The Day That Roll Back Took Over

Fighter's log 12/12/2021: This was a day like any other day but I felt compelled to blog and so here it is. So....Blazblue Central Fiction is getting roll back....yeah. I could have never imagined before covid-19 changed everything that before the end of this year I'd be playing The king of fighters XV beta, games that ran on Naomi arcade hardware, and hearing announcements like BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle getting roll back netcode. 

As far as I'm concerned, such things should not even be a possibility let alone a reality. There has been such a change in using this netcode especially with Japan developers that you...you can't even make your self believe that it has finally gained the acceptance it has deserved. 

I swear it's as if you can't even announce a fighter now without mentioning that the netcode is going to be rollback! It is a serious 180 and I am all for it. While I'm certainly elated about new fighting games fully embracing the use of roll back technology, I'm exponentially ecstatic about older fighting games getting the roll back treatment as well. 

Preservation is always the first thought that comes to mind when I think about the importance of having rollback in every fighting game that exists because, in my opinion, unless it is just horrendously unplayable, I just feel it's necessary for future generations to experience the fighting games of old and there is no better way to experience them than with another human player as your opponent. 

With what's been happening lately, things can only get better and if this year has been an indication of what's to come for the future of fighting games, new or classic, it is guaranteed that that more big surprises are coming.....with rollback included of course. 

The Journey Thus Far

 It's been a while since I posted on this blog so I thought why not. Needless to say, a full time job, and a want to play more than just fighting games has greatly affected my website something that at one point felt like my entire being. 

Don't at all get me wrong: the fire still burns for fighting games just not as strong as when I first started the website. The irony of this all is playing online has now become more important than ever due to the unfortunate events of covid-19. So many players and communities are enjoying what I always dreamed it could be had bad netcode, you know, not made it so sacrilege to do so. 

Anyway, it's a great time to play a favorite fighting game online and there are so many different ways to do so especially on PC that I have not been able to keep up with it all. 

In terms of my overall journey with fighting games, I found my biggest hurdle now is planning. What do I mean when I say planning? Well, practice...yes we are talking about practice again but the thought behind it has changed for me a bit. 

I've come to understand that much of  the practicing I was doing wasn't very practical. As you grow in improving your fighting game acumen, you learn that you essentially have to account for the many hypothetical situations you are going to run into especially with offense. 

I've gotten into the mind state of constructing so many situations that it has somewhat become more daunting then I expected it to be.  Part of me enjoys the challenge as there is a go back to the drawing board sentiment that comes with it. It's something you really can't get from a fighting game that simplifies its mechanics. 

With that being said, I've grown to some what dislike this part of fighting games because, to a large extent, it has lengthened the time I now have to spend in the training room. When it starts to come together its a wonderful feeling and can be a thing of beauty but for someone like me, it feels like it takes years before I'll come above ground to test my mettle against people who are far more adept at this than I am. 

It's all but scared me away from playing certain fighting games that I sincerely want to enjoy and I don't know if I'll every get past this issue. 

The whole point I'm ultimately getting at here is I still enjoy fighting games regardless and have a genuine want to enjoy them...I just don't quite know what the capacity of that enjoyment is going to be for the future. 

 

Pleasure Overload Part 2: The Pleasure Is Reloaded

The dark ages of fighting games feel like they are gone never to return again. Almost every year has felt like a big year for fighting games. I personally have stated this for at least the last two years because almost every big title has been announced or released within this time span and it looked like things were slowing down....then E3 came along and changed everything!!

Arc System Works and Bandai Namco finally did something that I have personally wanted to see for years now, a true Dragon Ball Z fighting game!! It goes without saying, I'm manic about this game! So far it is overhyping my expectations and if there is one game that I have in my hurry up and buy list this is definitely it. 

Even with Dragon Ball FighterZ incoming, there are a few other titles peaking my interest that are on their way as well. Arika, known for bringing the popular Street Fighter franchise to the world of 3D polygonal bliss, is bringing back some of the original characters that we have been missing from the EX series and it looks beyond incredible!!

Though Arc System Works is bringing the incredible DBZ series to fighting game life, they were by no means satisfied with just giving us one fighting game title to enjoy next year. Just a month after DBFZ's announcement, we were surprised to learn they would be giving us their first crossover title spearheaded by the BlazBlue franchise...I could have died in their arms that night I was so shocked. 

Let's be clear about something, the year is not over with, there are already three big fighting game titles planned for next year, and I just feel like there may just be at least one more announcement from my favorite fighting game developer SNK. 

I have a problem with standing still and this is making it much...much worse. I think it is safe to say that any competitive hope I might have had is gone from me now. I will be a casual fighting gamer for the rest of my days the pleasure overload is just too real to contain. 

It's unfortunate that sides will be chosen, that some of these games may not get the community they deserve. I have seen this far too often and it is a shame honestly but because often times commitment and mastery go hand in hand, keeping one's interest in so many of these fighting games becomes a pretty big undertaking. 

Never the less, I am over excited about what is to come and I'm hoping that I can somehow fit these new games into what already is a very large library of enjoyable fighting game titles at my disposal Pleasure overload season has returned...are you ready?!

Holding Characters Hostage Part Two: The DLC Experiment

With the upcoming Marvel Vs Cacpom Infinite's initial launch roster in place, I felt compelled to revisit this topic once more but in a different manner. In my initial analysis of classic characters that were missing from Street Fighter V's very mediocre character launch, I felt like they were holding favorites at bay but I do understand that from a development standpoint, especially based on SFV's latest mechanic, that things take time to design and SFV was certainly a rush job of epic proportions so no surprise there.

Unfortunately, MVCI feels somewhat the same but in terms of characters, I feel like they are doing the opposite of SFV and holding new characters hostage this time....and I'm much more irritated by this than before. A 30 character roster makes the bare minimum for what a game of this magnitude provides and while it's great to see that many of the characters from the previous game in the series are making their return, there are only 4 brand new additions to this initial roster...the rest of the new blood are attached to DLC.

There have certainly been a few atrocities when it comes to the latest game in this very popular franchise. The absence of the popular X-Men characters due to an ongoing issue with ownership was hard enough to bare but it only suffers more with the lack of new additions.

As someone who reviews fighting games, I feel obligated to experience it and give an honest opinion on it which is why I'll be trying to get hands on day one. On the other hand, as a consumer, they would not be getting my money..at least not initially.

Why? It is very simple, Black Panther. The game is $60 and for someone like myself, it is by no means a drop in the bucket. There was one character that I wanted to see above all else -- one character who would have made what is feeling like a very dismal character launch a somewhat exciting one, Black Panther. Where is Black Panther? Oh, he is on the list of DLC characters that I will have to pay additional money for.

Now maybe this was a smart business move on Capcom's end. I feel like Black Panther is a great addition and many players want him in the roster so much so that they would pay the additional money to get him but me not so much. What could have been a game seller is now an after the fact purchase and in no way am I paying for the game just to pay more to get to one character that I really wanted in particular...just not happening.

It's instances like this that set such a bad precedent for DLC because its not about presenting the best initial package they most possibly can -- instead, its a money grabbing strategy that can ultimately make this title a complete failure at launch.

Maybe my angst over one character is trivial BUT Black Panther is the character that I wanted and there are more new characters that are being launched as DLC that would have most likely made for an immediate purchase as well. New character or old we are in a character hostage situation and with no negotiator to come to our rescue things are looking pretty dire. I don't wish for Capcom's failure but I do need them to understand the errors of their ways are making me much lesser of a fan with each new title they bring.

Fear Effect: Lowering The Skill Gap

A conversation has been happening primarily within the competitive fighting game community about the dark cloud which happens to be Street Fighter V. The conversation about closing the skill gap has always been around especially with fighting games but its come to a head in recent years due to the influx of online gaming and the rise of eSports.

Execution has always played the biggest factor in this argument. Being able to do the hard stuff,as they say,  seems to guarantee at least a %70 chance of victory against an individual who can not. Even if said individual can do other things that are necessary to pull out a W, there is still that harsh reality that just one mistake can mean your defeat.

At some point, you come to this realization that you're either going to stay salty about it and give up, take a break, or do what is necessary to increase your level of skill to become good at the game. Even in the single player experience this rings true but the two player experience is very different. After all, an AI's skill level is always going to be capped where as a humans level of skill can in fact grow exponentially given their motivations. 

The biggest dilemma or question when it comes to the direction of Street Fighter V is have developers created a cap in their games human skill level to decrease the gap when it comes to overall skill of execution?  If you look at Core-A Gaming latest analysis, then you can totally agree that what I personally thought was a good idea is turning out to be somewhat of a nightmare of sorts. 

As I mentioned before, execution plays a big part in fighting games, good decisions and the rest are certainly not left out of the equation but you are going to make mistakes and execution is going to be the ultimate consequence. So what happens when you've lowered the barrier for execution against a player whose skill level has been capped in addition to other special options? Well, fear happens. Because execution is easier, more players have the chance of capitalizing off of a few mistakes. 

Add in the fact that certain characters have a high output of damage, then you start to understand why making the execution easier for creating this damage has created this worry especially among pro players. Imagine you, a sponsored pro player, being taken out by some one whose execution leaves a lot to be desired.

That is the reality that these players face and for the first time, at least in my recollection, it created a fear!! It has always been exciting when a star player gets knocked into the losers bracket by some unexpected player but unlike before a win like this now comes with a luminous disposition.

Apparently, it is only a few that can see it. The rest continue to cheer with excitement embracing the spectacle that sits before them. This is certainly a tough space to be in as someone who is still enjoying it. A lot of new faces, many of them young, are now at the top of the list when it comes to this latest edition of Street Fighter and it is great to see. 

How do you tell them that their only there because Capcom decided to reduce the skill gap? I most certainly could not because that would greatly ignore their efforts but even then some of them will agree. What is even more disparaging about these latest developments is the fact that Street Fighter V is bringing more opportunities to the fighting game community than ever before. 

The last thing you want to hear is a pro player not happy about playing a new game in a series that they have grown to love. The idea of developing fighting games in a way more players can enjoy what they have to offer is something I stand by. Maybe it was a bad idea to do it with a series that has a history rooted in creating a game that had no roof in acquiring a higher skill ceiling..maybe. 

Validating Value: DLC Practices In The Current Generation

The evolution of DLC has certainly been an interesting development in gaming. Short for down loadable content, DLC practices have created quite a series of interesting events..most being unfortunate. 

The beginning of DLC...wasn't really DLC but pre-developed content that was locked behind a paywall. Once these practices were revealed to players, you would imagine that certain outrage ensued. 

Granted, the method used to deliver DLC was atrocious but it was not as bad as how certain developers chose to package their content often times making you purchase several things you did not want to get that one thing you did. 

 

Things have certainly improved in this current generation but that is often dependent upon what they initially offer. In my opinion, the biggest issue that plagues DLC at the moment is suspected value. 

The supply for video games certainly overshadow the demand within this generation of gaming. Game sales happen almost periodically every month. Having a full gaming experience for less than $5 has certainly become plausible especially with the influx of independent game developers so it is a bit of an enigma when you start to put DLC prices under the microscope. 

Obviously, creating additional content takes resources and when it comes to certain assets like that of a character, who can honestly be considered a game in of its self at times, you can generally make an argument for the value. 

It's only when we get into certain set pieces like costumes and colors that I start to take an issue with how developers value these extras. What is great about the option that DLC provides, is the fact that I do not have to pay for it and it will not completely hamper the experience but it can certainly be somewhat frustrating especially when you see something you would happily purchase if the price felt right. 

Of course, if the initial game doesn't make its targeted sales goal it may in some ways affect the price of any additional content but why put that burden on those willing to continue the support for your game? 

Generally, you still have to speak with your wallet and it may be that the majority of players are fine with the way things are at the moment but personally, I still want to see things make a little more sense moving forward.   

Playing It Dangerously Safe: The Issues With Ultra Street Fighter II On Switch!!

Outside of the Super Smash Bros. series, Nintendo has not really been the system of choice for fighting games since the Super Nintendo..that is a pretty long damn time.

Nintendo's choices to depart from keeping up with the latest tech and opting to be on the side of innovation instead has certainly had its negatives and positives for the company.

Now, they are hedging their bets once again with the Switch, and honestly, I have to admit this is not a bad idea. In fact, one would say it is what they should have done with the Wii U...but that is a different story for an entirely different day.

Despite a peaking interest for the convenience of a home console that you can take on the go, my reservations radar are certainly on full alert and the reveal of Ultra Street Fighter II has definitely increased my cynicism.

At first, I thought this was a good idea. Capcom, who was not going to be able to port Street Fighter V over due to the systems constraints, obviously was not ready to commit to an exclusive fighting game title so the next best thing to do is push nostalgia while giving a somewhat new experience and Ultra Street Fighter II does that.

But Capcom believes this to be a good idea so much that from what news outlets are reporting they want to charge $40 for a somewhat new experience.

I do not need to be a psychiatrist to tell Capcom that they have completely lost their minds! How does a game originally based off of another game that only cost me $15 jump to $40 for two additional characters, balance changes, and some extra online modes..that is kind of insane.

I think its safe to say that no one in their right mind is buying a Switch because they want to play Ultra Street Fighter II and even if they did lets put things into perspective.

For one, the system its self costs $299.99. Secondly, if you're are going to play online the respectable way, then you will need to pay for an additional lan adapter, which costs $29.99, and if you don't feel to at home with playing on the Switch's new controller, be prepared to purchase the pro controller that is retailing at $60+ at the moment.

That is quite a sum to invest in for the enjoyment of playing a game that is primarily fueled on nostalgia and a few bells and whistles and I don't think the additional $40 you will have to pay is making that nostalgia feel very worth it.

Capcom is playing it dangerously safe with this one. Placing your bets on a few loyal Nintendo followers who never had the chance of experiencing the original Street Fighter II HD remix,fans who really want to play an updated Street Fighter II game, or have not played Street Fighter II in a while is very risky and not the choice I would have made as one of the first titles for the Switch.