Help proper way to play ffr

[^Sorrow^]

I'm having trouble with AAAs and FCs, but I realize that I use a laptop and play on a bed. I play with 4 fingers and I want to know how to align my fingers when I play and what kind of keyboard I should use. Any comments would be so helpful to me, thank you so much everyone.

[Shikari]

Re: Help proper way to play ffr

If you play laid down, try to use a "crooked" key setup, like mine: EF48. Try something along the lines of EFLP, EFKO, RGKO, the closer, the better, I think.

[Wind0ze]

Re: Help proper way to play ffr

While I have only been on these forums for a few months (compared to your three years) and am relatively inexperienced with FFR, I think I could give you some advice.

Honestly, it hardly matters how good your equipment is. I switched from a random Dell keyboard to a Corsair K90 RGB a few months ago and I saw no notable improvement.

As for finger alignment, I suggest trying out a bunch of different setups and seeing what you are most comfortable with. I can't necessarily give good advice for laptop on bed as I play on a desktop PC.


Overall however, I suggest to just keep playing if you want to see improvement. Improvement isn't something that happens overnight, it happens gradually overtime. Some people I've seen have been on this forum for over a decade, having years of experience.

If you think your skill is plateauing, push yourself harder. Play harder songs, set goals for yourself. Try to fit in at the very least 30 minutes every day in your schedule if you like.

Anyway, good luck on improving!

[^Sorrow^]

Re: Help proper way to play ffr

Thank you so much! I'm going to try it out and see if it works in the long run!

[^Sorrow^]

Re: Help proper way to play ffr

Hm, I've been playing this game for 6 years, and I've been improving very slowly for those years. So I'm looking to try something different. But if you could tell me how you use your fingers. That would be helpful. Like hands lifted up or palms are touching the keyboard. I really think I'm playing wrong. It's great to know that my keyboard doesn't matter though. Thanks!

[Walrusizer]

Re: Help proper way to play ffr

Keyboards do matter, and a mechanical will improve your gameplay at higher levels. You don't need a mechanical keyboard to be good but it will help.

[sickufully]

Re: Help proper way to play ffr

Sitting at a desk/table will probably help. I used to play ffr lying down in bed but my laptop was too unstable on my legs and reading the notes became twice as hard.

As for keyboards, any old mech keyboard will do. Mine is 10+ years old and I have no information about it but it's so much better than using my laptop keys. Saw instant improvement.

As for key setup, it's whatever feels comfy for you. I use WEOP but it seems most people tend to use SDKL or something on the middle line of letters.

[Shikari]

Re: Help proper way to play ffr

I really think I'm playing wrong.

If you're really playing laid down, you're playing wrong from the get-go, it's hard to have a proper posture this way.

Regarding improvement, if there was a secret formula to improve skills, it would never be secret. The best thing I can say is to focus on learning the fundamentals, like streams and jumps, until they become simple, then you move on to harder patterns like high speed bursts, jacks and jumpstreams.

[One Winged Angel]

Re: Help proper way to play ffr

Hi fam, fellow laptop + play-on-bed user here.

Standard spread alignments like askl or zxm, still work best imo, playing on a concave setup like efko on higher difficulty songs presents certain physiological restrictions that a completely horizontal setup would not (although one handed trilling is slightly easier on a concave setup).

I can't give any solid advice on keyboard recommendations because I've always pretty much played with the keyboards my laptops come with, but as far as setups are concerned, experiment. You'll find what works best for you soon enough.

Honestly, it hardly matters how good your equipment is. I switched from a random Dell keyboard to a Corsair K90 RGB a few months ago and I saw no notable improvement.

My old laptop died a couple months back and my new laptop keyboard outright refuses to actuate fast repeated taps a large majority of the time when playing jack-heavy files. Charts that were free AAAs on my old laptop are now borderline impossible to FC on this one, with no part due to skill deterioration or the game running poorly in comparison, though the keyboard has still been good enough to snag 100+ difficulty AAAs that don't contain those types of patterns. It's possible not to notice if you aren't playing a wide variety of charts, but equipment most definitely matters.

[Shikari]

Re: Help proper way to play ffr

playing on a concave setup like efko on higher difficulty songs presents certain physiological restrictions that a completely horizontal setup would not

Really? That's interesting, I've been using a concave setup for years now and never heard of this.

[GotSkittles]

Re: Help proper way to play ffr

I play ffr on laptop rn and occasionally find that I play with myself in bed. I use dfjk, but I stick to lower level songs (10-20 levels lower than my highest fc) that are much easier to fc when I'm laying down. probly not helpful sry

[PhantomPuppy]

Re: Help proper way to play ffr

i used to play on a laptop. was able to reach D6. only reason i switched to mechanical is cuz i built a desktop and wanted a nice keyboard for once, but getting good in this game is more about learning what works for you, not so much about having the perfect equipment.

ofc, im but a noob, so dont take everything i say as fact.

[gold stinger]

Re: Help proper way to play ffr

I never understood you people that play askl like how does that work, I get mad finger cramps & freeze ups when I do askl.

thko works so much better for me I don't believe anything OWA says #praiseit #crookedsetup

[happyhardcor3]

Re: Help proper way to play ffr

everyone plays different, the best advice I can give you is to find a setup that feels comfortable to YOU. me personally I like my hands spread far apart I use Z X down right (arrow pad) I would much prefer to use numpad on my left hand but I get ghost misses when I do that. try others setups if you'd like but move your hands around your keyboard and find where they comfortably fit is the best advice I can give you.

as far as aaa goes play the easiest of songs until you get them aaa'd, then just keep moving up in difficulty eventually you will notice a great improvement in your perfect accuracy.

[rushyrulz]

Re: Help proper way to play ffr

If you're really playing laid down, you're playing wrong from the get-go, it's hard to have a proper posture this way.

This.

You'd be surprised how many muscles are involved in arrowsmashing, especially on the higher end of play. You're restricting yourself by playing a) laying down and b) on an unsteady surface. As far as wrist positioning goes, you're already restricting yourself by playing laying down. If you're playing on a flat surface like a desk, in a sitting position, you'll have much more freedom of movement in your arms and wrists. And honestly, wrist positioning can vary depending on the type of patterns you're playing. For instance, I typically play wrist-down but on extremely jacky patterns like those in AIM Anthem, I use wrist-up which allows me to control speed with my forearms instead of my wrists, which turns out to be much more accurate (for me at least).

Playing casually, laying down is fine. But if you're serious about improving in this game quickly, keyboard shouldn't matter, keybinds shouldn't matter too terribly much as long as you're using spread (4 fingers 2 hands), but sitting at a desk with enough room to move arms/wrists is imperative to training the proper muscle groups needed to get better faster. This is a game of muscle memory, and it's important you don't learn bad habits in that regard.