My question is what are your thoughts of playing against the AI in versus mode compared to playing online.
I like to play a bit of both.
I feel the main reason I play versus mode sometimes is because I really cant be arsed to wait finding an online game just to play another Ryu.
I’ve always thought it was looked down upon by pros etc. to play against the A.I. compared to online.
I also find I do this from time to time with others fighters especially when I’m learning a new character.
I love playing against the AI. When you get better you will understand why a lot of top people tell you not to bother. Once you figure out the patterns of the AI you can cheese them and win.
But I feel a lot of people miss a great point with the AI. I do most of my solo training against AI opponents. I will spend some time in the lab and learn a combo. Then practice just that combo against the AI. But I will set rules to focus it on training instead of just trying to win. I will only use one combo that I am working on. I will only set it up in a specific way. And I wont do anything else. So I know I am not cheesing the AI. What this does for me is get me used to doing my combo at unexpected times. Instead of in the lab, where I can wait until I am ready and then do the combo.
Adds a little stress, which is great. But you calm down and get into the groove pretty quickly.
I do this with everything. If I am practicing anti airs, I will lab an opponent jumping in on me and finding what works. Then go AI and only use my anti airs. Or if I have a move I want to use as a whiff punish, I wont do anything but intentionally try and get the opponent to whiff, and then punish them. Granted this is a hell of a lot easier to do on the AI than a real opponent. But the techniques and combos and skills and everything that I learn doing this is 100% transferable to an online game. Once I feel I have learned all the specifics I want to know about my character, I go back into the lab. Set the opponent to AI and just go. That way I don’t have the interference of having to wait between rounds. It is one unlimited round. And I will put everything together. And I can sit there for hours on end. Typically I will spend 1-2 hours a night learning one specific thing. Jump ins don’t come to frequently so I will do that training on a night when the GF has Vampire Diaries or some other gay shit to watch, and I will go 3 hours +.
Then on Saturday I wake up around 7, get her to work, get home and have some bacon and cereal. And go unlimited AI round training from around 9 until 5 when I have to go fetch her.
Playing this way means you will lose a lot. But you don’t need to win if you are focusing on something specific. And when you take it online you know exactly what to do.
I really only do this in the beginning of a new game or if a character I am picking up is so vastly different from the previous. The whole aim is to get online and start applying those freshly learned techniques where it counts. And then start working my way up to tourney viability.
If I can’t find games online I still play unlimited AI rounds. And focus on execution and my % of combos landed. Or even just walk around the AI and try keep away. But online is better than AI. And offline with a real human is better than online. But its better to play something than nothing at all.