How long did it take you to get really good?

I've been into VF for years and years, and now that I have evo, I can tell that I'm no good. I mean, I can hold my own, and know a great deal many moves, but not for everyone. Also, I know I need to know everyone in order to be any kind of good. How long did it take some of you really good players to get really good? I mean, I still don't know anything about blocking properly. What I mean by that is, I can't tell what a move is going to be until I get blasted by it, so it's all about luck if I block it properly or not. Also, fuzzy guarding, throw escapes, and the like, still elude me. I know about throw escaping, but can't do them fast enough most the times.

Anyhow, how long did it take you great players to become so? I've been playing as Akira for the first time, pretty much ever in Evo. I can't get higher than a second dan right now.

How long will it take me to get any kind of good? Months? Years? What should I work on next?

Thanks, and I know it's a total noob question. Sorry. /versus/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Spike

 

Nah, that's a legitimate question. I've had VF4 since a while after it came out,, started playing it again a few months ago, got pretty good; bought Evo maybe a month ago or a little more and played every day. I'm now a 10th Dan and getting my butt kicked by cheap AIs who simply throw me over and over again 'cause I currently stink at throw escapes.

So, I'm not really good- I'm passable, with many glaring flaws. But currently, I plan to concentrate on improving throw escapes- it'd take a lotta edge out of those bastards Wolf and Jeffry.

 

really good's hard to define.

I've been playing ~7 years and I don't think of myself as really good yet. Sometimes I'll say good. I think of the famous japanese and korean players as really good.

I'm willing to bet some of them haven't been playing since VF2.
Some maybe even just since VF4?

 

Me, I just simply Suck since VF1! /versus/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

For me, I'm really good at 2d fighters, but this one... I just don't seem to be improving. When I play a computer that's very very high Dan or higher, I get destroyed. I mean, how can anyone move that fast? I don't think I'll ever be able to do throw cancels, either.

I'm becoming overwhelmed by just how much faster you must react to EVERYTHING in this compared to your average KOF or Street Fighter. Just way too fast for me, I'm thinking. /versus/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Spike

 

You just basically explained it right there in your statement of being overwhelmed by how much VF requires of you in comparison to other Fighters. I can relate since I'm a veteran of SF since the first.

But look at this way when the very first SF came out people couldn't even do the fireball or Dragonpunch consistently in the begininng but now it just seems routine. VF requires main stream gamers to take it step by step and it will become second natural to them just like all the other fighters in time. The general reason people gave up the game or don't even try it is because the learning curve is too steep and level of play is very high.

More exposure time to the game and you're just love it. Frustration is very common in this game and I should know, hehehe.

Best of luck /versus/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

Well I've only been playing since the day VF4 hit PS2 last year. Before then I was a DOA, SF2(huge fan) and Tekken man. Would I say I'm really good? No as I still don't have 100% consistancy on all my characters moves (atm mainly Akira and Goh) and know when exactly to use them in specififc circumstances etc but it will come eventually.
For the first 6 months of VF I didn't even bother attempting to TE or know of all the various forms of it like Evading TEs Guarding TEs etc. It was only until I came to this site a while back and actually made the effort to improve my game that I got better. The resources available at this site are huge. Ultimately to be better at VF requires you to play lots and practice lots but reading discussions or articles etc here also help to your development as does watching clips of "good" players (I mean those who are well known to be good such as the korean/japanese players who are "famous" about the forum).
I'd say its taken about 10 months on and off (well 8 months straight really) in order to play Akira to a standard I'm happy with. I'm not amazing or flashy and never try to be but I try to insist that I do the basics well and overall, I enjoy how I play generally even if I'm not good compared to others.

 

well i think ive been very good from vf3, didnt like the e button but then it finaly clicked an saw that it was the best fighting game, dont think you should play with akira, lau would be a good choice, i used him in vf1 a lot, and i think hes alwasy been a great player since, 1st time i played vf4 back in dec2001 i thought it was to easy(with lau) but your right, the key is to be good with every one (or at least most) then you know what they're strengths an weakness's are, then you can be really good also playing against some good who plays with people you dont use is good i think a lot o people hav only played vf4/evo an the computer has taught them and they are so predictable! also as ive been playing it a lot in the arcades back when kinda gives u an advantage!

 

I can perform any move/combo in the game, it took a year and few months. But if good defence is better than good offense, Im not really good yet.

 

the fact there is throw escapes means that an ai that throws you is not being cheap /versus/images/graemlins/confused.gif so whats you
think psyckogod /versus/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

I think any AI that beats me is automatically cheap, and a cheater, and of questionable parentage, and ugly. I'm objective like that. /versus/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

my friend its quiet simple an AI is quiet simply not human /versus/images/graemlins/wink.gifand not very random with time and patience you will see patern as far as throw escaping its habit start of with single throw escape move up 2 double etc. EG when u dp with akira automaticly in put throw escape comand make it habit /versus/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

I completely suck, yet I can demolish any one of my friends in just about any fighting game (DOA is way too easy, SF rules, and Tekken was cool until 4 came along). One of them has a competitive GGX2 or whatever player for a roommate (UCLA, I think he's like no. 20 or something...) and "trains" with him and I still beat him, just by playing him a little while (say ten minutes). The key to becoming "good", that is, murderlizing your friends, is to notice their patterns, no matter how esoteric or confusing their character play is, there is always a pattern. And yes, there is no such thing as being "good". However, CreeD's quickstart guides helped me a lot with Goh (the antithesis of almost all characters I've ever chosen in any game - I'm an Xianghua, Kilik, Fei long, Ryu (SF3) and Pai / Akira kinda guy). Really good players are just that, they recognize patterns ( in this case typical responses to attacks, feints, etc. at high level play) and respond accordingly... whether it works or not... that's the fun of mind games in any competitive activity (SC2 and VF4Evo are my current faves for this on the VG side of things - sparring (semi-full contact) and just about any sport on the other). Damn... I use loads of parentheses.
Kill me! End my stupid ranting... no wait, kill yourself, then you won't have to hear it.

 

As Creed said, the term "good" is tough to define.

I'm good compared to some, and no doubt poor compared to others. I've been playing since VF4, but only really seriously since Evo.
Simply put, if you try to play VF the same way you play Tekken, SC or even SF you will lose time and again.
VF requires a total rethink on everything you know about fighting games, which is why I think many give up on the game before really giving it a chance.

I don't think it matters how long it takes for you to reach a certain prowess in your play, just as long as you make a concious effort to better your game consistently.
In VF, sometimes that progress takes place in tiny increments, and it may look like you're not progressing, but you will.

As for Akira - well he's always been my fave character but he'a one of the hardest characters to use well, imo.

When I got VF4, I spent quite a bit of time trying to use him, and most of the time I got frustrated and cursed AM2 mant times for making some of his moves seemingly impossible to perform. I looked at the SPoD, the Knee, the DLC, the modified moves and just shook my head.
I thought I'd NEVER get decent with him.

I took an extended break from VF, and my interest was renewed with EVO.
With lots of pracrtice, and a total attitude adjustment to the game, I've improved immensly with Akira and other chars as well.
I still battle with one or two moves, but for the most part I'm happy with my progress.
All it takes is dedication and iron-willed persistence, but you'll get there.

 

most of the VF I hated back them because of their akward moves and controls, as I was used to the 2D system, but when i got my VF4, I really loved it to death,I found out that, VF is a completly different experience than anyother fighter ive ever played with, so since then, i'm good, I can wup a lot of ass, and have beat quest mode completly*except for all the fighters* for kage and akira, so, it took me,eerrrr, about 6 months to get good as hell to the point where i can wupe the living **** outta my friends. just practice, and play, that's all i can say.