As a returning player, I suck. Hard. And I don't know how to get better again

[Vynlann]

I have played probably close to 200 hours of this on PS4 and almost 200 on PC. I should be decently good at this game by now, not amazing, but enough to just not get carted on high rank hunts when I'm in rarity 11/12 gear. I thought it was because I just didn't click with SnS anymore since that was may main weapon for PC MHW. And it's not, I did amazing as SnS before iceborne came out and mostly through iceborne, 80% of my hunts are with it.

But I came back recently about a week and a half ago and I just can't grasp it. I can't grasp any weapon. I have sticky HBG builds, sticky LBG builds, aquashot builds, IG builds, even tried LS which I never thought I'd actually go out of my way to try and learn, same with swaxe. And none of them are clicking with me. I was doing MR Kulve taroth with some friends, it was our first time in it, we failed a few times, then finally we got to phase 2 (3) shortly after, and failed that. All of this was because of me, my damage was so significantly low no matter what weapon I play.

I'm about to start my save over, because at this point it looks worthless to me. Maybe thats just all I need to do, is become a newbie again, but I'd be losing close to 200 hours of progress. That's a hard pill for me to swallow.

I don't know what to do, it's driving me into depression and I feel like quitting this game for good, but sometimes I enjoy it. And when I do it's great, but most of the time since I came back I haven't. I'm about to lose it though. I really am.

[mewlynx]

Watch other people use the weapon you want to play and just pick up mannerisms and such.

[Gigan The Gojira]

Being rusty is definitely a thing that happens for everyone on everything.

Just keep playing, remember that it's just a game and losing is fine, you don't have to be as good as you were.

[Vynlann]

Originally posted by maelynx:

Watch other people use the weapon you want to play and just pick up mannerisms and such.

I've been wataching videos constantly on youtube of the various weapons I've played in the past and anticipated on trying and most of this information is available in game, there are some quircks that aren't, but some of this stuff can't be taught through watching or video and only playing. But it's incredibly discouraging to fail so easily. I shouldn't be having this much trouble in HR hunts with MR gear.

[Vynlann]

Originally posted by Gigan The Gojira:

Being rusty is definitely a thing that happens for everyone on everything.

Just keep playing, remember that it's just a game and losing is fine, you don't have to be as good as you were.

Being rusty for the last 40-50 hours or so in the last week? I feel like that's excessive. Normally I can pick this kinda stuff up within a few hours again, especially a weapon I've mained so much in my current playtime/hunt ratio.

[Ragosta tin Dei]

Iceborne's first few ranks is brutal. Hunts take 20 minutes or so, it's especially jarring if you're used to the streamlined gameplay from MHW. There's a lot of grind now. You need to grind MR for GL, grind for augments, new decos (some things never change), mantles (the drop not the tool) etc.

It does get better but nowhere near base world levels.

[Vynlann]

Originally posted by Ragosta tin Dei:

Iceborne's first few ranks is brutal. Hunts take 20 minutes or so, it's especially jarring if you're used to the streamlined gameplay from MHW. There's a lot of grind now. You need to grind MR for GL, grind for augments, new decos (some things never change), mantles (the drop not the tool) etc.

It does get better but nowhere near base world levels.

This I'm aware of, I put about 70 hours into iceborne on ps4, and about 30-40 on PC before I came back recently.

[ZexxCrine]

Use the great sword or hammer. Seriously. Whenever I take a long break from the game I do a few hunts with great sword or hammer. In order to succeed with those weapons you have to learn the pace of monster hunter. I feel that once I find the rhythm that monster hunter plays with I can swap back to my main weapons and it just clicks.

[roadrunner77]

I had the same once, was playing Mount & Blade Prophesy of Pendor (great mod !) and was fascintaed by the bow NPC Noldor lord. So I aplied myself to the bowfight and for some time did absolutely amazing - perfect play, perfect execution, nearly 100% headshots from long distance, impossible angles became possible, etc. And then one day it was gone, could never repeat that feat again.

Some time passed before I realized that I got tired with the bow and went for unassissted, unshielded melee char (max difficulty).

Here in MHW I was worried I don't like that so many weapons and I'd be stuck with one main, but I clang to the impression that there is something to that weapon but couldn't put my finger on it... i just pushed myself on to find it out.

well, still playing and getting better.

[David Hashougeki]

Don't start over for the sake of re-learning the game, if I may suggest it.

Keep playing and just improve by repeating the following steps over and over again.

1) Do not overcommit to long combos so you are able to dodge.
2) Dodge.
3) Attack.

There is no easy way to learn the game again and starting over does not help that much since the relative strength is relatively comparable (while MR being slightly more difficult).

[Dokainin]

Something I find helpful when getting back into the game or learning a new weapon is to pick a monster or series of monsters that are good for practice on a more fundamental level and just keep fighting it until I am comfortable and move on to the next on a list of gradually more difficult monsters.

I generally like to start with Either Glavenus or Barioth and work my way up to Ruiner or Goldian.

[FauxFurry]

Rather than start over, why not answer a few low or high rank SOS signals to get a feel for the weapons and tactics again before moving back to the Master Rank quests?
You'll end up playing through Low Rank again if you restart, anyway.

[Tower Dove]

Play with a friend. If you struggle too much you are missing few key mechanics of iceborn. Learn more about the weapon you are playing by watching either a video guide or yourself with a moveset list and then there is the grappling. When your gear is on par with the content you are doing and you are eating food/nuts and nullberrie/pots when needed you should never die even while getting sloppy.
Also the grappling hook is EXTREMLY IMPORTANT, either bouncing into walls or wounding are very very important.

[Vynlann]

Originally posted by Tower Dove:

Play with a friend. If you struggle too much you are missing few key mechanics of iceborn. Learn more about the weapon you are playing by watching either a video guide or yourself with a moveset list and then there is the grappling. When your gear is on par with the content you are doing and you are eating food/nuts and nullberrie/pots when needed you should never die even while getting sloppy.
Also the grappling hook is EXTREMLY IMPORTANT, either bouncing into walls or wounding are very very important.

This I knew, the problem is a lot of monsters especially later ones combo so fast you can't do it without temporal. But once temporal is gone you're left in the dust unless they're out of stamina.

[Gigan The Gojira]

Originally posted by Vynlann:

Originally posted by Gigan The Gojira:

Being rusty is definitely a thing that happens for everyone on everything.

Just keep playing, remember that it's just a game and losing is fine, you don't have to be as good as you were.

Being rusty for the last 40-50 hours or so in the last week? I feel like that's excessive. Normally I can pick this kinda stuff up within a few hours again, especially a weapon I've mained so much in my current playtime/hunt ratio.

People have different recovery teams for rustiness, more based on how long your absence was as opposed to how long you've been playing.

[astranabeat]

Maybe just use your old save and play lr quest and then hr quest again.

Before Iceborn release. I stop playing and play again after bought Iceborn. I forgot everything about CB and have to relearn it again. 1 or 2 days then everything came back. No way I'd start again after 500 hr.