But it really isn't. The only thing an "auto" l-cancel is analogous to is the lack of recovery frames on any jumping normal. You know, what it's already like in every traditional fighting game.
Not really. Purposely interrupting a combo or blockstring allows you to bait reversals, bursts or go for a much more damaging reset. Purposely missing an L-cancel however... Besides, it's not like 1 framers in most games are there to add depth. They're just a natural byproduct of a balanced moveset. Increase an attack's stun count by a single frame to make a certain link easier, and you've inadvertedly created a powerful hit-confirm, high-low mixup or option select. In a traditional fighter with restricted movement options and no DI, it often means that a character could become broken overnight.
OK, it's there. So what? There are fighting games with a few questionable mechanics but it doesn't make said mechanics wortwhile additions. In fact, not everyone was thrilled with the return of mashable Hypers.
Wave dashing in Marvel is easier to learn than any Melee advanced technique. It's also not a technique that benefits the player in every dashing situation. Sometimes the length of a regular dash (or one that has been crouch canceled late) results in better spacing. Sometimes you may want to jump cancel instead of crouching. Sometimes you prefer to cancel the dash with an attack to carry over the momentum and extend its range.
Not quite. Some characters have a few worthwhile tight links in Marvel but they're often seen as unreliable options in a tournament setting. You're much better off with a wide range of BnBs, smart use of X-Factor, clever mixups and well-timed assists.
That's all fine and dandy, but how many of those (other than Smash) require an additional input from the player just to follow up on a jump-in normal with a ground normal?
A lot of the non Smash techniques you mentioned are either specific to certain moves or characters.
And David Sirlin beat some other player at a Street Fighter Alpha tournament with nothing but crouching MPs. That you can become fairly decent with one or two characters (Jiggs and Kirby? Sorry, I mostly play Falcon and Fox.) without L-canceling doesn't add much to its defense.
Yawn.
You're throwing around so many different mechanics that honestly don't compare to l-canceling all that well. Parrying, holding a charge, seriously? Like I said earlier, the only thing that's slightly comparable to an "auto" l-cancel in traditional fighters is the lack of recovery frames on jumping normals, what it's already like in every game.
As an apparent scholar, you should know that personal insults add very little to a verbal discussion, much less a written one. Moving on...
Really now?
My point was to throw the strawman back at you.
And in some cases it's better for some of those techniques to become a bit more accessible to newcomers, and maybe even not be considered "advanced" at all.
Speaking of micromanagement, Starcraft 2 added a few newbie-friendly gameplay mechanics that made it easier to manage units without a huge reliance on actions per minute while opening up more options for advanced players. Did it turn into a poor competitive game as a result? No.
Absolutely! Like I said, character specific execution requirements are great.
Street Fighter 2 is a pretty good example. Strong emphasis on fundamentals, no gimmick mechanics, option selects are character-specific (as usual) and advanced stuff like renda canceling is useful only in a few situational combos. It's also one of the best selling fighters of all time, several million units ahead of other traditional fighting games that came out when the console market had expanded well beyond its size during the SNES era.
Ironically, I've had older dudes tell me they can't get into the newer SFs because they've become too bloated.
There will still be plenty of tech skill to go around without L-canceling as it existed in the first two Smash games. You'll still have character specific (and percentage specific) combos. You'll (hopefully) still have character specific techniques. Approaching and baiting the opponent will still play a huge part in landing a successful hit that leads to a combo.
And even if you are successful, guess what? You'll still need to read the opponent's DI to fully capitalize on the opportunity.