Quillion
Smash Hero
- Joined
- Sep 17, 2014
- Messages
- 5,512
Yes, I know that Ultimate has done a lot to improve air dodging as a mechanic thanks to it finally being limited to once per airborne state (until you get hit) and being affected by the long-overdue dodge staling.
But still, I've been revisiting a bit of Melee, and the fact that air dodging has been so heavily revamped over the course of the series isn't sitting right with me. I'm coming to the conclusion that air dodging is just a bad idea in itself and has been bad for the flow of the game since Brawl.
The problem with Brawl-and-on air dodging is that it turns the aerial state into a waiting game. While air dodging can be punished, the fact that it makes the user intangible means that the attacker really has no choice but to wait out the air dodge to resume the offensive. Sure, you can do things like bait an air dodge to capitalize on the endlag or frame trap an air dodge spammer, but my point still stands; if you read or bait an air dodge, you still have to wait it out to make your move. Again, I don't find this good for the game flow in the air since it is inherently harder to hit an aerial opponent due to the constant movement, so making the sole aerial defensive ability give the user intangibility just worsens the flow of the air game.
Melee's air dodge is still the best air dodge we've ever had in the series, and that's only because of its emergent properties and the fact that it goes to the other extreme from the Brawl-and-on air dodge since using it to dodge was extremely situational at best. It's clear that Melee's air dodge was designed so that its use would not impact the flow of the air game compared to Smash 64, but as a result, it goes too far in the opposite direction from the Brawl-and-on air dodge. For that reason, I would like the next Smash game to take the emergent properties of Melee's air dodge and turn them into dedicated mechanics and nix air dodging altogether. They should turn the L-button into a "wavedash button" while keeping R for shielding.
In turn, I would like to see air dodging replaced with air shielding while introducing air throws. This way, instead of always having to wait out an air dodge, the attacker can instead grab a shielding opponent and throw them. To compensate, if you do an air grab, you immediately do a forward throw, no directional throws, pummeling, or even clinging. Even an air shielding opponent can be grabbed on the ground say, if the opponent is doing run-jump-air shield to approach. I think this would be much better for the aerial game flow than any iteration of air dodging.
If there is a reason as to why air dodging is a good design element, I sincerely would like to hear it.
But still, I've been revisiting a bit of Melee, and the fact that air dodging has been so heavily revamped over the course of the series isn't sitting right with me. I'm coming to the conclusion that air dodging is just a bad idea in itself and has been bad for the flow of the game since Brawl.
The problem with Brawl-and-on air dodging is that it turns the aerial state into a waiting game. While air dodging can be punished, the fact that it makes the user intangible means that the attacker really has no choice but to wait out the air dodge to resume the offensive. Sure, you can do things like bait an air dodge to capitalize on the endlag or frame trap an air dodge spammer, but my point still stands; if you read or bait an air dodge, you still have to wait it out to make your move. Again, I don't find this good for the game flow in the air since it is inherently harder to hit an aerial opponent due to the constant movement, so making the sole aerial defensive ability give the user intangibility just worsens the flow of the air game.
Melee's air dodge is still the best air dodge we've ever had in the series, and that's only because of its emergent properties and the fact that it goes to the other extreme from the Brawl-and-on air dodge since using it to dodge was extremely situational at best. It's clear that Melee's air dodge was designed so that its use would not impact the flow of the air game compared to Smash 64, but as a result, it goes too far in the opposite direction from the Brawl-and-on air dodge. For that reason, I would like the next Smash game to take the emergent properties of Melee's air dodge and turn them into dedicated mechanics and nix air dodging altogether. They should turn the L-button into a "wavedash button" while keeping R for shielding.
In turn, I would like to see air dodging replaced with air shielding while introducing air throws. This way, instead of always having to wait out an air dodge, the attacker can instead grab a shielding opponent and throw them. To compensate, if you do an air grab, you immediately do a forward throw, no directional throws, pummeling, or even clinging. Even an air shielding opponent can be grabbed on the ground say, if the opponent is doing run-jump-air shield to approach. I think this would be much better for the aerial game flow than any iteration of air dodging.
If there is a reason as to why air dodging is a good design element, I sincerely would like to hear it.