The Newb Faq From GameFaqs

*thinks*

I wonder how a thirteen year old got to be mod at this place...

>_> nice newb faq btw...

Yeah, uhh just because you have unlocked everything in the game doesn't mean you couldn't benefit from playing better. Games like this weren't made for completion, they were made as multi-player games. And really, if you look out there and put some effort into your playing, you will be amazed at what this game really has to offer.

Did that just get edited out?

nope

not at all, i was just testign blank posts..

Unfortunately, because of how the site is scripted you can edit other people's posts.

atleast you could..

i think they fixed that already

B
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Good to see some terms are here... I was wondering what some people were talking about in the other threads.

<_< so.. is blank posting considered a glitch ehre?

bump

Now who, might I ask, has contributed not once, not twice, but *seven times* to the Newbie FAQ, without even knowing it?

Yeah, MaskedMarth is me

I gave those terms and clarifications at Smashboards some time ago....

I think it would be worth it to post a clear, concise description of why you (as in, your typical player) are not the best player in the game, but not in your typical Gamefaxy confrontational way, but in a method that would be more welcoming to incoming novices. I find more and more that even with the newbie FAQ, several problems occur with inexperienced posters:

- they learn advanced terminology, but still think they're the best in the world/they know all about Melee
- they learn advanced terminology and use it to form ludicrous arguments based off lack of understanding of the game
- they refuse to actually learn advanced terminology, lying to others that they "already knew them."

Basically, it could go something like this (but most likely revised, because I'm just writing this in the post box):

~~~

There are many players - just like you! - that play Melee often and infer that their knowledge or prowess at the game is superior. You may have run into players that claim to be "the best" or "unbeatable." Do you consider yourself undefeatable?

Unfortunately, no matter your ability at the game, this is, in practice, impossible. Why is this so? I'll explain.

Most Smash players play a heavy ground game with plenty of smashing and rolling. Of course, most players will go beyond this and use the full extent of a character's attacks, but the primary scene of the battle is either on the ground, or high in the air.

However, there are some techniques, discovered and refined by the competitive online Smash community, that completely change the colors of the game. These so-called advanced techniques allow one to play Smash in a way unprecedented by casual players. Advanced techniques are rarely discovered or, if so, barely explored by your typical smasher (even the undefeated ones!). This is because they use the mechanics of the game very cleverly. These techniques, such as wave-dashing, teching, l-cancelling, short hopping, directional influence, edge-hogging and edge-hopping, greatly enrich the depth of a game of Smash.

Most non-enlightened players, though, are not impressed by the above-mentioned tactics and still think they are an extremely capable smasher. However, this is not so. Why?

Because the online community has not only learned these techniques, but has developed them to a great extent - such a great extent that Smash's gameplay completely changes! Advanced players play a very different game of Smash from others - they play very quickly, combo very dangerously and kill very effectively, and even more, they learn countermeasures to each of their abilities. Basically, they learn the game inside-out, using knowledge that your typical "undefeatable" player could never have imagined. They use quick aerial attacks with practically no punishment - except by other advanced players - and they combo using lots of aerials, and can kill and edge-guard *much* more effectively than most players can imagine! This description, of course, cannot do justice to these players, but trust me - if you're like most players, you shouldn't be able to defeat these competitive smashers.

Now, unless you have been part of the competitive online community (most likely Smashboards or GameFAQs) or its extentions, you probably are not *nearly* as good as the online standards. That's all right! Just remember though, this list of techniques is only part of the way to a smashing success! This guide cannot contain all the common knowledge that every hopeful smasher should know. So stick around, ask questions, and learn all you can about Melee!

~~~

Well OK, that essay is really, really sucky! But something along those lines would be nice, I think. We need to deflate the newbies' egos painlessly, and not fill them up with hot air instead...besides, the newbie guide ought to be welcoming, so that players just drifting through on their visit to the Smash forum are encouraged to stay and hold us in greater respect

I agree with you on that. But it seemed a little too kiddy. I could've gone through it and fixed all the mistakes, but I was too lazy to do that when I first posted it here. In the next newb faq I'm planning on working together with NintendoAddict to clarify the terms by giving examples, maybe posting Tobias/XiF's essay in it (with permision of course), going through the links sectiong and removing the dead ones, and last but not least coming up with a better title. Most newbies don't KNOW that they're newbies, so when they read "Newb Faq" they ignore it. But yeah, high expectations, not sure what will become of them.

you should probably name it something a little more impressive, like "introduction to the advanced techniques in melee."

hmmm....suppose i'm a scrub that's really full of it and thinks he is absolutely awesome...

i read "introduction" and i think "hah! introductions are for nubbies. i'll go start a topic stating my melee superiority."

if we really wanted the arrogant newbs to read the guide, we could name it something like "advanced competitive strategies for high-level smashers," but that would be alienating to somebody just trying to learn a little more about melee in a modest sort of way.

we could do something like "IMPORTANT: READ!! Anything a Smasher would need to know" but that's not very good. :p

ok, i'm thinking of writing a comprehensive newb guide. this is a little different from this topic - while i do define all the terms, etc. i will also include all "common knowledge" about the characters and describe the specifics on how matches are fought at a higher level. now, i've been learning about competitive smash now for years, and although that really hasn't amounted to a tourney winner , i have a decently expansive knowledge of the game, whereas many "quicker-to-rise" smashers do not. then again, i could just be flattering myself, but :p.

anyways, yeah. i can make sure a newbie guide is not old and rehashed

I think the SWF version of the newb guide did a better job naming it. They called it " Answer to all of your questions is in here!" You could rename the newb guide as "Everything you wanted to know about Smash". That sounds familiar though... maybe I should look around in case something else is already called that.

It's tricky... You call it "Newb FAQ" or the like and genuine newbies will read it but scrubs won't.

Call it "If you don't know this stuff YOU SUCK", and it's bold and challenging, and the scrubs will read it and then pretend that they already knew everything, but genuine newbies might be upset.

Eh.

well that's the problem. you want the good newbies and the bad newbies both to read it, but it's hard to get them both to do stuff. generally though, i'd cater to the good newbie and let the bad newbie face the board ;). and even some arrogants n00bs read the newb guides out of interest, although not usually...:(

We could always make two topics... a Smash Compendium for the newbies and a "YOU SUCK" topic drawing everyone to the western edge of canada under the pretense of a tournement, where we'll then build a human bridge of scrubs from Canada to Russia and promptly set the lot of them on fire.