I'm speaking off a vibe I'm feeling, but fighting games aren't about combos. It's a common misconception that I feel I need to clear up. I don't mind if people don't like fighting games, but it just bugs me how often this idea is perpetuated. This idea bugs me not only because it is wrong, but because it scares people away from the genre.
Fighting games are not about huge combos, crazy complicated commands, or flashy moves. Fighting games are about strategy, quick-decision making and psychology. It's all about hitting your opponent, in-game and mentally. Combos only happen after you've opened up your foe, and serve as your reward for doing so. You've got to develop strategies, adapt your strategies, and instil fear in your opponent.
Just some advice:
If you're new, I would advise against learning big combos right away. Instead, learn a few useful moves for your character, and learn when and why you should apply them. In a lot of games, five or seven useful moves is enough for you to be pretty decent with your character. Learn to block/punish. Develop a basic strategy. Then learn an simple/easy combo or two, just so you have a decent reward for your efforts. Spending a little bit of time learning these should make you unbeatable to button mashing and general poor play.
You just have to think. Focus on what your opponent is doing, and see what you can do to counter him. Do that, and you will do infinitely better than you would if you had focused on doing that one big combo you learned, but could never hit because you never learned how to actually hit your opponent.
Later on, when you are more comfortable with the game and your character, you can learn more difficult combos and tackle more difficult concepts like hit-confirming, option-selects, and general pressure. Learn at your own pace. The psychology aspect of fighting games will present itself naturally with experience.
There's a reason top players can dominate in a fighting game they rarely play, and it's not because they know big combos. It's because they have better sense of strategy and psychology than most other players. The only time where big combos are going to make a real difference is when both players are close in general skill level.
TL;DR - Just play smart, like you would in any other game. Do what makes sense.
