This right here. This is why the game will never be balanced. The competitive scene doesn't follow the rules, the make up their
there own. Half the "advanced" techniques are just exploits, sometimes even design errors. Also, Sakurai balances the game based on 4FFA items? Good, that's the way the game is intended to be played.
The competetive scene will ALWAYS be in the minority, and it's for the good of the wider audience that Sakurai balance as such. Also, Sakurai has a much bigger team working on it now (he literally did it himself in everyone's precious Melee), so it's fairly preemptive to say it won't work out.
As I recall people have the freedom to play however they want. There are many Variable play modes in many fighting games, people simply tend to gravitate towards one for a fair standard. I think it's fair to say that most of that competitive crowd will be playng their coy and caring more about it that many of the other average buyers. it the landscape looks anything like these boards, it seems things like fire emblem, tales and xenoblade would quickly divert attention making smash into a once in a while Games. Ill admit ive frequently wondered If people aren't trying to ever get remotely better at fighters, why keep playing? I know to have fun with friends, but some part is to see who'll win. if I always come in 4th, i'd try to get better. And fpr the love of thw anatomy of a fight.
So I an see why some people have such a vitriolic attitudes towards people who actually try, but for the most part, they're trying to get better all of the time? And they're doing so rather far away from you. When someone does 't like the way you play smash be it Casual or hardcore, they tend to drift away and find people with similar attitudes. No one looks at anything relative to street fighter and Says boo all of you. Just stand still and get hit by my blatant attack because it'll look cool
The real kicker? This entire landscape would have been radically different if they went with dragon keg. I know, they didn't . I'm living through the resulting hell, this schism. But I imagine that if we had that instead, even with 4man ffa even with items, the attitude would toward the game would change. people would look at subsequent additional characters as fighters first, and as "damnit where is blaziken" second. but we didn't get that game.
Leave sakurai out of it all. He is not a god he is not an idiot. he is a man, whom with the help of many other men made one of the greatest games ever. chances are the first time you played sma**** was a free for all, it was with items, it wasn't on a tourney legal stage, and you had fun. it's his job to keep bringing people, newcomews (kids) that fun. TBH it's OUR job at this point, the leagues of people raised on Nintendo to take that and run. People who loved street fighter and marvel and darkstalkers, made guilty gear and people who loved GG made Skullgirls. people who loved Mario made many of the amazing platformers we've played since. so at this point people who love smash as a fighter need to break off, shed the restrictions existing characters carry and create something of our own. and the others who are complacent to sit back and play party games will have their fun. we can finally stop stepping on each others toes after almost a decade of blisters.
