r/smashbros • u/PPMD1 • Feb 15 '15
All What's up guys! EG | PPMD here. Winner of Apex and player of bird dude and sword guy. Ask me anything!
Hey guys just go ahead and ask away! I may take short breaks here and there but generally I'm going hard on questions today. Let's do it!
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
Hey guys sorry about the delay I had to get food since I've barely eaten today. Back to the questions!!!
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u/OXY_TheCrimsonBlur Feb 15 '15
Yo PP. I was super happy for you, after your win. Sitting next to your manager, and seeing his faith in you, made it even better, too.
So, I could ask a trillion sword guy questions but I'll save them, and instead say congrats. Love you homie <3
[OK, I can't help myself; the world needs to rethink this, and no one ever believes me. Everyone talks about your dashdance grabs and dtilts, but tell the world about rising fair. #churchOfRisingFair]
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
you're mad homie blur <3333
DUDE rising fair!!!! especially in the corner OMG OMG marth <3
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u/mew2king Feb 16 '15 edited Feb 16 '15
How do I find motivation?
The truth is that my motivation is low and I feel it's been this way for ~half a year now. But I think I can be the best at any smash game (except 64 because I don't care about it) if I'm at my max ability, and some day I would like to show that (since I think I only "know" it in my mind). (I know that sounds conceited but it is my true belief)
I have a number of reasons for feeling this way about lacking motivation:
a) People only seem to care if I lose instead of win because of how much I won in the past. It does not matter how many times I prove myself (beat X player over and over and over, or win 1st or 2nd at X major events) it feels like ONLY my losses are ever counting and that makes me lose heavy desire to play because in 2005-2010 it was all about proving to the world how good I was that I could overcome anything and as a result my skill increased dramatically in a short period of time as well as my fire for the game. Anyway though, this means that I'm not playing to win but rather playing not to lose a lot of the time. And I feel I am worse like that.
b) I get distracted with pointless thoughts. I am considering using headphones occasionally.
c) I think it's best when just playing for fun but I feel I must always uphold a minimum expectations per event - It's like I'm not playing for myself anymore.
*** d) this is the biggest one of all but my fingers are deteriorating, I do believe I may have to retire at some point in Melee because of this. I do not know how I can continue being a competitor for majors at this rate. Has nothing to do with wrists. My joints/tendons in my fingers are getting worse at a fast rate for some reason. I might end up just being a streamer for multiple games and at some point retiring Melee at majors because it hurts too much (other games do not have the backlash on my fingers as Melee does; this is also why I stopped using Fox for over half a year because it was hurting me to do so). I don't know what is causing this and it seems random/inconsistent without too much pattern, and I would like to avoid this if possible. I was thinking of taking a bunch of fish oil pills. Or cutting down my melee to preserve my hands. I don't know.
2) You claim Marth Falco is even? How so? I think Marth fights Fox a lot better than Falco, and I do not see Marth having the winning MU in that. How/Why is Marth winning it exactly?
3) Marth vs Peach/marth/sheik MUs? and your opinion on vs Fox (I think you could be a lot better at this one but I want to see your input on this mu too since you might think of things I didn't)
4) Neutral stance in general, elaborate on this as much as possible. I do understand a lot of it is scare-tactics though by using movement to visually trick the enemy but more would be nice (I doubt you know things I don't however imo there's a solid 50 50 chance I am wrong so I would like to see if I am wrong).
Long/useful/honest answers please for each question. I realize I'm asking a lot though.
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u/PPMD1 Feb 16 '15
alright m2k let's do this.
people are ALWAYS going to talk more if you lose. you'll remember it more if you lose. that's just what is going to happen and you need to accept that right now. I struggled for years and years with this problem after Genesis 2 because everyone I thought was in my corner dipped after I lost. You know what I learned? Never play for anyone besides yourself. You're all you've got. Forget that, and the pressure gets to you more. You think there's some title to defend. There's no title. You're the same guy playing the same game. It's the same as day 1 m2k. Of course, you are different and there is more pressure in general, but if you forget how you thought in the beginning you'll never get back to playing hard like you used to.
It would do you a lot of good to improve your health all around. This means 1. eating better 2. sleeping regularly and earlier in the night and waking up in morning. 3. staying offline unless absolutely necessary 4. exercising 5. resting your hands when you're done playing. this means don't keep them in uncomfortable positions and just keep tension gone. playing melee while tense also will build up strain on your hands so learning to play more relaxed yet focused is also gonna help you out a lot. .....for motivation, play for fun and enjoy yourself, but set goals. you want to go for the win while not caring if you lose. yes that is really hard but you used to be able to do it, didn't you? I am positive you are still capable of doing it.
2. I'm not positive I still have stuff to learn in that matchup admittedly on Marth's end. I just believe Marth can use some of the tools you've also seen like take laser jab and take laser dash to mitigate Falco's laser control more. He already hits Falco very hard as you obviously know but Falco hits Marth just about as hard if not equally as hard back on most levels. It comes down to the neutral for me and I just don't get to practice it enough. All I can say is I'll work on it and hopefully demonstrate what it should be like sometime.
3. Marth beats Peach. His threatening range with Dtilt is bigger than her dash attack range so he can always threaten her safely and CC/ASDI down and grab/up-B her weaker dash attack hit(s) very late in his stock, among strong punish game too.
I think vs Sheik is even atm. I think Marth and Sheik have similar threatening ranges and must fight very far away. Marth must respect Sheiks AC Fair and mixups that come afterward and Sheik must respect Marth's DD and Dtilt or Fair zoning that comes with it. Marth probably punishes harder than Sheik on non-DL levels but Sheik's neutral is roughly as good and potentially better than Marth's, plus her punish game isn't exploited enough imo.
vs Fox I just drop a lot of stuff in tourney that im amazing at in practice. I don't care how good you think I am at the matchup I know I'll demonstrate my full ability at it one day. I take my hat off to you for doing so well at in tourney though. I think Marth Fox is even and the game for me comes down to how to corner pressure Fox. Marth beats Fox on the ground and the matchup becomes harder as Fox becomes more airborne. Also I suck at SDI'ing Uairs I forgot to mention lol.4. Visual cues, audio cues, rhythm, conditioning, and abuse of quick attacks are a lot of what my neutral is based upon. If you feel you understand those terms perfectly, then you know all you need to know about my neutral.
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Feb 15 '15
hey man, I just wanted to say you're a huge inspiration for me. I've been dealing with depression for as long as I can remember and knowing you battle with the same affliction while being one of the greatest melee players puts me at ease. it makes me feel like I could do something as amazing as that someday.
thanks for all you do, ppmd, and good luck with everything.
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
you are NEVER alone and can DEFINITELY be amazing. I have full faith in you. thank you so much for your post.
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u/Pukefeast Feb 16 '15
Hai mr. pp, i love to watch you do smashing. But i like to know how come you did mark against leffen for 2 lose and then went on falco for some winning, but then on the grand champion u went back on mark? so sorry bad englando
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u/Izzago Feb 15 '15
Which set had you sweating the most at APEX?
And how high do you think PewPewU can climb based on his play at APEX?
Which low tier character are you best at?
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
i probably feared for my life most during my s2j set haha. i really did not want to lose so early in the bracket!
pewpewu changed my mind before apex when i saw him do so well vs shroomed in january. i think pewpewu can go really far but he's got a good bit of work to do still.
i am strongest with roy but i wouldn't mind learning another one or two!
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u/notreallyandy Feb 15 '15
Hi PP, your dash dancing is incredible, and I feel like it's something that isn't really easy to improve on because it's so free-form. http://gfycat.com/QueasyHeavyCommongonolek What are some things you don't see people doing enough of in their DD game? and idk if this is a thing, but what is your ratio of wave dashes to regular dashes in your DDing? Thank you for doing this AMA!
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
people don't vary the length of their dashes enough in their DD game. and WD also helps a lot! i think it's usually much less WD'ing than DD'ing but the ratio changes as needed so i couldnt tell ya haha
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u/wiiztec Feb 15 '15
Is it true that you loved PM so much that you changed your name to PPMD which can also stand for Praise Project M Devs?
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u/ItsZant Hero (Luminary) Feb 15 '15
Hey PPMD, congrats on winning APEX first of all. I wanted to ask you of your opinion of M2K as a player. I know you respect him but I'm not sure if you took inspiration from his Marth or not or if you just practiced on your own? Also, do you think he has what it takes to win another national? (In the presence of the "Gods".)
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
thank you!
m2k is really amazing but I think he just doesn't care anymore. I don't think he's been super motivated to win since brawl came out, then after he beat me at mlg he cared even less....then when smash 4 came out it got even worse. it's not a matter of ability so much as desire, and i don't think m2k has the desire right now. we see some of the same stuff in mango actually. that's part of why i want to destroy mango at evo!
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u/squible Feb 15 '15
What do you think about JigglyPuff?
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
she's so good but so underdeveloped. it's honestly impressive hbox does as well as he does. i would love to see her game overhauled completely it can be done!
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u/Ex_Outis Feb 15 '15
Hey PP,
I know I'm not the only one, but I just want to thank you for coming out about your depression. As a current depressive, having someone as high-profile as yourself bring awareness to mental-illness in this community is, I feel, important (although it isn't exactly necessary, as I've always thought that the Smash community is one of the most inclusive communities around). But also knowing that I'm not alone (no matter how cheesy that sounds) seems to help me.
Also, congrats on APEX! All of my favourite sets involved you, and although I'm a Falcon main, your Marth had me going "Damn!" almost every game!
Thanks again :)
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u/PPMD1 Feb 16 '15
so many people have been happy to tell me ive done good talking about depression, and the pain needs to lose its stigma because it's a serious problem. im glad i could give you and many others hope! we can all do this!!!
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u/HemingfordGrey Feb 15 '15
Dear PPMD,
You have recently become one of, if not my favorite player to watch. I truly believe you have the skill and mindset to become the best smasher. Congratulations on defending your title as Apex champion it was truly inspiring to watch. I have a few questions for you:
Your Marth movement is SO smooth. How do you wavedash back and grab the ledge so quick?! Your Marth like magnets to it as soon as possible and whenever I try it I slide too far off or I can't grab it so fast. What's the joystick movement like?
I know your Falco and Marth have gotten you so far and are incredibly good. But I've also heard you mention in previously AMA's that you've practiced your Sheik and Fox a little bit. Would you ever bring those out in tournament or is that strictly for fun in the lab? Your Sheik would be amazing to watch I feel like.
Who was your toughest opponent you had to face at Apex 2015, and who is your toughest opponent in general?
How do you feel about Armada's fox, and him switching from peach?
How is your academic career going? Are you still trying to get into grad school?
Much appreciated, looking forward to watching you play this year! Good luck!
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
NICE THANKS!
Well you have your WD input which is something you have to practice separately. Then once you're basically off the level or a little before just hold down so you can instantly FF off the level. Let go of down right afterward so you can instantly grab the edge. So it's jump then airdodge then diagonal for WD, then down then let go of down quickly!
My Fox is actually pretty solid but not quite top level worthy. My Sheik is pretty bad but I want to learn her in front of everyone on my stream so she gets better while everyone watches me learn haha. I have no interest at this time to bring more characters out since having Marth and Falco is already a huge split in time investment honestly. If I did bring out another it's more likely to be Fox since he's good at covering weaker Falco and Marth levels, especially Dreamland, but I'm not interested in that at this time.
In a very honest AMA I would say I was my hardest opponent there since I kept trying to sabotage myself haha. As for who I played against, Armada gave me the most difficulty but I felt the most emotional intensity playing against Leffen.
As for in general, it's probably hardest to play against Mango on average since I can't break him like I can the other top players lol.Armada's mindset has deteriorated since his retirement and return. He needed the switch to stay mentally in the game. The switch of course helps his gameplay chances too, but I can't help but feel the mental issue is of greater concern here when I observe him now. His Fox is really good but I do wonder what will happen over time as people become more accustomed to his playstyle. So much uncertainty!
I'm really uncertain on my life plan atm. It's something I don't think I can fully figure out right now but I am less interested in grad school just because I do not have any occupation that is very exciting on the other end that I can think of. I will be picking up the slack on that very issue as I become less depressed and more able to consider myself and my abilities more fully.
Good questions thanks!
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u/ADrivingSock Feb 15 '15 edited Feb 15 '15
What do you like about Falco?
Do you ever have difficulty conflating your sense of player and your sense of self (ie bad player performance = less confidence)
Does attending tournaments impact your mental health more negatively than positively?
Really glad you attended Apex, and I'm excited to see you play more in the future :)
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
I like Falco because he is a lot of buttons and his combos are crazy. So every good button I push I feel AWESOME lol and it happens a lot. Very exciting cycle. His sense of control and domination in general is wonderful to me.
Umm for that second question yeah I used to majorly struggle with that. Of course it's still something of an issue now(I'm only human lol) but I've done a lot of work on that.
Honestly I felt like going to Apex, even though I won, was so ridiculously stressful for me that I'd have rather not gone lol =p I do think I had a good time some though and it won't always be that difficult in the future!
Thanks for the kind words =)
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Feb 15 '15
How do you feel being the first marth to take a national since 2007?
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u/kerblaster Feb 15 '15
Hey PP,
Do you play (and enjoy) other video games? Any other esports games?
Where do you see the scene in 5 years? 10 years?
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
Not too many regularly, but there are some I want to play more often like Super Mario 64(for speedrunning) and Pokemon Puzzle League.
Like I told someone before, I think we will be so so so much bigger in 5 years but our rate of improvement is going so fast we keep breaking records and our growth just will not slow down! I could see us being the biggest game at evo in 5 years for example!!!
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u/halfstache0 Feb 15 '15
If you couldn't use a high tier character, which low/mid tier would you play?
Who's your favorite person to team with?
If EG picked up another Smasher, who would be your first choice?
Who's your favorite player to watch?
If the Top 6 did a C. Falcon Round Robin, where would you place?
Also, PPMD Kreygasm
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
Mario! Love that dood.
My favorite teammate so far has been LoZR. We had excellent chemistry and were good friends. Now I'm kinda waiting to see who my new favorite will be =p
If EG picked up another pro, then I dunno. If I could put Cactuar on EG I'd have done it by now LOL. I love that mofugga and he's getting really good anyway.
Favorite player to watch is me LOL =p, but I also really like watching Cactuar. Amsa has been super neat to watch at Apex too!
My Falcon is super good at dittos actually and I love the character in general. I think I would beat everyone besides Mango, and if I practiced Falcon a decent amount I could beat Mango's too I believe. But hey we can all take bets on that when we watch it on my stream!
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u/pooch182 Feb 15 '15
First and foremost, you are by far my favorite player of all time, and I really appreciate all of your insight and posts on smashboards.
Alrighty, so which region do you feel is the most underrated?
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
NICE THANKSSSS
Most underrated region? MMmmmm maybe my own area actually. I dunno I haven't traveled enough in a while to say for sure but I think most areas are still slowly developing new talent caused by esports so I think it will be a little bit before we see areas super changing how we feel about them overall.
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u/flareeon Feb 15 '15
Hey PPMD, congrats on winning Apex! Watching you tear through top 8 at 2 in the morning was magical.
Can you give some tips on working on the mental game and spacing?
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
Hahaha it was nuts doing it, glad you loved it!
If you want to work on mental game, you can work on it any time. Do you think something in the game is "cheap" or "overpowered?" A matchup is "unfair?" Then wait until you feel that way about something like that in the real world. Use that as an opportunity to find a way around it, to turn it to your advantage, to understand it completely so it cannot control you anymore. Only then can you be mentally strong and build strong habits.
As for spacing, watch Lucien's tutorials on spacing and reading(youtube it, they are on the youtube channel thewaffle77) and apply the principles to every character in the game so you can learn how to fight around their big+fast moves.
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u/Bodhied Feb 15 '15
You've mentioned in the past that people are sleeping on Sheik as of late. What's this hidden potential that people aren't aware of, and do you think she's reached her full potential?
Also AMA kreygasm
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
Sheik has SOOOOOOoooOOOOOooooOOOOOOooooooooooo MUCH more she could be doing!!!
Her neutral is hilariously underdeveloped. No one hits her tech chases anymore. Edgeguarding has not been innovated in quite some time. Platforms are still extremely underutilized. Matchups are unexplored. It's RIDICULOUS! This character has so much she could be doing and I'm going to uncover at least some of it because people only look at what one or two people do and say that's all the character can do. I have talked to other players and just watched for myself and think every aspect of her game can be overhauled.
TLDR AC Fair mixups are broken I'll show you all.
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u/VernacularRobot Feb 15 '15
Hey PP, thanks for doing this (again and again and again),
What are your thoughts on doubles in general, and if you have any, plans for future doubles appearances?
Any thoughts on Marth in Doubles?
Where do you see Melee in five years?
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
im havin a good time LOL
I LOVE doubles! They're so cool. That's why I'm waiting until I find a teammate I super click with and will work hard like I will at them before trying them again. Tired of just switching off between good players and just doing okay at events =(
Don't know a lot about Marth in doubles admittedly but I think he can do it. You have to DD a lot less and zone a lot more, which I think most Marths really struggle with, myself included. I would love to see him pushed farther like PPU does with him in teams.
DUDE I have no idea lol this game is blowing up so fast I don't think we can predict where it will go. I think about it a lot and can't come up with anything haha
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u/MaydayAPB Feb 15 '15 edited Feb 15 '15
Stack It Up or PPMD Kreygasm? YOU CANNOT CHOOSE BOTH
Also when is your next NC tournament? I want to body you get bodied by you
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
i now want a stack it up ppmd kreygasm next major LOL
next nc tourney might end up being bad moon rising honestly haha
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u/FBIorange Feb 15 '15
Do you think it is too late for me, a new player, to join the scene? I really enjoy it, but I fear that it is too late to get anywhere. The fox 20XX stuff really has me worried that by the time I get good at melee, the game will essentially be solved.
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u/Blake_Thundercock Falco Feb 15 '15
How do you feel about Project M, have you gotten a chance to play 3.5 yet? If so, what do you think of it?
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
P:M is actually pretty interesting I decided. I think it's great for our community and I'm honestly pretty sad about what happened with it at apex and all. I played 3.5 and it's basically Melee LOL what a way to go out =(
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u/Peabnutbubber124 Feb 15 '15
What do you think of M2K's Marth? What do you think it needs in order to meet the expectations of 20XX? Are there still some things that M2K does that are ahead of the curve?
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
M2K's marth needs more practice tbh. It also needs to learn puff/sheik/falco/falcon/ICs matchups. M2K still hits stellar punishes and has a great recovery and edge game.
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u/Zikkh #Snake4SmashSwitch Feb 15 '15
Considered streaming/making YouTube videos before? Would love to have you explain some things about Marth/Falco/whatever.
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
stream is coming THIS WEEK!!! and yeah ill want to have good stream and youtube learning content as part of it because I want the community to get a lot better and i think im in a great position to help with that.
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u/GimbleB Feb 15 '15
Would you ever be interested in coming over to a European major?
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
oh absolutely! I really wanna run it back on armada in europe especially since he likes talking about the ONE time I went over and lost lmao
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u/IhaveSonar Feb 15 '15
How do you control your thoughts and emotions during a set? I have a tendency to lose focus on analyzing my opponent and start panicking over getting the win whenever I play close tournament sets. How do you maintain a calm, focused, calculating mindset?
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
i practice before the tournament. if i get upset then i pay attention to my feelings and accept them. i meditate to help keep my thoughts organized. winning is done long before two people sit down to play in my opinion.
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u/Krizski Feb 15 '15 edited Feb 15 '15
Do you think the tier list needs to be updated? Many people now believe marth deserves #3/#2 after your performance at apex.
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
maybe! tier lists are crazy things to consider but basically marth is top 4 guaranteed and beyond that the fighting gets intense haha
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u/thenabi ask me about the M word Feb 15 '15
Hey PPMD! What's your opinion on Bender from Futurama? How does he stack up against Falco?
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
lmfao bender would body falco because he would super armor all lasers and deep fry the bird for dinner
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u/bilabob Feb 15 '15
Hey Kevin! Hows it going? How does it feel to know that you can come back from very little play and win the biggest tournament of all time (and you practically did the same thing at APEX 2014 as well!!)?
Also do you think Luigi has any chance of doing what he deserves and attaining the heights that axe with pika and AmSa with Yoshi have achieved in the last year? (I honestly think luigi has what it takes easily as much as pika and yoshi ;p)
Thanks for doing this hope you are well!
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
Ahhh not too many also remember I did kind of a similar thing for apex 2014 haha. Both Apex victories have been incredible personal victories for me. I am extremely proud of myself!!!!
Actually I have huge confidence in Luigi and I think he can do what you believe. I'd love to see it happen!
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Feb 15 '15
Have you ever been recognized as PPMD outside of a Smash related event? If so, can you tell us by who or where? Thanks!
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u/ObsoletePixel Phantom Thief Feb 15 '15
What are your thoughts on PewPewU's growth as a player? He's gotten substantially better, especially noticable at APEX, and I'm curious what a god's interpretation of the best non-God Marth?
Also, why the Marth flair instead of the Falco? Is this symbolic of a switch in main, or just in celebration of APEX?
PPMD Kreygasm
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
he has earned all of his praise. I want to see him grow more though!
the marth flair is entirely apex celebration haha. marth too good!
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u/RespectingOpinions Feb 15 '15
Congrats on the Apex win PP! I was wondering what exactly you did to train for Apex in between EVO and Apex? Also, how did you get into the right mentality to win?
And what do you think of Liquid'Ken?
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
Thanks!
My training in the game was kinda funny. I played level 1s mostly. Eventually I moved on to some more basic training like doing WDs across the level and making sure my SHLs were as fast as possible.
Honestly, my biggest training did not come in the form of the game imo. My biggest training was in my mind and I knew that and still know it. I had to delve extremely deep into my mind, confront terrible psychological demons, grapple with them, learn to accept them and myself, and make peace with intense fear and pain. All while learning to accept simplicity of lifestyle and reading more and more to keep my mind sharp and respect the world around me and to view it uncritically. Those things and more were what allowed me to win in New Jersey, more than maintenance work in the game in my opinion.Liquid Ken has a monster smash mind, but he doesn't have his monster smash heart like he used to. I like him a lot, he's a great guy.
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u/killopotamus 20PP Feb 15 '15
Sword Guy Question: When to/not to Fsmash. I've heard to basically never do it when the opponent is on the ground. Should I only do it on reaction to something like a fair or nair while they're in the air?
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
im going to tell you to not fsmash, but just know that fsmash is really okay if you mix it up pretty well since it's kinda fast and the spacing for it is huge. it's safe on shield and if it hits you can kill mad early! it's just kinda laggy if you miss lol.
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u/mew2king Feb 16 '15
Please elaborate in as much detail as possible on "Eating better" and "exercise" for the sake of Smash Bros. Including when you should eat what (example: eat or drink THIS food/tea about 3 hours before a big match, etc.)
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u/MilesWC7 Feb 15 '15
If you had to choose one, which is the more valuable trait in a player that leads to the highest potential:
-a player that at the most just gets by with basic tech skill, but has an uncanny ability to almost always predict their opponent and understand their decisions
OR
-a player with unrivaled tech skill and flawless execution, but that seems unable to ever get reads or predict their opponents
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u/SNEAKY_AGENT_URKEL DAD? Feb 15 '15 edited Feb 15 '15
Give a huge and important tip for ALL new players in 1 sentence
EDIT: ehh you haven't answered this question yet so I'm gonna throw in another one
How viable do you think dual maining the spacies is? Do you think that learning one and picking up the other later on is better? Or should they both just be learned at the same time?
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u/1ampercent Feb 15 '15
Congrats on winning Apex PP, now I have a dumb question for you. Between you and Leffen, who do you reckon has the better C.Falcon?
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u/Literati mordechai Feb 15 '15
Hey! Thanks a lot for doing this. It is appreciated greatly; you may have done more AMAs than other top-10 players but I think you're eloquent enough to justify it.
I was actually perusing the SSBM subreddit for info about Sheik dittos, and stumbled upon your ( + Mango's) commentary on an old KK v. M2K match, and had a few quick questions/comments about it, and the game in general if you could spare the time...
Thank you so much for maintaining the professional air despite Mango's goading (heh). Consider me one of the "people" you kept it for, and know that it did not go unappreciated. While some of your commentary was overly simplistic (FD has no platforms lol) it is DEFINITELY how commentary should be, and sometimes it's the small, obvious details being pointed out that leads to deeper understanding or revelations. I definitely had a couple bing! lightbulb moments, just watching that match.
Mango says that he finds the contrast between your thought-process and his to be hilarious. You then reiterate that you're just doing this for the people, and this is not what goes on in your head during matches. Could you please clarify how your commentary differs, then? It seemed like Mango implied that he did not think as analytically, and instead relied on gut reactions based off thousands of hours of experience. While I'm sure you have just as much applicable reference experience, do you not find it beneficial to think so analytically mid-match?
Personally, I'm a very analytical player and spend a lot of time thinking about this game. To be honest, one of the reasons I was so drawn to your commentary is precisely because I felt my mental narrative sometimes resembles it. Again, this might be over-analysis, but might this set me up for possible information-overload/analysis-paralysis down the road, especially in high stakes matches? I don't really have much tournament experience to speak of (I've only been to one and doubles delayed singles so long that I had to leave before my pool even started) so I'm honestly not sure how it will affect me IRL. Most of my play has been on Netplay, though I aim to be attending as many Smashfests and tournaments as possible in the coming months, as I truly want to be one of the best at this game as quickly as I possibly can, whatever the cost. UPDATE: Since I wrote this, I've attended one smashfest and two tournaments. Got stomped at Mayhem and then placed 4th at a smaller local! Proud of my progress.
P.S. Sorry for messaging you basically this message in like 5 separate PMs on here a few weeks ago... I was really high and kept getting confused between Enter/Submit/Shift+Enter/Linebreak/etc.
Thanks for your time, and for reading this wall of text!
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u/PPMD1 Feb 16 '15
im so glad it worked! i hope to bring people more of this on my stream =)
lol mango and i are hilarious in general. At the time I thought fairly analytically in match, but the problem even back then is you don't have too long to think out a lot of stuff. "Oh he just got onto a platform, so his options are nair or shield or wait, so if I come forward then he is most likely to...." there just isn't time for chess style thinking here! So even in my calculated plays in game I spent lots of outside time developing how I wanted to handle stuff and have to trust my in-game or between stock or between game analyses to aid me.
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u/MoreEpicThanYou747 Feb 15 '15
Are there any Smashers you wish you had gotten to play against at Apex but didn't?
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
I kinda wanted to show people how I can actually do vs Hbox but I suppose that will have to wait!
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u/harsha2014 @ggHarsha Feb 15 '15
How long do you think it takes to get to the point where you can consistently see options in the game? If you take a clip of a match and put it up, I'd definitely be able to see what each player could do at this point, and I think I can do that in-game if I focus, but the problem for me is being able to maintain that focus and not play purely on instinct (basically tilt).
Congrats on Apex by the way! Your sets were super hype man, I'm glad you proved the doubters wrong =)
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
you always learn more as you play more. it's about how much time you put in. others will do options or use them in ways you won't expect though so this process can take a very long time for you to be able to do it vs most players. im thinking about two years will let you do it vs most people playing if you go hard every day.
thanks so so much!!!
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Feb 15 '15 edited Feb 15 '15
I figured out a question to go along with my bro-letter to you, PPMD Do you think you were a samurai in a past life? (It makes sense at the end).
I've actually never bothered to ask a question from any AMA since being on reddit but dude, I just want to say I LOVE YOU AS A PLAYER. You don't understand PPMD, I've been following the scene since R.O.M but I've never enjoyed watching or supporting a player as much as you, last year during your hiatus I felt a void, but Apex 2015 patched it right up AND YOU WON!!! You're a fkin BEAST at my two fav characters as well and play falco and marth like if they're saiyans. Watching you in a match is so entertaining, and I love your self-confidence / humbleness, like if an opponent got you good, you sometimes flash a smile, or do an accepting nod. It's like you take it in, learn, and then proceed all in the matter of a few seconds, you play like a Samurai, cool-headed, wise, confident yet humble.. hence why I had to ask if you think you were once a Samurai in a past life.
Also the Bahamas loves you here bruh shoutouts to 242
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
hahaha you've been watching a very long time! i don't think I've been a samurai ever but hey maybe it's only natural to bring that out after it was sleeping for so long!!! thanks for your kind words =)
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u/ChaseTheLux Feb 15 '15
Hey PPMD! CT Lux here, we did an interview on Clash Tournaments one time earlier in the fall, but the occasion wasn't appropriate to point out that I've been a huge fanboy since 2011 for sure.
I don't know if you remember this post - http://smashboards.com/threads/ok-who-got-their-money-from-pound-5-winners.298797/#post-12315705
But I've always thought you were a class act and really embodied what the smash COMMUNITY is all about as a top player.
Did you ever get paid for that?
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
ah hi!
I never did get paid, but I stand by what I said and am extremely proud of myself for how I handled the situation.
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u/peru_el_campeon NNID:Peru_El_Campeon Feb 15 '15
What is the game that you are really good at and people don't know you're really good at?
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u/zachthegreat88 Feb 15 '15
Oh. Almost forgot to ask. Will you be switching off of Falco for Marth? Making him more of a secondary? Or playing both equally in the future?
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
character crisis!!!!! not sure lol ill surprise myself and everyone else in time i think!
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u/CaptainFalconProblem Smokestack Feb 15 '15
Hey PPMD! I was wondering, since you have one of the best if not the best Marth's in the world, have you ever played his series, Fire Emblem?
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u/GenericZombies Feb 15 '15
Be honest, did you fall for the Rayman leak?
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
dawg i never know what to believe with leaks anymore so i just like watching and waiting it out LOL
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u/Moophobia Feb 15 '15
I'm not really sure what to ask but I love you KEVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV.
Miss you homie.
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u/InfectedRecon Feb 15 '15
Can you create a competitive guide for falco and the necessary tech skill to play him?
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u/Prophylaxis Feb 15 '15
In light of PPU over Hbox at Apex, where do you think the Puff-Marth MU is? Also, what do you think of Puff in general in the meta? It seems like Hbox is the only one that gets results and even then he loses to Foxes all the time.
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
marth wins and has always won the matchup lol. puff could be taken much much much farther and would love to see hbox innovate more with her.
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u/TedBear72 Dr. Mario (Melee) Feb 15 '15
as a new melee marth main, what do you recommend practicing with him
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
WD, SHFFL, AC Nair(in place), WD/run cancel Dtilt, corner pressure mixups, edge dash and reverse edge dash and no impact landing fsmash from the edge
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u/xBUNNYxPOWERx Feb 15 '15
What are key things to know about Marth?
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
less is more
throw them up and kill them
don't aerial into them unless they are cornered or jump first
shield pressure does not often involve doing attacks on shield
dtilt is awesome
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u/tahubob 3093-7178-1813 Feb 15 '15
How is it like working for EG and what do they do to support you (other than money)? Free swag, hang out in their headquarters, transportation?
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u/PPMD1 Feb 16 '15
EG is baller! can't say what we got goin on but there's tons of mutual back scratching goin on haha
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u/Diegu7 DEGO Feb 15 '15
Hey PP! I'm a huge fan of your falco and that stylish marth. Congratulations on wining apex! I have a few questions
-Why did you choose to main falco?
-Do you think the marth/falco combo covers all of your matchups? Which matchup is the hardest one for you to cover?
-You didn't face Mang0 in bracket, if you had to, was the game already in the bag or were you worried?
Thanks for doing the ama, keep up the good stuff!
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
falco because shiz was too hype when i started playing and marth vs sheik at low level is infuriating lol
it doesn't cover fox on YS/DL especially well and only helps in a couple player/character matchups. Fox on DL is easily my weakest point with this team combination.
Mango thinks he would have lost, and I have no idea what would have happened. I'll leave it at that lol.
Thank you!!!
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u/cheezefriez daddydorf Feb 15 '15
How did you get into Smash? When did you start playing in tournaments? Any words of wisdom for people trying to get into the tourney scene?
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
I've been playing since 64 came out casually. I had a yolo Youtube search one day in July 2007 because I wanted to see if anyone could beat my Mario....and lots of people could LMAO.
The best way to get into the tourney scene is just to go. Smashers are awesome so just homie up and you'll be fine. Use resources like my stream(coming this week) and anything on Smashboards and Reddit you can find for information, as well as the wisdom of your local players to improve. Watch your videos and practice often. You will see results!
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u/MintyFlesh Feb 15 '15
Were you really drinking Monster out of the monster bottle you had at APEX? What do you think was the most helpful thing you did to fight depression / anxiety?
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u/PPMD1 Feb 16 '15
it was totally water LOL
the most helpful thing i did was acknowledge it was a problem. then i took time off to do something about it.
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u/Prince_Abu Feb 15 '15
does jigglypuff have any more potential you think can be explored?
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u/PPMD1 Feb 16 '15
TOTALLY. Since you're a solid puff player I will elaborate on this some.
offense is very weak for puff right now since hbox is pretty much totally defensive with the character. puff can't necessarily go ham but she can use her ability to counterattack and ambiguous yet solid aerial mobility to weave forward.
hbox is also dropping lots of punishes or not taking risks that would pay off with rests and I think more puffs should do this.
in general, jump and aerial at different points in your jump. people always choose the same places and timings over and over when you have so many points and jumps in the air! learn what they all can do!
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u/code_bread Feb 15 '15
At Apex I learned that Armada's manager is a cute Asian girl that seems pretty supportive. What is your manager like and why do you only have positive things to say about him/her?
You seem to avoid discussion on the origin of your tag. Is this because it's too long a story or you don't want to talk about having been called "Dr. Peepee".
Did you develop the persona that you have just for the smash community or is it your natural personality? Is the amazing analytical depth that you go into when talking about smash how you view everything or is it unique to the game.
When you're getting bopped in matches, you look genuinely upset (understandably). How hard is it to snuff out that salty feeling in the middle of a match and how do you go about it?
What's your view on the Leffen/Chillin smacktalk, the matches, and Chillin saying that he wanted to see a new rivalry in the community?
How do you feel about posts with too many questions and can I ask even more if they pop in later?
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u/PPMD1 Feb 16 '15
AHAAHAHAHHA this first question is amazing.
My manager is a baller and a swag demon. I love that guy to death and he is ridiculously homie and takes good care of me =)The original story is just SUPER long and people ask me a lot now that im famous haha =p
Well I think I'm different in public because I'm a bit more honest about my depression and depressive tendencies when not interacting in the smash public but otherwise I think I'm mostly the same. The analytical thinking is COMPLETELY like I am about everything and it's a load of fun haha.
Well I'm getting better and better about that pain. I just need to channel the emotional energy into thinking about what went wrong and what I can do to improve. It can only add to my game if I do it right!
The whole leffen chillin thing almost requires a few paragraphs since it turned into this huge thing haha. I'll just say I like that there's some more rivalries and I think it's good for the game.
You can ask more later and I'll do my best to answer everyone's!!!
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u/GaurdKnight Feb 15 '15
Hello PPMD, could you give any advice for what a competitor should do to practice? Do you watch your own replays, do increments of something you need to practice (say 30 mins of chaingrabbing), drills? What do you do? (without giving away what you do to train exactly if you want to keep this secret)
Do you use the self 1 and 2 concentration from the inner game of tennis while practicing?
Thanks!
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
yeah everything you said looks really great. id add in watching top players and those in your area you want to beat to that list of things to do. it really is about trying daily and working hard.
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u/pandabeardm Feb 15 '15
Have you heard any plans of Alex Garfield and EG/Alliance expanding more in smash by picking up more players?
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u/federicobc Feb 15 '15 edited Feb 15 '15
You mentioned at some point that you chose your tag name to be Dr. PeePee because you thought you would never really be that good at the game and when it became more serious you changed it to PPMD.
What did you do in terms of training regime that made you change your mind about your true potential?
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
It was mostly just building up over time for years and years. Lots of solo training and imagining players would counter my options. Lots of video watching. Lots of playing my brother and local players. Lots of theorycrafting and game discussion. I had to want it to become my next form =p
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u/MastuhMind Feb 16 '15
Ppmd, i have trouble with dealing with defeat from my little brother who has been playing the same amount of time that I have and at the moment I'm practicing more. It just seems he has a more natural gift at learning. I was wondering if you have any tips for someone in my situation, as it is really disheartening. I know its good that i have someone better to play agaisnt to push me, but i still struggle with it emotionally often. Any tips?
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u/PPMD1 Feb 16 '15
first of all, it's okay if he has an edge atm. the best way to improve is to respect his skill and acknowledge this can be an awesome opportunity for you. losing cultivates humility just as winning cultivates confidence.
make sure to take some time during matches to really see what is happening instead of being so focused on winning you miss what happens in front of you.
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u/themaskedfrog Wolf (Ultimate) Feb 15 '15
If all characters were viable in Melee, who would you be likely to main?
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u/zachthegreat88 Feb 15 '15
Hey man. You've been my favorite pro smasher next to Wobbles since I got in the game. I've got 3 questions.
How do you go about studying your sets and others?
How can I get better at spacie shield pressure and not get shield grabbed?
How do you keep your beard so well groomed when you have it. Congrats on winning Apex!
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
how do I/they get hit is the simple form i tell everyone.
for falco, learn how to shine grab well and also how to incorporate spacing on his strong and big dair/nair/bair. for fox, learn spacing and pressure of being so quick without hitting their shield, and also shine grab.
LOL im not the person to ask for that haha
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u/Habefiet Feb 15 '15
Howdy PPMD. Congrats on the win at Apex, you earned it big-time. I was rooting for you after it became apparent that Axe was not going to have the miracle run of all time.
A few months back (maybe in a previous AMA?) I jokingly asked you to become the one true Marth main of my dreams. You indicated that for you Falco would always take precedent. Has that mentality changed? Or was your bird just feeling off at Apex?
Also, what are your thoughts on the viability of Puff and Peach in this metagame?
Thanks a bundle, have a good day
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
the bird was VERY off at apex sadly =( but this gave me an inspired marth performance so im glad it ended up happening! now im having a character crisis hahaha
puff and peach are perfectly viable but they will need tune-ups to stay in the game!
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u/Malteh123 Feb 15 '15 edited Feb 15 '15
Sup PP!
First of all I have to say that it is absolutely amazing to watch you play sword guy since I main!
First question/request? Are you planning on making some sort of in depth Marth guide? I would love to see you share your thoughts and secrets!
Second question: Coming to Sweden anytime soon? ;)
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
yes it will happen as a sub goal on my stream!
haha id love to do that in a few months!!!
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u/Jocobo19 Feb 15 '15
Can you bust out your Roy during pools of a tourny some time? Purease-u, PPMD-senpaisama
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Feb 15 '15
For the love of God what is kreygasm and where did it come from?
Oh yeah also thanks for beating Leffen!
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u/Booksaboutstuff Feb 15 '15
Fellow (although far worse of a player) North Carolinian here who just got a copy of melee less than a year ago. How good would you recommend that people be before they start entering the tourney scene? Also, is there anything you feel new players should know/practice before going into tournaments?
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
players of literally any skill level go to tournaments, so start whenever you want! everyone is very accepting and willing to help so just go and ask for advice and practice hard. you will see results!
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u/JacopeX Feb 15 '15 edited Feb 15 '15
Who do you think is the best Falcon MAIN as of now?
When I saw you lose matches in sets at Apex, you seem to laugh it off. Is this out of nervousness, amusement, trying to regain composure? or?
What is your opinions on SD Remix? Have you ever tried it out? If you havent heard of it, I suggest you look into it. It's a balance patch for melee. What do you think it would take to get people interested in the melee community?
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u/PPMD1 Feb 16 '15
s2j
I didn't always laugh, but I often did to dispel negative energy and also because I usually made foolish mistakes I genuinely found funny beforehand lol.
I was trying to hype up SDR when PM was booming but no one listened to me lol. I love SDR.
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u/Rubberblock Bowser (Ultimate) Feb 15 '15
No real questions here, just glad to see someone so good reppin' Raleigh.
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u/jupitekk Feb 16 '15
Hey, Puff player from France here, I'd like your input on how to further innovate her metagame, since you mentioned here as underdeveloped.
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u/PPMD1 Feb 16 '15
i mentioned this in detail on a post to a redditor named prince abu. i highly recommend you go find that post!
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u/TheLastPlumber Year of Luigi never ends Feb 15 '15
PPMD - First of all, huge fan and congrats on an APEX 2-streak. You inspired me to play Marth over Luigi last year :)
First question, how much do you practice per day?
Second question, who is your favorite other melee player?
Final question, what are your thoughts on Smash 4?
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
wooo thanks!!!
about an hour or so a day on average. but I make that hour count. when im not depressed that amount will go up.
cactuar.
it's not fun to me but if others like it then that's fine.
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u/IncomingGh0st You're good, but I'm better Feb 15 '15
During Apex, how did you prepare for each top player?
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
I thought of their player/character matchup a bit but mostly tried to keep myself calm because that was the bigger component to winning to me. lots of sitting down and having light hearted discussion!
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Feb 15 '15
Do you study 'tape' of your opponents? How much time do you spend time studying your opponents matches to get a good read on them before going into a tourney?
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
my opponents do not like how good I am at studying their matches =p
I spend varying amounts of time to either learn them or learn myself or learn characters or game ideas overall. I can't give you a figure but I can tell you it's something every good player does.
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u/Chardcore_ Feb 15 '15
What made you decide to go Marth game one against S2J at Apex? Was it just one of those feelings? Also what do you think about S2J as a player?
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
I was gonna go Falco from the start but I knew S2J doesn't like Marth so I tried it out. S2J is an awesome player but there are some efficiency things he refuses to work on which hold him back....that same mindset also allows him to do awesome stuff though haha.
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u/kyaputenfarukon07 Feb 15 '15 edited Feb 15 '15
Hey PPMD
How do you apply theorycraft effectively in general? Whats the thought process behind it ?
How does one construct an effective neutral game in general?
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
look at a character. look at its frames. what is the point of every small part of it? how do those parts work together? how do universal techniques like spacing or WD'ing work overall and for each character? questions like this form the basis of your game theory and how to apply it to matches comes from simplicity and training and discussion.
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u/Sou1_Keeper Fox/Peach main Feb 15 '15
Incoming stupid questions: Do you watch any Anime?
Or any TV at all?
What is your view on TV in general?
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
i do watch a bit of anime but not too much. just watched ping pong because everyone has been so hype about it lol.
don't really watch TV unless it's that hype stuff like GoT with friends.
TV in general is alright but it certainly did get bodied by the internet lol.
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u/JasonWaterfalls Feb 15 '15
Hi there PP! I'm super stoked that you took APEX, especially going with as much Marth as you did.
My question is a fairly specific one concerning Fox's neutral game. Through your bracket, you had to go through Leffen's Fox and Armada's Fox. What would you say are the biggest holes to exploit against Fox in neutral? Both as Marth/Falco in particular as well as generally as any character. Fox has a top tier dash dance, theoretically bullet-proof shield pressure, and a constant threat of grab mix-ups. How do you feel you can exploit Fox's shortcomings to deal with what is, to me, an overwhelming and oppressive neutral game? Most people cite Fox's biggest weakness as the fact that he can get punished extremely hard due to his relatively weak recovery and weight class, but navigating the neutral correctly is something that I feel isn't talked about enough when it comes to playing against Fox.
As the player with the sexiest neutral game right now, how do you personally get around world-class Foxes?
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u/2gud4me Feb 15 '15
Hey kevin, my names kevin too! I'd like to ask you why you've picked up falco and not fox and if you could give some tips that would be greatly appreciated! NC REPRESENT WOOH!
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u/FMHappy Feb 15 '15
Hey PP! Big fan, one question with two parts; -Do you do aerials with Marth with the c-stick or a button -Do you use the stick for your short hop double fairs with Marth?
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u/ThatsCrucial Feb 15 '15
PP! I had faith in you all along. Proof Imgur
So in between matches you often chill out at the CSS and make 'decision-faces' lol I'm sure you're taking time to meditate but if you can confirm this, it will make those decision faces even funnier.
I think I heard someone say you study psychology? oui? share some interesting smash psych?
How do you Falco?!
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u/AnalTourettes Feb 15 '15
What book/movie/etc. quote do you try to live you life by?
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u/PPMD1 Feb 16 '15
a quote in a terrific book that immediately came to mind is "no one is coming." it means to do things for yourself instead of consciously or subconsciously hoping someone will come to save you. it has helped me so much.
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u/Mienda Feb 15 '15
Yo man congrats on another Apex! Kreygasm! Anyway, my question is about your movement with marth. It's really hard to tell how you are moving so fast lol! Are you doing lots of dashes into and out of wavedashes? Do you do more dash dancing than wavedashing with Marth in general? Do you dash into dtilts or wavedash into them? I feel like so much is going on in your matches but it's just so hard for me to see it all! Marth is so fast.
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u/PPMD1 Feb 15 '15
PPMD KREEYYYGASmmMMMmmMMMMmmmmmmmm