So this week has, in large, been a huge waste of time imo. I'm sitting here now waiting to get my lazy ass up and go to the weekly WR gathering, and I can't help but think about all the time I've wasted this week. However, with all things considered, I'm glad I did this and learned some valuable lessons.
Well, what happened?
This week is Atlanta Revival, and even though it's not the wisest decision I've made (this summer is literally nothing but a dumb decision, and it will be the LAST summer of the sort), I'm going to go. I don't know how everything's gunna line up, but I'm going to at least go and do commentary. In fact, if stuff falls through on me and I make it, it'll work out better because I'd ONLY be able to do commentary.
But anywho, so until yesterday, what am I looking at to enter? AE and MvC3. Well, I wanna do good, so it's time to hit the weights. Sakura and Dante/Zero/Sent. Gotta learn/review some matchups, gotta practice my execution, etc etc. Gotta get things right.
That didn't really happen.
For lil' ol' Sakura, I know that my execution is probably the most important thing in the world. Yes the setups, but more importantly just hitting shunpuu loop links. If I can't hit those links then I might as well just play Ryu (really I should just play Guile). So I drudged on and on this week, practicing my links and making sure my plinks were lining up. There I would sit, hitting the timing and missing the plink, hitting the plink and missing the timing. Why plink it? "Well that's what I'm supposed to do, and it gives me 2 chances of hitting it."
Where did that lead? Well, I was playing some people last night, and while I was mopping the floor with the entire room, I was frustrated. Why? Because I couldn't hit ANY links. Sure, I outplayed and out-thought everybody, but what merit did it have if everything I worked on WASN'T happening? If I touch somebody, they should be blown up, not me fumbling around.
-flips the tape over-
On the other side of practice we've got "the Try Hards", Dante, Zero, and Sentinel. Now I started practicing heavily on Monday and the first order of business was getting reacquainted with MvC3. The only person in my area that really played it swore he was dropping it after CEO (which he has, afaik), and I've been crack addicted to Arcana Heart 3 (talks of that coming soon), so I had to get used to not watching lolis fly all over the screen. There was a plan for this madness; Monday was me getting back into the swing, Tuesday was Dante, Wednesday Zero, Thursday Sent, and Friday is putting it all together at the gathering (or playing online). Sounds good, right?
But where did it all fall apart? The VERY FIRST PLACE this blows up is the fact that I'm putting no training into my other squad, Chris/Dante/Tron. While not the best looking thing on paper, that team helped me so much at my last outting. I've learned so much about the team, but I kinda just left the bar as is. The big problem though was obviously starting with Dante. Dante is, imo, my best character. He's also the most technical character on the team (in the game? lol). And I can't do everything consistently yet. So what is the logical thing for me to do? Well, work on what I can't do. That way, I can practice roughing it in and have it set by Saturday. Solid, right? Well, if I was some execution monster, sure.
-stops tape-
And sitting here today (really last night) is when it clicked in my head that I've completely pissed this week away. I'm sitting down playing a variety of people in AE, and I'm putting myself in double jeopardy on my links. Even if I time it right, which I normally will, I have a chance of getting a bad button. Later on I'm sitting up at 3 in the morning, hands starting to tighten and eyes fighting to stay open trying to hit 623M623M and it straight ISNT happening without the most awkward feeling in the world.
But I have to do it, right?
No.
And that's where I learned my lesson.
**********
The lesson(s) I learned dissolve down to this; it's better to have something solid in place than to have inconsistencies or nothing at all. It's kind of common, but sometimes it gets lost in translation further on down the road.
Can I plink on pad? Yes. Can I do it fairly well? In my opinion, I think it's doable without feeling uneasy. Is it consistent? Well honestly, I'm not surprised whenever I blow a plink and get a bad button. So why are you DRILLING something you can't do? ... That's a good question . There's a more consistent way for me to do it, even though it's harder (in a round about way). Why not do that? .... Oh...you're right.
You got those combos 24/7/365? No. THEN WHY DO YOU KEEP TRYING THEM, FIGURE OUT SOMETHING EASIER TO DO FOR NOW AND DRILL THEM LATER.
The thing is, it's not so much about trying to avoid practicing these things, but spending time in more constructive ways for the goal that's trying to be reached. Look at it like this; as of today (6/24), can Daigo do Yun's 10 Kara-Palm Genei Jin combo that Desk just showed us TODAY? Highly doubt it. If Daigo is at a tournament tomorrow is he gunna do it? Highly doubt it. But that doesn't mean he doesn't have a solid GJ combo, and doesn't mean he's not gunna practice the 10Palm till he can do it. He's just not going to waste the time he has left trying to rush it now and blow people up with it tomorrow.
*sidenote: he might. I hear it's not THAT hard, but you get the point.*
In the end, I really wasted a week. I coulda beat FF13 and some other games by now, but I didn't. I spent practically all of this week in training mode or in an endless lobby training bad skills. It's ok though. I'm just glad I'm smart enough to stop, take a step back, and look at the big picture.
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