Kyu Puff
Smash Champion
This is an idea I had when SSB4 was first announced, and I think it's more likely now that Namco is on board. (Maybe not likely, but I really hope this is the direction they take it in...)
This is how I would implement DI to the Smash-style fighter:
This could be used as a really interesting way to balance the combo system. For example, you could tweak the proration on jabs -> tilt -> smash so that that chain would actually do the same amount of damage as landing the smash outright, rather than doing extra damage and sending the opponent further (more like hitconfirming a jab into a smash). Or if you try to waveshine someone with Fox, shine prorates every time you cancel it with a jump, so the next shine would have less stun, and it wouldn't be an infinite.
TL;DR--What makes Smash unique, in my opinion, is its freedom of movement, its percentage system (which replaces the stamina mode-type HP in most fighters), the existence of directional influence, and its shielding system. If you combined these elements of Smash with traditional fighter-style combos, what would you get? A really cool game.
Is anybody else hoping for this kind of game? Please share any ideas you have about traditional fighters and Smash, or how other elements of traditional fighters might be incorporated into the next game.
Revolver Action is a combo system used in many fighting games that allows players to chain weak moves into stronger moves. In Smash terms, this means you might be able to cancel jabs into tilts into smashes (but not the other way around). In my opinion, this type of combo system would make the game more fun and fast-paced, for beginners and competitive players alike.Kyu Puff said:I don't know if it's been discussed already, but I kinda hope SSB4 takes on some traditional fighter elements in addition to what makes it unique. Final smashes might work if they were charged super-meter-style (and toned down a lot). Weaker moves could cancel into other moves (or just have shorter IASA on hit), each character could have a few weaker specials, etc. I just think a fighter with smash-style movement, DI, shields, and % would be really cool.
To reiterate: DI is a really cool system that is, as far as I know, unique to Smash.Are these epic combos? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yvxa9-ozThc
This is an exhibition from one of my favorite games. Like Kuma said, these kind of combos definitely aren't button mashing; they actually require a lot of precision and are usually situational (a combo might be completely different depending on what move you lead with, or how far away you are when you start it). Also note that in smash, there are no corners to get stuck in, only edges, so a lot of those corner loops wouldn't be possible.
But one thing that is true about fighting games is that the other player usually loses control of their character during a combo. DI is one of my favorite aspects of smash because it means that no combos are guaranteed, and it ensures interaction between players (even during long chains). I did mean fast-paced combos, like a mix of melee/fighting games, but also combos that are always escapable and depend on the decisions of both players, not just one. They would just be another expression of smash's depth.
This is how I would implement DI to the Smash-style fighter:
Proration is basically damage scaling during combos (kind of like staled moves in smash, but it only lasts for as long as the combo is unbroken); the more consecutive hits you land on an opponent, the weaker your hits become, until eventually it doesn't combo anymore. In smash this could amount to staling moves really fast--if you cancel a move, the next move is significantly weaker, so it has less damage, less hitstun, and will make it easier for your opponent to escape. Proration would reset whenever your opponent gets out of hitstun, and wouldn't decrease if you avoid canceling moves.SDI (smash DI) and ASDI (automatic SDI) are types of DI typically useful against moves that hit more than once. SDI lets you move around by inputting directions during the hitlag of a move. ASDI is similar, but you hold the direction before getting hit. (Hitlag are the frames when both characters are frozen, before any knockback takes effect, and SDI moves you a set distance during those frames.)
First, I would make moves cancellable during their hitlag, and make hitlag last a little bit longer. This way, smash could easily incorporate fighting-game-style revolver action without hindering normal smash-style combos, because hitlag doesn't really affect anything else.
Next, I would standardize SDI and ASDI--limit the number of inputs you can do for SDI to one, and make it interchangeable with ASDI (so they both take you the same distance, and there's no particular reason to use one over the other; SDI is just harder and stresses the limitations of human reaction time). During normal chains, the defending character could 'control' their trajectory even though there isn't any knockback. The goal would be to give the defending player some control over how long the combo lasts and where it takes them, but not necessarily force either player to guess. Hopefully if it was implemented well, the other player could use their mix-ups midcombo and compensate somewhat for DI. Normal, trajectory-changing DI would still take effect during knockback (i.e. for stronger moves like you said, launchers, or moves that aren't canceled).
tl;dr normal chains would be treated like multi-hit moves, and you could smash DI/ASDI around to some extent, but normal DI would still affect smash-style combos, aerial chains, or whatever.
This could be used as a really interesting way to balance the combo system. For example, you could tweak the proration on jabs -> tilt -> smash so that that chain would actually do the same amount of damage as landing the smash outright, rather than doing extra damage and sending the opponent further (more like hitconfirming a jab into a smash). Or if you try to waveshine someone with Fox, shine prorates every time you cancel it with a jump, so the next shine would have less stun, and it wouldn't be an infinite.
TL;DR--What makes Smash unique, in my opinion, is its freedom of movement, its percentage system (which replaces the stamina mode-type HP in most fighters), the existence of directional influence, and its shielding system. If you combined these elements of Smash with traditional fighter-style combos, what would you get? A really cool game.
Is anybody else hoping for this kind of game? Please share any ideas you have about traditional fighters and Smash, or how other elements of traditional fighters might be incorporated into the next game.