Skeletal Minion

Even the chars who have 7f normals can IB and jab if they instant blocked and you didn't cancel using one of the methods I mentioned.

I already covered my thoughts on most of this in that huge write up I did about Haku's pressure a while back, so I'll try to keep this short. >Haku's pressure >Good Ha, no. His pressure took a major hit when they nerfed his frame advantage in CS2, but even in CS1 it wasn't exactly spectacular. In all BBs except CS1 (and even then to a degree), there are simply too many instances during regular, non-fancy strings where his opponent can IB and jab. This is largely because: 1. Haku's fastest normal is 7 frames (excluding 5A since it whiffs everyone crouching except for Haku and Tager, making it worthless outside those matchups as far as pressure is concerned) vs. most opponent's 5f or 6f. Even if you do a 2B, giving you +2, they can just frame a 5f normal to trade with your 2A, or IB to make you -1, making it so they only need 4f to get a hitbox out vs. your 7f. 2. They can barrier to push you out after two blocked normals, requiring you to hop/6A/Kishuu back in. Barrier only adds +1 to their recovery in BB, so the increased risk on them is negligible. However, there are a few saving graces that make Haku's pressure usable. 1. Late gatlings. By late chaining a 2A into, say, another 2A, you're effectively increasing your frame advantage on the first 2A enough to make the second one "safe enough." 2. Special cancels. Frame trapping by cancelling into Renka can be a great option for the reason mentioned above (so long as its meter cost is kept in mind). 3. Drive cancels. This mainly applies to instances where opponents IB a 6A to make you -3, but can also be useful to fend off other attempts to punish blocked A normals. Unfortunately, it carries the downside of being insanely risky if you misread and they keep blocking, but at least the option to use it as a deterrent is there if they start getting sassy with your 6A. 4. Hops. If you want to know more look at my pressure write up a while back in this thread, but being able to throw out a safe DP any time you have two or more magatama works pretty well as an anti-mash option. tl;dr: Hakumen's pressure is holier than a pope carved out of Swiss cheese. There are often several instances where your opponent can IB > jab to expose you, or straight up mash out of a hop if you didn't Hotaru. The deterrents available to Haku work well enough, but having pressure built on "You can mash me out here, but don't, because there's a chance I'll blow you up with X" is not nearly as good as just having inherently tight pressure thanks to true gatlings. Giving him a run wouldn't even benefit him unless they gave him actual gatlings to go with it instead of his late ones, PLUS you would lose access to dash-cancelled Hotaru/Tsubaki, meaning they could disrespect you anytime there's a hole unless you want to stop and TK one of them, which would still be inferior to a dash-cancelled version as you would lose the benefit of moving forward and having frame advantage after the special (neither version is plus on block when TK'd, instead having varying amounts of plus depending on which frame you execute it during his hop). Both he and his pressure would like be worse overall.

FTFY. We hardcore gamers might get ignored, but hey, at least the big three made up for it with duplicated cable box functionality, watered down social media integration, and stupid gimmicks like making Internet Explorer "Better with Kinect," right? ...Right? /bitter Real talk though, PSN needs to get their shit together. As one of only two 360 owners in my new local scene, my butt will be beyond mad if the wait causes my local PS3 brethren to end up pulling a Skullgirls community and going, "Whatever, this is taking too fucking long." Their interest seems to already be waning due to the delays, and seeing what I had hoped would be a GG revival end up being so botched is incredibly frustrating.

^Um... No? I play wired, with no one else using the connection, on a lagless TV, in one of the highest nationally ranked areas in US broadband speed tests. The netcode is extremely poor, period. I've been playing fighters online since CvS2 on Xbox and GGAC's netcode is the second worst they've put out next to #R's on Xbox. It is abysmal. Having 10+ frames of delay when there are mechanics with 2f windows is unacceptable. It is not "playable", and by that I mean playing online is essentially playing a completely different game since FRCs/throw breaks/slashbacks are pretty much dice rolls.

The best mixup ABA has going for her is probably her j.S fuzzy since it's a true 50/50. Other than that, I mainly frame trap or go for throws to get damage. You can also setup some neat stuff with dash jump Orbs FRC just before landing on their wakeup. By FRCing, you can immediately land for a 2K low, do a quick j.P for a high, airdash > whatever, do another Orbs, etc. It also completely ruins their shit if you get a counter hit with the Orbs since practically any combo you follow it up with will do ridiculous damage. FB Bloodball is another good option for oki. Use it like Testament web, so it meaties and forces a block when they stand, then run in and do stuff (high, low, throw, keygrab, etc). Also, beware of using the flipkick too much--once they realize its gimmick is negated by jumping and normal blocking, that move becomes A LOT worse. Meatying with it helps, but they can still backdash or reversal it. Use sparingly and with caution. Also, regarding Rekka FRC: it's a 2f window, being the exact frame the third Rekka connects and the frame after. Practice makes perfect--if no cancel happens, you're hitting it too early; if you get a regular Roman Cancel (red), you're hitting it too late.

I play on a 360 and live in Atlanta. Finding opponents, regardless of whether I'm in Ranked/Player Match, or if I'm hosting a room or joining one, or where my opponent is located in relation to me, or how fast our broadband connections are, or whatever combination of filters I have, is a frustrating chore. I see lots of "No opponents found, search again?" and "Unable to join. The room may be full, etc" type messages. When I do find someone, the Line Quality is about as good of a predictor of lag as throwing darts on a board. Once the match starts, it's all over the place--some matches are kinda playable but with medium delay, some have a large flat delay, some seem really good at the start then experience massive lag spikes later in the match, some are Dural's stage in Virtua Fighter 2. It's a totally unpredictable mess. In short, DO NOT waste money buying another console of either brand if you already have this game for the other. Judging from both PS3 and 360 players' comments, the netcode is equally insulting on either system. I'm extremely fortunate to have a roommate to play with daily and a scene to meet with weekly, but I definitely feel sorry for the fans that don't. The primary reason many GG fans (myself included) bought this port was for the online play, and with that mode being moot considering how awful it is, I feel like I essentially bought the same version of the same game twice. It's a slap in the face and utterly shameful. I have respected ArcSys for a very long time now, but their lackluster effort shown here has definitely lowered my opinion of them. I sincerely hope they get their shit together for ACR's eventual release.

Potemkin O.G. Raekwon187 explained the special+throw break glitch in our Facebook group (thanks man). Basically, if you do a special ending on 4+H or 6+H during the 2f break window as your opponent performs a throw, you get the break animation AND the move's animation. It's in all versions of GGAC, including arcade, PS2, Wii, and current gen. It's an imperfection that proves the port's arcade perfectness, ironically enough (aesthetic errors like the sound bugs and weird Eddie stuff notwithstanding). After mulling over it further, I don't think it's that big of a deal anyways, since doing the special before the break window results in it coming out first, either beating/trading/getting beat by the opponent's 6H/4H resulting from their whiffed throw. If the throw's break window ends before the special's input is finished, the player performing the special gets thrown.

My friend Nagato found a strange graphical glitch with little Eddie, but he's not sure what causes it. Video: http://youtu.be/9Wz7ssS2XTI

^Using a bloodpack will always cost a pack if it results in a transformation. The video likely had infinite bloodpacks turned on in training mode. The reason to use it after a 5H on hit or block is because even if they block it, the pushback on it is so great that they're usually too far away to punish your bloodpack. This is not foolproof, as exceptions definitely exist, but it's definitely a good option in many instances. In the same vein, I'll add that blood packing after a blocked Normal mode 6H is often not a bad idea. That move has terrible recovery, so it's best to cancel it into a special if guarded, and with the large pushback, bloodpack can be a solid choice.

Technically it's a command grab AND a blockable special. If ABA's opponent is in throw range and able to be thrown on frame 9, the command grab comes out and it cannot be blocked. If they aren't in range, the strike version comes out, which is why it works in combos.

^Not that I'm aware of. Really though, Moroha's guide is fantastic and tells you everything you need to know. If you need to pair some visual guides along with it, watch match videos of Tsubu/Dio to get a better grasp on how to play her effectively, and watch practical combo vids (read: NOT flashy situational stuff) to get a grasp on timing, positioning, etc. After that, study the matchup threads (in ABA's forum vs. her opponents AND in her opponent's forums vs. ABA), practice, and it will come together in time.

MAAAAAAAAAAN this fucking netcode. GGs to everyone I've played lately regardless, especially SantaPoring's S+ Bridget, DQRS' beast Sol, and SolidPlay024's Robo.

Oh snaps, Raekwonline I might be able to finally try the netplay tomorrow evening/night, so GGs in advance.

^Sol's voice options are in "Help & Options." This is not to be confused with "Sound," which is a completely different main menu choice as it's a combination sound options/sound test menu. And no, it's not true. "Milking" implies ArcSys is taking advantage of their fanbase using shady/unethical business practices. The idiotic un-logic propelling such beliefs is, "They're just being greedy and trying to milk us for our money!" The reality is that they're a business whose primary income comes from selling a handful of niche video games. Software, including games, already has a razor thin profit margin. Combine this with the facts that ArcSys is a very small studio (much smaller than people realize) and that their only "main" series are GG, BB, and P4A. If anyone is retarded enough to believe, "Welp, we released this year's iteration of BB for this year, time to sit back and sip muay thais while we watch profits roll in for 12 months" they're living in a fantasy land. "Entitled" is a word I believe is thrown around way too haphazardly these days regarding gaming, but there are just as many situations where it's perfectly apt, and it's the first word that comes to mind when I see people bitching on forums anout how they had to pay money for something that cost money to create like a bunch of spoiled children. ArcSys simply could not survive by releasing as few titles as they do per year while still having money to devote to new developments such as this port.

You can adjust the BGM, go to Sound from the main menu. And I realize you're personally being supportive, but if I hear that ArcSys is "milking" their fanbase one more time, regarding GG, BB, or anything else, people are getting punched.

^So the biggest issue is inconsistency? When you're playing on a "good" (minimal lag) connection, how often do you experience lag spikes/slowdown/dropped inputs? I'm glad the port itself is solid (no inconsistencies with the arcade version hopefully--anyone check for missing gatlings?), but hearing the netcode is lackluster combined with the bare-bones approach (no lobbies, no new modes like Challenge or Tutorial for newcomers, etc) is disappointing. I realize there's only so much ArcSys can budget for a $15 XBLA/PSN port, but I really would have preferred them to make a disc release if I had known the effort put into the DD port was going to be so minimal. I would have gladly paid $30-$60 for the features I mentioned and better netcode and I know most GG purists would have as well. Take my opinions with a heap of salt since I admittedly haven't tried the netplay yet, but here's hoping they at least patch the netcode for AC+ and step it up on the robustness of the release for AC+R.

GT: Skeletal Minion Character: A.B.A. Location: Atlanta, GA Times available: Not sure yet Looking forward to some GGs.

But this is as far as I'm choosing to participate in this debate. This isn't 4chan and I'm not going to further engage in a pissing contest with you over something so idiotic. Besides, I'm a fucking A.B.A. player, why am I advocating knockdowns?

Usually around 6AM CST judging from the handful of times I've been up for an XBLA title on "launch." Of course, the last time that happened was two years back, so it might be different now. 1. "American Combos" was not meant to be taken seriously. It's an old joke term for resets that's been used amongst the FGC for a long time. 2. Just to clarify: when you say "ground resets," are you talking about landing a few hits of a ground combo, then stopping it so you can apply "MIXUPS"? Because if you are, I think we can stop debating right now, since that would literally be saying "Why bother to convert after landing a hit, when you can decide to not convert so you can try to land another hit?" with different wording, and that is just too retarded to respond to. 3. "But he has time to think on KD!" Yeah, he does. However, what you don't realize is why that's irrelevant when concerning the superiority of KD, and that's because KDs FORCE your opponent to attempt a read. They might 1f jump, they might DP, they might 1f backdash, they might just block, etc, all that is true--but it's true because you are forcing them to make that guess. Before they pick any of those options, there's something that occurs 100% of the time: their character will, after a short period, stand up. They can't choose when to stand up (with the exception of Robo Ky) and it is inevitable, meaning that whenever they do get up (including Robo Ky if he delays it), they MUST attempt to predict you. Besides, that extra time they have to think isn't limited to them--it helps you out as well since it's not only more time to think about how you're going to mix them up, but also additional time to set that up, e.g., Johnny using Bacchus Sigh once they're knocked down or Millia throwing out a disc. This is another great benefit of going for KD > Mixup instead of resetting: your oki options in general are going to vastly outnumber your reset choices. If I knock someone down with Moroha A.B.A., my options are as follows: - 2K (low) - Throw (beats blocking) - Kashitsu (staggers on block!) - FB Bloodball (forces block into high/low) - safe jump j.S > fuzzy guard (beats DPs, goes into unreactable high/low) - jump in > Orbs just before landing (beats throw attempts) - Danzai/FB Danzai (beats everything that isn't blocking or super) - Properly timed 2H (beats throw attempts, cranks up guard gauge, begins pressure to increase gauge further) - 5D (overhead) - Far range sweep (beats some reversals) - Goku Moroha (staggers/wallbounces on hit, super invincible, huge frane advantage on block... If you're feeling extra ballsy) Now look at options upon resetting: - Throw (beats immediate teching with proper positioning) - Hit (deals already-prorated black beat hits to extend the previous combo, or starts a new one if landed after they tech) - Uh... Delayed throw or hit? There is no high/low mixup if you're both in the air. Instead of having a multitude of options to choose from, you effectively have two. Either you throw them or you hit them. What's more, you aren't forcing them to take a chance on reading you. What I mean by that is: it is entirely possible for them to just be mashing on tech and picking a direction (left, right, neutral) at random. You might have a "good" reset all planned out, the perfect trap like some madly laughing James Bond supervillain, only to completely whiff and look like an idiot because they happened to tech forward that time instead of neutral teching. With KDs, this does not happen. If he VVs, it's because he consciously input VV. If he backdashes, he choose to press 44. If he blocks, it's because he chose to block. If he escapes your mixup, it's because he correctly predicted the situation, at least to some extent. With resets, it's entirely possible he got out due to sheer luck. I-no is the sole exception as she's a strong aerial character with a weak ground game. The other characters you mentioned have good air throws, but that doesn't mean going for resets with them is worth giving up your oki. Take Anji for example: is a reset worth giving up butterfly oki or better yet, FB butterfly unblockable? That's not mentioning characters who get nothing off their air throw aside from a throw's worth of damage. If going for resets is only passable for one character, that doesn't make them a good general idea, but a character specific option which only looks good in contrast to the mediocrity of her other choices. If I-no's ground/oki game was better in AC, resetting would probably still be outweighed by going for the KD. Now that she is much improved in ACR, I'm willing to predict less I-nos are going to be resorting to air resets.

>People discussing AMERICAN COMBOZ Resets are garbage compared to KD simply because you are giving up something guaranteed (damage, knockdown) in exchange for a CHANCE of something--a gimmick, which is what all resets are. A good player will tech and FD, making your reset a waste and pushing them out, thus resetting the game to neutral, while they can beat a "ground reset" (lol) by simply, uh... Blocking. For throws, stopping your pressure to run in and throw is legit. Stopping your combo, which if continued would have given you damage and KD, to run in and throw is a huge gamble. "But what if I reset into air throw!" Neutral tech usually beats this since they fast fall. If you predict they're going to neutral tech and position yourself to throw them if they do, they can forward/back tech. Delaying tech period beats all airthrow resets anyways and if your reset involves hitting them after they can tech your reset can still be beaten easily by smart teching (teching just before the next attack hits you so it will whiff due to the white circle of invincibility you recieve upon teching). "But what if the ground combo I started wasn't going to get damage/KD/something else anyways!" Then you should be using optimal combos instead of shitty ones. If resets are working on your opponent, one of the following is true: 1. They're new/still learning the game 2. They're bad 3. It's a "so bad it's good" situation (see: Kusoru doing 2D > RC > 2D > RC > Wild Throw to beat SteveH at FRVX grand finals). This doesn't mean the player on the receiving end is bad, but rather that at the level of play they're on, they expect their opponent to play solid and not use stupid gimmicks, thus making them susceptible to them. But that certainly doesn't mean that tactic is legit, even at high level since the risk you're imposing on yourself is ENORMOUS. Guess what would have happened if SteveH had read that Wild Throw? Kusoru would have wasted 100% tension for nothing, in addition to the Wild Throw attempt possibly being punished. Another example of massive risks not working out would be the match between JWong and Gamerbee at EVO a few years back, where he random Ultra 2'd twice with Rufus. Both attempts failed, resulting in him being beat the fuck up AND throwing away his Ultra TWICE. The usefulness of resets in other games are debatable. They are not good in GG. This isn't Marvel.

So how 'bout that Guilty Gear? I'm late on GCN recommendations but if they haven't been mentioned already: Resident Evil (REmake) - Best game on the system IMO. Required. Eternal Darkness - Unique fourth-wall breaking horror Paper Mario TTYD - Absolutely charming, great writing, fun as fuck Psychonauts - Dialogue and humor are god tier, excels as a platformer, plot/characters are fantastic, final level is mindblowingly good

Room up under the usual name, "No0BarsPlease." Fair warning, I'm going to be experimenting with some Labrys stuff that will probably end up looking really retarded, lol.

GGs to everyone I played last night.

Room up, "No0BarsPlease."

Thanks TheRealBobMan for the reaction info, I found it to be an intriguing read. Any reason why ABA is so low? She looks like a megabeast from what I've seen Tsubu do. Is it the typical built in limitations that are holding her back (KDx3 = IK, normal mode, etc?). Elven, have you played any ABAs yet?