From GPWiki
Preface
In this article we will discuss an idea for a fast-paced fighting engine based upon environmental movement, and counter based combat. The article will not be discussing story-line, specific characters, stages, or other such “meat” concepts; instead we focus on core mechanics.
Introduction
The aim of this system would be a game that anyone could pick-up and enjoy without spending hours memorizing combinations of special move button sequences. This system would result in a fast-paced action packed bouts.
The key game play features would be counter based combat, environment/game-play integration, power increasing transformations, special moves that convey a sense of over-whelming power to a player, and fast paced action. Long range combat and projectile attacks would play a large role in combat. All of which will be discussed in-depth in following sections.
Controls
Here we detail the controls for this fighting system, which will utilise the X-Box 360 console controller.
Basic Controls
Movement – Left Analogue or D-Pad
Free Movement – Right Analogue Stick
Light Punch – Tap X
Strong Punch – Hold X
Light Kick – Tap B
Hard Kick – Hold B
Bock – Hold Y
Modifier 1 – Left Trigger
Modifier 2 – Right Trigger
Charge Power-Meter – Right Bumper
Charge Health-Meter – Right Trigger + Right Bumper
Trigger Transformation – Left Bumper
Movement – Left Analogue or D-Pad
Jump – Tap A
Super Jump – Hold A
Intermediate
Dashing – Modifier 2 + Free Movement
Hyper-Jump – Modifier 2 + Free Movement + Jump
Deflection-Counter –Tap Block when attacked
Action-Break Counter – Modifier 2 + Block
Grapple – Modifier 1 + Up/Down/Left/Right + Block (When close to opponent)
Throw – Modifier 1 + Up/Down/Left/Right + Jump (When close to opponent)
Advanced
Special-Counter – Perform a successful deflection-counter against a modified attack
Devastation-Counter – Modifier 1 + Punch/Kick after winning a counter-struggle with a full counter progress bar.
Interface
This fighting system would require a few graphical feedback elements of which some are required and others are conditional.
Required
A character’s health would replenish over time as long as the character wasn’t involved in combat. The regeneration rate could be increased via charging the health meter.
The energy bar would represent a character’s ability to use modified moves and transformations at any given moment.
Conditional
The counter progress bar represents the escalation of a power struggle, the fuller the bar the more challenging it would be to perform a counter (less time allowed to perform the counter). When full the bar would let players know the opportunity for a devastation counter is present.
The timer informs a player of how much longer his character transformation will last. The depletion of this transformation timer can be slowed via completing attacks, winning counter-struggles and to a lesser extent charging the power meter.
Combat
In this section we delve into the combat mechanics of the fighting system. We describe the basic premise of counter-based fighting, as well as specific features which could be implemented within the mechanics. In addition it also details the “modifier” special move concept, along with environmentally based combat.
Counter System
Watch any fight scene whether it’s a Jet Li action epic or an Anime scene, where do the best moments come from? The counter moves, not the long combinations.
There would be two kinds of counter moves; a “deflection-counter” and an “action-break” counter. The deflection-counter would stop the incoming strike and provide an opportunity for a counter strike. The action-break would stop the incoming strike and knock back the attacker causing a minimal amount of damage.
The attack performed after a deflection-counter could be countered in return, leading to “counter-struggles”. A counter-struggle would be a situation where each player takes turn countering and attacking, each successive attack in a counter-struggle would allow less time to counter then the previous; the ideal timing being right as an attack connects. So the longer the players take turns countering and attacking the harder countering becomes.
The action-break counter would be an easy way out of these struggles and would knock back the attacker creating distance.
Landing a blow during a counter-struggle would allow the winning player free attacks. How many free attacks the winning player would be afforded would depend on how long the counter-struggle had landed. This concept would culminate with the devastation-counters, which would be epic beat-down animations with equally epic damage.
Countering special moves, would not lead to counter-struggles. A basic counter against a modified attack would simply negate the damage, while a deflection counter would cause a damaging counter attack (IE, countering a projectile might swat it away, while deflection-countering would reflect it back at the opponent).
Modified Attacks
Modifying attacks would result in more powerful attacks and basic projectiles. In example, holding modifier 2 while tapping X would result in a small rapid moving energy blasts, but holding down X would lead to a large slow blast. Holding modifier 1 and tapping X might result in a blazing flurry of punches (think E. Honda), but holding down X would result in a single energy charged haymaker. Modified attacks would also drain the player’s power-meter. This would effectively allow each character 8 special attacks; 2 weak modified punches, 2 strong modified punches, 2 weak modified kicks, and 2 strong modified kicks.
My previous examples only displayed offensive techniques, though one could easily visualize some of these modified maneuvers being for defense (temporary shield) or effect (randomize opponent’s controls, strengthen a character’s attacks, etc.).
Grapples and Throws
When standing right next to an opponent tapping towards them and hold down X would result in a grapple, such as a body-slam, or grabbing the opponent’s neck and repeatedly kneeing them in the face. Pressing Y would result in a throw such as an arm toss. A grapple would cause more damage, while a throw would create distance.
Grapples and throws would also lead to interaction with the environment via context sensitive areas. Perhaps performing a throw while on the edge of a roof might cause a character to tackle the other sending them both plummeting to the bottom with the attacking opponent landing on the other. Performing a grapple while near a wall might cause a character to ram the opponent’s face into the wall.
Free Movement
Free movement would play a substantial role in manoeuvring through a stage. While using the left analogue or D-Pad to move the player would remain in a fighting stance and move slowly, but free moving the player would focus purely on movement. The control would work as if the player was looking down on the character.
Pushing up on the stick would move the character into the background, pulling back would bring him/her into the foreground. Left and right would move the character forwards and back. However the analogue stick would provide complete freedom of motion.
The player would also be able to jump, climb, and explore the stage in a multitude of ways, all of which will be discussed at length in the level design section of this article.
Transformation
The idea of transformation, while not integral to this fighting system mechanic, is one which maybe has not been utilized to its full potential in fighting game designs. It has been included it into this framework, as the overall game-play experience would benefit from its inclusion.
Using transformations would allow the player to change into a more powerful variation of their character. The availability of a transformation would vary on a character’s power-meter level and how they are fairing against their opponent. If a character has substantially less health then their opponent they would require less power to transform.
Each character would have at least three levels of transformation; normal (the base character), second tier and third tier. Third tier can only be trigger under special circumstances such as a full power-meter and minimal health, but would vary with the character.
A player would have to maintain a certain level of power to remain transformed. How much would depend on the character and how powerful the transformation is. Second tier transformations would put a strain on energy causing the meter to slowly drain as long as they were transformed, while third tier would cause rapid depletion of energy.
A transformed character wouldn’t necessarily mean more powerful attacks and faster movement. Each transformation would have special characteristics to define it, perhaps a character would transform into a massive hulk-like being, but its movement would be slow. A character might transform into a wisp like ghostly figure with incredible speed and agility, but week attacks. I think more interesting transformations might be ones such as a vampire, allowing the character to drain his opponent’s health while supplementing his own. However, each second tier transformation would have a weakness, transforming wouldn’t allow a player to totally dominate the other.
Third tier transformation, would be power-houses; allowing a player to wreak havoc on his opponent. This would force the other player into a run and hide mode; giving birth to a cat and mouse dynamic as long as one player was completely transformed.
Level Design
Level design would play an integral role in this system coupled with the free movement aspect. Levels would be multi tiered, large 3D environments. The greater the distance between characters the farther the camera would pull out; assuming both players are using the same console, online play would allow a third person like view when not involved in combat.
The environments would take an interactive role in the game-play; allowing players to hide from their opponent, in order to regenerate health or perhaps set-up an ambush. Multi-tiered level design would also introduce a new level of strategy; for example; leading one’s opponent to the highest tier of a particular stage before slamming them back to the lowest level for massive amounts of damage.
Conclusion
It seems fighting games haven’t branched in game-play much since Street Fighter II. Of course, there are exceptions such as Power Stones, Super Smash Brothers, and Bushido Blade, but they are few and far between. Fighting games seem to move farther and farther into complex combos for players to remember. This is fun for devoted and hardcore gamers, but not as satisfying for casual play.
|
