If you mean the ability to guard 1 frame before a stun ends, wouldn't that count under part of learning the game's subtler mechanics?
We're really just talking about basic math though. When a Tekken, VF or SC player sees -12, they will automatically assume you can connect a 12-frame attack. The math says that should be the case. However, in DOA it is not. I'm suggesting that the frame data should be accurate from a math standpoint.
I can agree with most of it, but I mostly disagree with the things that are under 'the bad'.
2, B and C are not problems, they're solutions. I edited my post to clarify this.
Also, string delays and free canceling give more power to the offensive player and make it much harder to play defense. You don't have to make every string delayable, just like you don't have to make every string safe. There needs to be fewer delayable strings and more safe attacks, whether at the end of a string or in the middle.
I disagree with the on block thing. Every game on earth has throw punishable moves on block. Thats normal.
Every other competitive fighter has an array of safe attacks for each character. I'd say at least 30-40% of the attacks in other games are safe, AT A MINIMUM. DOA has maybe 10% of the attacks being safe, and that's being generous.
If you're on the defensive then I want to frustrate you and make you guess more. Thats the whole point of being on the defensive!
Your idea of good offense is to mix up between ending a string and canceling it early to punish a baited counter attempt. You're hoping the opponent doesn't have good reactions and instead goes for an incorrect guess. There's nothing skillful about that.
My idea of good offense is to force my opponent into a situation in which their reaction time means nothing. They either have to block (because I have frame advantage) or they will eat my next attack. I force them to react exactly how I want them to react or suffer the consequences. There's no guess work on either end. I created a situation that forces a certain reaction.
That's what DOA is lacking at the moment. Only the VF characters have situations like these.. Sarah more so than Akira because his frame data still needs to be adjusted.
I'd rather for the sake of diversity have characters that don't have strong CB/don't have to rely on them. As you mentioned Christie has a lot going for her outside of CB, it's just a matter of possibly making her tools better(or more advanced players, preferablly character specialists) outside of CB.
Without a good CB, Christie basically has to play the game like it's DOA4. The only way I could see this being avoided is by giving her a huge damage buff, but I think that could possibly skew the system even more and make her too good.
The universal counter system and the ability to counter out of stun really makes it difficult to have characters that don't have good Critical Burst be anything other than low tier.
As far as I'm concerned, if people want guaranteed combos, they should go play Virtua Fighter, Soul Calibur, or Tekken.
DOA will always have a casual fan base. What we're trying to do here is make it a competitive fighting game. It has already been proven in the past that DOA as it currently stands is not considered a competitive fighter my the greater FGC. That's why things need to be changed.
Also, DOA has guaranteed combos. Every time you launch an opponent you get a guaranteed combo. Altering the game so some of these guaranteed combos can be done without a launch isn't a huge change in the grand scheme of things, but it would do a lot to cater toward the greater FGC.
But, my real question is, if you don't like String Delays, Counter Holds, and Free Canceling, what draws you to Dead or Alive? These three things are the heart of the game, and the mechanics that make it different from the fighting games around it. Without these things, what would separate DOA from every other fighting game out there not including the stages?
The stages are a big draw and should not be excluded from the conversation. Counter holds are also okay, but only when done outside of a combo. Once I stun you, why should you be able to escape that stun 65% of the time? Not only can you escape, but you can inflict damage to me in the process. That doesn't even make sense from a competitive standpoint.
String delays are also okay, just not every single string. I also really like free canceling, just not in its current application.
It's partly that, but there's also the fact that, despite Sabin (Arturo Sanchez's) best efforts, MLG folks don't seem to respect FGs, or at least the community much, which resulted in some terrible streams as well as some questionable rules (e.g. winning the winners final not giving you a twice to beat advantage).
I was at MLG Anaheim and spoke to Art and a few other MLG employees about how things were run. Art does not have as much power as people think, and he doesn't seem to really be speaking up about what needs to be changed (if he is, he's speaking up to the wrong people).
There are a lot of problems with MLG when it comes to fighting games. Either Art isn't addressing these issues for whatever reason, or MLG isn't asking Art for his advise or trying to figure out how best to cater to the FGC.
Lets be clear. It's not that COMBOS are unsafe in Doa it's blocked strings. If a guy blocks your whole string and you're dumb enough to play through to an unsafe string ender you deserve to be punished.
It's not just finishing the strings that's the issue. Most of the attacks in the entire game are unsafe. Doesn't matter if it's the first attack, second attack or the last attack. Free canceling and string delays are there to give you a false sense of safety, so why not just make the strings actually safe (or at least more than 10% of the attacks).
Quick question though. . . .did any of you guys mess around with sidestepping in the middle of some strings or not enough time to play with that?
Just looking at what tracks and what doesn't. Stepping mid-string will help, but then better players will use attacks/strings that track and we'll be right back in the same situation, just with slightly less options for the offensive player. It makes things better, but not quite where they need to be.
