Buffering is the technique of preemptively doing a move during the animation of another move. This allows you more time to completely input the motion of another attack.
Applications
Combos
When doing combos that involve quickly canceling attack into other attacks, players can buffer the next attack before the current attack finishes.
- Example
- Test
- While this can be done for every attack, most players usually only use this for complicated attacks like supers or multiple specials in a row.
Hit Confirming
When hit confirming a normal attack into a second attack with a complex motion (like a super), players can buffer the motion for the super before they confirm the hit. Once they confirm the hit, then they just press the button for the super.
- Example
- Ky hit confirming Template:2 > Sacred Edge (Template:236236)
- Ky does Template:2, then immediately does Template:236236. Ky then watches the opponent
- If Template:2 hits the opponent, then Ky react and press to finish the command for Sacred Edge
- If Template:2 misses or is blocked, then Ky reacts doesn't press and can do other actions instead
This allows Ky to more easily hit confirm, since you are hitconfirming into a button instead of a motion+button.
Input Shortcuts
When doing more complicated things like doing a dashing special/super, you can rely on the input buffer to help make the input easier.
- Example
- Jin wants to do a short run > Super (Template:632146)
- Jin can input Template:632146Template:6, this will cause Jin to start running. After pressing after, then Jin will perform the Super.