Ryan Hunter from Option-select.com posted a new blog entry. This one covers the current mindset of a portion of the fighting game community. He isn't attacking anyone, but is explaining the difference in mentality from the currently community when compared to the community in the past due to the availability of patches. Here's a snip from the blog post and hit the link to see the entire thing.
There is certainly a strong argument to be made on both sides, but that's not the focus of this article. The point is that patches are a reality. Every "current generation" fighting game has undergone at least one patch meant to tweak balance, fix glitches, add characters, etc. But what has this done to the overall mindset of the community? It seems clear to me that overall, players have become soft due to the knowledge of patches. I don't want to sound preachy, but in the days before SF4, everyone in the community seemed to have more drive than they do now. Back then, whether it was CvS2, MvC2, 3S, or whatever, you played the game for it was, and that was it. You accepted the game for what it was. If you didn't like it, you didn't play, as simple as that. Everyone knew there were glitches, and imbalances, and tiers, but to the people who wanted to play, it didn't matter.
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@Catalyst
Ah Thanks men, I hope it gets fixed soon,;)
This past few days when i go to this site or submit a tip.
it says 500 Internal Server Error or cant connect to websites Server error log.. it maybe just my region settings..
I hope no ones hacking this fine site,,
Ill kick them so good they will kiss the moon, lol
I think his interpretation is pretty spot on. While I think the game developers and producers should do everything they can to make a game better, it shouldn't become about nerfing one character over another. This is probably why we have 3 versions of SFIV. I'm never against a new game, just against players asking for a patch or "fix" because they're unable to figure things out for themselves..
I always felt the way Ryan felt. I don't get why people give up so easily. When I first purchased AE, I didn't care that Yun and Yang were labeled top tier. Just play how you usually play, figure out what you can and cannot do against that character, and go for it. It's not that hard. These new kids on the block are just spoiled and don't want to work hard to find ways to win. All I know is that growing up w/ arcades, and having a competitive spirit, even if my character isn't high tier, i'll still play to the best of my ability, because winning when the odds are against you feels so much better.
It's odd how the same people who say CAPCOM doesn't listen to the fans (the lack of any new Mega Man games or characters outside Zero in MvC3 or the lack of Strider in the first MvC3) insist that the reason we keep getting new versions of fighting games like SF4 and MVC is because CAPCOM listens to the fans too much.
A few of them also complained about Phoenix being too prevalent in WNF and EVO.
Yeah, because back in the day, Capcom NEVER made revisions to their games! There was only one version of Street Fighter 2, Street Fighter Alpha, Street Fighter 3...
Wait...
I'm more concerned with playing the game the developer wants. That's how I see it (and a reason Capcom has the much hated versions of games).
Yes there are patches, but what makes it in it isn't all stuff the devs wanted. They can't catch EVERYTHING they want to, it'd be way too much $ in testing.
Personally I see bigger beta's as a better way solve the update/crybaby attitude. And mind you, does it make a player less a crybaby/scrub if they still just stick to vanilla? Or are you retro?
Obviously the people who don't throw it in or think like that are the ones winning Evo right?
Hmm, I'm not sure I agree. Sure, constant patching can cause a loss of determination to stick with the game or a single character, but a good enough balance can often only be attained by patching after the masses have tried the characters.
Compare it to Starcraft I, which has had 3 balance patches (and about 12 bug-fixing patches) over the years. There is still a huge userbase for the game, nearly all people stay with their race. The balance patches also have had a very positive effect on the game in the long term.
I think it's all about moderation. As long as balance patches are few and far between, people shouldn't be too quick to complain. 1 balance patch a year for the first 3 years after release (effectively what SF4 has) I feel isn't overdoing it.
@ 15 Exactly!! The only thing different from today and 10 years ago is the technology to get these patches out. What the community needs to understand is that this sh*t aint new.
@ 17 Spot on. I understand the concern with players who want to be spoon fed everything on a silver platter but we should also be abel to voice our opinions if we feel something isn't right. Gotta stop eating up every peice of sh*t they try to force down our throats simply because it has a ribbon on it.
I think it is important for the community to voice concerns regarding fixes/balance, but it is equally important to overcome challenges in games and not use the "waiting for patch" excuse.