Hisoutensoku bootcamp

[Angel on the Steps]

I've recently picked up Hisoutensoku again, and while I have got the very basics down (I can beat the AI and perform some moves and such)... let's just say being a mediocre player would be progress for me! I've never played fighting games before, though, and I'm not really seeing how to improve.

A Google search hasn't dug up a lot of resources about the game except for the wiki here, which does have plenty of information though it's a bit more technical than my current skill level. I have been looking at various replays as well, but it's tricky seeing why people do what they do.

On another note, does it even make sense to play against the AI for training? Its skills seem to vary a lot even with the same characters, and the AI doesn't really seem to be able to handle certain characters. I'm occasionally playing with a friend and I may look for games in the wider community, but I'd need to reach a decent level first so I'm not a completely boring opponent! Is the AI good enough for that, though?

[orinrin]

The AI is good enough for you to practice blockstrings and whatnot, but I would try to find a live opponent for actual training.

[shadowbringer]

I'd suggest, as an introductory step.. (this is meant to show how a deceptively basic fighting game has so much detail on it if explored -- and if the game itself is well-designed enough)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0cFs5mHQC4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoILSEQL9jE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCapuhsOMcg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8dD3K2_Pz4

and then.. (some -- or lots of -- more theory for you to learn how fighting games can be appreciated in a different aspect)

http://sonichurricane.com/?page_id=1702


if someone can find any information/material about SWR/Soku strategy, feel free to post here. It seems that not much of the above is actually helpful in SWR/Soku, while it's certainly useful in IaMP.

[Napalnman1231]

and then.. (some -- or lots of -- more theory for you to learn how fighting games can be appreciated in a different aspect)

http://sonichurricane.com/?page_id=1702


if someone can find any information/material about SWR/Soku strategy, feel free to post here. It seems that not much of the above is actually helpful in SWR/Soku, while it's certainly useful in IaMP.

Thanks a lot, surely it's useful, but I made some combos, also I need to know how to use spellcards, and besides, does combos with it

[ceiling hat]

Zoning
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFTvXXoDNRA&feature=related
It doesn't cover zoning much at all, unfortunately. It does cover really basic stuff with moves.

Mixup
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wx6Z5VGsBw4&feature=related
Focuses on knockdown mixups, but this info applies to any situation.

Adapting and stuff
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXB8xHLA0To&feature=related


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E27R8EFLLSQ
Haven't watched this yet. Its new to me.

Iamp Tutorial
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5NyiGU5EOg
While Iamp is a vastly different game, understanding how Iamp works will help you understand how Soku works.

Execution Tutorials
http://www.youtube.com/user/FredMchale
A lot of videos on how to push buttons good. Soku doesn't have negative edge (letting go of a button instead of pressing it to make stuff happen), or any charge-back commands, but the advice is solid.


Play with lots of other people, play against the best players you can find, always try to figure out why you get hit by anything, and don't piss around too much worrying about learning combos.

[GMOFucker: Makin' GMOs To Fuck 'Em]

The AI is good enough for you to practice blockstrings and whatnot

Not really. They stop blocking at random times.

[Stuffman]

Yeah, for some reason the comp never blocks the last hit of your Dial A.

[Angel on the Steps]

Thanks everyone for the links

[orinrin]

Not really. They stop blocking at random times.

Err, I was thinking more along the lines of practice mode.

[ふねん1]

I highly advise staying away from AI. I find them detrimental to my skill in any fighting game I play, for some rather fundamental reasons. Computer opponents, especially in Hisoutensoku, never think - they only react. This works against you in two ways.  Firstly, they react, but they do so faster than any human could. Thus, they can't ever be "mindgamed" unless whatever you're doing is a frametrap/punisher, or they're somehow programmed to not react to something (like not blocking the last hit in a Dial-A-Combo as mentioned above). Secondly, because they never think, they never learn why they're getting hit or even how to mix up their moves, and they become incredibly predictable. This sounds good on paper if your goal was to beat the AI, but it makes you develop bad habits that will almost never work against a human. When it comes to learning how to fight humans, there really is nothing like the real thing. Oh, and as for improving tech skill with combos/blockstrings/etc., that's what Practice Mode is for.

I know this deals more with technical aspects than direct strategy, but I've been wondering about the availability of frame data for characters. The Hisoutensoku Wiki only gives frame data for a little over half the cast, but even those for the ones that do aren't complete (I don't think anyone has frame data for skills and Spellcards, for instance). Googling didn't help, and I don't have to equipment to analyze this kind of stuff myself.