Anyone who has played online enough can *feel* when the opponent isn't going to give you the runback. There's just a certain level of degeneracy that's going on in your opponent's playstyle that says "I'm here to bully people who can't anti air for easy ladder points".

7:00 "Random" players play an extremely important role in a game's meta. They remind us all that our toolset is much bigger than just the small subset that we understand as "best practice". If all your meta tools fail against someone doing random unconventional stuff, and you can't adapt to that, it's a sign of your own weakness as a player that you cannot summon the creativity to figure out a solution.

I hate when people talk to me when they are losing and saying this is unfair during tournaments lmao

On "switching characters on a win", I started playing Granblue recently and ran into a guy who had like 1800 wins. He beat me real bad with his main, but afterwards he kept doing random select and got characters that he didn't know that well. Of course a guy that has 1800 wins will know basic combos and strategy for most characters so he absolutely whooped my ass still, but I had a better fighting chance than against his main and learned a lot. Ran sets with this guy for an entire evening and I feel like I learned more by him going random, than getting mauled by his main the whole time.

I do sometimes comment along the lines of "oh yeah that's safe btw" I didn't realise people felt that strongly about it

There's no way that mashing/playing "without strategy" is against the "etiquette rules". Not everyone is in the same skill level or not everyone wants to spend the same amount of time in practice mode. Yeah, it may be tilting, but if that's the bar it's really low, you can be tilted by a lot of things that aren't BM

This wasn't on the list, but I think it's worth mentioning: people who only have fun when they're winning. I regularly sparred with a dude who would only be positive after winning a few matches in a row, but the moment he went into disadvantage, it was bitch city. It was beyond frustrating. I couldn't even bring myself to record my matches to review them because he would complain 80% of the time whenever we played. It's really pathetic tbh. [1/19] Aight, I didn't think my situation was so common, but the replies have opened my eyes. If you deal with someone like this, cut 'em out. They aren't worth the time or effort. Chances are their shit mentality is holding you back, too. Once you start playing with people who aren't whiny scrubcicles, you'll begin to improve at a more steady pace.

If the other player is being "random", it's your duty as a player to stop expecting an honorable duel. Most of these players are still learning the game and just doing stuff that has worked so far. Patience and solid fundamentals will win against any "cornball" player. Same with people mashing during your combos and blockstrings; it's not their fault for mashing, it's your fault for not keeping your blockstrings tight and doing combos you can't reliably finish. Also, Brian_F said it best: If your opponent is spamming something, you're spamming mistakes. If someone found your weakness as a player and keeps exploiting it, maybe they're not trash at the game, you are

The advice after a match is appreciated, and I dish it out, when it's something that the person doesn't know that they don't know. I once played this guy in Skullgirls who was VERY good as Valentine for a beginner, but he had no idea how much damage he was leaving on the table by starting every combo with a bunch of light hits. And now think about a fighting game tutorial that tells you that you need to jump to escape a command grab. I can really only think of one game that explains it, and it's Fantasy Strike. If someone eats 20 SPDs in a row, I think it's alright to explain to that guy that he needs to jump.

6:38 is definitely a skill issue. Why would you ever want to be predictable in a fg?

I agree with all of them except for “changing character on win”. If I’m playing my main and BODY someone, I will switch to my secondary or tertiary characters to make the match more competitive. And I get to brush up on a character. I always saw it as good manners, not bad. But I can see how it would be annoying since you can’t adjust/adapt/learn.

About changing characters after winning, some people enjoy playing different characters and switching between them its a game after all and the person switching probably doesnt want to disrespect you and just want to spice up his own experience

Here's one that's probably more game specific, but queuing while afk. When I get into a match, I wanna play. I don't want to wait for you to wake up from the nap you took in the 10 second queue, and if I attack you suddenly IM the bad guy. And when they come back they sometimes just start immediately attacking, so they just get free hits and an unfair advantage. I've taken to hitting afk opponents with one very strong attack, to punish them for wasting my time and to hopefully wake them up to get them playing sooner.

I'm surprised this wasn't on the list but RAGE quiting in an online match! So infuriating. Especially if they beat you in the first game, then you adapt and beat them and they Rage quit on you so your win doesn't officially "count" as a ranked win. These people have serious ego problems.

I usually skip intros, but if I'm taking a drink of water or something for a second and mine plays I let the opponents play so they don't think I was trying to mess with them or something. Lol. Awesome video! And yes, please don't skip dramatic finishes! That one hurts my soul!

On the topic of mashing or being unpredictable. I started playing fighting games early in my childhood during the 90's when frame data and character guides were not readily available. When I was learning how to play from my dad, I had to learn by feeling and experience. Because of that I have a really bad habit of checking pressure. I have a friend who started fighting games later, and he lives and dies by the holy order of frame data. He gets really frustrated when I mash on plus frames, and he calls me out on it all the time. I just tell him "make me stop then". If you're pressure is air tight then you should be beating me in neutral every time. But I will test it every time, and I will check the execution. So yeah I don't think it's a big deal if someone is random.

Getting upset when a person calls themselves bad or is disappointed with a mistake even if they win seems petty. Your ego shouldn't be tied to your opponent's. What if that was a combo they had been practicing or they are pointing out their own mistakes to improve. I sometimes say my mistakes out loud just to really drive it home for myself.

As someone who has only just seriously picked up a fighting game at 40 because I saw some DBFZ videos and the combo system looked fucken amazing, I would welcome any advice and some practice matches. I only played 2 games online and got so badly smashed that now I just go to practice mode and work on execution. Mad respect to the ppl who can play these games on the highest level.

Downplaying yourself or becoming negative when you're losing is just a way to vent, nothing wrong with that. Better than letting frustration build and yeeting your controller at the other person im a massive reee

3:05 The exception to this rule, is if the opponent tries something *really sick* but fails at the very end or close to. Even if they win, I'd prefer they'd won because of some sick tech or combo - but doing so before giving the handshake or mid-match is still breaking the rule. I get excited if my opponent tries something unnecessarily difficult - it makes the match that much more enjoyable. If I see my opponent taking it to his limit, I'm going to do the same and the match will be more fun as a result, imo.

A lot of these seem overly sensitive to me. I do find no run back frustrating though. I have to remind my self to play more optimally. You may not get a second chance.

I tend to call myself bad and basically bully myself into losing or giving up mid-match, the only way I can describe it is I tend to feel like after a certain amont of life lead, it becomes insurmountable for me, it’s a bad habit that my friends have been calling me out on and I’m trying to do better at not doing it, but something inside me fundamentally can’t handle if my opponent is up 90% of their health and I’m on a pixel, especially in games like Guilty Gear.

love this content in addition to your normal stuff, it's nice to just sit back pop open a drink and relax instead of having to focus while watching the video. keep up the good content bro.

9:44 OR if you *don't* switch they hit you with the "You only know how to play that character"

Having low self-esteem, I'm definitely guilty of downplaying myself during games. I think I'm getting better with that, but I understand that it can be annoying, as well. Switching characters right after winning is one that bothers me too, as it's not much different from quitting after just one game. The "option select" is also annoying, but it's also something I honestly find slightly amusing.

People who say you're "tryharding" or "sweating" when your just playing normally OR People who complain that you press buttons too loud, like bro just lemme play

Ive had plenty of people message me trash talking me AFTER they beat me. Like dawg, you already won, but that wasnt enough for you and now you have to rub it in? It made me realize a lot of FGC people can be unreasonably rude

I love your videos about moments in fighting game tournaments and/or videos like this one's about. I enjoy getting a player's perspective.

People *don't* have to play multiple matches. One and dones happen, and there's nothing wrong about it.

About character change. I do it sometimes when I notice a player's skill level so I take a character I know less about but have the basics down, to give both me a learning experience and the other opponent who is still learning a more basic gameplay.

I agree with the character swap after a win. Like you said if it's one or two matches and they switch, this makes it really difficult to adapt their strategy. I think it makes the game more fun when you learn about why a person does X thing with X character.

It's nice to see you have gotten to a point where you're being referred to in articles. Keep up the good work! 🙋🏾‍♂️

I'm super guilty of switching characters constantly regardless of whether I win or lose, I had no idea it pissed people off so much although when it's put that way I can see why.

As a Milia player, I always do the following when against someone has a DP: knock down > HS disk> hold 1, chill and see them explode. It worked more often than you think.

Yyoooooo I LOVE your videos man!!! Thank you so much for all the entertainment!!!

I think complaining while you're winning there's more to do with the tone than the act itself. Usually you can tell if the person is rubbing it in or if they just feel like talking about the games. I feel like I like to do that a lot when I play chess, regardless of the result, I like to understand my opponent's thinking through the game and I feel it's fair to offer mine as well

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS, JM! Fear of bad etiquette has been a major deterrent for me for playing online.

about the changing character thing in the end, i personally never felt annoyed if someone switched characters and i was surprised that some people do get annoyed by this but people are different and that's fine. maybe its another read the room thing where you could ask your opponent if they could switch back or have some chit chat about stuff one didn't get. i add lot of people i meet in ranked or casual matches and when they accept, its always a sign for me that we could be at good terms.

Great video bro! And nice insights too! Getting to some points: I don't lecture players, but if i'm lectured (with respect) , i do take those words to my training. Intro wise, i like to let it roll when it's the final set of a best out of 3. I kinda sets the mood towards "I GOTTA WIN THIS!" lol Cheers bro, love your videos o/, take care!

- Rage quit in when you are 2 hits away from winning the entire match. Errgghh. - People who taunt message you every single time they win. - People who after they lose all of a sudden blame it on lag. - People who never message you when they win, but once you start to win all of a sudden the hate messages come after they lose the match. - People who brag talk and wont shut up for a second as they are beating you during the game. -Narrators...'Oh that was stupid, why did you do that?', 'You thought i was gonna fall for that?', 'Oh so you just gonna keep throwing projectiles' etc etc SHUT UP

6:27 Against these kinds of players I find it best to be risk averse, and to just stick to very simple offense. Safe jumps are great for this, as someone who's "just mashing" will usually just get blown up for not recognizing the situation.

Oof, I'm definitely guilty of some of these, especially calling myself bad. I do it because I can't let myself live down my own mistakes but it's still probably really annoying for my friends to hear that. I don't do it in tournaments though. Unsolicited advice during friendlies is perfectly reasonable though in my opinion. My friends that I play with are all trying to learn more about the games we're playing, so if we can help each other improve, that's cool. I like receiving advice too because it can help me progress and get better as a player.

I love getting better at the game, so I love getting advice at any time. There are some times (when I'm tilted) when I can't process the advice well, but I'm never mad at the advice itself.

I think it can be disappointing and even sad when somebody leaves after one match in ranked or casual, but I feel like a lot of people don't realize that when you're not in a tournament setting, you are not entitled to a FT2 or a FT3. Now, if your game's ranked mode is enforcing a set, then expectations are set in place and it does makes your opponent look bad when they quit partway through. But again, you may want a full set but nobody owes you one I have to disagree with the unsolicited advice thing in general, but I do agree that it can come off as very belittling and patronizing in certain contexts. Like you said, you should read the room before going ahead with it. Personally, I am A-okay with it. I got it a lot when I played Tekken 7 on PS4 and Xrd on Steam and those are the best messages I have ever received from strangers playing an online game. And I think that if you're constantly being hit by something and failing to defend against it, I think it's for the best that your opponent gives you tips about it. It shows that they just want you to improve and are willing to share their own knowledge to help you build your own

10:10 this one I don't get because what if the other person just feels like switching it up? Personally don't like playing the same character over and over again when there's an entire roster for me to use. Not everything is about demoralizing an opponent. Feels like projection.

I can see why switching would be annoying to fight but it feels like a legitimate strategy, have a level of skill with multiple characters to keep your opponent guessing and to not get cheesed by matchups

I feel like the character select after every match is more of a casual thing. Like buddies just playing rather than someone who wants to particularly be good

@jmcrofts I'm relatively new to the FGC (less than a year) and you've brought to light some things I do that I guess are pretty annoying (specifically downplaying myself either in person or on voice chat). I'm stopping that now. Thanks for the vid!

The first and second rule is basically the Tekken 7 online rank experience in a nutshell.

character lock on win is a standardized tournament rule for a reason right? i think its reasonable to expect an unspoken version of that for ranked. give people the runback so they can adapt to the character. this is also my number 1 pet peeve btw.

Great videos big man 💪

Great vid bro!

"Changing characters on a win": I do this sometimes, when I'm playing someone who clearly doesn't have a chance against my main, so I'll switch to a secondary I'm not as good with. I'm not doing it to be rude, I think it leads to more interesting games for both of us!

I definitely wouldn't be picking the same character if it means my opponent would be able to adapt, especially if something is on the line. It's why I try to main different characters in games where every character have different interactions and match ups against the other characters. More options for me and less time for the opponent to get comfortable.

jmcrofts giving sage advice - I see you! I came up on Streetfighter II in Times Square NYC in the 90's. This would be a different list if it were in-person gripes! It's funny - downtown tick throws were "cheap." And in the hood "combos" were considered cheap (as if that logic could make sense.) Good video!

I know this is totally off the subject but I gotta say thanks for using the Ibuki theme as BGM. I've loved that song for decades.

People and spectator should stop "Screaming". You will think this is done out of excitement, but it not always. Sometimes spectators are known to scream what player X will do to disturb him during a match. It happened to me. It happened to a French player playing SF2 in EVO. It is a horrible way of losing. PS: I don't find the last one annoying. I do that if I want to find out how comfortable I am with various characters vs the same character played by the same person.

When you're playing someone online and they go afk mid-match it's common courtesy to wait for them to come back.

I’m glad you talked about the opponent mashing when you’re in the middle of a combo because that used to kill me a lot before I realized it’s totally my fault

I love the type of content you can listen to! There are so many times i just want to listen to something that doesn't require my eyes to be foccused on the screen but it's not a long podcast also, just take a 10 minute break from the screen of leave on while doing some other quick mechanical task.

I definitely get down on myself when playing long sets, I play with a group of guys who are well above my skill level - I'm super bronze my homies are all plat+. Granted I've never played in tourney. (I'm getting better slowly) but when I have an 11% win rate in lounge I think I'm allowed to be frustrated when I'm taking my lumps.

I sometimes wake up with a dragon rush and my friend always tell me I am random. It's a hard guess not random.

Don't leave after 1 match, Don't refuse a rematch when I win, don't downplay myself, don't complain while winning/post win, don't mash while being combo'd, don't give advice unprovoked, have a strategy, don't do random, don't skip intro (or super finisher) animations, don't get close to beating people, don't change chars on a win, and most importantly, don't win.

Thanks JMCrofts! This was much needed! I hope there were enough runner ups for a “Part 2”. P.S. Will the Headband make a triumphant return?

I can’t deny I do get pretty negative it doesn’t help when my friend constantly taunts but I would like to hear some advice on how to calm down during a match so I don’t get like that with others. It’s pretty hard for me to calm down mid match especially when I find the character they are playing annoying.

9:45 sometimes, I'm sorry if it ever seems like i do this to anyone I've played, but i realllllllly like playing multiple characters in fighting games. I have at least a few sets of subs behind my mains in several games because i enjoy trying out new playstyles. Sometimes i notice i do this right after i win out of pure coincidence, when i just wanna play another character.

Thanks for the content!!!

When your opponent is winning and decides to teabag you is so incredibly disrespectful.

I hate people that say “ its just a game “

Switching characters seems like a smart strategy.

Great video!

That was surprisingly helpful. As someone who mostly plays to get better and don't get mad when losing, I sometimes give opponents tips for matchup and expect the same in return. I'll ask if they want it first from now on. I also sometimes apologize for being bad. Maybe you should make an fg etiquette guide for people like me. Also I can relate about being mad for switching on winning. I'm currently re-learning bbcf and there are a lot of matchups that I want to figure out. So when I run into someone strong and they beat me, I get filled with ideas on how to deal with all the things I just saw and get excited to try them out, only for them to switch character and hit me with new things I have no idea how to deal with. Kinda ruins my motivation.

My pet peeves: 1) Rage-quitting if you suddenly start getting a comeback in the match. 2) Rage-quitting if you simply land ONE hit on your opponent. 3) Idling 4) T-bagging 5) Stalling as in moving, but not attacking to make the timer run out

When the matchmaking places you against a player of a much higher skill level, (think celestial vs floor 4, or saiyan vs god of destruction) And the higher level player destroys the weaker player with a double perfect, and wants a rematch. Realistically they weaker player is to far down for more games to be a learning experience and you REALLY DONT need to stomp them again. Let them player a better match where they can possibly improve and you can get a better match. When im new to a game, i hate when people do this to me, and now as a better player, i wont do this to a newbie.

I definitely give unsolicited advice, but mostly if I can tell they're new. Newer players tend to ask for advice after sets more often than not

When your ahead n a fighting game, then suddenly other person internet gets slow & they win.

5:11 before he gives his 2 cents, I totally agree unsolicited advice is just so hammy. Like, I'll ask for help if I fucking want it. It's worse when I'm salty after a match and instead of them giving me space, they start reiterating why I'm salty with the advice. You can talk in the kindest way possible, but if someone is getting beat super hard, just hold back your shit until they decide they wanna ask and get better. Had this happen in a custom character tourney and it made me completely turned off from playing Rivals because of it. Edit: The point about reading the room makes online matches so much more annoying since someone won't be able to tell if you're salty unless you are p obvious about it, which makes it harder to avoid these kinds of ppl. Like, IK I'm bad at this or that kind of play, don't tell my like you know me. I have FG friends that can tell me that I mash all the time

About the switching characters one. I do it because I like to play multiple characters, its got nothing to do with disrespecting my opponent, its about me having fun. If they feel disrespected, then thats their problem. Im gonna do what I wanna do. And for me its boring playing the same characters over and over.

Love getting the reset by dropping a combo while they're mashing! With SFV, the poor net code can help with this as sometimes you'll get the audio from the DP or a frame drop that tells you they're mashing - hello free damage!

Games already have a built in best of three mechanic. That's what the rounds are for. If people want to play multiple matches that's totally cool, but no one owes you a runback.

To be honest a lot of this feels like "Don't talk. Just play the match, take you stick and leave. Real champions don't have time for socializing they have to grind their hit confirms and whiff punishes". And I mean, fair enough, people came to play not to talk, but sometimes you just need to say something when you're super tense.

disagree with the character switching one. you can always take matchup questions to the training room

I agree for sure on the last one, because that also allows constant counterpicking.

Tbh, I'll one and done if the opponent is playing a character I hate. There are a few reasons I hate a character, but once I've learned to deal with any unique bullshit that character has, I'll play against it as little as possible, because it isn't fun playing against that one.

First time I'm first here JM!

Surprised at your number one pick. First of all I dont think people generally do this on purpose just to annoy you or get the upper hand, man. Second, I think its scrubby as hell to be annoyed that the opponent doesnt pick the character YOU want him to pick. I mean what the hell. I as the opponent can pick whatever tool I feel l need for a given job and if I have the luxury of knowing multiple characters to choose a better approach to face yours thats my own merit. If you cant deal with that, why is it my problem? You go and learn the matchup... Its a fighting game and suddenly I have to curb myself and give you a shot because you cant deal with my overall game? Lol. No, man.

Great video i loved it

I hate when the opponent mops the floor with me and then switches to my character to show me that they can beat me with it.

The "dont give unasked advice" is, i think, a universal rule. In climbing we have the same. If someone is struggling with a route, you ask them first if they want advice or a tip. You dont just walk up there and tell them. If you do, you are seen as an a.hole.

I once heard Mago jokingly saying that the way some players start the round reflects their personality. for example if someone throws a fire ball at the start he's like saying "hi, hello" but if he does a random shoryuken at the start of the round, he's like saying "hey! can I get your phone number?"

That last point, can it be fixed by setting a filter to matchmaking to only put u up against a certain character?

That "complain while winning" gave me Overwatch flashbacks. Like I know we're not playing the optimal counters but we're winning.

In regards to character change: I hit the random button, I'd love to play that character again too but we're both on this ride together. (I'm also casual as heck and so are my friends)

I think if you identify with any of these it's worth looking inward. for example, I'm a win switcher. never considered that others would want a rematch. for me i'd rather be ok at everyone then really good at one character

There is also the big Brother tech. Doing something really gimmicky or hard to stop and refusing to tell your opponent how it works after they ask. lol. I think I might have done this in a tournament a few times, but I always said I'll tell them after the match.

so about the changing of characters on a win -- sometimes, as the winner, I want to learn other characters too, so I'm switching to learn against someone I already have a feel for. Also the people I used to play with were just always salty and trash talkers so I didn't want to have to put up with their complaining about me playing a character and then I feel bad for playing that character. So I swapped a lot. Unpredictability is one of my strengths, even in tournament haha

People constantly changing characters midset drives me absolutely insane, let me learn the matchup damn it

My pet peeve is when higher ranked opponents try and finish off a match as fast as possible, like they're insulted to get me as their next opponent.

Always hit me with that knowledge regardless of the situation, please. The problem is with what people think constitutes advice. I have a friend who says stuff like "don't do that" or "maybe that's not the character for you" when he only plays top tier chars (for reference, he always tries the ones he likes first, but 2 or 3 weeks into the game, there he is with the top tier). Nothing wrong with tier picks, just don't tell me that this or that character isn't for me based on that.

When you are feeling like the player who's switching characters is rude to you, maybe he's switching cuz he wants to keep other characters fresh, that's nothing to do with you. It sometimes happen.