Saturday, October 13, 2012

Training, Mentality and Your Sessions

Ever ask yourself this question? What do you do and think when your playing IIDX? I myself think of a lot of things when i'm playing and what i'm doing. I don't exactly have all the time in the world to play, so i really believe in this phrase,

"It doesn't matter how much you play, it matters what you DO when you are playing"

Everyone of course is different, but this is just my viewpoint. I know myself on my most played song(s) i have probably less then 600 plays.

Things to think about when your playing.

1. Everyone has a different level of progression.

Some people progress slower then others and don't hit as much as walls. Don't over think about this, just realize it.

The more you think about it the more its going to get to your head and your just going create a self created mental wall. When you "realize" it i'm sure you will know your place and your speed of progression. You might even progress and not even realize it.

2. Find out what your weaknesses are.

When i'm playing a song i ALWAYS look out for what i'm not hitting or timing properly. If you watch for what your not hitting good then its a good way to figure out what you need to work on. For myself it would be drum rolls, awkward ass patterns and scratching. Once you know what to work on then you can go ahead and practice those kind of songs.

3. Variety

As much as i mention this, the only reason why i do cause i seriously believe its a huge part of getting better. I don't believe in playing a song 90 times in a row (unless you trying to fish randoms) will get you better. If anything it will get you better in that song only and songs SIMILAR to it instead of your overall game play.

A example would be like playing a song like Anthem Landing over and over will probably not get you better on shit like Nageki or Beachside Bunny, it would probably help you a lot on songs like Andromeda, Shade, and Inazuma. Some songs are obviously unique like Faxx and Paranoia Hades which have speed changes which relies on more of knowing the song. Then songs like rage against usual, Diavolo and Fake Time which are totally based on one hard ass part.

4. Take a break

Sometimes taking a break is one of the best things you can do, especially if your getting to a point of frustration. Whenever i take a break (which is often) i always come back better since i find myself more mentally refreshed and renewed. You may be rusty when you come back from a break, but this is your chance to find new ways to hit things. So if you feel like you are at a wall, don't be afraid to take a break and slow down.

5. Finding your Green Number

Your green number is probably one of the most important things, its what finds a comfortable high speed for you. Make sure you know that the number your playing at is COMFORTABLE for you, don't use a low green number just because you "can". I used to play at 270 or so which i got some good scores at, until i realized that in order to get those scores i had to focus HARD on the wrong thing which was just reading the fricken notes.

So from there i went to lower speeds starting from 290 then eventually dropped down to 284-282, which made me score a lot better and a lot more consistent since i could now focus not as much just reading the notes since it was now easier to see and i could focus more on timing.

6. Be aware.

When i mean by being aware, i mean by noticing things in the songs you play such as where the scratches are / scratch patterns, tricky parts, that stupid random jack hammer in the middle hard part of nageki, and the types of random you get.

The most important being what type of random you are playing (ex. right side/ left side heavy, middle, spread out) which would allow you to get in a better position on the fly easier and knowing what to look out for.

I believe in heightened awareness, which in reality supposedly increases your reaction to a certain situation by a great amount.

7. Don't go WAY beyond your skill level / anything stupid.

Pretty straight forward.

You don't wanna play 12's when your just beating 10's. You probably don't want to try EX-HARD on 11's if you are just starting to beat 11's.

You probably don't wanna use S-Random unless you are playing for fun or playing R5, 5.1.1, and 100% minimoo-G or if your name is "Dane's Son" who believes that Random makes you better so that means S-Random makes you EVEN better using random OR if you want to beat Plasma Strike LAST BOSS of this GYM.

You don't want to get to beating level 12's on 5 key autoscratch then try switch over to 7 key no assist thinking that you can do 12's.

You don't want to get salty to the guy next to you cause hes better than you. Man the fuck up and better yourself. Use competition for motivation.


Conclusion

This pretty much sums it up for my mentality towards IIDX. I'm not going to get into LR2/BMS training this article but i will get to an article on it sooner or later.

Hope this makes you think more when you are playing IIDX.

aw do it.

DJ REA










Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Timing

The bane of IIDX. Getting that fucking AAA

Timing, the second most important part in IIDX. Combined with technique this makes a what a IIDX player.

How do you get your timing down?

There are four things that can help you get your timing down.

Reaction
Sight
Sound
Feel


Reaction

How do you use reaction for your timing? Well this is what Sudden+ and Green number is for (which ill cover later on in this post).

So the goal of using reaction is to find a "sweet spot" green number. Generally you will look at the top or top-middle of the screen where the notes come down and basically hit the note as soon as you see it. By the time you react to the note it should be at the JG (Flashing Great) timing window.

Most of the time if your green number is low (270 or below -280) then you probably base your timing more on reaction.

Sight

Sight is pretty simple, you look at the line and hit it when its at the JG spot. You will probably look at the bottom of the screen to the middle of the screen. Sight also includes knowing what notes are STAGGERED and SWUNG as fuck. Sight will also make you hit the closest to the line

You will play with high green numbers (290+) if you look more toward the line.

Sound

Sound is far by the one thing that will keep you on rhythm to get consecutive JG. Listening to the sound of your key presses is far by one of the most helpful things when trying to stay on rhythm and on point for timing.

This is how you will keep your timing on point for the most of the song, REGARDLESS of how hard the song is. A single note stream will sound the same as a stream with three and four chords.

Listening/knowing how the song suppose to sound also helps as well.


Feel

Feel is simple,try to remember your movement when you are getting a perfect JG run, if its something that you can repeat then throw it in along with everything else. Listen to the sound of the key spaces and remember how each 4ths, 8ths, 12ths, 16ths, 24ths and so on sound.

Same as sound, everything should feel similar regardless of how hard it is.

So how do i get flashing GREATS and continue on getting flashing greats.

Reaction/Sight: For hitting that flash

Sound/Feel: To consecutively hit that flash

Technique: Make sure that you can even hit the notes the first place. (and that your not on a laggy ass TV)

Some things to keep in mind for timing

1. You have FOUR things to work with that i mentioned above. (this is what i go with) You may have more then what i mentioned above.
2. You will be surprised as shit when you find out when a song is swung / off as fuck.
3. Its NOT easy to grasp. (Everyone is different though)
4. Your technique is what makes or breaks your timing.
5. Focus. (not to a point of frustration)
6. TV's are all different
7. Everyone has a different sweet spot

How to improve timing?

1. Knowing the song

When i mean knowing the song i mean more than just knowing what it sounds like.

This includes: Knowing if its swung (a lot of songs don't sound swung, but they are actually swung), knowing what it sounds like, knowing what the key presses sound like through out the song, knowing where the scratches are and how the scratches feel.

2. Feeling / Listening to the BPM's

Pretty simple to think about. A song thats 150 BPM will have the same feel and key press sounds as another
song that is also 150 bpm. How do i get a high score on a song i never played before on my first try? How am i so consistent? (to a certain extent) Well here's your answer.

3. Playing a variety of  harder to time songs

I'm sure MOST people that somewhat have a grasp of timing can AAA trigger of innocence / dazzlin darlin / mermaid girl. Just because you can AAA easy songs that have a easy rhythm to follow does not mean you have good timing overall. You just got a good feel for those songs / patterns / bpms.

Playing a variety of songs will force you to use more of your other "senses". Songs that are swung or songs you never played will make you rely on sight and feel more. Songs with constant streams / chords will make you rely on feel and sound more.

4. Technique

This goes beyond just hitting the notes, but finding a way where you can hit the notes ACCURATELY is a another story. The key here is to find a way to hit certain patterns that will allow you to flow throughout the song without losing rhythm. Control of your fingers play a big part here.

CS vs. AC Timing

I've been asked this question a lot since there are a lot of CS players that can't score as well on AC. (I'm actually opposite, I cant score for shit on CS.). Between the two, timing on them feels different to me.

In my opinion, its a whole different game between them and i find it easier to treat them as two different games. Same as with LR2 which every song has adjustable timing. Not to mention if your not using a AC dimension controller then of course everything is different.

I find it much easier to just treat them as different games if your going to play both. Pretty much the only thing i use LR2 / CS for is to work on my technique / reading ability.

Perhaps i will write an article on CS v. AC in the future.

Conclusion

This pretty sums it up for my general idea behind timing. If you feel like i'm missing something or need explain something clearer or more in depth then by all means let me know.

and just 123456 DO IT.

-DJ REA

Monday, October 8, 2012

Technique

First off, I didn't mention it but i am a right side player, and excuse my grammar and mistakes. I haven't written in ages.

Lets start off with the base of this game which is Technique

Technique

Remember this: 

Technique is far by the MOST important thing in IIDX, if you cant hit shit then you obviously cant time shit.

Your technique is pretty much what makes you and breaks you in this game. If you got a shitty technique then i'm sorry to say your never going to get anywhere.

What is a right technique and wrong technique?

Honestly i believe that there's no such thing as a right technique or a wrong technique, do whatever works for you but at least realize when its not working anymore its time to do something about it. I'm just going to say this: Try not to watch videos and copy what someones doing, what they are doing may not even work for you. The best thing you can do is to use videos for ideas to improve your playstyle.

This is a template for a basic technique that should work:
  
1. Pinky scratch (Unless you one hand or play any kind of DJ Mass song)
2. Your scratch hand should cover no more then the 3 closest keys to you.
3. Your non-scratch hand should at least cover the left 4-5 keys.

Somethings to think about regarding technique:

1. You don't have designate a finger for THAT one key only. (Its pretty good on high density songs)
2. You don't have to always pinky scratch (Especially on scratch songs. I use my middle+ring+pointer for better control and timing.)
3. Key 4 can be split among your hands (depending on position of notes)
4. Its ok to jam. (If your just trying to hit shit)
5. Think about position of the notes and the type of random it is.
6. Nothing is set in stone, you can always change your technique even though its the hardest thing in the world.
7. CONTROL of your hands
8. Your fingers can slide.
9. DO what works for you.

How can i improve my technique?

Well, this is just my opinion and it might not work for everybody.

1. Use RANDOM

To all you non-random advocates, sorry but theres only so much songs like in the sky, colorful cookie, diavolo, faxx and scratch songs. Your hands will be only good at doing scales, shit thats slapping, and up and down shit like 13 24 rolls. If you believe random is fraudulent or "not playing the game" then i suggest you quit. Top players don't use random for no reason and there are a shit TON more bad randoms then good randoms.

Random will pretty much open up your eyes to different types of patterns and different ways to hit keys.

Just don't "Random whore" and cherry pick your randoms (i still do this btw) play through every song you get even though its a horri-bad random. To me long as your trying to hit it, you will eventually get better at it and gives you more exposure to more patterns.

2. Get creative

There's no concrete way of hitting a certain pattern. Trying hitting things in a ton of different ways, you will be surprised that hitting things differently can open up a lot more possibilities. Just don't do something like hit the furthest key from the scratch with your scratch hand though. You have your whole hand to work with and i'm sure there's no rule saying your fingers have to hit the keys at your fingertips and im pretty sure there's ways to hit 2 keys with your thumb on your scratch hand. Not to mention, your hands can turn too.

When trying new things i will tell you this. ALWAYS remember the playstyle that you left off from.

3. Play harder songs and a variety of songs. 

Playing harder songs will of course improve your ability to read and hit shit. Just don't play stuff that's like WAAAY out of your league though. To me if i play a song that's like a few levels above me and somewhat CAN hit it, the song that i wanted to improve on will look and be a lot easier. This might involve playing crazy shit on LR2 though. And don't feel so bad for 2% a song all the time, I still do this shit. This especially helps on fast songs, playing a faster song will probably improve your overall control of your hands on the BPM you wanted to get better at.

As for playing a variety of songs, your not going to get better by AAA full comboing Mermaid Girl, any Terra song, mosaic, etc 80 times. Unless you really love Mermaid Girl (which i do). To me playing the same songs over and over doesn't really help me but make me feel stagnant. I play different songs to get different ideas.

4. Persevere 

Your going to have to try new things in order to improve and those new things may not work right away or not work at all. Don't feel bad if your playing like shit cause your trying something new, no one gets good instantly. Don't feel bad if it doesn't work, if its not working then go back to the drawing board and go back to your old playstyle. Who said shit will work a 100% of the time.

Wrist Scratching:

Ok so alot of people ask me about this cause im probably the only player that does this in the English speaking community that plays on AC

Is it something that i should do??

No and Yes. If you think it can work for you then go ahead and try it out and see how you like it. I'll be honest though, its pretty fucking inaccurate timing wise but it allows you to hit shit. Its not the BEST play style and ONLY playstyle that can make you better. Crazy ass players like DOLCE and TAKA.S dont wrist scratch and look how fucking good they are. I don't wrist scratch 100% of the time, now its maybe 30/70, the 70 being regular scratching. I've been changing my play style to wrist scratch on the fly when i need to recently just to improve my accuracy.

I'm not going to go into the details of improving in certain aspects like chords, streams, scratches and dense shit or what not since idk what people are bad at. In the future i will try to attempt to write on specifics if people want. But for now you can ask me questions and ill answer as best possible.

I hope this helps you open your mind on Technique.

-DJ Rea




Welcome to The Limbo.

First things first, let me introduce myself.

I am known as REA on Programmed World for AC IIDX, the jackass who has most of the top scores on PW. I also go by other various names like Hentai, loluralimey, djkc, H, Cien and whatever else i may use or used. I've been playing IIDX for about maybe a total of 5 years.

I started on 4th style when the local arcade here in Hawaii got a machine. From there i played for a good 2 years or so when they upgraded to 6th style then 9th style and i was pretty fucking horrible back then, (probably actually somewhere along the bottom.) After a long ass time of having 9th style and no upgrades i pretty much quit for a good 3 years until i took a trip to Japan and played Happy Sky and when i came back our local arcade somehow got their hands on a Happy Sky. From that Happy Sky i played all the way up until DJ Troopers which was when the arcade stopped upgrading. This period of time i played i improved a hell of a lot and reached a ton of milestones.

After no upgrades, once again i was put on break until another local arcade got a Sirius machine from here i played again for a little bit then slowly drew away from AC and moved on to Lunatic Rave 2 for about a year until we got Lincle with PW. This period of time until now brought me to the highest point in my IIDX career, i seriously never imagined myself getting this good to be honest.

Alright, end of that shit.

So what is the purpose of this site? Not to Dickwag obviously.


Basically, this is going to be for people that WANT to get better and have a better look at IIDX. I have a lot of advice and philosophy about IIDX that can help players that are new get into it and for experienced players that are stuck at a wall. To me its really nice to see people level up, perhaps one day someone will be as godlike as DOLCE or better then me (I honestly know and feel that there are other players that exist) among our community then i can be asking his ass for advice.

I also will answer questions regarding IIDX that anyone throws at me in the best possible way.

I probably wont write the nicest things either so expect some criticism and try not to get offended. I seriously do have a lot of shit to say about this game and the community. Doesn't mean i hate you though. I don't hate people for no reason.

Well, however you want to view this as which will either be useful advice, bunch of bullshit garbage, jamming, pants wrestling, or "why is this fraud who wrist scratches is even writing this shit, he doesnt even play the game right". I'm sure you'll find it a good read.

-Rea