Just some old notes that Daigo wrote for his stream. Not meant to be a complete essay/article, he just wrote these down so he could expand more about them on his stream. Still has some interesting points!

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“First, I’d like to speak about my thoughts on the 6 Main Skills for Fighting Game Players. They are…

1) Execution

The ability to input commands quickly and correctly.

2) Discovery Power

The ability to discover strong moves and techniques.

3) Reactions

Not just simple reaction speed, but the ability to keep up in a fast paced game world. You could also call it Thought Speed.

4) Willpower

This is not so important in everyday matches…but in tournaments or other high pressure situations, this is extremely important.

5) Memory

The opposite of Willpower…this is not so important in tournaments or other short term situations. but in long sets or casuals this is very important for maintaining a positive win rate.

6) Power to Construct Strategies

In Fighting Games, this is generally the most important skill in order to win. If you can beat your opponent in this aspect, there is no way you should lose.

For this stream, I will explain how to construct a proper strategy. Discovery Power has become somewhat of a meaningless skill with the spread of the Internet since players cannot copyright techniques or strategies. As for Execution and Reaction, their importance depends on the game; for example, in SFV execution is not a very important skill at all. Finally, Memory and Willpower are skills that every individual already possesses, so they are difficult to teach over a stream. Therefore, the best skill for any player to focus on developing is the Power to Construct Strategies, so I would like to explain that now.

First, you must seek out the correct winning strategy. The more strategies you possess, the stronger each individual strategy becomes. For example…

STRATEGY #1– Sealing your opponent’s movements by saving your meter until you bring their health down to the point where they will die to a Super Combo.

[Good Points]

1) Even if you lose the round, you will have meter for the next round.

2) You lower the chances of your opponent activating V-Trigger twice in the same round.

3) You don’t have to deal with a “magic pixel” opponent.

4) Since you are only focusing on bringing your opponent down to a certain health threshold, this is an easy strategy that anyone can implement.

[Downsides]

1) If you win using this strategy, you won’t have any meter for the next round.

2) Since you are saving your meter for the kill, your meter efficiency will be poor (because in this game you gain meter even if you are being hit).

STRATEGY #2– Carrying your opponent to the corner then winning with throw 50/50 mixups.

[Good Points]

1) Very meter efficient.

2) Easy to aim for dizzy.

3) There’s a chance to win without letting your opponent activate V-Trigger.

[Downsides]

1) Since it’s easy to take damage while carrying your opponent to the corner, if you fail to carry them there or let them escape, you chances to win drastically drop.

STRATEGY #3– Use fireballs in neutral to bring down your opponent’s health, seal their offense, and win. The focus of this strategy is to not let yourself be cornered.

[Good Points]

1) You can easily observe the battle while executing this strategy, so you can safely adjust and succeed in this strategy even if it’s just for the short term.

2) You can easily switch to Strategy #1 while executing this tactic.

[Downsides]

1) If you don’t win with Super (Strategy #1), then the odds of your opponent activating V-Trigger twice in the same round are high.

2) You are more likely to end up fighting a “magic pixel” opponent.

3) There is the risk that you may be cornered then quickly lose the round.

Now that you know some strategies, you need to choose the proper one based on your opponent’s game plan. For example, against characters like Dhalsim and Nash, fighting them midscreen is difficult so you have no choice but to bring them to the corner (assuming your opponent is playing the match properly). On the other hand, bringing characters like Mika and Cammy to the corner is difficult, so you have no choice but to use Strategy #3.

After you select a strategy, you need to think about how to make that strategy succeed. How can I successfully bring my opponent to the corner? How can I successfully prevent myself from being cornered? The important thing here is that once you decide on a strategy, you need to stop focusing on doing immediate damage and instead focusing on succeeding in the strategy. For example, if you choose Strategy #2 (Corner Carry), you cannot use your Heavy Tatsu (because you will switch places with your opponent) and even if you are in range for a Shoryuken combo, you must sacrifice damage and use Medium Tatsu (for corner carry). Don’t think about opening up your opponent in neutral, just focus on making them block and bringing them to the corner. Once you have them in the corner, that’s when you focus on breaking their guard and winning.

If you choose Strategy #1, even if you have the opportunity to land your Super Combo, you should not use it unless it is going to kill.”

(End of notes. Check the stream for the more conclusive ending.)