2 stock or 3 for Smash WiiU tournaments?

[Udlr Customs]

Should Smash Wii U tournaments stick to the For Glory rule sets from the 3DS version for tournaments? Would 3 stock take forever in high level play? What are your thoughts

 

[Gamers_Gauntlet]

Just ran a tournament today and 3 stocks does take a long time. A very long time. We're keeping with 3 stocks for now because it offers some SD projection but if they continue running long like this we might move them down to 2 stocks.

 

[#HBC | Red Ryu]

3 stock is perfectly fine.

 

[WT!]

I vote 3 stock.

 

[Loki]

I vote 3 stocks as well, altough I guess it really depends on how much time (and how many WiiUs) you have on your hands.

 

[#HBC | Red Ryu]

I've seen grand finals with two stock last under 10 minutes last weekend, this includes Counter picking and other things. In fact one of the games ended in under a minute.

 

[LordIzanagi]

I'd say 3 stocks but I was watching some 2 stock matches and they took quite some time.

 

[Virgule]

This might be still too early to really decide one side or another. I mean with the few tournaments we had we saw some 2 stocks matches last longer than 3 stocks and the contrary is also true. From there i see multiples points that could play on the lenght of battles :

• The game is still young and as people learn it, matches can take more/less time depending on the player. Later on, we might have less disparity on data and might really decide then.
• 2 stocks battles might make players more defensively and so it could take as long as 3 stocks for certain matches (like grand finals where it matters).
• Obvisouly the match-ups. Depending the characters the match can takes more time per stocks (campy characters for example).

But the most important feedbacks should be the players that played both 2 and 3 stocks tournaments, they may have some extra informations that a TO or a spectator could miss.

 

[WT!]

^yeah, I know I'm a little more careful when I've only got 2 stocks.

 

[Loki]

My group is going to host a local tourney, we are expecting a good ammount of people but are gonna try 3 stocks - 8 mins, best of three. However, given our time constrains (between 6-8 hours) we are gonna do it on a single bracket format.

 

[xTmT]

3 Stock 8 mins is the way to go for competitive play. Playing on 2 stocks promotes a more defensive play style and will drag matches out (always exceptions of course).

 

[Smearglangelo]

2 stocks please, let's keep it quick so TOs don't have a mental breakdown.

 

[smithspot]

We hosted a tournament on release day (Friday night):
**Had 28 entries and 5 setups.
**Started at 8:30pm and the last match finished at 11:25pm.

Our settings were:
2 stock, 5 mins, best 2/3 set. (Note that only 2 matches went the entire time)
Losers Finals & Winners Finals was 3 stock, 8 mins, best 2/3 set.

The feedback from everyone was great from both casual and top players from the region that attended.
They really enjoyed the 2 stock setting and the Finals extra stock setting. Secondly, as a T.O. having a
tournament end in 3 hours rather than 6+ hours is great.

 

[Jiggsbomb]

Definitely 3 stocks.

 

[Sideslick]

I'm for 3 stocks in pools, 2 stocks in brackets.

It would allow for some margin of error in pools, and higher-level, more-adaptive play in brackets.

Also, I don't see a problem with shortening the time-limit. Maybe keeping everything at 5 minute-matches can encourage faster play starting with 3 stocks?

 

[Trickerhere]

Two stocks

 

[Tripswag]

I'm definitely an advocate for 3 stocks. Allows for more interesting and aggressive gameplay, whereas 2 stocks seems to encourage a lot of defensive play imo. I dunno. 2 stocks logistically is great time-wise, but Brawl has run 3 stocks for the last few years and no one has given a ****. Why should we care now with a slightly faster-paced (if not, at least the same speed) game as Brawl? I don't see why we'd give this game the 2 stock treatment when Brawl still gets to have 3.

 

[Mrkaoz]

I would go with 2 stocks. 3 Stocks will take to much time.

 

[Rango the Mercenary]

3-stock is much better.

 

[Keitaro]

2 stock matches.

 

[Juggleguy]

If and when I host Smash 4 at a tourney, it will be with a two stock ruleset. Considering the pace of gameplay and physics of the game engine, there's nothing we learn about a pair of opponents from a three stock match that we wouldn't learn from a two stock match. So yeah, no need to dig ourselves into a TOing logistics hole this early into Smash 4's lifespan. On a related note, Brawl would have benefited greatly from running a one or two stock ruleset from the very beginning of its lifespan, but by the time the community figured that out, it was too late to save the scene.

 

[Pazx]

Also, I don't see a problem with shortening the time-limit. Maybe keeping everything at 5 minute-matches can encourage faster play starting with 3 stocks?

Shorter time limits encourage time-outs, as it is easier to stall until time runs out and preserve your advantage than to get a kill. With a 3 stock 5 minute format we wouldn't have 6,7 or 8 minute matches, but it's more likely that almost every match will run the full 5 minutes.

I'm in favour of 2 stock matches to speed up the process.

 

[Trickerhere]

Two stocks and 6 minutes.

 

[0megaZer0]

Maybe we use a EC/WC stock rule just like items were back in the day

 

[LordFluffy]

Having now played in two tournaments with 2 and 3 stock rules i can safely say i prefer 3 stocks to 2 stocks.
That being said, games can still take a good period of time or no time at all on either. This game can reward both offensive and defensive play (more defensive than offensive i feel) so matches can be 3 minutes or the full 8 minutes depending on the play.

I think it'll really depend on the venue and how much time they have to spare, if they don't have much time 2 stocks is a better option where as 3 stocks will be better overall for determining the winner more definitively i feel.
Its still pretty damn early in the game's life. i think we can agree 2 stocks is fine for for glory because ya never know when a connection is gonna be horrendous and make 3 stocks a pain, but for a more tourney setting i can see it go either way

 

[Jiggsbomb]

3 stocks, 2 stocks make the match to fast.

 

[PokemonyeWest]

3 Stock would be best