so fed up....

ive been playing virtua fighter 4 since july this year.
using the akira but i just cant seem to cut the mustard.
at the moment i am not really getting any enjoyment out of the game.
i just recently lost my save and so ive had to start again i was no higher than 7th dan and i got to that on beginner setting.
i thought my game was improved but i usually get thrashed by anything higher than 4th dan. since ive changed to standard setting.
upon restarting quest mode again ive managed to get too 5th dan. but its tough going.
my mistakes seem to be whiffing moves in know what i want to do but they fail to come out.
my joystick is a hori fighting stick psx.
and not really that good upon certain moves failing to come out when i press the buttons.
my combos suck big time. im too slow in pulling off mdbp's after a floater.
i really like this game but its making me depressed
as i really want to succeed but its just not happening
/versus/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

Akira is the most difficult character, as far as inputting the commands correctly. If you're having trouble with him, try another character. Make sure you also complete Tactics Advice, it really gets you started on making the most of any given situation.

 

I had the same problem you have when I started to play Virtua Fighter 4. I really wanted to use Akira but I would get destroyed by both human and computer-controlled opponents. I decided to use Lau as my main character for a while and about ten or fifteen minutes before I would stop playing, I would go into command training with Akira. After one or two times through Akira's commands (skipping over moves I couldn't perform) I went to free training to practice things like m-dblpm's. If you really like using Akira, I think you should stick with him, but use an easier character at the same time. Every now and then, go into arcade mode and see how far you can get with Akira to measure your progress.

If you're having trouble pulling off a lot of Akira's combos I recommend using his + until you can pull off his combos with a certain degree of consistency. Also, any human competition you can get, you should take.

In the beginning, all of this may seem like a lot of work, but you should really be having fun. I can also guarantee that there is nothing like pulling off a difficult move or combo for the first time. Good luck and I hope that your skill with Akira will improve.

 

If you dont mind fighting with beggining difficulty, then you should stick to + then follow up with a shoulder ram or such, vf ai on begginer always falls for akiras + and it is such a good move for any begginer akira player, its one of the games easier mind game moves too.

 

Akira is possibly the hardest character to master, mainly because you can't press random buttons with him and expect to win (in other words, button mashers need not apply.) It's going to take you a little while to get accustomed to his style of play, so patience is vital. Just keep with him, it's worth it. Check out LM_Akira's Begining Akira guide. If I didn't take a look at it, I wouldn't know how to do half of the combos or techniques I do with Akira.

 

hmm, i think you just need a different approach to akira, if you are having troubles modifying moves or other inputs, it's by no means the end. with modifying moves, this just takes practice. try the struggle method on the right hand side ( - almost like a streetfighter style dragon punch). Remember that with modifying moves, you don't have keep switching sides depending on whether you are on 1P or 2P, it will modify on a crouch dash, OR bacward crouch dash. most players choose a side and stick to it (prefferably right hand side)

start off at a level that you are dealing damage, but keeping it safe, akira has plenty of damaging yet simple combos like + ~ . For air juggles, you could do simple shoulder ram ~ P (~ P) ~ (or +,)

after you are comfortable modifying, then go nutz.. as for dealing with opponents, there are plenty of akira documents around, but i'd say just to keep revising and practicing scenarios and exercises in training mode, also to keep in mind akira's series training mode for offense attacking.

eventually you WILL see a difference, just keep playing the game.

 

[ QUOTE ]
Bare_Knuckle said:

- almost like a streetfighter style dragon punch.

[/ QUOTE ]

that's kinda similar to the way i buffer in kage's dragon punch, +

[ QUOTE ]
Bare_Knuckle said:
shoulder ram ~ P (~ P) ~ (or +,)


[/ QUOTE ]

haha, pretty sure BK means +, instead of +,

 

It's kinda tacky advice, but you should switch characters for a short time. Learning VF is hard enough without trying to learn the hardest 'bread and butter' combos in the game. Akira's DLC, m-dbpm, and AS3 all take a lot of practice to learn compared to the simple float combos used by other characters.

If you don't want to learn any other character, stick to simpler akira combos that end in (for example) --> --> ,+,. You can at least make all your float combos hurt even if they aren't the maximum possible damage.

You might also want to practice just the modified FC, f+P motion. For example pick lion and try to combo several uppercuts in a row, or pick pai and see if you can get three lifting palms in a row. If you can do that motion pretty well, akira's m-dbpm is just adding one more step - (pressing back before forward+P). The trick about the modified double palm, what makes it hard - you must hit neutral before hitting b,f+P. You can't slop from df to back to forward. You have to have the stick at neutral just before entering a clean b,f+P. Hope that helps.

 

Quick note:
floater > P > f,f+K,K is open stance only...If someone can't Dbpm then I highly doubt they'll be able to watch stance in a real match.

Your best bet with Akira is just use K+G,P as a finisher until you can do his staple combos.

 

I second myke's idea of buffering. Neutral is not necessary in the game at all as long as your inputs are exact.