While I was writing my follow-up to my previous article about competitive gaming design using case examples, I got sidetracked into a very interesting debate on David Sirlin’s Fantasy Strike forums. I’ve linked it here, in case you want to read it all, but I will attempt to summarise the major points of it here. David Sirlin (and one other poster on the site) were insistent that all Xbox 360 fighting games have functioning true-skill based matchmaking. Here’s a quote [...Full Story...]
Divekick may have started out as a joke at Capcom’s expense – one well needed I might add, given Capcom’s lacking attempts at balance over the years – however look what this could end up like now: A competitive game that focuses on simple reflexes, timing and mind games over “piano concerto” combo execution. Basically, exactly my kind of taste in a fighting game. If they can get some decent netplay, matchmaking & ranking systems in there, this may actually [...Full Story...]
Another piece of news worthy of some quick Agoners comment. I’m completely unsurprised by this and I’m also rather pleased. I had a very long chat with Seth Killian or (S-kill) back at Super Vs Battle 20-X. I still have the SVB pass I got him to sign for me as an ice-breaker He confirmed that so many of my worst feelings & fears about Capcom, the Japanese games industry, and the FG scene were true – and have proven [...Full Story...]
David Sirlin’s been causing controversy again where there should be none, with his excellent articles related to the SF3 Online Edition release on XBox Live & Playstation Network: The Anti-Progress Attitude What Is “A Love-Letter to the Community” For my part, I’m just sad to see the same mistakes being made over and over again by Capcom, I really do think they’re already causing another fighting game ‘death’ prematurely with their ridiculous antics. I mean, now they are seriously expecting [...Full Story...]
(Continued from Part 4) Part 5: Super, and the Counter-Counter Argument An XBL friend asked me the other night if I was excited about Super Street Fighter IV, and I had to say, no, overall, not really. Finally adding lobbies and team play (which should have been in the original game) will mean I’ll definitely get it and very likely enjoy it purely because I enjoy social & co-operative play so much. If they actually completely changed the netcode to [...Full Story...]
(Continued from Part 3) Part 4: More Miscellaneous stuff I don’t like * Crummy netcode – one of my biggest problems with SFIV, since I have very few local players. I think the real reason that they use input-lag style of netcode is that it more easily hides internet latency and lag issues from ignorant people who don’t understand them. The GGPO/HDR method for dealing with lag is quite obviously far superior in a fighting game for anyone who’s played [...Full Story...]
(Continued from Part 2) Part 3: Defence! Defence! As many have noted elsewhere, back-dashes, blocking, run-away, zoning and general defensive play are all very strong in SFIV. When analysing my losses at SFIV online, the most common fault I could see in my own play was “I should’ve ‘just blocked’ more”. Or as I also use to say a lot when I played SFIV frequently: “Guile’s most powerful move is walking backwards” Now this might seem contradictory to my comments [...Full Story...]
(Continued from Part 1) Part 2: Variety, Viability and Balance Street Fighter IV is often said to have really good balance between characters. It’s current tier listing shows it isn’t too bad at least as fighting games go – 53 points between top and bottom, 25 characters (2.12 per character). Although HDR’s current tier listing shows the differences there are probably even less – 26.5 points between top and bottom, 16 characters (1.66 per character), however if you remove Dan, SFIV also [...Full Story...]
Remember how Street Fighter 2 was great because everyone could play it? Well here, at long last is where I’d like to start with some commentary on Street Fighter IV. This is Part 1 of a five part article. Part 1: Execution I feel my #1 problem with SFIV is the same issue I have with the development of most Vs Fighting games over the years; they seem to constantly try to increase execution complexity & usually at the same [...Full Story...]
The cramp in my thumb is finally subsiding and my voice returning (after shouting abuse at all the scrubby Ryus) so I can now write a little about my first forays into the competitive world of Street Fighter II HD Remix Well let me give you a quick Navan Daughn history lesson of Street Fighters. I started back in the days of yore on my trusty Sinclair Spectrum 128k. I vaguely remember playing a poorman’s Street Fighter port but chose [...Full Story...]
Complexity = depth = skill (= a better game, right?) Now this is something I essentially agree with (and the linked article is must-read), however the trouble is the mistakes that many people make are: 1. complexity = execution complexity and/or that 2. complexity = the sheer number of options, disregarding their viability Both of these can actually be ‘meaningless rules’, and so do not actually necessarily increase complexity and depth, and I’ll go on to explain why. This is [...Full Story...]
Do you really want to mess with me punk? Well, do ya? Despite how I describe myself as being a fiero-seeking nutjob sometimes the challenge just seems too much, or too far away from my core interest in a game, even for me. For example, as part of my practice for Street Fighter 2 HD Remix, I’ve watched youtube videos of the best players in the world fighting with DeeJay & read about them and even from them on forums [...Full Story...]