Here are some suggestions I have concerning the ESF melee to correct problems cited by others, along with some questions. Read them or not . . .
Suggestion: -Long Stun time Solution.
Well, drawing from dbz, perhaps the long stun time can be dealt with like this:
-Attacker swoops in and deals six prepunches to the defender.
After the prepunches are dealt, the defender flies backwards and a slowmotion effect somewhat like in The Specialist is iniated, perhaps with blood slowly flying away from the defender, or them doubling over to grab their stomachs. During this time almost cinematic like event, other game events are calculated normally, such as the charging of a combo and the movement of other players, thus giving the effect of a person having given his opponent's only a moments respite before diving in to attack him viciously . . .
This idea could definitely be made more flashy, like the aura sloughing off a player's body as their attacked and such.
Suggestion: -Melee Charge Time Alternative.
Blocks and attacks are split into three different categories. Weak, medium, and strong, each of which is represented by a certain attack or defense stance.
Ex. Goku in a weak defense/block stance would gain more damage from blocking melee from a Vegeta in a strong attack stance,
than he would if he were in a strong defense position.
Melee would be iniated just as it is now.
During a melee fight, it is possible for adversaries to see which stances their opponents are in and switch accordingly if there is time.
It would show up on screen as some kind of graphic similar to the way it happens currently with an opponent's attack combos.
This would eliminate the charging system, but retain the current system of displaying what an attacker inputs for his attack combinations on a defenders screen. The type of stance selected would determine not only an attacks strength, but it's speed. A punch in a weak stance would only show up on a defenders screen for only a half second for example, whereas a punch in a strong stance would be on screen considerably longer.
Just as in JKO, block may be broken by a player using a signifcantly stronger attack, causing a player to become stunned or perhaps damaged.
This would also apply to blocks. A fighter using a weak block stance would find their hands blurring into place to stop oncoming attacks, while one in a strong stance would move more slowly prepare themselves for a powerful blow.
Examples of a strong attack stance anim would be a fighters fists clenched, one held at their sides and one in front of their chest.
This new system would also influence the way energy attacks are blocked . . .
Suggestion: -Melee Specific Stat and Finishing moves.
For the new melee system, a new bar could be added, Stamina, which either pops up like a power struggle bar or is in place with the player stat bars. It is drained only by blocking melee, or throwing melee attacks, and can be increased by gaining in power level through kills, or transforming.
If a defender looses all there stamina, which is depleted even more by unblocked attacks dealt, the fighter with remaining stamina may use a special
move, like a double-axe smash, or full nelson, and send them flying into the ground.
Perhaps toggleable transformations (like Goku's) draw upon stamina while in use, but the boost in the amount of stamina available is slightly higher
than a non-toggleable transformation (Buu).
Suggestion: -Combo Streams.
This would be a constant set of attacks and defensive moves ordered by an attacker and defender to more completely simulate a dbz style fight. To accomodate 56kers, the attacks commands would not be processeced in real time, but by an offset of several seconds, allowing the last few battle commands to be played on the screen of both players, while the current ones are processed and calculated on the server and client machines.
Suggestion: -Melee Movement.
To further add to the depth of the system above, melee movement could be incorporated. This movement would be iniated by tapping keys (Ex. Teleport + forward), and depending upon the keys hit, a fighter would glide in that direction to where an opponent may be open , or even jumping over them completely and sending a powerful kick into their back.
This might also be used by those who are blocking so as to go on the offensive.
Just as a defender is able to see punch and kick combinations by is adversaries, they are able to see which direction in which their opponent
may move, and at the cost of some of their own stamina move/turn in that direction as well so as to be able to block subsequent attacks in
that direction.
This would of course drain on stamina faster to avoid it being abused.
Suggestion: -Auto Punch Blocking.
As for blocking to prevent being autopunched, perhaps it can be like this:
When a fighter sees another warrior swooping at them and presses the block button in time, all attacks are automatically blocked, just as blocking is handle with ki blasts, just as all attacks are automatically thrown once charging is complete, after which the attacking player is left open to a throw or melee attack from the defender.
Suggestion: -Throws. Throws could be different with each character. Goku it could be where you hold an opponent by the legs and then
send them flying off. With Buu, he would use his head tail to wrap around an opponent and send them skittering away. Frieza would use his tail . . .
Suggestion: -Dodging.
I'm unsure this aspect of melee works, and if it was explained I must have read over it.
Using Teleport plus a directional key while a defender is blocking will cause them to dodge instead of block, thus avoiding any damage. This would drain stamina faster however.
Question: -Camera View.
How will the camera view be affected during melee, assuming that the shots in the video were taken by a third entity to show of the melee and not actually the camera view as it currently is.
Question: -Damage Calculation.
How will damage be calculated if a player blocks a strong attack vs a weak attack? And how or will power level effect a fighters ability to block melee attacks? Will it be possible for an attacker to break the block of a defending player depending upon their power level?
.. and especialy what you said about everything having a CVAR.. me looks forward to this..
