A quick tutorial on how to use frame data to your advantage, also a brief run down on some basic FGC terminology. Welcome Hustlers! If you've never played this game before, Your Only Move is Hustle (YOMI, or YH) is a turn-based 2d fighter. It's similar to something like Marvel vs Capcom but the kicker is every few frames the game pauses like a turn based rpg to request your next movement. The game then saves these bouts in a long video replay which plays back at high speed, making your match look like the best episode of your favorite battle anime! This guide is just a basic introduction to some fighting game terminology and concepts so you can better understand what the YH UI is trying to tell you and then how to take advantage of that. Terminology YH, being a 2d fighter, also utilizes many of the same mechanics any other would. The only difference here really is how your input works being a turn based experience. Here are some broad terms to help you while you read your UI: - Armor: Sometimes called super armor, armor means instead of becoming "hit-stunned" after being hit with an attack, your character will absorb 1 hit and then continue their action. The Robot character has the unique ability to add armor to attacks with a resource meter. For example: You'll notice Wizard's Conjure Weapon will turn his health bar grey for a brief time. During these frames Wizard could tank 1 hit (with some exceptions) and still send the blade out afterwards. - Block/Parry: Chances are you can guess what these do. Things to remember: 1 - You must block high or block low to block high and low attacks respectively. 2 - A parry happens when you block an attack the frame or 2 before it hits, this means if you play a character like Cowboy you can inadvertently feed your opponent by sending out quick projectiles for them to parry if they aren't "hitstunned". - Burst: You'll notice under your health bar is a blue bar marked "burst". When full, this unlocks a defensive/offensive option which when used surrounds your character in a blue explosion which instantly interrupts an opponent's attacks, and any momentum you might have had. Typically used to interrupt an opponent's combo, you can also use the fact it causes "hitstun" to the opponent to continue/begin a combo. Remember Bursting has recovery so it is possible to burst one attack then be hit with the follow up as you recover. - Directional Input (D.I.): You will see a circle on your UI that you can use to draw a line angle. This is called your "Directional Input". Basically, when you are hit by an attack you are generally pushed in a direction. DI affects that direction. For example: Your character is at a small distance to the right of Cowboy, who uses their "Horizontal Slash" attack to barely reach and hit your character. By not using UI, your knockback will be predictable, just like you are practicing with a dummy. However, if I set my DI to the right, I will slide farther to the right away from Cowboy. Set it to the left. and I won't slide nearly as far, ending up much closer to Cowboy. This is handy to force your opponent to use attacks they didn't want to, as you changed the expected position they thought you would be in or perhaps put yourself out of range of having a combo continued on you. - FastFall/Hover: Wizard's special movement options. Use the hover slider to let Wizard keep his position in the air (lasts until "hover" meter empties). Use the fastfall slider to, uh, fall fast. Wizard shoots towards the ground the next frame. Can be used to escape or chase for free. - Frame Data: "frames" refer to animation frames. each move in a fighting game is organized into them. For example: Cowboy's Pommel attack is tied as the fastest attack in the game. This is because it has only 4 "startup frames" . This means 4 frames of animation are required before the attack's "hitbox" is active for another 2 frames then it ends. There is no recovery from this move so Cowboy can easily chain one Pommel into another. This means any character which is standing in range will probably get hit first if they tried to attack cowboy at the same time as pommel UNLESS their attack also came out in 4 frames or less or gave them some type of "armor". A slower move would be Robot's COMMAND: GRAB attack. This one has 5 frames of startup and is active for 4. This means in range Cowboy's Pommel would hit Robot first. This difference in frames is called your "frame data." Since Cowboy's attack will be active on frame 4 and Robot's attack will be active on frame 5, this means if both moves go off simultaneously, then Cowboy has +1 frame data, and Robot has -1 frame data or in other words, Cowboy will be active 1 frame sooner than Robot. Last note on Frame Data, many attacks and actions have "recovery frames" or the frames that need to pass before the character may act again. In the example above, let's say Cowboy is not in range to attack Robot, but Robot uses the COMMAND: GRAB attack, hoping the range difference will keep Cowboy from acting. Since there is distance between the characters, this means animation frames now need to pass as the attack travels from Robot to Cowboy. If Cowboy were to jump or backdash, avoiding the grab, now Robot must wait until the "Recovery Frames" have finished before he may act again. COMMAND: GRAB happens to last for a whopping 57 frames (phew!) meaning missing this attack will ALWAYS leave Robot at negative frame data. To Review: Startup Frames: Animation Frames needed before an attack causes damage Active Frames: Frames during which the attack will hit. Recovery Frames: Frames needed before the character may act again. - Fly: Robot's special movement option: Use the fly slider to have Robot continue gliding in the same direction for a time. Handy to set up angle above your opponent where they typically have a hard time covering themselves. - Hitstun: Attacks have a certain amount of frames they will cause your opponent to be unable to move after being hit. These are called "hitstun" frames. These are what allow for combos in fighting games. Following up with an attack on a stunned enemy is often what makes the slow moves safe enough to use. - Hustle: A taunt which gives you some bar of super. Sometimes ,this really is your only move! - Ready: If you pay attention during the prediction animation, you'll notice a "Ready" sign appear above your character at some point. This is the predicted moment that character will be able to act again. Remember using frame data (if you can) is almost always more precise, but Ready is a great visual indicator for quick reference. - Teleports: Cowboy's special movement mechanic. Cowboy fades away then reappears elsewhere. He also has a special, "Instant Teleport" That allows him to do this with little recovery, giving him crazy pressure to airborne opponents. Using Frame Data Better Understanding what frame data is isn't typically the problem for people, it's understanding how to keep track of it. So for example, I choose an attack and it said +8 Frame Advantage. I lock in, but I STILL get hit! What gives? doesn't +8 mean I go first? Well, it WOULD have, IF your opponent had done nothing to stop you or attack you first. BAITING Remember the game's UI prediction is what will happen "If your opponent is unable to do anything". If your opponent can cancel their attack (the green wagon wheel looking symbol on their side) then they can potentially change their frame data by eliminating the remaining startup or recovery frames. This means if you used an attack that has more startup or active frames you can't cancel, then you are essentially "locked in" to whatever it is you are doing. A typical rule is the stronger the attack, the more vulnerable it will leave you when missed. Many opponents will use "cancels" like these to bait you into using a move to lock you into startup frames, then cancel their move and hit you while you are unable to respond. Don't over commit! CONTINUING / ENDING COMBOS Another example, let's say we have an opponent in hitstun. You have several moves that will follow-up hit them as a result, but which should I choose? One gives me a +8 advantage, one gives me a +4, another gives me a +17. This means that your character will recover with 8, 4, or 17 frames faster than your opponent. All of these attacks will true combo, as a result. Meaning I will hit and the opponent will remain in hitstun potentially. But this also means if you wanted to end the combo with a move with a longer startup, like Cowboy's Impale, you should probably pick something that leaves you with more frame advantage but also keeps the opponent standing so the attack will land. In the above example, let's say I pick the +4 attack. This means In the next turn I now (am predicted) to finish 4 frames before the opponent. This means now I MUST either pick an attack that can startup in 4 frames to keep the opponent in hitstun or I risk them recovering to block, dodge, etc. Remember you can Burst during a combo to free yourself from hitstun. HIGH RISK / HIGH REWARD and SETUPS A final example, let's say you want to use a high risk move, but your opponent is NOT in hit stun. A big miss means a big punishment, and this is where frame data will help you. Characters with fast startups and moves that cause them to dash can often use a move that gives them momentum in a direction, then cancel next frame. Or maybe summon a couple projectiles with bad frame data, but keeping their distance. These are called "setups." All fighting game characters have different setups and learning your frame data will make you more effective at using them. Instead of just trying to directly attack your opponent use you frame data to make smaller movements and create situations that force your opponents to react to YOU, but leave you enough frame data to then move into an unexpected technique. This is called "feinting". Characters like Ninja excel at these types of setups, as they could summon kunai, throw a shuriken, store momentum, then attack from an unexpected angle as these setups close in on the opponent. This creates a situation where the opponent must both dodge your indirect setups and direct attacks at the same time. Another good setup, for example could be Wizard using distance to create 2 lightning orbs and use a gust to push them BEFORE using a move like missile form to continuing the pressure. Although 3 turns would be consumed, you now have a small area you may use as a shield/spear as you approach. DELAYING Finally, don't doubt the power of NOTHING. Sometimes, waiting or holding your action will cause a jumpy opponent to over attack, leading to openings. For example, say you and your opponent get up at the same time or just have a similar frame which you both act on. It might seem that constantly moving,chasing, attacking should be your default decisions but often allowing a frame to go by where you do nothing often causes your opponent to throw out an attack without much thought. By having not acted, this gives you now a free frame to react. This is often a great way to bait parries or bait an opponent into blocking/dodging when it doesn't benefit them to do so. Conclusion YOMI was such a great surprise and I hope it catches on so it can grow into a more complete experience. Remember getting beat is how to learn a fighting game, if you can't learn while getting beat that might be the barrier to you getting better. Understand WHY you got hit, and don't just blame it on the fact you're taking the prediction from the UI too literally. Use your set-ups, bait when it makes sense to, study up on the speed/recovery of your moves and you will start to win matches. Hopefully, this acts as a gateway drug to the larger world of fighters, in general. See you out there, Hustlers....