Ultra Street Fighter 4 rumors implementation discussion

[vishnou00]

In this thread, I would like to discuss and compile implementations of rumored character changes for USF4 in OnoEdit.

First of all, is there another forum or thread where this is already discussed? A search of OnoEdit did not yield any similar topic, so I thought of starting one here.

The tool is documented and available here:
http://onotool.wikispaces.com/

This place would not be that much to discuss the changes, but to compile and refine implementations, define best practices and maybe highlight things to verify in various location tests.

[vishnou00]

Tip for using OnoEdit:
The files are reloaded when exiting character select, so you can do the modification in OnoEdit, save the file, change character and reselect characters to test your changes.

[vishnou00]

Tip for using OnoEdit:
In windows vista and up (xp would use Junction.exe), you can swap a parallel directory through symlink, to easily go back to the original version of the game without renaming files manually.

Here is a batch script that can be used to quickly backup and restore your modified and original files. Nothing fancy, copy paste it in a .cmd file, adjust your directory for SF4_ROOT and ONOEDIT_PATH. It works for me (I have AE2012 on steam). I like to start it with a shortcut that starts with administrator privilege (accessible with the Advanced… button in the Shortcut tab of the Shortcut Properties).

Be sure to use the latest version of OnoEdit, version from may didn’t support symbolic links to directories.

@echo off
set SF4_ROOT=C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\super street fighter iv - arcade edition
set ONOEDIT_PATH=C:\download\OnoEdit\OnoEdit.exe

set MODIFIED_SUFFIX=onoedit
set ORIGINAL_SUFFIX=original
set WORKING_FOLDER=regulation

set DATA_1=dlc\03_character_free\battle
set DATA_2=patch\battle
set DATA_3=patch_1_06\battle
set DATA_4=patch_1_07\battle
set DATA_SET=%DATA_1%,%DATA_2%,%DATA_3%,%DATA_4%

pushd %SF4_ROOT%
IF NOT %ERRORLEVEL%==0 GOTO FAILED_SF4_ROOT

REM uncomment to skip backup creation
REM GOTO REMAP_TO_MOD
:CREATE_BACKUP
FOR %%D IN (%DATA_SET%) DO ( IF EXIST %%D ( pushd %%D
IF NOT EXIST %WORKING_FOLDER%_%ORIGINAL_SUFFIX% rename %WORKING_FOLDER% %WORKING_FOLDER%_%ORIGINAL_SUFFIX%
IF NOT EXIST %WORKING_FOLDER%_%MODIFIED_SUFFIX% mkdir %WORKING_FOLDER%_%MODIFIED_SUFFIX% && xcopy /e %WORKING_FOLDER%_%ORIGINAL_SUFFIX% %WORKING_FOLDER%_%MODIFIED_SUFFIX%
popd 
IF NOT %ERRORLEVEL%==0 GOTO FAILED_UAC ) )

REM uncomment to do only backup creation
REM GOTO END

:REMAP_TO_MOD
FOR %%D IN (%DATA_SET%) DO ( IF EXIST %%D ( pushd %%D
rmdir %WORKING_FOLDER%
mklink /d %WORKING_FOLDER% %WORKING_FOLDER%_%MODIFIED_SUFFIX%
popd
IF NOT %ERRORLEVEL%==0 GOTO FAILED_UAC ) )
GOTO SUCCESS_MOD

:SUCCESS_MOD
echo Starting OnoEdit:
start %ONOEDIT_PATH%
echo SF4 game data folders remapped to modified version
echo Press any key to remap to original data

pause
GOTO REMAP_TO_ORG

:REMAP_TO_ORG
FOR %%D IN (%DATA_SET%) DO ( IF EXIST %%D ( pushd %%D
rmdir %WORKING_FOLDER%
mklink /d %WORKING_FOLDER% %WORKING_FOLDER%_%ORIGINAL_SUFFIX%
popd 
IF NOT %ERRORLEVEL%==0 GOTO FAILED_UAC ) )
GOTO SUCCESS_ORG

:SUCCESS_ORG
echo Folder remap to original data successful
GOTO END

:FAILED_UAC
echo A command failed, it's usually UAC (or directory stucture is unexpected)
pause
GOTO END

:FAILED_SF4_ROOT
echo missing SF4 root folder
GOTO END

:END
popd

[vishnou00]

I’m a big fan of Makoto (since I started to play SSF4 in October 2010), so I pay attention to vryu’s twitter, and last week had a lot of discussion about the rumored change that ex-fukiage would now hit standing/crouching opponent (normal fukiage still hit in air characters, same as AE2012’s ex-fukiage).

The first stop is to remove two flags in FUKIAGE_EX’s HITBOX’s script (DONT_HIT_STANDING, DONT_HIT_CROUCHING). The result makes ex-fukiage comboable (from various normals 5LP, 6LP, 5MP, 2MP, 6HP) which makes you able to perform the combos described by vryu’s tweets: HP ex-fukiage HK-tsurugi as a replacement for Ultra 1 (the damage nerf of w-combo to Ultra1 would make w-combo moot for Makoto, since you can do pretty much w-combo U1 damage with one ex bar).

The result of only removing those two flags is still strange: through the dash animation, Makoto usually pushes the opponent out of range of the fukiage punch. Some character (e.g. Cody) can be hit sometimes because their idle animation moves their hurtbox forward enough to be hit by the very short range fuki. Out of the box, ex-fukiage has a very short horizontal hitbox that reaches only to 0.25, compared to other known Makoto short range moves, like LK-karakusa (0.45), standing jab (0.655) or standing LK (0.4, but the animation moves the root/origin of the box forward a lot during the move). With that in mind, I guess that 0.4 would be a reasonable range for ex-fukiage, because it should hit most neutral states of other character (although a reach of 0.29 seemed to reach Ryu and Ken most of the time, I didn’t test the whole cast, and I don’t know would be the most back leaning characters when standing and crouching that would prevent the occasional whiff vs dummies that do nothing).

An alternative to widening the box and removing the flag would be to duplicate the box, and make it larger (x position of 0.125 and a width of 0.35 extends front edge from 0.25 to 0.30 while maintaining the -0.05 back edge), and replace the DONT_HIT_STANDING and DONT_HIT_CROUCHING flags with DONT_HIT_AIR and DONT_HIT_JUMP_START.

With other values, especially modifying the size of the main box, there has been different results, such as being able to do HP, ex-fukiage, ex-fuki, ex-tsurugi, or being able to land a 2nd ex-fukiage by extending its range with the step kick (6LK cancelled into ex-fukiage for the 2nd one). These would be things to test at the loc test. I’m not rooting for any result, except that I would like the bnb combos using ground ex-fukiage not to be character specific (I’m lazy in that way that )

Edit: I did some more testing, and a few characters had hitboxes that were further back than most of the cast. Blanka and El Fuerte were sometimes missed during their standing animation, but the most back leaning character was Rose. To be able to hit rose at all, I had to wider to the ground box to x=0.145 width=0.39 (edge to 0.34, up from 0.3 for most of the cast and 0.25 for the original anti-air hitbox).

On a first test where I recorded ex-fukiage, kara-ex-fukiage, ex-tsurugi (recorded vs Ryu) it worked well for about half the cast (20 characters), 14 characters (mostly characters with wide hurtbox) seemed to have hollower falling arc, so they were out of range of the 2nd fukiage (but it did work in the corner). The rest of the cast had weirder results: Blanka and El Fuerte was sometimes missed (by leaning back) and half the time, the 2nd ex-fukiage missed Fei Long in midscreen. Also, Claw required a different timing for the ex-tsurigi to hit (he was falling too late).

Characters that worked with the raw ex-fukiage combo in mid-screen:
Ryu, Ken, Ibuki, Makoto, Gouken, Gen, Yun, Juri, Yun, Dhalsim, Abel, C.Viper, Sagat, Cammy, Guy, Yang, E.Ryu, Rufus (worked half the time with the recording), Claw (ex-tsurugi missed), Boxer, T.Hawk, Rose

I ran another test for the cast that did have issue, HP xx ex-fukiage, kara-ex-fukiage, ex-tsurugi (recoded vs E.Honda), and it worked consistently for the cast (except Claw that required late 2nd ex-fukiage to hit)

Characters that required the st.hp starter (again midscreen):
E.Honda, Dudley, Seth, Akuma, Oni, Chun, Dictator, Dee Jay, Cody, Hakan, Guile, Blanka, Zangief, Adon, El Fuerte, Fei Long

Cancelling a normal into ex-fukiage helps a lot with having a consistent range and I think it moves the opponent closer to Makoto on the impact of ex-fukiage, for some character, f.LK kara was not even necessary. The tested combo were a bit synthetic, here are some number on what could happen on most of the cast (all from standing HP):
HP xx ex-fukiage HK-tsurugi : 320 damage for 1 ex, mid-screen
HP xx ex-fukiage MK-tsurugi ex-hayate : 364 damage for 2 ex, mid-screen, not character dependant
HP xx ex-fukiage MP-fukiage ex-tsurugi : 379 damage for 2 ex, corner only. Although for that many bars, the usual HP xx ex-hayate LP-fukiage ex-tsurugi is still 384 dmg, but with the ex-fukiage, you have more time to decide to spend another bar for the next combo, which relatively easy in the corner.
HP xx ex-fukiage kara-ex-fukiage ex-tsurugi : 408 damage for 3 ex, mid-screen, timing is harder on some characters (the hollow falling arc characters)

Ground based ex-fukiage would combo from almost anything: all cancellable ground normals (even max range mk or cr.mp), HP and HK jump ins (squeeze a mp for other jump ins). The only hitch is if you start linking cr.LP/cl.LP, you will want to p-link a MP to be special cancellable. It would give Makoto some good 3 frames punish options (starting with f.LP):

• 270 dmg for 1 ex (f.LP xx ex-fukiage HK-tsurugi)
• 314 dmg for 2 ex (f.LP xx ex-fukiage MK-tsurugi ex-hayate)

I didn’t explore any reset, but I think you get the same options as from focus crumple + fukiage.

[vishnou00]

@Jason24cf tweeted:
USFIv Makoto - can combo into ex fukiage grounded

So this means ex-fukiage’s hit box would be unchanged, so probably only DONT_HIT_STANDING and DONT_HIT_CROUCHING hit box flags have been removed.

There will probably be a post summarizing those info, I will try to to find a likely implementation in OnoEdit afterwards.

edit 2013-11-30 7pm EST: in todays stream at superarcate location test (capcomfighters), I saw Makoto (Team Seaslug) do f+HK feint into ex-fuki on Hugo (Hungbee), it seems that ex-fuki pushes less than AE2012 (i.e. not a bigger box) so raw ex-fukiage can hit ground outside of a combo.