OK this is all I’ve got in me for tonight. Maybe I’ll type more, maybe not. This is a good run-through though.
Well, firstly, all the shit everyone knows and goes without saying (but I’m going to say it anyway).
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VF has a very strict and precise engine and command system. The “rules” of the game are never broken. The evade window is obvious; either you evade something, or you don’t. The evade system is very clean; made up of linear, half-circular, and full-circular attacks. The command buffer system allows frame-perfect flowcharts and punishment.
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VF is very balanced. Sega has a great relationship with VF4’s top players, and it shows. Each edition of VF4 has went through several revisions to become what it is. AM2 developers have an extremely comprehensive understanding of risk/reward, and it shows. There are no overly abuseable attacks or tactics in VF, and that is because the risk/reward has great balance. Sega is also aware of virtually everything possible in VF4; meaning that there are no abuseable bugs or tactics that they did not intentionally design. The few that were present in VF4 were eliminated in Evo, and the few additional ones in Evo were eliminated in FT (for example, back turned walking being too evasive and ARE).
Some examples of why VF4 is good:
- In VF, there are multiple types of counter-hits.
In Evo, there are 2; mC (minor counter), and MC (major counter). MC is a normal counter-hit like any other game; when you interrupt an attacks excecution. This does 150% damage. mC is when you hit an attack during its recovery, by blocking/evading/forcing a whiff or whatever. This does 125% damage, and like an MC situation, some attacks will have different results from a normal hit/mC/MC. Some attacks retain their MC properties for mC, making them geared for punishing moves as well as being a good counter-hit tool.
In FT, MCs have been expanded to 3 types of counter-hits. LC, MC, HC (light, medium, and heavy). If you interrupt a move that does 15 points of damage or below, it’s a LC, and does 130% damage (yellow flash). If you interrupt a move that does between 16 and 24 damage, you get a MC, 150% damage (red flash). And if the move is 25 damage or higher you get a HC, 160% damage (red flash + screen shake). Of course this adds logical risk/reward to attacking out of disadvantage. If you just low P, you’ll only get LCed, but if you throw out a launcher, you’ll eat a HC. Sega used this new system to belance certain moves, too. Some attacks that used to float/crumple on counter, now only do so on MC and HC. Some moves that used to do nothing special now have float/crumple properties only on HC.
- Forced mixups = forced option-select defense: In VF4, throws are 8 frames, the fastest thing in the game. The fastest P’s in VF are 11 frames, with a very few specific attacks being 10 frames, to give you an idea how the speed throws compare to other attacks in VF. Most quick mids are 14 frames, and launchers are around 16-21+ frames, depending on the character and risk/reward of the move in question. Of course it has to be noted that attacks always beat throws.
Now for the juice. In VF4, it takes 7 frames (6 when crouch dashing) to enter a true crouching state in relation to throws. What this means:
At -1, you are free to crouch under throws.
At -2, you can crouch dash under throws, but you will be thrown if you attempt to just input d+G.
At -3 or more, you cannot avoid a throw by crouching.
Also note that you can backdash out of a throw at -2. At -3 you cannot.
What does this mean? It means that you have 2 options at -3. Either take a risk by attacking, or be defensive in some way. This is one of the biggest things that keeps scrubs from winning in VF. If you cannot perform EDTEG (or other the many other defensive options), you will just be guessing, and taking huge risks in the process. While it is true that choosing a certain defensive option is also guessing, there are enough options that cover various situations that this becomes a non-issure. So if you become good at VF, a lesser player will simply not have a chance, unless your defense is also weak.
Also remember, even though you have to constantly worry about the threat of throws, you also have to worry about the mid/low mixup which is already present in other games. This makes a big difference from defense in Tekken, when you only have to worry about mid/low mixup, and guessing throw break on reaction. Of course you can duck a throw and get a reward for more risk.
Here is a basic breakdown of the defensive options in VF:
Fuzzy guard - Used at -1 or -2, or when you are up to -11 from a move that recovers crouching (since you don’t have to worry about having frames to crouch under throws; you are already crouching). The basic principle of fuzzy guard is that throws are fast at 8 frames, and generally the fastest mids are 14 frames. You can perform a quick crouching motion to go under immediate throws, and stand up in time to guard immediate mids. It can also be used in neutral situations. You can stay crouched, and when you see the opponent move, stand up. The idea behind this, is that 14 frame mids are slow enough to stand up and guard on reaction, but throws are too fast to stand up into on reaction. Fuzzy is extremely important, since it decides who gets advantage first in a neutral situation. So at -1 or -2, fuzzy beats throws, catch throws, and mid/high attacks. Loses to quick lows, and slower low just rely on reaction speed.
(D)TEG (double throw escape-guard) - Option select defensive against attack/ throw, requiring no evade. A single throw can be escaped at any disadvantage without a whiff animation. You can escape 2 throws at -10 or more with no whiff, due to the buffer system. Beats any throws you escape, linear, half-circular, full-circular and delayed attacks. Loses to any throws you don’t escape, catch throws, and generally lows, though that is dependant on the reflexes of the defender.
EDTEG (evade-double throw escape-guard) - The one everyone talks about. Double may also be “single”, “triple”, or even “quadruple”, depending on how many throws are escaped. This option beats linear and half-circular attacks (if you evade in the appropriate direction), and whichever throws you escape. Can be beaten by catch throws, full-circular attacks, delayed attacks, and throws that the opponent doesn’t escape. Catch throw is typically risky; if it whiffs you will be punishable by just about anything, and they are very slow. Full-circular attacks, when blocked, are always punishable, or slow enough to lose to fast attack even when you are at advantage. Delayed attacks are the riskiest, but most rewarding. If your opponent attacks you back, you will eat a MC. Throws of course can be beaten by attacks.
ATE (attack-throw escape) - Used at -8 or more, when you think someone will throw a delayed launcher vs your EDTEG. Very effective with sabakis (attacks that automatcally reverse certain attack types). You can escape many throws with the option without fear of a whiff. Beats throws, catch throws, and delay attack. Loses to any normal attack of decent speed (unless you sabaki it). Also note that sabakis will usually lose to delayed attacks, due to their slow speed. But that’s the tradeoff for being able to beat immideate attacks.
ECDG (evade-crouchdash-guard) - Beats linear/half-circular attacks, delayed attacks and slow full circular attacks. Loses to throw, catch throw, and faster full-circulars.
ECDA (evade-crouchdash-attack) - Beats linear/half-curcular attacks, catch throws/delayed throws. Loses to throw, full-circular, and delayed attacks.
There are more of these, but they are much less important than these I explained.
- VF has a complex wall system that is not dissimilar to TK4’s. Those that think TK4’s wall system is so much deeper are misinformed.
VF has different hit properties for different attack strengths. The lowest strength will cause a short wall stun without a stagger. During this stun, the opponent cannot guard for a VERY short time. This makes strings like Lau’s PPPK guarunteed if they hit the wall after the third hit. This if true for all fast strings; if they hit the wall from a hit directly preceeding a non-guarunteed hit, it becomes guarunteed. This only applies to strings, as they are the only attack sequences fast enough to take advantage of this vulnerability window. After the window has passed, there is a longer window that lets the opponent guard, but they cannot evade or attack. So it becomes an extremely dangerous situation since they cannot do any evade-based defensive options.
Some attacks will cause a stagger with a wall hit. Depending on the attack, this may require a counter-hit. For example, elbows (14 frame mids) require a MC to cause a wall stagger, but will cause the stun type I explained above on normal hit. Sidekicks (16 frame mids) will cause a wall stagger on normal hit, and on MC, they will push the opponent very far back, allowing wall stagger combos from a longer distance. Also, many attacks retain their mC or MC properties when they hit during a stagger, such as Wolf’s f+K or Aoi’s b,d/f+P+K. This leans to some awesome wall combos.
Not to mention the many throws that either have special wall versions, or allow followups against a wall. This also goes for position change throws when your back is to the wall.
peace