How to read combo inputs?

For example, what does the 33 in "33PK" mean? Is there a concise glossary of terms here somewhere?

 

Think of the number pad on a keyboard.


789
456
123

U/b u u/f
B neutral f
D/b down d/f

 

Good question. Instead of directing you to a place wich covers everything, I'll give you a selected part of how to read command inputs. Basically because I, on the top of my head, don't remember where all of this is data is supposed to be gatherered. At any rate, this should get you started and hold you for a while. Once you get the basic concept you're going to be able to figure the rest out yourself.

Joystick:
Think of the numbers as the layout for the joystick, where "5" is the joystick resting at a neutral position, "8" being straight ut, "6" being forward, "3" being down-forward and so on. Black arrows* mean that you hold that direction, instead of tapping. Like for a 14 frame mid for most characters you just tap 6 () and press P (Punch), however if a move is indicated with a black arrow like you need to hold down that direction and then press P while holding it down.

789
456
123

*Black arrows are sometimes indicated as "n_" (like 6_), because the underscore is added in the shortcut for the emoticons of black arrows. Like this: "[n_]"

Buttons
Some of these should be fairly obvious.

P - Punch button
K - Kick button
G - Guard button
P+K, P+K+G etc; the "+" indicates the given buttons in a sequence shall be pressed simultaneously.

Hits/Combos
nf (like 14f) - where n is any number, quantifies the amount of frames of something.
NH - Normal hit (usually don't need to be pointed out)
CH - Counter hit
WH - Wall hit
B/B!/Bound - Move that rebounces an opponent during a combo
WC - Wall Combo
- Just a picture of a ninja (lol)


Some people add an "!" after "CH" and "WH" for some reason (CH!/WH!), personally I find this redundant and never understood what kind of information this adds. Maybe I'm missing something, or it's just a bad habit of some.

 

Wow, that's exactly the sort of info I was looking for! Thanks so much for the great post. This would be great for players new to the game.

 

For clarification, when something is said to be 14f, we're talking about execution frames, meaning the move has 13 frames of start-up and has its first active frame 14 frames after input is read. Almost all moves have multiple active frames, though there are always exceptions in Virtua Fighter.

You probably already knew all of this, but..just in case, I guess.

Also, surprised no one pointed out the resources tab up top there, if you wanted to do some independent research.

Nice signature btw.

 

Almost all moves have multiple active frames, though there are always exceptions in Virtua Fighter. You probably already knew all of this, but..just in case, I guess.
Also, surprised no one pointed out the resources tab up top there, if you wanted to do some independent research.

Nice signature btw.[/quote]

Thanks R_Panda, I've been playing on PSN for a while now but still new to VFDC, I should've checked around the site more before asking.

I have no idea what frames mean and how they matter so it looks like I still have a lot of research on my hands!

 

It's how we measure time in fighting games. Almost all games nowadays run at 60 frames per second, so we can measure how fast a lightning quick jab is in 1/60ths of a second. It's most important in VF simply to know how much minute advantage you do or do not have, in frames. Um, minute as in small.

oh god i made a pun on accident

 

Frames...for example a first person shooter might be 60fps, 60 frames per second. It's basically just a measure of time, or time divided into a measure of what can happen in that given amount of time would be more accurate.

However all you really need to know about frames is frames vs frames (not frames as time or vs time or lalalalalala).

Assuming everything else is equal: It's significance in vf is that if you do a 14f move at the same time your opponent does a 13f move, their move is quicker and it wins. If you both do a 13f move at the same time, in case of a tie the stronger move "crushes" the other and lands as a counter hit while the opponents move lands not at all.

Of course other things coming to effect like a low ducking a high, or some high jumping lows...these things can allow you to ignore frames.

Most importantly, being hit or hitting your opponent gives you frame advantage or disadvantage. For example if you have a normal jab (p) blocked it puts you at +2 frames. Meaning that now if you do a 14f move and he does a 13f move you have a 2 frame bonus and you win. (it says plus 2, but you actually subtract it from your frame because it's an advantage). Jab is a special case, very few moves leave you plus frames on block.

Most moves leave you plus frames on hit, or plus large frames on CH. For example lets say a mid counter hit gives you a +7 frame advantage. One of the best mids on the game is your hypothetical opponent Akira's elbow a 13f mid. Now any move you do that is 20f will act as a 13f move. This means any 19f move will behave as a 12f move and be quick enough to beat his 13f elbow. Note: most 20f moves that would tie his elbow now in frames should be sufficiently strong enough to crush his elbow.

Hope all that helps. If it sounds confusing i promise it is very easy to understand after you get a few laps around the track. Furthermore, by the time you need to understand this kind of information to improve your game, it will all make sense intuitively as well as numerically.

 

I personally differentiate with two types of bounds, high bound
f.ex. Sarah -> ->
(Where the character is smacked to the ground and rises to his/her feet then falls back slowly)
and low bound
Sarah -> ->
(where the character is smacked to the ground and their legs flip up)

You can usually follow up a high bound with a punch and a low bound move, but not the other way around.

 

Thanks for expanding on my post.

I know we just met but I have to say I am sexually attracted to how you write very well. Just a really good rhythm going. I don't know if you write much, but maybe you should.

 

Hey thanks Panda!!
I actually do write a bit in my personal life but not enough. AND! I even have a blog right here on VFDC! I mostly document what i'm doing to try and get up to strength in FS. I try and document my drills, 'practice regiment', a bit of my thought process when planning what i need to practice, why i practice what i do, etc. This is all written in green. Then the purple posts are just personal life style blogs about my life on the road that pulls me away from VF.

http://virtuafighter.com/threads/socials-vf5fs-blog.16940/page-3

Quite a bit too read here. I try to make it "wall-of-text" format so that those wanting to consume more vfdc (at work, bored between classes, whatever) will have something to read on a regular basis. Perhaps give post #49 a try. It's an embarrassing failed attempt to meet a girl on the road. It sucked

 

I read vfdc while bored at work everyday, lol. Thanks! I don't write enough either, but it's something I enjoy doing as well. I'd love to edit any article you want published on the front page. :3