How do I lose the habit of mashing buttons?

[ez2hate]

My biggest mashing problems are on set ups. Hazama's pressure game is pretty weak as it is, but I just can't seem to get myself to stop mashing on approach, set up, oki, etc... are there any good drills I could work on in training mode to get over this? I'm thinking I need to spend more time studying frame data so I can figure out good punishes and such then record those moves into the training dummy and practice punishing/countering... any other ideas?

[ril213]

my problem is that when im getting hit by a combo, i tend to mash so that i can tech out as fast as possible, but because i mash, it also tend to end up with me mashing and then getting counter hit as soon as i tech out of say, an air combo..are there any tips for teching combos without mashing?

Be patient, look for an opening to to get out that you can tech. That's all I can say, and don't get predictable when teching because you will get punished for it.

[Kusari]

i mash buttons while trying to hope for a roll recovery when my opponent does combos.

it seems to be the best way to hope for escape incase they partially screw up, and would get numbers turning blue otherwise

[Travaton]

The trick to tech'ing is to watch for your character to flash white for the recovery and then stop mashing. Takes some practice, but it's worth it if you can punish your opponent for thoughtlessly wailing on you. The hard part is correctly blocking when you're not sure when you'll flip out.

The reason most people mention combo practice is that as you work on more advanced combos it will require your execution of the basic stuff to be fairly spot on or you'll drop the combo. Practicing that will eventually force you to stop mashing, as a real complicated combo might have five different spots where mashing will cause a drop. Spending some time on that will clean your execution up, but I wouldn't be in a hurry. These things take time.

[ikeTATARI]

One reason it's good to stop mashing - you can't buffer directional inputs in this game, so if you have dash cancels in your combos and you try to mash them out you get step forward step forward B instead of dash B (or whatever input you need). I know everyone says to take it to practice mode, but here's another thing I do (but I'm a musician so):

When I take a combo to practice mode, I listen to the rhythm of the moves connecting. I try to find a rhythm I can push my buttons to get the combo I want, so I don't ever have to depend on what I'm seeing or what's actually happening to do a combo - I can just tap out a rhythm on my stick and get the combos I want. It might sound silly, but it may also help you to add flourishes or flairs to your inputs - for example, I used to have a really hard time getting Lambda's j214D at the end of her air combos to come out, but I started making it REALLY pronounced and it helped. Also, BBCS has a more lenient buffering system - if you hold a button for a bit longer, it'll "mash" it for you - so instead of TAPPING the buttons immediately, it might help you to hold them for a split second longer - this ensures the move is going to come out, without the input being 5CCCCCCCCCCCCCCC.

[Xtra_Zero]

A good rule of thumb for canceling moves into others is "You should be finishing the input of the next move IMMEDIATELY after the previous one hits". That means if you do something like 5C -> 214A for Ragna, you should be inputting the "A" button for the second move RIGHT after the 5C hits the opponent.

There are a few exceptions, but they are extremely rare. If you can get this down well, you can do almost any combo in the game without much practice as long as you can remember the moves.

[Shockna]

Try to change your mindset.

Button mashing is typical of a person in a panicked or otherwise frantic mindset, and probably overthinking things as well. To try to combat that, learn your characters combos, and then practice at a slow pace to get familiar with reactions and blocking. Once you've got it down pat, you'll be out of that rushing mindset, and muscle memory and reaction time takes over from there.

[SearMe]

A good rule of thumb for canceling moves into others is "You should be finishing the input of the next move IMMEDIATELY after the previous one hits". That means if you do something like 5C -> 214A for Ragna, you should be inputting the "A" button for the second move RIGHT after the 5C hits the opponent.

There are a few exceptions, but they are extremely rare. If you can get this down well, you can do almost any combo in the game without much practice as long as you can remember the moves.

Does this applies to dashes as well? I'm having a hard time learning Rachel combos because many of them involve dashing, like 6A -> dash -> 5B -> air combo. 80% of the time I input the dash but she doesn't move at all and my 5B whiffs.

[Narcowski]

Does this applies to dashes as well? I'm having a hard time learning Rachel combos because many of them involve dashing, like 6A -> dash -> 5B -> air combo. 80% of the time I input the dash but she doesn't move at all and my 5B whiffs.

You have to link mid-combo dashes, so no - the second 6 should be inputted immediately as your character comes out of recovery.

[Fireryda]

not all mid-combo dashes are links.

ragna 5d > dc

jin 6c > dc

for example.

[ikeTATARI]

Rachel's are, though - Jin and Ragna have "dash cancel" moments in some of their normals that allow them to dash cancel them, but they're the only characters. Everyone else's dash cancels are links, not cancels.

[Narcowski]

Dash cancels are an exception, not the general rule. Most characters with mid-combo dashes use dash links.

[SearMe]

Thanks. So the best way to do it is press 6 while I'm still in the recovery animation and 6 again when it's over. Now, back to training mode!

[ikeTATARI]

No, actually, hat's wrong. If you press 6 while in the recovery animation and 6 when it's over, nothing will come out. You have to wait until the character is completely done with their animation to buffer the first 6.

[Big Red Tie]

No, actually, hat's wrong. If you press 6 while in the recovery animation and 6 when it's over, nothing will come out. You have to wait until the character is completely done with their animation to buffer the first 6.

then that's not a buffer

[Konner]

Dip your fingers in butter

Take hands off controller

Dirty thoughts

OVERHEAD!

[ikeTATARI]

then that's not a buffer

Oh, I forgot, you have to push the two 6's within one frame of each other. Or not, making it a buffer.

[Circuitous]

...that's not a buffer.

[ikeTATARI]

...Well please, explain what constitutes a buffer! My understanding of a "buffer" is when you put one input in and then input another one! But since that's apparently not the case, please, instead of not contributing to the topic at all and using one sentence posts, explain them to me, so that I may be enlightened!

[Circuitous]

Trying to think of a simple way of explaining this without making me look like an idiot. The best part is both of you are correct - or you were until this last post.

A buffer is a span of time where an input is accepted without immediately doing anything. Like when you're in a combo, you land an attack and then want to do a special move. You start doing the motion before the attack is over - those directional inputs are buffered.

Most of the dashes in challenge mode combos aren't dash CANCELS, which can be buffered. They have to be started and completed AFTER the recovery of the attack preceding them. So you were right.

Big Red Tie called you out on it, because... I don't know, actually. I don't recall anyone even calling it a buffer. Why are we discussing this?

RedSear: Unless it's a dash cancel, you can't input forward until after the attack is complete. So keep that in mind.

Now everyone get along.

Edit: Wait, now I see it. Okay, if you wait until the attack is over and then press 6, 6... that first 6 isn't buffered, because you're doing it in the open. If you're buffering it, that means you're doing it during the recovery, which won't work. Big Red Tie is right. You're right except for that one part. Resume getting along.

[Big Red Tie]

re: the question about how to time dash links

instead of trying the dash in the combo, mash A and use that to learn when your character is in neutral, which should help you get the timing down and then muscle memory it

[ikeTATARI]

Another thing to look for - if you watch the character sprite, they generally enter standing - and that's right when they hit "neutral". This is, of course, just general advice - I use these hints for throw combos in MBAA and also for Lambda's Throw -> 66A link (which I still am really bad at, but at least get it 7 times out of 10 or so).

Mashing A is good, but if you're concentrating on mashing A instead of watching for neutral, you're not really learning timing - you're just mashing A. I would say do the same idea, but try to get an A to come out AS SOON AS POSSIBLE - that'll give you an idea of when you hit neutral.

EDIT: Also, Circ, thanks for clearing that up. I honestly didn't know what the difference was, but people just saying LAWL THATS NOT A BUFFER isn't really helpful (or intelligent). So thanks for explaining it.

[Big Red Tie]

isn't there a terminology thread in this sub forum?

[ikeTATARI]

A description of buffering isn't in them.

[Big Red Tie]

ohshi-

yeah that should be in there then. it's kind of important!