Member
I am going list some bullet points of very easy to remember and easy to improve ways to go from complete noob to mediocre:
=== First of all... Are you a noob?
You are a noob if you:
1) Loses to Light Attack Spams
2) Loses to GB Spams
3) Loses to Dodge Attack Spams
4) Loses to any Assassin class at your skill level (this is a combination of the previous 3 points, lol)
=== How to stop being a noob?
1) The most fundamental mechanics in this game is... Blocking. If you are not blocking and NOT getting owned, then this game isn't designed properly. If you are not even following the basic mechanics of the game, then the gaming Gods are doing their job in making certain that you lose (someone's got to lose, it might as well be the guy who doesn't block).
2) Learn to counter GB. This is super important. What if I told you... You can stand on a bridge with ONE HAND on your controller (the right hand) and probably win 90% of the time if you calm down? Block attacks and Counter if you get GB'd. You can't lose to anyone who can't bash if you do it well.
3) If you are knee-jerk reacting badly... CORRECT yourself. I have watch people kneejerk react to a blocked light with another light attack (they can't stop themselves from spamming, lol). You are at a frame DISADVANTAGE and your followup light attacks will be beaten by your opponent's light attacks every single time (yes, even Shugoki vs PK).
4) Parry. This will help you go from whining all the time on the forums to basically never whining about OP. Parry ends a lot of characters. If you can parry right, you jump a few skill levels ahead of your peers.
5) Be CALM. Seriously, take some meds and chill-lax. Observe and react, you will win. Don't try to win every game. In fact. give yourself 10 games to LOSE. But in those 10 games, achieve a goal. For example, "I will drag this match out to the end with perfect defense." If you can survive all out attacks from someone for 3 minutes and do it consistently, you will win when you are allowed to fight back and punish. But first, you need to be comfortable with calmly defending.
Member
Good post, good tips, right on point. It's important to note that defense is just about spacing as it is about blocking right. If you maintain the correct spacing, just outside the GB range, you're never, ever going to get surprised by a GB attempt, because the other dude has to actually step forward to try it. If he doesn't, he's actually going to whiff, which allows you to punish him with your own untechable GB.
I swear to god, I'm 99,99% sure that most of the "I can't block/tech that, plz make everything slower :3" posts are a result of people standing there idly and expecting to defend against everything like a pro. It's actually kind of easy if you move in a way that limits opponent's options. Footsies are really important in this game - so start learning them asap, if you focus on that instead of doing everything on reaction all the time, you're going to improve both your offensive and defensive play.
Member
Only issue I take is playing versus Wardens vortex and how it interrupts hyper-armor on warlord heavies for no reason other than incosistency. Also it could go for some higher stamina, or a shorter recovery state after being hit by it. Even then I still beat wardens as WL/Shugoki/Nobushi/Warden/evenraideronoccasion.
Learning the base mechanics is key to success. Albeit there are some heroes in desperate need of buffs/reworks due to how punishing they are at lower level, but immediately following the escape from lower level matchmaking, they fall off and have difficulty keeping up. Raider, Lawbringer, Orochi, etc. These guys are a good example of 'really good at punishing/stomping noobs but also really bad at playing at a competetive level'. But even then people get by with them with enough effort and clever trickery.
Junior Member
The OP's points are entirely correct! Unfortunately the fact that you can win with only one hand on the controller is exactly what will kill this game if it isn't addressed. Entirely reactionary defense, especially when the timings really aren't that difficult once you've put some time in, isn't very competitive and isn't very exciting.
Because even if you aren't on a bridge, as long as you don't attack you can only lose if you screw up your timings, so there is basically no reason to ever attack. Especially since ties happen regardless of who has the least health remaining when time runs out, so if you think you are getting your butt whipped in a round just sit there and guard until time runs out and you'll never lose.
Member
There is a bit of misinformation here.
1 - Some classes such as nobushi and raider have slower guard stance changes making light attacks from a PK or other classes with very fast light attacks a problem unless you have clairvoyance. So if someone is dying by light attack spam it doesnt mean a person is or isnt a "noob". Character choice has a lot to do with it. The problem with this mechanic is how the person becomes limited not by skill or reaction time but by character limitations.
Easy fix - make all guard changing times universal between all characters.
2 - There is a current GB bug which i am sure you are aware of where if i GB first a split second before my opponent GB's me, they cannot counter it because their late GB counts as their mistimed counter. Again the fix is coming in and it doesnt mean someone is a noob from dying from GB spam as people realize this and try to exploit it.
3 - No comment other than not true for all characters since Warlord has light attack that initiates block at the start. Its like parry but with a light attack. So this is actually a valid tactic to block an attack with a light attack, they could of just mistimed it or was practicing it.
4 - Parrying is a good skill to learn but this is a little misconceiving. A lot of players can feint so they can parry themselves and punish with a GB.
Easy fix - Parrying already causes huge stamina deduction from your opponent, no need for it to be a forsure GB. Remove the almost guaranteed guard break.
5 - No comment.
Junior Member
I agree with this and I'm considered a noob by the OP because i can never seem to CGB. I think against players i have only ever done it twice lol my timings for it are terrible. even practicing on lvl 3 bots with best of 99 duels i struggle like hell to get it right. but I need practice and am working on it and eventually I will be better because I want to be, not because something is broken or OP.
parries not so much, I can consistently parry unblockables and sometimes during light spam. I especially love parrying the oboshi dash coz that pisses them right off
it is all about practice, and keeping a level head during a fight, if you begin spamming buttons then you have already lost imo.
I don't think I will ever hit high end game play like realistic dueling but if i can get decent at most things I will be happy enough.
Member
1 - As a Peacekeeper who light attack spams any enemy who lets me get away with it, I can tell you that other Peacekeepers are terrible at preventing it despite their ability to change their guard stances extremely quickly. That's not the issue, try again. Also, different speeds for changing guard directions is both balanced and realistic. Characters don't need it to be sped up, players just need more practice.Originally Posted by TootersTV Go to original post
2 - If someone is GB spamming you and your response to them is to GB spam them back, you're a noob. The bug doesn't prevent your counter from being noobish. If someone is guard break spamming you all you need to do is either a) don't stop attacking or b) sit there and wait and then GB him AFTER he GBs you, for the correct counter.
3 - One class' ability doesn't counter his general statement. Dodge attacking spamming is the easiest thing to guard against. You get so much more time to block against the attack because you know exactly where it's coming from when you see the dodge begin. The ONLY time you should get hit from a dodge attack is when your attack missed due to a dodge.
4 - Most players don't feint. Feinting is rarer than parrying. Learn to parry first, as most players will not feint their attacks until after you're parrying. Once you learn to parry you'll learn to look out for feints. Plus, if you parry well you won't get fooled by feints. No need to fix. Counters for counters are great. Guaranteed things are great. Parrying is high risk high reward, especially with feinting.
There is no misinformation here. You probably just feel a little personally attacked because you see yourself struggling against these, which is why you think they need to be "fixed" and you don't like the idea of thinking you're a noob.
Member
PK's light attack spam is over powered. Plain and simple.
With the missing frames caused by the crappy pier to pier system, no one is able to keep up with that garbage and you just have to plain guess. If you can make your enemy blindly just do things then the fight is already over and you've won. Because even when you do guess right, you can't have any confidence in it and hence you can't turn momentum. So then the PK just goes right back in spamming away mindlessly. PK is obnoxiously over powered at the moment solely because of her light attack spam.
Considering that PK's attacks come out in 15 frames standard and 12 frames on her second one, while most other character's have 18 frame light attacks... it simply isn't fair and needs balanced.
It wouldn't be as bad if it were like the Orochi/Kensei who only has fast overheads and normal speed side attacks. If that were the case then she'd be more predictable and easier to deal with.
Especially when you have characters like Conq who have 18 frame light attacks and they deal less damage per attack than the other characters. Not to mention his heavy attacks which are so slow that he can't consistently get a side heavy in after a GB in 4v4 PLUS his heavy deals so little damage that he can't even kill someone at critical min regen threshold. Ubi is a ****ing joke. If I can see how garbage this is, why can't they?
The game is horribly balanced and there is no consideration for the medium (the $hit p2p servers).
I'm shelving this garbage game until Ubi pulls their head out of their a$$.
Then on top of it all... assassins gain revenge on offense and gain more revenge on block than any other class. So you've got these scrub assassins spamming uninterruptible light attack chains that are dealing more damage than heavy attacks thanks to revenge attack bonus while having impossibly high defense thanks to revenge defense and revenge shielding.
It's game breaking. We're all sick of it.
The game's hype has already worn off. The game has been out 2 weeks and 90% of the playerbase has left already.
Because this game is garbage.
We signed up for a skill-based melee fighter game. Not a "spam light attacks faster than human reaction can keep up with for free wins".
There is zero counter-play against PK and to less extent zerker chain attack spam. It is bad game design and we're sick of it.
And we don't care if some spam loving moron calls us a "noob" because we're demanding that Ubisoft gives us what we were promised. A SKILL BASED GAME. NOT A MINDLESS SPAM-FEST
If you want to say, "You're just bad at the game and can't block." Well feel free to challenge me to a duel. I have an absurdly high win rate in duels because in duels the P2P servers can actually work.
In 4v4s they don't work. In 4v4s gear stats turn on and it's just a "SPAM REVENGE, SPAM LIGHT ATTACK, SPAM GB" fest.
It's not fun and I won't play it.
And this game simply WILL NOT SURVIVE on just 1v1 format.
Member
If you think Peacekeeper's light attacks are too fast I have some advice for you.
Stop trying to block and just dodge backwards. Don't roll, just backstep.
"But I'm not an assassin, why should I dodge?" I'm an assassin, I'm a Peacekeeper, I have a reflex guard, but sometimes I block. Sometimes I rely on blocking, like when fighting a Kensei. Different enemies require different tactics. If you are being light attack spammed by a Peacekeeper just do this:
Dodge backwards, if you don't get it after the first attack you certainly will after the second. Put your guard in the up position and prepare to block/parry the forward lunge because if you're getting light attack spammed than the PK is going to lunge you after.
If it doesn't work the first time, just try it 10 more times and then go to the forums to complain the NOTHING WORKS.
I see so many noobs fall for my light attack spam, it's hilarious. Even other Peacekeepers. Left light, right light, left light, right light, left light, right light, left light, right light, dead. Bahahah. Just stood there. Seriously, is that not easy to counter? Berserkers do the same thing to me and after about the 3rd or 4th swing I've deflected them and shut them down.
Member
There's a lot of truth in this. I can't speak for the connection issues because while mine are bad sometimes, they never seem as bad as the worst that I have seen described here, so no clue, I got no comparison.Originally Posted by The_Mensan Go to original post
Out of your list, my biggest problem is 2). Number 3) is also an extend but I am getting better and better. I stop being so awfully trigger happy and reactionary. I need to master feints as well, that's another construction site so to speak, lol.
But 2). It is a huge issue and you actualy raise an interesting claim here - you mentioned the game pad and just one hand on the controller. Is that really recommendable? I mean, I feel like I always need to have both hands on the sticks so I can react and change direction in blocking/parrying in case of an incoming attack. But when I get hit with a GB instead, my switching thumb from stick to the button is always just a fraction too slow and I can't counter the GB. Unless my opponent is careless or gracious enough to not immediately follow with a throw or an attack and leaves me in the "grab" frame for a mini moment longer. Rarely happens, that's when I can make it.
So... any advice on that? Do I just need to be faster? Do you have specific pointers that just tell you in advance when the GB comes? I saw some people play without the attack direction display, maybe that's distracting me.
