Caltrops - Street Fighter V





	[quote name="Entropy Stew"]It was fun! When it worked! The first day was a matchmaking shitshow, as evidenced by my being ranked in top 600 worldwide. I can only assume that people who are actually good at Street Fighter weren't getting matches. The second day, I dropped into the top 2000 since matchmaking started to actually work. This is still far better than I am used to and I predict a rapid slide back down into the trash heap shortly after release. Netcode: holy mother of god, this is so much better than SF4. They've incorporated GGPO-style rollback tech into their network stack, lowering perceived lag by a shocking amount compared to the previous version. I didn't experience any of the persistent micro-lag stuttering that plagues SF4. Worst case performance for totally fucked connections has taken a dive, though, as the rollback code ends up teleporting your opponent around the screen whenever the internet deigns to send your computer a packet. It's like fighting with a blindfolded in the 5th dimension. Gameplay: I was initially disturbed by the apparent slowness compared to SF4, but after having actually played game, this wasn't a problem. The general combat mechanics are more simplified and streamlined compared to SF4, if only due to the removal of the much-maligned focus attack. The usual EX meter returns for enhancing special moves. When fully charged, you can incorporate a Critical Art (which everyone will just call a super) into your combos, or wake up mashing it after a knockdown like the scrub that you are. SF4's revenge gauge mechanic of Ultra Combos is gone in favor of the new V-Skill system. Each character gets a unique special move mapped to hitting medium kick and medium punch at the same time. Using these skills will usually give you some bonus charge on your V-Trigger gauge. A fully charged V-Trigger gauge lets you perform the character's unique V-Trigger by hitting hard punch and hard kick at the same time. Often these will not just be a special move, but will also unlock additional capabilities for the character. Necalli, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzrPqNHB1bo&t=40s">for instance</a>, gets a super saiyan hair boner, better frame data (read: combos), and a bit of extra damage. Ryu gets nastier fireballs, Chun Li gets extra hits on her normals, and Dictator gets...dictatorer? The final bit is V-Reversal (everyone will call it Alpha Counter), which spends part of your V-Trigger gauge to slap the opponent away while you're blocking his attacks. I never block, so pretty much USELESS. The comboing system was nerfed in this iteration to the point that I don't drop shit. Much. There's a 1 frame input buffer, which means the maximum link difficulty is two frames of animation, or a 33 millisecond window, if you prefer. If none of that made any sense, read this: easier combos than 4. Especially online with the superiority of the new netcode. This is to the benefit of everyone who is not either Asian or Justin Wong. Thanks, Ono-san! T&A: R. Mika's Critical Art is a tag team ass-press with her pro-wrestling sidekick. I'll let you google that by yourself, since you'll need the alone time. Still no one-hand masturbation mode like DoA, unless your name is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTgMaUYi3T8&t=23s">Desk</a>. Score: 9 wakeup DPs out of Ken -/ES/-[/quote]