IEBGHoneyBadger
[08] Mercenary
With the release of Soul Calibur 2 HD: Online, Soul Calibur 2 is back and all the angels are singing. This is pretty much the hub for Soul Calibur competition. However, there's is an understandable slant toward the newer games here as the newer players coming into the scene probably never even saw the older games in their prime.
What's concerning to me is that there's alot of opinions and misconceptions about SC2 that I feel need to be addressed. Why? Well, funny you ask.....
Me (Awesome Hat&Tie combo '13) and a few of my friends (Binkly - top 8 SC2 EVO '04, BL - top 8 SC2 EVO '04, Aris - Evil Santa '13) are trying to build a scene in the SoCal area. I'm in talks with Mike Watson, owner of Super Arcade where WNF is held every weekd, about having SC2 tounaents during WNF. Mike's given me a soft confirmation ythat he'd support the SC2 comunity, but before I got out spreading the word I want to turn that soft confirmation into a definite hard confirmation. I will probably speak to Mike this Wednesday and I'll follow you up from there. Wanna see SC2 at WNF? If you're in SOCal, show up to advertised events. If you're not, try to show support in your own way.
So that's why I want to defend this game in a nut shell. I want to build a scene, and I want to have people come play in it. But in order to get people to even LOOK at this game, let alone put it inside their machines at home, I have to overcoe a whole bunch of negativity surrounding the game.
If you like the newer games better and have no interest in SC2, feel free to leave this thread now. Go play the newer games. They are very widely reguarded and have established communities around the world. Rather than come here to dump on my game without hearing me out, just go play the games that make you happy. We'll all be better for it. Alswo, I won't have to take out y frustrations on your mom later. She stil sore fro last holiday.
Also, if you hate SC2 for whatever reason.... I dunno, go die in a fire for all I care. It's obvious you can't be reasoned with. Don't be surprised if I just ignore you.
So with that in mind, let's get down to business. I'm not going to cover everything here. This game has it's pluses and minuses. Also a bad netcode. That's why I named this article "Part 1." There's alot to cover, and I'll get to it all in time. Tonight, though, we talk about two things that scare most new players away from SC2 right out of the gates. Two things that with the very mention of them will get nubcakes to drop fight sticks faster than Binkly drops combos. (SHOTS FIRED SON! .... ahem, moving on)
And those two things?
2G and Step-Guard. Yep, I said it. We're knocking those fuckers out. Tonight. Shit ends here. I'm going to explain what they are (for people who don't has Aris subscribed to on YouTube (for shame!)). I'm also going to explain why they're really not that bad and game breaking. Whenever people mention competitive SC2 around fighting game fans, they often hear of these glitches and how this game is a broken turtley mess because of it. The phrase "Broken-Turtley-Mess" however is subjective. Also mean. Very mean. Broken is subjective. Turtley is also subjective. Mess is.... mean. Very mean.
Anyways, let's get back on task ladies and gentlemen.
2G
What it is, Jackson?:
2G is a bug that let's you side step and block at the same time. Wait, AT THE SAME TIME? This game is MAAAAAGIC!!!!!!!!! Pretty much the big and small of it.
How'd he do?
Tap down or up (depending on which direction you wish to side step), then quickly return to neutral and hit block ("G" son. It's called "G"). Tapping the direction gives you a quick side step, not a side walk. Very important distinction there. Once you hit "G" you'll glitch the game out in total WTF-style and be blocking even when side stepping. Yeah dude! EVEN WHEN SIDE STEPPING! Throughout the entire duration of your side step, you'll be blocking. It looks like you're stepping, but if they hit you, you'll be blocking. It really is the shit if you're into that sort of thing. You know, blocking and such.
Why we hate it! (read along these parts in whatever voice you think someone who hates this mechanic will sounds like):
Because you're blocking and moving at the same goddamn time Dudebro! How can you justify blocking and moving? It's cheap! Cheap I tell you! It also goes against THE VERY INTENTION OF THE GAME! Uh, hello..... there's a friggin HORIZONTAL ATTACK BUTTON! For HORIZONATALISH ATTACKING HOMIE! I is supposed to hit you when you move like that. It's what I' supposed to do. You can't take that away. That's make you a total dick! Also it makes the game stupid and turtley! You can just block all whilly-nilly and I can't do nothing about it! BOOOOOOORING!
Why it's really not so bad: (back to normal voice again. I usually go with Mountain Dew Man. He seems like a reasonable guy)
Honestly, I don't see how this makes the game and ore or less turtley than any other game. All it allows you to do is move RELETIVELY safely. Name one fighting game where basic movement isn't safe. Remember, we're talking about stepping here. Not jumping, or dashing or flying or riding a magic carpet (Spawn still does that right? He did it in Beta if I remember). We're talking about the basic side step. Tapping a direction. In Street Fighter, if I walk forward, I can block if I see and attack coming and react to it. In Tekken, if I side step I can block there too!
Why should SC2 have unsafe movement? Because the developers thought you should? Are they above mistake or something? Weren't combos and oversight in the first Street Fighter 2? Developers make mistakes too. Being able to safely move doesn't hurt the game in any way. In fact, I think it helps it. Soul Calibur is said by many to have to best, freest movement in any fighting game ever. Why discourage people from using and exploring this echanic by aking the get hit easily for trying it? Why not encourage them to run around the screen fluidly and effortlessly to see why people like the movement here so much. Don't punish people for dancing around the screen. Allow it! Let Soul Calibur's selling point sell itself on people.
Step Guard doesn't not automatically make you block everything, also. You have to actively push the block button and CHOOSE to block. So it's not a free side step whenever you want. If you don't push block, you don't step guard. Not only that, but the other argument of this making it a turtley game seems to me to stem from lazy and terrible players. Because step guard has you blocking, it falls to the same counters as normal blocking. Grabs. If they're step guarding you, GRAB DAT SWEET, SWEET ASS!
Also, since you can't side step and crouch at the same time, you can kick their knees all day with lows and they're just gonna have to take it. Like I said, people who usually complain about this glitch seem to me like lazy players. It's not like you can't grab or sweep. Why are you not doing it? Do you just want to mash standing A's and B's all day without me challenging you about it?
Also, people forget that if you step guarding, you're not attacking. So not only can you punish this, but it can't even hurt you. Not even just a little bit. A tiny little bit. Like tiny baby kittens little bit. Not even that much.
"But it makes horizontals useless!" you chortle.
To that I reply, no. Most horizontals in this game are plus on block. That means, even if you block them with a tasty StepG, I still get frame advantage. If you don't know what means, I'm sure there's a tutorial on frames somewhere on Google. Either way, I can press my advatange and even use this to set up sexy counter hits - the orgasms of Soul Calibur.
Conclude that shit!:
Step Guard doesn't make the game broken. It just let's you move kinda safely by letting you block while you side step. It's not a get out of jail free card because it can be countered by grabs and lows. It doesn't negate horizontals. It doesn't make coffee. it doesn't have great New York Boobs. It let's you kinda walk sideways and not get punched in the face. The nuts are still open game.
Hey! Speaking of coffee and nuts, I have to go splash my boots. I'll be gone during this short commercial break, but when I return..... I'm bitch slapping 2G in the cock!
What's concerning to me is that there's alot of opinions and misconceptions about SC2 that I feel need to be addressed. Why? Well, funny you ask.....
Me (Awesome Hat&Tie combo '13) and a few of my friends (Binkly - top 8 SC2 EVO '04, BL - top 8 SC2 EVO '04, Aris - Evil Santa '13) are trying to build a scene in the SoCal area. I'm in talks with Mike Watson, owner of Super Arcade where WNF is held every weekd, about having SC2 tounaents during WNF. Mike's given me a soft confirmation ythat he'd support the SC2 comunity, but before I got out spreading the word I want to turn that soft confirmation into a definite hard confirmation. I will probably speak to Mike this Wednesday and I'll follow you up from there. Wanna see SC2 at WNF? If you're in SOCal, show up to advertised events. If you're not, try to show support in your own way.
So that's why I want to defend this game in a nut shell. I want to build a scene, and I want to have people come play in it. But in order to get people to even LOOK at this game, let alone put it inside their machines at home, I have to overcoe a whole bunch of negativity surrounding the game.
If you like the newer games better and have no interest in SC2, feel free to leave this thread now. Go play the newer games. They are very widely reguarded and have established communities around the world. Rather than come here to dump on my game without hearing me out, just go play the games that make you happy. We'll all be better for it. Alswo, I won't have to take out y frustrations on your mom later. She stil sore fro last holiday.
Also, if you hate SC2 for whatever reason.... I dunno, go die in a fire for all I care. It's obvious you can't be reasoned with. Don't be surprised if I just ignore you.
So with that in mind, let's get down to business. I'm not going to cover everything here. This game has it's pluses and minuses. Also a bad netcode. That's why I named this article "Part 1." There's alot to cover, and I'll get to it all in time. Tonight, though, we talk about two things that scare most new players away from SC2 right out of the gates. Two things that with the very mention of them will get nubcakes to drop fight sticks faster than Binkly drops combos. (SHOTS FIRED SON! .... ahem, moving on)
And those two things?
2G and Step-Guard. Yep, I said it. We're knocking those fuckers out. Tonight. Shit ends here. I'm going to explain what they are (for people who don't has Aris subscribed to on YouTube (for shame!)). I'm also going to explain why they're really not that bad and game breaking. Whenever people mention competitive SC2 around fighting game fans, they often hear of these glitches and how this game is a broken turtley mess because of it. The phrase "Broken-Turtley-Mess" however is subjective. Also mean. Very mean. Broken is subjective. Turtley is also subjective. Mess is.... mean. Very mean.
Anyways, let's get back on task ladies and gentlemen.
2G
What it is, Jackson?:
2G is a bug that let's you side step and block at the same time. Wait, AT THE SAME TIME? This game is MAAAAAGIC!!!!!!!!! Pretty much the big and small of it.
How'd he do?
Tap down or up (depending on which direction you wish to side step), then quickly return to neutral and hit block ("G" son. It's called "G"). Tapping the direction gives you a quick side step, not a side walk. Very important distinction there. Once you hit "G" you'll glitch the game out in total WTF-style and be blocking even when side stepping. Yeah dude! EVEN WHEN SIDE STEPPING! Throughout the entire duration of your side step, you'll be blocking. It looks like you're stepping, but if they hit you, you'll be blocking. It really is the shit if you're into that sort of thing. You know, blocking and such.
Why we hate it! (read along these parts in whatever voice you think someone who hates this mechanic will sounds like):
Because you're blocking and moving at the same goddamn time Dudebro! How can you justify blocking and moving? It's cheap! Cheap I tell you! It also goes against THE VERY INTENTION OF THE GAME! Uh, hello..... there's a friggin HORIZONTAL ATTACK BUTTON! For HORIZONATALISH ATTACKING HOMIE! I is supposed to hit you when you move like that. It's what I' supposed to do. You can't take that away. That's make you a total dick! Also it makes the game stupid and turtley! You can just block all whilly-nilly and I can't do nothing about it! BOOOOOOORING!
Why it's really not so bad: (back to normal voice again. I usually go with Mountain Dew Man. He seems like a reasonable guy)
Honestly, I don't see how this makes the game and ore or less turtley than any other game. All it allows you to do is move RELETIVELY safely. Name one fighting game where basic movement isn't safe. Remember, we're talking about stepping here. Not jumping, or dashing or flying or riding a magic carpet (Spawn still does that right? He did it in Beta if I remember). We're talking about the basic side step. Tapping a direction. In Street Fighter, if I walk forward, I can block if I see and attack coming and react to it. In Tekken, if I side step I can block there too!
Why should SC2 have unsafe movement? Because the developers thought you should? Are they above mistake or something? Weren't combos and oversight in the first Street Fighter 2? Developers make mistakes too. Being able to safely move doesn't hurt the game in any way. In fact, I think it helps it. Soul Calibur is said by many to have to best, freest movement in any fighting game ever. Why discourage people from using and exploring this echanic by aking the get hit easily for trying it? Why not encourage them to run around the screen fluidly and effortlessly to see why people like the movement here so much. Don't punish people for dancing around the screen. Allow it! Let Soul Calibur's selling point sell itself on people.
Step Guard doesn't not automatically make you block everything, also. You have to actively push the block button and CHOOSE to block. So it's not a free side step whenever you want. If you don't push block, you don't step guard. Not only that, but the other argument of this making it a turtley game seems to me to stem from lazy and terrible players. Because step guard has you blocking, it falls to the same counters as normal blocking. Grabs. If they're step guarding you, GRAB DAT SWEET, SWEET ASS!
Also, since you can't side step and crouch at the same time, you can kick their knees all day with lows and they're just gonna have to take it. Like I said, people who usually complain about this glitch seem to me like lazy players. It's not like you can't grab or sweep. Why are you not doing it? Do you just want to mash standing A's and B's all day without me challenging you about it?
Also, people forget that if you step guarding, you're not attacking. So not only can you punish this, but it can't even hurt you. Not even just a little bit. A tiny little bit. Like tiny baby kittens little bit. Not even that much.
"But it makes horizontals useless!" you chortle.
To that I reply, no. Most horizontals in this game are plus on block. That means, even if you block them with a tasty StepG, I still get frame advantage. If you don't know what means, I'm sure there's a tutorial on frames somewhere on Google. Either way, I can press my advatange and even use this to set up sexy counter hits - the orgasms of Soul Calibur.
Conclude that shit!:
Step Guard doesn't make the game broken. It just let's you move kinda safely by letting you block while you side step. It's not a get out of jail free card because it can be countered by grabs and lows. It doesn't negate horizontals. It doesn't make coffee. it doesn't have great New York Boobs. It let's you kinda walk sideways and not get punched in the face. The nuts are still open game.
Hey! Speaking of coffee and nuts, I have to go splash my boots. I'll be gone during this short commercial break, but when I return..... I'm bitch slapping 2G in the cock!
