I am Jeroen

Man, I'm lucky that there's somebody on this forum who has a good idea of the thought process behind all this. Very helpful. Thank you too, Young. I'm sure I will have more questions later. ^^

Yes, it's definitely very spacing and timing dependent. But that is something I'm quite used to from other games, different situations call for different answers. Although in this game the anti-airs are definitely not as guaranteed as with non-airdashers. Which makes complete sense now I think about it, haha. The most difficult thing is definitely, like you're saying, characters who can change their air trajectory. To the lab!

Yeah, I see that you really need to have a good understanding of the opponent's tools and options in GG. It influences the neutral heavily. I feel like I've gotten a better grasp of the GG neutral game, now I've shifted from a challenging footsie game to a more reactive footsie game. Defending versus airborne charaters remains a struggle though. It's not that difficult if the opponent is trying to airdash right into me, I'll just 6P or try to go for an airthrow (like Flick advises). But what is more challening for me is when they try to stay way above me and then change their trajectory on the way down. How should I approach a situation like that? 6P seems to be quite dangerous, because it leaves me exposed when I whiff it. I can try jumping away from them, but they might follow me with an airdash. It definitely isn't an advantageous situation for me to be in. Is this a well deserved mix-up on their part? Like, should I have not ever allowed them to get into that position in the first place? If so how should I have stopped them from getting above me? Some characters can get really high up into the air, outside of Pot's reach.

Nice, that is some useful stuff to know. So generally speaking this is a reactionary style game. You just have to look out for particular things and be aware of delayed double jumps and IAD. So according to what you're saying, react to IAD with 6P, react to jumps with 5P's (in case she does a delayed IAD) or jump to get an air throw. And I'm guessing that Potemin generally doesn't have the luxury to do pre-emptive buttons or FDB's (in case it whiffs). So I should only be sticking out buttons when I'm in range to hit the opponent or when I have a read on their movement, correct?

This is a repost from my thread in the noobie forum. I was told it was more suited for the Potemkin forum. Right, so I've played Guilty Gear casually in the past and have now Xrd has come to steam, I have decided to pick it up for real. I've got a basic understanding of the game mechanics and my character (Potemkin). This means I can pull off combo's, use my meter for defensive purposes, execute mix-ups and basic oki. These are things that are very basic and easy for me to understand. Now to what I don't understand, and that is the neutral game. Whenever I play or watch match videos I have no idea of what is going on. More specifcially, what am I supposed to be thinking of when I occupy this spot on the screen or what are these dudes in this video thinking as they're battling for positioning. I can get no further information from videos besides finding the spot on the screen that they want to occupy because (I'm guessing) it probably is where their character is strongest or they are least susceptible to enemy attacks. Let me give you an example. I'm playing as Potemkin versus a Millia. The round starts and Millia backs off. I now think to myself: "what do I do?" I know that Millia can airdash and be in my face in a split second. I know she can go to the air and do hairpin to put me into blockstun. Another is that she runs at me and sticks out a button. There are more options, but lets keep it to these three for now. My mind is now cycling through my own options: "Do I do a pre-emptive 5S to stop the airdash? Do I try to react to the jump and flick the pin or backdash and avoid? Maybe I should do a neutral jump on reaction to her jump and try to go for airthrow. As for dealing with the run, I'll try to hit 2D pre-emptively or do I wait for the run and then do it?" I choose any of these options, but guessed wrong. I get hit or put into blockstun, knocked down eventually and put into the blender. I have no meter the first time round and I didn't guess right, into blender again. I manage to get out somehow, neutral is reset. Now Millia can get to choose again from the three previously mentioned options. I choose wrongly and get put into blender. It's the end of round 1, I lost. Round 2 is starting and I'm hoping for the best. Is this how the game works (as Potemkin)? Committing to unsafe moves and hoping for the best? It's not just versus Millia either. I can give you a similar scenario versus Faust for example, or any of the cast for that matter. So how is this game's neutral played? Do you have to make pre-emptive decisions? Or is it reactionary? I can hear everybody already thinking, a combination. So then how do I approach the neutral? There is hardly ever a time during neutral where I don't feel at risk of a potential attack. So I feel the need (as a Potemkin player) to occupy space to stop any incoming attacks. Avoiding potential attacks is also an option, but because Potemkin has limited movement options, chances are that you won't get your precious space back. Looking busy (dashing or walking back and forth, sticking out buttons, hopping up and down) while looking out for a specific move is another potential option, but not for Potemkin. That leaves me with occupying space and blocking. Potemkin has far reaching normals that do a great job at occupying space, but they're slow as balls and have long recovery. So everytime I decide to hit them, I'm unable to block for a relatively long time. The only actions during the neutral game that Potemkin can use without much risk are 2P, walking, neutral jumping and blocking. Is this how the game is supposed to be played as Potemkin? I get street fighter neutral (reactionary, more slow). I get kof neutral (actively defending and occupying space, fast paced). Guilty gear (at least from Pot's perspective) doesn't feel quick enough to be about actively hitting buttons and moving around (because of his generally long recovery), but it doesn't seem slow enough to be reactionary either (I do nothing and before I can say bananahammock I am put into blockstun). Can someone explain how to approach the neutral game?

You're probably right, Airk. My initial thought was to go to the noobie forum, because that's how I feel when playing haha. Should I ask a mod to move the topic to the Potemkin subforum?

As no one has replied yet. I'll try to elaborate a bit on my issue. There is hardly ever a time during neutral where I don't feel at risk of a potential attack. So I feel the need (as a Potemkin player) to occupy space to stop any incoming attacks. Avoiding potential attacks is also an option, but because Potemkin has limited movement options, chances are that you won't get your precious space back. Looking busy (dashing or walking back and forth, sticking out buttons, hopping up and down) while looking out for a specific move is another potential option, but not for Potemkin. That leaves me with occupying space and blocking. Potemkin has far reaching normals that do a great job at occupying space, but they're slow as balls and have long recovery. So everytime I decide to hit them, I'm unable to block for a relatively long time. The only actions during the neutral game that Potemkin can use without much risk are 2P, walking, neutral jumping and blocking. Is this how the game is supposed to be played as Potemkin?

Right, so I've played Guilty Gear casually in the past and have now Xrd has come to steam, I have decided to pick it up for real. I've got a basic understanding of the game mechanics and my character (Potemkin). This means I can pull off combo's, use my meter for defensive purposes, execute mix-ups and basic oki. These are things that are very basic and easy for me to understand. Now to what I don't understand, and that is the neutral game. Whenever I play or watch match videos I have no idea of what is going on. More specifcially, what am I supposed to be thinking of when I occupy this spot on the screen or what are these dudes in this video thinking as they're battling for positioning. I can get no further information from videos besides finding the spot on the screen that they want to occupy because (I'm guessing) it probably is where their character is strongest or they are least susceptible to enemy attacks. Let me give you an example. I'm playing as Potemkin versus a Millia. The round starts and Millia backs off. I now think to myself: "what do I do?" I know that Millia can airdash and be in my face in a split second. I know she can go to the air and do hairpin to put me into blockstun. Another is that she runs at me and sticks out a button. There are more options, but lets keep it to these three for now. My mind is now cycling through my own options: "Do I do a pre-emptive 5S to stop the airdash? Do I try to react to the jump and flick the pin or backdash and avoid? Maybe I should do a neutral jump on reaction to her jump and try to go for airthrow. As for dealing with the run, I'll try to hit 2D pre-emptively or do I wait for the run and then do it?" I choose any of these options, but guessed wrong. I get hit or put into blockstun, knocked down eventually and put into the blender. I have no meter the first time round and I didn't guess right, into blender again. I manage to get out somehow, neutral is reset. Now Millia can get to choose again from the three previously mentioned options. I choose wrongly and get put into blender. It's the end of round 1, I lost. Round 2 is starting and I'm hoping for the best. Is this how the game works (as Potemkin)? Committing to unsafe moves and hoping for the best? It's not just versus Millia either. I can give you a similar scenario versus Faust for example, or any of the cast for that matter. So how is this game's neutral played? Do you have to make pre-emptive decisions? Or is it reactionary? I can hear everybody already thinking, a combination. So then how do I approach the neutral? I get street fighter neutral (reactionary, more slow). I get kof neutral (actively defending and occupying space, fast paced). Guilty gear doesn't feel quick enough to be about making activively hitting buttons and moving around, but it doesn't seem slow enough to be reactionary either. Can someone explain how to approach the neutral game?