Ever had the feeling you just suck at MK11?

[Eddy Wang]

Have never happened to you going online and find someone destroying you so hard, or you're struggling to win against someone and then you realize.
"Man, i should have anti-aired those jump ins."
"I need to learn the ins and outs of this MU"
"I'm still not good enough, need more practice."
"Need to start breaking those throws"
"That connection was terrible, definitely affected my reactions and execution, gonna start denying 180+ ms" 2 hours later, accepts a 205 ms match

That's some of the questions i ask myself when i lose in ranked from time to time.

What's weird outside of connection delay which is pretty natural, i don't really feel cheated, i just feel like i should practice more, so i keep jumping online to find more guys to play against, my biggest Win Streak was around 7 or 8 wins, but now i just win 3 or 4 in a row then i find someone with just as much knowledge or a MU i haven't experienced fully.

I wonder if some of you ask yourselves similar questions, do you feel cheated? Do you feel there are particular areas in the game that you should improve? I need to have a widen perspective of general struggles for this game so i can grasp which things to work on first whenever i have the time.

 

[Arqwart]

I constantly talk out loud while playing, calling out what they're doing to beat me and what I'm doing wrong as if I'm my own pro-game commentator. It helps me a lot to focus and readjust as I get my thoughts out. That, and it helps vent frustrations so I don't get tilted. Generally speaking, I struggle with jumping too much, being too dedicated to a predictable cycle, responding to opponents predictable cycles, and grab teching.

Outside of some shitty connection issues, I will never say I feel cheated though just the same as you. This game has very VERY few things I'd consider bullshit (basically just KB balance honestly) and most everything is more methodical. Win or lose, I'm having fun and learning.

 

[AZ MotherBrain]

It’s all still really early and this game is night and day compared to the last game. We are all still just learning

 

[Blade4693]

Ever had the feeling you suck at MK11...Lol every single day dude.

And yeah those things go through my head a lot. Even during the Summit and this weekend with Combo Breaker im enjoying the fights but then the thought of " You know if you were actually playing the game instead of watching everybody else play it you might not be so garbage at it" same thing when I am grinding ToT for my character goodies and the Krypt lol

Add on top of that that I have like 500/490 W/L ratio and still get bodied by people who have played significantly less than me doesn't help lol

Not going to give up though. I feel like this MK is the one for me. I love almost everything about it and do have a lot of fun playing it so im just going to keep grinding it out and try to have fun doing it.

 

[Invincible Salads]

my reaction to someone who does dumb things yet still manages to beat me?

OMG.....THIS DOOD FKING SMART......THIS DOOD FKING SMART!!!! THEY'RE SOOOOO...... FUCKINNNNNNG SMRRRRRRRRRT!!!!

 

[omooba]

my reaction to someone who does dumb things yet still manages to beat me?

OMG.....THIS DOOD FKING SMART......THIS DOOD FKING SMART!!!! THEY'RE SOOOOO...... FUCKINNNNNNG SMRRRRRRRRRT!!!!

mine is "am i stupid? i'm stupid! WHY AM I SO STUPID!!!"

 

[LightsOut452]

Yeah, this happens pretty much every day for me

Especially when I lose and have no idea what I could have done better, feeling that I've reached my potential and it appears to be really low.

I just have no idea how the pro players adapt to this game so quickly. Knowing I can't do so makes me wanna kill myself lol

But then I stay off the game a day or two and it's all gucci again

 

[FoughtDragon01]

I'm def still in that learning process when it comes to what my enemy can and can't get away with. The only thing that legit gets annoying is when the ping makes it near impossible to tech throws on reaction. Other than that, I've gotten pretty good at taking my losses on the chin.

That said, this is probably the most fun I've had playing an NRS game. Maybe it's my choice of main, but there's really no better feeling than properly outplaying your opponent once you've picked up on their habits. It's why I absolutely love long sets and hate one-and-dones.

 

[Invincible Salads]

part of me wants to just stay king of the scrubhill, the other part of me wonders if i can actually get good enough to make a name for myself, but that probably won't happen

 

[LightsOut452]

I'm def still in that learning process when it comes to what my enemy can and can't get away with. The only thing that legit gets annoying is when the ping makes it near impossible to tech throws on reaction. Other than that, I've gotten pretty good at taking my losses on the chin.

Hey dude your anti-airs are on point, and throw techs too.

These are my 2 biggest weaknesses so I was really impressed when we played yesterday. Good stuff!

You got any advice on how to practice these?

 

[JBeezYBabY]

I just say, "I fucking suck!" I need to tell myself keep learning and not get discouraged. But its hard at its current state of the game. I kno it will get better which is why i still stick w/ it. But at least im learning every character so i kno matchups slowly but surely. Uncle JBeezY will get there

 

[Corruption100]

I have one friend who makes me feel that way. I know hes beatable. Ive played competitive players, and he doesnt give that same vibes. Still it's like he just has my number and I cant even out a set with him.

Then I remind myself hes put way more hours than me into fighting games. I just get burned out too fast. So i take a break and play something else(dauntless has been fun) then i try my luck again the next time i get on.

Hes definitely the soul reason ive gotten better at d2 throws though. Jesus he throws a lot. Main reason i started using them more.

 

[FoughtDragon01]

Hey dude your anti-airs are on point, and throw techs too.

These are my 2 biggest weaknesses so I was really impressed when we played yesterday. Good stuff!

You got any advice on how to practice these?

lol, I appreciate the kind words since your Lao mopped me ha!

When it comes to anti-airs, it really helps if your character has a good, fast S1, so that way, it's more of a reaction to a jump-in instead of a read. After that, it's just a matter of figuring out decent conversions after you knock them out of the air. Another factor is whether or not you should even attempt an anti-air in the first place. Most of the cast is pretty free to it if they're too jump-happy, but certain characters like Geras, Kabal, Scorpion, and Baraka are all massive risks since their jump-ins are so damn good. I've never attempted anti-airing in MKX, and I like to think I got decent at it pretty quickly here, so I don't think it's too difficult to learn; it just takes some practice before it becomes second nature, kinda like whiff punishing.

As for throw techs, I've noticed that a LOT of people I fight against, especially in casuals, tend to throw forward, since they're walking forward as they press the throw button. So I typically opt to tech forward throw as a default until they start to mix it up. Another thing to keep in mind is which throw has a Krushing Blow attached to it, if any. Scorpion, for example, only has KB on his forward throw, so I tech forward for him almost every time just to deny him that extra damage. Some characters, like Skarlet and Noob, have KBs on both their throws, so at that point, it really is just a guess. (Top-tier balancing, NRS)

One last factor is the location of the closest corner. If you've got the opponent in the corner and they go for a throw, 9 times outta 10, they'll try to back throw and get you in the corner instead. Conversely, if the opponent is running you down into the corner and they go for a throw, they'll wanna forward throw to keep you in that corner pressure. Once I kept that in mind, it's made my techs way more consistent. The only thing that really grates me is that online, if the ping's too high, the game might not read your tech input. Lord knows I've eaten way too many throws because of that, but hell, who cares about online anyway?


Anyway, the absolute best way to get better at these is to just practice them in matches with these factors in mind. I've eaten clean jump-ins from botched anti-airs, and I've had my shit by a KB throw for teching the wrong way. But in the end, I've gotten better and better, and now I like to think my defense has become pretty solid, if the ping allows it, of course.

 

[Evil Canadian]

I get that feeling all the time cause I play too much from the heart.

Like I have played and beaten a lot of the best players in the world in a lot of different fighting games over the years

then I can play some random person and be like like how the fuck do I block moves whats even happening I don't know how to play FG's.

Just nature of the beast.

 

[Elias6999]

I feel like i’m pretty good at the game, but throws, random D2s, and JiKs are SO ANNOYING to deal with, and I feel like a bad player when I get hit by random throws or D2s or miss an anti air opportunity lol

 

[STB Sgt Reed]

All the fucking time man. Especially against fellow members of STB.

But I don't feel cheated (it feels like, when you lose, it's because you fucked up) unless it's Erron Black or Sonya. lol

 

[Peckapowa]

nah i whip ass at this game

 

[Edmund]

I get the feeling, and the worst part of it is when I am not sure of what the biggest factor is because it’s so early.
For example, is it a bad matchup? Is it lag? Is the opponent just flat out better than me?

It can be frustrating fr

 

[DixieFlatline78]

Absolutely. Especially today. First match I was playing out of my mind against someone who clearly didn't really know how to play. (Hes a decent SF player tho). D3, Micro-backstep B3 into max damage, max execution combo. F1 punishing a D1 on whiff. Instant dive kick on read to get under EX Air Glaives into a full combo punish. Insanity.

Second match I made some questionable choices but took control of the set. Then after that it just went out the window. I went on stream and got bopped. I watched the vod and thought "That's not how I play at all." I did empty jump teleport for no reason. I punished everything with D3 jump back.

I played a Kabal in casuals and I could not pressure him at all. I'd stagger F1 and hed punish my follow up. I'd finish the string and he'd block it. He never whiffed a single move for me to punish. I was at a loss.

Maybe it's my character is bad, maybe it's a bad matchup, maybe I dont have the matchup experience, maybe I suck ass, maybe I shouldn't be dropping so much cash on traveling for these, maybe none of that even matters.

Who knows man?

 

[Tanya-Fan-28]

Training in MK11 can be very taxing. Sometimes in the lab I'll be practicing something and think "am I really getting better? What's the point? I can't summon anymore will power to continue." I read about pro players in the lab for 10 hours, so I think "if they can do it +I can" then I find myself leaving to the main menu within the first 20-30 minutes.

 

[SaltShaker]

The only time it gets to me is when I do everything mentally wrong, but for some reason I always struggle with consistency. Like I could have 5 Rock solid games in a row, then games 6 and 7 are sloppy combo dropping late reactions missed whiff punish games. I have a hard time playing all 10 games as clean as I should for someone at my level.

It's hard to say "cheated", but it's massive salt when I lose games I feel I should have won. The game itself is fair though. There's moments I perfectly time an AA and get kicked in the face. Or times I'm about to close out the match AND BAM FB takes 32% and I lost. That's the closest I feel to cheated in regular matches.




Except Geras and Erron. That's cheating.

 

[Darth-Nero]

The one thing i adore the most in mk11 is that it auto record matches, That way when i lose a set i can watch the recording to fully grasp my errors and if i got stuck in a predictable patterns.

 

[xWildx]

I never feel cheated. Every loss is me asking myself, “Well, why the fuck didn’t I do insert option of choice?”

I don’t hate the people the beat me. I hate myself for not adapting quick enough and allowing them to beat me.

 

[LightsOut452]

lol, I appreciate the kind words since your Lao mopped me ha!

When it comes to anti-airs, it really helps if your character has a good, fast S1, so that way, it's more of a reaction to a jump-in instead of a read. After that, it's just a matter of figuring out decent conversions after you knock them out of the air. Another factor is whether or not you should even attempt an anti-air in the first place. Most of the cast is pretty free to it if they're too jump-happy, but certain characters like Geras, Kabal, Scorpion, and Baraka are all massive risks since their jump-ins are so damn good. I've never attempted anti-airing in MKX, and I like to think I got decent at it pretty quickly here, so I don't think it's too difficult to learn; it just takes some practice before it becomes second nature, kinda like whiff punishing.

As for throw techs, I've noticed that a LOT of people I fight against, especially in casuals, tend to throw forward, since they're walking forward as they press the throw button. So I typically opt to tech forward throw as a default until they start to mix it up. Another thing to keep in mind is which throw has a Krushing Blow attached to it, if any. Scorpion, for example, only has KB on his forward throw, so I tech forward for him almost every time just to deny him that extra damage. Some characters, like Skarlet and Noob, have KBs on both their throws, so at that point, it really is just a guess. (Top-tier balancing, NRS)

One last factor is the location of the closest corner. If you've got the opponent in the corner and they go for a throw, 9 times outta 10, they'll try to back throw and get you in the corner instead. Conversely, if the opponent is running you down into the corner and they go for a throw, they'll wanna forward throw to keep you in that corner pressure. Once I kept that in mind, it's made my techs way more consistent. The only thing that really grates me is that online, if the ping's too high, the game might not read your tech input. Lord knows I've eaten way too many throws because of that, but hell, who cares about online anyway?


Anyway, the absolute best way to get better at these is to just practice them in matches with these factors in mind. I've eaten clean jump-ins from botched anti-airs, and I've had my shit by a KB throw for teching the wrong way. But in the end, I've gotten better and better, and now I like to think my defense has become pretty solid, if the ping allows it, of course.

These are some great tips, why did I never think of the forward throw being the most common choice lol. It makes a lot of sense

Some helpful tips here man. Thank you!

 

[DivineImpalerX]

You can´t change the way your Enemys play the Game (you can cry and send hatemails but well...) so looking at yourself and what you are lacking in certain areas is a healthy mindset.

 

[SaSSolino]

I suck major ass at this game, but I don't want to start taking it too seriously until my man Shang comes out.

 

[LawAbidingCitizen]

I absolutely feel there is more to learn, matchup wise and even tech.
But I never feel cheated I just record my sets and lab what I did wrong.
All my buddies that where frustrated about 50/50s or number of hit guess or staggers catching them are losing to me now. I left behind the mentality that this or that is cheap. 50/50s are a tool to trip up even the best of players since they are guess and require reads. Reads only get you so far and are risky for the most part. I focus on spacing so my opponent can't land those staggers/Overhead Low/throws or ticks on me. I also try to find patterns in my opponents gameplay so I can make educated guesses instead of hard reads.
The biggest obstacle for me was the poke war and finding ways to end the back and forth poke no matter if they D1 throw, D1 into poke or jail poke into normal I find ways to pop them out with pushback or counters to most of thier options and it puts me in a safer place to not get blended.

But I have felt I need to get better every day since launch and it drives me to lab stuff up and play more sets.