Understanding Frame Data (Part 1)

So what is frame data? Well you can imagine it as a "timeline" for street fighter as far as actions that are currently being used in the playing field where frames are used instead of seconds. The game engine for SSF4 currently runs at 60 frames per second. So what frame data does is it takes all the moves of all the characters in the game and breaks it down into that kind of time measurement of frames instead of seconds. As you read on you will learn how moves come out as far as frames are concerned and how your moves effects your opponent as far as being blocked or being hit by it. Frame data also determines whether your opponents frames are at a disadvantage or advantage depending on the move you used. So if you still don't know what i'm talking about, frame data pretty much tells you what moves beat what and then after you do those moves what kind of disadvantage or advantage you are in.

So how do you find frame data? Well you can find them over at eventhubs where they have all the frame data of all the characters in in SSF4. All you have to do is click on a character and then click on frame data.

So lets take a look at some of Ryu's frame data.

Move	Block	Damage	Stun	Meter Gain	Cancel Ability	Startup	Active	Recover	Frame Adv. Block	Frame Adv. Hit	Notes
Crouch Light Punch	HL	30	50	20	C*Sp*Su	3	2	7	+2	+5
Crouch Hard Kick	L	90	100	60	-	5	4	28	-14	D	Low attack, cannot fast recover
Dragon Punch Light Punch	HL	100[70]	200[100]	30/40	Su	3	14	14+10	-17	D	1~2f invincible, 3~4f cannot be thrown, 3~16f lower body invincibility
Dragon Punch Medium Punch	HL	80*50	150*50	20/20*20	Su	3	2*12	25+18	-36	D	1~4f invincible, 5~16f lower body invincibility
Dragon Punch Hard Punch	HL	100*50	150*50	20/20*20	Su	3	2*12	28+18	-39	D	1~4f invincible, 5~16f lower body invincibility

Move: Pretty explanatory
Block: If you have to block high or low. If it says HL it does not matter how you block it.
Damage: Pretty explanatory
Stun: How much stun the move to create dizzy. (each character has different stun numbers btw)
Meter Gain: how much meter you gain from connecting that move even if the opponent blocks it.
Cancel Ability: If a move can be chained/cancelled/supered into.

Startup frames: Number of frames before an attack is "active".
Active frames: Number of frames in which an attack can actually connect with the opponent.
Recovery frames: After a move is active, you will be in recovery frames until you can attack again. Safe moves typically have low recovery frames.
Frame advantage: When an attack connects (hit or blocked), you may recover faster or slower than your opponent. For example, if you land a crouching light punch you are +5 on hit after an attack. You will then recover 5 frames faster than your opponent and can link any attack that has a startup of less than 5 frames. Similarly, if you use the crouching hard kick attack and the opponent blocks it, you are then -14 on block. That means your opponent recovers 14 frames faster than you and can punish you with any attack that has a startup of less than 14 frames.

Notes: These are pretty much unique abilities for that move. Look at the 3 dragon punches for example. As you can see med. dp and hp. dp have more invincible frames than lp. dp so you are better off using med or hp dp for an anti air.

On part 2 i will break down what categories you only really need to know to use it to your best advantage. So please stay tuned!