I always seem to struggle with reaction times, and the more I look into character guides and breakdowns, the more I see frame data being touted front and center.
Are people legitimately counting frames while playing? Are people actually able to see the individual frames??
The idea that someone can see an opposing move, recognize what it is, recall the frame data for that move, recall the frame data for their own moveset, select an appropriate counter, and then deploy it - all while keeping track of frames elapsed - seems superhuman to me. Like, all that has to happen in the span of a few fractions of a second. All I can do in that space is think "OH NO!"
But every guide I pull up seems to be very much about frame data, even for basic ones.
I always have a hard time knowing if my lack of reaction time and lack of dexterity preclude participation in this genre.
-
You do NOT have to visually identify or count individual frames. ever. so dont worry about that.
-
MOST moves (or at LEAST normals) are legitimately designed to not be reactable on sight. Most humans can only react within around 15-20 frames minimum in most 60fps games, and thats in ideal circumstances when youre not trying to balance looking for lows, overheads, jump ins, dash in grab etc all at once. Even pros will get hit by shit's that "reactable" because of this mental stack. Essentially: you are meant to get hit by things, and you dont have to ebat yourself up for not reacting to everything.
-
the purpose of frame data isnt to know all the frame data at once, at all times, in number form. Guides and videos include that information because it is important info, but NO ONE knows all of a game's frame data at all times, even the pros.
instead, frame data is there to give you hard numbers to work with in order to compartmentalize certain situations where timing is important, and to cut down on the amount of raw testing you yourself need to do.
ex: let's say Ryu hits me on block with a punch. The data says Ryu is -4 on block, so he will be able to act 4 frames after you are able to act. If you were to check your own character's frame data, maybe you notice "oh hey, my standing light punch is 4 frames of startup". now you go into the lab, set the dummy ryu so he does that move, block it, and try hitting standing light punch. it hits! Ryu cannot block! You now have a punish!
rather than memorize the frame data per se, instead, you can compartmentalize this into 2 different categories:
category A: "This move is not safe on block"
and Category B: "This is an unsafe move that can be punished with anything as fast as, or faster than, standing light punch"
and on the other end, if Ryu hits you with some special move on block that the data says has him at a frame advantage of -3, and your data shows you do not have any move that has a startup of 3 or less, then that move CANNOT BE PUNISHED. you can now file that move away in your head under "They are safe" and know not to over-commit to something when you see it.
but even more importantly: YOU DONT HAVE TO KNOW ANY OF THESE NUMBERS. not REALLY. Or at least, you do not need to know more than a handful that are universal (ex: fastest moves are universally 4 frames, and throws are 5 frames in SF6). You can just find each character's fastest button, go into training mode against the, and set the dummy so they press that button after blocking or getting hit by any attack, and then you can just TRY STUFF. Hit Ryu with button A, try to immediately hit button B afterwards, and if the dummy hits you? then you know you do not have enough advantage to work with. you can file various moves and normals under "It's still my turn" or "my turn is over" in your head, rather than keep in mind a huge list of numbers..
the numbers are useful, and you can SLOWLY add certain numbers to your mental cache (ex: "damn, every time i try to hit Ken after HK Dragonlash he hits me instead! let me go check the frame data and see what i can do"), become comfortable with that new data, internalize it through play, and then add more when you feel youre able to.
YOU NEVER, EVER, EVER HAVE TO KNOW ALL THE FRAME DATA, OR EVEN MOST OF THE FRAME DATA, FOR ANY FIGHTING GAME, IN ORDER TO JUMP IN AND HAVE A GOOD TIME
and as far as reaction times go: if youre new to any fighting game, youre gonna be bad at reacting to things. Some moves are designed to be somewhat reactable (ex: most overheads or moves that give heavy frame advantage), and others are not. Fighting games are about making educated guesses about what you think your opponent is going to attempt to do with their unreactable moves, while keeping an eye out for their reactable ones.
i hope ANY of this helps.
When I first started fighters, I did exactly what Diesel said: Compartmentalized Safe, Not Safe, and Punishable in my head and focused on how I can play around with those expectations against an opponent.
I did not know any frame data before I won my first tournament. Or second. Or even when I placed second at my first regional/major.
Some folks work better with hard facts, sure, and as you get better you'll want to understand those nuances better. At the least: frames are not some super secret, superhuman required skill.
If you're looking to learn fighters, begin with vibes and ask why's. 😌
When you're just starting out, you don't even need to know most of your moves, much less the frame data for them.
When I got into a game for serious the first time in strive I had a broken wrist, which meant playing one handed, which meant only having two shoulder buttons and the d pad. I could still take rounds and games off folks.
When starting out, beyond the basic rules and mechanics of the game, I'd seek out:
A no-frills combo that's easy to pull off: even if that's just two buttons, having a reliable combo in your muscle memory will give you an automatic response when you think you have an opening. You don't need frame data. Usually your gut instinct is enough, like Ryyudo said.
A way to hit airborne opponents. Most characters have a movie designed as an anti air attack. Rather than react to a move, see them jump and react to that. By the time your reactions fire they're probably in range.
A move for long range scenarios. Whether a projectile or a long reaching kick, try to look for something that gives you a way to defend yourself at range (or in the case of some characters, to close the distance). This will let you keep opponents at bay and punish a careless advance.
Early on, this is enough for a lot of fights. It reduces the load on your brain by giving you three very common situations and a plan for each of them, and you'll easily beat people that know more stuff but don't have a good game plan. As you win and lose you'll find situations where these three things all feel weak, and then you start to seek out more moves for more purposes. Only now they won't feel quite so overwhelming because you're building on a solid foundation.
