The "Picking a Main" thread

[uberdeluxe]

Millia has everything you want. Zoning, rushdown, gdlk oki. Give her a shot. Might also try Venom.

Alright, thanks!

[Silverspar]

I recently got Guilty Gear Accent Core and since i main Hazama in BlazBlue i was wondering, Who plays the most like him other than Axl?

[Circuitous]

Believe it or not, Hazama's actually a pretty unique character. What do you like about his playstyle?

[Silverspar]

Believe it or not, Hazama's actually a pretty unique character. What do you like about his playstyle?

I really like zoning and getting in close to where they don't have breathing room with his chains. I also like his strong counter move and air/corner combos.

Edited May 29, 2012 by Silverspar

[Circuitous]

Stick with Axl (who has real counters and sweet air combos) or try Testament (who has real counters, sweet traps, great air combos, and can get in).

[sakabato24]

Alright, I've always been a fan of GG even though I am not good at playing it, but I am very willing to learn and adapt from playing BB to GG.

I've been a Tsubaki player since CS and I've used to play Noel in CT. I've been trying out Milla and Bridget in GG, but I feel like there are more characters in GG that play more like the characters that I play in BB.

Suggestions? Anything to also help me more learn GG more besides the videos that were recently shown to GG beginners, like basic BnB combos for said characters? Anything will help, thanks.

~Saka

[destruction_adv]

Alright, I've always been a fan of GG even though I am not good at playing it, but I am very willing to learn and adapt from playing BB to GG.

I've been a Tsubaki player since CS and I've used to play Noel in CT. I've been trying out Milla and Bridget in GG, but I feel like there are more characters in GG that play more like the characters that I play in BB.

Suggestions? Anything to also help me more learn GG more besides the videos that were recently shown to GG beginners, like basic BnB combos for said characters? Anything will help, thanks.

~Saka

Other than color schemes, Bridget, Noel and Millia are nothing alike. There really isn't a character like Noel who...I don't even know how to describe what Noel does without it coming of as offensive. Tsubaki can draw some parralels to Order Sol though, but not exactly. Tsubaki's charge is used to do powerd up versions of specials, Order-Sol's powers up his specials all together and you refrain from wasting charge meter be pressing the dust button along with your special. Plus Order-Sol's bar drains all the way when you use a powerd up special I believe, but you can use more as it is draining (cool huh). The other main difference is that Order Sol has action charge, a useful little mechanic that lets you charge by pressing dust after a special. As for tutorials just check character specific forums. Millia and Briget are very different from either of the BB characters you mentioned, and both are supposedly two of the harder characters to learn (don't let that discourage you though, I'm learning Johnny who is really difficult for me). Currently, Bridget is also low teir, but don't let that discourage you either (again Johnny), he's got a lot of really cool stuff he can do, and an unblockable for you to use!!

[Sanger Zonvolt]

I'm just wondering if someone can list out the BB cast from easiest to hardest to use execution wise, I'm looking for a new main because I just can't use Hazama, as much I would like to I can't pull off his TK loop.

Bought CSE a few days ago, trying to get back into BB and started with Hazama.

[Airk]

I'm just wondering if someone can list out the BB cast from easiest to hardest to use execution wise, I'm looking for a new main because I just can't use Hazama, as much I would like to I can't pull off his TK loop.

Bought CSE a few days ago, trying to get back into BB and started with Hazama.

This is sortof a defeatist attitude; First off, there's a lot of Hazama stuff you should probably learn BEFORE you worry about the TK loop, and second, well, it's probably a bit extreme to say that you "can't" do it. Can't do it YET maybe. Can't do it ever? Seems unlikely.

But now that I'm done berating you, I shall put together my execution difficulty tier list. :P

Stupid easy tier: Ragna

Normal Tier: Everyone who isn't in one of the other tiers

Tricky tier: Rachel, Hazama, Valk

Hard Tier: Carl, Tao

I might have Carl and Valk backwards, and I'm sure people are going to show up and tell me how wrong I am, but the real thing is - there's not THAT much executional difference in the cast (Except for Ragna :P) but some characters are harder for most people to wrap their minds around - this is why I'm rating Carl/Tao/Rachel/Valk higher up on the curve.

[Sanger Zonvolt]

This is sortof a defeatist attitude; First off, there's a lot of Hazama stuff you should probably learn BEFORE you worry about the TK loop, and second, well, it's probably a bit extreme to say that you "can't" do it. Can't do it YET maybe. Can't do it ever? Seems unlikely.

But now that I'm done berating you, I shall put together my execution difficulty tier list. :P

Stupid easy tier: Ragna

Normal Tier: Everyone who isn't in one of the other tiers

Tricky tier: Rachel, Hazama, Valk

Hard Tier: Carl, Tao

I might have Carl and Valk backwards, and I'm sure people are going to show up and tell me how wrong I am, but the real thing is - there's not THAT much executional difference in the cast (Except for Ragna :P) but some characters are harder for most people to wrap their minds around - this is why I'm rating Carl/Tao/Rachel/Valk higher up on the curve.

Thank you.

I have at best low-mid level execution, and I learned plenty of things about Hazama so far, but anything that is 1 frame which seems to be the case with TK Loop is usually beyond my execution and even if I pulled it, I wouldn't be able to consistently ever.

[Airk]

Remember: No one was born with good execution. If you practice enough (which may be more than you are willing to) you should be able to do any combo in the game. Also, in general (not sure if it applies to the TK loop or not, but...) nothing in this game is 1 frame, due to the advance input buffer.

Not that I'm trying to persuade you not to play an "easier" character - I'm just trying to encourage you not to give up on on a character you like just because your execution doesn't seem to be there. You're going to hit an executional wall sooner or later with everyone (Even Ragna, though you might not care) and you'll have to practice, so you might as well practice on a character you like than a character you just picked because you didn't hit an execution barrier right after picking them. Right?

[Renvalt]

Sengart seems to have the same problem I do. If something comes out super fast, my body matches my execution speed to what I see, and oftentimes that means I screw up inputs. Basically, if a character is coming at me fast, my body will instinctively react with the same amount of speed when doing inputs. I have no friggin clue WHY it happens, but it's a matter of HOW not to get it to happen.

Lax-execution characters for me aren't exactly the best thing, since the harder a character's execution is, the better off it will be for me (since brutal punishment via difficulty in video games has been known to make some things seem much easier - or so I'm told).

However, for me, the issue is I cannot find a character I want to make my main. I can just look and look, and in the end, I can't ever pick a main. I play and look, play and look - yet nothing comes out of it. Is this a psychological issue that needs fixing, or is there something else I can't discern?

Bear in mind that I've never really played with human opponents much to really know matchups and stuff, since I spent like 90% of my life in combat with a CPU that never really did much. But that's kinda off-topic.

I want to learn, but mentally I'm in a slump.

[YukiBlue]

Just play Ragna.

[Renvalt]

Just play Ragna.

I know his inputs are pretty lax, yet for some reason I feel like complaining about it. I just... grrr.... can't do it.

I have no idea what the goddamn psychology is behind your mind forcing you to speed up your execution of inputs - I have no idea why it happens. There are a bunch of theories I've discovered, but none that I could say are certain.

Meh, what the hell. I'll play Ragna. Just to give myself some peace of mind.

[YukiBlue]

> Psychology

> Execution

> Theories

You need none of those with Ragna.

/Bait

[Fluck]

Ragna is actually the most basic character in the game and thus rewards stronger fundamentals stronger than any other character probably Just to set the record straight for any beginners out there who might be reading this.

That said, he is undeniably very strong and has a lower execution requirement than most. But why should that be a problem? He's the perfect character for beginners to use because it allows them to pick up the game well by playing him. This isn't a 'you shouldn't use Ragna' or 'you must use Ragna' thing, it's perfectly fine to play Ragna first and move on to someone else, and equally possible to just start with someone else. Basically, just use whoever you feel comfortable and don't feel like you need to justify your character choice!

Edited June 5, 2012 by Fluck

[Airk]

Ragna is actually the most basic character in the game and thus rewards stronger fundamentals stronger than any other character probably Just to set the record straight for any beginners out there who might be reading this.

I disagree. A player with excellent fundamentals will get more wins with Ragna because he is a better character, but a player with excellent fundamentals will actually make a MORE marked improvement on a character who ISN'T so stupid easy. Or to use numbers some numbers that I am totally making up because they make it easier to explain, an 'ok' Ragna might have a... 50% win rate. Whereas an okay... Makoto might have a 35% win rate. And a Ragna with excellent fundamentals might have an 80% win rate, and a Makoto with excellent fundamentals a 75% win rate, but the improvement for having those excellent fundies would be greater for the Makoto player (40% improvement vs 30% on Ragna.) Or that's my theory anyway, and I'm sticking to it.

He's the perfect character for beginners to use because it allows them to pick up the game well by playing him.

I would argue the opposite - that he's not a good character for beginners because they'll get some wins and think they're good at the game when they're actually just...playing Ragna. :P

Basically, just use whoever you feel comfortable and don't feel like you need to justify your character choice!

This.

However, for me, the issue is I cannot find a character I want to make my main. I can just look and look, and in the end, I can't ever pick a main. I play and look, play and look - yet nothing comes out of it. Is this a psychological issue that needs fixing, or is there something else I can't discern?

But also this. :P

[Sanger Zonvolt]

Remember: No one was born with good execution. If you practice enough (which may be more than you are willing to) you should be able to do any combo in the game. Also, in general (not sure if it applies to the TK loop or not, but...) nothing in this game is 1 frame, due to the advance input buffer.

Not that I'm trying to persuade you not to play an "easier" character - I'm just trying to encourage you not to give up on on a character you like just because your execution doesn't seem to be there. You're going to hit an executional wall sooner or later with everyone (Even Ragna, though you might not care) and you'll have to practice, so you might as well practice on a character you like than a character you just picked because you didn't hit an execution barrier right after picking them. Right?

I'll try sticking with Hazama for a bit longer, maybe I'll be able to do it someday.

Interested in trying out Makoto, Relius, and Platinum more as well in the mean time, hopefully I don't run into the same troubles with them.

[McNasty]

Anyone familiar with MK9? I play smoke/reptile I like having great mobility, decent mix ups, good to great normals, and good space control. Anyone want to recommend a few?

At a glance rellius,hakumen,noel,litchi all look good. keep in mind im VERY new to this.

[mAc Chaos]

Sengart seems to have the same problem I do. If something comes out super fast, my body matches my execution speed to what I see, and oftentimes that means I screw up inputs. Basically, if a character is coming at me fast, my body will instinctively react with the same amount of speed when doing inputs. I have no friggin clue WHY it happens, but it's a matter of HOW not to get it to happen.

You're panicking. You just have to stay calm and look at things analytically, pressing your buttons purposefully and consciously.

[Airk]

Anyone familiar with MK9? I play smoke/reptile I like having great mobility, decent mix ups, good to great normals, and good space control. Anyone want to recommend a few?

At a glance rellius,hakumen,noel,litchi all look good. keep in mind im VERY new to this.

Definitely NOT Hakumen if you're looking for "great mobility" - he's below average for the game, and none of the others you list are what I'd consider "above average"; My first suggestion was actually going to be Hazama. The other characters with "above average" mobility would be Rachel (who might fit your description), Bang, and Tao, both of whom a little weak on the space control angle, at least in the traditional sense. Oh. You could try Valk too.

I don't actually know anything about MK9 though, so how any of those concepts translate to BB is likely to be a little weird, since by definition, almost everyone in BB is more mobile than MK characters, and many characters control much more space than characters in more traditional games, just due to the way BB works.

[Renvalt]

You're panicking. You just have to stay calm and look at things analytically, pressing your buttons purposefully and consciously.

I know I'm afraid and shouldn't be. But what am I so afraid of? I feel like there's nothing to fear, and yet there it is - I'm frightened.

Btw, this usually also happens in Practice Mode as well - specifically in Challenge Mode. And it most DEFINITELY happens with my Inferno Dividers - no matter the character, I can't get them off because my doing them so fast (or slow, depending on how you look at it) causes it to come out as 636 (and in quite a few cases, 6376 or 6396). That's why I have to look at the controller - I fear I'll actually press a jump instead of doing the 623 motion cleanly.

[Airk]

How does looking at the controller help you control what you do with your fingers?

[mAc Chaos]

^That should be obvious.

@Ren: You need to take a few matches or set some time to learn how to do the motions, by just deciding that you're going to focus on those instead of winning a match or whatever. Next time you play go out and look for opportunities to use the combos or moves you're learning, and go out of your way to focus on inputting them precisely instead of being so caught up in the match that you don't notice what's happening.

To get good execution on basic moves, you should also go into training mode and practice doing the move 10 times in a row. If you pull it off just once, don't leave and call it a day, that doesn't mean anything. You only learned it when you can do it consistently. So try to do it 10 times in a row without failing. By the time you get close to doing it 10 times successfully back to back, you should be much better at doing it.

Since you're just learning these things, you have to keep drilling them into yourself so you don't forget it instantly the moment you stop playing. Eventually it'll become muscle memory and you will be able to do it without thinking about it.

Edited June 6, 2012 by mAc Chaos

[YukiBlue]

For the MK guy, You would totally dig Noel. She would actually fit into that god damn game. Juggles everywhere.