is it me or is VF dieing....

Re: It's you - VF isn't dying...

Slight difference though. SF3 players in the states could play to improve, then travel to Japan come SBO and test their mettle against the best. It gave you just that much more to strive for.

We can't do that. They're all playing a different game altogether that we don't have access to. So the actual community for VF5 was cut in half so to speak.

I guess its more of a question as to whether or not VF5 would've survived 10 years without R coming out at all. Who knows? I think it would still be getting play.

None of this is to say I won't play anymore. But I know pretty much everyone has toned down their competitive drive in it.

 

Re: It's you - VF isn't dying...

I said reserved and quiet, not that it actually didn't get mentioned at all.

Stop quoting me man I'll keel you.

 

Re: It's you - VF isn't dying...

Some players of the VF series, as a personal opinion, can somewhat justifiably call VF5, VF4FT part 2 remixed.

In 5, among other changes, reliance on traditional defensive techniques and the need to see stance has been toned down. Movement is looser and looser, and most moves on block do not lead to clear guaranteed damage situations. The trend on making things simpler has continued in 5R with the introduction of non-stance specific high damage combos for all characters and the new Guard TE technique. In 5R the number of situations fuzzy guard will save you and the need to remember character specific, multi-hit combos has gone up.

There's alot more freedom/flexibility in 5's play so for many of you it feels more fun. The statement "Everybody can be a winner" is more true in 5 than ever. Sega did seek to flatten the skill curve with VF and has been doing so since VF2.

It still takes as much skill/commitment as ever to be a super strong player in 5 as previous versions of VF. I think Sega realized that not everybody wants to be a Master so the skill curve has fallen to make the game playable i.e. a fun competitive level.

In a sense a portion of players we have today are a result of Sega attracting legions of casual players who have a low probability of committing energy to leveling up. The strategy of making things easier backfired in my view since players were able to get up to speed very quickly but have no reason to invest hundreds of hours toward improving since it doesn't take hundreds of hours to reach a competitive fun level. VF2 and 3 were too hard. 4's skill curve was just right and I guess the most popular in the series so far. I hope Sega will revamp the game and make the skill curve what it used to be.

 

Re: It's you - VF isn't dying...

Tellingly, I don't think I read a single comment regarding VF's game play. Everyone who complained simply called it "boring".

Depth isn't the issue here. It's the lack of appeal.

That, and Sega's mismanagement.

 

Re: It's you - VF isn't dying...

But that's the point. If you are a scrub who plays games for the kangaroos and fireballs then fighting games are fun. Especially games you can mash and spam in and have some success at low levels. If you play fighting games for actual gameplay mechanics then VF is the least boring and most hardcore series out there but most people don't get on that level so they complain that it's boring.

The primary appeal of VF is hardcore fighting gaming whereas other games the appeal is goofy characters and casual gameplay.

 

Re: It's you - VF isn't dying...

Admittedly, that's a fair point. Sega fails in this regard. If Sega said "Don't worry, 5R's coming in 2010", I'm sure some people would be hyped and pick up VF5 in order to practice.

But they didn't, and I think they won't because of financial reasons, so it's going to be a long winter, so to speak.

 

Re: It's you - VF isn't dying...

That's not entirely true... there are people far skilled than you or me who simply do not *like* VF. It's a matter of preference. Take Justin Wong for example. For somebody like him, gameplay should have been the selling point, but it wasn't.

On a game play level, there are no "kings" now. 3D fighters is like comparing SF3, SF4, and Guilty Gear - they're not the same games, and neither lack any depth. But again, it's a matter of preference.

(To put it flatly: if you think people are playing BR competitively because it's "easier", you're seriously talking out of ignorance.)

Writing off people's opinions as "scrubby" is an elitist approach (sorry), because you're not even asking why they don't find the game appealing, especially when a great deal of non-scrubby players share a similar opinion.

 

Re: It's you - VF isn't dying...

Why must we always be going in circles

P.S. Don't keel me please.

 

Re: It's you - VF isn't dying...

You're dead wrong on that one buddy the game play is the least of the selling point for someone like Justin Wong. He wont play it competitively because theirs no money no big reward for being good at it. His words not mines, and I'm sure that's a big reason for most hardcore tournament gamers

 

Re: It's you - VF isn't dying...

Casual gamers are always going to rule sales. To the average (sane) person, practicing arcade games is considered self-destructive behavior.

Disclaimer: I am not sane.

I also think fighting games may be a dying breed in the world of online gaming. Latency of 1/20 of a second is considered very good. Meanwhile, fighting games depend on 1/60 second decisions...

 

Re: It's you - VF isn't dying...

Well this thread got a fair bit of replies so far so maybe the community isnt dead yet.

Also: visuals are more important than gameplay for the masses. Hell, I play VF partly because I like the visuals, that have fluid believable looking moves (dont bring aircombos to this) instead of the stupid red/blue clouds of...something and awkward looking stances and moves in Tekken. 2D games are something else entirely. I dont wanna talk about them as it would just turn into heated bashing. Naturally gameplay is VERY important to me as well. Nothing else out there feels even remotely same as VF.

I can guess that Im a very slow learner and only at this level I am because I have played VF semi-seriously for 14-odd years. I cling to it because its all I got. I know Im different than majority of people, for instance preferring VF's visuals over any other fighting game. It makes me lonely and sad. But I cant help myself.

 

Re: It's you - VF isn't dying...

Actually, he said he simply doesn't like games with a block button.

 

Re: It's you - VF isn't dying...

I'm sure if the payout was good he like others would play VF or any other game for that matter. I remember him saying he didn't even like street fighter 4

 

Re: It's you - VF isn't dying...

Actually, I remember him saying that he likes 4. He said he didn't like 3S, or better yet, did not enjoy 3S. Also mentioned how in 3S he just wanted to win since he did not "enjoy" the game, but with 4 he actually enjoys it.

 

Re: It's you - VF isn't dying...

I've heard him say that he didn't think SFIV was all that great, he didn't say that he hated it, but it wasn't exactly a ringing endorsement. Then a month later (I guess when certain people at Capcom/SRK told him to quiet down with any SFIV criticism) he said that "SFIV is the best SF to date" in an interview.

-_-;;

 

Re: It's you - VF isn't dying...

Thats pretty... revealing.

 

Re: It's you - VF isn't dying...

Wong translation: "It will have to do... for now."

 

Re: It's you - VF isn't dying...

I get that man, VF's the first fighting game I've gotten into but when I'm into something I tend to stick with it. Sega disregarding loyalty stings, even if they do release VF6 somewhere down the line I doubt I'll take it as seriously.

 

Re: It's you - VF isn't dying...

Nothing wrong with that, the dude plays games as a source of income. He can pick whatever he wants to play.

As far as the topic goes, VF lacks global support and it's getting less popular in it's home turf as well. Of course the game is dying, anyone who says otherwise is a die hard fan that can't accept the state of the game.

With that said, I still love the VFDC community and check regularly even though I don't post all that much.

 

Re: It's you - VF isn't dying...

Game is seriously garbage though. Figures somebody would say something to him about it.

Game isn't going anywhere. Yeah there are times when newer games come out players shift to that game, but when the dust settles usually things even out.

The first time I went to japan in 04 almost nobody was playing FT. Every game center I went to I saw a lot of Tekken 5, 3S, and GG being played. I go back 6 months later and what do I see; people back to playing FT and HnK. You get my point.