The Art of Combos

[virtuaPAI]

The Art of Combos:

The term combo, is a universal term among all fighting game franchises. A string of attacks that is inescapable after the 1st hit. However true, how a combo come about is different in each fighting game series. In Dead or Alive 4, there are somethings you need to know before you start to implement combos into your game plan.

True Combos:

A combo is not a combo unless the string of attacks are inescapable after the 1st hit. New comers confuse the combo meter in-game as what a combo is represented in Doa and it's community. The in-game combo meter do not make any distinctions between a true combo and a string. Doa's combo meter will make a distinction between a grouping of attacks done on a staggered opponent(Combo), and on a non staggered opponent (String). This usage of the word combo is not used in the community, and do not represent the already established meaning.

More Hits do not equal more damage:

Unlike the majority of other fighters, doing a lot of hits do not necessarily mean you will do more damage. In a juggle, attack damage will drop down to 40%. Lets say you use an attack that is 50pts, after the juggle revision, that attack will do 20pts of damage. A 100pt attack in comparison will do 40pts of damage in comparison(after juggle revision). with this in mind, you should create combos for the amount of damage that it deals, as opposed to the amount of hits the combo produce.

Weight Class:

A character's weight is the most important factor in what combo will be used. The heavier the character, the faster they will fall, resulting in less attacks hitting your opponent. Here are the characters grouped by their weight:

super light:
:ayane :kasumi :kokoro :hitomi :eliot
light
:lei :lisa :brad :jann :zack
Mid
:helena :christie :tina :ein :hayabusa :hayate
Heavy Mid
:genfu
Heavy
:bayman :bass :leon
Super Heavy
:spartan
Devil Weight!
:tengu

Launch height:

Another important factor in determining what attack follow up should be used, is launch height. The higher the character is launched, the more attacks you can use to juggle your opponent.

Normal Blow Launch:

Normal blow launchers produce the lowest launches possible for that particular launching attack.

Counter Blow Launch:

Counter blow launchers produce medium launches possible for that particular launching attack. Counter blow launches are a result of hitting an opponent who is either: Attacking, Back turned, On a slippery surface, or Crouched.

High Counter Blow Launch:

High counter blow launchers produce High launches possible for that particular launching attack. High counter blow launches are a result of hitting an opponent who is either: Throwing or back dashing. Launch Height (Staggers)

Stun launchers have been revamped in doa4, and require more skill to produce a high launch compared to past doa games. In past doa games, launchers done on a:

• Stagger produced from a normal blow, will result in a normal launch
• Stagger produced from a counter blow, will result in a counter blow Launch
• Stagger produced from a high counter blow, will result in a High counter blow launch.

 

[virtuaPAI]

Stagger Combos:

This is a controversal term. As I stated earlier in this thread, the combo meter in the game is no indication of a true Combo(a string of attacks that cannot be escaped after the 1st hit). However, this type of combo now have a particular purpose in doa4, and that is to reach a particular stun threshold level to receive a higher launch height.

In doa4, no matter what you do, you will need to reach a certain point in the stagger's threshold to receive a particular launch height. Here is the breakdown:

• 1%-33% of the stagger's threshold = Normal blow launcher
• 34%- 66%of the stagger's threshold = Counter blow launcher
• 67%-100% of the stagger's threshold = High Counter blow launcher

The difficulty do not end there. The threshold for a stagger changes whether the stagger was produced from a normal blow, counter blow, or high counter blow. Normal blow having the smallest threshold, Counter blow have a medium threshold, while High counter blow having the largest threshold. Meaning, getting to 63%-100% of a normal blow's threshold(to get the highest launch possible) will take less time than it would to get to 66% of a counter and high counter blow.

It should be noted, the more damage an attack does, the faster you will reach a particular section of the stagger's threshold. Going past the stagger's threshold will result in your opponent getting knocked down. Setting up your opponent to reach the critical point of the threshold(99% into the stagger), require you the player to have an understanding of how long that particular staggers threshold, how these thresholds expand due to counter hit, and how many attacks(or different combination of attacks) will get you to the stagger's critical point. For the launch to be effective, the launcher must hit during the last % of the particular launch level.

Here are the scaling of damage:

• NB: 25 damage
• CB: 35 damage
• HCB: 45 damage

Normal Blow (NB) Launch Height:

• NB Critical Stun: 0-10
• CB Critical Stun: 0-12
• HB Critical Stun: 0-15

Counter Blow (CB) Launch Height:

• NB Critical Stun: 11-20
• CB Critical Stun: 13-25
• HB Critical Stun: 16-30

High Counter Blow (HCB) Launch Height:

• NB Critical Stun: 21-25
• CB Critical Stun: 26-35
• HB Critical Stun: 31-45

Launch Height(Juggle modifiers)


Slope Juggles:

Juggles change properties whether you are fighting up hill or down hill.

Going up Hill:

• Normal blow launches become low launches
• Counter blow launches become normal launches
• High Counter blow launches become Counter blow launches
• Launches done on an air born opponent become high counter blow launches
• Sky high launches become super launches

Going Down Hill:

• Normal blow launches become counter blow launches
• Counter blow launches become high counter blow launches
• High Counter blow launches become super high launches
• Launches done on an air born opponent become sky high launchers.
• Sky high launches remain the same with a few more hits possible.

Launching an air born opponent:

There are times your opponent will try to use a jumping attack. Using a launcher on an air borne opponent(who was not already in a juggle), will result in your opponent getting super high launched. This launch will allow you to do more damage than what was previously possible.

Accumilation of different launch Heights:

• Sky High- Achieved through super launch.ie Inzuna, Gen Fu's :qcf :t - Throw - Throw .etc.
• Super High - Achieved through launching attacks on an airborne opponent or a high counter blow launch going down hill.
• High - Achieved through High counter blow, or 67% -100%l stagger launch
• Mid - Achieved through Counter blow, or 34% -66% stagger launch
• Low - Achieved through a normal blow launch or 1% -33% stagger Launch
• Super Low - Normal blow launch done going down hill.