Sophisticat

No one? Well, I'll take that positively, so I'll be posting up the new CS2 combo thread sometime this afternoon. This will have to be a collaborative project, of course, since CS2 combos are new and different and all that.

^ Eb is really Harper in disguise! :O Meh, can't say I didn't expect this outcome. Let's at least hope Harper tones down the lunacy and becomes more tolerant.

Nerf Lunakage. ----- Last tier list I saw for CT put her in solid mid. It was JP, too. ----- Jourdal, any more Chin (Hakumen) vids? I just checked out the recent Tachikawas and I don't think I saw him in there. Hakus need moar Chin!

Thanks for the info Schneider & Spark. Good to know. Doesn't work since only the second hit ground bounces. Besides, 6b's p1 has been changed to 50 (from 100), so you can't make lengthy combos off of it. Best to keep it nice and simple.

What is it that's changed that allows Haku to do the new corner loop? I keep trying to do it in CS and it doesn't work. At the same time, I don't see any significant proration changes that would allow it. What gives?

Brice, to Eb. I paid by Paypal a couple weeks ago. Np, Eb. You can give the $ to Brice. I like helping out a dude. :] (Although, technically, I didn't do anything. xD)

Brice! Give Cranky $25 bucks, and I'll pay you back the $25 bucks with the $25 bucks that Eb owes me unless you want the $25 bucks the next I see you, in which case I'll give you $25 bucks out of my pocket! (In case you don't get that, I'm willing to cover you, Eb. :P )

Won't be coming today. Have fun. :]

Alright! I got around to typing up a template. I think it looks good, but I don't know about you guys. A couple things: - Common strings should be the ones abbreviated. If there's something different about it in a new combo, just write it out normally then include what's different. - Let's use names for the common strings, as suggested. It's cleaner and easier to remember. I don't think we should do the same for generic combos since there's a lot more of them. I'm still throwing around ideas here. - Strings will be explicitly denoted by star use. However, regular combos will go by situation (midscreen, corner, etc.), then be listed by star use. Additional notes will accompany them if necessary. - You will note that I'm gunning for these to be optimal combos. I don't see any reason to list anything else in the main section, which is why I added a supplementary "misc. combo" section for other stuff that might be cool or interesting, but you won't make regular use of it. - For names, something simple and easy to remember is best. I'm not too at naming, so suggestions are cool. Thoughts? All feedback is appreciated.

Ok, I'll see about writing up a template this weekend. If you guys like it, we can run with it. If not, there's always the traditional way. Two things: "corner" and "midscreen" notations, and "going by starter move instead". For the first, we'd still separate combos by their position. But with my method, there'd be more flexibility in determining what you want to do with a combo. For example, you could say "5c -> (1) -> (2) is standard midscreen bnb, but switch out (2) for (3) if you're close enough to go into the corner". (It'd really look something more like this: Midscreen Bnb: 5c -> (2) [-> (3) for corner]) It's a rough idea, but you get the idea. :P Now, about starter move. The thing about the traditional method is that Haku's common strings can be started from a lot of his moves. On CH, for example, just about everything goes into standard Dustloop, and the only thing different is the damage. It's actually fairly common that his moves can do just about every combo he has, so starter becomes a bit irrelevant. With the new method, you'd first list the string, then list which starter it works for, then how each starter affects the combo. It sounds like more work, but with the idea above, you're listing a lot less combos than before so it should come out as less work overall. There is the idea that listing by starter makes it easy to find the combo you want. This could actually be a problem. Thing is, when you have only a couple stars, which starter you use becomes more important than the # of stars. I'll brainstorm here for a bit to find an elegant solution. The idea I have is also very "alpha" since I only thought of it yesterday (though it was a long time coming). :P I'll see about optimizing it for readability and "making sense". If it ends up worse than the traditional method for whatever reason, I'll just scrap it.

Lol, good thing that wasn't what it was about. Though seriously INTE290 is a joke. One of the Qs on the final was: "Which of the following is an acronym used in online chat rooms? a) LOL b) OMG c) GTG d) All of the above" And I had to get a DNW over that? FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF youuuuuuuu Concordiaaaaaaa!!

So, who's up to doing the CS2 combo thread? I think it's time we set something up. I wouldn't mind doing it myself, but it'll likely turn into "Sophisticat's CS2 Hakumen Combo Thread". I can assure you guys that's not a bad thing. I'm willing to put in the work to make it nice and organized, and I've been thinking of a singular way of sorting combos. I have come to the conclusion that Hakumen's combos are now a bit more unique in function than the rest of the cast. Meter management guarantees this. So, instead of listing combos by stars, starter, or whatever, let's make a list of common "strings", with the following factors dictating how a combo would be put together: - # of stars - Starter move - Situation Example 1 Haku has two fairly common strings: 1) Dustloop: [stuff] -> Enma -> j.2c -> 2c -> j.2a -> AD j.2a -> j.C 2) Hop pickup: [stuff] -> Gurren -> hop 5a/b -> j.a-b -> dj.2a -> dj.C However, you can also do something like [stuff] -> Enma -> j.2c -> 5c -> 5c -> gurren -> hop 5a -> etc. Using the notation I have in mind, we'd get: 5c -> (1, j.2c) -> 5c -> (2) Signifying that you do dustloop starting with 5c up to j.2c, then do 5c, then into hop pickup. Yeah, it might be a bit too complicated, but I think it's intuitive once you get used to it, especially with how long his combos get now. Example 2 (3) Corner starter: [stuff] -> renka(1) -> kishuu -> 6c (4) Corner loop: [stuff] -> 2c -> j.2a -> j.2c (5) Standard corner ender: [stuff] -> j.2a -> delay j.2a -> AD j.2a -> j.C -> 5c [-> Shippu] New corner bnb would now be: 5c -> (3) -> (4) x3 -> (5) Nice, simple, and effective. It's then easy to say something like "2a starter changes this combo to (4) x1". Now, the thing about these strings is that they're optimal, so what you're doing is putting together optimal strings that would correspond well to the starter you chose, your positions on-screen, what you wish to achieve with the combo, etc. Btw, combo pieces don't have to be given a number, something distinctive like "Dustloop" or "corner loop" would be good too. What do you guys think? Good idea in theory, or terrible in practice?

INTE290. You learn how to use Microsoft Office and what's a CPU. *cough* It's also the class that gave me the F/DNW grade, so watch out for them screwing you over. I also found PHIL210 hella easy mode, but I'm good at writing philo papers so it might not be for you. There's easier out there, I'm sure.

Maaaan, brutal final today. Just brutal. Going to be happy just to pass, frankly. I also got an F/DNW mark for my online class, wtf? I took the final, so hopefully I can rectify this or I'll call bull. Sweet. Hope you know a bit of Slayer, I'm trying to learn the guy. :D ------ I won't be there tomorrow since my last final is on Friday. Have fun, guys.

An ungodly marriage if there ever was one. I'll see about working on a cleaner post this weekend. It's exam crunch time right now, so a revision will have to wait for a bit. I also want others to comment and see if there isn't anything that could be done better. I'm pretty sure there's stuff that could be corrected in there.

HIDE YO' CARDS! PSN mass leak is bad news. I went ahead and changed all my passwords on everything ever. I'm ready to cancel my credit card anytime. Are you?!

Don't take it personally, just know that matchups aren't so simple that a couple moves determine whether it's easy or not. In fact, if you hadn't posted the wrong info I wouldn't have typed up that wall, so there was some merit to it.

6b RC -> 6b RC -> 6b? I think I'd do 6b -> RC -> Shippu for kicks. Or there's always the classic: 6b -> RC -> Taunt. Still not gdlk like CT 6b end-of-round finisher.

^ Only prior to AC. They took it out for some reason (though I think they made the right choice since it looks a bit goofy).

I would be inclined to agree. While Bang is strong all-'round, Mak's mixup and damage is simply superior. Ragna is frustrating because of the space he controls, but Haku still has the advantage since Ragna isn't all that safe. ... I hate you. <3

Reposting the post I made in the critique thread:

Go play Nini_Heart or Omniscythe and come back here and say the same. Until you have played a good Mak, you have not played the matchup. Now, No. 6c is slow enough to be parried, and 3c becomes easy to IB after a while. Then it's a 4-5k ride to the corner and you're going to have to try to get out. ----- Okay, time to make a (short... might expand later) match analysis here. Makoto's supposed flaws are a lack of range and modes for entry. This is irrelevant since once she's in, she's in and she's hard to keep out unless you're familiar with her block strings. More on this later. So Haku has to deal with her near Bang-like in-your-face pressure. I treat this matchup a bit like Litchi in that you don't want to get hit at all. It's much easier to deal with Makoto's spacing, but average damage is higher than Litchi overall. Best way to deal with her pressure: jump out + barrier. Only thing is, you can't do it anytime. Best to do if the other guy is going for a 6a or [slow low hit I forget the notation]. Both are a good opportunity to get out. You can also j.D and 2D them respectively if you're confident you can nab them consistently. I the corner, she thankfully has no instant overheads like Litchi, but you want to watch closely for an opportunity to jump out or go for a counter. Throw is also legit on her part -- do NOT get hit by anything as it easily leads into 6k+. For Haku, you're looking to fish for hits and work counters to condition the Makoto to not be so pressure-heavy. Low j.C is a nice spacing tool here and you can go into corner carry if you have the stars. Avoid 4c like the plague because of Mak's 3c. You can either jump out of it or go for a free 5c CH if timed right. When jumping in, watch for parry and DP. Work mixup by landing and going into tick throw or a low. For DP, either bait it or j.D counter. In close-quarters when you get in the first poke, keep up the pressure until you get a hit. You can also treat it like Ragna and see if you can bait DP. Haku's 2a has nice range on it than can make Mak's DP just barely whiff for a free 5c CH -> 5c -> combo. Okay, so that ended up longer than I'd thought. Hope the info is useful. I might add more later if anything comes to mind. Anyway, overall: My assessment is 5.5 in Mak's favor for the simple reason that her abare is ridiculous, her pressure is strong and it can be hard to distinguish between her moves (imo, she needs a redesign here). Her mixup is decent and her corner game is good. She can also be a bit hard to get in on because of parry and DP, though these are perfectly bait-able. Haku can space and play with distances to net an advantage. His counters can also do some decent work if the Mak is too rushdown happy. Be cautious and hit hard once you get in a hit. Go wild once you get her in the corner. Not an easy matchup, but perfectly winnable. Just don't get hit by 2a and you'll be ok.

Thanks for the info, that's good to know. By the way, could you also test the standard corner loop bnb, but with, say, a 2a starter instead? I'd like to see what's the minimum damage for 3star's worth of expense. EDIT: Sweet ass combo @32:35 with the "mystery Haku". Time stamp is noted in one of the top comments. Notation: Hotaru FC -> IAD (or AD?) j.2c -> 2c -> sj.2c -> Tsubaki -> AD j.2c -> 2c -> sj.2a -> j.2c -> 5c -> 2c -> sj.2a -> j.2c -> 2c -> j.2a -> AD j.2a -> j.C -> 5c. 6424 dmg, 5s. Fucking awesome.

I've always walked forward. You can also hop. There's plenty of time for either, so it's a preference thing.

Fuzzy block? Might simply be that the hitbox didn't "settle" into the right position at that point, so it hits.