#force break

[gear-project]

Do you think Force Breaks will ever make a comeback? I think that they went a long way to expanding character gameplay.

Part of the issue with Tension is the balance of “not enough” versus “too much”.

GGX started out with a split Tension Gauge (i.e. Two Overdrives per full gauge).

GGXX reduced the cost of RCs with FRCs (Force Roman Cancels), these later became the basis for Yellow RCs.

I've often said that the original GGX felt a lot like some incarnations of Samurai Shodown because you put more value in the Tension you gained (in much the same way Tension is currently used in GGStrive).

Meaning, in situations where you don’t have many options, you use your Tension for what’s most important given the situations you’re in.

It’s simple, yet at the same time very vital to winning in matches.

Things like FRCS/YRCs/Blitz/Forcebreak were all very “budget-level” actions you could freely take, and were almost always something easily abused depending on the character.

RCs in Strive currently cost 50% regardless of what you use them for, so you really have to think about WHEN you actually want to use them, if at all.  In that sense, it is very much like how things were in Guilty Gear X.

In the case of Forcebreaks, there were frequently situations where you could use them to literally trap your opponent if given enough meter (Ky’s aerial Stun Ray is a notorious example).

At least with things like Blitzshield and Slashback, it was more of a defensive tool rather than something you could abuse offensively.

The main idea here is to use your character’s tools the way they were meant to be used within the “limitations” of their useage (which is more balanced in concept).

In other words, when you gain meter, it’s more rewarding when you can make it count for something important rather than something you get for free.

[gravedice]

Reblog with what you get!!

[gear-project]

What's your opinion on Force Breaks? They can expand characters' movesets in interesting ways, but I think a lot of them feel too samey, and they're often too powerful as easy tools for reversals or quick damage.

I’ve always been of the opinion that a character’s move list should reflect upon the full extent of their combat abilities.

That’s not to say that “more is better” but I think a lot of thought should be given to the nature and properties of each and every move they are given.

Understand that in the old days of Guilty Gear and Guilty Gear X, there was no need or expectation for something like Force Breaks. Every character had a diverse set of moves and tools they could use to win a battle.

No one questioned whether “these moves were good enough” or “needed enhancements” or not. They just were. That was just their tools of the trade for a match. Moves that defined who the characters were.

It was a simple yet effective design choice to have.

Granted, in the first Guilty Gear attacks could be changed and enhanced when they were charged up… but even then, there was some negligible risk when using high powered moves (Order Sol’s fighting style is exemplary of this system).

Having “stronger” or “different” moves doesn’t necessarily have to cost Tension to be achieved. It could just be a different input or have slower frame start-up or a different trajectory (or any other number of differences depending on the nature of the attack).

A simpler way to look at it is by looking at Ky Kiske’s fighting style.

He can change the trajectory of his Stun Edge projectiles by just using a different button press. He can even use Heavy Slash or Dust to use his 3-hit Stun Edge Charge Attack… and that’s not even taking in to account the Grinder spells he can use to further enhance his abilities to turn them in to Durandal Call.

Another example is Ky’s EX Mode… he once had an instant overhead attack called Crescent Slash. Was it any different in function and use to Greed Sever? It comes out much faster for one thing, it even used to be able to be done mid-air at one point! In fact many players might even claim that the move was TOO good.

With characters like Ky who had too many moves at their disposal (ironically resulting in a separate character in Robo-Ky), it’s difficult to say what to “cut out” and what to “leave in” for the sake of balancing the game via its mechanics and other factors.

Universally speaking, every move should serve a certain use with regards to the game’s system. If an attack has no use, then it really doesn’t serve any purpose and has no business being in a character’s movelist.

Consider what a character needs to be optimal for most situations (without being overpowered). What abilities do you think they need in order to win? Projectiles? Invincibility framed attacks (DPs/Command Throws)? Crossup/Teleport attacks? It could be anything.

The goal with most character designs is to achieve a certain aesthetic of dynamics and balance that states that “this is how this character fights”.

Of course, not all characters have a single fighting style, and can change their styles on the fly… Nu-13 of BlazBlue Chrono Phantasma and A.B.A. are two such examples.

Consider what a character needs, what they REALLY NEED to look good and to be effective at what they do.

Force Breaks are only a single possible means to that end. Other ideas are always coming up and being explored.

The best thing to do is to keep an open mind and keep ideas fresh and interesting.