MenatBot v1.0
Difficulty Advanced
Focus Matchup and Orb Awareness
For our MenatBot, we decided to focus on training players for the chaos that Menat's Orb and V-Trigger can cause mentally. The Orb training is based on making the player consider when she does or does not have the orb out. The V-Trigger setups are for mid-level, where the ability is more likely to be activated outside of a combo. Her longer normals are used fairly often in preference to pokes so her direct defense is not as good. This bot does not use all the input techniques, but similar to KarinBot it does use most of them. Fortunately the inputs required are much more lenient and not usually as fast either. The main thing to look out for is that certain button combinations may need to be held down slightly longer than the player is used to doing for other characters in order to release the Wisdom Orbs during her V-Trigger. Test with her V-Trigger a bit before attempting recordings, especially Actions #3-5.
We decided to make her secondary focus her slightly longer range normals and keepout ability, as we do not expect most players to have much problems hitting her once they do manage to get close. However, one way or another, most people will need to throw her, and therefore we have made this the focus of the bot, not necessarily because it is the best way to approach her for all characters, but because it causes the correct type of focus in neutral if one is not on defense.
Gauge Settings
As with all bots, 1P Health should be set to "Normal". 1P CA Gauge should be set to "Normal", and 1P V-Gauge set to "Auto-Recover".
Settings for 2P are Health - "Auto-Recover", V-Gauge - "Maximum Start", CA Gauge - "Maximum Start".
Goals
Completing each action gives 1 point. Try to get to 10 points without dying.
Points System
- A - Block and punish Menat's 3MK (Slide) with something other than a throw
- B - Block and punish Menat's Aerial 2K (Drill) with something other than a throw
- C - Throw Menat while her Orb (Soul Sphere) is away from her, but not after blocked Slide or Drill
- D - Menat gets 2 points whenever the player hits her with a meaty attack or meaty throw
Difficulty Levels
- Easy - Points given for ABCD
- Medium - Points given for BCD
- Hard - Points given for C and D only
- Extreme - Points given for C and D only, Menat gets a point if you fail to punish A (in addition to her points from D)
Action #1
Perfect
From close enough to hit, 1HP 236MP, 6MP (hold), 236 end recording instantly while holding MP
Acceptable
From close enough to hit, 1/2HP, 236MP, 5/6MP 236 end recording instantly
This input is quite lenient but cannot easily be tested on its own. Simply accept it once it looks and feels correct, and test it when you have reached Action #4. This action should be capable of Soul Sphere and therefore the recall, but it is not necessary for her to be able to do it without canceling from the HP. This does not work better with FirstFrame 1/2HP, to the point where avoiding it may be better. The edge-shift at the end is required for her to be able to throw L-Soul Sphere with Action #4.
Action #2
Perfect
FirstFrame 2MP+MK, hidden [1/4, 623MP+HP], end recording immediately
Acceptable
2MP+MK, hidden [1/4, 623MP+HP], end recording immediately
Variant
Not quite a variant, but if your character has a slower dash but is not very vulnerable to low attacks or has an approach move that avoids low strikes, either enter the Acceptable Version or record action #1 without holding the MP at the end.
Note that while this input is actually fairly lenient, especially in the Acceptable version, one should make sure that Menat cannot do the H-EX Soul Sphere. If the Perfect version is input correctly and Action #1 was Perfect as well, she will occasionally use 2MK. Otherwise she will use her crouching V-Skill in that space. Which of these is more useful to their purposes is left up to the player, her rhythm is not negatively affected.
Action #3
6MK, hidden [4MP+MK, 4LP+LK, (4)12369] end recording instantly
Focus effort on making sure the ending is right rather than rushing to get everything into the early part of the 6MK. Her rhythm is not improved by pushing for very early inputs as long as the V-Skill and Throw are hidden. Despite the instructions above, the final motion is the most important to get perfect. The bot can be used without managing to get the 9 input into the recording, but it is meaningfully less effective.
Action #4
Perfect
From as close as possible, 5LP, 6 (until just in throw range), 32LP+LK, late hidden [236LP+HP, press 3MK repeatedly but not more than 3x], end recording when the last 3MK input comes out (is not hidden).
Acceptable
From as close as possible, 5LP, 6 (until in throw range), 32LP+LK, hidden [236LP+HP, press 3MK repeatedly], end recording when the last 3MK input comes out (is not hidden).
The later the 236LP+HP is hidden, the more overall effective the bot is at zoning and the less time it spends randomly doing Slide. When replayed in neutral, the M-EX Soul Sphere should come out after a Throw whiff rather than being hidden in one. If tested along with Action #1, she should occasionally be able to throw out the L-Soul Sphere.
Action #5
2LK, 2HP+HK, 2369(63)2 end recording instantly while holding 2.
The 2HP+HK in this is supposed to be fast enough to be a cancel, but the LK should also be held for at least a few frames. When looped into itself this action should result in a short hopping forward jump with an immediate or nearly immediate LK 'drill'. It is important to make sure that she does not go too high, and to make sure that you do not enter 8 or 7 at any point of this input.
In-Depth
Still in progress.