Better Handicap Mode

[Ben Holt]

Hey now! Not everyone is as skilled in Smash Bros. as you and I, but still enjoy the game casually. Perhaps you have a friend that likes Nintendo characters but gets tired of having their ass kicked every time you play. Fear not! Handicap Mode is here!

Now Handicap Mode in the past has been, well, very lacking. It only changed starting percentage per stock. While this could stay, I would propose a more intricate system to fully customize the handicap. This would utilize stat boosts used in Smash Run for 3DS, fully customizable from -1000 to +1000 in every stat. This allows anything from a slightly tilted match in a player's favor all the way to the Yoshi team in Melee at Very Easy, where the Yoshis get launched to hell if touched by a feather if a player's Defense is set to -1000. But why stop there? Perhaps you want a bit more Nintendoish ways to handicap a player. This could include, and I know you're gonna hate me for this, the return of random tripping AS A HANDICAP OPTION, NOT AS A NORMAL MECHANIC (so don't kill me please). Players could also start each stock with an item of choice or have a Final Smash ready to launch at the beginning of each stock. Some may see this as already possible with all the custom equipment in Smash 4, but this is fully customizable rather than relying on unlocking random equipment.

 

[Verde Coeden Scalesworth]

Actually, Handicap Mode was very different in 64 and Melee. It affected your knockback(both how far you can fly and how far you can send the opponent flying). I feel this is far more fun and interesting, and it is overall better than percentage, though that's not entirely different from the older versions.

Auto-handicap worked well in older games, as it made it challenging against users.

That sounds like an interesting use of Random Tripping, actually(something I didn't mind in Brawl, heh).

 

[Sean Wheeler]

I would have liked it if the handicap went up to the maximum 999% instead of 300%.

 

[Crazy Hand 2001]

Random tripping would be toggleable, so I don't think people would mind.

 

[Luigifan18]

I'd like for players to be able to start off with different amounts of stock/points/coins. That would be great for lopsided team battles.

 

[soviet prince]

pichu end thread

 

[Sean Wheeler]

You know, handicap actually feels like a broken way to cheat. You can set the AI handicap to 300% and your fighter at 0% to get an easy win. But then again, you can emulate a 100-Man-Smash by setting the stock to 99.

 

[Deleted member]

Handicap just needs to return to the way it was in 64/Melee; having a starting percentage does nothing if the player is skilled enough to avoid the other players, and actually can even help them due to rage mechanic.

 

[Khao]

I'm actually semi-convinced that this is exactly what the "Custom Balance" feature in the menu is going to be. Just more Melee/64 style where it's just one number. A lot of people seem to think that's a rage toggle, but the name would make no sense whatsoever.

 

[TheTrueBrawler]

The idea of stat configurations was nice but was implemented poorly such as how the implementation of a Squad Strike like system in Smash Brawl was exclusive to the Subspace emissary.

It sounds like it has high potential and can replace the current handicap system. I hope this is whatever that "Custom Balance" option is.

 

[Fire Emblemier]

You know, handicap actually feels like a broken way to cheat. You can set the AI handicap to 300% and your fighter at 0% to get an easy win. But then again, you can emulate a 100-Man-Smash by setting the stock to 99.

With Squad Strike, you can even have the possibility of having up to 15 different characters rotating in this DIY 100-Man-Smash.