What was the design choice for using diagonal button presses for Assists (LK+MP/LP+MK for Assist 1 and MP+HK/MK+HP for Assist 2)? I have an 8 button arcade stick and I can set up the last 2 buttons as Assist Macros, but how do people play 3 character teams on a 6 button Arcade Stick? Is it awkward? Marvel vs Capcom 2 and 3 have 4 attack buttons and 2 separate assist buttons, but SG is a 6 button fighter that lets you also use 2 assists. MvC1 was 6 buttons, but you could only pick 2 playable characters and the 3rd character was just used for Assists.
For example, mine point character is Valentine and I want to combo into a lockdown assist. If my team has 2 characters, then it's not a problem. I just do a combo that has s.HP or s.HKx3 and tap s.HP+s.MK or s.HK+s.MP during the 2nd or 3rd hit of s.HK (I don't remember. I'm still learning Val in the Lab). But what if I run a team of 3 characters like Valentine/Lockdown Assist/Anti-Air Assist and I only have 6 buttons on my arcade stick? How will I call Assist 1 while pressing HP/HK? I'm not saying I have this problem, but I'm curious how 6 button Arcade Stick owners deal with it. Is there some kind of different timing?
Seeing as to how I'm mr unpopular... I shouldn't be replying... But what the hell:
The buttons are because there was no other good combinations to be used:
Lp+lk, mp+mk! up+hk
Were already being used so that leaves kk and pp which overlap with super inputs so a no go there.
And then we are left with kkk and PPP which require 3 buttons and are easier to mess up and not get an assist. So the only 2 button inputs left were the ones we get to use.
Lk +hp wasn't added at first because of button distance issues. But was added in the first patch as a way for pad players to have a new macro to mess with iirc.
As for your assist question, the way I do it:
On defense or during a combo with a reset situation coming up and updo as my assist, I mash updo macro... No chance of he getting my inputs messed up at all because I'm mashing. In fact I only went to macros so I could abuse this tactic. I learned how devastating it was at evo cause of how many players there were abusing it...
#wingzero and shinatproof for putting me through the updo gauntlet right before evo.
But if I'm using my assist during a combo or whatever I just muscle memory the actual input during the combo.
For Val's hp with an assist I would just plink hp~lk... Very simple.
For her st.hk with assist 1 I would either switch my team around (lol) or I would st.hk plus macro, or I would st.hk x1 then press st.hk+mk+lp or do some move such as dash plus macro then st.hk input
But that's off the top of the head without actually trying it with her. I don't play her but it's generally trial and error to find out how you can call certain assists during combos with certain teams...for instance you might just want to call the assist out during a different normal if it makes it easier...just logical deduction.
In fact, move to assist synergies is one of my biggest time wasters in training mode.
Like what assist can I use with painwheels flight to make flight really good from ground startup? What assist can I use while throwing out hp stinger? (I like hairball and then cancel into flight so the stinger hits the air, the hairball hits the ground and painwheel has an aerial advantage no matter what the opponents position as long as she anticipated the opponents attacking choice correctly)
Etc etc