So I found lots of tutorials on using the stick portion or left hand placement but I’m trying to figure out how you’re supposed to correctly press buttons. I’ve heard that you’re only supposed to use your index finger or your index and your middle finger to press attack buttons… does anyone have a tutorial that could point me too or just a general idea? I understand that it’s preference but I just would like a starting point
You may be able to find some good tutorials from a guy called “VesperArcade” on youtube, he had a really good series to help build you up. You may have to dig a little, cause that series came out years ago, helped me though.
However, it really does come down to preference. My dexterity with my index, middle and ring fingers is pretty good so I tend to be able to nail inputs with all three strengths as I need to, so I don’t feel much need to shift except up and down as I need to for punch or kick, never left or right. The idea is to develop your muscle memory over time so it takes over more and you think less about tapping inputs.
Think about it as if you were learning to type on a keyboard, but instead of a normal keyboard, this one has 8 keys. You learn to “type” which keys with which fingers, and you need to be able to bring your hand back to “neutral” position, which is always the same no matter what. Similar to how on a real keyboard your index fingers should come back without thinking to the F and J keys, your right hand should be in a comfortable position which should have all buttons in easy reach, and your hand position always returns to the neutral point without (much) thought.
So yeah, my index usually handles my light punch and kick, middle handles mediums, etc. Depending on the game and the frequency I press them, I may use the ring finger to double up on the farthest keys, or I may just use pinky to press them too. I don’t tend to use the all punches or all kicks macros very often (for KI anyway) so I generally use pinky for them, usually for ultra inputs. Varies from game to game. Most games are set up to where the far buttons are usually punch and kick macros or assist call outs, so pinky finger is usually good enough to do that since its not an overly used button. You’ll want your fingers with best dexterity on the buttons you’ll use most.
If there’s anything else you can think to ask, I’ll try and help answer best as I know how. Hope this helped at least though.
No that’s great thank you. I’m assuming you use one… did you cut your gamepad off cold turkey with whatever game you use it for or do you use both?
I can already tell that the arcade stick has a lot of advantages over a gamepad but like you said since I’ve had it for a few weeks now I don’t want to give myself incorrect or or technique that I’m just going to have to unlearn later.
And thank you for your comment-very well articulated and very thoughtful.
I have a mayflash f300 elite so I feel like it’s a good starting stick. It’s got the whatever buttons I forget the name and I changed out the square gate with the octagonal but I feel like I like that better although I can’t really tell.
On a side note my friends think that I am ridiculous for buying a controller to play a game that came out in 2014 
I have been using one since Street Fighter 4 came out, so…a very long time. But yeah, once I made the transition to Fightstick, I honestly didn’t care for controller that much anymore. There are some exceptions from time to time, namely Smash Bros. For most games though, it’s the fightstick, but whatever works best.
Well, you’d like to get it right as much as possible on the first try, but you will inevitably have to unlearn and retrain your fingers time and again anyway. For me, playing multiple games showed I would develop habits for one game (throw teching in SF4) and I would end up doing those same habits in MvC3, Blazblue, etc. and I had to unlearn those habits, or at least, kinda learn to control certain habits, and be more mindful of inputs.
Basically, learning to do motions like dragon punch inputs is helpful. However, getting into the habit of hitting the throw command everytime an opponent blocks a certain special is how muscle memory works against you, cause in the beginning you see a lot of situations where it worked in the past, and now on visual stimulus alone, you instinctively hit throw. Advanced players will pick up on this and will punish you. If you wanna become an more advanced level player you’ll find yourself relearning inputs a lot.
Don’t ever let that discourage you though, getting better isn’t a destination, it’s a journey. It doesn’t happen overnight or even very quickly, but the more experience you get, the easier it is for you to get creative in the system and find your own cool stuff. I still learn new stuff all the time and I like to see what ways I can use it in matches, and I think it’s that learn relearn pattern I find I really like about these games. That, and the creativity some characters afford you.
I’ll try and detail my responses to be as helpful as possible. Not sure if I always hit the nail spot on, but I’ll try my best.
Looked up that model controller, looks like a nice one. Good low cost, reliable, sturdy built, looks comfortable too. I got a Mad Catz TE2 KI themed fightstick years ago for the X1, and before that a Mad Catz TE for the 360 (couldn’t reuse the 360 one on the x1, go figure…). Probably greatly overpaid for it, but its worked well for me over the years. Just recently replaced the buttons on it though, after around 8 years of using it, probably long overdue.
I’ve always used the square gate on the stick though. I’ve always been curious about trying an octagonal gate. If you like it better though, then use it. When I first started out using them, I stuck with square gate because really that’s all they came with and I didn’t really have the ability to easily mod it.
From what I understand though, octagonal gate has some good advantages. And at some point, I’m curious to give it a try.
I bet they’re also afraid to challenge you at the game, aren’t they?
Besides, I use it for more than just KI, like Dragonball FighterZ.
Yeah I swapped out the square for the octagonal but I don’t really notice a difference to be honest at least not in ki. Using a controller doing extensive combos felt very fast but using a fight stick I feel like there’s so much more time for the inputs I’m ahead of it if that makes sense.
Although I do have to say I have a 8-bit Dio Saturn style controller and that d-pad is just amazing.
A good example is Kims command grab… QCB lk+LP. Once you input the command grab you can do the same command again the other direction and as long as you do it before she lands she will continue to flip back and forth. On a controller I couldn’t do it more than 2-3 times but on a fight stick I can hit it about 5 or 6 times before my coordination starts to Short circuit.