I just got this game and need massive help. I mean, I read the rulebook and all that, but I was hoping people could chime in with how a beginner should put it together.
Also, what characters are good and what are gimp (are any gimp?)? I like Venom alot, and I know Sol is a badass. Are there tiers in this game like in Capcom/SNK fighers?
So, in short, what are the things a player needs to know that are helpful no matter who you play?
I’d say Faust is the easiest to pick up, since he has like only 1 combo or I mean most of his stuff ends in the same way. try
5K-c.S-f.S-pogo-RC-5K-JC-j.P-j.K-dj.j.K-j.S-j.H
that was his basic combo in XX and pretty much so in #R, expcept you can do going my way after pogo in #R cause it dosen’t arc
none of the characters suck, the game is balanced! every character has the tools to beat any other character. its all a matter of how much time and effort you put in to that character.
you should start off learning gatlin combos, what normals chain together or into special moves. and experiment on which normals can be jump cancled too. after that try and Roman Cancle or False Roman cancle the special moves at the end of a chain to continue on comboing. If you go in to the training menus and turn on Input you can find out which special or normal moves can be False Roman cancled.
The tier list:
Top: Eddie, Jam, Slayer, Robo-Ky
Low: Ky, Anji, Zappa
Middle: Everybody else.
The top and bottom are pretty well accepted. Who’s where in the middle ranks is debateable.
Ichithekiller is right, though, in that none of the characters are useless or unplayable. Ky, Anji, and Zappa all have good stuff. The other characters just have somewhat better stuff. 
Sol makes a good starting character; he’s pretty effective when playing a straightforward game. He’s also a good character for learning basics that you’ll be able to apply to others in the cast. Check out the threads on him–just make sure you’re reading #R information, since most of the threads started when GGXX was out.
Venom is very, very difficult to play well. I don’t recommend him as a beginner character; it’ll be very frustrating.
Don’t worry about the high-end technical stuff right away (FRCs in particular). Just play some and get used to the game. When you’re ready, check around for basic, bread-and-butter combos, and then go from there. #R is a deep game with a lot to learn, so there’s no good in rushing; take your time and master each step along the way.
EDIT: To answer your last question more specifically: Since the characters play very differently from ecah other, there are relatively few “general rules.” I would say that the major thing that’s generally true is that wakeup games are really, really important. Start thinking early about how you can put pressure on an opponent while they’re getting up.
http://www.gamecombos.com/games/ggxx
the page is for XX but it has all the stuff you still need to know in it for #R
Zappa and Ky are not bottom 3.
your top is correct,
more accurate tiers
top is Eddie Slayer Robo Millia Jam
Bottom is May Anji
High Mid is Sol Axl Faust
Low mid is Ino Testament
Everyone else in the middle.
Zappa was bad in XX not #R
Top is Eddie/Robo/Slayer/Millia/Faust/Venom/Jam
Mid is Axl/Dizzy/May/Johnny/Ky/Potemkin
Low is Sol/Zappa/Baiken/Testament/I-No/Anji
Btw, I’m going with this one JPN’s board that scores the characters every week, in no way what I just said is accurate, though I truly believe that’s the order nowadays. Sol loses to Axl/Dizzy/Johnny/and the top tiers now, and he has a 6-4 againts I-No. But really, who cares about the tiers in this game. If you’re good enough you can win with anyone, and anyone can win at any given moment. Just practice up.
JP
Ky Is The Worst
opps also to bitch more I never liked that thing(that XX board anyway)to many random things where allowed i mean first one was bombarded with a lot of just 10-0 by random people over and over again for matchs, and not all of them were deleted.
I dont see why the new one would be any different
Where Ky stands on the tiers is up to whoever, right?
Cuz I think he’s alot better than he was in XX…
Hehe, Clayton man, I do agree with that reason though. But even Arcadia doesn’t have a list about the characters in this game (only XX from what I remember). In all honesty, don’t follow the tier list on this game. It’s too random and any character can win at any given time. But there will be times where you will notice that some characters have “some” advantages over others (like priority and stuff), but if you play your character correctly, you can win with that character, regardless.
JP