So, I’ve been playing USF4 on and off since it came out, and I just recently decided that I want to get better. The main problem with this is I have no idea how. When I go online, what usually happens is my opponent gets me in the corner and forces me to defend, then wrecks me because I don’t know how to get out of it. I understand that I need to improve my fundamentals, but after searching the internet, I couldn’t find anything that said “These are what your fundamentals are and here is how you improve them.” Again, I want to get better, and am willing to put in the time and effort, I just don’t know where to put said time and effort.
how are they putting you into a corner?are you watching your replays and seeing whats going on?are you using training mode to work on those scenarios that keep sending you to the corner?are you studying all your characters options in the character specific forums
pretty much you should get to know all the stuff in there if you dont.
and this has probably been posted a gazillion times
also this is more of something u can look at in your free time if you want but the concept of playing to win
http://www.sirlin.net/ptw
I think “fundamentals” is kinda a nebulous term. maybe it’s more useful to have a goal or gameplan and then execute it. for instance - you’re aware of how being stuck in the corner puts you at a disadvantage, so maybe your gameplan is “I will walk him back into his corner and won’t give up space to let him walk me back.”
keep experimenting with ways you can do that. see how much you can walk forward before walking into a poke, see if next time you can walk forward and then stop and bait that poke then whiff punish it, etc. just like building a series of steps in you mind, and being aware of how these situations can branch off and how you should react to the possible responses. but it all starts with having a goal or a general overarching gameplan and trying to execute it however you can. every time you die or get fucked up for doing something wrong, it’s like a new notecard in your mind, a situation you can remember to work on and not lose like that next time.
Fundamentals is basically synonymous with “basics” in many ways.
If you as a beginner need to learn the fundamentals, concentrate on the basics first.
Basics include but are not limited to:
Blocking well (high and low)
Good execution for basic things (cr.mk xx special) dashing etc.
Being able to AA the opponent well, which includes being able to space your AA well and knowing the different spacings for your AA and how and when to switch up your AAs depending on matchup and spacing.
Your reactions to certain things.
And then you get deeper into “the basics” once you learn most of those, and start to incorporate more optimized punishes, deeper matchup based info, more specific spacing considerations, better use of your focus and reaction abilities, better ability to read the opponents game plan and being able to adapt.
Everyone is different, and MANY intermediate players don’t have certain basics down. One guy might have great AA abilities and reactions, but have terrible offense. The next guy might be the exact opposite. One guy may have have masterful reads and terrible reactions, another might have sick reactions and terrible reading ability.
Also, what is basic for an expert might be advanced for an intermediate, etc etc.
So there are fundamentals that experts may have/have developed or learned through hard work that intermediates do not.
At the end of the day, try to think what YOU think the basics are, and learn those things well. Even if you are wrong, and you probably will be in most aspects since you are beginning. It will still be a very valuable exercise for you because you will be starting to do your own theory fighting which will build your learning and adaptive muscles.
So in a nutshell the road to becoming better for a beginner is:
Learning how to block well.
Learning how to AA well.
Learning the simple executional things like canceling normals into fireballs.
Learning what comprises a mixup and why a mixup works and why mixups are important.
Learning that the dynamic distance between you and your opponent tends to dictate what your best option is at any given time, what your opponents best options are, what your counter options are for their best options, and the myriad of mindgames that can be played because of these options (this is incredibly deep and constitutes the meat of most fighting games, it can’t really be mastered per se, but it can always be improved. Your job as a beginner is to understand that this even exists, as an intermediate is where you are most likely to start to really incorporate though)
Learning how to go offensive from neutral in a safe way.
Learning what matchups for your character should be played offensive versus defensive, learning what spacings to try and stay at in whatever matchup.
All of these things are basic, but some are easier said than done. Some are only basic in that the very first inkling/mindgame application/knowledge that this is possible, is basic. As an example, short short super is NOT basic in 3s, yet the knowledge that this is even possible is in itself basic. So knowledge can be basic whereas the execution of said knowledge is not.
This skill threshold is what tends to separate bad players from good ones, and good players from great ones, and great players from legendary ones.
Most everything about fighting games is already known. But no one player has a command over all the basics. There are always things that one player does better than another and vice versa. Like a boxer with fast reactions and speed versus a boxer with chess like strategy and punching power, versus a boxer with a jaw the strength of a rock… Etc etc etc.
Thanks, that’s exactly what I was looking for! 