• Thursday 17 March 2011

      Essence of Fighting Games

      Ok here is a piece of article or long article I wrote ages ago about fighting games, their design and how to rectify these flawed designs.

      Mind you that this was written ages ago, and if I do become a Game Design, I have an idea of a Fighting game that as not be approached before. And it's an obviously route that could be ignored because Fighting Games do tend to aim at hardcore players.

      After reading this I will write the bad designs of Killzone 3

      (WARNING THIS IS THE SIZE OF A BOOK!)

      Ok, this has been bothering me for quite some time now and since I recently played a fighting game, it just ticked to me!

      Essence of Fighting game is the system that separates the wolves from the sheeps.

      It's the sort of thing that rules out the problem for Play to Win.
      Mind you, Play to Win is a different subject to what I'm talking about.

      When you have a fighting game no matter the great advantage, there's always a counterpart that rivals the greatness, meaning if you can perform super combos, the counterpart will be a super blocking system.

      CASUAL GAMERS- Ones who like easy games, they spam attacks or button bash.

      AVERAGE GAMERS- Likes using different varieties of characters, love using lots of different movesets and like playing according to the game's rules!

      HARDCORE GAMERS- Loves going to the training mode to master 1 or 2 characters, loves using the same moves he/she mastered and using the same characters. "Play To Win" is their motto and there is no rule in the fighting game.

      Now let me proceed to games that has a broken essence system and games that isn't.

      Soul Calibur- Made for all types of gamers from casual, average to hardcore gamers. Why is this accessible to Casual gamers? because you can easily button bash in the game or spam attacks. It is accessible to average gamers because of the use of easy combo and easy moves to pull off. And to hardcore gamers, the use of counter system or basically Parry.

      Now we currently have Soul Calibur 4, still accessible to all gamers but this time it's essence is broken. It attains the same system from previous series, however now the parry system has been reworked giving you different results when ever you parry an attack. Now this makes it harder to be able to beat casual gamers when they spam attacks because you'll get bad parry result when you counter their attacks.

      Apart from the broken blocking system and spam assisted enabled. We have the bullcrap RPG system. A system whereas you make customs and gives you different effects during gameplay. I won't complain about the costume creation here because I am not reviewing the game. Creating your own costume is great and then again breaks the game with the use of costume effects. We have players who can create characters with 2x double healths, players who can create characters who can manages to kill you with 3 or 4 strikes. It's so ridiculous!

      Tekken- I won't talk about this because I haven't played this since Tekken 3, and I recently tried Tekken 6 briefly.

      Dead or Alive- Now I can say this is easily the best fighting game with a true essence. If you play against CPU, if you try spamming the same attacks to the CPU, CPU will instantly change tactic and use a counter attack against you. This will prevent casual gamers from spamming the same bullsh attack A.I. The use of counter system gives an edge to average and hardcore gamers. And the combo system which isn't too deep gives an edge also to average and hardcore players.

      Now we have Dead or Alive 4, and this is another broken essence system. Basically the system is aimed at hardcore players only. Because the combo system is so deep, anybody can create their own long combo string which means this is always aimed towards hardcore players. Since hardcore players always go to the training room just to perfect on a single character. We have the tweaked counter system, even though the combo system is only for hardcore gamers, at least the counter system will give an edge to average gamers. But the counter system is harder to pull off, making it harder for average gamers and giving a challenge to hardcore gamers instead.
      A.I system, this is no place for casual gamers enough said. The only way to beat the A.I/CPU is to understand the use of combo string system (hard core gamers).
      Overall DOA4 is only aimed at hardcore gamers, this is why the majority hates DOA4 (including I!)

      Virtua Fighter- I won't comment on this as well, I've only played the series til Virtua Fighter 3, I did try Virtua Fighter 5 demo for like 5min.

      Mortal Kombat- Hmmmmm what can I really say about this, the 3D game is what matters and counts. What I can discuss about this is the combo system. It's meant for average and hardcore players since it requires you to memorise long series of combo button presses that gives a varieties of damaging effect. I can't remember if it's casual gamer user friendly but I doubt it. I can't remember much about this series so I won't go into this.

      Guilty Gear X- Same goes with this, I won't comment on this since I only tried the PC demo and the GBA version.

      Marvel vs Capcom- Now this is what drove me to create this topic. I love Marvel vs Capcom and VS series as they are so exciting, fast pace, amazing combos and great! I tried Marvel vs Capcom 2 on Dreamcast as pirated, I didn't spend time on it, I played it briefly however I did spend large amount of time towards Marvel vs Capcom 1 (not pirated:/). Recently I bought Marvel vs Capcom 2 this time and it was the worst decision of my life. This is the most broken and unbalanced game I've ever played in my life!
      All characters are unbalanced, Iron Man who can perform infinite aerial combo without stopping until your health completely depletes. Most used cheap characters who are Cable and Sentential. Don't forget casual gamers who love to spam attack by using cheap spam supported characters: Iron Man, Cable, Megaman, Sentential etc. And then we have the thing that makes the system broken, use of Assist Attacks.

      I couldn't remember MvC2 when I played it on Dreamcast for little time, I didn't notice the flaws, all I did notice was harder difficulty in storymode. Capcom just made a Xbox Live/PSN revision, but WHY THE HELL couldn't they fix the flaws?
      It was like the game was meant for Hardcore gamers in the first place, however they made it accessible to casual gamers by making Assist Attack infinite.

      I seriously dislike this game, it's unplayable. Aerial attacks separates the wolf from the sheep, assist attacks makes casual gamers feel tough and the use of Attack/Assist Types gives an edge to average gamers and hardcore gamers.
      The Attack Type is really deep in this system, you have assist attacks who can come in attacking with aerial attacks, grabbing attacks or projectile attacks. If you can master the characters for the right attack Type, you'll be unstoppable. This makes the system separate the wolf from the sheep and then again breaks the system.
      Because there are ones who can make such great Teams and Attack Types in which you can never get close to them!

      If they were to revise this game and balance the system- Assist Attacks should have a limited number of use! Just like how Marvel vs Capcom did, you had 3 limited use of assist attacks. WTF is a snap back in MvC 2???
      All characters have max of 6 special+super attacks, and the removal of Medium attacks just makes this game accessible to casual gamers and gives GREAT edge to Hardcore gamers. The Attack Type should have been removed or separated in game type modes.

      Street Fighter- The final fighting game I will be talking about. I'll go straight ahead!
      Characters are unbalanced! Once again developers Capcom focused on Ryu and Ken yet they made them unbalanced. I remember going to a convention to try out Street Fighter 4, some Chinese sucker used Akuma and I used E-Honda (if I could recall Confused). All he kept doing was Hadou Ken from far away, if I try to get close to him he does a Shoruken.

      Capcom you are all f*king idiots for not fully testing this game, and yes I'm p*ssed off for writing and remembering this. HOW THE F*K can you create an unbalanced group of characters right from the old days and still gave them their cheap tactics?
      Right from the SNES days, players kept doing the Hado Ken from far away, if players get close, they perform a shoru ken. I'm sorry but Capcom you are sh* are making games and should stop making freaking fighting games! Reason why I don't own Street Fighter 4!
      And what p*sses me off the most is how they kept this unbalanced system and used it throughout their farking games!

      Dragonball Super Sonic Warriors- This just came in my mind later on, I've never tried any DBZ budakia or tentachi (however that is spelled) experience, but I do know that the most balanced fighting game I've played are the DBZ series on SNESE/Genesis and GBA! A.I can keep spamming the fireballs at you, however there is a gauge limit to that spam attack that will deplete the user's energy system and prevent him from firing fireballs for quite some time, which will give you an opening for your own fireball attacks. One of the well balanced games out there. I do think if you block too much, character blocking can cancel out of the blocking and get hit if I could recall correctly.


      Now to fix fighting games and make it accessible for all gamers


      Exhaust System- Exhaust system is needed to prevent casual gamers from spamming the same attacks or button bashing. If let's say a player kept doing Hadou Ken, there should be an exhaust gauge system, whereas if Ryu pulls off 3 hadou kens simultaneously or in a row (right after another), the exhaust system should click and forbid Ryu from pulling off another Hadouken, basically it's like Ryu gets tired from pulling off moves with the use of energy. After a few seconds later, he'll be able to pull off hadouken unlimited, however if he does it right after another, the exhaust system will click again! Basically repeats itself, to prevent this, all the player must do is not to spam the attack! Roll Eyes


      Random System- Every game needs this, it separates the wolf from the sheep. Again Marvel vs Capcom 2 DOESN'T even have a farking Random system, seriously. Capcom are making a revision for this game and couldn't even add a random system. I just think I'll stop buying Capcom fighting games. Casual gamers will never use random system, they'll always select characters who are easy to use or cheap. Average gamers can use any character and will always use this Random against hardcore gamers. Hardcore gamers in the other hand will never bother about Random system because they must pick their trained character.

      Intercepting A.I- Someone I knew was playing Soul Calibur 4, never into games and new to fighting games. He was using Lizard man and trying out one of the challenges or was it survival mode? The difficulty level was currently in between medium going to hard. All he kept doing was pressing 1 button with one hand, LAUGHING all the way through and even showing off to me. If mother farkers like NAMCO will not make fighting games challenging for Casual gamers, then these bast*rds should seriously STOP making fighting gamers for accessible to them! DOA is the only game that has this intercepting A.I system. If you try spamming the same moves against the A.I, the A.I HAS to intercept them!

      Difficulty accessible system- Every fighting game should be accessible to all gamers, it's the least you could make extra money on! I don't mind DOA4 not having a EASY mode in Story mode, but the combo string system ruined the experience. Every fighting game should have EASY, Normal, Hard etc system. Just because it's EASY, doesn't mean casual gamers should be able to spam their way, Intercepting A.I needs to be implemented. The Easy mode should just have the A.I performing less attacks and counter attacks.


      Online Balancing System[b]- DOA4 has a good online system netcoding better than Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2's netcode. However DOA4's online system is the most offensive system I've ever experienced. You create your OWN game room, you get defeated by someone ranked 24, and then he becomes admin and gains control of your room. WHAT THE F*K, Seriously! I should be cussing all day for Itagaki approving this stupid @ss flawed system. I made my own room, just because I got defeated doesn't mean someone else should take over.
      Now the online balancing system I'm talking about is new players shouldn't be pitched with higher ranked players. Soul Calibur 4 did this right with their leaderboard system. Every fighting games should have this control system.
      Also the online balancing system should have 3 colour system, red for hardcore gamers, blue for average gamers and green for casual gamers. Players will select their colours, so that they can be grouped and pitched amongst other players who are in the same colours as them. Why the hell should a green casual gamer be pitched against a red hardcore gamer?
      I would like to know the kind of suckers I'm playing with. Because of stupid DOA4's broken online system. When playing friendly match, room owner who is currently winning may use other characters (Average gamer), however if a new contestant joins his room, the average player will immediately choose his best character so that he can't lose the control of the room. This is why the Online Balancing System is needed!


      Again I'm going back to control rooms, WHY THE F*K can't I kick suckers from my room. Seriously, these developers shouldn't be making fighting games anymore! I can't kick players in Marvel vs Capcom 2 or in DOA 4. I have stupid @ss trolls online who is lvl40, why should he still playing with amongst lvl13 ranks?



      [b]Testers- Do these developers even have testers for this game or the right Quality Assurances???? How can a game be approved and gets to its final stages if characters can perform cheap attacks or perform infinite attacks ala Iron Man from Marvel vs Capcom 2. Don't forget 2D fighting games, once you get cornered, you won't be able to escape as Play to Win players will bombard you with inescapable attacks. I don't know how these testers test the game, but do they just play each other all the time? Can't they test all moves on an idle character and see if it's accessible to cheapness? You are making a game and don't have the brain to notice that some idiot can keep doing hadoken and use shoruken if players gets too close? You are revising Marvel vs Capcom for Xbox Live and PSN and approved the use of Iron Man's infinite aerial attacks?

      New System and Improvements- Why do casual gamers and average gamers play fighting games? because of the fund of characters personality and story development (I know this isn't the only reason). You make a new game over the previous one, what as improved? how many characters? what changes to the previous characters?
      Through out DOA series, we still don't know Kasumi and Ayane's age (lollicon?), through out the series all character's profile are still the same. Same occupation (except for some like Ryu), same age, same this and that. Are you trying to tell me that DOA Tournament takes place every month??? so that the characters will not age?
      DOA4, a complete failure game for me, I expected so much from that game considering it being a next gen title. Yet it still attained the same Menu interface considering this is a next gen title (however I'm not reviewing the game).

      The characters are entering the tournament for a reason, but where is their ambition and emotion? Gen Fu is entering the tournament so he could win the money and help his daughter, where is the No mercy ambition? where is the "I'm going all out and "won't leave you a second to breath" attitude? A character like Christie is what we need, that is why I feel that she was the star of DOA4 because of the way she interacted with all characters, or Ryu wanting to stop Tengu and telling Jan Lee this isn't a game. We want characters to show their ambitions why they fight! "I must", "I will not lose" "WTF O_o" etc

      Another point, improving characters, yes Street Fighter focuses mainly on the Shotokan fighters. Does that mean you only need to make their fighting style best the rest? does that mean that the Hajinmon ninjas in DOA must be the strongest in DOA? Mortal Kombat has 60+ characters and all their fighting styles are balanced out, each having their own (or others) unique fighting styles. The same can be said to Soul Calibur series, all characters except the minor ones such as Rock (he should be deleted). And yes Maxi can be sort of overpowered if casual gamers button bash with him Roll Eyes.


      Game Type Option Mode- In Soul Calibur 4 we have two types of mode for the online system, mode 1 whereas you can use all your costume abilities and mode 2 uses the normal characters appearance. Because of Play to Win bast*rds whom I hate so much, we need a Game Type Option Mode such as these not to "eliminate" the rules but to bring rules to the game!
      For an example a GTOM in Marvel vs Capcom 2:
      1. Assist is not available
      2. You can't use special attacks (hadou ken etc)
      3. Hyper combos are disabled
      Same can be said with DOA different GTOM:
      1. Can't use tag switching
      2. Can't counter attacks
      3. Can't throw.
      Or Soul Calibur series GTOM:
      1. Players can only use original default weapons
      2. Costume mode disabled
      3. Can't use Soul Crush
      4. 5 max limit of using Parry guards.

      This Game Type Option Modes are not like Soul Calibur rules, but actual game modes. This should give a rule to fighting fans against Average gamers vs Play to Wins.


      Blocking Gauge- This is a problem too, when suckers constantly block. During my time in MvC2, I see people jump in the air pushing towards me, if I try attacking them head on, they some how block my attack while in the air aiming towards me. How the hell is that possible, yes it is possible on Arcade stick. However people who block all the time can ruin the experience of the game. DOA4, we have players who constantly block 90% during the fight....I mean WTF??? We need a block cancel system like Soul Calibur 4 and Mortal Kombat Deception. If you block too much, your blocking gauge will break meaning you have to fight back!

      Quitter system- We have trolls and quitters online. Trolls are the ones who go around defeating newbies at fighting games just to boost their experience points. And then we have Quitters, when they are about to lose, they instantly quit the game. Now I don't normally do this, but I must quit if I encounter a spammer or play to win bast*rd, I did so in Soul Calibur 4 and Marvel vs Capcom 2! (so keep sending me hate messages and I'll keep telling you to cry more!).
      However there is a secret into quitting a game without losing point, and it's quitting by disconnecting your ethernet cable, the system will count the round as Player disconnected out of Xbox Live/PSN, rather than disconnected in-game.

      What is the solution to this? when ever a quitter quits out of a game, his/her reputation will go down just like Xbox Live's reputation system. The more he quits the less he will not be able to find a decent game online. He/She will be pitched against other quitters with bad reputation instead.

      Quitting the match through ethernet cable cannot be sorted out.

      And I'm not some n00b who is complaining about fighting game system, I've laid out problems and examples with deep references, which should mean that I've experienced a number amount of fighting games and online play experience.

      I am yet to try Blaz Blue, and if that game has broken system and unbalanced gameplay or characters. I will start considering dismissing on Fighting Games.


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