Three Things I Still Have Difficulty Doing in FNC

[boxtrev]

I am a longtime Fight Night player, having played every version since the original Knockout Kings back in 1999. I am an avid boxing fan and a former amatuer boxing. Thus, I am a fairly knowledgable student of the "sweet science." Having said this, there are still three areas I have yet to master in the Fight Night series

1. Combinations: I have had a problem performing combinations ever since Knockout Kings became Fight Night and switched to analog control. Even with the adaptations and modifications EA has made to TPC, I still feel like I am not able to pull off a flurry of punches effectively. For example, even the basic boxer combination of jab, cross, left hook seems almost impossible for me to execute. I believe my inability to throw combinations is leading me to lose rounds. I have won 27 fights online (all by knockout) but I seriously doubt if I've won even 13 rounds. As you can imagine, this has cost me greatly when I have needed to box against better opponents and win a decision.

Bottomline: Should I switch to face buttons?

2. Getting up from the Knockdown: As with combinations, this is another aspect of the gameplay which, when EA changed the series to Fight Night, seemed needlessly difficult. I never have figured out how to balance with one analog stick and pull my fighter up with the other. I know the old way can be called nothing more than button mashing (but isn't all video gaming, in a sense, button mashing) but I honestly don't know how balancing yourself with two analog sticks better replicates the experience of trying to get up from a knockdown than repeatedly pushing the "x" button does.

Regardless, this is an aspect of the game that I don't have control over so it looks like I am going to have to get used to it. What are some tips on how to get up from more and more knockdowns in Fight Night Champion? Right now, I am only able to get up from two at the most and my heart is really high.

3. Finding my range: It is hard for me to explain this other than to say that I tend to prefer outside fighters and keeping my opponents at bay with a stiff jab. Unfortunately, even when I have a considerable height and reach advantage, I find myself unable to jab and hit my opponent from a position where he cannot hit me. It always just seems like my punches keep mysteriously missing when I should be in range.

Another compounding factor is the inability to really "stick and move." Though the producers claimed in the last Fight Night to have solved this issue, I still feel like I can't really punch while moving side to side. Is anyone else noticing this about trying to fight from an outside range? Are there any solutions?

Vets, thanks for reading this. Thanks for any help that you can offer me so I can become a better fighter in FNC.

[Hova57]

Re: Three Things I Still Have Difficulty Doing in FNC

Man I hate to be that guy , but really it just takes practice and concious of what your pressing for me I can throw the 1-2-3, but i throw way to many uppercuts. as far as knockdowns you and I are paddling in the same boat. i suck at them i did learn last nite though at time you'll still need to hold the left stick and right at the same time when your dude is on his third or more knockdown. Finding your range is more about knowing your reach in accordance to theirs . like in real boxing your jab will let you know and just practice man I'm up for helping u out if your on ps3..hova57

[boxtrev]

Re: Three Things I Still Have Difficulty Doing in FNC

Thanks man. I just finished playing several matches and I am really frustrated. I cannot win a single round! And it's not like I haven't won any fights. I had 27 wins and 27 KOs before I removed my lightweight. The sad part was that in each of those KO wins I probably won like a grand total of 7 rounds (and those were the 10-8 rounds where I scored the knockdown). What can I do? I want to be able to box and not just to have to rely on slugging out. This is so strange for me since I am a purist of the sport.

My psn is boxtrev. Let's definitely meet up online. I'd like some tips and practice if you don't mind!

[Phobia]

Re: Three Things I Still Have Difficulty Doing in FNC

1) Combinations - It is about slowing down on the right stick. Think ahead of time "Ok this guy keeps dippin his head for the body shot". Then you have your plan of action, so you throw a combo of (Right handed Fighter) right stick up left jab, down-right for right uppercut, left for left hook. Once you do these three quick flicks your fighter will whip out the combo very fast.

You then just practice planning on what to throw and when to throw it.

2) Getting up - Getting up from knock downs will just take practice and doing it enough till you get use to the pressure used on the stick in each knockdown state.

3) Finding Range - Finding your range is again just practice. Plus using a certain fighter most of the time. This way you learn his range since most are different. You then will learn where he can strike from, his speed, combo speed, footwork getting in and out, etc.

Just practice man, you will get better as you play more.

Here is a video of me using my range and speed.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/FhgLHS1OC8o" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[foo55]

Are you having problems having combinations come out or landing?

[boxtrev]

Re: Three Things I Still Have Difficulty Doing in FNC

Thanks Phobia. Foo: Both getting the combinations to come off and in landing. It's really strange because at first I basically just had the strategy of using timing, picking my shots, and counter punching. That worked really well early on in getting 1st round KOs and quick KOs of guys who would just jump in there and try to slug. But I really started to struggle with guys who would move and box and though I was able to knock them down two times and stun them...they would win all the rest of the rounds and win a landside decision.

Even though I have high skill points and 80s speed, my fighter always seems really slow and slower than any opponent I face. Could it be because of how I created my boxer? He's 5'10, 126, 74" reach so he is really lanky and thin. Plus I always choose the balanced orthodox fighting style because this CAB is based off me and how I fought when I was boxing. I wonder if that automatically puts me at a disadvantage against the freestyle and other kinds of boxers who are able to pull off punches in bunches and do so more quickly.

[foo55]

Combinations in this game are much more about anticipation than reaction. You pretty much have to start throwing the next punch before the first even lands. Work on the one-twos and you'll see what I mean. Even then just throwing combos isn't guaranteed to land like youve experienced. Keep upping your jab as with higher ratings it'll raise your chances of opening your opponent up to land a second and third punch.

In fnr4 I would look for openings as I was throwing my punches to land combos and this game is completely different.

As for speed, Its killer in this game. Build type definitely affects your athleticism points but you can earn boosts by doing different things in legacy and online to make them better if you don't want to scrap your current guy.

As far as runners go, I've only played a few and I'm still trying to work out my strategy against them. I'm starting to think I'll just conserve my energy throughout the whole fight and not even bother trying to win rounds cause it's pointless. Speed guys are damaged easier so I'm just going to start looking for big openings

[C_Bailey24]

Re: Three Things I Still Have Difficulty Doing in FNC

I'm also having range problems. I've fought Kelly Pavlik with Jermaine Taylor(me) like 7 times tonite and got knocked out early in 4 of them, knocked out late in another one and lost the other two decisions. I'm trying to jab and 1-2 him but i either miss, it gets blocked or i get countered with power shots (hence the early knockouts). Whats even more annoying is that Pavlik's bob n weave is unrealistically quick and if i try to load up with a power shot here and there its always blocked and i'm not even playing on GOAT. From the fights i've seen Pavlik is hardly a hard target to hit. Is it possible to beat the cpu with boxing or do you have to slug everything out?

[Ankido]

Re: Three Things I Still Have Difficulty Doing in FNC

First of all that video is a trip. Frank DeLouch is an exact replica of one of my friends. I'm tripping here.

As for the OP, here are a few things. Using buttons is a lot faster even though some beg the differ. Getting up from Knockdowns is impossible. The second time you fall it's hard. I think it should be removed all together. Should be a 3 knockdown rule set the whole time. If you notice, the longer the fight goes, the more extreme it is to get up from a knock down.

I do understand what you mean about range. The game has become a little difficult to stick and move. There is far too much momentum but hopefully with my adjusted sliders from last year, it should feel a bit better to move around the ring and keep your range. Keep an eye on my sliders, hope they help.