Official Next Smash - Speculation & Discussion Thread

[MasterCheef]

This request is surely going to drop off when the next Metroid and/or Smash rolls around. I keep seeing him ( RB ) everywhere, but as a one-shot, he's not gonna last.

He ( RB ) would probably have the most interesting move-set Metroid has to offer

 

[Quillion]

He ( RB ) would probably have the most interesting move-set Metroid has to offer

So could any of the other one-shot characters for Kirby or Zelda, but they keep not making the cut time and time again.

It's for good reason too, as much as I'm mixed over it. A flavor-of-the-month one-shot is just going to be glaring this late in Smash's life as a franchise.

 

[DarthEnderX]

How is a super backdash equivalent to a whole moveset overhaul?

A new mechanic that effects EVERY character has a much bigger impact to the overall game than a moveset overhaul for a character does.

This request is surely going to drop off when the next Metroid and/or Smash rolls around. I keep seeing him everywhere, but as a one-shot, he's not gonna last.

Possibly. But he has the added benefit of being rad as hell. This isn't Ghirahim.

Also, while Raven Beak might be a one-shot, the Chozo aren't. And he's the best Chozo rep the series has ever had.

 

[PeridotGX]

I wonder if, had Dread rereleased "on time", we might have ended up getting Raven Beak in Smash 4? He'd probably still be pretty popular, and he doesn't have the "too big" problem Sakurai thought Ridley had back then.

 

[Verde Coeden Scalesworth]

Considering Pokemon Trainer, after re-balancing and removing the horrid Stamina mechanic, is in the A+ tier? Which, is still pretty good out of 80+ characters(and ranked in the 20's too), as well as Pyra/Mythra being 2nd place?

...Transformations work. They just need, well, to be worked on. The original PT was more around the lower middling area, and Zelda/Sheik were legit awful as a team. It just took a while to get there. I wouldn't count them out.

 

[Soy_Man]

I'm more in the middle. I think in hindsight Pythra was the first character to get transformation right as they actually feel like two forms of the same being.

PT and Zelda/Sheik just feel like multiple characters tacked together. Duos like the way some want Noah/Mio and Dixie/Kiddy would SUCK, but I would like to see ICs have some sort of gimmick to switch the lead on the fly.

And I still want an improved Squads mode where you can swap on the fly.

I think PT in ultimate is the only good execution of the multiple characters gimmick. PT was designed so that the Pokemon individually are all bottom tier, but when used together they makeup for each other's specific weaknesses. Squirtle has amazing frame data, mobility and combo potential, but can't kill and is one of the lightest characters in the game, whereas Charizard has several kill moves and better survivability, but is much slower in both mobility and frame data. And Ivysaur is a middle ground between the two, for when you want to play less risky. They feel cohesive despite having completely different movesets.

Pyra/Mythra imo, is a much worse execution of this concept. I get what they were going for, Pyra and Mythra being a sort of Ying and Yang duo. But the problem is that if you separated the two they'd both be perfectly fine characters. Their weaknesses aren't significant enough to make it so you have to use both. To be fair this could easily be fixed with a balance update, but that can't fix how bland their movesets are.

 

[DarthEnderX]

...Transformations work. They just need, well, to be worked on. The original PT was more around the lower middling area, and Zelda/Sheik were legit awful as a team. It just took a while to get there. I wouldn't count them out.

They'd be infinitely easier to balance though if you didn't have to balance multiple entire movesets.

PT was designed so that the Pokemon individually are all bottom tier, but when used together they makeup for each other's specific weaknesses.

That's exactly the problem. PT is 3 times as much work to learn and play, while not being any better performance-wise. You'd be better off with 3 separate, balanced characters, that provide a balanced experience, without requiring 3 times the work.

 

[DynamicSmasher]

Ahri
Master Chief
Dwarf Paladin from World of Warcraft
Elysium from Soul Calibur
Mio
Noah
Impa
Tabuu
Officer Howard
Skye from Valorant
Raven Beak
Isaac ( Golden Sun )

Alear replaces ; ( Lucina, & Marth ) & playstyle = Lucina’s
Alear’s Down Special = emblem Rings = ( Tiki, & connector ring )

Yunaka replaces ( Corrin & Chrom ) & playstyle = Chrom’s
Yunaka’s Down Special = emblem Rings = ( Corrin & Roy )

Vander’s replaces ; ( Ike & Roy ) & playstyle = Roy’s
Vander’s Down Special = emblem Rings = ( Sigurd & Ike )

Timerra replaces Byleth & ( playstyle = Byleth )
Timerra’s Down Special = emblem Rings = ( Celica & Lyn )

forgot Isaac

I like a lot of your picks. The Chief would be a pretty cool character to have, though he might not get to use some of his more realistic weapons. Ahri and Skye could be interesting, they would be our first characters from online-only games. I used to think the controversial nature of Free-to-play games and their monetisation features would scare Nintendo off... Then they released Mario Kart Tour and FEH made a billion dollars, so I think they're probably more open to it. In Terms of LOL, Ahri might have to compete with Vi/Jinx due to arcane and maybe also the likes of Ryze and Teemo who I recall being used as mascots, but I think Ahri still has a good shot, with the Ruined King Game prominently featuring her and all.

I can't see them replacing the hugely popular Lucina, Roy, and Ike, Marth, the face of the franchise, and Byleth, the protagonist of the best-selling game in the series(which may still be the best-seller by the time Smash 6 comes around, between Engage's sl more mixed reception and the rumoured FE4 remake maybe taking the wind out of its sails) with 3 side characters. It might be a bit of a struggle just getting Alear to feel unique enough, but I reckon they could do something between the Emblems as stands, Engage as a power-up, Alear's martial arts and the break mechanic, before he also has to contend with other characters from the same game as him having most of that.

 

[Soy_Man]

That's exactly the problem. PT is 3 times as much work to learn and play, while not being any better performance-wise. You'd be better off with 3 separate, balanced characters, that provide a balanced experience, without requiring 3 times the work.

A character having a higher skill ceiling isn't a bad thing. Smash 4 still had characters that were 2-3 times harder to learn than others, because a variety of characters means a variety of skill ceilings, and some people gravitate towards the harder characters because they're depth makes them enticing. The character switching mechanic is what makes Pokemon Trainer special, and they're one of Ultimate's sickest designed characters. Removing that in favour of giving Charizard a rock would be such an awful change.

 

[SPEN18]

Quick hits, I guess:

It's not so much that Sheik isn't relevant anymore. It's that Sheik hardly ever was relevant to begin with.

I'm not a fan of transformation characters. How to explain myself there, though? It's slicker design-wise IMO when every character has the same number of moves rather than some characters having two or three times as many moves. It's also easier balance-wise most likely to leave that mechanic alone. And less gimmicky. Yeah, that last one feels like the nail on the head.

Noah as a semiclone of Shulk...honestly that would maybe be ideal if we had to get a Xeno 3 rep (and I'm not convinced that Xeno needs a rep for every mainline entry). How would that work, though? Changing Shulk's neutral special is a big lift from his kit. Also I disagree with saying that Mio is equally as important as Noah (let's save that argument for a rainy day, though, maybe).

 

[Soy_Man]

It's not so much that Sheik isn't relevant anymore. It's that Sheik hardly ever was relevant to begin with.

I don't know if you know this, but Ocarina of Time was kind of a big deal.

 

[SPEN18]

I don't know if you know this, but Ocarina of Time was kind of a big deal.

We were over this at some other point(s) before: Sheik isn't all that important to OoT even. And if that's Sheik's biggest appearance, then that classifies Sheik as hardly ever relevant.

 

[MasterCheef]

I can't see them replacing the hugely popular Lucina, Roy, and Ike, Marth, the face of the franchise, and Byleth, the protagonist of the best-selling game in the series(which may still be the best-seller by the time Smash 6 comes around, between Engage's sl more mixed reception and the rumoured FE4 remake maybe taking the wind out of its sails) with 3 side characters. It might be a bit of a struggle just getting Alear to feel unique enough, but I reckon they could do something between the Emblems as stands, Engage as a power-up, Alear's martial arts and the break mechanic, before he also has to contend with other characters from the same game as him having most of that.

for me it is more i just happen to like these characters a lot more than the current FE reps , whom i really find uninteresting personality and play wise

 

[Quillion]

I think PT in ultimate is the only good execution of the multiple characters gimmick. PT was designed so that the Pokemon individually are all bottom tier, but when used together they makeup for each other's specific weaknesses. Squirtle has amazing frame data, mobility and combo potential, but can't kill and is one of the lightest characters in the game, whereas Charizard has several kill moves and better survivability, but is much slower in both mobility and frame data. And Ivysaur is a middle ground between the two, for when you want to play less risky. They feel cohesive despite having completely different movesets.

Pyra/Mythra imo, is a much worse execution of this concept. I get what they were going for, Pyra and Mythra being a sort of Ying and Yang duo. But the problem is that if you separated the two they'd both be perfectly fine characters. Their weaknesses aren't significant enough to make it so you have to use both. To be fair this could easily be fixed with a balance update, but that can't fix how bland their movesets are.

That's the thing though, PT just has way too much options to cover for each other. I still think they would be better off as separate characters, then we have Squads to make everyone a swap team.

I like Pythra because their transformation is restrained rather than wildly different.

We were over this at some other point(s) before: Sheik isn't all that important to OoT even. And if that's Sheik's biggest appearance, then that classifies Sheik as hardly ever relevant.

To be fair, the vast majority of Zeldas aren't that relevant to their games, so by that logic, Zelda shouldn't even be playable at all.

 

[MasterCheef]

They'd be infinitely easier to balance though if you didn't have to balance multiple entire movesets.

I think i have a very interesting answer for you.


Ganondorf’s Neutral Air = Split Kick
Ganondorf’s Forward Air = Double Kick
G’s Side taunt = Warlock Punch = frame 63 startup
flame choke = does not put Ganondorf into freefall
Ganondorf’s ( air speed = .66 ) & no running & walk speed = 1.13
Ganondorf’s up tilt = Volcano Kick = quick upward kick & explodes
G’s up air = dark magnetism = faster ( dark dive ) & no freefall
Ganondorf’s Down special = Ganon Boar Rush = Twilight Princess
Ganon Boar Rush = goes diagonally down at a 45 degree angle in air
Ganondorf’s Forward Smash = frame 23 startup & sword held vertical
G’s up Special = levitate = rises some & levitates for 4 seconds
( Toon Ganondorf ) Transformation = G’s & TG’s Neutral special
TG’s side spcl = Dead Man’s Volley = quickening pong with zappy ball
Toon Ganondorf’s up special = Blade dash = multi hit version
Toon Ganondorf’s down special = counter & only works in front
TG’s air speed = 1.26 & run speed = 1.44 & weight = 85

 

[DynamicSmasher]

Quick hits, I guess:

It's not so much that Sheik isn't relevant anymore. It's that Sheik hardly ever was relevant to begin with.

I'm not a fan of transformation characters. How to explain myself there, though? It's slicker design-wise IMO when every character has the same number of moves rather than some characters having two or three times as many moves. It's also easier balance-wise most likely to leave that mechanic alone. And less gimmicky. Yeah, that last one feels like the nail on the head.

Noah as a semiclone of Shulk...honestly that would maybe be ideal if we had to get a Xeno 3 rep (and I'm not convinced that Xeno needs a rep for every mainline entry). How would that work, though? Changing Shulk's neutral special is a big lift from his kit. Also I disagree with saying that Mio is equally as important as Noah (let's save that argument for a rainy day, though, maybe).

I agree with you on the first one. That might just be my bitterness talking though; I didn't grow up with OOT(or OOT 3d thanks to some GAME employee convincing my mum to buy Lego Pirates of the Carribbean instead) so one-off characters like Midna, Ghirahim and Skull Kid(in that order) left more of an impression, but they'll never get into Smash unlike Sheik.

I see what you mean with moves, but I don't think we'll get all too many non-gimmick fighters in the future. Like, Pyra and Mythra have like 5 more moves than most others, but the FGC characters all have a lot of different input moves as well.

I agree with you that Noah is pretty clearly the main lead over Mio, but she's close enough that her being picked for uniqueness. As for moves, something something lucky 7, something something THE TIME IS NOW! More seriously though, his katana could be used for some faster, more short range techniques to go along with the veiled sword's much longer reach. They could replace backslash with Edge Thrust(Shield Breaker-esque animation), Overclock Buster or maybe one of the L7 arts

I like Pythra because their transformation is restrained rather than wildly different.



To be fair, the vast majority of Zeldas aren't that relevant to their games, so by that logic, Zelda shouldn't even be playable at all.

Yeah, Pythra is more like a stance change than a whole new character with a whole new moveset.

This is why the Zelda used should be Phantom Zelda from Spirit Tracks, she's with you the whole game lol

for me it is more i just happen to like these characters a lot more than the current FE reps , whom i really find uninteresting personality and play wise

Oh, that's fair lol. Yunaka and Timerra especially have pretty fun personalities.

 

[Perkilator]

Yeah, Pythra is more like a stance change than a whole new character with a whole new moveset.

On the topic of stance characters, one idea I had for a proper Smash take was having Bandana Waddle Dee switch between the Spear and the Parasol.

 

[Aaayei]

Under normal circumstances i agree, but with Smash i just feel like it's in a league of it's own, where it's so popular Nintendo could basically convince anyone to sign on.

I'm still not sure tbqh

Supposedly according to insiders, Everyone is Here barely happened for Ultimate due to talks with at least one character supposedly being tough. ~cough~ Cloud

And that wouldn't factor in costs and the like either. Being DLC probably helped a lot in terms of negotiation for a couple characters due to companies getting a bigger stake in the profit that way.

 

[SPEN18]

To be fair, the vast majority of Zeldas aren't that relevant to their games, so by that logic, Zelda shouldn't even be playable at all.

Ah, but Zelda as she is in Smash is a compilation of all (or most) of her incarnations. So she recurs way more than her Sheik persona specifically does (and technically even just ALttP-style Zelda is fairly recurring). Also some Zeldas are reasonably important to the plot.

so one-off characters like Midna, Ghirahim and Skull Kid(in that order) left more of an impression, but they'll never get into Smash unlike Sheik.

Yeah and that's not fair rostering IMO if Sheik gets to luck out with timing and a nice transform gimmick one time only and then get to stay in forever. I'd like to see the likes of Midna, Ghirahim, Skull Kid make it someday.

I agree with you that Noah is pretty clearly the main lead over Mio, but she's close enough that her being picked for uniqueness. As for moves, something something lucky 7, something something THE TIME IS NOW! More seriously though, his katana could be used for some faster, more short range techniques to go along with the veiled sword's much longer reach. They could replace backslash with Edge Thrust(Shield Breaker-esque animation), Overclock Buster or maybe one of the L7 arts

"Picked for uniqueness"...yeah I usually don't agree personally with passing over characters for lack of uniqueness. Almost anyone can be unique if you try hard enough. But if we're talking likelihood and not personal likes, then yeah I could see them passing over solo Noah based on the uniqueness thing unfortunately, even though I don't agree with that reasoning.

And that wouldn't factor in costs and the like either. Being DLC probably helped a lot in terms of negotiation for a couple characters due to companies getting a bigger stake in the profit that way.

This point doesn't get stated enough, thanks.

 

[DarthEnderX]

A character having a higher skill ceiling isn't a bad thing. Smash 4 still had characters that were 2-3 times harder to learn than others, because a variety of characters means a variety of skill ceilings, and some people gravitate the harder characters because they're depth makes them enticing. The character switching mechanic is what makes Pokemon Trainer special, and they're one of Ultimate's sickest designed characters. Removing that in favour of giving Charizard a rock would be such an awful change.

Yeah, I read it the first time. I think you're wrong.

The difference is, those characters didn't ALSO consume 3x the development resources.

And it's giving Charizard his rock, and something for Squirtle and Ivysaur as well.

 

[DynamicSmasher]

On the topic of stance characters, one idea I had for a proper Smash take was having Bandana Waddle Dee switch between the Spear and the Parasol.

I'll admit to being biased towards a shapeshifting Spear-Parasol hybrid, especially if that goes back and influences how BWD plays in Kirby like how Meta Knight's fighting style changed, but I am curious as to how those stances would work?

I'm still not sure tbqh

Supposedly according to insiders, Everyone is Here barely happened for Ultimate due to talks with at least one character supposedly being tough. ~cough~ Cloud

And that wouldn't factor in costs and the like either. Being DLC probably helped a lot in terms of negotiation for a couple characters due to companies getting a bigger stake in the profit that way.

True. The likes of Kazuya and Pac-man shouldn't be too hard to get back if Bamco is involved again, and Bayonetta's games are Nintendo exclusives these days, but characters like Cloud or Sora could be pretty tough to get back.

 

[Soy_Man]

We were over this at some other point(s) before: Sheik isn't all that important to OoT even. And if that's Sheik's biggest appearance, then that classifies Sheik as hardly ever relevant.

Sorry for being condescending earlier, but I still disagree. Sheik may not be a major contributing factor to OoT's success, but she does leave an impression. The plot-twist that she's Zelda is pretty famous, and I'd argue that she's more iconic than any other Zelda side character. I think it's worth keeping her, just because she's really unique gameplay-wise.

 

[Perkilator]

I'll admit to being biased towards a shapeshifting Spear-Parasol hybrid, especially if that goes back and influences how BWD plays in Kirby like how Meta Knight's fighting style changed, but I am curious as to how those stances would work?

Probably Down + B again. I know it’s not necessarily original, but I felt it was the most natural course of action for a proper stance fighter in a Smash game.

 

[osby]

Smash is usually pretty big on visual feedback so it'd feel a bit weird to have a character change their weapon into a vaguely similar one while also changing their moveset. Just handling it like Byleth makes more sense to me.

 

[Soy_Man]

Yeah, I read it the first time. I think you're wrong.

The difference is, those characters didn't ALSO consume 3x the development resources.

Oh, so PT's skill ceiling isn't the issue. It's that they take more time to develop. That is completely unrelated to how hard they are to learn, so how am I wrong?

 

[SPEN18]

Sorry for being condescending earlier, but I still disagree. Sheik may not be a major contributing factor to OoT's success, but she does leave an impression. The plot-twist that she's Zelda is pretty famous, and I'd argue that she's more iconic than any other Zelda side character. I think it's worth keeping her, just because she's really unique gameplay-wise.

No worries. We're cool.

I still disagree, though. The Majora's Mask worn by Skull Kid is some of the most iconic imagery in the series and Skull Kid is a major antagonist, not a side character; Midna plays a pretty important role that elevates above the typical side character syndrome; Impa is more recurring than Sheik; and so forth. And being unique gameplay-wise is not a point in Sheik's favor over pretty much any other strong Zelda candidate, either.

 

[Perkilator]

Smash is usually pretty big on visual feedback so it'd feel a bit weird to have a character change their weapon into a vaguely similar one while also changing their moveset. Just handling it like Byleth makes more sense to me.

The reason I suggested BWD as a stance fighter was because Spear and Parasol have their own unique movesets, and since BWD uses a Parasol in Kirby Battle Royale, I figured that would make BWD stand out. Maybe the weapon you’re not using could be displayed in the Assist Star icon next to BWD’s HUD, since that same Assist Star icon displayed any times you have on hand in Triple Deluxe, Planet Robobot and Forgotten Land (IIRC).

 

[Quillion]

Smash is usually pretty big on visual feedback so it'd feel a bit weird to have a character change their weapon into a vaguely similar one while also changing their moveset. Just handling it like Byleth makes more sense to me.

Still think it could work as long as you choose it on the CSS and stick with it rather than allowing a switch on the fly.

 

[Geno Boost]

if you want to add 10 more stages to smash what stages will you add?

i would mention my 10 stages i want in smash are these

Rainbow Road	Mario Clash	Baby Bowser	Temporal Tower	Gyromite
Pac-maze	Smithy's Factory	Minesweeper	Timeless River	Tetris

 

[DarthEnderX]

Oh, so PT's skill ceiling isn't the issue.

No. It's ALSO the issue. There are 2 great reasons that transformation characters suck.

Hero and Steve also suck because of their overcomplexity. But at they aren't costing us 2 more characters.

 

[Soy_Man]

No. It's ALSO the issue. There are 2 great reasons that transformation characters suck.

Hero and Steve also suck because of their overcomplexity. But at they aren't costing us 2 more characters.

Why is a character having a high skill ceiling a problem?

 

[Swamp Sensei]

Frankly. We should get MORE characters like Sheik. Fun, iconic characters that leave an impression. A franchise like Zelda has a rotating cast for every game (barring three obvious exceptions). Characters like Skull Kid, Midna, Ghirahim, etc. aren't minor characters. They are major characters. They're still frequently referenced and it's clear they left some of the biggest impressions on Zelds fans.

Link, Zelda and Ganondorf are franchise royalty. But they aren't the only ones. People say that we shouldn't get Zelda one offs, because it's not a rotating cast franchise. But it absolutely is.

Fire Emblem doesn't stop being a franchise with a rotating cast because Marth shows up in several games. Xenoblade doesn't stop being one, just because Shulk is in almost every single one.

The Legend of Zelda doesn't stop being a rotating cast franchise just because Link, Zelda, Ganon(dorf) and sometimes Tingle and Impa are the only constants.

 

[MBRedboy31]

I don’t think BWD using his parasol would be too much of a visual feedback issue since it is quite large and he holds it over above his head when not attacking, so you can easily check if the large parasol is above his head or not. I’m not sure if it is important enough for it to be a full separate moveset, though, unless the Smash team really wants to represent Parasol Waddle Dee via BWD; it might work better to use it just for a few moves.

 

[osby]

Still think it could work as long as you choose it on the CSS and stick with it rather than allowing a switch on the fly.

If they both play completely differently, they both forms should occupy the same spot in the first place? At this point, it makes more sense to focus on the parasol and add another spear-using character.

I think being unable to choose from two different concepts shows that the developer has no trust in the core of a fighter.

 

[DarthEnderX]

If they both play completely differently, they both forms should occupy the same spot in the first place? At this point, it makes more sense to focus on the parasol and add another spear-using character.

Jfc, just incorporate both into his moveset.

Villager uses, like, 8 different things in his totally normal moveset. BWD can have both spear and parasol moves without having to resort to stance switching.

 

[Arcanir]

This request is surely going to drop off when the next Metroid and/or Smash rolls around. I keep seeing him everywhere, but as a one-shot, he's not gonna last.

People still ask for characters like Midna despite also being one-shot in the mainline games, so I don't think Raven Beak will necessarily disappear entirely. He's still a character that left enough of an impression on the fanbase that people still talk about him fondly whether for his design, boss fight, or even the memes, so I think he'd remain a character people would like to see even if he's not considered likely.

Honestly, I agree with Swamp in that it would be fun if Smash was more willing to use other one-shot characters from time to time. Sometimes those characters manage to stick with you almost as much as the recurring ones, and the fact they manage to survive the passing of time shows how much of a presence they continue to have despite only having one game to their name. Having those characters in Smash can still provide some great value to the roster, and as we've seen with characters like Sheik, can still be beloved characters alongside your Links, Zeldas, or Ganondorfs.

 

[Lenidem]

They'd be infinitely easier to balance though if you didn't have to balance multiple entire movesets.


That's exactly the problem. PT is 3 times as much work to learn and play, while not being any better performance-wise. You'd be better off with 3 separate, balanced characters, that provide a balanced experience, without requiring 3 times the work.

But PT is also three times the fun, at least for people who play for, well, fun.

 

[Swamp Sensei]

But PT is also three times the fun, at least for people who play for, well, fun.

They're also considered top tier now too. Not because any of the Pokemon themselves are broken, but because they can now effectively cover each other's weaknesses.

Pokemon Trainer's design isn't as ill thought out as just lumping three random movesets into one. There is a clear design. Squirtle is for racking up damage. Ivysaur is for killing. Charizard is for surviving. They're ordered in a way that shows the natural flow of a match.

It's why Zelda/Sheik and Samus/Zero Suit Samus remained split up after transformations were brought back. There's no real way for them to flow together.

Pokemon Trainer is way past the days of being a terribly executed gimmick. They're a fantastically designed dynamic character.

 

[Oracle Link]

Here there are only 4 people who watched this and its a concept i made so yeah:

 

[ZephyrZ]

Squirtle has amazing frame data, mobility and combo potential, but can't kill and is one of the lightest characters in the game, whereas Charizard has several kill moves and better survivability, but is much slower in both mobility and frame data. And Ivysaur is a middle ground between the two, for when you want to play less risky. They feel cohesive despite having completely different movesets.

Don't believe the propaganda telling you that big means slow.

The Zard can schmoove. She actually has the fastest movement of the three pokemon and it's not even a contest. Also the fastest superheavy too, leaving Bowser and DK in the dust.

Ivy is the slow one. She makes up for it by having the best defensive play with Razor Leaf and solid disjoints, not by being a "middle ground". That said her own kill moves are also pretty scary.

The trio aren't so 1-dimensional as people seem to think they are.