Street Fighter V

[illdog]

I started this today.

Being a new version of Streetfighter and not having played anything other that SF2 on the SNES since SF4 original release. I thought i'd start with a new character, I chose R.Mika just because (nothing to do with her boobs).

Yea, she's alright. She has a move where you can swing and throw your opponents in to the ropes (if there were ropes), then I can follow that up with a bum punch (Peach something). It's little starting steps like that that make me feel positive about this game, i'm looking forward to learning more.

I spent a while in training, did her story (3 fights?) and then tried online. After 15 minutes I finally found a game and got utterly fucked by a Bison user. I actually sighed when I saw who my opponent was using. Anyway, they managed to perfect me in the first round with what felt like a continous combo and I couldnt seem to block anything. Second round I did a bit better, managed to get the little combo I learned in. We were both down to a quarter energy bar but they pulled out a ridiculous combo with a finisher and that was that.

Back to practice.

[HandsomeDead]

Yep, good matches. I don't think I'm much better, you had me sometimes even with Rashid. It's pretty hard getting the upper hand on him.

Though I had to laugh at that match you won with a random jumping fierce and I teleported right into it. No idea why anyone would do that.

I also realised my Nash needs a lot more work. I thought I was further along with him.

[HandsomeDead]

I played some more today and just got fucking owned by everyone. People at the same skill level as me, people much better then me (got perfected by an amazing Laura) and even those much worse then me (fucked over by a bafflingly piss taking Ryu user). So I thought fuck this, I'm trying another character. Now I know so many of Karin's tools I'm just overthinking things too much, and I don't quite have the skill level or confidence (or both) to pull this stuff off in a match.

So I had a few moments in training with Nash then took him online. I then went on to have a lot more success with him, and I'd say it's because I'm not as familiar with him now I don't overthink things, I just get in a position to use his frankly amazing bread and butter combo and just own the space, which is easy to do with him, what with his projectiles and moves that move you across the screen. And of course his teleport when your V-gauge is full.

And he's a quite slow so he's easy to manage. I dunno if he'll be my new main since I think when things go well with Karin she's a lot of fun but I think I will be having Nash as a sturdy back-up.

[DANGERMAN]

was playing illdog and my fucking pad broke I can either buy a fancy new one, or dig out my adaptor and just use my PS2 Saturn pad

[illdog]

It's Charlie godammit.

[HandsomeDead]

I still call him Charlie when I'm speaking but I'm just avoiding confusion I guess.

Hold on in there Nag. I'm working evenings mostly at the mo, but I'm around Sunday and most weekdays next week. I'll try and teach you a few things.

It's hard to figure out the fundamentals on your own with out the challenge mode. It's also not as annoying when you're in a group of people you know and can ask them how the fuck they did that bullshit.

So I can help you until March when the useful stuff drops.

[DANGERMAN]

Cool. I've ordered a new pad but I don't think it's arriving until next week. So, depending on other things I might not be on much this weekend.

I need to properly practice with Rashid too. In the beta I worked out some combos, now I'm relying on good use of specials

[HandsomeDead]

I've not looked into the replays yet. I think they may be tucked away somewhere stupid.

Fuck, I just played this loads. I beat normal survival mode with both Charlie and Karin while taking on the odd ranked match. I beat it with Charlie first go, but it took me so many attempts with Karin. Bison is just a complete chode at times. he pretty much lay down and let me stomp him to death with Charlie, but brought out crazy combo strings with karin. But it's done now and have a selection of new colours for those characters. Yay! Oh, and some more Fight Money.

I've been looking up what new characters are gonna cost and it will be 100,000 FM each, and I already have over 200,000 now so I'm not too worried about the rates now. It's also 40,000 for costumes but none of them so far look that great so I don't think I'll be spending much there.

I'm not having the best luck online. I keep getting paired up with people ranked quite a lot higher than me. Feels good to get a win but they're rare; it just feels like more of an uphill battle then it should be. And I've been so close to 1000LP for the Super Bronze title but it just keeps slipping away as I'm one win from getting it.

[HandsomeDead]

I had this fight just as I got the Super Bronze title. I was not losing to this clown despire me, again, fucking up my combos pretty much all the time:

I was trembling after that one.

I've tried some more characters as well but I think I'm really gonna struggle with some. I tried Nicalli, Bison and Vega and I just can't seem me doing anything with those guys.

I could use charge characters okay in SFIV but I just can't seem to use efficiently here. Vega just seems like he'll be hard work generally with his two stances.

[illdog]

That was a good fight, it was plain to see you worked out his aggressive style of play by the third fight. Are a lot of people on line as attacking as that? Back in the days when me and my mates would play we were all extremely defensive.

[HandsomeDead]

Yeah, I find a lot of people are really adamant to get those cross ups in. It's something I know how to do as well but it's just not something I naturally do.

[HandsomeDead]

I played this a few nights back after I'd been drinking and I won't be doing that again (I probably will). I got my arse kicked all the way back down to 750LP from over 1200LP. I ended up not taking it seriously at all and started using Zangief to see how well I'd do; it I never won but I never got owned either.

But that did mean when I went back to it today the matchmaking put me against some other low ranking players. I ruined some people's day.

But what I am finding weird is that there is a big gap between those that get it and don't. Like, when the game realised that I shouldn't be fighting these people it did start putting me up against people ranked a little higher than me and I just got constantly beat again. There does seem to be very little middle ground.

I'm also really starting to dislike Nicalli. His normals have such long range and are really hard to punish on block, and if he jumps in from that range he often crosses you up and there are a bunch of Nicalli players out there exploiting it to fuck. Once I figure something out to counter it I'm gonna fucking enjoy kicking the shit out of them.

[DisturbedSwan]

Great vid, DC.

Street Fighter is so fucking good to watch, I think fighting games are the only games I could happily sit and watch someone play all day.

[HandsomeDead]

I love watching it, too, it's where I learn a thing or two.

When I say Nicalli is annoying this is what I'm talking about: Check me trying to punish his blocked moves in so many ways. Nothing fucking works and he takes the piss. I really hate Nicalli. I also think his hitbox is off since some stuff I did missed and it really shouldn't have; it doesn't with others (check when I teleport behind him when he is vulnerable and I swing at air):

Spoiler alert: I won but this is a rare one. I usually lose to this nonsense.

And here is me trying to learn 'Gief in a casual match which I enjoyed despite, spoiler alert, losing. It was against Vega; a terrible match-up for him but I think I did okay considering. Have a look if you want:

[HandsomeDead]

I don't enjoy dominating n00bs as unlikely as that seems, especially if they are brave enough to pick up Laura, but this was the first time I started getting a bit more confident with comboing into a super with Charlie so it got saved.

I've come across so many rage quitters now as well, unfortunately. Maybe I should save them to name and shame. I'm always wary when I come across a Ryu, Ken and Bison with a big win streak now.

[Jimboxy]

I've come across so many rage quitters now as well, unfortunately. Maybe I should save them to name and shame. I'm always wary when I come across a Ryu, Ken and Bison with a big win streak now.

Street Fighter V? More like Streets of Rage

That top video was ace, such a close match.

[HandsomeDead]

Here is an interesting one:

It's me, for some reason, getting matched up with a guy who is No. 2 in the world. I did a little Googling after the match and the guy is a pro, specialising more in King of Fighters (a game that is already Street Fighter for psychos).

I was absolutely fucked. It looks like I ain't doing shit but I really am. He was timing the overheads so well that my jabs (the quickest moves in the game) still weren't connecting, and even when I blocked and tried to throw something out it never worked.

I was starting to think I could get good at this but it's situations like that that put you in your place.

This is fighting games. This is me trying everything to get this cunt off me and it just looks like a piss take. I have a long way to go.

[HandsomeDead]

And a bonus one:

Not long after I was paired up with the 12th in the world. This one went much better. In fact, if I was paying attention to my meter more I could of finished him on one occasion, but it would have been a risky thing, but I'm stupid enough to do something like that. But shoulda woulda coulda. Fact is I didn't.

[DisturbedSwan]

Fuck me, that no. 2 guy was insane, can't believe it matched you up with a Pro like that! Crazy shit, I think the 2nd one you could've had him though, I thought you were gonna win the 2nd round.

[HandsomeDead]

Survival is shitty. The first 20 fights are a piece of piss and when you lose you gotta grind them again. I got through it with Nash, Karin and Ken but I'm not in a rush to do it with more characters. It's a shame as that's the only way to unlock colours.

Even the pros are psyched when they beat hard survival so I wouldn't worry about losing to the later AIs. When they decide they are gonna win then they'll win.