Ok, so this week we're going to look at an issue that I feel isn't being addressed by enough (any?) developers and that, in my opinion, is only going to get worse going forward. The issue in this case being when the game plays very differently online than it does offline. Now, there are any number of reasons for this but I hope to hit on the two big ones though a couple of examples. Theese reasons being sub-par netcode and mechanics that lend themselves to abuse with lag. The frustrating thing is that both of these issues are something that developers should be able to control for which makes it all the more surprising when they don't. To this end we're going to look at two games that manage to screw up their online play by either shipping the game with crap-tastic netcode, developing a game with online abuse-able mechanics or both.Ok, so this week we're going to look at an issue that I feel isn't being addressed by enough (any?) developers and that, in my opinion, is only going to get worse going forward. The issue in this case being when the game plays very differently online than it does offline. Now, there are any number of reasons for this but I hope to hit on the two big ones though a couple of examples. Theese reasons being sub-par netcode and mechanics that lend themselves to abuse with lag. The frustrating thing is that both of these issues are something that developers should be able to control for which makes it all the more surprising when they don't. To this end we're going to look at two games that manage to screw up their online play by either shipping the game with crap-tastic netcode, developing a game with online abuse-able mechanics or both.
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| Solid Snake may or may not have been spotted prior to this image capture. |
Alright so first up is a game that I often cite to friends as an example, outside of its gameplay (which is a more subjective sort of thing), of how to do things. Things in this case referring to its implementation of training mode, challenge mode, replays, button configuration, etc. Basically, in my opinion, 'BlazBlue: Continuum Shift'
is a game that gets everything outside of its gameplay correct. And yes, for purposes of today's discussion that would also include its netcode. So then, you may be asking, what's the problem. Well remember way back in paragraph #1 of this article how I said there are two problems that can cause a severe disconnect between how online and offline play. Well 'BlazBlue' has a big issue with one of its gameplay mechanics. Namely how it handles throws.
is a game that gets everything outside of its gameplay correct. And yes, for purposes of today's discussion that would also include its netcode. So then, you may be asking, what's the problem. Well remember way back in paragraph #1 of this article how I said there are two problems that can cause a severe disconnect between how online and offline play. Well 'BlazBlue' has a big issue with one of its gameplay mechanics. Namely how it handles throws. |
| The game really wants you to know you screwed up if this throw is successful. |
Every fighting game that I'm aware of has a system to allow for throws as at the most basic level (most) fighting games need to have a sort of rock-paper-scissors system in place where: Attacking beats Throwing beats Blocking beats Attacking. In this sense 'BlazBlue' is no different from any other fighting game. Also like practically every other fighting game 'BlazBlue' has a system wherein when one player attempts a throw their opponent has a (small) window to tech or break the throw. However where it mixes things up is that it's the only game I'm aware of that allows for throws to be attempted mid-combo (opponent in hitstun) and again is the only game I'm aware of where throws to do anything other than whiff on a blocking opponent (opponent in blockstun). Now going back to the throw breaking mechanic 'BlazBlue' allows for 13 frames (~1/6 of a second) to break a normal throw and 27 frames (~1/2 a second; an eternity in a fighting game) to break a throw that was during hitstun or blockstun. The issue here is that the player can attempt a hitstun or blockstun throw at any point and, if it is successful, they're rewarded with significantly more damage than they would have otherwise gotten. So why is this a problem? Well offline it really isn't. As you can see from the visual indicators that accompany throws both the normal and hitstun versions are basically break-able on reaction offline. Online is another story where it takes very little lag for those windows for breaking throws to get shot to hell. Now I don't fault people for playing to win I fault the developer for implementing a mechanic that causes a severe disconnect in how the game plays (or can be played) online vs. offline.
is no different from any other fighting game. Also like practically every other fighting game 'BlazBlue' has a system wherein when one player attempts a throw their opponent has a (small) window to tech or break the throw. However where it mixes things up is that it's the only game I'm aware of that allows for throws to be attempted mid-combo (opponent in hitstun) and again is the only game I'm aware of where throws to do anything other than whiff on a blocking opponent (opponent in blockstun). Now going back to the throw breaking mechanic 'BlazBlue' allows for 13 frames (~1/6 of a second) to break a normal throw and 27 frames (~1/2 a second; an eternity in a fighting game) to break a throw that was during hitstun or blockstun. The issue here is that the player can attempt a hitstun or blockstun throw at any point and, if it is successful, they're rewarded with significantly more damage than they would have otherwise gotten. So why is this a problem? Well offline it really isn't. As you can see from the visual indicators that accompany throws both the normal and hitstun versions are basically break-able on reaction offline. Online is another story where it takes very little lag for those windows for breaking throws to get shot to hell. Now I don't fault people for playing to win I fault the developer for implementing a mechanic that causes a severe disconnect in how the game plays (or can be played) online vs. offline.Our next example is old favorite whipping boy and a game that I didn't think I'd be talking about again before November in 'Marvel vs. Capcom 3'. Now 'Marvel'
unlike 'BlazBlue' manages to be a game where both the netcode and a game mechanic issues are serious issues that serve to differentiate its online play from its offline. Now there really isn't much to say about bad netcode other than its bad. It results in matches that take a fast paced game and make it feel like your characters are moving underwater. Now it isn't to the point of being totally unplayable but my rough estimate would be around one in ten matches is. The simple solution here is to develop and implement better netcode. The other issue is one less easily fixed and judging from early videos of 'Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3'
one that they're less incline to fix in team aerial combos (TACs). This mechanic is one in which during a combo the player performing it may press the 'special' button and a direction and tag in one of the other members of their team. The direction pressed influences the properties of the hit in addition to conveying other benefits to the player performing it. Downward exchange gives a lot of free meter, side (either) exchange gives some meter and better control over which character is tagged in and up gives the rest of the combo a better damage multiplier. Now it isn't all peaches and cream as the opponent has an opportunity to break up the TAC by pressing the 'special button' and matching the direction that the opponent is pressing (with left and right being interchangeable guesses). This results in a rock-paper-scissors guessing game that is ridiculously skewed in favor of the player initiating it. So what's to stop your opponent from going for it constantly? Well, if you guess correctly their character takes some damage, the combo is broken and the tag fails. It's also worth noting that the window with which a player has to counter these exchanges are in my opinion pretty reasonable. At high level play they definitely add an extra dimension of trying to out think ones opponent. At every other level of play, especially online, eh not so much. Online is especially problematic here as what becomes a high reward moderate risk maneuver offline becomes with the addition of lag a high reward no risk option online. That's because online not only are you guessing the direction that your opponent is going to exchange you're also basically praying to whatever deity you believe in for the game to accept your input within the necessary window to break the exchange and more often than not (usually way more often than not) that's just not happening. The knowledge of how difficult these exchanges are to break has lead to a large sub-set of the online player population eschewing doing actual combos with their characters in favor of continuously doing exchanges as the latter will, if never countered, do more damage than traditional combos in addition to generally being more idiot proof with regards to dropping the combo.
unlike 'BlazBlue' manages to be a game where both the netcode and a game mechanic issues are serious issues that serve to differentiate its online play from its offline. Now there really isn't much to say about bad netcode other than its bad. It results in matches that take a fast paced game and make it feel like your characters are moving underwater. Now it isn't to the point of being totally unplayable but my rough estimate would be around one in ten matches is. The simple solution here is to develop and implement better netcode. The other issue is one less easily fixed and judging from early videos of 'Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3' one that they're less incline to fix in team aerial combos (TACs). This mechanic is one in which during a combo the player performing it may press the 'special' button and a direction and tag in one of the other members of their team. The direction pressed influences the properties of the hit in addition to conveying other benefits to the player performing it. Downward exchange gives a lot of free meter, side (either) exchange gives some meter and better control over which character is tagged in and up gives the rest of the combo a better damage multiplier. Now it isn't all peaches and cream as the opponent has an opportunity to break up the TAC by pressing the 'special button' and matching the direction that the opponent is pressing (with left and right being interchangeable guesses). This results in a rock-paper-scissors guessing game that is ridiculously skewed in favor of the player initiating it. So what's to stop your opponent from going for it constantly? Well, if you guess correctly their character takes some damage, the combo is broken and the tag fails. It's also worth noting that the window with which a player has to counter these exchanges are in my opinion pretty reasonable. At high level play they definitely add an extra dimension of trying to out think ones opponent. At every other level of play, especially online, eh not so much. Online is especially problematic here as what becomes a high reward moderate risk maneuver offline becomes with the addition of lag a high reward no risk option online. That's because online not only are you guessing the direction that your opponent is going to exchange you're also basically praying to whatever deity you believe in for the game to accept your input within the necessary window to break the exchange and more often than not (usually way more often than not) that's just not happening. The knowledge of how difficult these exchanges are to break has lead to a large sub-set of the online player population eschewing doing actual combos with their characters in favor of continuously doing exchanges as the latter will, if never countered, do more damage than traditional combos in addition to generally being more idiot proof with regards to dropping the combo.If 'BlazBlue' pioneered the phrase “How netplay was his netplay?”*. Then 'Marvel vs. Capcom 3' perfected it. That's not a good thing. Now with 'BlazBlue' the throw mechanics have remained more or less the same with every iteration of the game so it would seem that the designers are indifferent to this issue. However with the upcoming 'Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3' they're supposedly overhauling the netcode (we'll see) and they've made some tweaks to the TAC mechanic. So I guess file that under 'wait and see' and I'll see you all next week.
pioneered the phrase “How netplay was his netplay?”*. Then 'Marvel vs. Capcom 3' perfected it. That's not a good thing. Now with 'BlazBlue' the throw mechanics have remained more or less the same with every iteration of the game so it would seem that the designers are indifferent to this issue. However with the upcoming 'Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3' they're supposedly overhauling the netcode (we'll see) and they've made some tweaks to the TAC mechanic. So I guess file that under 'wait and see' and I'll see you all next week.*What this is basically asking is how bad was the guy you where playing and how much did he rely on tactics that could be generously classified as 'online only'.
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