qwerty

I feel like we've gone all over the place. Allow me to reiterate my points to help clarify: 1. Buffered techs would make 1F windows possible to tech out of in any circumstance, instead of something that can only happen if the player knows the combo is going to be dropped. This effectively turns any 1F tech window into a 50/50, which cheapens the value of escaping those tight windows in black beat combos (not in the sense of requiring the execution; execution is a means to an end here). Thus, people expect it and learn how to beat it, with an option select of some sort or perhaps something like a crossunder. 2. Buffered techs would negate the advantage of double tapping for the players that utilize it. Being able to choose two distinct tech points gives the defending player more say in how he's positioned after the tech. This is undoubtedly a good thing. I don't know why we're still talking about delayed techs still being an option, of course they are lol. But the dynamic behind making that decision would change entirely, which is what I've been trying to say. Of course there are also situations where you do want to tech on the first frame, but chances are if you're able to identify those as you play, you'll at least sometimes get it.

I would agree with that if 1F jump was in Xrd (pretty sure at this point that it is indeed not) and if there was less blockstun across the board. Even though I don't like the inconsistency of having one kind of normal throw techable and one not, I could definitely live with that. Ground throws are definitely good in this game, though.

It would not be a defensive tool, because it would be detrimental to the teching player. Teching is not a get out of jail free card unless you're playing against someone who doesn't know better.

What you guys are not getting is that when you tech in this game, even when it seems like you're doing it quickly, it is usually "delayed" in the sense that you are not getting out on the first possible frame. It makes a pretty huge difference in terms of your positioning after the tech since you want to try to be level with/slightly below your opponent if possible, obviously while teching in the direction that gives you the best chance of getting out. Something else to consider is if the tech input is buffered, you can mistakenly tech too quickly. Let's say you aren't mashing but double tapping (like many good players do), and you want to get out at a specific point. With double tapping you get two possible points to tech out (no negative edge in Xrd, remember). You can time the first press to get out at the point you want, then the second for a point afterward that is not as favorable but still good. If you were to hold instead, you would only get one point, which again, makes tech trapping easier.

@Uncivilized Elk: It's quite naive to assume this wouldn't affect higher levels of play. That is all I am talking about when I am talking about the upsides or downsides of anything. I think you and many others don't appreciate just how strong tech traps are in this game. The current tech system is as good as it gets to combat it. Holding a button to tech wouldn't do anything besides give the aggressor even more opportunities to hit you. Throw techs would give you another line of defense against tech traps and offensive YRC use. @redsilversnake: You would definitely see an increase in tech trap usage, because now you have a point in a combo where the other guy has a guaranteed 1F window where he can tech, whereas now that window exists, but it can only sometimes be utilized. If you think that's hyperbole, many times when people black beat after a jump cancel it's only off by one or two frames. Let's say I'm Ky, and I do c.S -> jump cancel in a combo. If I delay the jump cancel a little bit, the combo will black beat, but if I do a j.K + airthrow option select, it'll continue the combo if you don't tech and air throw you if you do. With the current system, if you were mashing, you probably won't get out on the first frame, which actually works to your advantage in this case since I won't be in airthrow range (you will likely be below me). Whereas if you could tech out by holding a button and got out on the first frame possible, you'd eat the airthrow because you'd be above me. What problem is this solving in this case? You'll get out of the combo, sure, but now you're liable to eat a crossup. I think another issue is that a lot of people tend to think that getting out of a combo ASAP is desirable in most cases, when really if you're against an opponent who knows how to play the air spacing game, you almost always want to delay by a frame or two.

That would most certainly change if there were buffered techs. People will go for combos they know they'll black beat precisely because they know people won't tech out. If you could just hold a button and tech out at that point, people would learn how to turn that situation into a reset. Tech traps are already strong enough in Xrd and we don't need to see them being used more. Yes, I know you can delay your tech even with an input buffer, but you can already do that. Again, the reason most people want this is so they don't have to eat a combo they thought they teched out of, so they are basically asking for instant techs all the time with the exception of when they want to delay it.

I am of course referring to the points where people tend to drop it. Is the chief complaint against the current system not that you can end up eating a combo you thought you teched out of?

There are already some tech trap setups in Xrd that are virtually inescapable and lead to a mixup if you don't tech. Throw techs would partially solve that, and buffered tech would do nothing to solve it. So I guess you are right about that part, though I think you're kind of missing the point about the other part. As for your second point, double tap or learn the combo's tech points. It'll work much better for you in the long run than always getting a first frame tech that people will learn how to kill you for doing, anyways.

Let's be honest though; that is the reason most people want it and would be using it for. All you have to do right now is strum 2 or 3 buttons if you want out on the first possible frame. Or hell, you can double tap. Now what buffered tech would solve is accidentally getting YRC after you tech, though that could be easily fixed by changing the buffer window for YRC (which may even partially fix YRC install).

Neither of those games have zero frame throws, not to mention air movement and defensive options are completely different between all three games. Believe me, you don't want buffered tech in Xrd. You may think it'd make life easier, and you can definitely be forgiven for thinking so, but all you're doing is giving me more ways to hit you. If you can consistently tech out at the same point, all I have to do is practice one tech trap setup. As it is, that kind of thing is already stupid strong in Xrd thanks to the lack of throw techs and the offensive use of YRC. Please refrain from dogmatic generalizations moving forward. We're all here to listen, right? Full disclosure: I started playing GG in 2008. Throw techs weren't introduced until AC. People want them because they don't like getting thrown when they know it's coming and don't have the meter necessary to eat the input. Or maybe they're stuck in a 1F frame trap and don't have a reversal. There's a number of reasons to want it.

It's nice to be able to buffer throw techs instead of having to YRC to eat the throw input. Not to mention there are virtually inescapable tech traps that throw techs would mitigate. I tech throws a lot, lol. The thing about giving Xrd buffered tech inputs is that it's a layer the game simply does not need. So everyone can recover out of dropped combos on the first frame now, great. That just makes my air throw tech trap easier to land. And if you don't want throw techs back...

Throws techs do need to return, yes. The rest of that stuff is why I don't play most modern fighting games.

Everyone seems to agree on one thing: "It's still Guilty Gear, but..."

Arrangements have already been made. Thanks, though. I do appreciate it.

Sirlin is a clown. His time will come soon enough. Mike Z is complaining about some of the wrong things, but gets it right overall. Though, really, if you need an article to tell you what to think about a game, that probably means you need to play it more.

Sealed Air Stunedges are your friend in this matchup. Play the fullscreen game for as long as you can without putting yourself in a bad position and don't try to out-poke her until you're at mid range (approximately f.S max range). This matchup definitely sucks though. I think it may be worse than Faust lol. Ram is basically Zato without the commitment of Little Eddie; she can keep swords on top of you for basically the entire round to prevent you from doing anything.

That's about a 20 minute drive. I'm staying off of 32nd street, so if anyone were to give me a ride I'd appreciate it greatly. Compensation for gas is a given.

Yosuke as best Axl? I don't think he's that good... @Flick: You play at Mikado? Perhaps you've seen me then. I'm a blue Johnny player in +R, and I'm obviously foreign.

I'm already here, man. I just need to know where this place is at, and maybe a ride depending on distance. I'll definitely chip in for gas, if so.

What's up? I'm here for the next month. Every Friday? Sounds good.

If you're not afraid to do some soldering, you can hack a Fighting Commander 4 in your HRAP for seamless PS3 and PS4 functionality. Past that, your options are limited, as you've figured out.

You don't have to go up to Tokyo for fighting games, thankfully. Yokohama has a great arcade scene with all the major arcades conveniently next to each other, right outside of JR Yokohama east exit. Freedom: USFIV, 3S, DFC Pasopiard: USFIV, Tekken, DOA, GG, KOF Taito Station: Gundam, BB, P4U I usually go up to Yokohama on weekday nights, leaving the Tokyo venturing for the weekend. I'm headed for the US this weekend, but I'll be back in March if you ever want to hang.

Get over yourself, lol. Everyone expected a drop in quality, but even I was caught off guard by just how much of a hit the game took. There's plenty of games on the PS3 that look better than PS3 Xrd and run at 60FPS. I think that one dude hit the nail on the head when he said they didn't optimize the implementation of UE3, because other UE3 games (including UT3) run better than this. I don't think it was unreasonable to expect the game to look better than it does. That being said, it was developed on a pretty tight schedule, I'd imagine. The game went from arcades to two very different consoles in under ten months. They probably focused more on the PS4 version, and rightfully so.

Perhaps you can provide insight as to why Ky's seals look so horrible on PS3? Also, are you sure about the textures? Faust's stage in particular looks much worse to me, though maybe it's just missing textures.

I've mentioned this in another thread, but the difference is immediately apparent. The PS3 version doesn't handle transparencies well at all, nor does it have any anti-aliasing. Textures seem to be lower res as well, and a lot of backgrounds have stuff missing (Sol's stage is an obvious example). Currently a subject of speculation is the conditions which cause the PS3 version to drop in framerate, though so far the worst reported case of such has happened only in Challenge mode. If you can justify it, I say go for the PS4 version. If you can't, then the PS3 version is definitely good enough to play on, but man... you're missing out on just how sharp this game looks.