VF4 PS2 Trial Translation for Lau

This will cover the parts of Lau's trial mode that are different from everyone else's.
Refer to the original Akira translation (2 parts) for the rest.

7A: Float tools: The game demonstrates Lau's d/f+P+K and upkn. Before you get excited Lau Abuser, yes, we all know D/F+P needs a MC. Thanks.
This trial will credit you with any float tool, including b,b+P, etc.

7B: Basic combos training: d/f+P+K, d/f+PPPsweep. A damage-based trial.
19A: A heelkick is used as an anti-tech roll move, but the opponent is shown stuffing the heelkick with a low punch (again to reinforce this - it would appear that attacking a TR is not a sure thing. Low throws and attacks both can be stuffed with a simple low punch. Maybe with impeccible timing it can be done every time.
19C: Your opponent TR's then uses pesky option select? What to do? Lau does d+K+G. Shows that option select E-TE (etc.) isn't invincible. Hi Rich.
20C: basic OTB combo skills - Lau does a stylish one. f,d+K, d/f, d/f+P, P, b+P, P. (jisoutai, lnkn, P, b+P, P)
21C: MCing rising attacks: the game has you use the heelkick, which seemed absurdly hard to time at first. It works, but maybe something else works better.
Needs testing.


24A: Wall combo training: sidekick the opponent into the wall, then d/f+PPPK hits. Easy.
24D: A nicer one: d/f+P+K, sidekick-P-palm (wall), PPPK.
25A: anti-low punch tactics - after elbow-palm, the opponent's low punch is shown stuffing Lau's next attack. Next time, Lau does elbow-palm, then d+P+K. The elbow drop cleanly evades and hits the low puncher.
25B: Lau initially does a sidekick (delays a few frames), then P-palm. The P mc's, so the palm hits, which of course leads to a free combo. Next time, the opponent does a d+P after the sidekick. But! Lau's one step ahead of him and does sidekick (blocked), u/f+P. The hop punch nails the low punch for another easy combo.
25C: Apparently after d/f, d/f+P,P is blocked, lau retains initiative. This is demonstrated in a nice way: Lau does the lunging knife-P (blocked), Kage tries an elbow, and Lau tries an elbow at the same time. Lau's elbow wins. I think the P after d/f, d/f+P is exactly the same, framewise, as any basic lau punch. It may be a frame or two better. I'm too lazy to see what virtuaproject says.
25D: An effective pattern: d+P, b+P,K. The low punch invites your opponent to try his or her own low punch. Then Lau's b+P,K combo cleanly stuffs their low punch for a decent chunk of damage.
24E: Lau's d/f+P causes a distinctive animation (the my-chin-just-popped-up) animation. The game shows d/f+P (delay a few frames), P, K. Perhaps they're saying you can wait and see if the d/f+P connected. Then if it did, followups are guaranteed. You can also combo d/f+PPK if the opponent is crouching and defending (the d/f+P stands them up and breaks their guard, even though it does no damage. It's been this way since VF2). A nice bonus: the demo shows that after d/f+PPK hits, the opponent may try to get initiative back with an attack (in this case, an elbow). b+K+G will hit them cleanly out of the elbow.


26A: simple combos pt. 1- D/F+P, P --> d/f+PPPsweep.
NOTE: REQUIRES MC
26B: d/f+P+K, d/f+PPPsweep.
26C: b,f+P ---> P - b+P - P
26D: hopkick, b,f+P . This appears to require a major counter. I tested it without a counter and found the b,f+P is a hair too slow. However, hopkick, PPP is a true combo without a counter.

An interesting discovery I got while testing the above:
1. Lau can do a hop - sidekick. Before I always got a hop-sweep if I hopped, then pressed K. I'm not sure if hop-sidekick was available to him in previous VF games.

2. The hop-sidekick combos into a canned P - palm... just like his regular sidekick. The difference is that hop sidekick always knocks down, and without a counter it's possible to do: hop-sidekick ---> P ---> palm ---> D+K, K. Substitute whatever for the double low kicks, ... about 28% damage for the whole thing.

3. It's possible to do a hop-sidekick FAKE into P-palm canned combo. It's strange, I'm not sure if this is intentionally programmed in there or if it's some quirky result of the way hop attacks are designed. To do it, press u+K, and hold down K. Keep holding it until Lau lands. Then release it and press P, P right away. Lau will raise his leg a little, retract the kick (looks like a G-cancelled high kick), then go into the P-palm. Maybe I can experiment with other characters who have canned sidekick combos, e.g. jerky/sarah.

 

25B: Lau initially does a sidekick (delays a few frames), then P-palm. The P mc's, so the palm hits, which of course leads to a free combo. Next time, the opponent does a d+P after the sidekick. But! Lau's one step ahead of him and does sidekick (blocked), u/f+P. The hop punch nails the low punch for another easy combo.

Evil flow charting... /versus/images/icons/tongue.gif This is one of the reasons why I want to hear about Jacky's training mode to get AM2's "official party line" on the Jackster... /versus/images/icons/wink.gif

25C: Apparently after d/f, d/f+P,P is blocked, lau retains initiative. This is demonstrated in a nice way: Lau does the lunging knife-P (blocked), Kage tries an elbow, and Lau tries an elbow at the same time. Lau's elbow wins. I think the P after d/f, d/f+P is exactly the same, framewise, as any basic lau punch. It may be a frame or two better. I'm too lazy to see what virtuaproject says.

/versus/images/icons/tongue.gif Well you're doing enough other stuff... =)

Lau's high punch is +2/+5/+10
lunging knife-punch is +1/+3/+5
(blocked/hit/counter advantage frames)

A frame worse~~ have to be on the ball to win that elbow duel...

1. Lau can do a hop - sidekick. Before I always got a hop-sweep if I hopped, then pressed K. I'm not sure if hop-sidekick was available to him in previous VF games.

I don't remember...

3. It's possible to do a hop-sidekick FAKE into P-palm canned combo. It's strange, I'm not sure if this is intentionally programmed in there or if it's some quirky result of the way hop attacks are designed.

Is the "P-palm" the automatic knifehand (aka AutoKnife) that was refered to back in Colin Leong's VF2 Lau FAQ? i.e. you get a df+P type knifehand by just tapping punch (no stick movement needed) after certain kick attacks.

To do it, press u+K, and hold down K. Keep holding it until Lau lands. Then release it and press P, P right away. Lau will raise his leg a little, retract the kick (looks like a G-cancelled high kick), then go into the P-palm. Maybe I can experiment with other characters who have canned sidekick combos, e.g. jerky/sarah.

Please do, but I bet this has more to do with the implementation of the P-palm than with the hop kicks... BigCat, do you have any comments?

 

Re: punch-palm ... it's not the autoknife.. it's the P-palm from lau's canned sidekick combo... d/f+K, P, P (formerly d/f+K, P, b,f+P).

So he lands, sidekicks, does the jab, then a standing palm that flops the opponent if it hits. When he fakes, I think what may be happening is this. The hop kick may technically start executing 'exactly' upon landing, the same frame as your feet touch the floor. It's not allowed to come out any later. However, what determines which attack you use and when it comes out is how long you press K. So maybe the game designers accidentally allowed you to press K for one or two frames longer than it takes to hop and land completely. The sidekick animation starts, but never comes out since the game 'realizes' lau's feet are on the floor . Sort of like how in SF games, you can jump and do a very low to the ground jumping roundhouse kick, and the slow execution of the kick makes it so that the move starts to stick out, but never fully executes because you hit the ground before the leg can extend.

Anyway, it's just a theory, and a flaky one at that. This may be intentionally programmed in there.