So I have this friend and he used to be a cod player.A really good one at that .Whenever I came over his house he’d play and he’d always get like a high number of kill streaks,doing that quick scoping shit all that high level cod stuff I see on youtube -.-.He was also one of those people that thought fighting games were super easy,required no skill blah blah all that typa stuff you hear…you guys know what I’m talking about but anyways…
Lately he’s been really getting interested in fighting games because whenever he sees me play he just gets so excited and intrigued with all the crazy stuff that happens whenever I play games like street fighter and marvel.He didn’t realize how in depth and deep the fighting game genre is until I explained to/showed him one day a lot about SSF4.He was amazed with all the stuff you could do. He even sold his 360 and bought a PS3 and a copy of AE just so he could get into fighting games and play with me . Its great and all but hes been kinda having some trouble…
Whenever he sees me play or whenever he tries to play he just gets so discouraged with himself and says stuff like “I wish I could do that”,“My fingers don’t move fast enough”,“I don’t know how you’re able to do that” blah blah .If I play him he just puts the controller down and doesn’t wanna play anymore or whenever I try to teach him something easy (like a L,M,H,S,j.M,j.M,j.H,j.S combo in UMvC3) hes just like “How am I going to remember this?”.I even told him that to get better you just gotta play online or something.Just play a lot,but he gets too afraid to lose.He doesn’t wanna feel like a scrub -.- " lol…he just gives up pretty easy…
What should I do to make him not feel discouraged all the time and to make him play more to get better?
You’re just going to have to approach it from a different perspective. One thing that worked for me as far as Marvel goes was to tell people that the buttons work in a circle; if you hit the opponent with one button the next button should be used next.
Some people seriously are not cut out for fighting games even at an elementary level.
I have a friend who has been playing fighters since I have (since we were kids) however hes still at the basic level of even performing a Hadouken correctly. Hes practiced his ass off for hours, days, played online, even been to tourneys with me but just hasn’t been able to grasp it. One time we spent a week playing fighting games against each other and me trying to help him improve…hes still at the same level. I’m not telling you to tell your friend to give up, because he may get it and we all started off clueless, but seriously some people may love fighting games but just cant play them/. My buddy still comes to tourneys with me all the time but doesnt compete or play friendlies, and just spectates. Its just not for some people.
Ironic that he thinks fighting games take no skill, and yet he plays COD. I laughed. But anyways.
Be encouraging. Tell him that it takes time to develop the skills necessary to start winning. Remind him of how he used to be at COD, scrubby, couldn’t kill a goddamn thing, got killed by random snipers and campers, etc etc. Teach him basic combos to start off. Realize that combos are the least important aspect of FG play, and that learning solid defense, spacing, anti-airs, and basic mix-ups and cross-ups, and far more important. It’s usually the boring stuff like that, is what gets you win, and not doing fancy combos that you might land once in awhile.
Well, hopefully, when your friend manages to do one of the “crazy” things he’s seen (like LMHS MMHS OTG Hyper), that accomplishment will drive him to keep improving.
You just need to tell him the reality of things: He’s a filthy newb right now. In order to get better he’s going to have to practice and put in time consistently for a while to learn basic fighting game technique.
And YOU need to do your part— I know its hard to put yourself back into that mindset after all this time, but try to see things from a newbs perspective. A lot of this is new and somewhat intimidating. Also i hope you’re not destroying him everytime you play, or showing him techniques that are a bit too advanced for someone at his level. That’s very discouraging.
Before anyone pipes up with the mentality that you need to go tough to make him improve—GTFO here with that crap. That only works with players who are already fighting game vets learning a new game. You kick their ass, and it pisses them off and makes them want to step up their game and improve, so they can be at a similar level as the other fighter they mainly play.
For a newb? Savage beatdowns just results in frustration and makes them want to quit.
execution. basic execution is very important. stuff like movement, specials, etc. it sounds like he’s never touch a fighting game yet. he needs to be able to do the move when he wants and whenever he wants before you can teach him stuff like footsies, AA, etc. if he cant dp/hadoken etc when he wants then all those stuff like zoning/AA wont matter.
explain the ‘boring stuff’ like positioning, zoning, etc. cause that’s how people get openings. and play against him using only those basic things w/o doing any combos on him, putting him in hard to block situations, etc. you dont want to slaughter him w/ ToD combos, it’s not fun for a newb and this isnt the arcades.
if he still want to improve you can go into more advance things one at a time. as you teach him these newer things then also use it when you’re playing against him. example, you teach him cross-ups. add cross-ups to your game when you play against him, not cross-ups+ToD+unblockables. each time you add something add that to your gameplay when VSing him along with the previous stuff.
If he isn’t going to play, he isn’t going to play. i’ve got two roommates, both of them swear one day they’ll start playing FG with me. Neither of them ever want to play with me though, and I’ve done my best to try and get them to play. But you can only do so much. If they really have the drive, the drive that a good amount of us do, then they’ll play. But not everyone has it, otherwise we’d have a much wider tournament turn out and a lot less stream monsters.
I think learning is a slow process. And simple strategies are best at first. I can’t believe how I use to play in street fighter 4 vanilla. ( I still got my first replay!) difference with me though. Is that I went in thinking I was the best from the get go like a moron. Which I guess works better for learning then feeling like you suck or can’t do it. ( I used viper right away too… Little did I know how crazy the execution for stuff would get the more advanced I got) That didn’t stop me either though cause I was mr.THE BEST! And I aint gonna stop usin viper! ( nearly 5000 fights and 40% wins!) It was 50% in super…and now I play guy. ( cause he’s awsome enough to make me stop playin viper. I still gotta rush you down!).
Anyway, I’m way off track. Don’t think anything I said was helpful. I get sidetracked like that! Maby a point I got at by accident was attitude! He won’t get better with that attitude! Just do your best all the time and always believe that with more rounds played, or time spent in training!(or both). He can beat anyone! He can go out and win friggin tournaments! And whenever your losin a lot, it just means there’s sumthin you gotta learn or improve on. What is it that’s keepin me from winning? Eh, I’m just gonna stop myself now.
If he's not gonna go at it like a psycho like me. Make him use a simple character! With the basics! Like ryu! Maby he can make rooms in ssf4 that say 1000pp and below at first. (cause he can't really learn if your the only person he plays. You know everything he's capable of cause your teaching him! He can't win! Especially without getting his own experience!) I spent some time teaching someone to play. And there not bad but not great. Only difference is this person grew up playin fighters with me. ( the wrong way offline! Like all games were)
So, simple execution wasn’t a problem. Only that whole zoning, n crossovers, n block strings, n technical kinda stuff. The only problem with this person is that they don’t have any free time. So they don’t play unless they run into me and I’m like, “play me in some streetfighter!” (which I don’t really bother to do anymore unless it’s a brand new game).
I get mad side tracked but ugh…
Cant be afraid to lose! Tell him go for broke!
Hmm… What did I say at first?
Simple strategies are best! At first. They don’t get you to win much but it’s better then nothing! Like, zone with ryu! Get a knockdown, and just do cross ups and tick throws all day! Or poke with rekas… A lot!!!
Meeh, I feel like I’m really just brainstormin… I’ll come up with a good point… Later!!! (then maby I can convert a cod playin friend of mine into a fighter!!!)
And oh yeah! One more thing! With viper I use to just do. To punches.( blocked) then crossover! (the two punches set up my distance for crossover) then I would just repeat that over and over! XD
I dunno, I'm thinking a lot about how I learned so you should think of how you learned when you teach him.
Haha my sister was the same way. Played alot of Halo but got interested with all the time I spent playing Marvel. Unfortunately, I absolutely fail as a teacher… My advice: don’t give up on your boy and remind him that it’s a game. Sure the primary objective is to win but you’re supposed to be having fun as well. I kinda failed to incorporate that into my teachings. I don’t even think she wants to play anymore.
Tell him that fighting games take time to learn. Then tell him to break the combo up into smaller pieces. Show him how chains work in Marvel (can go from :l: to ,:h:, or :s:, but not backwards). Don’t just show him combos, explain why they work. If you don’t understand yourself, there are plenty of videos explaining frame data, cancels, hitstun, blockstun, etcetera.
No. Random online matches are only for fun and maybe matchup experience. You can’t become a better player on ranked, at least tell him to play people you meet on SRK online or something. Don’t play online randoms and don’t tell him to.
Losing is a part of getting better. So is training mode. If he isn’t willing to spend time doing both then you need to tell him that he really doesn’t care enough to get better. There are lots of little things that add up in being a good player. He needs to spend the time on all those things.
I agree that decimating him over and over is a bad idea. Consider trying out mirror matches with his characters. You can show him what his characters can do in a real match and he can’t complain about your characters being better. If he’s as bad as you say he is, you should be able to beat him with his own characters.
The best way to learn is with someone at your same level. You could get another friend over there so that he can feel like he’s better than someone at least. It shows that he’s learning and he needs someone to compete against.
Ahhh, the hinderance of skill that is the cod kid.
His objective shouldn’t be to win, but to learn. Not to do crazy shit, but understand execution. He should play online more or find more locals to play casuals with. Remind him that most people don’t give a fuck. They’re playing to either get better, or down right perfect their style. If anyone gives shit for being a noob/scrub then just block them and move on. He has to understand the game/genre/mechanics before he can do anything mildly impressive. When I started SSF4 (My first fighter), it took me around 6 months in order for me to be ALMOST on par with the teacher I met online. I’ve since trumped him and he took me off his friends list but bottom line: You gotta start slow. You gotta start small. You will get destroyed on a regular basis. You will not like it. BUT!! You will get better.
I’m readin a lot of stuff about being afraid to lose as a new player… If he really doesn’t want to lose…he could… Play a giants a human player in training for hours! That way he will be losing… But he’ll never lose! (maby you don’t need to take my comment here seriously XD) but I do kinda like (but never get to anymore) go at it with a buddy in training for like and hour and just try to stay on top the whole time! Also a nice way to work on habits without revisiting the character select screen or stoping between rounds. Just go at it!
,:h:, or :s:, but not backwards). Don’t just show him combos, explain why they work. If you don’t understand yourself, there are plenty of videos explaining frame data, cancels, hitstun, blockstun, etcetera.
but bottom line: You gotta start slow. You gotta start small. You will get destroyed on a regular basis. You will not like it. BUT!! You will get better.