How do you feel about the series... gameplay and mechanics alone.

[Sotherius]

First of all, sorry if something like this has been done before.

But, ever since i got to DOA, i loved its core systems and how stuff works, it is one of the big reasons this series became one of my favorites in FGs, if not the best. But, recently, i've noticing both here and in many places, a lot of different opinions, and thoughts, of what is balanced, what is not, what is a good gameplay system, and what is not regarding to DOA. And in general, i would love to see opinions from people here.

What is your favorite DOA? What do you like about it mechanically? What you don't like about it? How do you feel about DOA5LR, its systems in general, balance and so on. How do you feel about DOA6 systems are shaping up (and i know there is a thread for that in specific, but since we're talking about all games here, why not?)? How you compare DOA to other fighting games? maybe you think it is better, maybe you think it is worse?

How do you feel your character has been treated? Is he balanced? Too strong? Too weak?

In general, i would like to see how everyone thinks here, in depht, about the series. Remember, gameplay alone, not story, artstyle, or anything like that.

 

[Dr PaC]

So far, I feel like every character has had some kind of buff to their kit. Everyone has some kind of new move added to their strings, a new option for a command grab, or just a new string in general. I was honestly skeptical at first about the new button auto combo thing, but after watching it implemented and new ways to set up high damage combos and corner combos, I was onboard with the new direction 100%. Both new characters bring something different and feel unique, while the older characters all seem to have new options that make them fresh. Lisa for example, her trailer shown off so many new options added to her kit and made me interested in her in a way I havent been since I first saw her in DOA4. I think the game is going in a great direction and Im excited for the release

 

[NightAntilli]

Can't comment on DOA1 & 2. Even though I played them, it was brief, and I can't discuss the system in depth. I do know that DOA2 was used as the basis for DOA online, where I used Leifang. Can't talk about tiers, but Leifang was definitely treated well in that game.

DOA3 was the first DOA game that I played, and at that time I liked Tina. It was a fun fighting game, but again, I didn't play it in depth, so what I know is how it plays on the surface. I do know that I hate the 3 point hold system. DOA3 was a bit too simplistic compared to the newer DOA titles.

DOA4 was the most similar to a real fight, in the sense that anything can happen at any time. There are no guarantees, and that you landed a good hit now doesn't mean you actually will continue to have the upper hand. It was all pure mind games, which means it was also quite random at times. This is where I picked up Kokoro, simply because I always loved BajiQuan. She was actually quite balanced, for so-far that there is such a thing as balance in DOA4. Leifang was very weak in comparison though. One thing to also mention is the ground game. The ground game in this game allowed the offensive player to keep up the pressure. This was removed in DOA5.

DOA5(LR) is the best game up until now. It returned to rewarding knowledgeable players that know what they're doing, rather than everything being a randomness fest like DOA4. The most important addition is the sidestep. That alone brought an extra layer of depth to the game. Critical bursts and power blows although fun, weren't really that critical in changing the gameplay. Leifang was quite strong this time around, although she was nerfed quite a bit compared to DOA5 Vanilla. In DOA5 Vanilla she was the best version of herself. Kokoro was always good here, with her only real weakness being her linearity, where sidestepping could kill a lot of her setups. This is the game where I picked up a lot more characters. Rather than using only Kokoro, and Leifang, I also started using Hitomi, Momiji, Honoka and Ein. I also made an attempt to use Pai, because she was my main in VF. But I felt like DOA Pai was killing my VF Pai, so I dropped her.

One aspect that was always a weakness of the DOA mechanics is the hold system. Not only does it increase the randomness in the game, in certain games holding at the right time gives you a free get out of stun card, or even worse, advantage over your opponent. If there is one thing that needs to change, it's that.
I've proposed a solution for the hold system way back, but I don't think it will be implemented anytime soon. In fact, with the break holds, Team Ninja seems to be going in the opposite direction.

DOA6 I haven't played yet. It looks like an upgraded DOA5. We'll see when it comes out.