What happened to the character specific threads? I can’t find them anymore. Maybe I’m just retarded…
edit: never mind I found it
I just joined today, but actually I have lurked on these forums before, so I am kind of familar with the layout.
Also, I have played quite a bit of SF IV, so I know what I’m doing (most of the time lol). Still after 1000+ matches I don’t really “main” anyone. But I do perfer to use charge characters,
and the Gief.
I’m not really a beginner, but I feel as if I need to post here because I have no where else to go.
I have been playing SF4 since release, and I have done some accomplishments such as 91% of the trophies, have about 700 wins, and my rank in Championship mode is G2-D.
But I feel as if I have accomplished nothing.
I don’t have a “real main” because I try a character and I can’t get that character’s combos and strategies down 100%. I don’t know match-ups very well, my execution is horrible, and I have absolutely no sense of mind games whatsoever. It’s also embarrassing because my opponents would KO me in less than 15 sec. a round, and I can’t even lift a finger to try to do anything about it. Then, they send me hate mail telling me how much I suck. And the problem is, they’re right.
I’m even afraid to pick up my TE stick and play again because I know that I’m going to keep losing like it’s some kind of curse.
I tried practicing in Training mode, watched a lot of videos online, and looked at match-ups from top to bottom, and it still doesn’t help.
So, what do I do?
Watch MickeyD’s training videos.
My advice would be to pick a main and try to really learn that character. Pick someone with strengths that correlate with your play style. If you like to rush down, pick someone that is capable to do that.
Next, learn their normals inside and out. Know which normals are good for poking, which normals have quick startup, and which normals have an advantageous hitbox or a good number of active frames. Take note of your spacing between you and your opponent, and learn what range your character is most effective in.
Do the same with specials. Know which specials are safe to throw out, which are safe on block, so on and so forth.
Combos just take practice. Start with basic 3-4 hit combos, and practice until you can do those 100%. Then you can start building on that foundation and move onto harder, more complex combos. If you’re having a hard time, try to break a combo down into parts, practice those parts individually, and then put them together.
For example, lets say you wanna do this combo with Balrog:
j.hk, c.lp x2, c.lk xx Headbutt -> Ultra.
Break it down into parts kinda like this:
-
J.hk, c.lp x2, c.lk – This is to figure out the timing between the jump in and the crouching attack.
-
c.lp x2 c.lk xx Headbutt – practice this to figure out the link between the c.lp and c.lk.
-
Headbutt -> Ultra – Finally, practice this to figure out the timing for the Ultra input, and also whether to use 3P or 3K to juggle.
Basically that’s all it takes for combos, just practice and breakdown. Once you have them down and you can do them 100%, you can utilize them effectively in a matchup and recognize the right situations to use them in, instead of trying fumbling with the input.
Hello there. I just registered today but I have known about the site for a while.
I am not a very competitive SFIV player but I really enjoy the game and I use the Mad Catz TE Fightstick. I haven’t played a ton online, probably only over 100+ matches at the most even though I have had the game since it came out, but I do really enjoy the game.
I like the “trial mode” but I wish it would have an option to show the moves being done or some sort of help with the timing, because any time I try to do most of the Level 4 combos I have trouble telling when I am doing them correctly.
SFIV is the first fighting game I have bought for a console in a LONG LONG time, probably since Soul Calibur 2 or Super Smash Bros. 64, but I do have HD Remix and MvC2 as well.
I have never been to a tournament myself but I would love to at least attend EVO someday. Watching it this year made me want to go more than ever.
The only video of me playing I have is this video of me playing Richard Li and Tina Sanchez way back in March of this year. http://gamevideos.1up.com/video/id/24081
I tend to go back and forth between characters (mainly characters like Ryu, Sakura, Akuma) but I really love using Dan, despite his weak fireballs. I am really bad against charge characters though.
As far as new characters I like Gouken and Abel but I don’t feel as confident when I am playing as them.
I didn’t mean to make my post so freaking long but I just wanted to introduce myself.
-Adam
Hello,
I’m new here, but when I heard that SSFIV won’t have arcade release, I came on your forum to bring my voice because I really want an arcade version.
Anyway, I’m here to share my passion:SFIV
I play Akuma since the beginning on PSN, and soon on Xbox360.
I play with a Standard Editon Full sanwa
I read a lot of threads here, and I’ve learnt very interesting things, I think this forum is the more detaile as far as I know.
Sorry for my english and see you there^^
Does anyone know offhand if SFIV PC has LAN play (2 pcs, or LAN matchmaking), or is it strictly Windows Live?
I’m Sakura too.
But from Southern California.
You’ve Xbox LIVE?
Hello, i’m pretty new to SF4(less than two weeks in) and have no fighting game experience to mention so i’m not very good yet(i’m only G3-A and 1k in ranked). I am playing on PC.
I have a couple of questions.
1.) My favorite way to “poke” right now is c.mk->hadoken with Ryu(sometimes EX). When I move forward and do that, it results in forward->down->forward, often triggering shoryuken. I get punished for this all the time. I’ve literally lost(or lost enough health to contribute heavily) over a dozen games out of the 250 or so i’ve played due to this alone, and taken unecesarry damage from it in a lot of other games, and I don’t know what to do about it. To avoid it I need to stop before doing the c.mk->hadoken, drastically slowing it down to the point where I might as well not bother. Is this because i am using a KEYBOARD(since tapping down forward probably “stops by” downforward on the way)? Will getting an arcade stick remove this issue? If not, what can I do?
2.) Sometimes, regardless of a perfect green latency, the game is unplayable. It’s not “lag”, it’s more like the screen is ‘swimming’. Everything goes really really slow. Is this because of the opponents PC? Does it never happen on xbox?
Thanks in advance!
when you go forward before the cr.mk,hadu. let the pad or joystick go back to the center first quickly so that it doesnt register as a srk
I was just wondering which character has the easiest executions for combos that can be played at the competitive level?
Used the search, but remains curious
Hi, I play SF casually but I feel like putting up a better fight.
I get zoned pretty easily so…
Are there strategies to getting closer? My reaction to fireballs is usually a forward jump and attack. Against better players, they usually have a counter waiting, and its pretty punishing to get close.
I do try to adsorb the attack with a FA and dash in, but most of the time they’ve already recovered from the move while I’m still finishing my dash.
its then that I know my token’s probably gone by the end of the round. lol. Any tips?
I’m sort of new to trying to play SF competitively, so one question:
Is there any easy way to practice canceling? Like, for example, I main cammy, and I can easily throw out a Cannon spike or Super/Ultra in training mode. But when I try to pull one out in the middle of a match, or do something like cancel Spiral Arrow into a super or even HP -> Cannon Spike I end up not doing anything or the default attack for whichever button I pressed because I screwed the movement or finished too late.
Thank you all
I just wanted to thank everyone for this great post. Keep it up
Neutral jump more. Walk/dash forward between projectiles and neutral jump or focus absorb the actual projectiles. Don’t jump forward on reaction unless you know the character throwing the fireball has a really slow recovery. Who do you play as? Many characters have moves to get around projectiles.
I don’t know what to say except go into training mode with the input data on. Maybe you’re rushing your motions.
quick question, just got RROD, and im now thinking about getting a ps3. Would the mad catz stick for 360 work on the ps3? Their both USB, or have they made something with them so they only work for respective console? (except for the playstation and xbox button)
No it won’t work. There is a software layer between the stick and the xbox 360,
making a 360 stick useless on any other platforms (except PC, which automatically accepts X360 peripherals.)
ah to bad, kind of annoying that you wont be able to play with your stick on a ps3 and vice verca, sense people dont always have the same plattform (and you usually only have one stick)