Rapham0n
Active Member
The game allows you to play however you want, no matter what character you use. Even so each character was designed with a specific play style in mind. In other words the play style they excel at the most. What category would each character fall under from the following list?
"-RUSHDOWN-
Get in there and overwhelm opponents with barrage of offense. Offensive style based on applying close-range pressure using fast normals, extended strings and mixups. Can build meter well (in games that make use of "super meters") and deal chip damage (in games that allow for chip damage) by keeping an opponent blocking. This fast-paced style is best if you enjoy constant action and close-range fighting. This style is focused on staying right up in your opponent's face and fighting at close range, as well as bombarding your opponent with close range attacks so that they never get a chance to recover. The whole role of this character is to be an offensive force. They are not meant to be played defensive nor are they meant to runaway from the opponent and defeat them through attrition. They have great offensive options and mobility. The complete opposite of turtling, a rushdown style is considered to be completely offensive, often using a huge variety of mix up, pressure and mind games to force an opponent into a suboptimal defensive situation, seeking to create openings and watch for sudden mistakes to capitalize with proper, devastating punishment. Because of its overtly offensive, flashy nature, rushdown is generally considered to be a very entertaining -- if risky -- style of fighting. These are fast characters that specialize in close range combat and combos/juggling. Offensive only, that's the defining trait here, even if they use some long range attacks, they're always on the offense. Subtypes include:
Momentum (chokers): Hyper close range (in-your-face) characters, with low defenses, or Close/Mid range characters with "sweet spots" both with very offensive play, usually exploit openings and weaknesses in their foes with fast speed and punish them with high damage combos. Once they get going it's hard to stop them. Also, hit-and-run characters fall under this, as most Momentum characters start with hit-and-run tactics until they can really get going. Those are the defining traits, for this reason this archetype is full of fast characters.
Mix Up: Do best in close range, but rely on tactics and mind games to exploit their opponent's weaknesses. Are sometimes equipped with some mid and/or long range moves for Zoning and are generally more well rounded than Momentum characters, however, not to the extent that Hybrid characters are as they can't play defensively, and have much more obvious/exploitable weaknesses.
Beatdown: Fast powerhouses with high damage output, usually great characters with great normals and specials. They are indeed close range characters and usually have no long range attacks, they differ from the Momentum characters in that they don't exploit weaknesses, they just jump in and do tons of damage, and don't necessarily need long complex combos to do so.
-ZONING-
Wants to keep opponent in a particular zone where they are strongest/opponent is weakest. This style relies heavily on positioning, where you want to keep your opponent at a specific distance or specific position from you at all times while you do damage to them. It basically boils down to using certain tools to force your opponent to go exactly where you want them to go. Sub-types:
Keepaway: Keeps the opponent away from the character, in 2D fighters this is usually via the use of projectiles and anti-air attacks, in 3D fighters this can be done via long range/far reaching attacks or attacks that constantly send the opponent flying to the other end of the screen.
Poking: Keeps the opponent at a specific distance using high priority pokes, where the character can attack safely and the opponent cannot retaliate effectively. The poking style can be very versatile, there are offensive pokes and defensive pokes. The idea with the pokes is generally (depends on your play style too) to open the opponent's defenses or create distances between you and the opponent. Defensive pokes are used to annoy the opponent to make them commit mistakes and then punish them accordingly. Offensive pokes are used to make the opponent know that sometimes they will have to guess where to guard, and allows you to have a constant pressure if you have a good read.
Lockdown: A more severe form of keepaway, where the character uses attacks to keep an opponent in a trap so powerful that the opponent can barely move, far less attack.
-TURTLE-
Plays a defensive style, where you count on your defense being superior to the opponent's offense, the opposite of rushdown. This is a gameplay strategy that emphasizes heavy defense. Ostensibly, turtling minimizes risk to the turtling player while baiting opponents to take risks in trying to overcome the defenses. In practice, however, games are often designed to punish turtling through various game mechanics. Consequently, while turtling strategies are usually simple enough for novices to learn and are effective as such, they are easily defeated by experienced players who understand the game's methods to counter turtling. As a metaphor, turtling refers to the defensive posture of a turtle, which retracts its limbs into its hardened shell for protection against predators. A player who concentrates on defense is said to behave like a turtle, reluctant to leave the safety of its shell for fear of suffering a lethal attack. In the world of fighting games, especially those of the 2D variety, a turtle style of play is a defensive style that focuses on patience, positioning, timing, and relatively safe attack options to slow down the pace of the game and minimize the number of punishable mistakes made during the course of the match. This style can be very useful in timed matches, as it allows a player to deal a negligible amount of damage to an opponent, and then win the match by running down the clock. If available, players can turn off the timer to prevent such a strategy. Turtling can also be used to force an opponent into making punishable mistakes while minimizing the damage one takes, this is specially true when using projectile-heavy characters that are able to both maintain the pressure and stay out of harm's way. In few other cases, turtling can be an effective strategy to minimize the offensive effects of temporary buffs. Subtypes include:
Pure Turtle: Character sits on his ass all day and never initiates any attack. Character simply blocks and counters everything.
Aggressive Turtle: This character never initiates anything, but is constantly moving to be at an optimal distance to maximise his ability to block and counter. Think of a moving tank. The aggressive turtle seldom takes any risks yet is constantly putting the opponent in a bad situation because the character is seldom at a disadvantage.
Runaway: This character wants to stay the hell away from his opponent. Rather than using attacks to keep the opponent at bay as in keepaway, however, this character uses his high mobility to constantly keep moving away from the opponent, thereby forcing the opponent into constantly chasing after him. The idea is that this causes the opponent to be frustrated, leaving him wide open to making mistakes and counter-attacks.
Counter: This type of turtle character is reliant on counter attacks. This character uses the opponent's attack against him by utilizing counters that either activate upon intercepting an attack, or after blocking an attack.
-GRAPPLER-
The primary goal of the grappler type of character is to get close to the opponent and throw them as much as possible, usually with some sort of unblockable unescapable special and/or super throw. Usually in 3D fighters throwing isn't as simple as go to the opponent and do throws, if you do that you will be punished hard for that. Throws often require the use of pokes to set them up, that way, after landing a poke where you are on positive frames, you have a bigger window to use the throw of choice instead of simply stand up in front of the opponent and throw. There are two subcategories of this character type:
Pure grappler: This grappler relies solely on throws to win. He may have other moves, but they're really just supplemental to his primary throw game, which usually centers around one or two heavy damaging special throws. If [grappler Z] can't [special throw S] you X number of times per round, he doesn't win. In 3D fighters this character type generally uses other moves to set up the perfect opportunity for a throw. Even though this character uses other moves to set up his throws the main source of damage comes from his throws, making his primary game plan to catch the opponent in as many throws as possible.
Semi-grappler: These are characters who have unblockable special throws in their arsenal, but by design don't live and die by them. Their other tools are sufficiently good that they can rely on them if they don't get the opportunity to throw often.
-POWER-
This character type is typically a large character who inflicts heavy damage and has high stamina, and is encumbered by low mobility. This character is closely related to the grappler type, especially the pure grappler, but the main difference between a power-based character and a grappler is the power character doesn't necessarily want to throw his opponent. The power-based character's main goal is to smash his opponent with heavily damaging attacks, which usually requires him to get close to the opponent, but not always.
-HYBRID-
These days, few characters are purely one character type or the other. A lot of characters are hybrids. These are characters who are designed to use multiple types of playing styles. They typically have a large number of moves, or a large variety of moves, giving them the functionality of a number of character types. These characters can also be called all-around (or balanced) characters. They usually contain some aspects from all different categories and can be played in various different ways. They're usually the "jack of all trades, master of none" archetype, in that they don't really excel in anything, but are prepared for everything, because of this they can do very well in both offensive and defensive play.
-JOKE-
A joke character is one who is designed primarily to be comic relief. A joke character can take two forms: Joke characters who are actually good, and joke characters who are rubbish.
-RANDOM-
A random character type is one whose strategies are based on variables that the player has no control over.
-SPEED CHARACTERS-
These are the speed demon characters who overwhelm their opponent with blazing fast speed. They have the most options when it comes to mobility and also have the fastest normals. As a trade-off for their speed they generally have low damage outside of combos. Their general strategy is to overwhelm the opponent with their speed and constantly confuse the opponent on where/how to block. They can play hella mind games as well, so if you’re the type who loves messing with people then try speed characters."
*Play style descriptions taken from: www.shoryuken.com and www.valorgaming.com
"-RUSHDOWN-
Get in there and overwhelm opponents with barrage of offense. Offensive style based on applying close-range pressure using fast normals, extended strings and mixups. Can build meter well (in games that make use of "super meters") and deal chip damage (in games that allow for chip damage) by keeping an opponent blocking. This fast-paced style is best if you enjoy constant action and close-range fighting. This style is focused on staying right up in your opponent's face and fighting at close range, as well as bombarding your opponent with close range attacks so that they never get a chance to recover. The whole role of this character is to be an offensive force. They are not meant to be played defensive nor are they meant to runaway from the opponent and defeat them through attrition. They have great offensive options and mobility. The complete opposite of turtling, a rushdown style is considered to be completely offensive, often using a huge variety of mix up, pressure and mind games to force an opponent into a suboptimal defensive situation, seeking to create openings and watch for sudden mistakes to capitalize with proper, devastating punishment. Because of its overtly offensive, flashy nature, rushdown is generally considered to be a very entertaining -- if risky -- style of fighting. These are fast characters that specialize in close range combat and combos/juggling. Offensive only, that's the defining trait here, even if they use some long range attacks, they're always on the offense. Subtypes include:
Momentum (chokers): Hyper close range (in-your-face) characters, with low defenses, or Close/Mid range characters with "sweet spots" both with very offensive play, usually exploit openings and weaknesses in their foes with fast speed and punish them with high damage combos. Once they get going it's hard to stop them. Also, hit-and-run characters fall under this, as most Momentum characters start with hit-and-run tactics until they can really get going. Those are the defining traits, for this reason this archetype is full of fast characters.
Mix Up: Do best in close range, but rely on tactics and mind games to exploit their opponent's weaknesses. Are sometimes equipped with some mid and/or long range moves for Zoning and are generally more well rounded than Momentum characters, however, not to the extent that Hybrid characters are as they can't play defensively, and have much more obvious/exploitable weaknesses.
Beatdown: Fast powerhouses with high damage output, usually great characters with great normals and specials. They are indeed close range characters and usually have no long range attacks, they differ from the Momentum characters in that they don't exploit weaknesses, they just jump in and do tons of damage, and don't necessarily need long complex combos to do so.
-ZONING-
Wants to keep opponent in a particular zone where they are strongest/opponent is weakest. This style relies heavily on positioning, where you want to keep your opponent at a specific distance or specific position from you at all times while you do damage to them. It basically boils down to using certain tools to force your opponent to go exactly where you want them to go. Sub-types:
Keepaway: Keeps the opponent away from the character, in 2D fighters this is usually via the use of projectiles and anti-air attacks, in 3D fighters this can be done via long range/far reaching attacks or attacks that constantly send the opponent flying to the other end of the screen.
Poking: Keeps the opponent at a specific distance using high priority pokes, where the character can attack safely and the opponent cannot retaliate effectively. The poking style can be very versatile, there are offensive pokes and defensive pokes. The idea with the pokes is generally (depends on your play style too) to open the opponent's defenses or create distances between you and the opponent. Defensive pokes are used to annoy the opponent to make them commit mistakes and then punish them accordingly. Offensive pokes are used to make the opponent know that sometimes they will have to guess where to guard, and allows you to have a constant pressure if you have a good read.
Lockdown: A more severe form of keepaway, where the character uses attacks to keep an opponent in a trap so powerful that the opponent can barely move, far less attack.
-TURTLE-
Plays a defensive style, where you count on your defense being superior to the opponent's offense, the opposite of rushdown. This is a gameplay strategy that emphasizes heavy defense. Ostensibly, turtling minimizes risk to the turtling player while baiting opponents to take risks in trying to overcome the defenses. In practice, however, games are often designed to punish turtling through various game mechanics. Consequently, while turtling strategies are usually simple enough for novices to learn and are effective as such, they are easily defeated by experienced players who understand the game's methods to counter turtling. As a metaphor, turtling refers to the defensive posture of a turtle, which retracts its limbs into its hardened shell for protection against predators. A player who concentrates on defense is said to behave like a turtle, reluctant to leave the safety of its shell for fear of suffering a lethal attack. In the world of fighting games, especially those of the 2D variety, a turtle style of play is a defensive style that focuses on patience, positioning, timing, and relatively safe attack options to slow down the pace of the game and minimize the number of punishable mistakes made during the course of the match. This style can be very useful in timed matches, as it allows a player to deal a negligible amount of damage to an opponent, and then win the match by running down the clock. If available, players can turn off the timer to prevent such a strategy. Turtling can also be used to force an opponent into making punishable mistakes while minimizing the damage one takes, this is specially true when using projectile-heavy characters that are able to both maintain the pressure and stay out of harm's way. In few other cases, turtling can be an effective strategy to minimize the offensive effects of temporary buffs. Subtypes include:
Pure Turtle: Character sits on his ass all day and never initiates any attack. Character simply blocks and counters everything.
Aggressive Turtle: This character never initiates anything, but is constantly moving to be at an optimal distance to maximise his ability to block and counter. Think of a moving tank. The aggressive turtle seldom takes any risks yet is constantly putting the opponent in a bad situation because the character is seldom at a disadvantage.
Runaway: This character wants to stay the hell away from his opponent. Rather than using attacks to keep the opponent at bay as in keepaway, however, this character uses his high mobility to constantly keep moving away from the opponent, thereby forcing the opponent into constantly chasing after him. The idea is that this causes the opponent to be frustrated, leaving him wide open to making mistakes and counter-attacks.
Counter: This type of turtle character is reliant on counter attacks. This character uses the opponent's attack against him by utilizing counters that either activate upon intercepting an attack, or after blocking an attack.
-GRAPPLER-
The primary goal of the grappler type of character is to get close to the opponent and throw them as much as possible, usually with some sort of unblockable unescapable special and/or super throw. Usually in 3D fighters throwing isn't as simple as go to the opponent and do throws, if you do that you will be punished hard for that. Throws often require the use of pokes to set them up, that way, after landing a poke where you are on positive frames, you have a bigger window to use the throw of choice instead of simply stand up in front of the opponent and throw. There are two subcategories of this character type:
Pure grappler: This grappler relies solely on throws to win. He may have other moves, but they're really just supplemental to his primary throw game, which usually centers around one or two heavy damaging special throws. If [grappler Z] can't [special throw S] you X number of times per round, he doesn't win. In 3D fighters this character type generally uses other moves to set up the perfect opportunity for a throw. Even though this character uses other moves to set up his throws the main source of damage comes from his throws, making his primary game plan to catch the opponent in as many throws as possible.
Semi-grappler: These are characters who have unblockable special throws in their arsenal, but by design don't live and die by them. Their other tools are sufficiently good that they can rely on them if they don't get the opportunity to throw often.
-POWER-
This character type is typically a large character who inflicts heavy damage and has high stamina, and is encumbered by low mobility. This character is closely related to the grappler type, especially the pure grappler, but the main difference between a power-based character and a grappler is the power character doesn't necessarily want to throw his opponent. The power-based character's main goal is to smash his opponent with heavily damaging attacks, which usually requires him to get close to the opponent, but not always.
-HYBRID-
These days, few characters are purely one character type or the other. A lot of characters are hybrids. These are characters who are designed to use multiple types of playing styles. They typically have a large number of moves, or a large variety of moves, giving them the functionality of a number of character types. These characters can also be called all-around (or balanced) characters. They usually contain some aspects from all different categories and can be played in various different ways. They're usually the "jack of all trades, master of none" archetype, in that they don't really excel in anything, but are prepared for everything, because of this they can do very well in both offensive and defensive play.
-JOKE-
A joke character is one who is designed primarily to be comic relief. A joke character can take two forms: Joke characters who are actually good, and joke characters who are rubbish.
-RANDOM-
A random character type is one whose strategies are based on variables that the player has no control over.
-SPEED CHARACTERS-
These are the speed demon characters who overwhelm their opponent with blazing fast speed. They have the most options when it comes to mobility and also have the fastest normals. As a trade-off for their speed they generally have low damage outside of combos. Their general strategy is to overwhelm the opponent with their speed and constantly confuse the opponent on where/how to block. They can play hella mind games as well, so if you’re the type who loves messing with people then try speed characters."
*Play style descriptions taken from: www.shoryuken.com and www.valorgaming.com
Last edited:
