Option Select

From Dustloop Wiki

Option Select is a term for doing one or a group of commands that will do different actions depending on what the opponent chooses to do. These can take on many forms and can be very simple or complex, universal or character specific. Here are a few examples.

Throw Option Select Example

Sol inputs Template:6GGK.pngGGH.png
If the opponent is throwable
Then throw takes priority and the opponent is thrown
If the opponent is not throwable
Then Template:6GGK.png takes priority and since Sol does not have a Template:6GGK.png, Template:5GGK.png comes out instead.

A simple example is the throw option select in Guilty Gear. A throw in Guilty Gear is done by pressing Template:6GGH.png. Button priority in Guilty Gear goes (Throw and GGD.png > GGP.png > GGK.png > GGS.png > GGH.png), which means doing a command like Template:6GGK.pngGGH.png means your character will do Throw if the opponent is in range (and not throw invincible) or Template:6GGK.png if the opponent can not be thrown. The game is selecting which option to do for you depending on the situation!

Sol players often use this because Sol will do 5K (since he has no 6K command) instead of throw, which is a very fast move that can also hit opponents attempting to jump out! For characters that do have a slow Template:6GGK.png, then can instead use different buttons instead, for example Template:6GGS.pngGGH.png, which will give you close GGS.png instead if they aren't throwable.

Reverse DP Input Example

Ragna inputs Template:421A.pngB.pngC.png
If the opponent crosses you up
Your input gets reversed and Template:623C.png takes priority
If the opponent does not cross you up
You input gets interpreted as a Barrier Input Template:1A.pngB.png

A slightly more complex example is a reverse dp input to deal with crossups: Ragna's invincible reversal is Template:623C.png. However, this input is reversed when the opponent crosses you up. If you suspect the opponent may cross you up and you want to Inferno Divider if he does, you can do the input Template:421A.pngB.pngC.png.

Whiff Option Select Example

Jin does a meaty Template:2A.png~Template:2B.png~Template:3C.png versus Azarael
If Azrael blocks the Template:2A.png
Jin will cancel into Template:2B.png and Jin can continue his block string. Template:3C.png does not come out since it was inputed before Template:2B.png hits the opponent and is ignored
If Azrael attempts a reversal Panzer Strike
Jin will whiff his Template:2A.png and do Template:3C.png, which will go under Azrael's Panzer Strike. Template:2B.png does not come out since it is inputted during Template:2A.png's recovery
If Azrael attempts a reversal backdash
Just like above, Jin will whiff his Template:2A.png and do Template:3C.png, which will hit Azrael during the recovery of his backdash

This is a fairly complex example that is specific to a knockdown situation of Jin versus Azrael. Since Azrael's Panzer Strike is slow for a reversal and misses versus low profile moves like Jin's Template:3C.png. Jin has enough time to whiff Template:2A.png and go into Template:3C.png, which will beat both Panzer Strike and backdash.

The timing for this is a bit more difficult to do since you will need to time the Template:3C.png to hit

Conclusion

As shown, option selects can take on many forms and are a powerful tool since they can effectively defeat multiple options at once.

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