I'm at a cross roads I think.
I've been over this once before:
The danger's of Auto-Pilot.
How do we deal with the temptation of auto-mode? Usually we tell the budding Diddy Kong to play a 'Smart Diddy' but have we ever stopped to really define what 'Smart Diddy' refers to?
We usually define the 'Smart Diddy Kong' by what it is not.
So what is a 'Smart Diddy'?
I think when we define a 'Smart Diddy' we refer to players that play either Reactively or Proactively:
Going by the reccomendation I put forth in the text I quoted, it would seem that 'Pro-active play' is the better kind of play.
And it is, really. In theory, it's the best kind of Diddy. Heck, it's the best kind of ANYTHING. But being a 'reactive' player can be beneficial in some ways too.
Being reactive, means dancing around with Diddy Kong, keeping your self well spaced, waiting for that one little mistake. Waiting for the opponent to throw out a laggy attack, instead of a quick one, waiting for them to freeze up and shield, anything.
Once they make this mistake, it also refers to your ability to capitalize on it. Leading in with a Glide Tossed Banana or pressuring that shield to get that grab on their shield.
I keep finding myself doing this when I need to turn the tide of a match around. It's worked several times and won me matches I would have lost if I didn't drastically change up my play style.
Despite this. Proactive players will always be superior. Creating the situations which lead to banana combo's, rather than waiting for them to appear.
After all this, I've yet to answer the question outright. What is a Smart Diddy? Proactive? Reactive?
I'd wager it's a subtle blend of both of these playstyles. In a way, it's no different to the way we play normally. We are always trying to adhere to Isai's advice 'Don't Get Hit', whilst trying to lay down the banana combos, but that is easier said than done unless you're actively thinking about it.
You have to walk into a match and think to yourself 'Okay, for this match, I will play defensively. I will foxtrot about with a banana in hand and try to bait a laggy attack so I can punish him'. That's an example of a 'reactive' mindset.
In the end, it's something that I know some people out there will read and will pass it off as information they already know. It is really, at higher levels of play, players will do this instinctively anyway. Higher level players are able to engineer and force the situations that lead into banana combos, rather than wait for them to happen. By laying traps with the bananas, creating positional advantage through strategic banana placement, and other methods of harassment and bullying with various poking attacks like the F & D-tilts.
So perhaps, to define the 'Smart Diddy' we can refer to it as 'A Diddy Kong that will engineer situations using the various tools at his/her disposal to force mistakes from the opponent, creating opportunities to react to their mistakes with offensive, combo orientated play'
I've been over this once before:
The danger's of Auto-Pilot.
How do we deal with the temptation of auto-mode? Usually we tell the budding Diddy Kong to play a 'Smart Diddy' but have we ever stopped to really define what 'Smart Diddy' refers to?
We usually define the 'Smart Diddy Kong' by what it is not.
Smart Diddy's do not blindly throw bananas until one hits and then head into auto-combo mode.
So what is a 'Smart Diddy'?
I think when we define a 'Smart Diddy' we refer to players that play either Reactively or Proactively:
The crossroads I spoke of before is deciding between these two playstyles.
Going by the reccomendation I put forth in the text I quoted, it would seem that 'Pro-active play' is the better kind of play.
And it is, really. In theory, it's the best kind of Diddy. Heck, it's the best kind of ANYTHING. But being a 'reactive' player can be beneficial in some ways too.
Being reactive, means dancing around with Diddy Kong, keeping your self well spaced, waiting for that one little mistake. Waiting for the opponent to throw out a laggy attack, instead of a quick one, waiting for them to freeze up and shield, anything.
Once they make this mistake, it also refers to your ability to capitalize on it. Leading in with a Glide Tossed Banana or pressuring that shield to get that grab on their shield.
I keep finding myself doing this when I need to turn the tide of a match around. It's worked several times and won me matches I would have lost if I didn't drastically change up my play style.
Despite this. Proactive players will always be superior. Creating the situations which lead to banana combo's, rather than waiting for them to appear.
After all this, I've yet to answer the question outright. What is a Smart Diddy? Proactive? Reactive?
I'd wager it's a subtle blend of both of these playstyles. In a way, it's no different to the way we play normally. We are always trying to adhere to Isai's advice 'Don't Get Hit', whilst trying to lay down the banana combos, but that is easier said than done unless you're actively thinking about it.
You have to walk into a match and think to yourself 'Okay, for this match, I will play defensively. I will foxtrot about with a banana in hand and try to bait a laggy attack so I can punish him'. That's an example of a 'reactive' mindset.
In the end, it's something that I know some people out there will read and will pass it off as information they already know. It is really, at higher levels of play, players will do this instinctively anyway. Higher level players are able to engineer and force the situations that lead into banana combos, rather than wait for them to happen. By laying traps with the bananas, creating positional advantage through strategic banana placement, and other methods of harassment and bullying with various poking attacks like the F & D-tilts.
So perhaps, to define the 'Smart Diddy' we can refer to it as 'A Diddy Kong that will engineer situations using the various tools at his/her disposal to force mistakes from the opponent, creating opportunities to react to their mistakes with offensive, combo orientated play'
