I don't think I've shared my long ass post of combat concepts here yet, so here it goes.
Smash Gauge
Here you have a typical Fighting Game "meter" system with Smash's flavor (%) instead of your typical bars. The magic (I hope) is in the sheer variety of ways
players can "spend" the gauge at any moment during combat. Unlike Health, the Smash Gauge would increase and decrease frequently (gain and use). There are
several main categories that would
expend Smash Gauge - Swaps, Techniques, Skills, and Final Smashes. It is important to note that players are not
forced to operate under any of these categories of Smash Gauge uses. Also, for those whose playstyles are about operating under a single Smash Gauge reliant
category, players could BREAK the Smash Gauge at the start of the match (3-2-1) to enter UNLIMITED MODE for that chosen category. Unlimited Techniques, for
example, means you can use every technique under the sun without worrying about Smash Gauge costs. However, this forfeits your access to all other categories
for the remainder of the match, cutting your options down significantly.
Swaps (see the animated gifs below + description of Directional Swap Cancel (for shenanigans and crazy cool Swap Combos!)
Techniques
Skills
Directional Swap Cancel
On the left, you can see what Swaps and Directional Swap Canceling could look like. Old to Young Zeku, Wii Fit Trainer I to Wii Fit Trainer II, or Wii Fit Trainer I to Peach I (or II? Hmm...) On the right, you can see the hint at a vision to add Smash's Team Combo spectacle to 1 vs 1 action!
In Training Mode, players can develop Custom Swap Combos and assign critical "teleport points" to directions + Swap button. For tournaments, participating
players' data could be downloaded from Nintendo's servers automatically upon sign in (simply loading a profile). Between matches at tournaments, players can
make adjustments to their Custom Swap Combo data. There would be save data for every character you've designed combos for under your profile (up to 8
teleport points per character).
1. Go into Training Mode.
2. Imagine and Practice combos that use Swap Canceling!
3. Set a destination for the swapped in character to teleport to. See SFV gif for example teleport-swap animation. This should be where you believe your
other character needs to be in order to manually carry out the rest of the Swap Combo you are designing.
4. Once tested and satisfied, set the Swap Cancel Teleport Point to a Direction on an analog stick. Again, there can be 8 directions = 8 points. If a player
Swap Cancels with no direction, that equals "no teleport", just an on-the-spot swap. Swap Cancel is basically cancelling a move with the Swap Button.
Applying a direction at the same time teleports you to a point you'd assigned prior to the match. The best example of the input involved here is setting
Ibuki's bomb timer with her first V Trigger in Street Fighter V. It shouldn't have to be much more difficult than that in terms of input.
The risks/costs/etc.:
1. A lot of these will never be guaranteed because of DI, but the chance exists. Get the read, get the fireworks!
2. You have to commit to a teleport destination at the point of canceling, so knowing your points is critical.
3. Directional Swap Cancels always burn an extra chunk of Smash Gauge, regardless of success. I'd want this to be quite costly and not the kind of thing that
is going to be easily spammed, whether for Swap Combos or other shenanigans. Maybe 16% SG depletion if damage is dealt to opponent within certain
time frame of execution, 8% if no damage inflicted. Stuff like that. I'm also thinking about a "no kill zone" which states that an opponent must be at some
very high % in order for a Swap Combo to be capable of legitimately killing. This (like everything else) could NOT be broken/op. There needs to be some heavy
duty scaling or something in place, while still I'd want these to be the most damaging combos in the game. It should be seen as the added benefit of having a playstyle that includes use of the Swap mechanic, but also most expensive in terms of Smash Gauge usage.
With this concept, I believe they could get players to performing those team combos in 1 vs 1 matches and without it being some automatic "win button" thing. There
would be some guess/read work and a sky high execution ceiling for many of the bigger combos to be invented.
Like everything else that requires Smash Gauge, ignore it if it's not for you! If you want to go OG Smash Play, DO IT! Go "techniques only". You don't have
to Swap a single time! You don't have to go for Skill mods!
If anyone has questions, I've got answers! If you've got suggestions, I'd love to read them! If you've got nothing constructive, please refrain from responding.
I know this would be a tall order for the team, but I can see this being really fun to play and watch. Depth/Strategy potential goes through the roof!