okay.
After practicing with the bot on normal (veternal fighter) for about 2 hours i then went into battle mode ... was just dicking around but i did notice that my percent of blocking increased from about 10-15% to around 30%, pleased with the results but seeing that my mind could see what i needed to do but hands lack the finess to express that concept i found my self very frustrated. Not in a discouraging way at all but in a way that made me realize how good this system actually is.
The reason more people don't play this game is because it requires a lot of real skill...
So good... but omg..... sooooo mad..... Not at people, just... at my brains inability to learn faster better STRONGER
You're going about things the right way. This is how you should feel.
Blocking is mostly muscle memory. After some practice, you'll get to the point where you don't have to think about which direction to block. Just stick with it for a while. Duel is good practice for blocking, since it only takes about ten seconds after dying to get started on a new duel. Just be sure to take a break if you find yourself becoming unreasonably frustrated.
Personally, I played siege rather than battle when I was first learning the game. Getting killed within the first minute of a three minute battle isn't really much fun.
The real frustration starts when you get decent at blocking, but you haven't quite figured out footwork ('What? How did he hit me? I swung first!'). Keep practicing, and you'll get past that too.
Quoted for truth -- this guy is the best NA dueler by far. It is all about learning the basics WITHOUT learning bad habits. Blocking and attack directions will drop out of conscious thought. You want that to happen. Your subconscious has a lot better reaction time and is more reliable anyways. It's all about learning things the right way. Detraining bad habits.... oh god it sucks. Let me put this in perspective.
I switched from regular attack/block directions to Inverted attack directions (regular block directions). I had to detrain how I learned to play. Chambering, every little skill, and relearn it. I was worse for about 2 months form that change, but 2 months later I was better than when I made the switch.
Don't go through 2 months of trying to cancel out bad habits.
Here is probably the two biggest things you NEED to get as good habits NOW when you start but nobody tells you.
1. LISTEN for the block sounds. Do not SEE that you blocked an attack. You attack back as soon as you HEAR the block sound.
2. When you see someone start an attack, you don't JUST block in that direction. At the same time, hit the movement direction Opposite of their sideswing. They have an attack coming at you from the right? You block right AND move left. And if they mess up their footwork badly enough (and you don't), You can actually swing on them before they hit you... But you'll get to that later.
My 1v1 skills are noob at best.... yet i have much experience in gvg across many games and can see already the potential in this. I have commanded 60+ in pvp engagements before and this game takes the cake with strategy possibilities.
Looking at the videos i can find of big battles though i must say that most still seem undisciplined. Cant wait to join a faction, or something, for some strat gvg battles.
Everyone is extremely undisciplined in large scale battles. 99% of people who play this game do not work in cohesive teams when they play in battle servers. What makes you think their individual footwork habits/ fighting styles (WHICH ALL VARY GREATLY) are going to mesh with teammates in large scale close quarter teamwork fights?
You'll learn this: People never let go of their movement keys for more than a second. Ever. That is really bad when you are trying to have formations. People don't know how to move as groups. SO when they actually do it, they tend to get slaughtered by enemies who are just moving chaotically like a normal battle...
The funny thing is the buddy system or a 3 person combat squad is the most effective thing in battle. So much you can do, cover each others' weaknesses, etc. Time attack so people die if they retaliate. Block for a teammate as he completes an attack into the guy attacking him. Crazy stupid amazingly effective stuff. All of which transfers over into formations.
So to you: Find a buddy. Play with them a lot and become a good team. You'll terrify every good player in the server after a while. They'll run away from you knowing they have no chance alone.
Idea!: Create videos on how to get good at things while minimizing bad habits.
Project for next week.