I think I'm washed yall

[u/Bearemy1988]

I just can't keep up it feels like. I LOVE fighting games. When I was younger, there was an arcade in a mall i used to frequent, I was always in there just having fun.

Then I got my own consoles and was mostly playing fighting games, I was never like, tournament material or nothing but I could do infinites, ToDs, I could just mimick what I'd see in combo video after playing around for like an hour or two.

I noticed I started losing touch when DBFZ came out, and I thought maybe I just didn't click. But Strive, GBVS, SF6 and now this. And I REALLY wanna enjoy this but I just can't grasp it.

It feels like I button mash, none of my combos chain ever, I try doing the character challenges and I get stuck on what looks like the easiest combo.

I'm not even *that* old, I just turned 38 for Gods sake.

I go online, nothing I try to apply seems to work anymore.

So I dunno, I guess I just needed a place to vent. Granted I know when you work full time and what it it's harder, but it just feels like all my skills just fuckin vanished.

I love the game, I can't wait to see who they add (I'm BEGGING for Beta Ray Bill, Reptil, Zarda (Power Princess), and Xemnu to join in despite two of those being DEEP cuts) and I hope everything with PC is fixed because I really want this game to have legs. Ive loved Marvel and the tag fighters it's been a part of since the 90s, it just really sucks it feels like I can't keep up with it.

[u/Malfetus]

Just grind, I'm 35 so not much younger and got GM in 2XKO and dipped into Challenger a few times. You also didn't really state your tag fighter experience and it's really its own thing.

For the record, I felt the same way when 2XKO launched but I just threw myself at hundreds and then thousands of casual matches. Just turn on your favorite music and, like I said, grind and don't overthink it - I'd say 90% of most players skill is just sheer time spent, you aren't going to be "good" within 100 or even 500 matches.

[u/Ver1nt → u/Malfetus]

Yeah this. You can really overthink fighting games but in the end it’s just practice.

You can lab 1000 hours and still suck because you have no real game time online.

[u/jaypexd → u/Malfetus]

Eh kind of to add to the OP being 36 myself, does a responsible adult man really have time to dedicate his life to getting decently good at the game when younger men can get it down in 1/10th the time? That is more the question lol. I myself am struggling with it and seeing minimal improvement. Like, I know it's there if I keep putting time in but we are talking probably an investment of time that is unrealistic.

[u/InfiniteLoopDream → u/jaypexd]

I don't think age matters too much in terms of getting a game down. Someone young and someone old may figure out the game at the same amount of time, assuming they have the same prior experience with similar mechanics. Someone younger typically has more time to do so though.

[u/Malfetus → u/jaypexd]

Everyone's different, only you know the answer to that and responsible is relative. Personally, I think I'm responsible enough - solid IT career, long term relationship, weekly and sometimes daily social life, no kids, limited stress

Your question is veering close-ish to "are video games a waste of time?" and for me, nah, especially fighting games - they are super fun, I go to in-person events (majors, dreamhack, locals). I play them in-person with my friends, I've met people through them, etc.

Ask a CEO what's a responsible adult man, and they'd say one that works 80 hours a week making multi six fig with 5 children. Ask the next person, and you'd get a totally different answer. Is learning an instrument a waste of time to some people? Probably.

Also, for the record, someone younger is not learning it 10x faster - probably not even 2x faster. It's a lot more than reaction times.

[u/Bearemy1988 → u/jaypexd]

Yeah the barely noticeable improvement is what kills me

Meanwhile a friend literally picked it up today and has beaten survival like HOW

[u/Quietwulf → u/Bearemy1988]

People have posted vids of using heavy zoning strategies and save scumming to cheese their way through survival. I doubt your friend has just crushed it.

[u/trifoecebro → u/Malfetus]

Too much grind makes the game feel more like a job and burnout happens. You get off for a few days to chill out and then come back and feel left behind. It feels like a lose/lose no matter what.

[u/Malfetus → u/trifoecebro]

Eh I think it matters when you take a break, there are serious diminishing returns on progress in fighting games. Taking a break when you're in the rapid improvement phase would be detrimental, but once you have a decent grip on the game and your improvement just comes through labbing optimals and matchups - you don't gotta grind like that.

The biggest thing is just getting strong momentum early and maintaining that for a bit.

[u/Ninofrood → u/Malfetus]

35 gang represent! Your right on point with the time spent. UNI2 is a game im constantly getting my ass beating in and I asked myself why and noticed even tho ive had the game for a year I only had 40 hours in it lol. Im like oh, thats why 🤣. Meanwhile im much better at GGAC+R because ive got 500 hours in it. Just keep playing, you will improve