Should You Play Against Better Players? | Getting better at Guilty Gear Xrd [Episode 2]

[@ronindelray]

Hang out with us on Discord! discord.gg/nCCFfwBmQ5

[@Rayyveil1]

Honestly, in my experience it really depends on if you're just randomly encountering them or in a vc with them, if you're in a vc they might be able to take you to training or something and show you what you're doing wrong, or what moves you should be using, while if you just encounter them randomly you'll probably not learn anything from the experience, and be discouraged. Good vid!

[@ronindelray]

Oh yeah that’s a really good point. I probably could have tried to make that connection between looking for people in discord servers and asking them for a more direct help through game by game analysis as well. Thanks :D

[@RedMufflerMan]

Getting crushed can be a valuable learning experience. In my time playing I've come across a very particular mindset. If I'm getting destroyed, I focus on one aspect that frustrated me throughout a session, be that a particular move, a particular situation, etc. I then hyper focus on that either in match, or after the fact in training mode to build up answers to "The thing that made me frustrated". The nice thing about playing someone better than me is that moves and tech that "Make me frustrated" come to the forefront more often. It IS frustrating, it can be demoralizing, but I've found the mindset of taking that negative feeling, and using it as an indicator of what I should improve on has been very helpful to me as a player. I personally think the idea of not playing against players stronger than you is kind of shortsighted. Frustration at learning is normal, but I think using that feeling in a productive way is a good skill to develop on a macro level.

[@cuecrunch]

i think if you have an idea of a gameplan(a simple combo, an oki setup) which is pretty easy with raven, you can learn alot just by playing any opponent because guilty gear especially is a game that will let you rob anyone with 50/50 unseeable mixups if you get going. If you'd played the tutorial you would have also known you had other options like FD or DAA. You can also try conversing with a player that beat you after the match, alot of them will be helpful, especially in smaller communities like anime fgs! playing against opponents of different skill levels is vital to get better. I think the notion that a better player will define a match being a negative is a bit stupid; a player playing "wildly" will also define the pace of the match and force you to play defensively, many matchups make you play in a "certain way". That doesn't mean you can't improve from them.

[@ronindelray]

Yes, you're right.. once reaching a certain understanding of the game, it becomes a lot easier learn from a much better player, but if you can't tell, I don't actually have a proper understanding of the game, and this video is kind of geared towards newer players (Not that I don't appreciate a higher level of experience perspective, it's very helpful). I do use FD quite a bit, but I don't think I actually know how to take advantage of it other than taking less chip damage during combos. On the other hand, I should definitely learn a few combos and mix-ups. Perhaps, that is what my next video could be about! I'll try to be more explicit about my perspective on the game in the future, so thanks for the criticism!

[@rya3]

as with most things, it depends on the person. for me personally i learned guilty gear through bashing my head against the wall vs way better players until i understood what i was supposed to do to not die as horribly the next time. that way of learning actually paid off now that i've sunk 500 hours into +R. but if your not as stubborn or patient as me then yeah i can see why playing against people wayy better than you could be a bad idea

[@ggmasterguiltygear6315]

YES

[@mawillix2018]

Yes, you should play against better players. It is (usually) best to find players just above you in skill level, but you don't really get much practice from beating up weak players. Repeatedly being put against players of "equal" skill level means your growth is probably going to stagnate, or maybe you'll grow really good at catching a weakness that better players don't even have.

[@wakeupsweep8278]

Yes.

[@afoolishk9266]

Scrub shoulda picked Leo

[@ronindelray]

You don't even own Xrd!!!!

[@afoolishk9266]

@ are you sure about that?

[@ronindelray]

😢

[@sylvianraccoon]

Well.... 🤔

[@ronindelray]

Yes?

[@sylvianraccoon]

@ronindelray It's debatable...😋

[@henryhenjum6030]

unfortunately this is literally just how defense works in gear. you do need to lab and actually learn how stuff works, like ib and fd, but the only way to learn how to actually defend and run competent offense is fighting people who know how to test your limits.

[@tdwl2802]

The issue is that often when you get a train run on you by a significantly stronger player, chances are they’re using tactics that are advanced enough to be completely unrecognisable by the other person. Getting crushed is only a learning experience if you are being taught what you’re being crushed by, otherwise it’s just a morale smasher.

[@henryhenjum6030]

@tdwl2802 the way these games work there's literally no way to figure them out other than like, google or grinding in the lab and figuring it out yourself. you can't be aware of them without having them done to you in the first place

[@ronindelray]

if 'something being done to you was the only way to learn it' was entirely true, tutorials would be set up very differently. there would be little reason to have a 'combos' tab set up in Dustloop. While synthesizing your previous matches is likely the most effective way to learn the game, you're clearly not talking about that.

[@henryhenjum6030]

@@ronindelray that is, genuinely exactly what I am talking about, idk what you are getting from what I'm saying. combos are not as important as any other aspect of the game, also. I'm referring to defense, mostly because offense is very "the opponent is playing my game now" in gear and it's the same no matter who you fight, just knowing if they have reversals or good mash buttons. defense you need to learn by being put in the blender, cuz theres a whole separate one for each character. and fighting someone your level can create bad habits if they don't know how to punish a certain defensive option and you become reliant on it. obviously you have to mix up your practice options, but I think fighting skilled players is very important. it's how I improve at any new game I try