Now before you read this I mean no offence.
For me it seems like most of the choices in this game is chosen by the team and its preferences. Swooping backwards has become markedly slower. The ability to predict movements and counter them is less effective now, rapidly attacking without giving the enemy chance to repel, dodge or counter seems to have become a huge factor here. I know this game is not 1.1, 1.2.3 or any other previous alpha, beta or full version you have ever done. But please take the values we are fond of into the game again. The speed is great and all but please make sure you can use this speed to counter and take distance as well. I don't mean like miles distance even though that might be a little hard with this intense speed you guys have modified. I appreciate that this intense speed was added it's gonna make it very fun especially when the map is significantly bigger than the gldsrc engine intends to allow. But whom are you releasing this game for? You seem to have been making it out of inductive perception and added the things like you wanted in, to make it a more aggressive game and weight down on counter types, why? because it's tedious to fight a guy who was able to easily counter everyone? Again I don't want this to be a better version of 1.2.3, or frankly spoken I do, but you can make this game balanced for each kind of style just like 1.2.3 was. The fast players were able to become insanely good, for you who played ESF in the time of its peak, you know a player like [s2k] Gohan aka Tribute was insanely fast and precise with his teleports and with continuous yet successive attacks. And you know players like Ren who were excessively good at countering, reading and anticipating his enemy's movement as they were his own in 100 ping and yet mash several excellent players. Here we have a balance of 2 people who both are enthroned the title of elite players (not stating they are best but I'm trying to come with examples we might all know..) I want to be able to make a chain swoop that hits people from the side with SS DD WW and I have to take into account that I will be hit if I use SS because it's too damn slow compared to the guy coming with a charged turbo swoop at me? Come on...
Except for the balance in speed I have, in addition, a comment on the tic-tac-toe melee.
I think that basic should beat all, because face it... people will practice that the most as people like to control their own movements instead of the game punching the **** out of you, source? Free movement is a blatant thing people like, and look at ESF 1.2 .. basic melee is preferably chosen because people can show variety here by doing side/roof/ground hits, hit people up, down, into walls and all that with their second hit... making second hits from the side, above and all that seems to be nearly out of option now. Automatic melee is quite boring..
You made the game too easy for people that just like to play by reflexes... you need to put brain cells into ESF, I really, really don't want you to take that away. Now you probably just have to keep pressing the same buttons to win with the most fast and aggressive guy winning because he's faster than the slow guy is.. some people like it more chess-like. I have seen the video in the FP, and the videos here ... I might anticipate wrong and I might judge too fast, also the game is, of course, not done yet I do take that into account. I have spoken to a few testers and people in the team asking them questions and of course receiving vague answers and I fully respect that as you keep your information classified, good job there (the guys I am talking about know whom I'm talking about). They all somewhat agree that counter types will either become useless or less effective by tremendous amounts. Watching the videos I think I can see why, I honestly love you guys for working hard on it.. but I think instead of doing so much for the noobs (honestly it seems harder now .. not easier.. except for the 1 button swoop) but then again, instead of doing so much for the noobs make sure you make it good for the excellent players too and make many player styles available.. instead of letting the game chose your entire play style by tic-tac-toe melee .. you must anticipate way more than that.. you must time your attack it shouldn't be constantly bouncing into each other but giving it an extra thought of where, when and how you attack..
Again.. no offence meant.. I only wish to share my opinions and concerns to help you guys improve the game.. I love the ESF community and I respect the team for working hard on the new version. I have done lots for this community and I have spent a lot of time, I don't want the final version to be a mess and I want to make sure that you give every player a great time and not let the game die again within a year or something. So hear people out and at least take these things into account...