Training mode (or practice mode, colloquially called the lab) is an offline mode in Tekken that gives players tools to experiment with the game's battle system in a controlled environment. This is used by players for self-improvement, in the form of, for example, improving combo execution through repetition, developing and testing unique tech setups, or investigating defensive options after a common situation in a match-up. It is vital tool to be familiar with in order to keep improving at Tekken.
Tekken 8
In Tekken 8, Training mode is an offline mode called Practice. It allows the selection of a side, character (for the player and their opponent) and stage before beginning a non-time limited round in the default start position based on the player's selections.
By default, the Left side is highlighted. For P1, Jin is highlighted by default, and for P2, that character is Kazuya. On stage selection, the random stage select is highlighted by default.
Practice Settings
Restart Settings
These settings control the restart position of the characters when <<Restart>> is input (Option + A).
Restart Position
Controls the restart position of the characters relative to the stage.
Available values are --
- Default 1 (default): the default position at round start, usually in the center of the chosen stage with no gimmicks activated
- Current Player Position: the restart position is the current position of the player, with the opponent reset to the default distance away at the same axis.
- Wall: the restart position is against a wall on the default level of the stage, with the opponent having their back to the wall, and the player facing them. The wall can change depending on whether the side selected was P1 or P2.
- Not Set: with this option, the <<Restart>> input is disabled.
Depending on the selected stage, other values may become available depending on the "levels" in the stage (e.g., Default 1, Default 2 etc.), and the stage hazards included (e.g. Floor Break, Balcony Break, Hard Wall Break etc.). The player is reset to a position "facing" the stage hazard i.e. in a position to trigger them, while the opponent is placed "against" it. The stage hazards themselves are also reset. Resetting to a Floor Break is usually equivalent to resetting to the default position of that stage level.
Player Direction
Determines the direction the player faces upon reset.
Available values are --
- Front (default): the player faces the opponent
- Left: the player is rotated 90 degrees clockwise from the default axis
- Right: the player is rotated 90 degrees counter clockwise from the default axis
- Back: the player is rotated 180 degrees from the default axis
Opponent Direction
Similar to Player Direction, but for the opponent.
Player Status
Determines the grounded status of the player.
Available values are --
- Standing (default): the player is standing
- Down (Face Up): the player is grounded in FU
- Down (Face Down): the player is grounded in FD
Opponent Status
Similar to Player Status, but for the opponent.
Switch Positions
This setting switches the player's position with the opponent after applying the Restart Position setting. This is useful for getting the player against the stage hazard with the opponent in a position to trigger it.
Available values are --
- Switch Position
- Don't Switch Position (default)
Status Record
Status Record is a feature that allows the player to "remember" a game state with the <<Remember>> input (R3 by default), and <<Reproduce>> it (L3 by default). This is useful to quickly examine options from a situation, since one could setup the situation, remember it, and reproduce it to examine different options, avoiding having to recreate the situation for each option. Another use case is when practicing combos, since it becomes easier to isolate individual parts of a combo to practice. One can execute the section of a combo prior to the one that needs practice, and remember the status, then recall it to repeatedly practice the next section alone.
A recall is generally faster than a restart, but the two are not equivalent. Specifically, a recall does not reset the playback of the opponent's recorded actions, meaning a recalled status that expects the opponent to follow a recorded set of inputs will not behave as expected, since the "tape" of the opponent's inputs is not locked to coincide with the moment of recall (unlike a restart).
Available values are --
- Use (default)
- Don't Use: disables the <<Remember>> input
Reset
Reset the Restart Settings to their default values.
Display Settings
These settings control the UI elements displayed on screen.
Command History
Displays a vertical column of the player inputs on the player's chosen side, alongside the frame counts for which the input was active for, with the topmost input being the newest, and the bottom-most input being the oldest.
Available values --
- Display
- Hide (default)
HUD
Controls the display of the topmost screen elements, including the timer, character icons, life and Heat gauges and offline player rank.
Available values --
- Display (default)
- Hide
Player Attack Info
Displays a constantly active UI panel on the player's chosen side, containing the following elements --
- Total Damage: the total damage inflicted on the opponent since the beginning of the practice session.
- Max Combo Damage: the maximum damage inflicted from a true combo on the opponent.
- Hit Properties: displays an icon for whether the previous move results in a spike, wall break, power crush, homing, attack throw or heat engager effect, and describes the hit level.
- Damage: the total damage inflicted by the previous move, along with the applicable scaling factor in percent. For e.g., if it displays 11 (70%), it means the previous move did 11 points of damage after a scaling factor of 70% was applied to the move's base damage (and rounded down).
- Recoverable Damage: the recoverable damage inflicted by the previous move and the scaling factor in percent. For e.g., if it displays 7 (70%), it means that 7 points, or 70% (rounded down) of the damage that the previous move ended up doing, was recoverable.
- Hit Effects: whether the previous move was a Clean Hit, Counterhit, punish or wall hit.
Available values --
- Display (default)
- Hide
Opponent Attack Info
The same UI panel as above, but from the opponent's POV.
Available values --
- Display
- Hide (default)
Player Frame Info
Displays the frame advantage of the player character in various ways. In the default setting, it displays a constantly active UI panel below the Player Attack Info containing the following details --
- Attack Startup Frames: the startup of the previous attack. For e.g., if it displays '16 (16-19)', the previous attack's startup is i16~19. This value lapses to '--- (0-0)' after a fixed amount of time.
- Frame Advantage: the player's frame advantage as a result of the previous move. For e.g., if it displays '+49 (-9)', the player is at a frame advantage of +49, with the opponent able to tech roll 9 frames before the player recovers. The opponent cannot tech roll, the value in brackets is '---'. This value lapses to '--- (---)' after a fixed amount of time.
- Status: the player's current status - Standing, Crouching, Airborne or Downed.
- Distance from Opponent: the player's current distance from the opponent, up to two decimal places.
With Simple Display, the UI panel is absent and the game instead denotes the frame advantage with a colored filter applied to the player character. When in the startup of an attack, it is colored white. When at a positive frame advantage, it is colored blue, and when negative, it is colored red.
With Show Frame Advantage, the UI panel is absent in favor of a small, constant UI element in the middle of the screen displaying the Frame Advantage.
Available values --
- Show Details (default)
- Simple Display
- Show Frame Advantage
- Hide
Opponent Frame Info
The same as the Player Frame Info, but from the opponent's POV.
Available values --
- Show Details
- Simple Display
- Show Frame Advantage
- Hide (default)
Hit Properties
Displays the hit level of the attack on screen as a color-coded splash element with the word High (red), Mid (yellow), Low (blue), S.Mid. (blue) or S.Low (blue).
Available values --
- Display (default)
- Hide
Reset
Resets all Display Settings to their default values.
Punishment Training
The punishment training menu is designed to allow the player to practice punishing the most common punishable moves of the opposing character, with their own chosen character. The AI cycles through a curated list of the opposing character's punishable moves, with the player expected to correctly block (or crouch block) the move and punish it. Upon a successful punish, a Great! message pops up and the AI moves on to the next move in the list.
The list of punishable moves that the opposing character will cycle through is displayed beforehand, and also offered is the ability to toggle whether a move will be included in the rotation or not. Also offered are two difficulty settings - Normal and Hard. Under Normal difficulty, the hit level and intended punisher are clearly telegraphed before the opponent performs the move, which is also telegraphed with a sound cue. Under Hard difficulty, only the hit level is briefly displayed before the opponent performs the move, with the player having to respond with an appropriate punishment technique.
Combo Challenges
Presents a list of combos of increasing damage and difficulty that the player is tasked with executing successfully. The player is awarded with a unique customization title upon successfully completing all the combo challenges for a character.
Move List
Brings up the character's movelist. This is grouped under two tabs - Main Techniques, that presents a curated selection of moves and sample combos, and describes their strategic use, and All Techniques, that presents the full movelist of the character and their properties.
Sample Combos
Brings up a list of sample combos for the player character. Each combo has its input, total damage, and estimated difficulty rating (from 1-5 stars) alongside, as well as notes associated with executing the combo (for e.g., dashing after a T! to execute the ender).
The combo categories include -
- Combos that use Heat Burst
- Combos from the character's common launchers from standing and croucing
- Combos that use Heat Dash
Restore All Default Settings
Restores the Practice Settings, Restart Settings and Display Settings to their default values.
Help
Character Selection
Returns the player to the character selection menu with the previously selected characters for P1 and P2 respectively highlighted.
Stage Selection
Returns the player to the stage selection menu with the random stage select highlighted.
Quick Select
Brings up a stripped-down menu that allows the player to quickly configure the player side, character and stage selection in one go, and restart practice mode with the new settings.
Controller Setup
Brings up the binds menu to allow the player to alter their binds.