Instead of keeping the block button pressed in order to block, how about timing it ?
Example: Theres an enemy coming towards me, if i press block too early the character simply stops blocking after a second or so and i would get hit, i would have to time it correctly in order to defend myself.
As it is now, players can sand still, hold block and wait for the enemy to attack and get a block most of the time, but if its timed players could actually be “baited” ouf of the block , thus requiring more brain and skill in order to block correctly.
I haven’t played internal ESFF so I can’t confirm, but going by ESF 1.2.3, OBF and whatever information I have, ESF is too fast-paced for timed blocks. You can get hit from any direction even in 1v1, so even a hold-down-button block doesn’t work that often. I think the whole idea behind ESF’s blocking is to face the attack’s direction, if you can anticipate it with all the swooping and teleporting going around you.
And not that it matters, but blocking having an expiration time doesn’t make that much sense from in-universe perspective.
Versus bots in 1.2.3 you already need to time your blocks so the bot actually attacks you.
Good point, plus timed block would need a cooldown to work and cooldowns dont fit in esf.
And now that i think of it , theres a way to counter stationary block spamming in ESF Final, which is the grab and smash.
Yea grab and smash along with any of the tiered melee attacks go through block. But there is even an older method called anglehit. Remember you are only blocking in a cone area in front of your character. Getting to the side of a stationarry target is really easy compared to doing it in a headon situation.