Free Step Dodge

Maybe they want you to move with purposes rather than moving willy nilly.

It's called spacing. It's a 3D fighting game.

I'm pretty sure didn't say it wasn't.

Then there's no reason why movement counters should be there.

It's dumb, but it can simply be avoided by using smarter movement.

Easier said than done. Movement counters cater people with aggressive/offensive playing or in a beginner's case, button mashing. It forces a defensive player to stay still instead of making use of the game's 3D field. Moving forward, backward, or just sidestepping brings no harm to the opponent, so there shouldn't be any price to pay for doing so.

@Hazard
thats Pretty much what I was trying to say.

It actually does bring harm to the opponent, just not reflected within the life bar. Movement dictates what moves will hit and what moves will whiff. Being allowed to constantly change the space without any real consequence simply breaks the flow, and in turn will allow for less purposeful movement.

i.e. what @Lulu said

The game really needs more defensive mechanics. Ever since Soul Calibur III, most of the new mechanics are offensive. I think the only defensive mechanics that were ever given in the post-SCII games was Just Guard, Just Impact, and Reverse Rage, while the game gets more offensive ones like movement counter stuns, stun chains, Critical Edge, Critical Finish, Soul Crush, equipment destruction, and more of those.

If they just take out movement counter stuns from the game, movement will be a better defensive mechanic and it makes people use it more. And I don't know why escaping throws give chip damage, it doesn't reward the one who gets thrown because breaking throws is hard, spamming throws is easy. Get thrown or break the throw, the victim is still at a disadvantage. It loses balance of the game.

@Shirataki Tsume
You should make one great fighting game...
You can do it...

This was even present with certain moves in the FIRST SoulCalibur and universal since SC3

Examples of movement counter stuns?

@JAG THE GEMINI Well damn, I forgot SCIII had it as well. I haven't played SCIII since my PS2 died. I wish SCIII:AE was here though because the console version was a buggy mess. I really can't say anything about the first one because I never played it extensively.

Still hate the fact the mechanics still exists though. I think SCII is the only one that doesn't have that with the exception of backdash.

@illninofan Movement counter stuns are counter hit properties you will receive when you get hit while moving around depending on the move that hit you. If something hits you while you're sidestepping, it becomes a counter.

in SCII, there were no sideways movement counter stuns, you will only take bigger damage, but no stun except for backdash. That's why most people choose SCII as their favorite Soul Calibur game.

Virtua Fighter had something like that... if you get clipped with a Midkick while backdashing then you get put into that stagger stun that required you to wiggle the stick....

I think that was the only sort of effect that could be triggered by movement only.