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[Metal B]

The K.O. for supers didn't really bother me at all, because they still serve the same purpose as a high percentage in SSB: it will K.O. your opponent.

In SSB, it was like:

Percentage Start: 0% >damage opponent> % up >damage opponent>%high > damage opponent > K.O.

No, it isn't that simple.

There are four phases in a SSB-Set (one Stock): "Build Up", "Dominance", "Endgame" and "Ledge-Game".

"Build Up" is simply the phase, where both player try to build up enough damage on the opponent until he gets into his "Danger Zone". This is the combo and risk heavy phase, because it is a save phase. since it is hard to KO each other. The player will use every move they have, but properly skip the strong but very slow smash attacks.

The "Dominance"-phase begins, if one player gets the other in the "Danger Zone" with his damage. This player dominates the other, since one good attack can KO the opponent. The dominated player will play much carefuller now, while the other still will take risk to land the finishing move. The problem for the dominating player is, that all his weak and middle strong moves are much less useful now. The player wants to KO the opponent and those moves rarely have the blast-power. This is a great balance and comeback point of the game. The dominated player has now much more options and can use the risky play of his opponent to catch up with him. The weak and middle strong moves of the dominating player even help him to get some space after those attacks.

"Endgame" is the classic point of all fighting-games. Both players are in the "Danger Zone" and will play very carefully. Since only strong attacks will give the player the KO, the game know also becomes much slower, but still great to watch. The longer the player stay at in this phase, the more damage they take. After a while the middle and weak attacks become useful again, since there blast power will also KO the opponent. A great gameplay-tool to end the conflict faster.

The "Ledge-Game" is the unique part of SSB, since the player get into it at any moment of the three other phase and it will end the set. It is the comeback, surprise, chance, danger and existing phase of the game. It is a highly risk and reward gameplay aspect of the game, which makes Smash Brothers so satisfying. If the player gets over the edge anything is possible. This phase is all about mind-gaming and skill, that's why SSB is such a great spectator-game.

In PBR, it's like:

Super Meter Start: Empty Bar >damage opponent > Bar fills > damage opponent > Super Ready (indicated by glowing outline around your character) > execute Super > K.O.

In my mind, the principal is still the same. The Super Meter is basically your opponents HP. You know that once that meter is ready, your opponent is going down, just like you know that once your opponents percentage is high in SSB, they are going down.

There is still strategy in the way PBR is set up. You are constantly observing the super meters of your opponents as much as your own. You are constantly looking for the best strategy to set up your opponent for a K.O, while avoiding be K.O'd yourself. When you see that glow surrounding your opponent, you start to feel that tension. At any moment, they could execute their super. When you see that they have a level 2 or 3, the tension gets really high, since you know there is a great chance of getting K.O'd/less of a chance at dodging/avoiding the super successfully.

The gameplay of PBR reminds a lot of the playstyle of Donkey Kong and Samus in SSB. Both have a chargeable attack: Donkey Punch and Charge-Beam. One major aspect of both is to get those attack fully charge and use them as an 100% KO move, if the player is in his "Danger Zone". It also becomes a mind-gaming tool, since player aspect you to use the move, if it is fully charge. I believe, it works similar in PBR with its super-moves.
The problem i see, is that missing the super-move means that you lose any progress you made in this set. If the player is really good in dodging those moves, you have no other chance to KO him. That could mean long and recurring "Build Up"-phases.

 

[SSReborn]

No, it isn't that simple.

There are four phases in a SSB-Set (one Stock): "Build Up", "Dominance", "Endgame" and "Ledge-Game".

"Build Up" is simply the phase, where both player try to build up enough damage on the opponent until he gets into his "Danger Zone". This is the combo and risk heavy phase, because it is a save phase. since it is hard to KO each other. The player will use every move they have, but properly skip the strong but very slow smash attacks.

The "Dominance"-phase begins, if one player gets the other in the "Danger Zone" with his damage. This player dominates the other, since one good attack can KO the opponent. The dominated player will play much carefuller now, while the other still will take risk to land the finishing move. The problem for the dominating player is, that all his weak and middle strong moves are much less useful now. The player wants to KO the opponent and those moves rarely have the blast-power. This is a great balance and comeback point of the game. The dominated player has now much more options and can use the risky play of his opponent to catch up with him. The weak and middle strong moves of the dominating player even help him to get some space after those attacks.

"Endgame" is the classic point of all fighting-games. Both players are in the "Danger Zone" and will play very carefully. Since only strong attacks will give the player the KO, the game know also becomes much slower, but still great to watch. The longer the player stay at in this phase, the more damage they take. After a while the middle and weak attacks become useful again, since there blast power will also KO the opponent. A great gameplay-tool to end the conflict faster.

The "Ledge-Game" is the unique part of SSB, since the player get into it at any moment of the three other phase and it will end the set. It is the comeback, surprise, chance, danger and existing phase of the game. It is a highly risk and reward gameplay aspect of the game, which makes Smash Brothers so satisfying. If the player gets over the edge anything is possible. This phase is all about mind-gaming and skill, that's why SSB is such a great spectator-game.



The gameplay of PBR reminds a lot of the playstyle of Donkey Kong and Samus in SSB. Both have a chargeable attack: Donkey Punch and Charge-Beam. One major aspect of both is to get those attack fully charge and use them as an 100% KO move, if the player is in his "Danger Zone". It also becomes a mind-gaming tool, since player aspect you to use the move, if it is fully charge. I believe, it works similar in PBR with its super-moves.
The problem i see, is that missing the super-move means that you lose any progress you made in this set. If the player is really good in dodging those moves, you have no other chance to KO him. That could mean long and recurring "Build Up"-phases.

That's why the game is more centered around combos like a traditional fighter while infusing some concepts from smash. The smash or knockback attacks are there for meter building purposes as well as spacing. While the weaker attacks give you less meter but allow you to combo your moves. Your in most cases not going to just throw out your supers in this game. The more advance players are gonna set up combos and throw out supers at the tail end to ensure a 100% success rate.

 

[plainr_]

It's great that Sony is hiring people knowledgeable in the fighting game scene. Now they need seal the deal and acquire Super Bot as their first party dev team solely dedicated to creating fighting games.

 

[danmaku]

I absolutely ADORED SFxT when it came out and played it pretty obsessively for 2 weeks..and then sold it. This post is absolutely wonderful at pointing out the flaws. Personally I still think SFxT is downright fun but these points are all very true. #3 is really the giant problem in my opinion.

Most of those problems could've been fixed in the testing/balancing stage, if only Capcom had bothered to do it. So, for everyone saying it's too late to change something... it's not.

 

[Schobeleth]

SO EXCITED! Can't wait to play it during the PS Experience tour.

 

[Callibretto]

It's great that Sony is hiring people knowledgeable in the fighting game scene. Now they need seal the deal and acquire Super Bot as their first party dev team solely dedicated to creating fighting games.

do we know for sure Superbot is not already a first party? majority of it's member is existing SSM guys + some people they hired for fighting game expertise. we never got the news like during Ready At Dawn when we have articles some ex ND team leave Sony to form RaD.

 

[Napalm_Frank]

From Superbots website:

SuperBot Entertainment, Inc. is a fresh, new independent game studio located in way cool Culver City, California. We are an exclusive developer of Sony Computer Entertainment America.

 

[Unknown One]

It's great that Sony is hiring people knowledgeable in the fighting game scene. Now they need seal the deal and acquire Super Bot as their first party dev team solely dedicated to creating fighting games.

Let them at least prove themselves first.

 

[Metal B]

That's why the game is more centered around combos like a traditional fighter while infusing some concepts from smash. The smash or knockback attacks are there for meter building purposes as well as spacing. While the weaker attacks give you less meter but allow you to combo your moves. Your in most cases not going to just throw out your supers in this game. The more advance players are gonna set up combos and throw out supers at the tail end to ensure a 100% success rate.

Yes, that makes sense. Still, if only the Level 3 Super has an 100% success rate, why would you ever use the other super-moves? Especially if its easy to build up the meter. In this way, it becomes a system like Street Fighter. Only with an nicer looking KO through the level 3 supers. For this system to work, the Level 1 super-move has to be very situation-dependent (opponent has to make really bad choices), the level 2 needs to be placed smartly (the player makes smart/skilled choices) and level 3 has to be the win-button (to finally end the set).

 

[Raonak]

Yes, that makes sense. Still, if only the Level 3 Super has an 100% success rate, why would you ever use the other super-moves? Especially if its easy to build up the meter. In this way, it becomes a system like Street Fighter. Only with an nicer looking KO through the level 3 supers. For this system to work, the Level 1 super-move has to be very situation-dependent (opponent has to make really bad choices), the level 2 needs to be placed smartly (the player makes smart/skilled choices) and level 3 has to be the win-button (to finally end the set).

from the sounds of it, it's quite balanced.
lv1 and 2 supers can easily take out multiple enemies if used correctly.

some lv3 supers have a 100% success rate (like parappa) but the downside being, it only kills 3 enemies.
while other peoples lv3 supers don't have a 100% success rate. but have the advantage of being able to kill more than 3 enemies.

like a fat princess lv1 super. makes her do a dash sort of thing, and any enemy that was in her path dies. so it can kill anywhere from 1-3 enemies.

 

[we.are.the.armada]

This could be huge for that game and the community.

 

[jrDev]

Hmm...Sony's marketing has begun!

Serious question, what can he do at this point to the game? Yea balancing (which would have been done without him) and....?

 

[KevinCow]

Yes, that makes sense. Still, if only the Level 3 Super has an 100% success rate, why would you ever use the other super-moves?

Risk/reward. If you get a kill with a level 1, it's far better meter/kill ratio.

It's worth pointing out that the meter works a bit differently from what you might think. It seems to build from 0 to 1 faster than from 1 to 2. So while it might take 100 AP to get to a level 1, it'll take 200 AP to get to level 2 from a level 1, so 300 AP in total. And it might take 300 AP to get from level 2 to level 3, so 600 AP in total.

If a level 3 equals two level 2s or six level 1s, then that's plenty of incentive to take the risk and try to land that level 1, don't you think?

These numbers may not be accurate, and they may not be the same for every character, but that's the general idea.

 

[Figboy79]

That's why the game is more centered around combos like a traditional fighter while infusing some concepts from smash. The smash or knockback attacks are there for meter building purposes as well as spacing. While the weaker attacks give you less meter but allow you to combo your moves. Your in most cases not going to just throw out your supers in this game. The more advance players are gonna set up combos and throw out supers at the tail end to ensure a 100% success rate.

Yeah, at the end of my third and final match, I had started playing around with that set up as Kratos.

Since he is the most "pick up and play" character I played with, once I had experimented with his move set for a bit, I was able to string together a few quick combos that filled me to level 1 fairly quickly, then execute his level one, Sword of Zeus super, and got the kills. The other Kratos in the match was hording until Level 3, and never got to pull it off, because me, and the others, were actively keeping him from pulling it off with interrupts.

The other players looked to be trying to build beyond level 1 meters as well. Ultimately, I actually ended up winning that final match, with a much better kill/death ratio than the other three players (I can't remember the specifics though). All I know is that I got quite a few kills with those Level 1 supers (I'm pretty sure at some point during the fight, I killed at least 2 other players with one swipe of my level 1, because they were all clumped together in a group, hacking at each other).

My first two matches I sucked big time (played as Kratos in the first, Sly in the second, and Kratos again in the third).

I didn't want to hog the station, and I was hanging with a co-worker, but I could have stayed at that booth and played that shit the rest of the day, just experimenting with the different characters, and developing strategy.

With each fighter having 22 moves at their disposal, there seems to be enough room to really build your play style. I'm really eager to see the other characters and their play styles.