How does one progress from scrub to intermediate?

So I finally got started on vf4 evo a few weeks ago, and I'm enjoying it a lot, but I keep wondering how to go about improving my game...

I guess I'm in a relatively unique situation in that most of my time playing the game is spent in versus mode... I play for about an hour at work on most days (I play shun and lau, against a pai/goh, a brad/vanessa and a lei). We're all relatively new, so we're getting better at the game pretty steadily, but I feel like we're gonna level off really quickly, because no one is good enough to show us what we can and can't get away with...

The only thing I know for a fact I can get a lot of use out of still is the training mode, but in addition to trying to perfect those drills, what should I be doing to improve my game? Is there any point in playing through arcade/quest modes? I'm not sure if it's just gonna teach me a lot of bad habits to get rid of later... I was also wondering if there would be any value in trying to find other people around here (SF bay area) who play, because if they're actually good then it'll probably be boring for them, and I don't even know how much I would pick up from it...

I've read most of the information in the system and character sections, and have read all the forum posts that I could find that seemed applicable, but I still feel like a total noob... Are there any other good sources (either Japanese or English) besides vfdc? I'm having the perfect guide sent over from Japan, so I hope that'll help me a little bit, but it seems like there would be more information around on the net... I try to get information out of the match videos I download, but I guess I need to get more familiar with the game (especially the characters I don't play/play against), because even though I enjoy watching the vids, I never really seem to get useful information out of them...

Sorry for the long rambling post, I just don't really know where to go from here... Thanks /versus/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

Hi there, maybe you could benefit from the first sticky thread on posted in:

"Character and Technique Training"

psst, it's a couple above your post! /versus/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Good luck /versus/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

SF VF

^Bump this thread and buckle your safety belts.

 

While doing the Training Mode exercises introduces you to the concepts, getting those same exercises as Quest Orders in Quest Mode will force you to create the opportunity to perform them during an actual match. So there is an element of practical experience that comes from playing through Quest Mode.

The first real step I took towards rising above scrubdom was to take a good long look at my frames chart and put together attack series that were "safe", or unhittable. If you know that your opponent's fastest move is a 12 frame P or low P, then look for moves that give you a large enough advantage that the subsequent move becomes a 12 or lower. For example, if you hit your opponent with P, you know that you have a 5 frame advantage. That means that your 14 frame Elbow can now be considered 14-5, or a 9 frame move as compared against your opponent's P. Therefore, your Elbow will beat not only their P, but ANY move they try to retaliate with, since P is their fastest move.

Make up a flowchart on a piece of paper that takes you on an attack path of moves that, when strung together, each move in the series can be considered as 12 frames or less if the previous move grants enough of an advantage on hit/guard.

 

Ok cool, I guess I'll start working through quest mode /versus/images/graemlins/smile.gif My moves and frame knowledge seems like it needs a lot of work too, so I guess I have my work cut out for me /versus/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

Quest mode is good, it teaches you to not suck. And right now, that needs to be your only goal.

Essentially, you can consider yourself good at the game when you know why you do everything you do.