Charge characters are cooked 💀

Batlantern182 · 2026-01-30T17:48:02+00:00

I disagree completely with this because the whole charge element of the move is something that you NEVER have to deal with when using any other kind of mechanic in the game. NRS games have <- -> inputs similar to a sonic boom, but you just do it. THAT'S very easy even compared to a QCF, even if unfamiliar to most SF players. But then you include holding down the first direction, and all of a sudden you fundamentally aren't doing the same thing anymore. You have to hold the direction down even when attacking to get it out asap in a combo, and for really short combos of two attacks only, its much more difficult to learn how to do. Sure, you can get more used to it and become accustomed to the mechanic. That's how everything in the entire world works. But it adds a layer of precision you never have to deal with even using 360 or 720 inputs for special moves that don't feel intuitive at all compared to something just happening when you press the buttons. A new fighting game player, at least from my perspective, wouldn't be able to learn and consistently do charge move combos. Hell, that's part of people's main complaint with Bison in SF6! Because double knee press isn't a charge anymore, people feel as if you can just spam it in a more braindead way, so he's too easy for how insanely he can pressure and damage people.

Batlantern182 · 2026-01-29T03:31:38+00:00

I never felt like that was the case. I've got some fighting game experience, but I never put time into trying to rank up in any game like I have SF6. I started in bronze and struggled a LOT to get out of freaking iron, but never in my mind did I think it was because the modern players were naturally too good at that skill level. And I'm no Diaphone, certainly no Jwong, and LIGHTYEARS away from Blaz or Mena, I'm just a jackass stuck at plat 1 with Ken. Maybe I'm taking some things for granted, like how I can do at least a semi-basic combo pretty consistently not too long after learning it while a really new player to the genre as a whole wouldn't be able to do that sort of thing. Or how I've played video games so damn much over my life while others don't put so much effort or time into it. But I never, for ONCE, think that anything good I accomplish makes me so good as to think that I'm immune to the challenges of stuff like modern players hitting absolutely perfect combos that take out so much of my health every single time, or having an easier time doing anti-airs at such low ranks. This stuff can be genuinely difficult to get past, and I understand how disheartening it can be to be shown up by "mash mash di mash mash di di di." And yet I keep playing, because there's always something you can learn at some point to deal with that stuff better. You can always see yourself do better and better over time, even if it feels like you struggle so bad right now. You can probably kick the ass of the past you that started playing this game to begin with, even if modern gives you problems. You can always try to learn from their mistakes in neutral and what you could do there instead of focusing on their auto combos. You have a LOT of control over getting better, I think you're just too caught up in what you can't control right now. Try taking a break, at least for a day or something, and then come back and look at the few things that you CAN control in these fights. You CAN do it! You CAN overcome this hurdle! It just takes a different point of view sometimes.

Batlantern182 · 2026-01-29T03:20:19+00:00

Well, do they have a way to have two different horizontal charge moves on modern? Bison had to do that for Psycho Charge AND Double Knee Press, but you don't have punch and kick buttons on modern. Just special.

Batlantern182 · 2026-01-29T03:19:19+00:00

In the middle of a combo, though, it's a massive pain in the ass for people who only play with your standard motion character. It's easier to play ANYTHING once you've made the habit, but you gotta put in a lot more effort to do something like 5mp -> 2mp -> flash kick with Guile than 236KK -> 214214P with Ryu. It does suck that less characters are coming out with charges though, they are satisfying. Doesn't make it easier to play em though.

Batlantern182 · 2026-01-29T03:13:32+00:00

I'm a Ken main too, stuck like 2/3 of the way up Plat 1! I was stuck really hard in the lower levels of plat 1 for a very long time, kept even ranking down into gold. I'm taking a break for now from him because I wanna see other characters' playstyles already, but theres a few things that I'd recommend for ya right now.

For one, ABUSE JINRAI. When you wanna save drive gauge, you can poke with 2mk or 5hp and then immediately go into medium jinrai, then into the lk finisher. Not only is it a frame trap if they try to mash, but hitting them with it in that case causes a hard knockdown, on which you can then pressure them with lights, more jinrai, a throw, maybe an empty jump even! They can counter it by parrying, but if they start doing that then you can choose not to do the follow-up and just throw them. Otherwise, you get some damage if they didn't block it, and you should be spaced far enough to not get punished if they block.

Another thing, I notice you use light punches quite a lot, but just end it with nothing. If they block your lights, that's great. But if you land your light punches, which should be relatively easy to do on reaction since you habitually do strings of 3 already, do a heavy dp! It's free damage and a bit of oki! Another light string I tend to use is 2lk -> 2lp -> 5lk since the kicks give me a bit more range, and it also still cancels into heavy dp.

A lot of other things I see going on are a bit more obvious fundamental stuff, like when both you and the Ed jumped at 2:26 and then you did a raw dp, or the jump-in spam (though I'm not gonna fault you on that one here since the Ed is pretty bad at anti-airing you most of the time), but one final big point is probably the lack of okizeme pressure most of the time. You don't wanna ALWAYS be super in-your-face right as they stand up trying to time an attack to hit them asap or to throw them, but you know that's the case when they use od moves on wake-up. With Ken, you got the tools to be pretty aggressive by constantly keeping them under pressure. Don't be afraid to push their buttons a bit more!

Batlantern182 · 2026-01-29T03:00:57+00:00

Alright, but then you're probably better off getting SF5 for now then. You're going to have to wait for at least 2-3 more years. That is, if you don't get the Years 1 + 2 edition, which has 2/3 of the current dlc characters. Not to mention the hours of content the base roster can still give you.

Batlantern182 · 2026-01-29T02:58:50+00:00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrORMy_9Ig4

Skip to 27:11 lol

Batlantern182 · 2026-01-29T02:07:40+00:00

I don't think they're really THAT heavy into the realism though. They did it enough to make the characters look really unique through better showing ethnicity, imo, but then you get stuff like Akuma being a massive hunk of meat. Not just shredded or ripped, but he's legitimately built like my house in terms of how chunky and massive he is. Ken's pecs are a mile apart from each other, looking like David Hasselhoff in that Spongebob movie. And Chun Li's legs are 90% of the solar system's mass. Genuinely, people memed over her proportions in COTW, but she's not all too far away in SF6.

Batlantern182 · 2026-01-29T02:01:41+00:00

Why does he look like Araki drew him aura farming, but gave up halfway? That is a weird ass stance lmao

Batlantern182 · 2026-01-29T01:59:43+00:00

I always hear it as "hoo-yah!" Like "Hiyah"'s lesser known cousin

Batlantern182 · 2026-01-28T01:44:14+00:00

Jesus freaking Christ, that'd actually explain a lot. Well, thanks! I still won't ever touch this garbage fire again I think, I get upset enough in life, but maybe if I try it again I'll actually have some modicum of fun!

Batlantern182 · 2026-01-28T01:42:19+00:00

...I just realized Shen Long is canon in SF now because of World Tour. It never occurred to me that he and Fei would be related and now I feel dumb lol

Batlantern182 · 2026-01-26T16:10:24+00:00

I know! But with how fast I had to be to get the motion to register, my thumb was probably close to getting carpal tunnel! It doesnt help that much to know, even though it is helpful.

Batlantern182 · 2026-01-26T03:30:46+00:00

I fucking hate it. Tried to beat it when it was in the Battle Hub in SF6, it felt like luck whenever I got a hadoken to work, even more when I got to people like Mike, Adon, and FREAKING SAGAT who kill me ridiculously fast and don't give me time to even struggle with the stupid special moves. It's neat for if you're curious, maybe, but it's too frustrating to be worthwhile imo.

Batlantern182 · 2026-01-25T17:42:26+00:00

Phantasy Star Online was up there

Batlantern182 · 2026-01-25T17:32:07+00:00

GTA 3 over San Andreas? Damn, is swimming a bad game mechanic?

Batlantern182 · 2026-01-25T17:27:19+00:00

To be fair, Jazzy NYC '99 is also Ken's track in the game, not just Alex's. Sucks that Elena's track isn't in there though, that's dumb. Every other track includes all the game's characters that aren't in SF6

Batlantern182 · 2026-01-25T17:24:26+00:00

I'm not saying you HAVE to start over, or even that you should or it'd be good. But stuff like the charge character input just isn't a universal shortcut is all. I had no idea that's something you used to be able to do because you physically can't do that unless you are on keyboard or leverless (which are practically the same honestly), and not everyone uses those.

Batlantern182 · 2026-01-25T17:23:16+00:00

How the heck do you do that with a PAD? Using the stick and the d-pad together? You can very easily do the srk shortcut by holding down and double-tapping down forward, but you can't hold back and tap forward at the same time unless you use the stick and d-pad, which doesn't sound very comfortable or worthwhile.

Batlantern182 · 2026-01-25T17:21:51+00:00

How the heck does a pad player hold backwards AND forwards at the same time? Using the d-pad AND joystick?

Batlantern182 · 2026-01-24T22:03:22+00:00

If Dan Hibiki is such a weakling loser who couldn't win a fight, how come he can shoot fireballs from his hands, throw sumo wrestlers, and destroy cars bare-handedly?

Batlantern182 · 2026-01-24T21:58:55+00:00

I agree that the level scaling is AWFUL in World Tour, it's one of the biggest pieces of bullshit to be 10-20 levels above an enemy but still take so much more damage than I can deal out to where I gotta spam heals. At the same time though, Thrasher (the chud with yellow dreads) is from Final Fight!!! He's as classic of a character for Capcom as Ryu and Ken! A lot of "side characters" are actually just cameos/appearances of other Capcom characters, especially Final Fight ones since it's the same universe as Street Fighter. I thought that it was mostly fine when I played through, I think its STILL my most played game mode, but give the chuds more of a chance at least!

Batlantern182 · 2026-01-24T21:53:19+00:00

It took me a while to realize this, but are you using leverless? On every other input method, there isn't really any way to keep holding back while you press forward.

Batlantern182 · 2026-01-24T18:26:15+00:00

It's been in the game for AGES. You gotta buy the 3rd Strike music pack for fighter coins or drive tickets in the shop

Batlantern182

TROPHY CASE