Completly lost beginner

[Norborb]

I just started playing this game a few weeks ago. I have a joystick (an X-Arcade stick, it works for me and I have it configures to what I think are the standard arcade controls) and I play Akiha Tohno. I can get through Arcade mode on difficulty 4, probably 5, I did with Shiki(I started with him). I would like to get better so I found this website. I really don't understand alot of this. What are some basic terms and techniques I should know about because the stickies confuse me. I understand some of the move notation but I don't understand what a "j" means or brackets. Can anyone tell me where to learn some basics?

[Alfonse]

The number notations represent a direction with reference to your keyboard's keypad. (5 for neutral, 4 for left, 6 for right, 2 for down, etc) A, B and C refers to your light, medium and hard punches. D is the shield button. Q is some shortcut button I'm not too familiar with myself. A j means it's a jumping attack - you do it in mid-air.

[Draku]

Q is some shortcut button I'm not too familiar with myself.

Q is Quick Action. 5Q inputs ABC (Heat/Circuit Spark), 2Q inputs 2AB (Dodge), 4/6Q inputs 4/6AD (Throw).

[Norborb]

But there are some weird terms(weird to me at least) like "negative edge" that many tutorials I see already assume I understnad. Maybe that is a standard fighting game thing but this is the first fighting game I have ever really wanted to learn and understand, not just play casually.

[Alfonse]

From a deleted Wiki article:

Negative Edge is a technique created by Capcom to help players chain special moves in their 2D fighting games. The term was introduced to the world by the first iteration of Street Fighter II and has appeared in numerous, if not all, fighters made by Capcom since then. The Guilty Gear fighting game series is also known to have this feature. When a special move is being performed, normally the designated motion with the joystick/directional pad is followed by pressing the appropriate button(s). Negative Edge allows you to hold the desired button(s) (ideally from a single button normal attack that combos into the intended special), perform the motion swiftly, then release the button to launch the attack. It's become a prominent term for any 2D fighting game enthusiast to know and utilize to win (or to try and avoid having it mess up their combos).

I don't understand it really well myself 

[Zaelar]

In some games you can do a special move by releasing a button instead of pressing it.  It's called negative edge.

It was originally added because capcom found out that people were pressing the button for special moves too early, so they figured that they would have it so that when you let go of the button it would also register for a special move, and you have easier special moves.  Of course this had to be combined with kara canceling which is something else entirely.

[Ice Queen Lotus]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=goEmjS9JDTA

This is 3S, but it has a good example of negative edge in it.

[c-nero 5[c]]

negative edge doesn't come up much in melty unless you play nero or aoko.

[Norborb]

All of this really does help alot. There are still some concepts like spacing, overhead, and anti-air I don't understnad, but I will try to look those up I guess.

[Zaelar]

negative edge doesn't come up much in melty unless you play nero or aoko.

There is no negative edge at all in melty.  Don't get it confused with attacks that you can hold down to make stronger/unblockable/wierd things which is something else entirely.

All of this really does help alot. There are still some concepts like spacing, overhead, and anti-air I don't understnad, but I will try to look those up I guess.

Overheads are attacks that you have to block high, ie you can't block low.

Anti-air is whatever you use to stop someone from jumping in on you.

Spacing is basically getting into a position where you have an advantage over the opponent, like in a spot where you can hit them but they can't hit you.  The specifics are matchup specific.

[Sphyra]

There is no negative edge at all in melty.  Don't get it confused with attacks that you can hold down to make stronger/unblockable/wierd things which is something else entirely.

Dunno if it counts as negative edge but I think he's talking about held orbs, not charged moves. Not sure what Nero has that you can hold like that though.

[Ice Queen Lotus]

I believe his snakes use it, if you press the button you used to summon it, the snake will come out.

[JeffM]

isn't negative edge a feature in fighting games that lets button release count as an input (as if you pressed the button again)? i've tested it before with kohaku (2[c]2[/c] <- i just made up that notation) to see if her sweep chains with ex plant, but it didnt work; therefore, i don't think exists in the game

[Zaelar]

Releasing orbs isn't negative edge, and I knew thats what he was talking about.  Same with snakes.  Same with a lot of C attacks.

Letting go of C to do cactus would be negative edge, and of course it doesn't work since there is none in mb.

[Norborb]

I am trying to master this combo:  tk j.2c 2b2c5bb j.bc dj.bc airdash airthrow
It is an Akiha combo. What does the "tk" mean?

[Zaelar]

The tk is wrong, the combo shouldn't have that at the start.  For that combo you need to do the j.2c very close to the ground, which is what the tk is trying to say, but it's wrong.

The beginning of that combo takes a bit of practice to get down.  You can practice the full combo by doing the j.2c on the way down from a jump, but the combo is usually landed by doing it at the start of a jump, and doing it early enough so that you can do the rest of the combo reliably takes practice.

tk means to do a motion, then jump, then press a button to get a special attack to come out in the air close to the ground.  For example with Akiha do 2369+a/b.  If you time it right you'll get a flame just off the ground.  With this particular move you'd want to do 2368+a/b most of the time so you jump straight up instead of forward, but for most moves it doesn't matter.  Theoretically you can do this with almost any air special, but it is easiest with 236 and 214 motions as you just need to continue the motion to 9 or 7 and slightly delay the button press.

[Twinniss]

tk means tiger knee dunno why its called tiger knee but it just is

the objective of a tk is to do a special attack in the air at the smallest jumping height
Please note that this only works for special attacks that are done in the air

to do this you just need to end with up at the end of the command

so as zaelar explained, to tk 236(assuming your character has a j.236) all you would have to do is 236 9/8/7 button
to tk 623 all you would have to do is 623 9/8/7 button
to tk 214 all you would have to do is 214 7/8/9 button

Please note that the timeing to press the button should be around the second you are in midair
and since this is meltyblood, you may get a super jump (2...9)
to make your life easier with some of the tks in meltyblood end with a 6 or 3 after the 9

[Zaelar]

It's called tk because the old tiger knee motion was 239, or more realistically 2369, which is the same motion for tking a 236.

[Norborb]

tk means tiger knee dunno why its called tiger knee but it just is

the objective of a tk is to do a special attack in the air at the smallest jumping height
Please note that this only works for special attacks that are done in the air

to do this you just need to end with up at the end of the command

so as zaelar explained, to tk 236(assuming your character has a j.236) all you would have to do is 236 9/8/7 button
to tk 623 all you would have to do is 623 9/8/7 button
to tk 214 all you would have to do is 214 7/8/9 button

Please note that the timeing to press the button should be around the second you are in midair
and since this is meltyblood, you may get a super jump (2...9)
to make your life easier with some of the tks in meltyblood end with a 6 or 3 after the 9

Ok, so how am I supposed to tk anything without super jumping?I try to 2369 in pratice and I just super jump over and over again.

[Alfonse]

Hold down 2 for a little while longer before entering the rest of the input.