Question for the pros

[hkhandrika]

I just got a question for the pros. Just something I was wondering.

When I started off in the DDR world, I did Dance Mania X (the hand DDR) where you had to pass your hand over 4 sensors depending on what came up. I was doing that almost every day for about an hour after coming home from high school (like 10th grade probably). I did this for several months and got better and better until I could beat every song on it with ease.

As for the normal DDR, I started that a bit into my Dance ManiaX life, and only started really getting into it like in 11th grade. I would go everyday from school to the arcade in the mall near home and play with my (then expert) friend for like 1 hour to 2 on and off. I went from 2-3 feet to about 8 feet max over the course of a few months.

As I was doing DDR, I would often play stepmania and of course FFR. I've been on FFR for a bit more than 4 years now, and have been playing on and off. The most I played was in 2003 and 2004. After a while I took a bit of a rest and now I'm back at it again, playing songs whenever I can (almost every day). I'm doing it at 1.5x speed (since that's what im used to seeing), and I've been getting better. I can do the tricky and difficult songs, but not the VERY difficult or even the challenging songs.

So my question to the pros is. How long did you spend training yourself and bettering yourself in FFR, until you came up to the level that you are now? How much dedication did you have? You may also answer the same question except for DDR instead of FFR.

I'm sorry for the war and peace-sized introduction there, but my poor little brain couldn't think of any other way to phrase it.

Thanks for your time, and good luck in all your endeavors.

[pokelda]

I was born with the skill

[rednanaki]

I started playing in 2004, and then took a long break before coming back last fall. I'd say it took me around 2 months to be able to start full comboing challenging songs. There were days when things just clicked and stayed though, like a slow progression up tiers. And play two-handed spread if you don't already.

[hoochan]

Originally Posted by pokelda

I was born with the skill

Yea, basically.

[Tasselfoot]

i started around when you did... and couldn't pass Mario. played for about 15 months hardcore. both FFR and SM. then I took a break for about 15 months. came back around April of 06... back when I quit (Oct 04ish), I could AAA the songs up to Standard or Tricky (massive, breaking the common, alpha helix), I could SDG songs like Stalled out and Sushi Bars, Water Like Pudding, Green Twilight, and Fett's Vette. Could FC songs slightly harder... but for the most part, songs that I could FC I could SDG.

when I came back, I learned about screencutting... and I INSTANTLY became about 10x better. Started AAAing all the songs up to Difficult, SDGing harder stuff... FCing songs that I couldn't even read properly beforehard. etc etc etc.

so... practice is awesome, but being able to actually read the arrows is critical. 1.5x should help that problem... so beyond that. practice. but do remember that some people just have natural talent moreso than others.

[Zerohunterkiller]

whats screen cutting tassle?

[newblue22]

basically i screwed around only playing oh say a couple thousands games for the first 14 months one handed. then i started learning spread and have gotten all my scores in the past seven months. I also started playing itg/ddr seven months ago and ive become one of the best up and coming players for the amount of time ive played . I'd say it takes a lot of practicing. Mainly you have to practice your worst songs. You will never get better practicing your best songs. Setting goals would be a good thing also

[ledwix]

i took about 8 months (march '06 to dec. '06) to get pretty good. (as in top 50) i took about a 3 month break during the summer, though. and i had some non-hardcore DDR experience (had extreme and extreme2, but never got any good scores...B'd legend of max every time, and barely had any AA's on 8's and up) and as with tass, screencutting INSTANTLY made me better. i was pretty bad as a nonscreencutting indexing player a year ago, but then i was convinced by some really good people to play spread and shrink the screen and it was like VOILA good PA and good scores on the awkward patterns.

[FRANKKK]

Ehh ive been playing for about 7ish months now and im not too bad.

[TheRapingDragon]

Started in August 2005 and couldn't do anything at all. Like Tass I couldn't even pass Mario. Still, I played 3000 games in 4 months and by the time I stopped FFR I was able to FC Lethal Injection and AAA a bunch of songs. Wasn't too difficult.

After that I started Stepmania and I've played that about a year and a half. I'd say I play a couple of days a week, about 5-10 hours total a week. Sometimes less, sometimes more. I just play for fun though so I don't know about "training".

[PsYcHoZeRoSk8eR]

I've probably been doing ddr emulation longer than everyone on this site. It will be 6 years this november (ish) so I'm at about 5 1/2 years. All I can really say to get better is to practice. Find a comfortable style, stick with it, and just work your way through these things. There isn't much else you can do.

[Nightfirecat]

Well, I started off using 1 hand and was immediately able to play songs like Alpha helix (currently standard difficulty or so), and then after a week and a half, I found out that I'm better at spread and I could FC Alpha Helix and Secret Zombie room, so if you might say so...

Originally Posted by pokelda

i was born with the skill

That's my story

[rushyrulz]

3 to 4 months, I took piano lessons, after that I've been good at any coordination game I've tried: DDR, FFR, SM, GH2, Eyetoy, Wii, stuff like that.

[argo15]

I havn't even been playing ffr or any other ddr game for 2 years. Doesn't take too long.

[purebloodtexan]

I've been playing since the winter of '03-'04.

[AuraSage]

Originally Posted by pokelda

I was born with the skill

I'm the opposite.

_____________________

[Loot You]

hmm i started about 6 1/2 months ago and i played the game alot, that's about it.. screencutting is good i guess

[harrythecabledude]

I'm no pro, but I started three years ago, didn't make an account until half a year later.

Just practice practice practice. That's about it. Playing some songs over and over again helps.

[hkhandrika]

Thanks for all the output guys. It was fantastic to read what everyone had to say. Yes I still do it one handed, I suppose a spread would make it easier. I've tried it, but with my lack of coordination, I get lazy and go back to 1 handed. I should really do it all over again with a spread i suppose.

Also is screencutting what I assume it is? I'm assuming its just covering part of the screen either by making the arrows hidden or by physically putting a piece of paper or some other object to cover half the screen, making only a portion visible and make it easier to view arrows. Please do correct me if im wrong. Thanks again and happy arrowing.

[Loot You]

yes if you're upscroll just resize the window, if downscroll just scroll down a little bit