5 Steps Introducing Virtua Fighter's game system

<span style='font-size: 14pt'>5 STEPS to Memorize: An Introduction to Virtua Fighter's Game System </span>

<span style='font-size: 14pt'>STEP 1 - Basic Rules Concerning Strikes, Throws, and Defense [/size]</span>



A. On Offense: the basic offense revolves around the use of throws and mid strikes as a two-choice offense (more commonly known as nitaku).
- Anticipating opponent will stand and guard, use throws as your offense.
- Anticipating opponent will crouch and guard, use mid strikes as your offense.
B. On Defense:
- Anticipating opponent to strike you, use standing guard and crouching guard as your defense.
- Anticipating opponent to throw you, crouch or use strikes as your defense.
- Move away from your opponent so that their technique entirely misses you -- a good opportunity to counterattack.
<span style='font-size: 14pt'>
STEP 2 - Advantage and Disadvantage[/size]
</span>A. In general, you are most likely at an advantage, if 1) your attack successfully hits opponent, 2) opponent attack is successfully defended, and 3) opponent attack entirely misses you.
- When you have the advantage, it is your chance to go on the offense.
B. In general, you are most likely at a disadvantage, if 1) opponent attack successfully hits you, 2) your attack is successfully defended by opponent, and 3) your attack entirely misses your opponent.
- When you are at a disadvantage, it is your turn to focus on defense.
<span style='font-size: 14pt'>
STEP 3 - Evading and Circular Strikes [/size]</span> (Evading is also known as Defensive Move)
A. Evade – On the defense, aim to evade opponents’ linear strikes. Successfully evading opponent’s strikes give you an opportunity to counterattack. Use evade to quickly go on the offense.
B. Circular Strikes – On the offense, anticipating opponent will evade, use throws or circular strikes. Full circular strikes will successfully hit an evading opponent, where as linear strikes will be easily avoided.
<span style='font-size: 14pt'>
STEP 4 - Consistently Inflict Damage to Opponent[/size]</span>
A. Use 1) combos for guaranteed damage, 2) hit confirmation (also known as hit checking) for counter hits (look for the yellow light when your hit strikes your opponent), and 3) decisive counterattacks (also known as guaranteed hits) to reliably damage your opponent.
B. Recognize the type of advantage situation you have:
- small advantage /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f_.gif use common 2-choice offense
- medium advantage /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f_.gif use counter 2-choice offense (not to be mistaken with reverse nitaku term)
- large advantage /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f_.gif use decisive counterattacks for guaranteed damage

Opponent big technique is defended = you have large advantage /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f_.gif opportunity for guaranteed damage
<span style='font-size: 14pt'>
STEP 5 - Basic Flow of Competition[/size]</span>
A. Relatively Even Situations, act first!
1. Use Standing Punch and Low Punch
- opponent blocks attack /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f_.gif relatively even***
- successfully hit opponent /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f_.gif you have advantage, use your two-choice offense.
- successfully counter hit opponent /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f_.gif you have advantage, use your counter two-choice offense.
- opponent strike hits you instead /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f_.gif you are at a disadvantage, focus on defense.
2. Anticipating opponent to guard or evade
- expecting opponent to guard, use two-choice offense.
- expecting opponent to evade, use full circular strikes.
3. Use low strikes to effectively disrupt opponent.
- successfully hit opponent /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f_.gif relatively even***
- failed to hit opponent /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f_.gif you are at a disadvantage, focus on defense.
B. Offensive Direction in Advantageous Situations
- Use decisive counterattacks in guaranteed damage situations.
- Use two-choice offense in non-guaranteed damage situations.
- Use full circular attacks to discourage opponent from evading.
C. Defensive Direction in Disadvantageous Situations
- Against opponent’s two-choice offense - mid strike /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f_.gif standing guard or evade as your defense
- Against opponent’s two-choice offense – throw /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f_.gif crouching guard or strikes as your defense

*** = Exceptions or oversimplification by the 5 steps. While it is listed as "relatively even," you will find out that your low punch on guard will put you at a small disadvantage while high punch on guard will put at a very small advantage. In addition, your low strikes successfully hitting your opponent, generally will put you at an disadvantage.

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The 5 steps or rules listed above are basic guidelines in how to approach the Virtua Fighter 5 game system. It summarizes the information from the pocket guides “Virtua Fighter Instructions†Volume 1 and 2, freely available on virtuafighter.jp website. An adapted and translated version of these beginner guides is being worked on.

Do you have to follow these guidelines to be successful? Nope, but I do think it simplifies the game, that at times can be overwhelming.

These rules are meant to give a player a solid foundation on how to play Virtua Fighter. Having a good understanding and application of the fundamental aspects of Virtua Fighter, one can then effectively use and counter advanced techniques and tactics.

For advanced techniques, tactics, and “exceptions to the rules†go to the strategy forums for information and discussion.

For more organized information, look at the comprehensive command move lists and VFDC wiki pages (upper left corner of the website) that members of the VFDC community took time to translate and organize.

Finally, how much time you are willing to put into this game, physically and mentally, will be a major factor on your success in this game.

Welcome to Virtua Fighter!

 

Great stuff, akai. At some point it would be good to accompany this with some diagrams.

What we sorely need is this kind of beginner-oriented material for first timers to VF.

Stickied!

 

Re: 5 Steps Introducing Virtua Fighter's game syst

Diagrams are on the work....slowly....

 

Re: 5 Steps Introducing Virtua Fighter's game syst

Robyrt - thanks for letting me know. I just played my friend's 360 version and saw the diagrams in the user manual. I only have the PS3 version, and that manual does not have it.

Those beginner diagrams are actually step 1 and step 2 diagrams.

 

Re: 5 Steps Introducing Virtua Fighter's game syst

I'm not sure if I understand your post...but the first step is described in the first post of this topic.

 

Re: 5 Steps Introducing Virtua Fighter's game syst

You have to input the evade/DM as opponent's attack is being executed and before the attack actually hits, ie. active frames. Inputting the evade command before opponent input their command will result in a "failed evade."

Here is a link for more detailed information on DM and application.

Wiki System on Defensive Move

 

Re: 5 Steps Introducing Virtua Fighter's game syst

Chanchai, I think beginner and intermediate-level players will find your post helpful on evade/DM application.

The 5 steps still need to be fleshed out a bit, but they were meant to be guidelines on VF fundamentals as a foundation for all level of play, beginner-advanced.

What I was hoping to do with this topic, is to lay the foundation of VF (the 5 steps) and then have a FAQ section. The FAQ section could go into detail stuff that people have inquired in this topic or others--for example, How come I failed to evade opponent's attack?

 

Re: 5 Steps Introducing Virtua Fighter's game syst

RedSonRising -

If you are unsure of some terms, here is a pretty nice list of terms used to describe VF.

VF Glossary