I do not think that it is personal preference.
Every setting and ruleset is. It's just as much personal preference to have the timer at 10 minutes as it is to have, say, stock mode instead of time, or certain items set to low instead of off.
Who's decision was it to make the timer 8 minutes in the rule set?
The community's.
If the rule set had a timer that was too low, you would have more matches end in time outs simply because there is just not enough time to finish an entire match with the amount of time given. An 8 minute timer gives almost all characters enough time to finish all of their matches with out forcing them to go to time but it does not give all characters enough to finish there matches and forces them to either blindingly approach or get timed out.
And in certain matches, we rely on this. A 10 minute timer is too much to let us time out. And this is just as valid as your logic; if we didn't want to have time out as a win condition, we have options like "remove the timer". If we didn't want to have stock advantage as a win condition, we would play time or coin mode.
The timer should be increased if a match is being played correctly and is somehow not finishing on time.
And on time is? When a match goes to time, it
is finishing on time, the player is using a perfectly legitimate win condition to win the game. If it goes to time in 10 minutes, then the same. Essentially, whenever time runs out, the match
did finish on time. And if certain matchups encourage this, oh well. We can change the timer, but that's a very, very poor reason to do so. It seriously sounds like "Bawww we hate time outs and want all 3 stocks to be lost in the game"
By not increasing the timer, you are basically nerfing these characters since they do not get the amount of time they deserve to actually finish their match like the rest of the cast.
WHAAAT?
This is ridiculous, I hope you realize why. Them having limited options is a part of their character; if they have to wait for 8 minutes to get a solid whack at the opponent, then that's a character weakness/part of the matchup.
While they may get the same amount of time to play their match as the other characters, what is enough time for one character may not be enough for another. I would also like to add that it's kind of hard to get accurate match up ratios if percentage lead is what determines the winner of a match most of the time in certain match ups (which can go either way and by no means determines overall player skill)
So in other words, if I get a lead on my opponent, and then can keep it for the next 8 minutes, then it took no skill on my part? Or, if I end the game with a % lead on my opponent, then I didn't win skillfully?
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I think the argument here isn't working because we're coming across two different ideas of when matches ending in time-outs actually mean. People either believe that running the clock is an actual strategy that should be an influence in matches
If you don't believe this, turn off the timer, or make both players get DQ'd if time runs out.
This holds true for virtually every fighting game ever. Running the clock
is an actual strategy and it
should influence matches. We have our entire game built up that way.
or believe that all characters should have more than enough time to effectively rack up damage safely and have enough time to successfully land a kill. One good example I think would be Wario vs. Falco.
When Wario gets a lead stock on Falco, his defensive game makes it extremely difficult for falco to manage a kill move. Should Wario keep this advantage just because we have a timer that makes this possible? 8 Minutes isn't really enough for Falco to safely rack up damage and get a kill where as 10 minutes would be a lot better for Falco. I believe that just this 2 minute change could change the match up ratio between these two characters.
And there is one of the top reasons why
not to change the timer. Wario gains an advantage from the normal ruleset in a similar way that ICs get an advantage when it's a 1-stock game, or Ganon gets an advantage when items are around. We crafted the ruleset to use this game in, and matchups are heavily based on it.
Perhaps this is a poor reason to not change the timer, but it's an absolutely horrid reason to change it.
I think that this all just breaks down to if people believe that the clock's reasonable yet abusable time limit should be allowed to influence a win (assuming that no one is just planking or stalling...cough mk...).
Some people believe that matches should be played as if there were no clock
Hey guys, does this apply to you? If yes: please leave. Go plague a different community.
while others believe that having a clock builds strategy and makes matches have more competitive options.
This. You know what a match with no clock between falco and anyone else is? Falco NEVER has to approach-he just spams lazers until like 300% and hits with an ftilt or something. Now add an 8-minute clock. If Falco loses the lead, he had better **** well approach in the next 8 minutes to stop me from winning.
Personally I believe that if a character cannot win a match in 8 minutes consistently (like diddy), it is all apart of the match. I enjoy having the clock influence the match and force a conclusion within reasonable time constrictions, while allowing options that can add more ways to win a match (as long as it isn't just stalling or planking). To me the clock brings a sort of balance and pressure that makes matches more enjoyable, knowing that the mindsets of the players are always racing and trying to perform accurately within a timely fashion. This reminds me of chess matches that are either free time or have a turn clock. Both have different affects to an outcome winning player, while both are still competitive and used in tournaments.
THANK YOU.
Maybe the answer is to have the time (being either 8 or 10) as apart of the counter-pick process. This could allow the best of both worlds to the table. Of course, like anything, this would require a lot of testing.
In a world where we can only have 8 minute clocks or 10 minute clocks, personally I enjoy the 8 minute clock since it fuels excitement in the matches to me, like running a timed mile.
This... is actually really cool, but I'd make it anywhere between 6 and 10.