How do you pull off those really long combos?

[anatoliec]

I literally spent the last three and a half hours trying to memorize all of Peacock's combos, just so I could actually play Versus and win a single time.

I lost every game I've played in those three and a half hours, because I can't pull of "combos" like every other player does. They keep me in an airlock while they whittle off 1/4th of my health.
I have some lucky breaks, where I maybe win a single round, but then the second round comes around and I get knocked way out of the ballpark.

How do you chain together those really long combos where people aren't able to block/attack back? I'm only able to do individual attacks and people always jump out of those when I try to followup :\

Also, I'm not asking specifically for Peacock combos. I tried playing all the other characters, I just like Peacock because of the art style. Cerabellum is my favorite gameplay-wise, and Filia is pretty cool too. I'm really close to just putting this on the 'games I don't play' list just because I feel like I'm trying to run a marathon on stilts, and I feel like I'm not able to grasp core gameplay mechanics. I mean, this is my first fighter game, and even in the Beginner tournaments I get royally whooped. The only time I've won a fight is in Singleplayer.

I don't have a "fightstick", whatever that is, nor a plug-in Console Controller.

[Simply Rikkid]

There isn't a set-in-stone way other than trial and error, practice, and willing to experiment. Given the small roster it's a lot easier to learn other characters strengths, weaknesses and openers and exploiting those to lock your opponent into a combo.

I do not use Peaock mainly to give the BEST advice but in essence this is what the norm is for most fightng games. Your ability to pull off moves is determined by how much effort you put into a battle.

This is as vague and non-direct of an answer you will get but I think this is a given for any game.

[Skullmageddon]

Practice. That's really the only solution. It might help you to look up combo guides or beginner strats (or even simply go through the in-game tutorial), but the only way to learn combos is to go into training mode and spend hours figuring out what moves link together.

This is true of all fighting games, but the difference here is that there are some really basic combo techniques that you can employ with basically every character in the game. For example...

Let's look at cerebella since you said you like her play style (plus peacock is a little more difficult to combo with). As with just about every character in the game, you can link together light, medium, and heavy kick/punch both on the ground and in the air. With this in mind, a really simple Cere combo is as follows:

s.LK > s.MK > s.HK

Obviously this is really simple, but the important thing is understanding the A B C's of fighiting so it's always good to start here. Now let's look at how we can expand on this...

c.LK > c.MP > c.HP

This is another really simple combo string that has more or less the same timing, but this time it ends in Cerebella's launcher. After you perform the last move (c.HP) just hold up and forward and you'll automatically jump up towards your opponent, allowing you to continue the combo as follows...

c.LK > c.MP > c.HP > j.LP > j.MP > j.HP

This time we follow up the launcher and end the combo with j.HP. But we can extrapolate on this as well to extend the combo even further...

c.LP > c.MP > c.HP > j.LK > j.HK > c.LK > c.HP > j.LP > and number of options

The point is that we start by doing the basics. You can always do light, medium, then heavy attack. You can also end many simple combos into supers in order to do more damage. Once you get better at understanding what moves will follow up other moves, you can start developing basic combos that you can practice in training mode. Practice the combo until it becomes second nature, even if it's a really simple combo. I have to practice a lot until I get to the point where I can actually perform my combos in multiplayer without second guessing myself or messing up the inputs.

Btw sorry if I sound condescending or anything. Hopefully this helps a bit! Also I can only assume that you are familiar with the notation that I am using to display those combos...if you in fact don't understand the notation than let me know and i'll explain in more detail

[anatoliec]

Some really nice fellow took some time to show me some interesting tips by adding me on Steam today, and he kind of told me the same thing y'all did. He also showed me some techniques that I didn't quite understand from the tutorial, but the input you both gave was helpful too.
I'm going to try and create my own 'combinations', and this game seems like it would be really interesting in the competitive scene (although it seems like every player is more or less on the competitive tier already, heh).

[The Grim Heaper]

It sounds like you're trying to use Peacock for toe-to-toe close combat, which is alright since you've got a few of her combos down, but I feel she's way better suited at range. Instead of closing in on the opponent, keep them at range with your army of George bombs, flower pots, and baseballs, then use BANG! or Hole Idea to slip away when they get too close, dash backwards to regain your range advantage, then repeat. If you're quick enough, you'll always have enough projectiles on screen to totally prohibit all forward movement, and in turn keep you spotless. It's a sort of guerilla warfare and it's annoying as hell (anticipate a fair share of ragequitters), but it's a valid strategy and incredibly fun (especially if it's a Peacock-Peacock battle). Couple Peacock's ranged attacks with the combos you've learned, and you've got an unstoppable Murder-Go-Round.

[Hero_Weasel]

Well, this isnt my first fighting game. Iv played dozens, Iv won tournaments too. Back when you could play arcade games in our mall, I was sought for challenge by some and avoided to save quarters by others... Dont feel too bad, Iv had my ass handed to me every match thus far. I will get better though.

If this is your first fighting game and your not using a gamepad/fight stick then the keyboard is a poor substitute; worse this is a fairly technical fighter and the only way to get better is to understand what your opponent is doing to you, and how/why it works against you. This will come with time. DONT GIVE UP!

Fighting games are about strategy, skill, and timing; and IN THAT ORDER! Some may disagree but strategy is what you learned you can do with a character and is your understanding of how you can attack and defend. Its the basic understanding of your strengths and weaknesses you will have before an opponent even shows up.

In short Strategy is - Knowing how to use your character.

Skill is relative, but basically it boils down to the ability to perform actions on demand with little delay in fighting games. Be it a special move or even blocking. Skill isnt your ability to beat others, thats the combination of strategy, skill, timing. Skill is high when you can choose any action on the fly for attack or defense option you desire and execute that action without fail flawlessly every time.

In short Skill is - The ability to perform actions accurately and repetitively.

Timing. This may seem like its the most important, but its not let me explain why. If we take strategy, skill, timing and make it an equation:

where Strategy = x Skill = y and Timing = t
((x + 1) * y) + t = Total fighting ability

Then Strategy and Skill are multiplicative, and Timing is additive. Thus a player with values of 3 Strategy +1 multiplied by their 2 Skill gives us a 8, added to their 4 in timing gives a total 12 in fighting ability.

Timing is important and can be a deciding factor, since knowing when to move in or dodge or attack is a critical part of a fighting game. Timing is so simple, but wrong timing makes you the victim of punishment, where good timing allows you to punish back.

In short Timing is - The ability to judge when to to do something or when to do nothing (attack, defense, counter attack, dash, jump, etc.).

So about that equation thing.

This equation holds up because many people have their "Best Character" if Skill or Timing were the most important factors then this wouldnt be the case. Moving to your best character means exercising your "Best Strategy." Since you have executed this characters special moves many times, your skill may be higher with this character, and you may have even improved your timing; though timing is very difficult to truly improve upon. More realistically your skill has improved and you able to do more efficacious things your your timing.

So work on your:
Strategy (know your character)
Skill (ability to perform moves)
Timing (when to do what your planing on doing)

Last but not least I think some of these combos are being done with Auto Hot Key. I ran into this with some other online fighters. No way around it. Its grey whether its cheating or not. No way it would be allowed at a tournament so I view it as cheating, but as for reportable online behavior thats another story. Nothing you can do about people that use it except assume they are skilled when software does the work for them.