Ultra Street Fighter IV

[joffocakes]

With Focus attacks it can be useful to do a few in training to practice dashing out of them. You can input the dash really, really early after the attack connects. I thin when I started I was watching to see the attack hit and dashing, but as soon as you release the MP+MK buttons you can input the dash. Your character will attack and then dash for you at the earliest opportunity (once you've input the dash, even before you see it happen, you can begin entering the motion for a special move/ultra as well, which is useful as it will stop you jumping and gives you plenty of time for grappler nonsense etc).

[mayor_mike_haggar]

What are you playing on? Not being able to dash sounds a bit of a nightmare.

Also when you're playing rose v hawk basically make sure he stays the HELL away! Roses's mk is an excellent button against hawk, because it has good reach and she's considered airborne during the move (because she kind of floats on her scarf), so this means she can't be thrown and that all low attacks will go under her. towards plus hk is a good move as well because it can catch hawk if he tries to jump, and it has really good reach and keeps him away. Soul spirals vs hawk are a bad idea, because if he blocks them then you eat an SPD. Better to do soul sparks up close. Also rose's crouching hp is a really good move, excellent at knocking people out of the air.

Basically you want to stay around half to full screen away from him, poking him with kicks and pestering him with fireballs and generally keeping him at arms length. Using rose's backdash to help escape/maneuver yourself away from him is pretty useful too.

[Wintermute]

I'm on a TE! It's mainly the backdash giving me jip. It's awkward to pull on the stick and my thumb doesn't seem to want to do what I tell it most of the time, I have to concentrate to pull it off as it's not coming naturally yet. No problem the other way. I've read about rose's marvellous mk, there's a vid somewhere of it beating all manner of grabs and ultras. I just, er, forgot. I tend to forget about the other one you mention too (soul piede?), I reckon my brain is full.

Top tips anyway, thanks fellas. Didn't know about the early dash science. I'd do some messing about with FAs later except it's some kind of corporate promotion day involving hearts and lots of pink so I'll probably have to go somewhere public and drink a lot. Or be single, one of the two. Lover (not a) Fighter.

[Lyrical Donut]

Geegs for last night, and for all the games I had over the weekend.

Highlights include:

Pure focus attack only rounds against Joffo. It's up there with one button fights. It's pretty good.

Jellum's "I like Gief" lobby. That Sim. Argh.

Reducing Hegg to salty tears with Seth. You had it coming, man. I'm still a little bit sorry though.

Also, that Bipson gif is tremendous. Thank you very, very much haggar.

[joffocakes]

Pure focus attack only rounds against Joffo. It's up there with one button fights. It's pretty good.

Haha, yes, I loved that. There should be a points based "party lobby!!" mode (with two exclaimation marks) where the game will spin a reel and randomly call out conditions to meet, or even enforce light attacks only etc. And have it change at random points throughout.

I guess a bit like the Wario Ware stage in Smash Bros, but scored.

I hope the next Smash Bros game has Rufus in it.

[Lyrical Donut]

Look at the lovely thing that Poongko does to Infiltration @ 1:45

[Judgement]

Oh my lord. That is absolutely amazing. I want that on a tshirt. Can you put animated gifs on a tshirt?

I wish.

He could have "For me it was only Tuesday" Underneith.

[JLM]

Agh, that Sim indeed. It was encouraging to go from gettin almost double perfected to taking him to three very close rounds as the set went on though. Also that one round I slapped him with standing MP until he was dizzy felt good. It's obviously frustrating for Gief, but as I've said before I do enjoy the SIm match with every character just because there's a lot of strategy and careful spacing/mix ups involved. Any time I made him pick the wrong anti-air option and SPD his whiffed move on landing made the frustration worth while. Also on Ultradavid's show on UltraChenTV this week he spent forty minutes watching a match between Zangitan and a Sim player and picking it apart in excruciating detail, which was quite enlightening.

Playing footsies against SF Chris Strife's Dudley in the same lobby was fun as well. When Super first game out it seemed llike a terrible match for Dudley, but his one great poke, high health and high damage makes it quite even now that Dudleys know how to play it.

Wednesday night Fights; pretty much what Nate said. The Marvel weeks are going to be infinitely more fun than the AE weeks because their AE scene is still in the same rut. Honestly though, the thing that annoys me about Seth more than that deeply tedious SPD/DP 50/50 is the Jump roundhouse/Dive kick 50/50. A brainless (but also risky if you want to play a true "gamble Seth") mix up after a knockdown is a bit more acceptable to me than having a brainless free jump in. I 100% agree with Floe's grumblings about the dominance of non-Streetfighter characters, and I don't like to agree with Floe's grumblings about things. His I wanna be the guy stream everyone's been going on about has been genuinely hilarious at times though.

Also on Floe's stream, he had a four hour session a couple of weeks ago where he played Mike Ross at a selection of different fighting games including 3S and Guilty Gear XX Reload. They finished with a Yang vs Honda first to 10 that was absolutely tremendous. Starts at 2:20:10: http://www.twitch.tv...loe/b/302075671

Also agreed with Yasawas about winnerstayson. Jester Power vs Problem X was one of the best WSO matches I've ever seen, He totally threw it away with a needless jump in in the last round. Also loved the hype for Quaker's match and the savage mockery of Logan Sama for choking against top players for the millionth time. Definitely one of the most frustrating players to watch because he's good enough to be finishing at least top 8 every week but finds a way to sabotage himself almost every time.

Also also, TheShend got a shout out from ultradavid for being the number one guy for 3S content, but we all knew that anyway.

[Lyrical Donut]

Also loved the hype for Quaker's match

Yes! That was hilarious.

Also: Mandem Engine freestyle raps whenever Problem X is on stream.

[Yasawas]

Dat rappin' I'm a big fan of WGE's streams, looking forward to catching some World Game Cup this weekend. It's a pleasing novelty to be able to see the finals of a tourney live.

That Poongko match was insane, it was like one of those Korean videos they were pimping Super with before release if anyone remembers those. Tanden, Raging Demon, then choking an air fireball input to let him back in to win. He's good at this game.

[Nate Dogg III]

Gootecks, Mike Ross and Maximilian playing SFXT now:

[imp]

Excellent news. I was thinking of using Ken until I unlocked Akuma/bought Cody since I've been using him a lot lately. And I was going to try out Lili from the Tekken side, since she looked pretty cool when she debuted. Apparently both Ken and Lili are broken! Yesssss. Might just stick with Ken unless Akuma is more broken! (Psst. Those Ken/Kazuya combos Max was busting out at the end there looked ace!)

[mayor_mike_haggar]

I thought people were saying ryu was the better shoto due to being able to fireball cancel?

Also I want heihachi to be amazing, but he looks a bit off in this. Like a slightly melmed comedy heihachi, instead of the wild old man we all know he is. Also why the HELL isn't he in his nappy costume from tekken 4?

[imp]

Ryu might be better, but Ken can link or mash into another chain after an EX Tatsu, or use the oodles of time from the move to tag in another character who will have enough time to have a cup of tea before continuing the combo at their leisure.

[joeplus]

GGs to Imp. Beat me soundly but was a real person doing it. Loads of fun.

[imp]

Do you have a mic joeplus? It would be easier to help you out that way! I tried to show you how a few of the characters you were picking can be played. I see you've gotten the hang of the basics with most of them, but you're definitely playing much too defensive - this game can be very much about baiting out mistakes and punishing them, rather than just waiting for the opponent to slip up and then punish.

[joffocakes]

Imp's only saying that because he never slips up.

[joeplus]

Do you have a mic joeplus? It would be easier to help you out that way! I tried to show you how a few of the characters you were picking can be played. I see you've gotten the hang of the basics with most of them, but you're definitely playing much too defensive - this game can be very much about baiting out mistakes and punishing them, rather than just waiting for the opponent to slip up and then punish.

Yeah, I noticed you were showing me how to use characters, that was good of you. I can't use a mic in late night lobbies because I'd likely swear and wake up my housemates

Good advice too - I do find that when I get proper bodied online it's because I'm just walking backwards and they rush me down. I did remember to focus absorb a few fireballs though, an easy thing that I hadn't been doing because I always panic. Still working on little things like that and remembering my easy anti-airs, and it really helps to practice when it's less determined and merciless than ranked, so thanks again.

Achievements of the evening were landing the Cody combo I'd been practicing (c.LP c.LP c.LK > MK ruffian) and s. HK > Demon setup with Akuma - that seems like it could catch a few less careful opponents and it's dead easy to do.

[MacMantis]

As a follow up to my post about MadCatz BOGOF on the WWE Brawlsticks, I had a parcel arrive today containing... One Brawl Stick. The packing slip says 2, every order point says that I'd be recieving two. So off goes an e-mail to MadCatz to find out where the second one is. I have this horrible sinking feeling that follows along the lines of 'Oh we only had one left so we shipped it', in which case they can have it back and i'll take my money back.

I'm not sure I consider it worth the full asking price but at £35 a piece it definitely was with the mod potential it held (I'd already started sketching up a few plans for a custom 2 player tabletop mounting solution). So now it will sit under my desk until I find out the fate of the second stick. If they can't provide it the first will go back and I guess I'll stick with the fight pads. Either way I think I'm going to make my way into a lobby one of these nights to get my arse handed to me on a plate. Or to be told I'm a cheap player. They are both distinct possibilities.

As a general query, my main 'decent' characters have always been Ryu & Ken in their various guises over the years. Looking at the roster of SS4AE what characters should I focus on to give me a 'well rounded' selection of characters/styles to play as. This may well be an impossible question to answer, in which case I apologize in advance.

[Camel]

Give Oni a go. I'm terrible at shotos, but he is immense fun even in my cacky hands.

Although of course, Dhalsim is the best character.

[joffocakes]

You could maybe pick up a grappler, probably gief. That would make your aim in a match pretty different from your standard Ryu/Ken fireballin' stuff. For a pretty different playstyle inbetween I'd really recommend Makoto. Her walk speed will be frustrating as hell, but her fast dashes and amazing light punch fukiage (up-punch thing) are pretty great. Plus she has a command grab, and setting yourself up for those, and conditioning an opponent so they get caught by them, can be a pretty big part of learning their patterns and punishing well.

Seth is fun as hell to play as well; he has similar basic moves to the shotos, a command grab to mess around with and loads of really fun combos too.

Also, objectively speaking, Rufus is the best and most fun character in the game.

[Mike1812]

Do all the SSF4 costume packs work on the AE edition?

[joffocakes]

Yeah, they do indeed. The costume pack from the original Street fighter 4 works too.

[Camel]

STOP BUYING COSTUME PACKS

*cries*

[MacMantis]

Give Oni a go. I'm terrible at shotos, but he is immense fun even in my cacky hands.

Although of course, Dhalsim is the best character.

The other night I played through Arcade as Oni and found him to be quite a fun character, even if I didn't quite get the immediate hang of some of his moves. Dhalsim and I have a long love/hate relationship going all the way back to the SF2 on the Snes. He was one of my favourite characters to play as, but I was absolutely terrible as him. I'll pick him up and have a go.

You could maybe pick up a grappler, probably gief. That would make your aim in a match pretty different from your standard Ryu/Ken fireballin' stuff. For a pretty different playstyle inbetween I'd really recommend Makoto. Her walk speed will be frustrating as hell, but her fast dashes and amazing light punch fukiage (up-punch thing) are pretty great. Plus she has a command grab, and setting yourself up for those, and conditioning an opponent so they get caught by them, can be a pretty big part of learning their patterns and punishing well.

Seth is fun as hell to play as well; he has similar basic moves to the shotos, a command grab to mess around with and loads of really fun combos too.

Also, objectively speaking, Rufus is the best and most fun character in the game.

Thanks, I definitely want to add a few characters to my pick-pool that aren't projectile based, even though I've found I'm relying less and less on the Ryu/Ken's projectiles as an actual offensive move and more to force opponents into a block/duck/jump to let me try and gain some ground/etc. I don't know if this is a good tactic or not but against the CPU it's served me pretty well. I don't think I've picked up Makato much, but I know that fighting against her has been a sometimes frustrating experience so perhaps it'd be good to take a 'can't beat 'em, join 'em' approach.

I identify with Rufus. I'm fat and have a ponytail as well.

I'm going to start watching some of the Youtube videos linked to throughout this thread. I'll either be enthused into imitation and practice, or humbled into a corner. Again, it could go either way.

[joeplus]

Either way I think I'm going to make my way into a lobby one of these nights to get my arse handed to me on a plate. Or to be told I'm a cheap player. They are both distinct possibilities.

As a general query, my main 'decent' characters have always been Ryu & Ken in their various guises over the years. Looking at the roster of SS4AE what characters should I focus on to give me a 'well rounded' selection of characters/styles to play as. This may well be an impossible question to answer, in which case I apologize in advance.

You won't get told you're cheap in rllmuk lobbies, even if you are They're friendly like your Rock Band nights.

I'm much the same in that I've always gone straight to Ryu/Ken/Akuma in SF games. My picks for branching out in this one have been Cody and Chun Li, they've both got some really satisfying moves that aren't too taxing to pull off. Have a play around in training, and bear in mind a few of the characters seem to be designed for cyborg-handed execution freaks (I'm looking at you C. Viper).

[Mike1812]

STOP BUYING COSTUME PACKS

*cries*

I actually meant the free catalogues to see opponents using them.

[joffocakes]

Yeah, using projectiles to force opponents to be where you want them or cause them to make mistakes is pretty much their main purpose. Picking a character who doesn't have them can change your approach to the game entirely. I like Rufus a lot because his entire game revolves around being in your opponent's face constantly.

I guess the other main option would be charge characters. Guile is pretty much undisputably the best of the charge mans. Dee Jay has a better smile though.

[mayor_mike_haggar]

Yessum, they do.

Also the objectively most fun characters in the game are Guile, Honda and Dhalsim.

[MacMantis]

You won't get told you're cheap in rllmuk lobbies, even if you are They're friendly like your Rock Band nights.

I'm much the same in that I've always gone straight to Ryu/Ken/Akuma in SF games. My picks for branching out in this one have been Cody and Chun Li, they've both got some really satisfying moves that aren't too taxing to pull off. Have a play around in training, and bear in mind a few of the characters seem to be designed for cyborg-handed execution freaks (I'm looking at you C. Viper).

I'll hold you to that first part if we ever face off...

Speaking of RCL... If I get the arcade sticks in time (or as it appears at the moment, at all), and we get the RCL stuff set up early enough on the 25th I was thinking of sticking SS4:AE up between 5 and 6pm for an hour long blast. Could be fun on the rear projected screen.

The concept of running fighting game tournaments at The George is something I've been thinking of as an expansion off of RCL (we always intended Rock Band to be just the first of a number of strings in our bows) and if the interest was there (ie, we knew we'd bring in enough people to do tiered style tournament) I think they'd happily support it as most the staff there are gamers in one way or the other.

EDIT: It occurred to me that people in the SS4 thread may have no idea what I'm going on about referring to RCL and The George. In which case, check out the link in my Signature or the Rock Band thread elsewhere on the forum.