Tekken Psychology 101 \---------------------/ by Professor Jake Catlord Esq. II (catlord@eden.rutgers.edu) Trash Talk section by Ben Cureton Revision A (c) April 22, 1997 Touch this and I'll kill you, EGM.. Written for Monospace format Do the '.'s line up with the numbers? 1234567890 .......... If they don't, then some stuff might look like crap. Foreword -------- I'm not gonna make no lie about it, I'm a hardcore Tekken junkie. Having spent over $1500 playing Tekken2, and within the first month of Tekken3's release spent over $325, I've made many observations and conducted many experiments into the mind of the average Tekken player. This paper will mainly discuss two aspects of the Tekken psyche- Actual game strategy as well as the player's actions in reality. Was this essay created in response to clarify the mystic taboo of unspoken Tekken strategy? Or is it an effort to justify why we spend all this money to watch messes of polygons beat the piss outta each other? The answer is neither. I just have to find something to do to pass the time away in a boring Macroeconomics class.. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents ----------------- Ch I. General Gameplay Explained A. Blocking and Hitting B. Controller Use Ch II. Types of Tekken Players A. The Masher B. The Street or Virtua Fighter C. The Average Tekken Player D. The Pitbull E. The Turtle F. The Nutjob G. The Master I. Sizing Up Your Opponent Ch III. Gameplay Strategy A. How to Frustrate the Opponent 1. Dodging and Weaving 2. Mosquito Warfare 3. Horsefly Warfare 4. Reversing 5. Throwing 6. Run Away, Run Away 7. Side Preference B. Opening the Guard 1. Offensive Stinging 2. Counters and Stuns C. Who is Good Against Who? Ch IV. Strategy Outside of Gameplay A. Trash Talkin' (written by Ben Cureton 1. Good-Natured 2. Cold-Hearted 3. Scenarios 4. Ben's Picks B. Body Language 1. Casual Picking 2. One Hand Playing 3. Button Mashing 4. Humming C. Communication D. Disclaimer Ch V. How to Get People to Play You Again Ch VI. Conclusion Ch VI. Credits Ch VIII. About the Author ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter I. General Gameplay Explained ------------------------------------- To successfully play Tekken, I would say the first thing that should be learned is how to block. If you can't block, you can't fight, and if you can't fight, what use is this paper? Therefore, for the beginner Tekken player, this section I feel is necessary to include. If you play Tekken just in order to fufill personal masochistic fantasies, then by all means disregard this section. A.Blocking and Hitting ---------------------- There are 6 different types of attacks in Tekken- High, Medium, Low, Ground, Throws, and Unblockables. Each will be explained fully. High- Most risky type of attack. Opponents can duck them, block them high, or even reverse them. The only way to get hit by a high attack is to walk right into it, get hit by one in a juggle combo, or after a stun or in counterhit. (More on stunning and countering in Chapter III-B) Medium- In my opinion, the most useful attacks. If an opponent is ducking, a medium attack will hit them. Since most juggling attacks hit medium, and juggles are where the most potential damage lays, it would be sensible to include alot of medium attacks in your arsenal. Medium attacks can be blocked high. Low- Another useful attack. Can be blocked only when ducking. If you are standing, a low attack will hit you. Low attacks are useful as well since many low attacks hunch you down where a high attack will go over your head as you hit your opponent for a major counter. Ground- Attacks for hurting your opponent when they are fallen. Examples of such are Heihachi or Nina's foot stomp, Paul's ground punch or groundflip, or mostly anyone's D+3 sweep or U+2 jumppunch. Many low attacks will also double as ground attacks you will find out. Throw- A throw will connect with anyone who is standing up, blocking or not blocking. (Note: King has throws that will catch a ducking or fallen opponent) Throws can be broken the moment they connect by certain button(s) presses. Multipart throws can be broken between throw segments with the push of certain button(s). Unblockable- Special moves that take a long time to wind or charge up that are both unblockable as well as severely damaging. The downfall of these moves are the windup time. Since a good Tekken player can detect an unblockable windup, they will either a) Run up and attack you before the unblockable is thrown or b) Back out of the range of the unblockable. Here is a quick summary chart of the above mentioned- X - All attacks hit B - Connects, but can be blocked - - Attacks whiff (miss) P - Possible Hit High Med Low Ground Throw Unblockable (B) Stand (B) Stand (X) Stand (-) Stand (X) Stand (X) Stand (-) Crouch (X) Crouch (B) Crouch (P) Crouch (-) Crouch (X) Crouch (-) Fallen (P) Fallen (P) Fallen (X) Fallen (-) Fallen (P) Fallen B.Controller Use ---------------- Tekken is a game of timing. Combos and strings must be timed else they won't work. Therefore, it is imperative that you learn to resist the temptation to mash buttons even if you get excited. Pick your moves and know exactly what you are throwing at your opponent. In Tekken, knowledge is your greatest power. Here is a quick list of conventions I will be using from time to time in this paper- 1 - Left Punch u - Tap up U - Push up 2 - Right Punch d - Tap down D - Push down 3 - Left Kick f - Tap forward F - Push forward 4 - Right Kick b - Tap back B - Push back Again, it is important to realize the difference between TAPPING the controller and PUSHING it. A tap is just that- a quick tap of the controller in the given direction then letting go of it. A push is when you move the stick fully in the said direction, then releasing it. Many people I've seen cannot fathom the difference between the two. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter II. Types of Tekken Players ----------------------------------- There are many types of Tekken players. Some don't agree with the labelling of player stereotypes, but I think it's pretty damn accurate. All Tekken players want to win, some want to toy with you, some want to crush you relentlessly. but they all strive to WIN. It may be important to note that the volunteering test subjects who were playing Tekken trashed were often found to forget this important goal until their discovery that the 3rd round is already over. Remember that the type of player you are doesn't just depend on your Tekken experience and knowledge, but also on your mental status, coordination, and reflexes. Tekken Hierarchy ---------------- __________ | Master | ---------- / | \ __________ | ___________ | Turtle |---Nutjob---| Pitbull | ---------- ----------- \ / __________________ | Average Player | ------------------ | ____________________________ | Street or Virtua Fighter | ---------------------------- | __________ | Masher | ---------- A.The Masher ------------ The Masher can be clearly identified by his lightning reflexes and skill in beating the hell out of any button close to him (he might start mashing even your buttons..watch out) as well as his prowess in yanking the controller stick in a fashion as to break it so diagonals so they will never work for you again. Mashers really have no skill but their randomness and their Eddy Gordoness could prove rather frustrating (Dicussed further in Chapter III-A). B.The Street or Virtua Fighter ------------------------------ These are people who are femiliar with fighting games but lack the knowledge in Tekken moves or physics. They usually will mash on occasion, but they have fighting strategy. They will stick and move, block and attack. Alas, without the Tekken knowledge, they should not be hard to defeat. C.The Average Tekken Player --------------------------- The Average Tekken player is one who is relatively familiar with standard Tekken physics, knows a few tenstrings, knows how to block character's popular combos, knows Law's kick,flipkick, kick,flipkick combo, and probabally reads EGM or some equivalent. My personal favorite Tekken type to play against. D.The Pitbull ------------- An Average to Master player who is on you like white on rice as soon as the computer voice finishes yellin, "Fight!". He or she (Yes world, females do play Tekken too.) will keep assaulting you with combos and tenstrings, not giving you any room to breathe. If you are unfamiliar with blocking points and interrupts, they will eat you in no time flat. E.The Turtle ------------ The exact opposite of the Pitbull. They will play a very defensive game and usually crouch down to avoid throws and high attacks, then pop up to counter you. Blocking is their strongpoint, so be very wary against using tenstrings and combos that will leave you wide open. Always keep a few good medium attacks in memory when fighting them. F.The Nutjob ------------ They're not a class on their own, but you probabally know a few of these. They feel a compulsion to learn every Tekken move there is, every crushing juggle, and memorize every character FAQ word for word. They do odd things like spend their entire college fund on Tekken, create their own Tekken windows wallpaper, write long essays on pointless Tekken information, then goto bed dreaming up Tekken combos snugging their King plushie doll in their... uhm.. Maybe I should stop there... G.The Master ------------ Ironic that the Masher and the Master are only one letter of difference apart. This isn't the case in gameplay tho, for the Master is a blend of the Pitbull, the Turtle, and a Nutjob all mixed into one. They know better than to use full tenstrings, they strike when they see you glimpse an opening, they block everything you throw at them. Pretty unbeatable unless your mad skillz are better than theirs. Masters should be treated with respect, so don't talk trash to them in attempt to throw their mind off the game. Instead, see Chapter IV-B about a more polite method to throw off a Master's game. I.Sizing Up Your Opponent ------------------------- Lets just say you're playing Tekken3, when all of a sudden some rather mysterious, possibly suspicious, probally dorky person comes up and plops two quarters (three quarters if yer playing in a Namco arcade) into the game and plays you. Let us look at the different factors to prejudge (prejudice sucks, but hey, this is Tekken) their skills. If they move directly to Eddy as soon as the character select screen comes up, you are 99% sure you are going up against a Masher. If they immediately select Law, they you're probabally up against a Masher or a Street/Virtua Fighter. One who immediately selects Lei can also show signs of Masherness (ie. All they do is D+3+4,3+4,D+3+4,3+4...) If you're an average player, then you usually want to let the other person select their character first (See Chapter III-C). If they wait for you to select the character, then chances are they are an average player as well who has strategies vs. certain characters. Masters will pick anyone at random- they know well they are gonna school your ass with whomever they pick, regardless of what charcter you pick. Characters to be wary of- Xiaoyu, King, Yoshimitsu, Jin, and Nina. I've found that these are the choice picks of good players in the arcades around where I live. Select Hwoarang and Lei players can be extremely vicious though rare. Okay, now you've selected your characters. Now look at the other person's hands. Do they grip the stick tight and hold it by the top? Then they're probably not so hot.. If they ground the side of their stick palm against the controller panel, expect a good game. Now look over to their button hand. Are they warming up? Did they just select King and are now going through the motions of the Rolling Death Cradle multithrow? Expect trouble. I've played a Master before who would look at my hands maybe a 1/4 of the match rather than look at the screen. Ya know what? He popped open the biggest can of Whoop Ass on me I've ever taken. Thats a whole other story though.. Now the match has started. "Fight!" What is the first thing that your opponent does? If they back up it usually means they could be good and waiting to feel you out or they are a Turtle. If they immediately attack, they are either a Masher, a Pitbull, or someone who wants to take the initiative. If they just stand there, it's probably an Average Tekken player or a Master. A hard call indeed. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter III. Gameplay Strategy ------------------------------ This is most likely the most important chapter in the paper.. Here is where I will discuss eating into the other person's psychological gameplay by way of a gameplan intended to frustrate (ie. not opening up your mouth). A.How To Frustrate Your Opponent -------------------------------- 1.Dodging and Weaving - Dash out when they attack, then dash back in. Repeat this for a good 10 seconds. Keep yourself right outside their attack range and don't attack. You will notice either a) A more aggressive and poorly executed attack pattern or b) They will catch onto your game and stop moving, waiting for you to bring it to them. After awihle, switch your gameplan to the exact opposite, a Pitbull. This contrast in gameplan will confuse your opponent even more. Repeating this will let your opponent know you are trying to mess with their mind, angering them. Therefore their concentration will be partially throw to you rather than the game at hand. 2.Mosquito Warfare - Much like the dodging and weaving strategy, but throwing quick jabs and low kicks when you dash in. This will result in extreme frustration and the opponent will try to throw practically anything in their arsenal to try to hit you. Wait for a messy attack and come in with a juggle or a major counter. From there take the beating to them. Someone who has been playing offense for the first half of a round will have a tough time switching to a heavy defense. 3.Horsefly Warfare - Mosquito warfare taken to a heavier level. Dodge and weave, then strike hard with the most damaging juggle you know. Return to dodging. Your opponent will either a) Be intimidated and play much more of a defensive and worried game or b) Get pissed off and do anything they can to return the favor. 4.Reversing - This is the most frustrating type of strategy but also takes the most skill to perform. In essence, you attack by only reversing the other people's attacks. What could be more frustrating to someone than getting killed by your own attacks? After pegging about 3 reversals, switch to a heavy offensive. They will not be expecting it at all. 5.Throwing - Another frustrating technique against those who cannot escape throws. Gets them very riled up. Basically you keep defense, attacking only with throws or ultimate tackles. If you choose throws, make sure it's the _same_ throw. After about three of these expect to recieve trashtalk. One more throw will put your opponent into serious pissed off mode. Lay on the heavy offense right there. 6.Run Away, Run Away- Best done after you cause some minor damage to your opponent and he/she has less energy left than you. Just keep backing off, jumping backwards, always keeping out of the range of their attacks. If they are far enough away to run at you, then wait for the right time and jump over ther heads and repeat. Repeat and repeat until the game ends. Another method is to back off for the whole match but in the last second use at attack that always tends to hit but does light damage. Jin's 1+4, Nina's d/b+4,3 and anyone's sweeps are good for this. Expect many calls of "Cheap!" and a very pissed off opponent. (Contributed by Mort) 7.Side Preference- Question to ya all: Do you have a favorite side of of the screen to play on? Most people will answer yes.. They just feel comfortable doing joystick motions like the f,N,d,d/f from a certain side.. I don't know if this has to do with wether you are right handed or not or it's just through conditioning or..oh yeah, back to what I was talking about. How is this useful? When you play them, see if they favor one side, or if they try to purposely jump over you or try to get on an opposite side if switched around, damn it, use it to yer advantage.. ;) Keep them on their weak side if possible. If you juggle them, jump over them instead to bug them out. They will spend more time trying to get around you than to beat you down. B.Opening the Guard ------------------- 1.Offensive Stinging - Play a very offensive game. This strategy consists of getting right in your opponent's face, then send a nonstop barrage of jabs, ducking jabs, and quick low snapkicks. Jabs have a high priority over other moves since they have relatively no windup time at all. After awihle, you will notice them trying to change their guard in order to stop getting hit by your annoying little pisshits. Wait for your opponent to duck then quickly pop them with a medium hitting juggle then go to work on them with your favorite blend of juggle du jour. I've found this technique to work very well with Yoshimitsu and Nina. 2.Counters and Stuns - There are two types of counters in Tekken: major and minor ones. A minor counter is an attack done after your opponent does a certain combo or some attack that leaves them open for a split second after their attack misses or is blocked. Major counters are done when your opponent is in mid-animation of an attack and you basically beat them to the punch. Major counters can also be done when you connect with any hit while you are Kiai Tame powered up (1+2+3+4). Major counters do 150% damage as well as usually leave your opponent's guard open for the next hit or even successive hits in a combo. The second good news about counters is their stun potential. Certain moves when done as a counterhit such as Jin's stunpunch or Nina's stunchop will stun your opponent and break their guard for a split second, giving you enough time to kick them up in the air with a quick juggle. There are also things called minor stuns or guard melters. They are moves that after they are blocked half-stun your opponent and break their guard down for enough time to give you the initiative of attack. Such attacks as these include Lei's guard melting punches and King's stun elbow. C.Who is Good Against Who? -------------------------- Some characters I feel naturally stand a better chance against other characters, just as some characters stand a worse chance against other characters. I'm ain't saying that some characters suck or anything- any character in the hands of a Slikatel-type player is lethal. This is just a general guideline for what has worked for me. They Pick Good Counter --------- ------------ Xiaoyu..............Paul, Eddy Eddy................Nina, Paul Law.................Yoshimitsu, Nina Hwoarang............King, Nina King................Lei, Xiaoyu Nina................Jin, Lei Jin.................Hwoarang, King Yoshimitsu..........Jin, King Lei.................Law, Xiaoyu Paul................Yoshimitsu, Jin ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter IV. Strategy Outside of Gameplay ---------------------------------------- Alright, so we have dealt with actual gameplay psychology. Now lets deal with what you can do outside of actually playing the game to increase your odds of winning. We broke it down into categories for your enjoyment... heh. Now, a word first... depending on how you use the techniques described below, you may give yourself an advantage, or end up looking like a dork. It's all in "the presentation" if you will. The effectiveness of your trash talk weighs hevily on your ability to do it right... and that can only be learned through watching other people... and trial/error. It's like joke telling. If you mess up the punch line... or screw up the story... no matter how witty the joke actually was... no one is going to laugh. Let us begin... A.Smack Talking (aka Talking Trash/Smack/Shit/Wang/Crap/Garbage) ---------------------------------------------------------------- Now every Tekken player out there I know has talked trash before. If you haven't, you're either a liar or Pope John Paul III.. It's just natural in Tekken to talk trash. What better occassion can you think of to talk trash in? Anyway, trash talk can be either good natured, or, as most of us prefer, cold-hearted and very demeaning (my personal favorite). 1.Good-Natured: Of course, you can have fun talking trash and not hurt anyone's feelings. Say you and your buddy cruise down to the local arcade to settle a dispute about "Who has the better Yoshi?" or something like that. It's not uncommon to hear two buddies yelling at each other with things like "HOOOO, you like that don't you!?" or "come on, I'll even give you second round!". Most of the time you can tell that the players are freinds, or they know each other by the freindly overtones and gestures. There's not too much to good-natured Smack talking... I mean... it's all in fun and it makes the game more enjoyable. 2.Cold-Hearted: This is where the physical game ends, and the mental game begins (and sometimes the hospital bills... if you don't know what you're doing). Cold-hearted smack talking is meant to make the other guy/gal feel bad... plain and simple, you want to hurt your opponents feelings. Why you ask? Well... the more your opponent is thinking about how much of an asshole you are, and about how bad they wanna beat you, the less they are thinking about their game. This is an obvious advantage, as you have just taken their thoughts off playing Tekken3, which is what you are here to play... got it? Usually cold-hearted smack talking comes about after some sorry-ass button mashing newbie calls you "cheap", just because you kicked their ass by blocking and countering, or you have lost to a very lucky son-of-a-*beep* (and you think they deserve a witty remark concerning their play style). I mean, most of the time, when I beat a decent TK3 player, I get a "Good job" or a "Nice goin'". It's usually the less experienced played that initiate the smack talk, and the old-pros that end it (hehe... we rule huh?). 3.Scenarios: Common Smack Talk provoking situations: - You win (opponent says something) - (This is the most common scenario.) You just beat the crap out of someone with Paul by just using the Death Fist-Stomp-Death Fist pattern (or some similar pattern with another character. (All I have to say is AHAHA!) You won with a Multi-part throw both rounds. You smacked the crap out of someone repeatedly as they tried to get up off the ground. (Again... I must laugh... bahaha) You used a simple, yet-effective, block/retaliate pattern against someone who only knows 3 moves... or plays Eddie. You threw someone. (ahaha) Your opponent says "that's all you can do?" (one of my favs!) - You win (you say something) - (I usually don't start smack talking after a win unless I have previously been in a smack-talking engagement with my opponent. Hey, I said "usually"... hehe) You feel it's your responsibility to say "good job" or "nice try" after completely dominating someone... just because there are alot of people watching/listening. (I love that!) - You lose (you say something) - (Not an uncommon occourance) You just lost to a psychotic button mashing crack addicted Eddie player, and it's your duty to comment on their particular brand of playstyle. You are pissed cause you lost to a decent player, that just used 1 or 2 moves. (this is your fault as much as it is theirs, but nonetheless, it happens.) You have lost more than once in a row to someone you KNOW you can beat. After losing, you know you'll have to go back to the token machine cause you just spent your last two. (I hate having to go to the token machine after losing... it's like, you have been "beaten" or something.) - You lose (opponent says something) - (This usually doesn't happen.) Your opponent has his girlfreind around and thinks he is the baddest mo-fo low-down round-this-town "shonuff", so he comments on your game play technique after you lose, and says it a bit "too loud". You have bad vibes between your opponent, maybe because of a previous smack-talking encounter. I know for a fact I didn't get every situation, but that give you a general idea of what I am talking about. You have probably wintessed one or two of these screnarios first hand, and if you play alot of tekken, you probably have even taken part in one or two. Another point I should make, is that you don't have to actually be playing to talk smack effectively. If you wanna psyche out your opponent before you even fight them, try talking about all the crazy moves you are ABOUT to do. Just make sure you know how to play before you try this ok? I mean... if you are sitting there saying... "Watch this Johnny... I am gonna bust out the Death Cradle on this dude." and you can't even do a simple 3 hit combo with Paul, then you will end up looking like a fool (and leave yourself open to smack talk yourself). 4.Ben's Picks: Here are a few of the quotes I use on a regular basis. When playing people I don't know... I usually only talk trash after losing. Sometimes though, when there is a big crowd, I have the urge to say something out loud and inflate my ego to an even more uncontrollable size. =) #1: "Ohh so THAT'S how we're gonna play?!" (makes opponents think THEY were cheap... sometimes this effects their playstyle.) #2: "Ahh you wanna throw ehh?" (I think myself, more than anyone, loves to throw... but, it sucks to lose to a throw. When this happens against a shitty player, I bust out with this quote and come back the next round with, "ok... NOW let's throw." Players end up backing away more, and ducking alot too, which leaves them open to juggles and quick attacking moves.) #3: "You block that Low_Medium_High." (After beating someone with a crazy move, I tell them where they SHOULD have blocked. The thing is... if they KNOW where to block it... it's even better.) For added insult, you can tell them in advance, "Okay.. This combo is going to hit high, low, then medium to juggle you up, then I think I'll pop you with a couple jabs, a kick and slap, and if you don't quick recover I'm gonna flip on top of you.." Tell them during a 10-string where each hit is going to connect with a split second warning. It's a good laugh to see them frantically try to block your junk. #4: "Here, (handing the controls over to slik) you practice on this guy." (Now that's just plain mean... but this isn't Tekken3 Ettiquette now is it? Actually... I have only used that a few times... but it's just so damned fucked up... I had to include it...) #5: (after having someone say) "Damn you're pretty good!" (I say) "I am ok, I need to learn some more moves." (This one rocks... especially when I slammed their ass with every move in the book, and combos that are Illegal in 49 States. =) ) #6: (Not really smack talk, but a good psyche out... but after a comment on my skill, I say...) "Ohh did you play Tekken2? I wrote the strategy guide for that!" (This usually gets alot of questions... but most of the time they are unnerved the next time they come up to play. It's weird, because usually they aren't bad at all. Hehe) #7: (After beating the crap out of someone... whom I previously was talking trash to... I take a few tokens out of my pocket and say...) "Here, take this and go practice before you come back to this machine..." (Yeah, it's about as mean and cold-hearted as it gets, but I have actually done it on two different occasions.) B.Communication --------------- Communication is done during the match. It can consist of any conversation with your opponent while you are fighting them. Stirring up conversation or just constantly talking about anything while fighting will help you out or at least take your opponent's mind off the fight. If you are especially good at motormouthing, their subconscience will be too preoccupied with telling you to shut your hole or waiting for you to do so. If they are of the friendly sort, they might even engage in conversation.. Bringing up the subject of Tekken and asking them how to do certain moves could screw them up (or backfire on you as they suddenly remember a move you just reminded them to try). If they still aren't pissed off at you, the fact that you are trying to be friendly might make them refrain from using their dirty, cheap, or psychological attacks. (That doesn't mean YOU can't use them now..) C.Body Language --------------- Body language is a big factor if you wanna mess with your opponents mind and mess with their game. These are a few examples of things that you can do that involve body language. 1.Casual Picking - Acting casual while picking your character is a good start. This leads your opponent to thinking you are not worried about them, and they try "extra hard" to beat you... which ends up making them play in a way that they aren't used to. 2.One Hand Playing - Funny to do against people that suck. Just stand there and wait for them to come to you then beat them in the face. Gets the message across that they're so bad, you can beat them with one hand behind your back (or over your mouth laughing..). A similiar result can be achieved by doing 10-strings with single button presses, raising your finger about a foot away from the controller panel with each press. Remember though, doing a 10-string against those who know how to block them will only make you look like the jackass once they interrupt or counter you. 3.Mashing Buttons - Possibly childish, but smacking the hell outta the buttons while making raspberry noises is the universal Tekken sign for "You're a clueless button mashing scrub who deserves no respect whatesoever." If they don't get it, so what. Least they will be alil weirded out by the strange customs of that arcade. 4.Humming - Humm a little tune as you play. Make it clear to your competition that they are nothing but a brisk walk in the park. Make it an annoying song you're humming like a Barry Manilow or Vanilla Ice song for extra flavor. D.Disclaimer ------------ The author and contributors of this essay are in no means responsible for any broken noses, decapitation, castration, foreign objects shoved where the sun don't shine, or any other types of bodily damage resulting in the misuse and overuse of the Trash Talking section of this essay. Proceed with caution and do not try without adult supervision (or one of your boys who got yer back..) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter V. How To Get People To Play You Again ---------------------------------------------- Lets face it, nobody wants to play against the CPU. Nobody wants to play on a CPU set on Very Hard or Ultra Hard difficulty even more so. Therefore, it is in your best interest to figure out a way to get human opponents to plow in their quarters and try to beat your ass. The way to do this is simple.. Feel your opponent out and play down to his level if you can. Now I know some people's prides may say differently, but if you think you don't face a threat, make sure to _throw the second round_. Nobody wants to lose a round to someone of lesser skill but if you desire to play them again, it's a must. If you kill them in 10 seconds flat, I am sure they have better things to spend their money on other than your master ass. As long as the opponent has quarters and seriously thinks to himself, "Hey, I have a chance here..", they are going to play you again. Making comments about how good they are or how close the game was (wink wink) adds greese to the wheels. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter VI. Conclusion ---------------------- As many topics as have been addressed, I am sure there are others that have slipped my mind or I haven't thought of.. In Tekken, you learn something new everyday, wether it's a new move, new combo, or new technique. By harnessing the psychological aspects of Tekken, you will find both a better mental stability in the game- You know the tricks and you know not to fall for them. You will also find a new weapon or two to use against an opponent when physical and reflexive skill will take you only so far. Mortal Kombat was the game that first used the quote "Knowledge is Power", but in looking back, realize this should have been the quote of Tekken. Know yourself, know your abilites, and know your enemy. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter VII. Credits -------------------- Catlord would like to thank the following without whom, this essay would never have been written. Ben Cureton - For contributing his master knowledge and wisdom, as well as writing the entire Trash Talk subchapter (Damn this guy loves to insult..) as well as Chapter IV-C-1. Slikatel - How can you not thank this Tekken master? He's the one who first got me interested in Tekken by showing me all the cool things you can do if you're good. Mort - For contributing Chapter III-A-6 to the essay All the people on #tekken3 - For all sorts of help, for people to talk to and discuss Tekken with, and to show me that I'm not the only nutjob out dere. Ya know who ya are. ;) If you feel you have something important to contribute to this essay, email me at catlord@eden.rutgers.edu with your submissions and if it's a really cool and novel idea, I'll make sure to revise it in. Thanks! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter VIII. About the Author ------------------------------ Catlord is a native New Jerseyian who attends college at Rutgers University who's currently fufilling a major in Sleeping with a minor in Procrastination. He is currently the drummer of Permanent Waves, a progressive rock/Rush cover band that plays the central Jersey area. Identifying Catlord shouldn't be hard.. Just go to any New Jesey arcade with good Tekken3 controllers (Freehold, Monmouth, East Brunswick Mall) and look in. If you see some 20 year old playing Tekken3 who wears a slashcard around his neck and a silver bracelet on his left wrist, then leave. If you come back 3 hours later and he didn't move, it's him. =============================================================================