Wouldn't better to buff all semi-viable and nonviable character instead of nerfing top top tiers?

[Notoriginalname]

That way, we can still use viable characters and not nerf them. Unless they are too gamebreaking.

 

[Jenna Zant]

Yes, but it's much harder to balance buffs than it is to balance nerfs.

 

[Notoriginalname]

It's better though, or you'll end up with a bunch of mediocore characters.

 

[Khao]

There's problems with that.

What happens if you accidentally buff one character too much? (Which will happen at some point if you have to do it with every single character)

When a new technique for a character is discovered, do you buff all other characters to compensate?

Do you mantain the same philosophy and keep buffing characters until they match? Because that will never happen due to the very nature of characters having different mechanics, meaning you'll have to keep buffing and buffing until the game's completely broken.

When would you stop?

At some point you need to draw the line, or you're simply gonna end with a broken game. This way of thinking has ruined a lot of game throughout the years, especially games that can only be updated via new content, such as trading card games. It's nice to think about, but it'll only lead to characters who are too powerful for the set of mechanics. You need to have a standard. If a character is above that standard, they need a nerf. If a character is below that standard, they need a buff. No questions asked.

And that's not to mention the amount of work required to nerf one character vs buffing all others. It's simply not feasible.

 

[Jenna Zant]

It's better though, or you'll end up with a bunch of mediocore characters.

Not really. If you nerf the top tiers, everyone ends up on the same level.

 

[Newtonjar]

The issue with some of the bottom tiers is that there is something fundementally flawed about the way the character is designed. To sometimes change these would require complete overhauls to the design of the character which is a lot more time consuming. Meanwhile to nerf a top tier, nerf kill power, nerf frame data.

 

[Direspect only!]

I think there are certain things which are unchangeable without practically creating a new character. Ganondorf for example should not be fast. However I do feel that a little help in the neutral would help him. Giving him a projectile, or alows him to not be walled out is really all he needs. But you can't just buff frame data cause then that would defeat the point of speedy characters. For example, how would you nerf fox? He relies on speed to get anything done. If you nerfed his speed then he would be irrelevant.

TLDR: everybody in the game is pretty close to where they would be if they came from their respective games. Changing the characters too much for viability purposes would make it so the characters were no longer true to their own games which would take away the pointended of smash. Bringing fighters from different universes to fight against each other in epic battles of glory.