But you are not blocking air attacks if you are crouch blocking which is the entire reason people are saying back blocking is good right? Or am I misinterpreting that.
Welcome to every fighting game ever made that isn’t mortal kombat and isn’t 3d
Even in Mortal Kombat, there are high blocks and low blocks, so you still need to account for that.
In fact, the only fighting game I can think of that doesn’t have a high-low mix-up is Smash Bros., but that’s a very different kind of game.
In SG, the blocks are like a VS. blocking system. So you can do back + down for crouch-block, which covers mids and lows, just back for a regular block, which blocks highs + mids, and air block, essentially up + back, to block everything.
I am not saying there isn’t high and low blocks. I feel like you are missing the point.
What would you classify games like Smash Bro?
Like I said earlier man it’s not a big deal. There are literally hundreds of games that have the blocking system I like. I was just hoping Skull Girls had it because it’s been a game I have been anticipating for a redonculous amount of time. I am also saying there is nothing wrong with back blacking. I am fine with controls like that. I just do not enjoy playing games like that.
Why don’t you try and clear tutorial? It was made specifically to teach people who are new to the genre basics like this.
~face palm~ I am not new to this genre. This is getting kind of frustrating. I don’t like that mechanic, that’s all I am saying.
I don’t mind if you just don’t like the game (nobody here minds that), I just don’t understand your reasoning for not liking the back block.
It is literally
Back + Down = Crouch-Block (nearly every 2D fighting game)
vs.
Back + Down + Block button = Crouch-Block (Mortal Kombat)
or
Back = Standing Block (nearly every 2D fighting game)
vs.
Block button = Standing Block (Mortal Kombat)
I don’t understand why it’s such a bad thing, and your explanations haven’t made much sense. If it’s literally just “I don’t like it,” then I would understand, but you’ve tried to explain it with “giving up footing and time” and “backing up is more like an invitation than a safety measure” which isn’t true.
To be honest, you kinda HAVE to be if this is such a foreign concept to you.
Well “isn’t true” is a subjective term IMO, as is “More like an invitation”. I can have a difficult time articulating my self when trying to be diplomatic and I apologize like that. I find that when I give examples people just find a reason to attack so I am not comfortable going into examples or concrete detail.
I guess what I am saying is that if you press back you take a step back unless you are basically doing a just-block (as it’s hitting you.) That’s fine, that’s part of the game is to get good at things like that. I just don’t like losing distance from my opponent unless I am playing a ranged fighter. One mistake on my part (I am human and I don’t play fighters enough to 100% just block all the time.) and I am in the corner.
Also you are talking about crouch blocking and not moving. But then Arial attacks hit you. I find this counter-intuitive to the entire discussion because everyone here says the reason for back blocking is to allow cross-ups. That was the reason I made my comment about that.
I never said it was Foreign. I said I didn’t agree with it. The reason people like it more is foreign to me. And you know what? Not So Saint clearly explained that in his first post to me. I understand now why people enjoy it. I guess it was wrong of me to suggest alternative means and I apologize for that.
The main point is that offering the choice between button guarding and holding back to block would completely imbalance the game. You gain some huge advantages from button guarding that the game isn’t balanced to handle; Mike Z specifically crafted this game the way it is because this is what he wanted.
You generally don’t lose distance by blocking on reaction. And yeah, high-low mix-ups are part of every fighting game. If you’re crouch-blocking and you anticipate an aerial attack, just go into a standing block, it’s a matter of moving the joystick slightly.
Again, I don’t understand this reasoning, it still seems to just be a matter of you don’t like it for purposes other than game mechanics, either you’re not comfortable with it or it’s just a very foreign concept.
I can understand it being an imbalance in a game designed for back blocking. I don’t understand why a 2D game would be ruined by button blocking.
And I think Mike Z did a fantastic Job ^.^ For people who like the back blocking this game seems like it’s one of the best you can play. If not, it’s at least a ton of fun. Fan service and one epic one liners up the wazoo 
Anyway I am heading to bed. Thank you all for the nice conversation. For you XBL players I am sure I will see you on a match or two over the next couple weeks while I finish out the game ^.^
It wouldn’t be ruined, it would just be…very unusual.
It’d be like saying that you don’t like that jumps are a set distance in fighting games, or that you can cancel some moves into other moves, such things are a very common part of fighting games that people generally never question, so it’s quite unusual for someone to say they outright don’t like it.
I didn’t like it at first either, it’s just an odd habit to get used to after using button block. It makes sense once you do get used to it though.
Also, don’t apologize for expressing an opinion, it’s great that you’re willing to ask about the option rather than dropping the game outright.
It would nullify alot of offensive options needed to open people up. Left and right mix ups are a pretty big part of 2D games. Just think of it as if holding block would automatically sidestep in the proper direction for you in a 3D game. That… makes sense right? It did in my head. The point is that it removes/limits a big portion of the game’s strategy. In a game like SG I just don’t see it as a plausible option without making things needlessly complicated.
Also, there aren’t enough buttons for a block. There are already concerns from pad players about not having an optimal assist/tag setup because of it. For the record (I know you stated issues about articulating), I am still slightly confused on what’s going on here. I hope this was a slightly constructive viewpoint on the matter o.O.
thats why you switch to a stand block when you see the opp jump. this is harder granted in air dashing games since they can be up in the air and back down again so quickly, but that is what push block is for, so you dont have to deal with peoples mixups.
i used to prefer a button to block instead of holding back, but now the whole button holding thing is really weird to me. it just takes practice. plus you dont have to give up footing to block. you can advance forwards and then block once you get in range to the opps attacks. you just gotta try and anticipate what they are gonna do.
2d fighters don’t need a block button imo. I know how you feel, when I first got into fighters, I wanted a block button for everything. But now I see that holding back is just WAAAAAAAAAAAY better and more comfortable for 2d fighting. Block button is only nice in SOME 3d fighters or brawlers.
2d fighters don’t need a block button imo. I know how you feel, when I first got into fighters, I wanted a block button for everything. But now I see that holding back is just WAAAAAAAAAAAY better and more comfortable for 2d fighting. Block button is only nice in SOME 3d fighters or brawlers.
Yes it’s constructive but I feel like people are looking at one part of the conversation, such as the posters after you. Are some of you even reading my posts, or am I wording things too softly? I am just trying to be diplomatic and have a nice conversation about this…
OK so Rusty, what is your response to me when I say that you can HOLD BLOCK and then press the direction that you would like to block for it to be effective? That is not doing a damn thing for you, because you still have to perform basically the same action. I am sure some of you are like “wtf is the difference” Trust me when I say that to a person like me, it’s all the difference in the world. We can ignore the whole “Holding block auto blocks the attack you are facing thing” Whatever, toss that out the window. It just makes me feel safer to know that when I am pressing the block button I am preparing to do so.
What are some of you going to say when sometimes I like to walk back and not block? Am I blowing your mind yet? 
I am sure a lot of this is my play style. I play games generally different from other people, that isn’t a bad thing. It means I am using the mechanics for a purpose that people don’t generally see them for.
Evilweevle. My point about not being able to block the arial attacks fell short on you. I will try to be more clear. Entire board so far is telling me that a block button would ruin cross ups (cause clearly you need block to just auto block right? Sorry for the harsh sarcasm but hopefully people will stop reading what they want to and actually have a discussion. Maybe if I mention I am a gamer? I play hundreds of all style games. Different controls and outlandish things are fine with me. Holding BACK is FINE! I don’t think it’s the most effective way (FOR ME AND MY DOZEN FRIENDS WHO PLAY FIGHTERS) to play, it’s not definitive enough . I think it should be noted we don’t suck tremendously at fighters, not even close.)
I don’t like my mobility fucked with, end of the story. I feel; this is me talking, that holding back ruins a lot of the mobility. YES I can change the way I play. But I don’t want to play like every single one of you, that’s boring. It’s nice to pop in a game prepare for an all out meta war. Changing up the style of play each round. yes you can do that in this game. But it feels like less of a varying degree.
When I put in a game I have one of two things I scream aloud to prepare if it’s a fighting game. “WHO WEARS SHORT SHORTS?!?!” and “THIS WAS DESTINED TO BE!! LIKE MY FATHER AND HIS FATHER BEFORE HIM!!” I am not getting the same amount of excitement when I play this game
Oh and with a creative mind, there are always enough buttons to work. Whats a pad player by the way? (are you fancy speaking me for controller?)
So recap
Messes with Mobility: If you can’t see this or understand it, then just don’t worry about it.
There are literally a dozen different ways to do the blocking to make it balanced and fair: Start thinking outside the box. Again if you can’t even begin to comprehend this don’t worry about it.
Trying to infer I am new to fighting games or saying that I “should just get used to it” Is not helpful to the conversation. I have been in the gaming (all types of games) scene long enough to know what works and doesn’t work in games. Whether it works for you or not doesn’t make a difference to me. Why, because we are people and people have different preferences.
Hell I am about to use a game and feel free to call me out on this. Didn’t DoA 2 Hardcore have a countering system that required you to counter high low or medium and you had to have relatively decent timing with it? I don’t feel like was handed to you, and you had to hit a series of buttons. Blocking in most “3D games or brawlers” Can easily be bypassed all the time as I stated in an earlier post. This is fact. If you are having a hard time with a game, let me know I will give an example of how to bypass this. Grabbing is usually the best. Are you guys against grabbing? How about that dumb chick who chain grabs you the entire fight?
I get the feeling most of you dislike these 3D fighting games, but I feel a good amount of them are balanced in the way they work. Call me mainstream, but Soul Calibur is one of the most balanced fighting games I have ever played. Yes SC is a 3D vs this 2D game so it’s apples to oranges, but I am slightly changing the topic (Because my points of how to change 2D fighters are above) to understand why the hash on 3D fighters?
P.S. How would it nullify offensive options? The best way i’ve found through blocking is by being aggressive and offensive. And this game HEAVILY rewards two styles of play. Hardcore aggressive, or range.
It does mess with mobility, but that’s part of balance as I mentioned. In 3D games, the walls factor in differently to how corners do in 2D, so holding back wouldn’t make sense there, but in 2D it stops purely defensive play from being overpowered. Similar to what throws do to prevent blocking from being overpowered. I mentioned a couple of ways to move forward while blocking, and dashing backwards is essentially the same as walking back without blocking.
You might have some luck with the button + direction control as a suggestion, but since the current controls are traditional for the majority of 2D fighting games I suspect it would not be implimented.