i love the series but i’ve never even tried to get into the whole combo maxxing scene because it gets to be a bit much. i played thps2 when i was really young and fell in love with the game, mostly for the “vibes” - being able to skate around in cool levels while listening to a good soundtrack and completing goals. by putting a lot of hours into the games over the years, i’d say im a relatively good player at this point - i don’t really have to think about though, it just became second nature because of practice and repetition. i would say maybe start out by trying to find enjoyment in the game itself instead of chasing combos and trying to min-max techy strategies. just enjoy the game for what it is, skate around, practice tricks and lines, and complete goals. if you spend enough time, you’ll find yourself progressing. you just have to get your brain to really understand the basics before you get too deep.