d.B --> s.A; Duo Lon's d.A --> s.C just won't come out if you spam it.

[Phoenixazure]

i figured as much. This is going to be a long and painful road to step my game up once again

[omegaryuji]

Well i booted up MVC3 since it had a input show, and i seem to input 3 directions when i go for my df/db/uf/ub. i guess thats where I first have to practice. Also, is it adviceable to be hitting the next button multiple times in hopes of getting it to link in or is that just another bad habit i should work on breaking next.

For the most part, it's a bad habit.  Some chains are spammable but eventually it'll get you into trouble since there are certain links that won't come out if you spam it.  Think Shen's d.B --> d.C; Kyo's d.B --> s.A; Duo Lon's d.A --> s.C just won't come out if you spam it.

Just mashing links and praying is a bad habit, like Kane said.  If you want to make things easier (at the cost of more handwork), you could try pianoing (when you input the link, very quickly press a lower-priority button afterwards to get two chances at the link, like doing d.B, s.A as d.B, s.A~C...the input should show d.B, s.A, s.AC if you're doing it right), but I'm not sure how well that'd work in KOF since AB, BC, and CD are all actual inputs.  It's best to just practice until you can do the links with a single, precise button presses.  There's a little more leeway for mashing on cancels, depending on exactly what you're trying to do, but even then, aside from double-tapping (quickly striking the input button twice, just like the name implies *laughs*), you're best off practicing until you can to do it exactly.

As for getting stick inputs cleanly, I know this is going to sound really boring and lame, but something that I found useful was to pick a character with all of the common input motions and just try to see the longest streak of successful inputs I could do with each one (and also stuff like dashing, superjumping, etc.).  Couldn't even go 5 straight reliably at first, but focusing on just that for about an hour or two per day for a week made a world of difference.

[KBlackNoah]

If you play with a stick i can tell you this from personal experience.Play KOF with the stick on a flat surface and make sure it doesn't move too much (i have a TE stick so no problems with that), also you must have a confortable position when you play so it doesn't have to be positioned too high or to low.I can play all the games fine with the stick in my lap but for kof you can't mash stuff and the execution must be close to perfect.Try to practice like that and i assure you that your execution will improve.

[krazykone123]

i figured as much. This is going to be a long and painful road to step my game up once again

Do you still play Blazblue bro? get some more PSN/XBL games and fight me.

Practice and play son.

[Reiki.Kito]

I feel your pain. I am making that transition too. I spend more money in training mode than I do against peeps. But the practicing helps me with my midscreen game since combos are more forgiving in the corner. Slower is faster.

[KBlackNoah]

Practicing more than playing is never a good thing.You will never have confidence in your skill or execution, not to say that you miss on learning strategies and mind games which can be practiced only against real players.I say 20% practice the rest play and try to fight against decent and better players than you.Loosing is never a bad thing it gives you an extra push to improve, not to say you always learn something new from better players.

[Reiki.Kito]

I get what you're saying, but I then develop a mindset where it's okay to panic and mash. If I do the combo a thousand times, I feel comfortable doing the combo. It took me a bit in training mode to get how to use K' and his BnB. Without it, I'd always get punished for dropping the combo or whiffing it.

Now, I'm trying to hit confirm with Terry. A lot of the time I'll do Close C, df. C, and have to do power wave if they block or burning knuckle. Can't just mash or guess otherwise I don't get the combo or I eat a combo off a blocked burning knuckle.

There's just topics better players can't teach me. They can teach me when my moves aren't safe or when they make mistakes how to capitalize on them, but I won't get the maximum damage if I can't link. Just a big trade off.

[KBlackNoah]

I get what you're saying, but I then develop a mindset where it's okay to panic and mash. If I do the combo a thousand times, I feel comfortable doing the combo. It took me a bit in training mode to get how to use K' and his BnB. Without it, I'd always get punished for dropping the combo or whiffing it.

Now, I'm trying to hit confirm with Terry. A lot of the time I'll do Close C, df. C, and have to do power wave if they block or burning knuckle. Can't just mash or guess otherwise I don't get the combo or I eat a combo off a blocked burning knuckle.

There's just topics better players can't teach me. They can teach me when my moves aren't safe or when they make mistakes how to capitalize on them, but I won't get the maximum damage if I can't link. Just a big trade off.

You will panic and mash either way if you are not sure of your execution - thoe you made that combo perfect in practice mode.Making a combo during training is nothing.When you have to do it on reaction or to punish something is totally different.Of course that combo must be practiced several times - but it doesn't matter that you do it 100 in practice mode if you can only land it a couple of times during a match (like i said during a match you have to take decisions, be patient sometimes, find strategies or adapt - YOU DO NOT HAVE TO JUST THINK ABOUT THAT COMBO AND TRY TO LAND IT!).The real training for me is playing with a human opponent.When i had to learn a new game i was like you - practicing like crazy but if you sit and think about it it doesn't help too much if you play so little time against someone. You won't be able to even get close to lay that combo because you lack mind games and strategy.Do not get discouraged and play more and keep in mind what i wrote in bolt letters.You will never be a better player if you stay in practice mode and play less...and skill comes with time not over night.

[Phoenixazure]

I have Blazblue CS for 360 along with the XBLA KOFs, next time there's a ranbat, I'll try and join in