the scrub factor...

[Yukani]

You can't interupt an attack string and enter an stance or anything simulair if the other person don't know the string off attack or if he/she is just super agresive. I've had the same problem as Taki by doing BA PO P wanting them to think that i'm gonna do BAA and duck for the last hit when the last hit in BA PO B is an mid attack. Buttom line is its easier to trick someone decent then it is to trick a masher/spammer/scrub or whaterver you want to say.

 

[NightmareKnight]

Common misconception, you don't need to spend hours and hours in training mode. Granted it's good for studying a character you are having some trouble against... but that is mostly it. This site has all sorts of resources for moves and strats for a certain character, and what works. So you spend a half hour reading stuff here, jot down the moves that are safest, and know what move is going to hit where when you execute. (low, mid, or high) Just taking 1 hour to do this will greatly improve your game with a certain character. Probably less time than you spend just mashing senselessly and learning nothing.

Let me put it this way, I've beaten very few games on my own. For some reason, I'm just not as good at them. But I still love to play them. I play videogames because they're fun. Maybe I shouldn't try playing competitively. But it doesn't change the fact that I still enjoy playing games.

There are exceptions, of course. Most people I've played online in any game are assholes. But there are always a few who aren't out to totally destroy you.