Street Fighter had never implemented an “instinct mode”, outside of supermoves for characters like Yun/Yang or Rose, and the V-Ism from the Alpha series.
So, V-Trigger looks perhaps a little too radical as a new mechanics for the series, and also a little disjointed, as characters like Nash will have a completely different use for the gauge.
My main concern about this is new characters native to Street Fighter V, if they’re built around the use of V-Trigger as an important factor for their gameplay (and we can be pretty sure it’s gonna be that way), how are they going to adapt them later if they drop the V-Trigger then?
Take Nash for example, again. His teleports are for sure powerful moves, so much they demand to expend some gauge, then could they rework them into another, not as powerful form, if the V-Trigger mechanics is gone? Are hey going to make them EX-exclusive moves, or what?
As for adapting returning characters, they’d be for sure looking forward to adapt some their stuff into V-Trigger… Urien, for example, maybe it takes half V-Gauge to create a reflecting mirror or something. And as it looks like V-Gauge is built when you RECEIVE damage, so you would have to be in low health to use Urien’s mirrors… and that pretty much would change a lot the way he would play.
I’m using him just as an example, I’m just saying the idea of the V-Gauge seems pretty intrusive when you have an already very firm and established basic mechanics and cast of characters, with solid gameplay. Are you a little nervous about V-Trigger?
Yes its brilliant. Ignoring the fact that Focus Attacks and Revenge Meter/Ultra Combos were a poorly conceived mechanic, SF always introduces new mechanics with every game.
Proximity-based normals were a nightmare for some characters in SF4 (Honda, Guile, and Deejay come to mind). Having total control over your normals is a much better solution.
Your fears are unwarranted. V-Trigger is a great idea and new mechanics are always welcome so that Street Fighter games don’t feel like the previous versions.
You are looking waaaaaay too much into this, especially when the game is still months away from release. There’s literally no reason to be worrying about something like this right now, and frankly this doesn’t seem like a big problem anyway.
V-trigger is essentially a comeback mechanic, but the good kind of comeback mechanic. SF4 had ultras aka “here, you got beat up so now you got to unlock your most damaging attack”, which was the bad kind. V-trigger is more in line with P4A, CvS2 K-groove and Killer Instinct: it gives you a powerful resource that enables you to turn the tide, but setting it up takes effort. Additionally, you don’t get the activation for free (like P4A and K-groove) and they don’t currently have invincibility (like KI). If you manage to reset a disadvantageous position to a neutral position, or even offensive one, V-trigger can win the game for you. Otherwise, no. You have to work to make it powerful.
I understand your concerns, but I don’t share them. V-trigger is one of the things that makes the characters unique, and its powers come with limitations. I currently think the mechanic looks incredibly fun.
At least I think it is good from the standpoint that I feel focus attacks wasn’t a great core mechanic. It rewards some characters much more than others in SF4 for obvious reasons.
Something unique for everyone and can be tweaked per character instead of changing it too much across the board.
Observing some gameplay matches not activating it as soon as it is full or forgeting activating it. I remember SVC Chaos Max gauges. Should it be activated automatically? or have something a reward for keeping the bar full? I don’t know. Its like there something missing or something can be done for it?
Unfamiliarity is definitely limiting V-Trigger’s potential. The only issues that are obvious are with the players not using their character’s V-skill to build towards timely V-reverses. I see the V bar being used exclusively for triggers but not so much in the meta game. This game is in its infancy and I am excited to see where it ends up.
We have to start thinking what does SFV means to the “evolution” of the Street Fighter franchise… It’s called “articulation”. Is it something that fits in the line of the series, or a detour?