I always end up getting hit.

[Xenos]

I'm gonna start off by saying I frankly just don't have the time to dedicate the innumerable hours to studying every possible combo / counter / etc. But I'm not asking for a "get rich quick" type of scheme as an answer to my problem, I just want to know if anyone can tell me what I'm doing wrong.

It seems like at least 80% of the time, even if I swear I'm blocking or timed a hit right, the enemy always hits me first. I've been hit by charging mediums when I was trying to hard kick them back, no matter when I try to break out of a blockdown the enemy seems to always pull a new move out of nowhere or somehow restarts the combo before I can even get a light jab out. Even just basic trades always turn in the enemies favor. Worst of all, I swear I keep getting hit by low attacks when I automatically guard low anyways. I can give pressure but no matter what I do I can't seem to ever break out once I'm pinned down. Every game I've had so far is entirely decided by who landed the first hit, because it turns into a landslide either way.

I'm trying to see if I can enjoy fighting games (since in the past other fighting games were less than kind to me), but if it keeps being this frustratingly one sided whenever the opponent gets the first hit off, I don't think I can keep playing.

The only problem I know I have is an upward drifting stick on my Xbox 360 controller. I use the pad to play FighterZ, but it seems to randomly drift back and cause me to nonstop jump until I can stop getting combo'd long enough to notice and fix it, which usually causes me to get combo'd again. Be honest, is this going to make it borderline impossible to play?

Any advice or help would be much appreciated.

[Apathy]

Your controller sucks and you don't have the fundamentals you need to play defensively like you should. Replace your pad with another pad or a stick. Then you have to put in actual work to be able to block properly. I know you're a lazy casual but you're going to have to learn at least some combo patterns so you know how to block. You also are going to have to learn things like priority and startup/recovery because that's why trades don't work for you.

[Apathy]

Nothing is impossible as long as you're willing to put in the time to get better.

[Xenos]

This "lazy casual" has a college life to deal with. I don't have the time to dedicate hundreds of hours on something that is clearly not more important than other things happening around me right now. I don't and won't have the time to master the game, I'm only interesting in casual online play. Competitive modes in any game haven't interested me since I stopped playing Team Fortress 2 back in high school.

[Apathy]

Yeah fighting games aren't for you then.

[Enju]

An upward drifting stick screws you so hard that it's hard to justify not getting a new pad. It's so hilariously bad because jumping makes you unable to defend. When you jump, there's 3 frames where you're unable to block, so when you jump you get hit for free. There's one on the cheap that I use and recommend. Look up a ZD-V+ Gamepad for PC.

You don't really need the best combos, just ones that work and are easy to do while giving you good damage (40-50%).

[Apathy]

For him it's not about his execution, although I know it's an issue as well, but his fundamentals are lacking. The only way he's going to get better is to learn and that takes time. He's unwilling to learn so he's going to keep getting destroyed. He needs a new pad or stick and to learn basic fundamentals.

[Xenos]

Originally posted by Enju:

An upward drifting stick screws you so hard that it's hard to justify not getting a new pad. It's so hilariously bad because jumping makes you unable to defend. When you jump, there's 3 frames where you're unable to block, so when you jump you get hit for free. There's one on the cheap that I use and recommend. Look up a ZD-V+ Gamepad for PC.

You don't really need the best combos, just ones that work and are easy to do while giving you good damage (40-50%).

I've been so on the wall about getting a new / alternate controller for a while now. In every other game I play a drifting stick isn't that big of an issue, I can just take a hit or two maybe and fix it real quick before resuming, but constantly getting smacked around in a game like this makes it impossible to tell when I actually started jumping like a madman. But this is just one game, and I didn't want to throw $50+ away just because my current, 90% functional 360 controller had a screw loose. Having a cheaper option makes it a real option now though. I might actually get that, because while I don't have the time to become anything close to a master of the game, I've been a fan of Dragon Ball for over a decade and I don't want to have to abandon one of the best games the series has ever gotten.

Originally posted by Apathy:

For him it's not about his execution, although I know it's an issue as well, but his fundamentals are lacking. The only way he's going to get better is to learn and that takes time. He's unwilling to learn so he's going to keep getting destroyed. He needs a new pad or stick and to learn basic fundamentals.

I've actually won 4/8 of my total matches so far. My problem is the person who gets the first hit in, either me or my opponent, is the one that wins. If I can get pressure I've been almost unstoppable, but if I get pressured in return I can't seem to break free without something else coming up. The few times I do break free I can usually KO one or two characters before finally going down myself. It's just too much of a black and white experience to enjoy.

[eddieeez]

Play on keyboard. The moment you stop using a broken controller, you'll start understanding what you're doing.

You can always watch your replays of the games you lost. I just wish there's a rewind option in it. Your fundamentals may be sloppy. You might just be pressing the buttons at the wrong time. If you think there's a gap for you to press a button. The safest thing for you to get out of pressure is to reflect. A lot of the game's mechanics is there for you to explore in practice mode.

[Osidius]

In regards to your pressure issue, use vanish instead of trying to guard in the corner.

And Apathy is right. Even if you just watch a Youtube video to learn basic info on your characters like startup and basic combos, you're likely to have more fun.

They're also right when they say that if you don't put the time in, you won't get much out of competitive play. That's the reason I don't usually play fighting games online - I'm good enough to beat most casuals, but now that I'm at a point where the people I play have spent 3x as much time on the game as I have, and know their teams way better than I do, I've accepted that I'm going to start losing way more often.

[Apathy]

The solution to that is more work. Fighting games are an endless grind. There will always be someone better than you are and that's the drive you need to improve. That's a large part of the enjoyment for some people though. You put in a bunch of hard work and you watch it pay off as you gradually improve.

[Awe]

have u try this mega complicated techniques? If in ground crouch guard, if u see em jump normal guard, if they are doing grab, grab back end of tutorial.

[Unknown]

Originally posted by Apathy:

Your controller sucks and you don't have the fundamentals you need to play defensively like you should. Replace your pad with another pad or a stick. Then you have to put in actual work to be able to block properly. I know you're a lazy casual but you're going to have to learn at least some combo patterns so you know how to block. You also are going to have to learn things like priority and startup/recovery because that's why trades don't work for you.

You're too salty, dude.

[Apathy]

Originally posted by Unknown:

Originally posted by Apathy:

Your controller sucks and you don't have the fundamentals you need to play defensively like you should. Replace your pad with another pad or a stick. Then you have to put in actual work to be able to block properly. I know you're a lazy casual but you're going to have to learn at least some combo patterns so you know how to block. You also are going to have to learn things like priority and startup/recovery because that's why trades don't work for you.

You're too salty, dude.

Salty about what? Fighting games take time and work to get good in. If you don't want to invest either you're not going to improve. That's just the way it is.

[Unknown]

Originally posted by Xenosiac:

It seems like at least 80% of the time, even if I swear I'm blocking or timed a hit right, the enemy always hits me first. I've been hit by charging mediums when I was trying to hard kick them back, no matter when I try to break out of a blockdown the enemy seems to always pull a new move out of nowhere or somehow restarts the combo before I can even get a light jab out. Even just basic trades always turn in the enemies favor. Worst of all, I swear I keep getting hit by low attacks when I automatically guard low anyways. I can give pressure but no matter what I do I can't seem to ever break out once I'm pinned down. Every game I've had so far is entirely decided by who landed the first hit, because it turns into a landslide either way.

Auto combos switch very fast between standing and crouching hits. Go into training mode and set Adult Gohan to spam the light auto combo and try to guard it. Also stop training combos and try to get the basics of the game. The tutorial isn't that great but it helped me a lot. I recommend you complete it.

Originally posted by Xenosiac:

I'm trying to see if I can enjoy fighting games (since in the past other fighting games were less than kind to me), but if it keeps being this frustratingly one sided whenever the opponent gets the first hit off, I don't think I can keep playing.

You need to understand the mind games in a fighting game.

Originally posted by Xenosiac:

The only problem I know I have is an upward drifting stick on my Xbox 360 controller. I use the pad to play FighterZ, but it seems to randomly drift back and cause me to nonstop jump until I can stop getting combo'd long enough to notice and fix it, which usually causes me to get combo'd again. Be honest, is this going to make it borderline impossible to play?

Any advice or help would be much appreciated.

I play with a Xbox 360 controller it isn't that bad. It's not a good controller but as the other guy saying you should replace it is simply bs. I also play with a X360 controller and sometimes the directional is a bit hard to press but not impossible to train.

Add me as friend and we can practice a bit, if you don't mind the lag. Also stop repeting the same mistakes, study what is putting you in bad situations and avoid them.

[Apathy]

He said the thumbstick on his pad rotates on it's own which causes him to jump when he doesn't mean to. That means it's broken. I don't care what you play on but if your controller gets locked into a direction then it needs repaired or replaced.