Data Umbra Clock Tower: Stage Research

[ParanoidDrone]

This final batch of Smash DLC does not disappoint.

Also, if you're curious about how I did this and other stage threads, I took a picture of my notes.

Previously Covered
Midgar
Pirate Ship
Super Mario Maker
Hyrule Castle (64)
Peach's Castle (64)
Miiverse
Suzaku Castle
Dream Land (64)
Final Destination & Ω Forms
PAC-LAND
75M
Skyworld
Flat Zone X
The Great Cave Offensive
Onett
Palutena's Temple
Yoshi's Island
Wily Castle
Gaur Plain
Pyrosphere
Temple
Mario Circuit (Brawl)
Boxing Ring
Port Town Aero Dive
Bridge of Eldin
Pilotwings
Jungle Hijinxs
Wrecking Crew
Halberd
Pokemon Stadium 2
Big Battlefield
Battlefield
Smashville
Lylat Cruise
Castle Siege
Town & City
Duck Hunt
Delfino Plaza
Kalos Pokemon League
Mario Galaxy
Coliseum
Gamer
Wii Fit Studio
Kongo Jungle 64
Windy Hill Zone
Luigi's Mansion
Norfair
Orbital Gate Assault
Woolly World
Skyloft
Garden of Hope
Mushroom Kingdom U
Wuhu Island
Mario Circuit

Layout
Umbra Clock Tower starts out as a long, flat platform, with a minuscule dip in the center that doesn't appear to affect vertical kill percent in any meaningful way. As the match progresses, the stage switches back and forth between the real world and Purgatorio, the world of angels. This is purely cosmetic -- angels are visible when the stage is in Purgatorio, but none interfere with the fight. The cliff face beside the stage is also harmless.

Players 1 and 2 spawn near the edges of the stage, while Players 3 and 4 spawn closer to the center. The Omega form floats over a void.

Umbra Clock Tower has no hazards, but 7 different platform layouts come and go.

Platform Climax
While the stage begins as a simple clock face, pieces of rubble fall into place to create various platform arrangements before leaving the stage again. Each platform arrangement lasts 25 seconds or so, with an additional 25-30 seconds between successive sets of platforms. Platforms begin to shake before leaving the stage. In the vast majority of cases, platforms leave by flying off the top of the screen. Players standing on the platforms at the time will get dropped before they reach the blast zone.

There are 7 unique sets of platforms that can appear. Each set will appear once before the game cycles through them again, but there is no other apparent pattern. Generally speaking, what you see is what you get. Notable features are described below.

Name|Picture|Notes
Base|

|N/A
Arrangement 1|

|N/A
Arrangement 2|

|The top platform moves up and down quite a bit, at times reaching a level equal to the side platforms.
Arrangement 3|

|N/A
Arrangement 4|

|N/A
Arrangement 5|

|Platforms create walkoffs.
Arrangement 6|

|Bottom platform has grabbable ledges. Camera zooms out to keep it in view, unlike all other platform arrangements. Moves in from the left, pauses in the middle, then moves offscreen to the right. Will kill players dragged offscreen with it.
Arrangement 7|

|Platform is solid and has grabbable ledges. Moves right to left at a steady pace without pausing. Will kill players dragged offscreen with it. Has a shorter duration than other platform sets, about 15-20 seconds.

Summary

• No damaging hazards.
• 7 unique sets of platforms that come and go.
• Platform sets cycle in no particular order.

 

[ぱみゅ]

yay research!
Moving and labeling accordingly.

 

[Yikarur]

very nice!
You should add blastzone sizes to every stage research you've done. That way it feels more complete

This stage is so legal. The main complain I've heard really are the visuals.

 

[ParanoidDrone]

very nice!
You should add blastzone sizes to every stage research you've done. That way it feels more complete

This stage is so legal. The main complain I've heard really are the visuals.

There are other topics on the subject anyway. I did confirm that UCT's blast zones are exactly the same size as Battlefield's as measured from center stage, although apparently I forgot to include that in the actual OP. I blame being tired.

 

[Drewthedude64]

Are there any problems with temporary "Caves of Life", or is that not an issue?

 

[ParanoidDrone]

Are there any problems with temporary "Caves of Life", or is that not an issue?

Not in my opinion. The main reason caves of life are disliked is because you can park yourself in one and live much longer than usual by teching off the walls/ceilings/whatever. A temporary one like the one in UCT when the solid platform comes through can't be effectively camped because, well, it's temporary. "Wait it out" is a perfectly valid response, especially since the one on UCT goes away in 20 seconds. (Less if you only consider the time it's actually over the solid part of the stage.)

Similar logic applies for walkoffs BTW. When "camp the walkoff for easy kills" meets "the walkoff goes away on its own fairly quickly", then "ignore the opponent who's camping the walkoff" becomes viable and the camping itself becomes non-viable. Problem solved.

 

[IsmaR]

Found out you can apparently clip through the stage on UCT, though it seems to be one-way (and not like Pokemon Stadium in Melee)

As of yet, haven't been able to reproduce it. Doesn't seem to be an issue, but I'll keep testing just to be sure.

 

[Yikarur]

There are other topics on the subject anyway. I did confirm that UCT's blast zones are exactly the same size as Battlefield's as measured from center stage, although apparently I forgot to include that in the actual OP. I blame being tired.

If you're searching for the information about a specific stage, you will probably stumble about your threads first. Thats why I think those stage information threads should be as complete as possible.

 

[Ulevo]

I added UCT to my blast zone thread.

 

[ParanoidDrone]

If you're searching for the information about a specific stage, you will probably stumble about your threads first. Thats why I think those stage information threads should be as complete as possible.

You have a valid point, but unfortunately my free time is not what it once was. I guess I can keep it on the back burner for when I next get a solid chunk of time off, and I'm always willing to add information gathered by others (I give credit!), but for the short term, at least, the answer is no.

 

[Splebel]

I heard it could be banned for being "too distracting." Has anyone else heard this?

 

[ParanoidDrone]

I heard it could be banned for being "too distracting." Has anyone else heard this?

I've heard it, but I think those people are pansies. You learn to ignore Fortitudo after a while, and he only appears in Purgatorio so it's perfectly possible for him to not show up for quite a while. I honestly don't see the deal.

 

[Splebel]

I've heard it, but I think those people are pansies. You learn to ignore Fortitudo after a while, and he only appears in Purgatorio so it's perfectly possible for him to not show up for quite a while. I honestly don't see the deal.

I know, I just hope it isn't banned. For one thing Pac-Man thrives on opponents being distracted.

 

[Stylo Ren]

jigs and mk can camp here to timeout

 

[ParanoidDrone]

jigs and mk can camp here to timeout

How? No platform arrangement lasts for more than 25 seconds or so, so trying to camp them is a losing proposition since you have to abandon your position fairly soon. If you're suggesting they can hang out under the stage, then what's stopping them from doing it on Smashville or Town & City?

 

[Stylo Ren]

How? No platform arrangement lasts for more than 25 seconds or so, so trying to camp them is a losing proposition since you have to abandon your position fairly soon. If you're suggesting they can hang out under the stage, then what's stopping them from doing it on Smashville or Town & City?

Ill see if I can find the footage for it

 

[Kenobi]

I honestly hope this stage becomes/remains tourney legal simply because the soundtrack is so awesome and fitting! Really keeps me goin during a fight, especially when Let's Dance, Boys plays.

 

[Luig]

My only problem with this stage is sometimes the camera is too zoomed out, but that's proabably because I'm not playing on a big enough screen.

 

[LancerStaff]

Worst thing about the stage is that the dip messes with autocancels, IMO.

Probably the biggest thing keeping it from being a starter is that certain characters can camp certain platforms for easy charge, namely Cloud and Rosalina.

 

[Pomb0]

For those who didn't know, the time on the main platform of UCT is that of your Wii U. I thought that was a nice touch.

 

[LEGOfan12]

I could see this stage being legal tbh.

 

[Yikarur]

Worst thing about the stage is that the dip messes with autocancels, IMO.

Probably the biggest thing keeping it from being a starter is that certain characters can camp certain platforms for easy charge, namely Cloud and Rosalina.

You can camp in a similar fashion on Smashville and Town and City tho

The dip is an amazing feature because it works the other way arround too. Corrin for example can DJ out of uair instead of suffering landing lag if you do an upair into the dip. It's a pretty amazing stage knowledge and adapting tool.

 

[LancerStaff]

You can camp in a similar fashion on Smashville and Town and City tho

The dip is an amazing feature because it works the other way arround too. Corrin for example can DJ out of uair instead of suffering landing lag if you do an upair into the dip. It's a pretty amazing stage knowledge and adapting tool.

The platforms are in harder to reach areas. Most characters can hit somebody on the SV platform with a SH Uair, and T&C's higher platforms move up and down.

The dip's troublesome because it's inherently harder to get at people camping on the sides because it makes ACs tighter/impossible.

 

[Yikarur]

The platforms are in harder to reach areas. Most characters can hit somebody on the SV platform with a SH Uair, and T&C's higher platforms move up and down.

You should play a campy player on SV, then you will understand. The plattform is always there and thats the problem. And TnCs plattforms are pretty high and you can almost always camp them out if you want.

The dip's troublesome because it's inherently harder to get at people camping on the sides because it makes ACs tighter/impossible.

lol camping on a flatground ok. The dip makes a 1 frame difference, almost all characters are not effected negatively by that.

 

[Splebel]

lol camping on a flatground ok. The dip makes a 1 frame difference, almost all characters are not effected negatively by that.

Pac-Man could do it. Also I agree, that dip is barely noticeable and as a player who uses a character that cares how the stage floor is angled, that's saying it's basically flat.

 

[LancerStaff]

You should play a campy player on SV, then you will understand. The plattform is always there and thats the problem. And TnCs plattforms are pretty high and you can almost always camp them out if you want.

lol camping on a flatground ok. The dip makes a 1 frame difference, almost all characters are not effected negatively by that.

I do, and I camp the SV platform regularly too. It's not a free full limit or Luma against a decent character.

Actually, it effects everybody with an effective SHFF game too. Either you're trying to land a frame after you'd hit or right when you autocancel. If you hit the ground early in either situation that'd be terrible... It's a psychological effect every time you've got to jump out of the dip, and that's going to happen often.

Wether the opponent is camping the platforms or is playing a defensive position on the side of the stage, forced there or not, the stage is definitely slanted to defensive play. Every arrangement of platforms offers a fairly extreme defensive position for 25 seconds every 30. Characters with a large reward for camping them or can transition between them and the base platform easily benefit heavily. I'm honestly not seeing how this remotely compares to the AC stages.

 

[AEMehr]

Actually, it effects everybody with an effective SHFF game too. Either you're trying to land a frame after you'd hit or right when you autocancel. If you hit the ground early in either situation that'd be terrible... It's a psychological effect every time you've got to jump out of the dip, and that's going to happen often.

Guess what you do then? You adapt and learn. You don't blame the stage for that, that's literally on you for not considering that during play.

It doesn't matter if your psychological effect will ruin your autocancels and whatnot on it, the stage doesn't have to pander to what you already know. You're supposed to act accordingly in relation to it, because it's a new stage. Essentially, adapt and learn how to utilize what makes the stage unique.

- - - - - -
As whole this stage definitely screams counterpick to me. It's rather large off the top, and the varying layouts can lead to some interesting shenanigans. I think this is something worth adding to the stage lists though. It's nothing too crazy and we should be teching those. Besides at the end of the day 9 times out of 10 people will still be picking Smashville, haha.

 

[Tito Maas]

Has anyone played on this stage in tournament? What are your experiences? Seems like people are reluctant to make this legal but it really feels like Sakurai made this stage to be legal.

 

[HeavyLobster]

Are there any problems with temporary "Caves of Life", or is that not an issue?

The caves of life are a non-issue as far as living to obscene %s. Where they might pose an issue would be when they pop in when someone's getting hit and let you land big combos, especially should they miss the tech, though this mostly rewards stage awareness as opposed to luck, but it absolutely can have a major impact on the game. Personally I'd like for it to be a counterpick since it's fun and reasonably playable, but the platforms present gameplay more intrusive than all the universally legal stages, and it's probably closer to Halberd/Delfino in terms of stage intrusiveness.