Random PS2 VF4 crap..

Just bits and pieces I noticed and picked up from other players ...

RANKING+ITEMS:

-you tend to win items by beating your own character, esp. if that character has an item you don't. EG I'm sarah and I play a sarah with sunglasses... if I win I get those sunglasses. BUT I have also had lau win an item from pai. As posted before, you also get items for 100 win streaks and beating extra-high-ranked opponents.

-You get a new color scheme every two levels you go up, not every single level. So if it seems like forever since you went up a rank, that's normal.

-For those who can't figure out their rank, the japanese characters next to your character's name (under the lifebar) is your rank. The left symbol is the number and the right symbol is either dan or kyuu. You can memorize japanese numbers pretty easily... some starters: 1 slash = 1 -- 2 slashes = 2 -- 3 slashes = 3...my lau is / \ ... eighth.

MENU NAV: is pretty straightforward. After each trial in training's Trial Mode, you are presented with a menu. The second option is 'next trial'. If you're presented with 'yes or no' at the end, it means this was just a demonstration, and the game is asking if you want to see it again. Choose no to advance to the next trial.

-in kumite mode, you can choose to exit at any time to have your stuff automatically saved. IF you're going to lose and don't want the loss to mar your record, you should either pause just before you die and quit (your record is intact, next time you go into kumite mode you'll start fresh vs. a different opponent). If you already died, you'd better reset, it saves automatically I think (no matter what you push on the controller).

TRIAL MODE

- is customized per character to some degree, and everyone's already discussed how cool it is. To test whether or not a move is throw counterable, choose trial 13A. The CPU will try to minor counter anything you do with a throw. 13B is the famed triple escape trial.

-the hardest trial has you attempt to major counter a rising attack. The example used by the CPU for lau is a quick m-heelkick. I couldn't do it that way, but I could do b,b+P ---> u+K+G vs. the opponent's rising sweep.

-good examples of how to capitalize on leg-flop animation, etc. A lau combo: f,d+K (no counter, just knocks down) ---> d/f, d/f+PPPsweep.

-when the opponent is against the wall, any attack causes him to crash into the wall and be stunned. I think there are two wall animations. Jabs lead to a quick wall stun and leave the opponent standing... stronger attacks cause them to hit the wall and bend over. (I could be smoking crack on this) Anyway, a standing jab into the wall leads to a guaranteed throw, and Pxxx combos will connect. Heavier attacks stun long enough for stronger combos... the stagger is similar to an elbow stagger in that you are 'unsteady' and moves that normally wouldn't knock down now will. For example, lau does d+P+K (wall) ---> d/f+P. d/f+P knocks down, so the rest of the combo (d/f+PPPsweep) is guaranteed. With jerky, f+P+K into the wall guarantees the uppercut followup, which knocks down for any simple combo.
With wolf, an elbow into the wall stuns them long enough for f+P . f+P hits during a stagger and causes KD, and from there you get a free low throw I think. Or at least another attack. (Wolf is getting all the weird exceptions to the rules in this game ---> his elbow drop during a FC uppercut stumble animation fails to knock down when it should. His f+P KD's only during staggers, I don't think anyone else can do this... and then there's the fastest input throw, new to VF)

GAME SYSTEM:

-anti infinite wall combos... when you're knocked into a wall with a jab, you can't be 'wall staggered' with another jab for about five seconds. Time seems to be the only factor here. For moves that cause more stun (basically just about anything stronger than a punch)... you'll be knocked down if you're hit while staggered.
When floating, there is no limitation to how many times you can be bonked against the wall, so you can inflict a lot of damage by doing many P(G)'s in a row vs. a wall-floated opponent.

-if the opponent hits the wall during a float combo, a pounce is generally guaranteed. Sometimes it isn't, the way to tell is easy. If they land facedown after the wall hit, try for the pounce, or at least a stomp/ground punch.

-I know that intentional sacrifice attacks (i.e. attacks that leave you lying down) were weakened in 3, but it seems like they're even more vulnerable now --- when shun di ends up lying down, I find a low hitting attack will scrape him off the floor loooong after he finished lying down. My rising attack hit him just before he would have been able to do a rising attack of his own. As lau I use d/f+P+K, I bet akira players would get good results out of a bodycheck. To compensate for this, sega seems to have made a lot of sacrifice attacks cause a strugglable stagger if they're blocked.

-Wolf's fastest input giant swing works as described on this board, but it's frigging HARD. It seems that you literally only have one frame per input to complete it. When pyrexia said "the GS of the fastest input" they meant it literally. So anyway, 6 frames total to complete the 'good' giant swing. Near worthless.
Thanks to godeater for this tidbit.

-I thought it used to be that shun had to finish 100% of his drinking animation to get DP, but it seems now that he doesn't?

-Jacky's kickflip hits BEHIND him.. he did b,b+P, kickflip to open the round. I tried d/f+P+K when I saw jacky's back exposed. Jerky MC's me.

-Jeff's d/f+P, P is excellent. Having the second upper float is a great idea.
-Akira's QCB+P is near human levels, but nothing was done about f,f,f+P and the less abusive d/f+P+K. Darn.
-Akira's SDE and dbpm track like a motherfucker. I will continue to believe this until someone shows me otherwise. I can NEVER dodge these, and they just beg for it.
-How the fuck do you block lei fei's corny, eddie-gordo-like breakdancing combo? Jesus /versus/images/icons/smile.gif
-Easiest CPU opponents are, for me: Kage, Shun, Jeffry .. hardest/cheatingest are Vanessa, Lau, and Lei.

 

Regarding Lei Fei's "breakdancing"...I was told that you can pounce on him while he's doing it. Haven't got a chance to try it out yet but it may be worth a shot.

 

Regarding Lei-Fei's break dancing:

I use Lei and even I find it hard to block.

Its Low, Low, then Mid..

2nd hit is not guaranteed.. but 3rd hit is if 2nd hit connects.

Low, Low is a sacrifice move.. pounce etc etc

Low, Low, Middle swirling kick .... Lei is back turned so punish accordingly

 

Missed this thread for some reason...quick comments:

To dodge Akira's SDE, it's to his back (has been since VF3).

Lei has two ending breakdances...the longer breakdance can all be blocked low. The short one (where he does a kip-up) is mid. The kip-up animation is quite long, so it's very possible to block standing on reaction. This move shouldn't give you any problems once you get used to it.

 

-I know that intentional sacrifice attacks (i.e. attacks that leave you lying down) were weakened in 3, but it seems like they're even more vulnerable now --- when shun di ends up lying down, I find a low hitting attack will scrape him off the floor loooong after he finished lying down. My rising attack hit him just before he would have been able to do a rising attack of his own. As lau I use d/f+P+K, I bet akira players would get good results out of a bodycheck. To compensate for this, sega seems to have made a lot of sacrifice attacks cause a strugglable stagger if they're blocked.

I used Sarah's d+P+K,K to scrape Bungle's Wolf off the floor after he did the sacrifice drop kick on the PS2. I'm pretty sure he missed completely with the attack. I don't know if you'd have enough time to do it if you blocked the drop kick. I've used Sarah's d+P+K,K against lying down and sacrifice down Shun in the arcade many times. The key I think is to be as close as possible when you attack the downed character.

-Jacky's kickflip hits BEHIND him.. he did b,b+P, kickflip to open the round. I tried d/f+P+K when I saw jacky's back exposed. Jerky MC's me.

The kickflip was like that in previous versions too. Many attacks have hit detection behind the character. Akira's (and probably everyone elses) knee is a good example. Also I believe Sarah's u+K+G spinning hop kick also has this property. But it is weird to hear about the CPU doing a backwards facing kickflip... /versus/images/icons/tongue.gif

Did you remember to tech roll and hammer Jacky with an UpKn combo as he was celebrating? /versus/images/icons/wink.gif