in order to find the pattern you have to take risks, which are in essence, purely speculative guesses where you live or die based on them. Its like when you go for a frame trap, at best you’re pretty sure itll work but to “know” is impossible. This renders a frametrap as a guess. I dont have a problem with frame traps, but they do represent the concept well.
Your quote also demonstrates another issue I have. Many SF players seem to think the “real” game exists in the wakeup pressure mind games. Why should there be a separate game from neutral? Does that make sense? When you knock someone down you have demonstrated that you are the better neutral player, now when you knock them down, you also have to be the better guess-player.
I dont think thats right. Win the neutral game, this is where the real thinking is. The reward is high damage or oki where the odds are very in your favor. The thinking should REMAIN with the neutral because its far more psychological than the wakeup game which is a purely random lottery(until your guesses show a pattern that is). What you call “thinking” I call random lottery because concrete knowledge is not possible. What I call “thinking” is not even thought of most of the time when these discussions are brought up. Most people talk about the knock down game as if its the only thing, or as if it is somehow not related to neutral.
Just catching up on that major in China and two things:
Du is the best player on the planet. If there was any doubt in your mind you can stop that shit right now, you’re wrong.
I may have been wrong about Birdie being worse in season 2. The changes to slide hurt my feelings, but as a package he seems to be better in most regards.
Du is the best player, but is he the best Mika and Guile?
I’m not trying to discredit him, since being the best player means having the best adaptation, even if it goes as far as switching characters, I just think it’s a good discussion point.
Best Guile without a doubt. Although next season we will probably see a lot of new Guile players (including Daigo) so there will be more competition.
Best Mika it’s hard to tell as he tends to use Mika against specific players rather than for specific MUs. I don’t think he ever made a mirror against Fuudo which would be a way to tell who’s really the best Mika.