----====Ling Xiaoyu====---- Ling Xiaoyu strategy guide Version 2.0 By: Josh Kim "Joshic" Original Release Date: 11-21-97 Latest Update: 6-7-98 Disclaimer: This FAQ can be distributed in any form, period. However, any organizations wishing to distribute this FAQ or any portion thereof for profit should contact the author at: jkkim@nwu.edu (c) Copyright 1997,1998 Josh Kim This FAQ should be viewed with a monospace font (like Courier New) if possible. ********************************************************************** INDEX ********************************************************************** 1. Moves List 2. Vs. People Strategy A. Defense B. Offense a.Rain Dance tactics b.Phoenix Stance tactics c.Regular Stance tactics d.Tenstrings and Unblockable e.Juggles f.Okizeme g.Sidestepping Techniques 3. Vs. Computer Strategy(?) 4. Ling Xiaoyu Background Information 5. Credits ********************************************************************** 1. Introduction ********************************************************************** Welcome to the second major revision of my Ling FAQ! Since the last version of this guide, my Ling skills have greatly improved, as have my general Tekken skills. This version fixes all mistakes/typos that were in the previous version, and includes better strategy, custom strings, and other goodies/tips. At first glance this FAQ may look the same as the previous version, but rest assured that I've gone through the entire text from beginning to end multiple times and made changes all over the place. Read it from beginning to end for full benefit. That is, if you have the time and the patience, hehe. This version of my FAQ does not include a moves list. I had one in my previous version, but realized it to be inadequate and somewhat difficult to read. Rather than make another movelist or copy someone else's work altogether, I thought I'd just leave it up to you to find one- it shouldn't be hard. I strongly recommend that you check out Ben "Tragic" Cureton's Tekken3 Manual Act1. Read the gameplay primers in his FAQ and familiarize yourself with general Tekken lingo if you have not done so already. Print out a copy of Ling's section from the TK3 Manual and keep it handy as you go through this FAQ. In case you don't already know, you can find it, along with just about any other Tekken FAQ, at http://www.gamefaqs.com ********************************************************************** 2. Vs. People Strategy ********************************************************************** Ling Xiaoyu is one of the fastest characters in Tekken3. Offensively, she can get in the opponent's face and maintain a stream of poking attacks, all the while looking for throws and juggle opportunities. Defensively, Ling has a vast array of evasive maneuvers which alter her axis alignment, making it very difficult for the opponent to score a hit on her. Master all aspects of Ling and you can frustrate your opponent to no end. PART I: DEFENSE Here are some key defensive moves you'll use: 1.) Mid Parry (1+4): Useful for interrupting an opponents string or attack. Gives you a 7-frame advantage (.1167 sec). You can't do much with that time, but you can go into a reverse 1-2 punch (2,1) to snuff out any counter attacks and set yourself up right next to your opponent in Rain Dance. You can also try going into Phoenix Stance(AoP) and making your opponent guess your attack from there. Ling can even do a mid thrust block with her back turned! 2.) Low Parry (d+1+4 or db+1+4): Use this, PLEASE! I almost never see people use low thrust blocks, and so many characters have them, including Ling. If you know the opponent is going to do a low attack, then use a low thrust block. Say your opponent is doing a tenstring, then what you want to do is wait for a low attack in the string and thrust block it. You have a 26-frame advantage after a successful low thrust block (.4333 sec), and you are guaranteed either a Storming Flower (db+1) or Phoenix Wings (f,f+1+2~1+2). Or you can try a Sunflower or throw, but they are not guaranteed. Remember that Ling can do a low thrust block even if her back is turned. Isn't she so special? 3.) b+1 or b+2: These are two really quick "knifehand" attacks that can interrupt many attacks, even some tenstrings. They hit mid and Ling sidesteps a little before doing the move. Ling will sidestep slightly to her right before b+1, and will sidestep slightly to her left before b+2- keep that in mind. They seem to be useful after you have finished a series of attacks and expect a counter-attack. Do this move to interrupt them. 4.) Standard Sidesteps: tap up or down to do the standard sidestep. Ling's sidestep is one of the fastest and longest in the game. Not as great as Ogre's sidestep, but since she is so small your timing doesn't have to be perfect. Don't forget she can sidestep in Rain Dance. More on sidestep maneuvers later in this guide. 5.) f,f+3+4, Front and Back Layout: This is useful if your opponent is far away and they start charging towards you looking for a shoulder ram or whatever. Jump over them and kick them sky-high. If your opponent is the defensive type, they will usually wait for you to land from your flip and slam you with a power move as soon as you land, so be careful with this move. 6.) Hypnotist to Spin Sticker: Not that great, but she starts walking slowly to the left and comes out with a quick mid attack. I guess it could be useful if timed perfectly. Also when in Hypnotist stance, you can pull almost any move out, so mix it up to confuse your opponent. 7.) d+2, Low Jab: Great move. The low jab can interrupt a lot of attacks, since Ling's is one of the quickest in the game. If you throw out this move, do a low kick immediately afterward- it will almost always hit for damage. This is because most people see a low jab and block high afterwards, afraid of getting hit by a WS attack. 8.) d+1, Sunset Fan: This move eats up a lot of attacks for lunch. Great priority. This move recovers crouching, so you can go into any WS attack immediately afterward. Holding down on the joystick after the move leaves you in AoP. 9.) d+1+2, Phoenix Stance/Art of Phoenix (AoP): This will make her dodge all high attacks, some mid attacks (Paul's Deathfist is ducked under), and sets you up in Phoenix Stance so you can get back on the offensive. You can even go straight into the Phoenix Stance from the Rain Dance. Just press d+1+2 when you have your back turned. This is a great defensive position. If your opponent sees you go into this stance and tries to attack you with a blonde bomb, flip kick, or something similar, you can roll out of harm's way by pressing 1+3 or 2+4. Hold down on the joystick immediately after pressing the buttons to do the roll without the throw. 10.) db+1, Storming Flower: If your opponent is rushing at you with attacks from a little beyond side kick range, you might want to do this move. It counterhits a lot of attacks and knocks them back. If you whiff with this move, you're screwed, so make sure you know the exact range of this move. 11.) 1,2: Even though her 1-2 jabs both hit high, they are super quick and can interrupt many attacks. Doing 1,d+2 is sometimes even more effective because the second hit connects mid. Either way, the second hit of these two punch variations is guaranteed if the first hit connects, counterhit or not. 12.) df+1: This move hits mid, puts you in Rain Dance, and interrupts many attacks. Pressing DF+1 will leave you in regular stance. This move also has a tendency to duck under high attacks in its execution. 13.) 2,1: High, then mid punches. Interrupts many attacks and sets you up in Rain Dance. To do this move and recover in regular stance, do 2,1~DF. 14.) u+4 or uf+4, Cyanide: If your opponent keeps performing low attacks in a predictable fashion(like King's Stagger Kicks), use this move to go over the low attack and hit them. If it connects on counterhit, you knock them down and can juggle with a Fire Dancer into Dark and Stormy. Note that this is also Ling's tenstring starter. 15.) standing right kick (4); df+4: Along with Nina and Julia, Ling has the fastest executing standing right kick in the game. This move hits high, but it comes out extremely quickly and if it counterhits, you can immediately do a db+1 to hit them for a juggle combo. df+4 executes a little slower than 4, but it hits mid so you can use it if your opponent repeatedly ducks your standing right kick. These two kicks are useful in custom strings and as spacing tools when used after a punch series, as they have more range than standard punches. Sense a recurring theme in the above list? The best defense is a good offense. i.e., it's better to interrupt an attack than to block it. Of course, interrupting is dangerous in that you can get counter-hit, so you don't want to go crazy with this, but since Ling is the fastest character in the game, many opportunities to interrupt attacks will arise. Try to capitalize on as many of these opportunities as you can without being overly reckless. If you feel uncomfortable about interrupting your opponent's attacks, try to evade them, as Ling is the best evasive character in the game. Blocking your opponent's attacks will usually not give you the initiative, and if the opponent uses a guard stun move, you may even lose it. Therefore it makes sense to try to stop your opponent's attacks or evade them so you can gain initiative and get back on the offensive. PART II: OFFENSE ------------------------------- RAIN DANCE TACTICS ------------------------------- An important thing to know is how to get into Rain Dance (back turned position). Sure, we all know about f,f+3 (Raccoon Swing), but do you know them all? If you use a new technique to get into Rain Dance, your opponent won't know and try to rush you or duck, setting them up for a Mistrust. Remember, Ling wins by tricking the opponent, and if you use the same move over and over again to get to Rain Dance, you're not gonna get a Mistrust to connect. So here are all the ways to get into Rain Dance that I can think of: 1.) b+3+4: The standard method. No attacks, just a turn around move. Note that she sidesteps slightly to the right when she does this move. If you do a right sidestep followed by this move, you'll end up behind your opponent. This is also a good round-opening move. 2.) f,f+3: Not bad at long range, but good players will see it coming in most cases, so make sure you buffer a reversal break. 3.) 2,1: quick and easy (one of my favorites, hits high, then mid). Hold DF on the joystick to recover facing forward. 4.) (WS)+2: a.k.a. Sunflower. Juggles AND leaves you with back turned. What more could you want? Hold forward on the joystick to recover facing forward. (e.g. WS+2~F) 5.) u+1: good at really close range. If you hold up (U+1) you'll end in regular stance. 6.) (AoP), 4~B: When you're in Art of Phoenix, hit 4 to do a mid-kick. What most people don't know is that if you hold back after doing the kick, you'll end up in Rain Dance. 7.) df+1: Quick mid attack that moves you forward, interrupts attacks, and leaves you in Rain Dance. Hold DF on the stick to recover facing forward. 8.) (AoP), f+1+2: Takes Ling straight from Phoenix Stance into Rain Dance. 9.) (FC),3,2: Firedancer into first hit of Dark and Stormy. Hits low then high. 10.) (FC),df+2: If you do just the first hit of the Lotus Twist, you'll recover in Rain Dance. Hold DF after you do this move to recover faster. 11.) (AoP), U+4~U: If you do just the first hit of Flower Power and hold up, you'll recover in Rain Dance. 12.) (FC),DB+3+4: Low Back Turn. No attack, but this move lets you go immediately from a crouching position into Rain Dance. Not many people know this move, so it can surprise your opponent. ********************************************************************** NOTE: when Ling has her back turned to her opponent, f or F means towards the opponent ********************************************************************** Ok, so now you're in Rain Dance. What can you do? If you're in close, you can: 1.) 2,2,2,2,2...: You can do as many of these as you want (I wouldn't recommend doing more than two or three of these in a row though.). This is a set up move. They all hit high, leave you with your back turned, come out very quickly, and are unlikely to hit, but your opponent is not gonna want to block all day. If they try to duck, you can... 2.) 4: Mistrust. They will get tired of blocking all those high punches and duck, which means you can juggle! 3.) 2,1: The 1 punch will turn you around to face your opponent. 4.) 2,1,4: Two high punches into Mistrust. The Mistrust can be slightly delayed. 5.) 1+3_2+4: Like all characters, Ling can throw when her back is turned. Her throw range appears to be greater when her back is turned. Additionally, if Ling whiffs a throw attempt, she remains in back turned position, unlike other characters. If they continue blocking your 2,2,2, then throw them with a 2+4 (you can even use button buffering to make the throw come out faster). If you end the punches with a 2,1 (last punch makes you face forward) throw with a 1+3. A great way to implement this technique is to do a Firedancer into the first hit of the Dark and Stormy, hold down right punch, and press right kick. It looks like this: (FC)d+3,2, 2+4 This is effective because you are buffering the throw so it'll come out faster, plus your opponent will usually be holding back, blocking and waiting for the standard (FC)d+3,2,1,4 string to end. Essentially you are setting your opponent up for a throw. 6.) d+3: This will kick them low. Also hits grounded opponents. If you hold down (D+3) Ling will recover in regular stance. You can use this after a Raccoon Swing (f,f+3). Most people will stand and block high, expecting a Mistrust. 7.) f+3+4: California Roll. This will roll Ling forward and duck under high attacks. If they try to attack you high, you can do a Cyclone (f+3+4~3+4) to juggle them. If they just stand there blocking after your roll, don't do the Cyclone because they'll pound you when you recover from the Cyclone. Do a throw, mistrust, or Back Circle Breaker (d+3) instead. 8.) 3: Quick mid kick, recovers in regular stance. I guess you can use this for variation, but since the Mistrust also hits mid, this is not very useful in this situation. However, it is quite useful in juggles (explained later). 9.) f,f+3: Peg Leg. If any of the above moves leaves you slightly more than side kick distance away, you can do this move to hit them mid. Not as useful as I had thought previously, hehe. It looks cool though. 10.) Sidestep: Ling has a great sidestep when in Rain Dance, and unlike other characters, she stays in Rain Dance after the sidestep. You can do the standard sidestep by tapping the joystick up or down, or you can press 3+4 or d+3+4 for a spinning sidestep. After the sidestep, you can follow up with any of the above. The spinning sidesteps leave you in regular stance. 11.) Phoenix Stance: When some people see Ling in Rain Dance, they see an opportunity to hit her with a mid or high hitting power move. Quickly go directly into AoP by pressing d+1+2 during Rain Dance to duck under their attacks. 12.) d+4, d+1_2: These two are last on this list, but may be the most important. If you find yourself with your back turned and don't want to be, d+1_2 is the fastest and frequently the safest way to do it. d+4 will turn you around as well, but is not quite as fast as d+1_2. If your opponent blocks a WS+2 attempt, they may see it as an opportunity for them to attack you with a slow-executing move. Use either d+1_2 or d+4 to maintain initiative. The above moves are all quite fast, and you can mix them up until your opponent either dies or swats you for being so annoying. Putting them together into custom strings: (There are infinite variations, I think these will help get you started. NOTE: some of the custom strings in the previous version of this FAQ were not very effective. The following are modified and should be better) From regular stance: (the first 1 or 2 moves will put you into Rain Dance) (FC),3,2, d+4, ws+2, d+1, d+3,2, 2+4 (L-H-L-M-SM-L-H-throw) 2,1, 2, f+3+4~3+4 (H-M-H-M) u+1, 2,1,4 (M-H-H-M) df+1, 1+3 (M-throw) (FC),df+2~DF, 2, d+3, 4 (S-M-H-L-M) f,f+3, d+3, f+3+4, 2+4 (M-L-throw) That's all well and good, but what if you're in Rain Dance and you're kinda far away? You can: 1.) Peg Leg (f,f+3): Not so great- you can get hit out of it fairly easily, but at least you get style points. 2.) California Roll (f,f+3+4)(into Cyclone juggle starter if you want) 3.) Sidestep. Keep sidestepping to either side until your opponent gets tired of waiting and comes in at you. Or you can do the Spin Tornado (3+4) as an alternative sidestep. More on this in the Sidestepping Techniques section. 4.) Back Layout (f,f+3+4). If you land square on top of your opponent, you'll jump on their shoulders and slap them in the face. If this move connects on counterhit, you get a guaranteed mistrust. 5.) Go into Phoenix Stance (d+1+2) 6.) f,f+1+3_f,f+2+4: This will make Ling hop backwards and throw the opponent. If your opponent is just standing there waiting for you, this can come in handy. This works very well if used immediately after a Raccoon Swing (f,f+3). ------------------------------- PHOENIX STANCE TACTICS ------------------------------- Everyone knows the Phoenix Stance, but like the Rain Dance, do you know all the ways you can get into Phoenix Stance? Here are all I can think of: 1.) d+1+2: standard method. 2.) D+1: Sunset Fan. Holding down leaves you in Phoenix Stance (AoP). Very useful, since it hits mid and has high priority. 3.) (BT)+d+1+2: You can go directly into AoP from Rain Dance. 4.) (FC),d/f+4: If you end the Flower Garden after 1 hit instead of the usual 2 sweeps, you end in AoP. Now what can you do in AoP? Stuff to try: 1.) 1 or 2: Left and Right handful. This move can be useful because it is Ling's fastest mid attack from AoP. If your opponent is close to you and tries to hit you out of your AoP stance with a low kick, this move can interrupt them and you can continue with your poking attacks. Left handful recovers crouching, right handful does slightly more damage and recovers standing. 2.) Wave Crest- Quick: During AoP, press d+1+2~1+2. Or, immediately after going into AoP, press 1+2. Hits mid, juggles, and has a quick start and long stun. Does 14 points of damage. 3.) Wave Crest- Power: During AoP, press 1+2. Hits mid, juggles, and has slow start, short stun. Does 16 points of damage. 4.) Wave Crest- Heavy: During AoP, press d+1+2. Hits mid, juggles, and has slow start and shorter stun. This juggle starter launches your opponent higher than any other juggle starter. Does 25 points of damage. 5.) 3: Knee Stabber. Hits low and leaves you in AoP, which is good. 6.) df+4,4: Flower Garden. Two low sweeps. If you do just 1 sweep, you'll end in AoP. If you do both, you recover crouching. That means you can do df+4,4,4 to do 2 Flower Gardens followed by an immediate Skyscraper Kick. Or do df+4,4,2 to do 2 Flower Gardens into a Sunflower and juggle. Good players will anticipate the final hit and may reverse you, so buffer a reversal break. Or, you can do df+4,4, hold down, and do more Flower Gardens. 7.) 4~3: Firecracker. Fast full sweep. Only drawback is that it has no real follow ups except okizeme. Otherwise it's great. You are guaranteed a getting up 3 (low sweep) after both of you are on the ground. Holding down or up after the sweep will make Ling roll out of the way and recover crouching. Down makes her roll out of the screen, up makes her roll into the screen. 8.) u+4,4: Flower Power. Two dominant mid attacks. If you do just one of them and hold up, you end in Rain Dance. The second hit recovers crouching, so you can perform any WS attack immediately afterward. 9.) u,N+3 or uf,N+3: Sky Kick. Hit 3 right as Ling lands from the jump. A surprise low kick. You can juggle with (FC)d+3,2 after the low kick hits your opponent. Mixing this move up with the jumping pirouette(u,n+3), hop kick(uf+3), and especially the Crane Kick (uf,N+4) can be effective on people who are not used to seeing these moves. 10.) u,n+3 or uf,n+3: Jumping Pirouette. If counterhits, it will knock them down and you can juggle with a Fire Dancer into Dark and Stormy- (FC)d+3,2. On a normal hit, this move will turn your opponent's back to you. If you are close enough, you can juggle with a df+2 (this is probably the only time you will use the df+2 move). 11.) 4: Back Kick. Quick mid kick. If you hold back immediately after the kick, you recover in Rain Dance. The execution animation for this move will make Ling dodge slightly. 12.) D: Butterfly. How low can you go? Ling can duck even lower than her Phoenix stance to duck under almost all mid attacks (except Nina's Blonde Bomb). 13.) f+1+2: Makes Ling recover in Rain Dance. 14.) 1+3_2+4: Roll out and throw. Great move. If your opponent is standing around, use this to throw them. At a higher level of play, people will be expecting the throw and duck. If you hold down on the joystick after you press 1+3 or 2+4, you will roll out and recover crouching. Your opponent will still be crouching waiting for the throw. You know what to do at this point: Sunflower into juggle combo! 15.) uf+3: This is Ling's juggling hopkick. Unlike characters like Law or King, Ling's hopkick needs to be executed from AoP. This move comes out very fast, so if you need a quick juggle starter from AoP, this is it. Apparently a good use for this move is right after 1-2 punches, i.e: 1,2, d+1+2, uf+3. If you are in AoP and kinda far away: 1.) f+3+4: Roll Ball. This move will roll you toward the opponent and Ling will recover crouching. Most players see Ling roll from her AoP and expect a throw, so they'll crouch when they see this move. At the end of the move, tap 2 to go directly into a Sunflower for a juggle combo. You won't believe how many times people will fall for this trick. 2.) 1+3_2+4: People will see this coming a mile away so mix it up with a roll and non-throw. If you are playing Nina, she will try to Blonde Bomb you as soon as you get into AoP. Use this move in anticipation to avoid her attack and throw her. 3.) uf+3,3 hits mid,high. uf+3,4 hits mid,mid. These moves are great when you are in AoP, kinda far away from the opponent, and fighting Nina, Jin, or Heihachi. This move will hit them out of their flipkick with its high priority and jumping attack. Paul's flipkick is so low to the ground from beginning to end that it's hard to counter with this move. 4.) Flower Power u+4,4: This move hits mid,mid and has good range. 5.) 4: Use it like you would at close range. It can be used at medium range due to its long reach. 6.) f+1+2: It's not a good idea to stay in AoP too long, so use this to recover in Rain Dance. AoP is a great stance, but it should be used carefully. If you go into it for extended periods of time, you'll get hit out of it. One of the best times to go into it is when you expect your opponent to throw you or attack you with high attacks. Another great time to use AoP is when you whiff an attack or have an attack blocked. Your opponent will frequently try to counterattack starting with a high or mid attack. Duck into Phoenix Stance using d+1+2 and juggle them with a uf+3 or wave crest variation. Sweep them with 4~3 if they block high. If you want to do a low attack but are wary of having 4~3 blocked, flower gardens (df+4,4) will work nicely. ------------------------------- REGULAR STANCE TACTICS ------------------------------- Ling doesn't have too much to offer when she's in her regular stance. She can do a Step Kick (f,f+4) to hit distant opponents, but it comes out slowly because Ling lunges forward before unleashing the kick (this can be a good thing too, since it might counterhit or make it harder for your opponent to reverse). Or, she can do a Storming Flower (db+1) in anticipation of the opponent's moves. This is a good move in that it hits for a lot of damage, comes out quickly, and counterhits a lot of attacks. The major drawback is that its range is nothing like Paul's Phoenix Smasher or Nina's Blonde Bomb. Plus, if the opponent blocks it, they are not pushed back like other characters' power moves, so they can do as they please with you if you whiff. Know the exact range of this move so you don't whiff, and use it sparingly. Phoenix Wings (f,f+1+2~1+2). This move is a great juggle ender, but as a stand-alone move, it's not too bad either. If your opponent blocks the second hit, you are safe from immediate retaliation and can gain initiative because the hit causes guard stun if blocked. If the first hit connects on an unguarding opponent, the second hit is guaranteed, whether the first hit was a counterhit or not. Front Layout (f,f+3+4). This is good if you're far away and want to try something interesting. It is a very dominant attack. If they get hit, you'll knock them down, but if they block, you might want to go into a standing right kick or throw. Nutcracker (db+4). If you are in close and want to do a low attack from Ling's regular stance, do this move. It does a little more damage than the Fire Dancer and you get more style points (it looks so much cooler). The drawback of this move is that it executes fairly slowly, but the upside is that if it connects on counterhit, your opponent is gonna get knocked down with their face on the floor. u+1+2,2,1 This is a canned combo, but it can be pretty useful. Always buffer reversal breaks on the last hit; sometimes good players will try to reverse the second hit. What makes this move so great is that it hits mid on all three hits. Use it like Law's Dragon Storm(b+1,2,1) or Jin's Laser Cannon (b,f+2,1,2). Each hit of this string can be delayed, which makes it harder for the opponent to reverse. Try varying your delays and stopping in the middle of the string. If you stop in the middle of the string, your opponent will block high, expecting the next link. At this point you can throw them. Do this a couple of times and they will have to guess whether to block the next link and risk getting thrown or ducking and risk getting hit. You can trick some people by throwing in a Ginger Snap (u+1+2~3+4) and then throwing. Be a gymnast. This is really tricky to do at first. Try confusing your opponent by doing all of Ling's cartwheels, spins, and the like. f+1+2 will make her cartwheel to the left, and f+3+4 will make her dive roll to the right. The f+1+2 comes out faster, but the f+3+4 causes her to duck under high attacks. Try doing these two moves with 3+4 or d+3+4 and sidesteps to spin all over the place. Amid all the craziness you notice your back is turned, do a Mistrust. Otherwise, try sticking in Sunflowers and throws while performing your acrobatics. For more info on gymnastics, read the "Sidestepping Techniques" section. Taunt (1+3+4 or 2+3+4). This is not something to use often or even at all against good players, but if you are playing against bad players then you might want to try this. Also try doing a taunt immediately after the last hit of a juggle combo to score style points. For even more style points, put a taunt inside of a juggle combo (hard to do though). ** Krautnote: if you pull off the 2+3+4 taunt right next to your opponent it will "hit", but do no damage, looks hilarious! ** While Ling is taunting, she is considering standing and can attack at any time. So basically what should happen when you use this move is that your opponent will see the taunt and come rushing at you, thinking you are vulnerable. As they come running at you do a Storming Flower (db+1) to counter hit them, knock them back, go into another taunt, and generally make them look stupid. The audience will laugh, your opponent will feel humiliated, and you get tons of style points. =) What you really want to do when Ling is in her regular stance though is to keep moving and use a bunch of custom strings. Here are some: 1,2, d+2, WS+2 (H-H-SM-M) This is one of my favorites. Simple yet highly effective. You start with 2 super quick jabs, go into a low jab, then hit them with a Sunflower for a possible juggle. If they block the Sunflower, you can go straight into in-your-face Rain Dance tactics. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 1,2, d+2, d+4, df+4, uf+3 (H-H-SM-L-L-M) Start with 2 quick jabs, low jab, then instead of going mid with the Sunflower, go low into a low right kick, then a single Flower Garden (down motion of low kick charges the down motion of Flower Garden). End the string with a possible juggle from the hop kick. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 2,1, d+1, df+4, u+4~U,4 (H-M-SM-L-M-M) April Showers into Rain Dance, followed by a back-turned low punch. One Flower Garden, then one Flower Power, recover in Rain Dance, then Mistrust. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- df+1, 2,1, D+1, 4~3 (M-H-H-M-L) Belly Chop, Dark and Stormies (2nd Dark and Stormy recovers in regular stance), Sunset Fan into AoP, Firecracker. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- f,f+3, f+3+4, d+4, WS+2~F, d+1+2, uf+3 (M-L-M-M) Raccoon swing into Rain Dance, California Roll, back-turned low kick into regular stance (recovers crouching), Sunflower (hold forward to recover in regular stance). If the Sunflower hits, the string is over and you juggle. If it is blocked, go into AoP and try a hop kick. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- f,f+3, d+1+2, f+3+4, 2 (M-M) Raccoon Swing into Rain Dance, Down into Phoenix Stance, Roll Ball into Sunflower. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- (FC)d+3,2,1, d+2, DB+3+4, SS, 4 (L-H-H-SM-M) Fire Dancer into two Dark and Stormies, recover standing. Low jab charges the down motion for Low Back Turn, end in Rain Dance. The low back turn sidesteps slightly as it executes, so add in another sidestep to alter alignment further, then look for the mistrust to connect. There are many other possibilities. You have all the tools; it's up to you to be creative and come up with other custom strings as you go. There are several things to remember as you make custom strings: 1.) Center your attacks around the Sunflower (WS+2). It's a very high priority attack and juggles. If it doesn't juggle, you can go straight into annoying Rain Dance tactics. Remember you can hold forward on the joystick right after the move to recover in regular stance. 2.) Throw a lot. Seriously. Ling has very few low attacks. You need to set your opponent up to block low so you can get your Mistrust and Sunflower to connect. If your opponent keeps escaping throws, use the So Shoe Me (f+2~1) to throw them as it requires both punch buttons to escape. After you successfully grab them with this move, dash backwards and Mistrust them. If this doesn't work, try a back roll (f+3+4) after the throw to approach them quickly and make them guess between a Mistrust, throw, or Back Circle Breaker (BK+3). 3.) If you find yourself in a bad situation, (you whiffed an attack like the Storming Flower or can't think of anything to do at close range) do a Sunset Fan (eats up other attacks for lunch), go into AoP (d+1+2), or do a low jab to counter your opponent, with a possible Sunflower follow up. 4.) Sidestep a lot. Ling has one of the best sidesteps in the game, so use it. She can sidestep just as well when she's in Rain Dance. 5.) Know your moves inside and out. Some moves recover in regular stance, others recover in Rain Dance, and some moves can recover in either stance, usually depending on your joystick movement immediately after the move. Also, know which moves recover crouching because you then have the option of going straight into Flower Gardens(FC+df+4,4) or WS+2 or WS+4 immediately after to keep your opponent off guard. Moves that recover crouching and facing forward are: a.) (FC)df+4,4 or (AoP)df+4,4 b.) (FC)df+2,1 c.) (AoP)u+4,4 d.) (AoP)1 e.) (AoP)f+3+4 f.) (AoP)1+3~D or (AoP)2+4~D g.) (AoP)4~3,u or (AoP)4~3,d h.) (AoP)u,N+3 or (AoP)uf,N+3 (sky kick) i.) d+1 I think that's all of them- let me know if I missed any. ------------------------------- TENSTRINGS AND UNBLOCKABLES ------------------------------- Ling's tenstrings can be useful. Average players may not know how to block them, so sometimes you can do the entire string. Against better players, tenstrings can still be useful if you do only part of the string. Both of Ling's tenstrings are great because they start with a Cyanide, which is also a good stand-alone move. If the Cyanide hits them on counterhit, you can juggle with a Fire Dancer into Dark and Stormy. If they block the Cyanide, you can follow through with the tenstring (or part of the string). u+41::2:4:4::2:1+2:14::2 Tenstring#1 (M-H-H-L-L-M-M-L-M-M) This tenstring is most useful against people who don't know Ling's tenstrings. The low hits come quickly, confusing your opponent, and if the 8th hit connects, the last two are guaranteed. Against people who know how to block this string, it's still useful because if you stop after the 4th hit, you'll be left in AoP and can resume attacking from that position. u+41::2:1+2:1:3:4:4::4:1 Tenstring#2 (M-H-H-M-M-H-L-L-M-M) This is even better than the other tenstring. If you stop after the 6th hit, you'll be left in Rain Dance. People will be expecting the next two hits of the tenstring (Flower Gardens) and block low. Stop the string before you go into the sweeps and juggle them with a Mistrust as they are crouching. If they're not crouching, you can go straight into Rain Dance annoyance tactics. Also, just like the other tenstring, you can stop after one Flower Garden (i.e. stop after the 8th hit) to go into AoP and into AoP tactics. Ling's unblockable is not that great, but not useless either. Like most of her moves, you can't just pull it out of nowhere and expect it to hit. You need to set your opponent up for it first. To do her unblockable, you first need to go into Hypnotist stance (b+1+2). Several things are likely to happen now: 1.) Your opponent either thinks you're doing something weird and doesn't understand (bad players) or knows that you're doing an unblockable (good players). In either case, they will dash back out of range. You can keep walking around in circles in the Hypnotist until you get tired of doing it, or they start coming at you, at which point you should... 2.) Ok, now they're coming at you. Tap 2 to do a quick mid attack (Spin Sticker). The longer you were walking in the Hypnotist, the more damage this move will do. It has pretty good priority. After you do this a couple of times, your opponent will, once they see you go into Hypnotist, come in at you and block, expecting to block the Spin Sticker and then counter-attack. When this happens, you pull out the unblockable. The longer you were walking around in Hypnotist, the more damage the unblockable will do. Ling's unblockable gets some definitely pluses in that: A.) she ducks before performing the unblockable B.) The range on the unblockable is deceptively long. People will think that they are just out of range of the move, but will instead get hit. Now all this doesn't mean you should start using her unblockable all the time. In fact, you should almost never use it, because like most other unblockables, it's very risky. But it doesn't hurt too much to throw it in your strategy every once in a while for a little variation and lots of style points, right? :) ------------------------------- JUGGLES ------------------------------- At this point you should know how Ling juggles. Her standard juggle starters are: 1.) Wave Crest variations. (AoP), 1+2 2.) Hop Kick (AoP), uf+3 3.) Sunflower (WS)+2 or (WS)+2~F 4.) Mistrust (Rain Dance)+4 5.) Cyclone (Rain Dance)+f+3+4~3+4 I'm not gonna list a whole bunch of juggle combos, just the ones I find to be most reliable, damaging, and/or annoying to the opponent. If you want to find more juggle combos, check out "The Unauthorized Tekken3 Guide", written by Ben Cureton and co-authored by many other expert Tekken players. You can also try checking out the rec.games.video.arcade newsgroup or the #TKN channel on IRC and asking people to contribute their favorite juggles. Juggle combos that work after a standard juggle starter that leaves you in regular stance after the launcher connects: 1,2, db+1 1-2 jabs, Storming Flower. You can also skip the 1-2 jabs and just do the Storming Flower for about the same damage (or sometimes more, if db+1 connects on clean hit), because of the way Tekken's juggle damage system works (in short, each successive hit of a juggle combo will do less and less damage). ----------------------------------------------------------------------- df+1, 2,2,2,2, f+3+4~3+4, d+3 Belly Chop, four Dark and Stormies, Cyclone, Back Circle Breaker. This is not a true juggle combo in that the last two hits can be avoided with a tech roll, but if you get it off, it looks really cool. If you cut the Dark and Stormies short by two punches, the Cyclone will hit guaranteed, but the Back Circle Breaker can always be avoided (but people don't tech roll all the time). Don't use this combo against the computer in the later stages because it will tech roll out of it every time. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- df+1, 2,2,2,2, 3 Belly Chop, four Dark and Stormies, Back Left Kick. This is similar to the above except it's a guaranteed combo and doesn't look as flashy. Use the back left kick to end the juggle because it does more damage than the Mistrust. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- df+1, 2, 2,1, f,f+1+2~1+2 Belly Chop, three Dark and Stormies, Phoenix Wings. This is a great guaranteed combo. Juggles that follow this form generally are the most damaging, but the drawback is that it can be hard to pull off at first because the f,f+1+2 sometimes registers as a f+1+2 if you don't enter the commands correctly. Try using button buffering to get the last two hits to come out more consistently. By this I mean: hold down left punch, then tap forward twice and press right punch twice, all the while holding down left punch. Another way to keep yourself from messing up the last two hits is to remind yourself that they start with a f,f+1+2 which is the same movement for Nina's Blonde Bomb. Just tell yourself that you are doing a blonde bomb, but with an added 1+2 after the initial f,f+1+2 movement. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- After a standard juggle starter that leaves you in Rain Dance, you can basically do the same juggle combos as the ones listed above, except that you will omit the df+1 (because you are already in Rain Dance) and usually use a BK+2 in its place. Also, the first juggle combo in the above list needs to be revised to: [2,1, db+1], because you need to go into regular stance before you can do the Storming Flower. If you start a juggle with the Cyclone, tap in the direction of your floating opponent twice. This will cause Ling to dash quickly into range so your Dark and Stormies (BK+2) can hit. Then, go into your favorite juggle combo ender. Ling has unconventional juggles, otherwise known as floats. Unconventional juggle starters include: 1.) Sky Kick (AoP, u,N+3) or (AoP, uf,N+3) 2.) Cyanide (u+4) or (uf+4): only juggles on counterhit 3.) Face Down on the ground with feet toward opponent, then low sweep OR rising low kick from standard knockdown position- must be close to opponent 4.) Standing High Right Kick (4): only juggles on counterhit 5.) f,f+1+2,1+2: only juggles (bounces) if second hit is a counterhit 6.) WS+4 (must be close to opponent) The first three float your opponent close to the ground, and the only real follow up is a Fire Dancer into Dark and Stormy. For example: (FC),3,2, 2,2,2, 3 (FC),3,2, 2,2,2, f+3+4~3+4, d+3 (FC),3,2, 2,1, f,f+1+2~1+2 Note that these are all very similar to the juggle follow-ups after a Mistrust, Sunflower, Hop Kick, or Wave Crest, except that you need to do a Fire Dancer into Dark and Stormy to lift the opponent off the ground. Standing Right Kick and Phoenix Wings can be followed up with a Storming Flower (db+1). The Phoenix Wings (f,f+1+2~1+2) can be followed up with either a db+1 or another Phoenix Wings. Because the Standing High Right Kick comes out pretty fast and is virtually a risk-free move, you will want to throw this move out randomly during a match. The db+1 needs to be done immediately after the 4 hits on counterhit, so be ready. WS+4, f,f+3, 4: This is a non-techable, true 3-hit combo, but will only work if the initial hit connects when you are close to your opponent. Following are some interesting juggle combos from the Gamest Tapes: (BK)f+3+4~3+4, f+3+4~3+4, (BK)+d+4, WS+4 Jumping Pirouette (AoP+uf,n+3), df+2, df+1, 2,2, 3 AoP, d+1+2: (this juggle starter launches the opponent really high into the air) AoP, d+1+2, (AoP)+uf+3,4 AoP, d+1+2, db+1, f,f+3, 4 AoP, d+1+2, UF+4, dash, 1, db+1 AoP, d+1+2, (AoP)+u+4~U, (BK)+d+1, WS+4 AoP, d+1+2, u+1+2,2, 2, f,f+1+2~1+2 AoP, d+1+2, f,f+3, 2, 2,1, f,f+1+2~1+2 AoP, d+1+2, 2+3+4, dash, df+1, 2,2, 3 Ling's most damaging juggle combo (I think- correct me if I'm wrong): AoP, d+1+2, UF+4, f,f+1+2~1+2 Ling's most damaging combo if first hit is a counterhit (Again, correct me if I'm wrong) (FC)3,2,1,4, df+1, 2, 2,1, f,f+1+2~1+2 ------------------------------- OKIZEME ------------------------------- Okizeme is the art of pounding a grounded opponent on the ground and keeping them there. This is considered by some people to be "cheap." I personally don't consider it to be "cheap," but instead find it to be very boring when an entire match is fought on the ground (I like to go for style points whenever I play Tekken3). However, sometimes people will do their best to okizeme you to death even if you don't, and that is when you must play their game as well, so I am going to include okizeme tactics in this guide. Other times to use okizeme are if you really, really want to win all the time against expert players, or if people start calling you "cheap." I love it when people say, "that's so cheap!" when in fact what I did was not cheap in any sense of the word to a seasoned player. I just respond with, "You ain't seen nothin' yet" and play as "cheap" as possible with insane amounts of okizeme. But I digress. Ling is one of the meanest okizeme characters in TK3, and since she doesn't have many power attacks, you may have to rely on juggles and okizeme tactics for damage. Ok, so you've knocked your opponent to the ground and you want to keep pecking away at their life until they die. What should you do? Well, it depends on what your opponent is doing. If they... 1.) Just lie there. You can hit them with: A.) Nutcracker. Fire Dancer works too, but Nutcracker does a little more damage and yes, you get more style points. B.) Back Circle Breaker if you are in Rain Dance. C.) Front or Back Layout if you are kinda far from them. D.) Raccoon Swing if they are kinda far away and you are facing forward. E.) Nothing. Wait them out til they do something (roll, get up, etc.) and react accordingly. If you have more life than they do, you can afford to sit and wait all day... 2.) Start rolling. Uh-oh. This means they are asking you to play okizeme against them. hehe. Hit them with: A.) Raccoon Swing, which will lift them up in the air, then Mistrust to knock them back down. If they start rolling again, do this again. Keep doing it till they stop rolling. B.) Fire Dancer into Dark and Stormy. This is too evil. This will juggle them up off the ground and you can go into one of the long juggle combos that are listed in the unconventional juggles section. Massive damage on this series. A good way to start this is to crouch next to the lying opponent, and the moment you see them flinch, do the Fire Dancer into Dark and Stormy to juggle them. C.) Cyanide. This will float them and you can finish with an unconventional juggle combo as stated above, or you can go into one of your tenstrings. This is also useful against people who like to get up with low sweeps. The cyanide will jump over the sweep, connect on counterhit, and you can follow through with a juggle. 3.) Get up standing. Throw them. Ling's throws leave the opponent on the ground right next to her, so you can go right back into happy okizeme tactics. 4.) Get up crouching. Crouch with them, then Sunflower for a juggle. 5.) Get up with either a rising mid or low kick. Hit them with a move before they get their attack off, or stay out of range and hit them after they whiff their kick. If your opponent is in play dead position (the position where your opponent is lying with their back on the ground and their head towards you), you can do a 2+3+4 taunt to hit them as they get up. They will recover standing with their back facing you. At this point go for the guaranteed db+1 to knock them down again. 6.) Far away. They will usually just get up, so run up to them as they get up and either throw them if they are standing after getting up, or Sunflower them if they are crouching after getting up. If you find yourself floored and on the receiving end of Okizeme, keep in mind that Ling doesn't have a rising handspring attack or lunging cross chop attack. The only ways to attack when getting up from knock down position is to do a mid kick, low kick, or ankle kick. ------------------------------- SIDESTEPPING TECHNIQUES ------------------------------- As you may already know, sidestepping plays a huge part in a good Ling player's strategy. Some moves will make Ling change stance and sidestep at the same time. Others will attack and sidestep at the same time. Here is a summary of sidestepping moves divided into two categories: A.) Moves which sidestep in the same direction regardless of which side you are on include moves like b+3+4 and f+1+2. b+3+4 will always make you sidestep to your opponent's left. f+1+2 will always make you "sidestep" to your opponent's right. Here is a little list: Moves you to your opponent's left: --------------------------------- b+3+4 f+3+4 b+1 u+1+2~3+4 (AoP)2+4 (AoP)2+4~D Moves you to your opponent's right: ---------------------------------- f+1+2 b+1+2 b+2 (FC)db+3+4 (AoP)1+3 (AoP)1+3~D B.) Moves which sidestep either into the screen or out of the screen, regardless of which side you are on include moves like the standard sidestep, which you do by tapping up or down. As you should know by now, tapping up makes you sidestep "into" the screen, and tapping down makes you sidestep "out of" the screen. The following moves fall into this category. Moves you into the screen: ----------------------------------- standard sidestep (u,n) tech roll using a punch button 3+4 (BK)3+4 (AoP)4~3,u Moves you out of the screen: ----------------------------------- standard sidestep (d,n) tech roll using a kick button d+3+4 (BK)d+3+4 (BK)u+3+4 (AoP)4~3,d To get started, look at the above lists and practice the moves. See what each move looks like and how fast each move changes alignment with your opponent and how far. Remember that you can cancel a standard sidestep with virtually any move, so what you want to do is combine two or more moves from the above lists in a seamless manner. You also need to always be aware which side of the screen you are on, especially for the moves that sidestep in different directions depending on whether you are on the left or right side of the screen. Also, if you have a choice, choose to sidestep "out of" the screen. This is preferred because this way you can block your opponent's view of his character on the screen for a brief moment as you do your sidestep move. He will have a harder time locating his character relative to yours and you'll have a better chance of catching him off-alignment. Of course, you should also sidestep in the other direction every so often so you remain unpredictable. Here are some examples: If you are on the left side of the screen facing your opponent: d,n, b+3+4, d,n This is a very popular and effective technique. The initial d,n will make you sidestep out of the screen, then the b+3+4 will cancel the sidestep during its execution and sidestep you again in the same direction while taking you into Rain Dance at the same time. The last sidestep is optional and will continue your movement to your opponent's right side. Your opponent won't be able to block if their side or back is facing you, so you can juggle with a mistrust. If you are on the left side of the screen facing your opponent: d,n, b+3+4, d+3+4 This is similar to the above example, except that the final sidestep is achieved by means of a Spin Tornado. Also, this sidestep series leaves you in regular stance, not Rain Dance. If you are on the right side of the screen facing your opponent: d,n, b+1+2, f+1+2 The initial sidestep moves you to your opponent's right, then you cancel the sidestep and go into hypnotist stance, which also moves you to your opponent's right. Finally cancel the hypnotist stance with f+1+2 to hopefully move to your opponent's back side. COMBINING RAIN DANCE, SIDESTEP, AND AOP: ---------------------------------------- An effective strategy is to combine Rain Dance and sidestep tactics. Do this by going into Rain Dance and enticing your opponent to attack. The moment before they strike, evade their attack and juggle with a Mistrust (BK+4). The standard sidesteps(u,n or d,n) in Rain Dance work well to move you sideways. Note that 3+4 and d+3+4 are also used to move sideways. These moves are more or less the same whether done from regular stance or Rain Dance, but you will always return to regular stance afterward, regardless of which stance you started them in. Tap forward twice or use f+3+4 to move closer to your opponent and remain in Rain Dance. To move away from your opponent, you can use u+3+4- Ling will spin away from her opponent but also remain in Rain Dance, ready to launch with a Mistrust (BK+4). Also keep in mind that Ling can go back into AoP during Rain Dance by simply pressing d+1+2. She can go back to Rain Dance from AoP by pressing f+1+2. To go from AoP to regular stance, just tap up on the joystick, although it's almost always better to do it using a left or right handful. Also to go from Rain Dance to normal stance, just hold back on the joystick away from your opponent, although using d+1 or d+2 is usually a better way to do the same thing. Once you learn all the moves Ling can do in each stance, you can switch up stances and sidestep around the field of battle and confuse your opponent like crazy- just don't end up confused yourself, hehe. ********************************************************************** 3. Vs. Computer Strategy ********************************************************************** Playing the computer should only be done if: 1.) You are a beginning Ling player and you are trying to familiarize yourself with her moves. 2.) There is no one to play against because no one's in the arcade. 3.) There is no one to play against because everyone's too scared they'll get destroyed if they play against you, hehe. Otherwise, don't play against the computer. It's dumb. Ling plays by setting the opponent up with attacks, and since the AI in Tekken3 is worse than, well, just about anything, you can't use any real strategy. However, because the computer can sometimes get "lucky" and because you don't want to look stupid by losing to the computer and wasting your money, use these tactics if you are in a jam: 1.) Raccoon Swing to Mistrust. Repeat over and over again. The computer virtually never tries to reverse or do anything about these attacks, so they are safe to keep doing over and over again. 2.) Tenstrings. If you want to "wow" the audience and still beat the computer, do Ling's tenstrings. Sometimes they'll connect, sometimes they won't, but the computer usually doesn't do anything to interrupt your strings. 3.) f+3, f,f+4, u+1+2,2,1: The fastest and most guaranteed way to beat the computer. The Cloud Kick (f+3) will knock the computer down. The computer will try to tech roll, so immediately follow up the Cloud Kick with a Step Kick(f,f+4) to hit the computer as it gets up. The computer will be stunned with their back turned towards you (if you did f,f+4 fast enuf), so finish the computer off with the u+1+2,2,1 string. Repeat as necessary. Needless to say, this tactic will not often, if ever, work on human opponents. ********************************************************************** 4. Ling Xiaoyu Background Information ********************************************************************** This is basically useless information, but if you know the storylines and vital stats for Ling, you can relate with her and feel a greater attachment to the character and the game. In other words, if you are like me, you will read and commit all this to memory because you are a Tekken3 nutjob and are obsessed with this game. =) Cute, spirited, has panda...will travel THIS YOUNG GIRL loves amusement and theme parks. Her dream is to build the perfect amusement park in China when she grows up. SHE IS both young and small in stature but Ling is a skilled martial arts expert. Many believe if she was more serious she could achieve real greatness. Having learned that the Mishima Financial Empire is rich and powerful she seeks out Heihachi (president and CEO) to make her dream a reality. WHILE VACATIONING in Hong Kong with her family, Ling stowed away on a yacht bearing the name, Mishima Financial Empire. Heihachi was not on board but Mishima's men discovered her soon after the ship left port and Heihachi was informed immediately. UPON HIS ARRIVAL, Heihachi found his men beaten and strewn around the ship as if it was hit by a hurricane. She threatened that she would go berzerk again if he did not accept her challenge. Roaring with laughter, he promises to build the amusement park of her dreams if she wins the tournament. Character Profile: Ling Xiaoyu (High-Spirited) ---------------------------------------------- Country of Origin: China Fighting Style: Hakke Ken, Hike Ken and various Chinese martial arts Age: 16 Height: 157 cm Weight: 42 kg Blood Type: A Occupation: Student, Panda caretaker Hobby: Traveling, visiting amusement parks all over the world. Likes: Chinese steamed buns and shrimp dumplings. Peking Duck. Dislikes: Math teachers To do the winning stance of your choice, you must win, then hold down one of the four buttons (depending on which winning stance you want to do) before the instant replay ends. WINNING STANCES 1- Handstand into Split, Kneel 2- Hand Fold, Bow 3- Hop Around, Arms Flailing 4- Circular Arm Motions, Defensive Stance ********************************************************************** 5. Credits ********************************************************************** Sauer Kraut- input and proofreading for this FAQ, good competition to play against and improve my TK3 game. Zach J- great competitor to play against and improve my game; helping me elevate my game to a higher level through his "mental" encouragements Tragic- his TK3 Manual Act1 and of course his Unauthorized TK3 Book (get this if you don't have it already, heh) CatLord- his easy to read moveslist, which got me started on TK3 Chimmy- for additions/suggestions to this FAQ The great and maybe more importantly, nice :) players I've met/played against, and who've helped me improve my gameplay: 1TruKing, BMW, Gordola, Tragic, Sauer Kraut, Zach J (hope I didn't forget anyone...) Thomas T. Johnson, Dion Adrian Madrilejo, Jason Ho, Wai dat Chan, and Justin Pierce for writing some helpful Ling FAQs/movelists/strategy guides. You can probably find their guides at http://www.gamefaqs.com. Everyone who's written a FAQ for Tekken3 and posted it on the Internet. If you did, I probably read every word of it cuz, yeah- I'm obsessed with this game. =) Namco for making an excellent fighting game and providing Ling Xiaoyu background info Diversions Arcade: for providing a great Tekken3 cabinet with high lifebars and best of 5 matches along with the best competition in Chicago ************************************************************** If you have any questions, flames, compliments, suggestions, corrections, or whatever, you can contact the author at: jkkim@nwu.edu