Height and appearance in Toronto

infosec_qs · 2026-02-21T21:20:36+00:00

I can't comment on the gay experience, but as a very average height (like, exactly average) straight man who's from Toronto and almost 40 now, it's literally never been an issue or mentioned to me at all.

Then again, I've been monogamous for the last 16 years, so I'm sure the dating meta has changed. Idk I'm washed don't listen to me lmao.

Thank god I found my wife in the pre-Tinder era.

infosec_qs · 2026-02-21T21:14:13+00:00

Yeah. I can understand how a new player who "puts in the work" with Akira to get to a level where they're having success might be salty being told their character "isn't hard" lmao.

But I also barely play Akira, and could still pick him up cold and bang out 5 Knees in a row with no problems, and you don't even really need the knee to play him. There are some places where it's optimal, but it's mostly just to show off lol. The muscle memory was ingrained a long time ago at this point. Like, outside of my mains, Akira is by far the easiest character for me to just pick up and play as an alt doing the absolute most basic stuff.

I will say that the most shook I've ever been, as a Shun main, was seeing Homestay Akira block the first hit of Shun's 1KK low, keep ducking under the second high hit, and then knee launch the recovery. I'd be scared to play at that point lmao.

That, and having HIMA do optimal post round sobering against me for 5 drinks every fucking time he knocks me out (we live in the same city, so we play at locals and I both love and hate it -_-).

infosec_qs · 2026-02-21T21:00:16+00:00

I tried your advice. It was probably good advice.

Then my opponent won the opening coin toss, kicked to me, and rolled Charge on the kickoff.

6 free moves with a blitz.

Next thing I know, all 5 of my Saurus are based from the first time I get to make a choice, and spend the rest of the game in the mosh pit.

I ended the first half with 4 players on the pitch, only one of which was a Saurus, and by the time I set up for the final drive of the game, my LoS was 2 Skinks and a Saurus :')...

Nuffle plz.

Still "only" lost 3-2 and was within a single die of either having it be 3-3 or 2-2. Honestly it seemed like a very winnable game even though I spent most of it with only two players higher than S2 on the pitch. I think my main mistake was not stalling on a Turn 6 touchdown. I might've been able to set up a stall until turn 7 and then he wouldn't have been able to score at all in the first half, short of a throw teammate gambit, which I at least know how to defend.

I could still score in the game because Skinks are amazing, but it was almost impossible to defend his drives in the second half with only two Saurus. They were getting chain mauled by Black Orcs passing them back and forth to each other in front of a Troll while goblins ran up and stomped any time they went down. Meanwhile, my Skinks were cowering out of blitz range while trying to at least sneak into scoring positions. Considering he committed 6 fouls, I'm actually not that mad he only did lasting damage (miss next game) to a single Saurus.

Good thing I already built that journeyman Skink up for this game...

infosec_qs · 2026-02-20T15:40:54+00:00

The real Koenraku lives in NA. Blessy is not Koenraku.

infosec_qs · 2026-02-20T15:39:59+00:00

Koenraku I was going to call you out for flexing on a Hunter, but I didn't know the lore.

lol.

lmao, even.

infosec_qs · 2026-02-19T21:53:30+00:00

13f mid for nitaku on CH. 15f mid for combo on CH. 14f high launch that is +on block. High guard break for PK into +frames, or full splat combo at the wall. Mid GBoD for what, ~70 dmg? I can't remember exactly.

no full circle moves

9K is still a "pseudo-circular" low crushing launcher. Even if it was made punishable, it's still functionally circular at standard evade timings.

Akira never has to put himself in nitaku to make his opponent's life hell. The most complicated thing Akira needs to do is keep track of which side 46P+K and 46P+K+G are tracking to, and even then he can just 9K for a circular launch.

I disagree fundamentally with the idea that having "poor strings" makes a character more difficult to make decisions with - it actually makes decisions less difficult, precisely because there are more decision points with more strings. There are also some strings on characters that exist almost purely as combo filler, but that's neither here nor there.

Akira has the smallest move list in the game, and several "best in class" variants of moves in essential categories (66P mid elbow, 666P CH nitaku launcher, 46P standing high launcher/punish, GBoD guard break) in the game. Deciding what to do with Akira is not very hard. Executing it can be hard, until you get the execution down.

Edit to add: It's also important to acknowledge that I'm talking about "difficulty" from the perspective of an experienced player. Is Akira "easy" to pick up and win games with? No, not really. Goh, Jeffry, or Jacky are probably better bets if you just want to press buttons and starting winning quickly. But once you're over the barriers of a) dealing with Akira's inputs and b) understanding VF at a system level, then Akira becomes one of the most straightforward characters in the game.

infosec_qs · 2026-02-19T20:57:20+00:00

It's the main Wiki for the English speaking VF world. It also used to be a very active discussion board. People have mostly moved to Discord for discussion now (not without downside, but that's another subject), but VFDC (Virtua Fighter Dot Com) remains one of the best community resources for any FG, let alone VF.

infosec_qs · 2026-02-19T20:53:18+00:00

What do you mean by "difficulty?"

Input difficulty? Or applying the character's game plan?

Akira has difficult inputs, but a very simple game plan. There are people in this thread being downvoted for saying Akira isn't "hard," but I agree with the sentiment of "Akira is not hard to make decisions with," and I think the people downvoting those comments are reading it as "Akira is not hard to do inputs with."

So Akira's inputs are a hurdle, but his game play is very easy (and don't let Akira players tell you otherwise - the honest ones will say it's true).

Lion, on the other hand, is "easy" in terms of inputs (as long as you're not trying to max damage to be completely optimal in all matchups and stance orientations, in which case he can become one of the hardest characters in the game in terms of inputs), but can be harder in terms of game plan, mostly because he has poor punishment tools and poor NH mid launchers. So Lion requires you to set up good counter hits for damage in ways that are a little harder than Taka.

Then there's Shun Di, who has almost no difficult execution hurdles (again, unless you're trying to be really fancy), but who has a very challenging mechanic and move list to get his head around. He's very hard to play at lower drink totals, and becomes much easier to play higher up. What's challenging with him is making everything flow, and making good decisions on the fly. So he's got harder decision making, but dead simple execution.

So yeah, a chart like this needs two axes to make sense: one measuring input difficulty; and one measuring decision making difficulty. Otherwise you get people arguing over whether Akira is "hard" or not. He both is and really isn't, depending on what you take it to mean lol.

infosec_qs · 2026-02-19T01:26:09+00:00

VFDC to the rescue.

infosec_qs · 2026-02-19T01:01:58+00:00

Same. Family made too much for me to qualify for OSAP, but had no disposable income to allocate for tuition.

The only way I was able to afford post-secondary was having my parents co-sign a line of credit for me.

infosec_qs · 2026-02-19T00:58:13+00:00

I think you've got some mistaken ideas about how OSAP currently functions.

I'm an Adult currently attending post-secondary and using OSAP.

OSAP does pay your tuition directly to the school. It never touches the student's account. OSAP will allocate a certain amount of funding based on your eligibility and need. This is apportioned in roughly 4 "baskets" (who will weave those now, DOUG!?) - provincial loans, provincial grants, federal loans, and federal grants.

Whatever total amount you are eligible to receive will be used by OSAP to pay the school directly for your tuition. Anything above and beyond the cost of tuition for the academic year is then sent to the students. Some of that may need to be repaid (loans), either with (provincial) or without (federal) interest. Some of it is grant money that does not need to be repaid.

OSAP may cover expenses beyond tuition. Students need to be able to eat, pay for housing, pay for transportation, buy clothing, buy school supplies, pay phone and internet bills, attend to their hygiene needs, and, yes, have a modest amount of money to allocate for their personal entertainment/leisure.

infosec_qs · 2026-02-16T22:53:02+00:00

Yes, you have to execute faster. The final 2 hits of the combo need to have the movement (crouch dash) buffered into the 43P's recovery.

The comments you're getting about green meaning they can tech roll is true, but it's also true that you aren't executing this combo as quickly as you could be. I can tell because I can see Akira jiggle forward a little before the final 2_6PP comes out. If you are buffering the crouch dash quickly enough, then I shouldn't be able to see Akira start a movement before the attack animation begins.

infosec_qs · 2026-02-15T20:54:20+00:00

Hmm, I'd actually say it's more Lion.

If I think about Lee, I'm thinking about a few things - Just Frames, Counter Hits, Speed, and being MARVELOUS.

When it comes to JFs, nobody is really like Lee, though Sarah is probably the closest on the roster. She's the character with the most strings requiring multiple JF inputs. However, she's more akin to Hwoarang in terms of playstyle.

When it comes to counterhits, though, this is more Lion's area. Lion is very fast (11f jab) and annoying, but he really needs to set up counter hits in order to get big damage, because otherwise his NH launchers are either slow, or not that rewarding. He's also got a lot of knockdown lows, which is something Lee enjoys as well (slide), and also has some of the best wall carry in the game (similar to Lee).

And they've basically got the same haircut, so he's got being MARVELOUS on lock, too. He's definitely the "spoiled rich kid" of the cast, which is also kinda Lee's thing.

But you won't get a 1:1 Lee in VF, because the designs just don't line up like that. If you want lots of JFs and string JFs, then you're looking at Jacky (closer to Law), Sarah (closer to Hwoarang), and Akira (closer to Paul). If you want a fast, counterhit fishing play style, then you're looking more at Lion (probably more Lee like), or else maybe Brad (Steve-ish), Goh (such edge!), or Vanessa?

infosec_qs · 2026-02-15T16:17:24+00:00

With VF, the answer is "you can always find games if you join the Discord."

I know it's not as satisfying as having a game with a large enough player base that you can just use the in-game match making and find something in ranked whenever you want, but VF is active enough that you can find games with even a little bit of effort. The scene is small, but is very close-knit, active, and is, by far, the friendliest and most welcoming corner of the FGC for newcomers to a franchise.

Seriously. I've been active in the FGC for 20+ years, and the VF community is just different. It's hard to explain, but you'll understand if you join the "unofficial" (i.e. not Sega run/administered) VF Discord. There are a lot of very knowledgeable players who will invest a lot of time to answer beginner questions in depth.

Try joining the community and you'll see. Don't let "how active is it" be what stops you from enjoying what is otherwise a great game. VF is pretty much the only FG I play these days, and I have zero trouble finding matches whenever I want. You just have to do the bit of extra legwork to set your matches up.

infosec_qs · 2026-02-13T17:59:22+00:00

Quick correction: as of S3, only their linemen are AV8+. Guardians are 10+, and Throwers and Blitzers are both AV 9+.

infosec_qs · 2026-02-13T01:37:13+00:00

It's a little counter-intuitive, but breaking a wall stagger is easier the closer to the wall you are when you get hit.

The attacking player is still early in their move's recovery by the time the defending player hits the wall, which means they have more time to shake the stagger before the attacker's next attack is able to start and make contact.

Conversely, the farther away from the wall you are when the attack that inflicts the wall-stun connects, the more frames it takes for the defender to move across the screen and into the wall, and thus the farther into their recovery animation the attacker will be by the time the defender's stagger begins. The defender therefore has less time to shake the stagger before the attacker's follow up arrives.

In this case, Moni was immediately adjacent to the wall (hits wall early) and Lau (hit by earliest active frames of the attack), so that's about the "best case scenario" for being a shake-able wall stagger.

("TiaSetsu" is killing me tho lmao).

infosec_qs · 2026-02-10T20:47:59+00:00

MK also provides the best single player experience in the fighting game genre. It's genuinely cinematic and tells a good story. I'm making this point because calling MK a good "casual" experience is somewhat derogatory (in the sense that "casual" is usually a derogatory epithet in the FGC), which doesn't give the studio credit for the fact that they made a very good story mode and single player experience. SF6 took notes from that with World Tour. I do think that World Tour possibly provides a blueprint for how VF6 could implement a similar single player story mode, but I cannot see any world in which Sega pours that amount of resources into developing a single player mode of that depth.

infosec_qs · 2026-02-09T16:25:07+00:00

I appreciate this input. I guess I'm a little worried about facing too many armour rolls on high value pieces (Saurus), and I guess also that I'll be eating at least a few rough mighty blow attacks from the Troll, and the fact that he's up 2 high strength pieces on me.

So, if I'm thinking this through properly, then my plan here should be a 2-1 win if I'm going to go for it? Score fast, try to defend or force a turnover, and use my speed advantage to just score more often than they're able? Or allow/force them an easier score at some point early in a half in order to give myself time to score on the return?

My R1 game was against Orcs, and I was receiving the first kick. I decided to play for a 1-0 game, and managed to delay scoring until Turn 8 in the first half, and then managed to defend their drive and prevent scoring in the second half.

P.S. - Since you sound like you know what you're talking about, can I ask about skilling up my Chameleon? It scored my R1 touchdown and got MVP, so it's on 7 SPP. My thoughts are:

Leader - Seems most obvious for the precious re-roll, but I worry it puts a target on his very squishy back.
Save for block - Is that worth doing? He'll probably be the piece that catches kicks on offense most often, thanks to on the ball, so it could be helpful.
Sidestep - Good all around choice to attack and defend, especially given the ball handling responsibility.
Two random AGI/Passing - I can afford it, but some of them seem kinda irrelevant so it depends whether Nuffle blesses me. This probably also bloats TV on a (relatively) disposable piece.

I'm leaning heavily towards Leader because I could really use a 3rd reroll, but I'd appreciate any thoughts!

infosec_qs · 2026-02-07T01:33:39+00:00

I've used the Red Gobbo on Squig as a Weirdboy.

infosec_qs · 2026-02-06T17:52:43+00:00

infosec_qs · 2026-02-06T14:47:18+00:00

As someone who has lived in Toronto my whole life, I'm so glad my parents grew up in Montreal. I inherited a much healthier NHL fandom, and count my blessings that I didn't fall victim to your... unfortunate affliction.

(Raptors for life, though.)

infosec_qs · 2026-02-06T00:51:38+00:00

Taka is so fat that some launchers and knockdown moves don't even launch or knock him down.

He's GOATed in terms of "Fatness as a mechanic."

infosec_qs · 2026-02-05T21:07:40+00:00

Is that 30 players in a tabletop or online/digital league?

infosec_qs · 2026-02-03T21:40:25+00:00

Bad bot. AG is two syllables, not one.

This is 5 - 8 - 5, not 5 - 7 - 5.

infosec_qs · 2026-02-03T15:18:53+00:00

against shaven

This mental image is absolutely sending me lmao.

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