Guess I can attempt some kind of guide… Though I don’t have everything 100% yet. Other people have done a lot of leg work on this already. Gonna include some ranix examples below for instance. (Let me know if you mind the use of your vids, ranix. I can take them off if you want.)
OS tends to be more about timing, rather than a very unique or complicated input. Even though they all rely on very similar mechanics, they can be split into 3 types: Jump-in OS, ground OS, and unique OS.
- Jump-in OS
You should only be attempting these against characters that can be safe jumped on with an attack. Unless you have good reason to believe that they can’t reversal you in time.
Safe jumps work off the following:
Characters you just can’t safe jump OS have: An invincible move that hits in 3 frames. Or, a grab special/super/ultra that’s invincible from the first frame until they grab you. This can vary based on if they have meter. ie. Abel with EX TT.
There is a subset of the rest that have a move which could cut into your jump-in OS, but may not be able to stop you from landing safely. They have invincible specials that hit on the 4th or 5th frames. The trick with these is just to block when you attempt the OS. This should result in a triple OS: 1. Don’t do anything -> hit by jumpin. 2. Use that special move -> you will block. 3. Do anything else with invincibility (backdash, or another special) -> the move you attempted to OS will come out.
So, as ryu, it is very important that you learn how to do safe jumps before you attempt OS jump-ins. Usually, you can only safe jump after untechable knockdowns. You get these from sweeps, throws, supers, and ultras. Timing is as follows:
Sweeps: Just hold the joystick up/up-forward while recovering to jump. Ryu is fortunate and unfortunate in his sweep recovery timing. Unfortunate in that you are EXTREMELY punishable on a whiff or block. But fortunate that it makes this safe jump almost brainless against the majority of the cast.
Forward Throw: Walk back about a step, then jump forward. Just have to get a feel for this…
Back Throw: I believe that you can just whiff a c.mp right when you recover. And then jump right after you whiff.
Supers/Ultras: Don’t really have a feel for this yet. Would appreciate some input if anybody knows. I think you just have to practice your timing starting from the point where they hit the ground.
A couple caveats:
First, 3 characters get up later than other characters on untechable knockdown. Sagat and Cammy get up one frame later. Blanka gets up 2 frames later.
Second, COUNTER HITS INCREASE WAKE UP TIME!!! Beware.
Ok, but how do you DO the jump-in OS you may ask… It’s actually pretty simple. After you hit the button for the jump-in, if timed right you can do ANYTHING to come out if that jump-in whiffs.
You can do dp, tatsu, hado, throw, back dash, forward dash, super, ultra, and even NORMALS… It’s just a question of timing. For instance, to jump-in OS dp, this could be the input: UF jump hk ~ dpm lp. (dpm = dp motion) The lp should be timed to be hit at the point where you’d touch the ground if your jump in whiffed. (If you’re overly visual, this may be a detriment. The freeze of the connected jump-in will delay when you land. And if you do it at that point, you’ll just do the dp every time.) Every jump-in OS works this way. But if you haven’t practiced timing, you may never get it. And the feel for timing you need might change from OS to OS. And it’s actually looser for many OS than you might think.
There’s no point in listing the inputs for every single one. Go to the training room. Pick an OS. Do it when your jump arc won’t hit your opponent. Then do it when it does. Keep doing this until you get the OS down perfect. You hit them, you don’t do anything when you land. You don’t hit them, you do something. Then make the training dummy do it on you using safe jump timing. (Making them sweep first is the easiest way.) And try to get out of the safe jump. As ryu, you can just dp reversal every time. So try to back dash instead. Or see how super/ultra affects it. Get a feel for what it looks like. Then switch characters. See what other characters can or can’t do against it.
- Ground OS
This is very similar to jump-ins, but without the safe jump. I can further subdivide this one into 3 more subcategories.
First, there’s the simplest example of OS in c.mk XX hado. Yes, that counts as an OS. You connect, you cancel. You don’t, then nothing. Easy. Extends to other specials/super/FADC from anything special/super cancelable.
Second, is the basic whiff punish. Best way to think of this is that an attack that connects has freeze frames which increases the length of time until the move finished. Through timing, you are able to make one action happen when the move connects (hit or block) and another when it doesn’t. Examples:
c.mp ~ late dpm lp ~ c.mk – On connect, c.mk. On whiff, lp dp. You hit the lp AFTER you could cancel it from the c.mp. Then c.mk a little after that to continue the combo/tick string.
From ranix: c.lp ~ sps ~ c.hp – On connect, c.hp to follow up. On whiff, solar plexus. Vid [media=youtube]hu4vUveQch8"[/media].
Also ranix: cr.lp ~ dash ~ cr.mk XX qcf lp+lk – A little overly elaborate. But shows how to combine both 1st and 2nd types. On connect, follow up with c.mk XX lp hado. On whiff, dash forward and throw. Though I think that by just before the qcf lp+lk you can tell what’s going on enough to decide what to do next, since you’ve seen the lp whiff or connect. Vid [media=youtube]eErqtYqvRvU"[/media].
Third, the chain cancel OS. This builds off the second type with the additional quirk that chain cancellable moves tend to override other, normally higher priority, moves.
First a technicallity: All of ryu’s lp and lk (c. cl. far…) are chain cancellable INTO. Only the following are chain cancellable themselves: cl. lp, far lp, c.lp, c.lk
You can override all other higher priority normals, throws, focus, and specials. I don’t know about supers or ultras yet. Examples:
c.lp XX c.lp + c.mp + c.mk – On hit, another c.lp. On whiff, a focus. Example in ranix vid [media=youtube]_2_7TmQ3vGA"[/media].
c.lk XX dpm c.hp + c.lk – On hit, another c.lk. On whiff, a dp. Example in ranix vid [media=youtube]ZGXGJAx0u80"]here and [URL=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ITy-mN0R2w”[/media].
This vid [media=youtube]H_oMxzPlmF0"[/media] shows another facet of chain cancelled moves. The move chained into can not be cancelled by a special or super. Inputs:
c.lk XX c.lk + c.mk XX super – On hit, another c.lk. On whiff, c.mk, followed by super if it connects.
- Unique OS
This is just a catch-all category for everything else. Some characters have some weird properties on their moves, and the inputs for them, that result in unique OS. All characters have at least one:
c.lp + c.lk - Normally, c.lk. When being thrown, throw tech.
This can be expanded by adding more buttons:
c.lp + c.lk + c.mp - Normally, c.mp. When being thrown, throw tech.
Another one, for characters with a dp:
I’m sure there are at least a couple glaring flaws in this. But hopefully it helps.