This game seems to defy human nature...

[GooglyMoogly!]

I'm doing some tutorials on how to block grab moves. And you pretty much have to do it the nanosecond the initial grab animation begins.

Keeping an eye on blocking highs/lows and then checking constantly for grabs. I feel like I have to be Dr. Manhatten in order to do well in this game.

[Goose]

I mean you can mash too.

[HeartBreak]

to be honest you are really supposed to predict throws, that tutorial was a bit unfair, actually several were pretty hard

[Jay Dee]

dont think, feel. seriously in any fighting game you are not expected to escape throws on reaction, you must see it coming before it happens. but yeah i must admit this game can bee a bit too fast paced for begginers.

[GooglyMoogly!]

Originally posted by JD:

dont think, feel. seriously in any fighting game you are not expected to escape throws on reaction, you must see it coming before it happens. but yeah i must admit this game can bee a bit too fast paced for begginers.

Oh good. Now I feel better. A few tutorials I think could have been designed better.

[Simply Rikkid]

I don't want to be THAT guy, but the tutorials aren't designed to teach you how to hone your skills to the finest, the game itself is there so you can learn how to apply what you know through trial and error, be it online or with AI.

It depends on whether you play fighting game to have a second nature to it, or are new to them entirely, as some people learn the basics of these games faster than others.

[GooglyMoogly!]

Originally posted by ♥ Liquid:

I don't want to be THAT guy, but the tutorials aren't designed to teach you how to hone your skills to the finest, the game itself is there so you can learn how to apply what you know through trial and error, be it online or with AI.

It depends on whether you play fighting game to have a second nature to it, or are new to them entirely, as some people learn the basics of these games faster than others.

I am absolutely new to fighting games entirely

The way I've been working with the tutorials is to learn a few techniques and then test them out through trial and error.

[JasonS]

You're not meant to be able to throw break on-reaction to the throw animation. You have to anticipate the throw based on your opponent's actions (like say, suddenly stopping their attack chain and walking towards you)

[DestructionAdv]

Originally posted by Jason:

You're not meant to be able to throw break on-reaction to the throw animation. You have to anticipate the throw based on your opponent's actions (like say, suddenly stopping their attack chain and walking towards you)

This, also remember that you can't throw or throw tech (or throw break as some say) crouching. It's one of the hardest part of this game (defense against mix ups and the like) and fighting games in general, so don't get discouraged if it takes a while to get a good defense.

[Chrono_Tata]

Actually, Mike said on IRC that the current throw-break window is just a bit over possible human reaction time, although I can't remember the exact figures he quoted. If you really concentrate and look for the throw, you should be able to break it on reaction, but obviously in a real match, there are a lot of other things you will be thinking about, so you will be breaking most if not all throws by anticipation. It's theoretically possible for someone with very good concentration and reaction time to break throws on reaction though, I suppose.

[DixiE]

Breaking throws on reaction is pretty much impossible online anyway because of inevitable input delay.

[JasonS]

Originally posted by Chrono_Tata:

Actually, Mike said on IRC that the current throw-break window is just a bit over possible human reaction time, although I can't remember the exact figures he quoted. If you really concentrate and look for the throw, you should be able to break it on reaction, but obviously in a real match, there are a lot of other things you will be thinking about, so you will be breaking most if not all throws by anticipation. It's theoretically possible for someone with very good concentration and reaction time to break throws on reaction though, I suppose.

Throws have a 7f startup and the throw-break window is 11 frames wide therefore the time you have to see the throw and react to it with a break is about 18 frames.. but when you include the build-in frame skip its more like 16 frames.. which is borderline.

Pure twitch reflexes are about 11 frames for most people, but at that point you're just seeing movement from your opponent and making a guess. When you add on the time it takes to identify the throw animation and then react with a throw break, its much, much harder.

[123 Casual Player]

It's not like the throw startup animation is screaming "I am throwing you" or something. This isn't the flashing red screen that scientist use to determine reaction time. So to call it reactable by counting at the start of the throw animation is just silly. By the time the animation becomes obvious it's already too late.

Most people look for those sudden pauses in combos or stops in block chain. But those are not reliable at all. Some stuff like a blocked squigly dive kick has no movement telegraph. Even if do spot a early telegraph, it can be a fake. The same pause might lead to a c.lk or a burst bait, guess wrong and you die.

Just recently I start doing this fun air throw/burst bait 50/50, both comes at the exact same time with the same delayed jump. Good players gets out of the throw sometimes, but then they will almost always get burst baited once I made obvious that I can throw reset.

Proper spacing and not getting into block chains are the only reliable ways of defense.

[Detestable Geohound]

Originally posted by JD:

seriously in any fighting game you are not expected to escape throws on reaction, you must see it coming before it happens.

I have escaped throws on reaction in Soul Calibur V only because the animation is both long enough and noticable. Guessing a grab in Soul Calibur might be possible but not always necessary with a proper "mental template" of what the start up animation of a grab is combined with good concentration and enough practice.

Street Fighter, MvC, and SkullGirls you're on your own; it's a guessing game when grabbing/teching.

SkullGirls might be the worst offender if only because there are enough fast normals you can use instead of a throw to fake an opponent out. Pushblocking is a good counter to grabbing but can be counter productive in certain situations.