DoA5U Akira Changes

[Ghosty-J]

Here's what I got from the stream so far:

1:14:54
http://www.twitch.tv/freestepdodge/b/447241165

- / has a frame input throw at the end as it should have always been ()
- ~ is no longer guaranteed, so it's hereby as useless as it was in VF5FS D:
- is nerfed within the threshold. On counter-hit, can no longer be used to keep the combo going from it.
- within Critical Stun no longer causes a sit-down, but instead one of those newfangled bound states to keep juggles going.
- is an entirely new move. In fact, it's his Power Launcher. I thought that his Youhou would be charged to initiate a Power Launcher, but I had the wrong idea.

I'm gonna cross my fingers there's more Akira footage in this archived footage. Despite the nerfs, Akira seems to be as strong as ever. Only a slight change in tactics is in order. This should be enough to tide me over until we finally get our hands on Ultimate. What are everyone else's thoughts on this?

 

[Zeo]

You missed a few.

- no longer causes a wall slam on counter hit no no more knocking people into walls with his fastest mid.

- gained it's followup from the original VF5 which causes a bound state which can be combo~ed off of as seen in his combo training. It also appears that it may track.

- causes a bound state like in VF when used twice in a row. This seems fairly impractical so the Sit down frames on it may have been increased.

They wrecked him in my opinion. The

stun nerf and ~ nerf took away crucial tools that were a huge part of his game plan, particularly in clutch moments and times were large comebacks were needed.

I understand it in a sense because they took away a lot of vortexes (Ayane's BT PPPP, Helena's PFT, Christie's JAK Low sweep normal hit stun) but the difference between Akira and other characters is that those characters received new tools to offset the vortex nerfs but Akira just seems to be the same with less tools.

The low jab CH nerf removes a lot of clutch possibilities for 2P > 346P to get rid of that last bit of health, it also potentially removes his > > loops when near a wall. The only offset here is that was nerfed across all VF characters so Sarah, Pai and Jacky cannot do it either. Still the latter 2 (and possibly) Jacky still have various ways to keep you locked down whereas one of Akira's primary tools for lockdown was his throw.

If we're making him closer to his VF incarnation why not give his back it's +3 on block, make +1 on block instead of -10 or make +1 on block as well?

All in all from what I've seen I really dislike Akira's changes and he will have to work harder than he used to for his wins. His throw game is effectively trash and he will struggle against faster characters a lot more than he used to with his new down punch nerf. He'll still be a force with his GBoD, deep stun NH low punch and advantage on block but he's considerably less scary than he used to be unless they buffed him in areas we haven't seen yet.

In conclusion he's still a good character but he might drop a tier in Ultimate. I guess he needs 10 more years of training.

 

[Sly Bass]

All in all from what I've seen I really dislike Akira's changes and he will have to work harder than he used to for his wins. His throw game is effectively trash and he will struggle against faster characters a lot more than he used to with his new down punch nerf. He'll still be a force with his GBoD, deep stun NH low punch and advantage on block but he's considerably less scary than he used to be unless they buffed him in areas we haven't seen yet.

In conclusion he's still a good character but he might drop a tier in Ultimate. I guess he needs 10 more years of training.

I'm amazed how every character is going through the same heart aches and acting like the world is over. Play the game first before you predict the end of the world.

 

[Zeo]

I'm amazed how every character is going through the same heart aches and acting like the world is over. Play the game first before you predict the end of the world.

It's not the end of the world and my heart's not aching. Nothing I just said was wrong. He lost great tools like a lot of characters, difference is those characters (except for Eliot from what we've seen) got something to compensate and we haven't seen anything to suggest that for Akira. Which is a true statement.

I'm surprised to get that sort of response from you. You act as if I said "This guy is trash now, drop him. I can't believe TN ruined my main!" Remember who you're talking to man, I'm not everyone else. (Now if I was talking about Ein... then that response might be a little more warranted.. *cough*)

You are the only Akira player that has actually had time with the game though I'll admit. If you say he's fine I'll take your word for it I suppose, at least until I play him for myself. Guess a huge gameplan change is in order.

 

[Sly Bass]

You are the only Akira player that has actually had time with the game though I'll admit. If you say he's fine I'll take your word for it I suppose, at least until I play him for myself. Guess a huge gameplan change is in order.

They haven't ruined him. There are a lot of new subtleties that I haven't even come close to discovering. I guess the reason I'm not so hurt by his apparent nerfs is because I didn't play him towards those items being nerfed. *Obviously the 16T excluded; however, he can mix up the world instead of just hitting P. All I'm saying is, get the game, use him in training/fights first before crossing him off. Don't get caught up in tier lists or any of that other nonsense.

 

[Zeo]

They haven't ruined him. There are a lot of new subtleties that I haven't even come close to discovering. I guess the reason I'm not so hurt by his apparent nerfs is because I didn't play him towards those items being nerfed. *Obviously the 16T excluded; however, he can mix up the world instead of just hitting P. All I'm saying is, get the game, use him in training/fights first before crossing him off. Don't get caught up in tier lists or any of that other nonsense.

My playstyle... my world revolved around that throw, I 66Ped people into walls every chance I got and 2P > 66P as well as 2P > P > 2P loops near a wall got me out of a lot of sticky situations so I guess the nerfs irritating me would make a lot more sense as my playstyle centered much more on those tools than others.

But a good player learns and adapts. I'll have to completely relearn him and revamp the way I play him. As you said he's got lots of subtle changes and we don't even know if his frames were changed. He could have great buffs hidden.

Anyways, guess when Ultimate comes out I'll be returning to the lab. Maybe I needed this to stop using those tools as crutches.... naaaah that's bull. But I'll be playing him a lot differently than I did before and a fair bit less reckless too.

 

[Sly Bass]

666P splats. Just add one more 6 in there.

And let's be honest. If the game were all the same, would it really be fun for long?

 

[Zeo]

Ha, I think things could have been kept fresh without ruffling my feathers. But indeed you're right.

666P is riskier also, it's 2 frames slower and I think it's a little less safe? Can't remember. It'll do though.

 

[Ghosty-J]

I can deal without the wall splats. In fact, there are often times I keep forgetting that happens when I try to boost the stun threshold a bit for a more damaging combo. I can handle going without the since it never revolved around my playstyle until Sly presented how practical it was to his arsenal compared to what it used to be in the source. I gotta learn to live without using to get in, but I'm already taking measures to work on that. Because I adore him as a character and wish to continue promoting Virtua Fighter, I'm gonna try my darnedest to use him properly in Ultimate (and likewise with Jacky).