Broken Counterattack Balance

[Sverd]

Hello,

Currently, it is not only possible but preferable to never attack (except to build your adrenaline slightly) and merely wait for your opponent to attack, at which point you can launch uncounterable and high-damage counterattacks. Even confusing and complicated paths at high speeds are fairly trivial to counter, and then instakill your opponent on the counterattack. Quite frankly, this is pretty ridiculous. Being able to get off 9 perfect attacks in a row should not be a penalty to you, and waiting for your opponent to attack should not be the preferable strategy.

[La☆Primera]

I couldn't agree anymore. Even the high speed moves are fairly easy to block and counter, including some really high speed moves scoring 11 and above speed ratings. I just lost a match with a friend while using those moves, and he only focused on countering, barely attacking. He managed to not only block 90% of my high speed moves (Scored with perfect) but to also beat me with counter attacks alone.

[Starg]

Yes, I need to do some balancing for the Steam version in this area, I'll make some tweaks in the next build.

However, there are tactics to mitigate the chances of a counter attack:

- Use multiple Chi cards to augment your attack. E,g, boost speed, block fog, short block line, chi shake. Use at least two of these together. Short block is very effective.

- Upgrade your cards

- Don't feel the need to windmill attacks. This is fine to start with, but later on you need to choose your combos and attacks with more care.

- Use a faster fight style. Wing Chun has the fastest techniques.

- Assign customization points to hand and foot speed. These can increase your attack speed by 25%.

- Don't repeat the same attacks.

- Use uppercuts if you have them, these are incredibly hard to block, never mind counter. Throwing a few of these in an attack sequence will make it hard to predicate where your attacks in come from.

- Depending on the opponent, do as many attacks early on as possible, you will take counter damage, but not much in the early game. This will have the benefit of increasing your adrenaline quicker than your opponent and giving you access to your highers cards earlier.

[Do_Be]

I feel uppercuts are a bit to overpowered. It might just be because i play on fullscreen mode but the window to block is almost nonexistant and the damage is huge.

I just reached Dan 16 and fought someone who was Dan 20 and he was able to spam these out along with other speed attacks. The horizontal attacks are more manageable because of the increased screen size.

Also i feel the game promotes just spamming out the fastest hardhitting attacks possible. I feel there could be more of a distinction between the slow and fast attacks...and i believe fast attacks in general are a bit too hard hitting at the moment.

EDIT: Slow attacks are far too easy to counter and punish (though sometimes dangerous if you get lucky using as a tempo) and you're currently better off spamming different angled fasts, mainly uppercuts and foot stomps.

[Highly Regarded]

As somebody who specifically builds around counters, I will say I get a lot of wins out of it, but there are definitely styles that can easily rek me. wing chun or whichever the super fast attacks are I have a really tough time with, and the uppercut attacks always throw me off. I'd like to see this style viable still, but I think we just need some more counters for counters, if that makes sense.

[Sverd]

The new balance patch really helped fixed counterattacks. The increased speed is definitely a step in the right direction, and it no longer seems to be viable to just sit in place and block speed 10 fogged attacks constantly. It's great that you're so attentive to comments; you really have something going with this brutal gory-detailed multiplayer stuff here, and I get the feeling a paid, improved sequel could do well on Steam.

Game is quite fun. The lack of demanding microtransactions or ads in a free game makes me want to support you. Kudos in all fields.

[Hans]

Starg, have you considering adding a fatigue option, or maybe even a small damage amount gets through with very strong attacks?

After playing for the past week or so, lots of players realized the turtle strategy was best (myself included) and this wasn't because I was trying to cheese, but due to the very low attack speed of almost all my attacks. Shaolin and karate style specifically.

HOWEVER, if a strong attack, say maybe anything over 5, is blocked, some damage still goes through? Even if it is to their hand joints? If I am using tae kwon do stance and I pull off a round house kick that does 15+ damage, that should smart to block. Maybe something to consider, or maybe it wouldn't work, not sure!

Wing Chun is amazing now that I have more blue cards to augment my attack rotation though.