Since I’ve been bored I’ve been playing this game again, and it’s only rekindled my… less than stellar opinion of the game. Biggest obstacle of my enjoyment, as always, and as it will likely remain for the rest of time is the input delay. I CANNOT adjust to the idea of never relying on what is on screen in anyway. For me, it completely butchers the fundamental aspect to 2-D fighters. How can I properly play footsies when my reactions to my opponent’s movements are so delayed? Whiff punishing is like a happy accident when it happens – random dashes, jumps, everything that should be my “hole” to get out of pressure or find a way in is now something incredibly hard to deal with. I, personally, cannot get a scrap of enjoyment from the neutral, pressure or zoning area of this game due to it. Season 2 would have to make SFV the best game ever for me to even pass a glance at it if the delay isn’t reduced more.
Combine that too with this game’s notoriously bad netcode which is either good when it’s good or terrible everywhere else. Also, this game’s online has a really, really bad habit of dropping inputs – not sure if that’s a personal problem or not, but I lose inputs in this game only VERY frequently in matches. GGPO I lose like 2 inputs over the course of a 20 game set, here I lose 2 inputs a round.
Sad too, I would once like to feel what it’s like to play SFV with responsive controls. I may actually enjoy it, even if I have many, many issues with the game in other areas. It’s a shame, I feel like I’ve never gotten to experience SFV, just the version of it where it feels like I’m recording inputs for myself and then watching them play out on screen sometime later.
Season 2 details coming soon I hope. Delay reduction and revamp of the V-gauge building/mechanics are the top 2 things I want. V-system is lack luster in so many ways, and as it’s supposed to be this game’s signature mechanic, it does a poor job of making itself iconic. The V-gauge building at this point also is so bad that V-gauge and the mechanics surrounding it are entirely just comeback mechanics, to which I hate, but can be tolerant of. However, the roman cancel aspect of V-triggers being the most prominently used part of it is telling enough of how poor the V-triggers themselves are, but it’s also a very, very similar mechanical frustration akin to Ultras. Replacing the invincible move that does half your health, you get a free normal that converts into 50% of your opponents health or a reversal of pressure. If this reward wasn’t built around a V-bar gained most entirely from… well… losing, I wouldn’t have an issue with it. I like Roman cancels, but the person on offense gets very little reward.
I don’t feel good when I beat people with a random button into bomb setup #4. Just as lame a feeling to me as doing a reversal super on wake-up without reacting to anything.
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Feb.16, Capcom has until then, then my 1 year leniency is up. So close. Realistically that just means whenever the next game changes happen.