[Drem]

On Day 1, people started saying solo mode is overpowered because:

1. You have increased health to make up for the fact that you only have one character.

2. To make up for the fact that you can't tag out, your red health regenerates automatically. (On a tag team, red health only recovers while the character is tagged out.)

3. You get rage mode (increased damage for 10 seconds) twice per round to make up for the fact that you only have one character (first when you hit 50-40% health and second right before death). On a tag team, your partner enters rage mode when your active character sustains a certain amount of damage (the amount needed varies based on character allegiances with each other), and each character only enters rage mode once per round.

People decry it because solo play avoids the extra layers of strategy that must be learned and employed when managing two characters on one team. A tag team player must master two characters simultaneously while also working the character synergy into combos, has to manage his ability to tag safely, and has to deal with lower health. Another thing is that when doing a Tag Assault (calling in a partner character for a quick attack mid-combo) against a tag team, the opposing players' partner would automatically get rage mode, but a solo player automatically gets rage mode on his active (only) character. A solo player can play the game like old Tekken, mastering one character and seemingly ignore the spirit of the game. "It's easy mode."

It's funny because solo mode was explicitly created because Japanese players complained that learning two characters was too hard. I think it's silly because Tekken Unlimited Tag Tournament 2's main feature was the addition of solo play, which has been out for several months and I don't recall hearing any complaining from the Japanese end (granted I didn't follow it closely). In fact I think most players still play tag teams. Additionally, tag teams have their own advantages. You are using two characters, giving you more leeway in how you play your match-ups, and the ability to use Tag Assaults to net better combos and Tag Crashes to save a character who's currently being hit by a combo are both big boons.

Just because Japanese players seem okay with it doesn't mean US players will be okay with it, but at this point in time any such complaints are too impulsive. The game hasn't been in US players' hands long enough to really make that kind of judgment call, not when everyone is still learning the ins and outs of the system.

[RobotRocker]

Looks like Microsoft are bringing back Killer Instinct in some form
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[Jigsaw]

FWIW, solo mode was apparently changed significantly between TUTT2 and console TTT2. I don't know the details, and it certainly isn't an argument in favour of a kneejerk ban, but it does mean that impressions/opinions based on the arcade game are moot.

[mauve]

CVS2 is available for download on JP PSN now.

Watch it never make it outside of there, too.
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twit

[Pijaibros]

Season's Beatings will not ban solo mode. It's stupid to even think it would be worth banning this early in the game's life.

What you get in damage you lose in punishment combo opportunities.
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[Deets]

Also it was nerfed from the arcade version to begin with, apparently

[Drem]

Buy Tekken, y'all.

[Drem]

Sorry guys, there's just lots of Tekken stuff nowdays. But maybe it can soon be replaced by Under Night In-Birth match videos since that came out today.





DLC character previews:

Unknown

Violet

Dr. Bosconovitch

Slim Bob

Sebastian

Miharu

There are also several DLC stage previews at the same YouTube channel.

[RobotRocker]

PS All-Stars is looking rather improved now



Certainly looks less bland. More emphasis on the hitsparks and moves being more recognizable instead of mushy as well. Hopefully the sound design can catch up a bit because everything has been boring and unhype so far though Seth Killian has been saying on Twitter they are working on that one very diligently.

I'm Digging the new theme, though. So maybe some improvement?


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[Moogs]

[Lasakon]

the future of street fighter

[elvis.shrugged]

:/
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last.fm
tumblr

[Deets]

funny video, but yeah god I can only imagine what it must be like internally at dimps/capcom right now

[mauve]

I wonder who told Capcom management that the best way to get people to play their fighting games is to tell them that they don't actually have to play them.
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twit

[Dark Age Iron Savior]

well, it's not like someone is going to pay Dimps to make another Draglade game.

I mean, this is a basically good idea, just presented the most incompetent way possible.

[RobotRocker]

[Drem]

I feel kind of bad for Mike Ross (he really should have owned the video as the amazing thing it is) but this is what those Aftershock interviews really should have been like.

[ionustron]

[ArOne]

[RobotRocker]

[Adilegian]

[RobotRocker]

Warning: Contains unrestrained Fabulousness. Shades are advised.
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[radish]

Game seriously looks fun. Wonder what the odds are for a US release.

[Drem]

Namco Bandai has filed a trademark for ALL-STAR BATTLE in the US, but I guess that doesn't really mean a whole lot in the long run.


Picked up DOA5 last night and played about 30 minutes of it. After coming off VF and Tekken, it's going to take some getting used to. Graphics are pretty fantastic though. Story mode is incoherent.

[Persona]

I like that they incorporate Akira into the storyline except all he can say are his canned lines from VF, so it's just HYAH HYOO HWAH "Let's fight."
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[Persona]

Meanwhile Sarah's introduction is that Zack is confusing her for Tina, which is a bit smoother.
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[Persona]

I beat story mode - took like 5 hours. It's a lot of nonsense told really slowly. I miss the old story where it was just "everyone fights each other until they get to Tengu and then an inexplicable cutscene afterwards." Also it's pretty annoying having to play with everyone, but oh well.

Found out I need 100 titles (unlockable from doing shit) to unlock Pai. I think I had like 89 or something. This is also pretty annoying nonsense.
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[Drem]

Not only are the VF characters restricted in their dialogue in story mode, but their voices are also somewhat deeper and fuzzier than everything else in the game do to it being recorded differently. It's weird to hear.

What is up with Kokoro? I don't recall her being so... "out of it" in DOA4. What the heck is her win quote "cherry blossoms and warriors" even supposed to mean? And the one where she does this motion that's kind of like poking you through the air? I would venture to say that she is mentally under-developed or handicapped in some way, and it has to be intentional.

Persona if you're playing this on PS3 we should try playing online sometime.

Dementia, were you playing TTT2 on 360? If not, it would be nice to try playing against someone from here one time. I'm enjoying it a fair amount, more than any Tekken before it. I've always been lukewarm on the series but I think I can get into this one.

[analogos]

focus vs flocker right now gogogo http://www.twitch.tv/consolecombat

[Focus]

I think I did okay, considering I rarely if ever play "the pros" I did beat honzo gonzo though, and he is like a half-pro
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[Persona]

Had some good DOA matches with Broco (I think? I forgot sorry ;_;)

I'm still not used to this counter > strike > throw system because it basically seems to mean blocking is pretty useless and you should be either not getting hit or countering. I dunno, blocking just seems so shit now compared to before or compared to VF. I'm probably just real awful at the game though.

I finally unlocked Pai! She's pretty weird to play with. Like in VF she feels kind of like Ayane or Kasumi in DOA in how fast and smooth her movements are, but in DOA she feels really stiff. Also her attacks are mapped differently so it's weird trying to figure out how to do some of her things in the framework of DOA.

Then again, I haven't played VF since EVO so maybe I'm just totally wrong about it.
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[dementia]

[klj5j6li]

me and a friend who played a lot of DOA 3 played DOA 5 all day today, and we both agreed it's one of the worst things we've ever played.

the counter window is so small and they've decided to stick with making middle-kick counters their own separate counter-intuitive thing, hitting people on the ground and removing all their oki options is back, and the game in general just seems to be about picking the characters who can put out constant pressure really easily. With Hitomi and Mila at least, they almost never return to a neutral stance, so throwing is basically useless against them. It's an absolute laugh that they even put Akira in the game since he's so so out of place with how this new stupid DOA works.

The online spread is currently 80% hitomi and mila i'd say, and i think that's pretty indicative of a problem.

[Jigsaw]

Hey Focus, I saw your match against Flocker and I was pretty impressed with your performance. You were far from completely steamrolled which I guess has to count for something?

Also finally got to play TTT2 yesterday and what the fuck I can't believe how much I'm enjoying it. I've never been a big Tekken fan, but me and a friend (both complete Tekken scrubs) were messing around in training mode and online pair play and we both had a real blast. I can't at all put my finger on what it is (other than tag combos just being fun in general, but that doesn't account for everything) but there's just something about the game that makes it feel more FUN than previous Tekkens I've dabbled in. Customization options sadly feel about as limited as I'd expected but otherwise first impressions are definitely exceeding my expectations. Liking Jaycee a lot but I still haven't messed around enough with other characters to figure who else I want to play with. Kunimitsu seems really cool too, though.



edit: oh and as for DOA, man does that game just feel like a dud. I was kind of looking forward to it (having had fun with previous DOAs, but never taking them very seriously), but at this point I've just about lost whatever hype for it that I'd ever had. I mean, I still kind of want to try out a few characters in the game, but I'm just not very excited about the prospect of playing it, ya know? I think one factor is that the biggest source of enjoyment in DOA for me has always been fucking around with single player modes and unlocking costumes and shit, but 5 seems to be plagued with a completely inane and dumb story mode, and possibly the worst wardrobe selections in the entire series. Maybe seeing some good tournament matches would sway my opinion on the game, but right now I feel glad that I decided against pre-ordering it, and that I'll be very content with KOF, VF and TTT2.

[Booter]

[analogos]

[Deets]

[Focus]

Uuugh had to play Ricky first round in sf4. 4-2 overall. Now that I'm out of my non team tournaments, tome to starry drinking and side betting!.

Also booster I haven't played frutsy meximodok but hopefully I can money match him on stream.
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[zombieman000]

[klj5j6li]

[Deets]

Dinghy, everything you've posted so far has sounded warning klaxons at Scrubtalk HQ. The juxtaposition of hardcore DOA players saying DOA5 is the best the series has ever been mechanically with your saying it's the worst it's ever been got me wondering. So I asked a local DOA player to look at your earlier post: