As I write this, the tail end of the NEC-XII Soulcalibur V exhibition is streaming on my computer. My initial plan was to be there in the thick of things, but I’ve been sick enough that I’ve barely managed to stagger out of bed for the last few days. So it goes…
In any case, the war report I’d hoped to give you guys ain’t happening. On the plus side, we got to see plenty of SC5 action and we’re going to have lots of information coming our way thanks to Bibulus’ interview with Daishi, but where does that leave an intrepid columnist who wants to talk about something topical? Well, in the spirit of making the best of a bad situation, I present the following eclectic series of thoughts for your reading pleasure.
NEC: A Hands-Off Perspective
1) Woahzz is pretty darn good at SC4. As a whole, though, the game has really lost a lot of its luster, and I’m finding it difficult to get invested in tournament outcomes. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; in fact, it’s mostly due to how tantalizing SC5 looks.
2) Despite my tepid reaction to singles and random teams, I still found North America vs. Europe to be interesting. Yes, this is largely because I’m a proud, jingoistic Real American, but I also think there’s actual potential in the notion of assembling larger teams and having them square off. I’d like for tournament organizers to take a look at the possibilities therein—these sorts of challenges can lead to very exciting stuff.
3) Namco’s willingness to engage with the tournament community, attend events, and otherwise acknowledge our existence is a Very Good Thing, and a validation of the way we operate. Whining about what needs nerfing is by now a venerable tradition in the western gaming world, as is having those whines addressed to a degree (see any MMO’s rollercoaster of patches for examples). Japan, however, has historically skewed toward the “auteur model” of game design, by which I mean the feedback loop we have come to expect here is less present.
Daishi’s appearance at NEC doesn’t mean Namco is going to start caving to our every psychotic whim, but it does appear to indicate an acknowledgment that we’re the deepest players of—and best evangelists for—their game. The 8wayrun.com community’s dedication to spreading the word, putting on good events, and bootstrapping together some impressive opportunities to play games and have fun should be commended. Go us!
4) The Namco guys, in addition to seeming engaged, are also decent at their own game. This is hugely important. Calibur has, at least over the past couple of installments, been more popular in the US and Europe than in Japan (at least inasmuch as the tournament scene is concerned), which makes getting feedback from a large number of very skilled players logistically difficult. That being the case, it gives me a certain measure of relief to see Daishi pulling off some cold-blooded mindgames on the stream.
5) I’ve still got some real reservations about what’s coming down the pipe for SC5. There was talk of some kind of “random damage” mechanic to make things “fair” for less skilled players. Terrible idea. As I’ve noted many times before, Hate Speech’s official policy is to loathe randomness with the fire of a thousand suns because it undermines a game’s competitive foundation. What’s more, Yoshi-san repeatedly mentioned certain tactics that shouldn’t cause concern because they’re difficult to perform in an actual match. If there’s one thing that should now be obvious, it’s that any technique which is humanly possible will eventually be mastered by someone, so I hope that the development team takes that into account when making balance decisions.
I’m reminded of SC4 Hilde in this instance. I refuse to believe that Namco wasn’t aware of her doom combo prior to that game’s release, so I’m left to assume it’s possible they just figured nobody would ever figure out how to do it reliably. I’d really like to avoid another embarrassment like that.
6) SC5 is quite different, but it’s still very much a Soul Calibur game. I say this because, in the exhibition tournament, the folks I expected to perform well actually did so, win or lose. This tells me that despite the many move changes, system tweaks, and the like, having a core competency of Calibur skill will translate fairly well into the new game.
7) Namco is still tweaking balance issues, so we don’t need to freak out about anything quite yet. I was intrigued and heartened to hear that balance is still a focus for the development team with a mere 8 weeks, give or take, until launch. While we certainly don’t want them changing and tweaking until the very last minute and then releasing a game that hasn’t been properly tested, the fact that the Namco contingent spoke candidly about a willingness to devote development resources toward crucial balance tweaks is pretty damn good news.
8) We’re still facing issues with regard to stream time. Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t there at least one occasion in which casuals for some other game were being streamed while the Calibur tournament was taking place? Luckily, we have Jaxel’s streaming rig, some commentators who can manage to resist the urge to tell all but the classiest, most tasteful dick-jokes, and a core group of solid players who always manage to put on a pretty good show. With SC5, we need to consider the gauntlet thrown: we have everything we need to create compelling experiences for both players and spectators, so let’s rise to the challenge and create a real demand for Calibur content.
That’s about all I have for now. The book is finally closed on SC4, but we have something that looks pretty amazing coming to us very soon. Let’s all enjoy it, stay hyped, and be killers when it comes out. As we all know, fighting games are experiencing a real renaissance right now, and we in the 8wayrun community appear poised to reap the benefits. I, for one, can’t wait.
Homework:
Send me get-well cards. Or $3.50. I’ll be back on track with a regular column next week, kids.
In any case, the war report I’d hoped to give you guys ain’t happening. On the plus side, we got to see plenty of SC5 action and we’re going to have lots of information coming our way thanks to Bibulus’ interview with Daishi, but where does that leave an intrepid columnist who wants to talk about something topical? Well, in the spirit of making the best of a bad situation, I present the following eclectic series of thoughts for your reading pleasure.
NEC: A Hands-Off Perspective
1) Woahzz is pretty darn good at SC4. As a whole, though, the game has really lost a lot of its luster, and I’m finding it difficult to get invested in tournament outcomes. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; in fact, it’s mostly due to how tantalizing SC5 looks.
2) Despite my tepid reaction to singles and random teams, I still found North America vs. Europe to be interesting. Yes, this is largely because I’m a proud, jingoistic Real American, but I also think there’s actual potential in the notion of assembling larger teams and having them square off. I’d like for tournament organizers to take a look at the possibilities therein—these sorts of challenges can lead to very exciting stuff.
Behold lolo, the Mexican savior of America, in all his terrible glory!
3) Namco’s willingness to engage with the tournament community, attend events, and otherwise acknowledge our existence is a Very Good Thing, and a validation of the way we operate. Whining about what needs nerfing is by now a venerable tradition in the western gaming world, as is having those whines addressed to a degree (see any MMO’s rollercoaster of patches for examples). Japan, however, has historically skewed toward the “auteur model” of game design, by which I mean the feedback loop we have come to expect here is less present.
Daishi’s appearance at NEC doesn’t mean Namco is going to start caving to our every psychotic whim, but it does appear to indicate an acknowledgment that we’re the deepest players of—and best evangelists for—their game. The 8wayrun.com community’s dedication to spreading the word, putting on good events, and bootstrapping together some impressive opportunities to play games and have fun should be commended. Go us!
4) The Namco guys, in addition to seeming engaged, are also decent at their own game. This is hugely important. Calibur has, at least over the past couple of installments, been more popular in the US and Europe than in Japan (at least inasmuch as the tournament scene is concerned), which makes getting feedback from a large number of very skilled players logistically difficult. That being the case, it gives me a certain measure of relief to see Daishi pulling off some cold-blooded mindgames on the stream.
5) I’ve still got some real reservations about what’s coming down the pipe for SC5. There was talk of some kind of “random damage” mechanic to make things “fair” for less skilled players. Terrible idea. As I’ve noted many times before, Hate Speech’s official policy is to loathe randomness with the fire of a thousand suns because it undermines a game’s competitive foundation. What’s more, Yoshi-san repeatedly mentioned certain tactics that shouldn’t cause concern because they’re difficult to perform in an actual match. If there’s one thing that should now be obvious, it’s that any technique which is humanly possible will eventually be mastered by someone, so I hope that the development team takes that into account when making balance decisions.
I’m reminded of SC4 Hilde in this instance. I refuse to believe that Namco wasn’t aware of her doom combo prior to that game’s release, so I’m left to assume it’s possible they just figured nobody would ever figure out how to do it reliably. I’d really like to avoid another embarrassment like that.
Remember kids, this is technically impossible and was never done in a real game....
6) SC5 is quite different, but it’s still very much a Soul Calibur game. I say this because, in the exhibition tournament, the folks I expected to perform well actually did so, win or lose. This tells me that despite the many move changes, system tweaks, and the like, having a core competency of Calibur skill will translate fairly well into the new game.
7) Namco is still tweaking balance issues, so we don’t need to freak out about anything quite yet. I was intrigued and heartened to hear that balance is still a focus for the development team with a mere 8 weeks, give or take, until launch. While we certainly don’t want them changing and tweaking until the very last minute and then releasing a game that hasn’t been properly tested, the fact that the Namco contingent spoke candidly about a willingness to devote development resources toward crucial balance tweaks is pretty damn good news.
8) We’re still facing issues with regard to stream time. Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t there at least one occasion in which casuals for some other game were being streamed while the Calibur tournament was taking place? Luckily, we have Jaxel’s streaming rig, some commentators who can manage to resist the urge to tell all but the classiest, most tasteful dick-jokes, and a core group of solid players who always manage to put on a pretty good show. With SC5, we need to consider the gauntlet thrown: we have everything we need to create compelling experiences for both players and spectators, so let’s rise to the challenge and create a real demand for Calibur content.
This is our equivalent level of class and sophistication. I approve.
That’s about all I have for now. The book is finally closed on SC4, but we have something that looks pretty amazing coming to us very soon. Let’s all enjoy it, stay hyped, and be killers when it comes out. As we all know, fighting games are experiencing a real renaissance right now, and we in the 8wayrun community appear poised to reap the benefits. I, for one, can’t wait.
Homework:
Send me get-well cards. Or $3.50. I’ll be back on track with a regular column next week, kids.
