Thursday, August 27, 2009

Gangliated Utrophin Immuno Latency Toxin

First, a story:
Early this year I visited some friends at my alma matter, and one of my great joys was getting to play Guilty Gear with them again. I made that game a staple of our group, and I was happy to see that it continued on in my absence. The only match I remember, though, was with someone I had never met. He said he had played before, so I didn't really exercise restraint. He grumbled when I scored a Dragon Isntall Sekkai as Order Sol. He didn't like being Potemkin Busted. But he threw up his hands and shouted "Fuck this!" halfway through the first match where I chose A.B.A.

I felt bad. I love playing A.B.A. She is one of my favorites in the entire genre. She's complicated, poses great risk to the opponent and herself. And her ability to RTSD is outstanding. So when I gathered he simply couldn't deal with that kind of relentless assault, I felt like a jerk.
But I was also kind of pissed off. One of the great joys of fighting games, to me, is that if you never give up it is entirely possible to emerge victorious.

But that's neither here nor there, I'm trying to respond to Denton's post.

I play the entire cast of Guilty Gear, and I often play on random. That is partially so that I won't feel guilty if fate hands me one of my better characters (A.B.A., Baiken, Potemkin, and to some degree a scrubby Eddie). If I'm picking characters, I try to use those four sparingly. Because I know it can't be too fun dealing with their shit.
On that same note, it is hard for me to play Denton's Nu for very long. I still can't fathom how she comes together, I'm never sure how I can move to avoid the swords everywhere. But it'd be far more terrible if he stopped playing her because of that.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Excessive νdity – 08.11.09

As expected, Blazblue has taken over my life. Hardly a day goes by without a visit to the 13th hierarchical kingdom of Kagutsuchi, whether for a half hour beat down courtesy of Pkadden or an extended training mode session to practice my abysmal execution. Hell, even story mode sees play. Say what you will about the throw mechanics, burst system, jump frames or lack of variation in character strategies, the game has captured my attention as few before.

The most common complaint leveled against BB is invariably its balance issues, which, while often overstated, are undeniably present. I barely understand Arakune and could not play him if my life depended on it, but even I get how terrible it must be for Tager to face down the Crimson Swarm. Ara, nu, Rachel and, to a slightly lesser extent, Jin rule the roost, if general opinion and SBO qualification counts are any indication. With this in mind, and with no small trepidation, I must admit playing nu.

Now, before punching me in the face, let it be known that my choice was made upon watching the first videos of her unlocking, before her placement on the “Cosmic T-Rex” tier was known. Something about her Zone of the Enders-inspired design and Dizzy-reminiscent gameplay style sealed the deal before I had a chance to protest. Really, corny as it sounds, she chose me.

This is not to say nu never gives me pause. She’s rarely my first choice, and often does not make an appearance at all, given her ability to make many opponents leave lobbies, rage-quit mid-match and punch walls (true story). This, despite the fact that I do not even play her remotely well; my poor reflexes and tendency to fall back on simple, predictable tactics when under pressure are particularly large obstacles to advancing. However, even my meager skill with the phantom swords is enough to overcome seemingly competent players online.

The internet, admittedly a place no sane person should ever go, tells me I should be ashamed for playing such a “cheap,” “over-powered,” character. Apparently, being “too easy to learn” is a cardinal sin and “scrubs” are ruining the game with her. (Then again, Jin, Hakumen, Noel and Arakune are supposedly doing the same thing, so at least she is in good company.) Random, anonymous strangers have deemed the damage output too high, her mobility too good and her zoning too impenetrable given her escape options. Questionable credentials aside, they are probably right.

I feel guilty playing nu. Even knowing that apologizing for character choice is unnecessary and counter-productive, it bothers me in a way that no amount of Playing To Win can alleviate. Being at such a serious disadvantage at 2/3 of a screen is a foreign concept to most players and I do not always push that strength for fear of driving them away (pun intended). No one likes feeling powerless and being safely zoned from so far is the fastest way to make that happen. Though characters like Dhalsim are also most comfortable in similar positions, they cannot pressure as effectively or punish a mistake for 40%+.

In the grand scheme of top-tier characters, there are certainly more dominating, arguably broken fighters that were still accepted by their communities: 3rd Strike Chun, #Reload Eddie, SFIV Sagat, MvC2 Magneto/Psylocke/Sentinel, etc. Yet in my endless quest to improve, there is a strong desire for legitimacy and the respect of my opponents. I do not want to receive messages saying “I lost to nu, not to you” or to leave a trail of ill will for my friend’s PSN account (who is kind enough to let me play).

Perhaps to compensate, my two sub characters are currently Hakumen and Tager, arguably the worst in the game. I greatly enjoy their simple combos and punishing range, surprising unsuspecting opponents with sudden bursts of activity. Yet, as much fun as hitting 360 grabs and super counters is, it feels like time that could be better spent with nu practicing throw-dash timing and Tiger Knee Crescent Sabers.

The inevitable, and greatly anticipated, patch/revision/sequel is sure to tone down my main squeeze, perhaps even to the point of respectability, or at least fewer snide remarks. Coupled with buffs for the less capable members of the cast and a smaller, more dedicated player base that comes with iterating a fighting game, this will probably alleviate my tier shame. Hopefully. However, I really just need to get over the guilt; it is just another obstacle to getting better. Whatever changes Arc System Works deem fit, I will keep playing nu, only maybe less frequently than I should.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Pros’ Woes – 06.29.09

Shortly after his big win at the SBO quals, Live On 3 took a few minutes to talk with Combofiend about the event. At one point, DJ Wheat referred to him as a pro fighting gamer, a description that Peter took issue with, clarifying that he is not paid to play. Street Fighter is his hobby, his passion, but it is not how he makes a living.

To hear some people talk, fighting games should look to more popular competitive endeavors for direction. First-person shooters tend to be a prime example, perhaps due to the shared “e-sport” designation. Counter-Strike, Quake and Halo tournaments are often large-scale events, complete with live coverage, professional players and corporate sponsors. The latter are particularly important as large monetary incentives ensure that the stakes are high and the tension is real; this forces more cut-throat competition and ostensibly better performances. Putting people’s livelihoods on the line is a surefire way to create hype.

Interest in fighters has dropped off severely since their heyday in the early to mid 90s and it is a safe bet that most fans would like to see some of that popularity recaptured. However, I have to question whether big money is really the best way to go about increasing attention. The only reason the genre survives to this day is love of the game; money matches and cash prizes are a large part of the scene, but they are not la raison d’être. Not to say that is the case with FPSes, but I feel as though the fighting game scene, though small, does a great job of sustaining itself on the dedication of the community. Evo is not a monetized event, it exists and thrives solely because people like Seth Killian, Joey Cuellar and the Cannon brothers work to create a place for enthusiasts can come together and geek out.

It would be a real shame to lose that sense of community by introducing threats to players’ living wages. There is enough pressure to represent yourself and your character as it is, why add the stress of fulfilling an endorsement? Money introduces a greater incentive to hide information and strategies, stifling growth of the general knowledge base and further scaring off new players. Friendly rivalries would turn bitter. Dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria.

I understand the draw of expanding the genre to the point where professionals can exist; hell, at times it sounds like a dream job. Keeping the games we love healthy obviously requires funding on top of all the commitment. I just hope that this current fighter resurgence and push to make them more mainstream does not sacrifice some of the things that make the scene so great.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Polynesian Warrior - 07.22.09

My family chooses the worst times to take vacations, insofar as there is a bad time to spend two weeks in Hawaii. I really should not complain, but this is a fighting game blog, so let's get on with it.

Our flight departed two days after the greatly anticipated release of Blazblue and between shipping delays and a full day of work/travel, I had only a couple of hours to play it with Pkadden before leaving for the islands. That brief taste made the ensuing wait even more difficult than the past few months have been; even while relaxing on idyllic beaches I could not help but pine for Arakune's gooey embrace. STSD has been rather Street Fighter centric thus far, but Guilty Gear X2 was my first love and Arc System Works' follow-up had induced a fair amount of frothing demand. Expect to see more about BB soon, if I can tear myself away from it long enough to post. Only two days back and the game has already consumed most of my free time.

Compounding the withdrawal was my lack of access to Evo coverage. I was ready to lose an entire weekend watching the stream, but for some reason never bothered to check the actual tournament dates, assuming it to be sometime in August. Consequently, I spent most of the 17th - 19th draining my phone's battery constantly refreshing the site brackets that never updated. Our hotel's crappy connection, coupled with the strain of several thousand other viewers, meant that I only got to watch slideshows of two SFIV matches. In some cruel twist of fate, the live chat worked fine, simultaneously lowering the IQ of all involved and giving no useful information about the event. While not representative of the community as a whole, it was a sad display nonetheless.

The little information that came through felt disjointed, as when semi-final brackets were posted and many of the big names I expected were nowhere to be found. Somehow I ended up on Twitter of all places, as the players' and official Evo feeds were the most consistent source of news to be found, especially towards the end. A forum may have yielded more updates but venturing into SRK for something like this was not terribly appealing.

Miraculously, my flight home landed in time to catch the great Daigo vs Justin grand finals, a much better fight than their contest at GameStop tournament. Is it just me or has Daigo improved considerably of late? I have not been following much Japanese SFIV since the game was released on console, but his Ryu seemed even more impressive than memory tells. The way he moved was simply incredible; it was like watching Poongko wreck some poor fool, but less predictably aggressive and one-sided. Frequent focuses, sloppy but unpunished footsies and, of course, psychic dragon punches made for a veritable whirling dervish of Shoto beat down. That Justin drew out the set as long as he did is quite a feat, but even with the all the whiffed low forwards and narrow comebacks, it was clear the Beast was going to win.

Despite the somewhat foregone conclusion, it was difficult deciding who to root for. On one hand I like the idea of Daigo as this completely dominating, though not unbeatable, figure that everyone is gunning for, it makes for great drama. On the other, America has really stepped up its level of play and deserves recognition and respect. Beating the Japanese would do a lot for the genre's hype and popularity, so here's hoping for a great SBO showing.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

combos are confusing

I've never really been good at comboing. The timing in older capcom and SNK fighters is so strict I could never do the more complex combos, nor try to create my own. capcom's Vs. series is too friggin' crazy for me to deal with.
But I played so much Guilty Gear that I got a pretty good handle on its combo system, and over the years was able to develop combos that worked (enough for me, anyway).

In contrast, one of my good friends is always thinking about combos when he plays fighters. He's always trying to link something new together, testing what will work. I pick stuff up as I play, but this guy is really into it.

I was trying to figure out how to better play Ragna today, and I tried a variation of a combo I had been doing. To my delight, it worked! A quick scan of Dustloop showed me that of course what I did worked, but I was doing it the stupid way for idiots with more hits but less actual damage.

Hell, it only served to remind me that I used to do Baiken's dustloop beginning with a 2k. When I was practicing the night before a tournamet, I finally figured out the 2K I thought was totally awesome was actually prorating massively and cutting the damage roughly in half.

I still don't think I'm that good with combos.