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What have you done to improve your game since UMK3's release to XBLA?

Konqrr

MK11 Kabal = MK9 Kitana
I don't think I've changed at all, seriously, I never try to anticipate what my opponent will do because I'm too busy blocking in fear of what my opponent might try to do, and I try to counter everything while not blocking lol

I would like to hear from Sugar, Shaney, Annihilator, KM, and DC Hustle especially. But everyone is welcome to post of course ^_^
 
Wow, I've improved alot since I started playing.

It's hard to say. When I first started playing (on XBL) I had no idea about this site or competitive MK. All I knew what I played this game at the local arcade alot when I was a youngin and loved it. I used to be a Kabal and roboSmoke noob (the kind of people I make fun of now, kinda ironic)

I honestly don't remember what pushed me to take it to the next level but I did. I think I came across this site while looking for combo vids or something, then ran across the fourm where I saw all these people talking about competitive MK and stuff and that excited me so I guess I decided then and there to start being "good"

If it werent for this site I wouldnt give a shit about this game.
 

Tim Static

Adminerator
I started playing better comp, came to this site, and most importantly...GOT A STICK.
Same here.

I came onto XBL with a very cocky attittude thinking because I worked at an arcade back when all the arcade MK's were out, that I was the best and I could beat anyone and everyone.

Ahhhh, wrong.

I would random select all the time. I would mercy when I had hardly so energy. I would mercy when I had alot of energy and still fumble the ball. Now, I have gotten alot better than tha, but I pail in comparision BIG TIME to alot, if not most on this site. This high level play is very new to me, but it doesnt matter because I need to start playing alot more, instead of buying every new 360 game that comes out, barely play that and trade it back in for another new game. Granted, I also play my PS2 & Dreamcast games alot more than I play my 360. And given the fact I am a single father of 3, who has ALL 3 kids at all times, AND work 3rd shidft, its hard to find tme to play.

So this is my resolution:

Play.

Play.

Get wrecked.

Learn.

Play.

Get better than all of you.

Dont get me wrong, I respect you all, and I want to learn, but I want to be the best.

Dont anybody take that out of text. Like Sherman Edwards, at the time NYJ's head coach said, "YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME."

I'll be on XBL tonight. Hit me up for some gamage. doods. :)
 

Konqrr

MK11 Kabal = MK9 Kitana
Good stuff guys, keep it coming.

Wow, I've improved alot since I started playing.

It's hard to say. When I first started playing (on XBL) I had no idea about this site or competitive MK. All I knew what I played this game at the local arcade alot when I was a youngin and loved it. I used to be a Kabal and roboSmoke noob (the kind of people I make fun of now, kinda ironic)

I honestly don't remember what pushed me to take it to the next level but I did. I think I came across this site while looking for combo vids or something, then ran across the fourm where I saw all these people talking about competitive MK and stuff and that excited me so I guess I decided then and there to start being "good"

If it werent for this site I wouldnt give a shit about this game.
What specifically did you do to improve though? I remember being able to beat DC 9 times out of 10, now I'm lucky if I get one in 25! What do you do now that makes you win?
 
I was plain bad at this game when it came out. My cousin and my best friend used to play it a lot back in the day, but both of them beat me! Now I show them things they didn't even think existed.

There's been a few giant leaps for me. The first one was getting down "difficult" combos. The main three combos for me were kabal's aahphp jk afb, lao inf, stryker inf.

The second was run jabbing, and the entire run jabbing game.

The latest leap I've taken in this game is the realization of offense, defence, consistency, impulsiveness, and first hit.

I've learned this game is more about offense and defence than thought. There's counters as well, but it's easier to win on offence than it is to counter. The goal for me is to make people choose. I try and always make them choose, not the other way around. I try to get the first hit always, i've put much more stake in it as of late. I try to always stay on offence. I (in a serious match) only do combos that I know I can do. People get very desperate at certain times in a match (watch anyone losing with kabal). Almost everyone is the same. Watching people's psycological tendancies when they're about to win or about to lose are important.

On a technical side of things I've been noting down combo whiffs in my head and watching out for those. Also forever on the aahp, taking away someone's abilitly to jump (for fear of giant combos) makes the game so much easier. I don't think you can ever get too good at it; I'm always practicing.

One more thing...Watch what people do after throws/sweeps with each character. It's a move they usually do by nature and don't think it through.

Those are all the things I've been doing lately.
 
Another thing that may be worth mentioning is focus. Do what it takes to get YOU focused. Personally I have been diagnosed with ADHD and leave it unmedicated. It's terrible for school but excellent for videogames and sports. I heard something last week during a research paper that persons with adhd go into something called "hyperfocus" where they focus more energy than an average person on any particular activity. That might be a load of bullshit but at least it's interesting lol.

What I do when I'm really trying to play well is take stimulants. Whether it be redbull, coffee, nicotine, weed, whatever. Any stimulant helps me focus and pay more attention to the game. I always play my best early in the night when I'm drinking a big cup of coffee or something. Does this work for anyone else?
 
^ i hear ya there...

I've noticed i perform better at certain parts of the day, and with certian environmental things going on around me. A big part of it is keeping focus and even flow and not getting to excited when it comes to win/lose ratio. It's been years sense I played this game and when I got my 360 umk3 was the first thing I wanted lol altho, working with the joystick is alot different for me. but I guess as far as the topic goes...I'd say stay focus, not getting frustrated over lag or not pulling on moves cause of this f***in' joystick, try and keep good flow with you and your opponent, and to change your paterns frequently (even tho I often do not, I really need to).
 
I literally got UMK3 on XBL last week. I have always loved MK, but I never got into the competitive scene. (I never even knew about it.) It started when I was just checking out the combo videos that stem from this site. I thought to myself, "Wow, I want to be that good." So, I came here...

I'm still learning, but I'm definitely making progress, and fast. If it wasn't for this site, I'd probably never have thought of the high-level strategies and combos.

[ps] If anyone would like to play with me and/or give me some tips on how to improve, please send a friend request.
 
Good stuff guys, keep it coming.



What specifically did you do to improve though? I remember being able to beat DC 9 times out of 10, now I'm lucky if I get one in 25! What do you do now that makes you win?

Well I know one thing I do now that I dident do before is NOT rush the whole time. Like, you know what I mean?

If you rush the WHOLE TIME you're going to make a mistake.

I go 50/50 rush and defense now. But before it was just "Win, win, win!!!!!!!"

You know? I've realized it's a chess match, not a mad dash to the finish line. I see so many noobs just trying to end it the whole time, and that's not what it's about. You gotta rush true, but you also gotta let up some times and see what your opponent does.
 
I remeber when i seen Konqrr vs MK OWNS U, and i seen broken get the rh, teleport, spear combo with hs, that amazed me when i saw it. From that day foward thats when i realized that i wanted to learn how to play UMK3. Anways, watching combo videos, reading the strategy guides, looking at match videos, practicing in arcade mode, getting owned, learned some run jabs, learning from other players,and adapting to different playing styles is what got me good at this game.


Play someone good for a good while and watch when you play someone that you use to struggle with and see how easy it is for you.
 
I remeber when i seen Konqrr vs MK OWNS U, and i seen broken get the rh, teleport, spear combo with hs, that amazed me when i saw it. From that day foward thats when i realized that i wanted to learn how to play UMK3. Anways, watching combo videos, reading the strategy guides, looking at match videos, practicing in arcade mode, getting owned, learned some run jabs, learning from other players,and adapting to different playing styles is what got me good at this game.


Play someone good for a good while and watch when you play someone that you use to struggle with and see how easy it is for you.
Yeah the old XBL match vids used to amaze me too! :)

Now I do that stuff all the time.

XBL UMK3 has definately evolved. The general and specific strat guides here helped me out A LOT in the beggining too. thanks to whoever wrote those. But, you gotta have your own style - regardless of how small a difference it is. You gotta have your own way to rush and set up stuff. And you gotta be able to adapt and set up stuff differently.

Hell I've played 20,000+ games and I'm still learning.
 

Droopy

Noob
Practice the combos, learn their maximum damage, do this with every character, then when you got it all down, learn techniques and timing your rushdown with jabs and jumpstart combos, its all bout readin people. Playin the best in the bizz doesnt hurt...well maybe a little but you gotta crawl before u can walk.
 
Another thing that may be worth mentioning is focus. Do what it takes to get YOU focused. Personally I have been diagnosed with ADHD and leave it unmedicated... Does this work for anyone else?


hahahahahahahahahaha

i was "diagnosed" with ADHD when I was 15 and I hated school.
but im from california, they diagnose everyone out here with that shit

i left it unmedicated, until I turned 18 and bought some legal herbal perscriptions

which has now expired and I gotta pay the 100 dolla fee.

Anyway

Yesssss, I get fucked up before I play man so I don't care....

I get mad otherwise.

I take a snap every time I fuck a combo up REAL bad. I got the 2 footer on constant bubbles when I'm on XBL....

I drink coffee sometimes to make me a little 'faster' or whatever but idk.

it just makes me jittery if I have like 3+ cups

and I can't do reptile combos AT ALL, only fast ass rush downs and all that

see, I think that's why I smoke herb to get in the zone, I like to see everything at a pace i'm more familiar with


anywayyy

that's my two cents.
 
I'd like to add something else too: It's important to have fun. If you ever find yourself NOT having fun, just stop and play something else.

When you're having fun you're playing loose and unpredictable. When you're playing mad you're just rushing and playing stupid and most likely losing.
 
I'd like to add something else too: It's important to have fun. If you ever find yourself NOT having fun, just stop and play something else.

When you're having fun you're playing loose and unpredictable. When you're playing mad you're just rushing and playing stupid and most likely losing.

...agreed.
 

Goblin Bones

Graveyard Glow
Another thing that may be worth mentioning is focus. Do what it takes to get YOU focused. Personally I have been diagnosed with ADHD and leave it unmedicated. It's terrible for school but excellent for videogames and sports. I heard something last week during a research paper that persons with adhd go into something called "hyperfocus" where they focus more energy than an average person on any particular activity. That might be a load of bullshit but at least it's interesting lol.

What I do when I'm really trying to play well is take stimulants. Whether it be redbull, coffee, nicotine, weed, whatever. Any stimulant helps me focus and pay more attention to the game. I always play my best early in the night when I'm drinking a big cup of coffee or something. Does this work for anyone else?
i am diagnosed and unmedacated as well i was diagnosed with A.D.H.D. in the begining of second grade and didnt get off the meds till the begining of my highschool year. and i find the biggest problem i have is focus. the thing i have the biggest problem with is when people talk to me on live i cant concentrate at all and start fumbling everything . i find the best thing for me to get into the game is just that Get Into the game and i have to be calm the more upriled i am the worse i do .. i find putting music at the right volume (so i can still hear moves) helps me stay focused
 

Goblin Bones

Graveyard Glow
and i another thing i play better at night .
as far as what i have done to improve beyond that to actually improve is to mix up my play styles and learn new ones . for example one round play completly defensive and the next be more offensive just try to keep it mixed
 
AcidSoul, if you accepted runjabs and blocking as part of the game and learned to utilize them you would be much...much better.
 

Goblin Bones

Graveyard Glow
AcidSoul, if you accepted runjabs and blocking as part of the game and learned to utilize them you would be much...much better.
Ya know i have been thinkin it over a lot and i think im ready to give in ... but i will need some help getting it down if anyone would want to help.
and


on a side note i know there is another thread for this but with all seriousness what would you (MistaKm) Rate me? and then what do you think i would be around if i could get the RJ's down?
 
Well if you're Cwell AKA megalomaniac I'd HONESTLY rate you a 3/10 comparared to everyone else HERE.

Compared to XBL standards i guess I'd give you a 6/10

Cwell/mega is pretty bad man. And I know he makes alot of tags, and I faintly remember something about you being him or conected with him or something.

I dunnoo man im drunk as a skunk, What do I know? fucking UMK3 hahahaha
 
Playing better players. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE playing terrible players and tearing them up, but it gets repeatitive. Playing better players is the main way to get better. Not only playing them, watching them as well. Ive been playing on XBL for over a year now, and I'm still only a little above average. It takes so long, so much dedication to be good at this game it's rediculous. But since there's a decent number of good players on XBL, you are constantly bettering your game.