koartist
December 10th, 2007, 03:09 PM
This list is pretty old, and kind of centers around the FN franchises shortcomings, but there's still a lot of good stuff in there...here it is:
1) SLIDERS/OPTIONS! This could fix almost everything in the gameplay if they had all the options/sliders needed. Just imagine, an option to turn off "KO moment" silence (such a drama/suspense killer and needs to go), an option to turn down the "counter window time" after a parry, options to pick which punches can actually even be parried, turn flash KO's up or down, haymaker power up or down, normal punches up or down, etc. Then they need individual sliders for each fighter to reflect their best punches and tendencies, etc. Sliders are in every other respectable sports game these days, so put 'em in FN already too. I would also be overjoyed if there was an option for "advanced parrying" where the only way you could get a successful parry was when it was timed accurately w/ the punch, instead of just being able to hold the parry up there by your ear all day and still swat away punches like some kung fu movie. If it's not timed perfectly, it's not a parry, just a block.
2) A VB2 style career mode, with multiple organizations, belts and rankings, video scouting, hour by hour training & diet choices that all truly matter, advice from trainers/stablemates, etc, etc, etc. Please EA, get a fliptop, buy the game, check it out, and start biting ideas from the career mode....just like you bit the VB controls to create FN04.
3) Infighting/Clinchfighting: Please include both of these things for some variety in gameplay. Some people could be really good inside, or in the clinch, or way better outside than when inside/clinching, etc. It would add a whole new dimension to the game.
4) Improved CAB. It's pretty obvious to us now that you're never going to have a great roster, and won't even "top" your own companies effort in 2001 to bring a seriously great roster, so PLEASE make the CAB better so we can create all the boxers we want.
5) Spectator Mode Online: Would be a great addition, especially for online leagues, cheater avoidance, etc.
6) More than 8 stats for every boxer. I think they really need to beef up the number of stats/attributes for fighters. There should be power in each hand, power in each punch, bobbing/weaving speed, blocking speed, foot speed, hand speed, killer instinct/finishing skill, survival skill (the finishing stat and survival stat would affect what happens when a fighter is hurt), personality/attitude (this stat is KEY, since it would control what kind of entrances and victory celebrations they would do, thereby avoiding stupidity like Marciano breakdancing, respectful fighters doing the gravedigger, etc.) and I'm sure we can think of plenty other stats to add as well. (Hell, your career boxer in VB2 has something like 40-60 different stats/attributes.)
7) Authentic boxing presentation: This one is absolutely inexcusable. No proper staredown, or tale of the tape, or the fighters even announced at the right time. How hard is this? Let's see....watch a few HBO, ESPN, and Showtime boxing shows.....then copy. Not too difficult, was it?
8) TRUE one punch KO's (first round, first knockdown) and based on a system/engine, not some stupid special windup punches.
9) Name Recognition: they're about as expected as sliders these days, yet we haven't seen it in the FN series. On a similar note, seeing/hearing the other fighters names and seeing it on their trunks online would be a nice touch.
10) Less Gimmicks/More Simplicity: Haymakers that must be pulled even further back now for yet more gimmicky power punches? C'mon now, the HM's were enough, and I'm not even sure they should have been included. At least make there be a way to throw "HM" straight right hands, as this is about 75% of boxers best punch, and it is not some big silly slow wind-up punch.
11) More balanced styles…the “Philly Shell”, “Judge Jab”, and “Sinister Cross” are all grossly overdone and way too good for certain other styles to even have a chance of winning the fight.
CONTROLS: TPC OR NOT TO TPC, THAT IS THE QUESTION:
_________________________________________________
Here is what I would prefer even more than the analog control on the Fight Night series (would TPC actually be "copyrighted" anyways?), in place of analog stick punching.
My idea: I actually preferred the ***01 version of "haymakers", where holding some sort of modifier button would add extra oomph to ANY punch, although it would be a bit slower than the normal punch. Then they could also add more power to any "lunging" punch, which would be accomplished w/ the double tap of the stick and throwing a punch in the middle of the lunge. (except for lunging backwards of course....those should give an extra/different punch animation too, but power reduced instead of added, obviously)
The extra power modifier punches and the lunging shots, combined w/ a good engine where the angle of the punch and angle of the opponent would "matter" (like VB, where it gets the physics of boxing included into the game......for example: sway left/throw left hook=more powerful left hook, and sway right/throw left hook=weak left hook. And: land left hook while way off to the left of opponent=more power than a left hook when standing to the right of the opponent, etc, etc.) would make the game a lot more varied and realistic. Add in a good one punch KO formula/system, and we'd have more realistic boxing IMO, as opposed to the current "throw normal punch for minimal damage, or haymaker for extra damage" limited options.
They should also add way more sig punches (realistic ones) so you can customize created fighters more, like for example you could give Thomas Hearns a big brutal straight right hand sig punch, Micky Ward a brutal left hook to the body, Mike Tyson a hard right hook to the body/right uppercut to the chin combo like he always used to throw, etc, etc.)
That way, you could be knocked down/out by a variety of different things (a lunging shot, a "power added" shot, a sig punch/combo, just being in a bad position/angle yourself and getting caught w/ something, etc, etc.) leading to more variety, more fun, more realism, and deeper gameplay.
I think the ultimate gameplay would be a mix of: FN 04, VB, and ***'01. Here's what each game got "right" in my opinion:
FN 04/R3: Punching out of the lean/weave positions, this seemed to have been gone in R2. Parrying and feinting introduced to boxing games finally, and parries weren't as long and dumb as they are these days. One of the guys on the team for this game was an amateur boxer, and you can tell.
VB: Took into account the power differences that happen when you lean into or away from a punch, twist into it or not,etc, along w/ a pretty good one punch/flash Kd/KO system integrated into it. Every fighter had a different best punch too, not their right uppercut like FN. Real boxing "physics" basically. And also lots of more realistic sig punches to customize your fighters style.
***01: Had clinching, fighting in the clinch, pushing away, and you could add extra power to ANY punch. Also had the best roster, commentary, refs, & announcers in a boxing game to date.
Combine all those best features, and you've got a seriously good/authentic boxing game on your hands.
1) SLIDERS/OPTIONS! This could fix almost everything in the gameplay if they had all the options/sliders needed. Just imagine, an option to turn off "KO moment" silence (such a drama/suspense killer and needs to go), an option to turn down the "counter window time" after a parry, options to pick which punches can actually even be parried, turn flash KO's up or down, haymaker power up or down, normal punches up or down, etc. Then they need individual sliders for each fighter to reflect their best punches and tendencies, etc. Sliders are in every other respectable sports game these days, so put 'em in FN already too. I would also be overjoyed if there was an option for "advanced parrying" where the only way you could get a successful parry was when it was timed accurately w/ the punch, instead of just being able to hold the parry up there by your ear all day and still swat away punches like some kung fu movie. If it's not timed perfectly, it's not a parry, just a block.
2) A VB2 style career mode, with multiple organizations, belts and rankings, video scouting, hour by hour training & diet choices that all truly matter, advice from trainers/stablemates, etc, etc, etc. Please EA, get a fliptop, buy the game, check it out, and start biting ideas from the career mode....just like you bit the VB controls to create FN04.
3) Infighting/Clinchfighting: Please include both of these things for some variety in gameplay. Some people could be really good inside, or in the clinch, or way better outside than when inside/clinching, etc. It would add a whole new dimension to the game.
4) Improved CAB. It's pretty obvious to us now that you're never going to have a great roster, and won't even "top" your own companies effort in 2001 to bring a seriously great roster, so PLEASE make the CAB better so we can create all the boxers we want.
5) Spectator Mode Online: Would be a great addition, especially for online leagues, cheater avoidance, etc.
6) More than 8 stats for every boxer. I think they really need to beef up the number of stats/attributes for fighters. There should be power in each hand, power in each punch, bobbing/weaving speed, blocking speed, foot speed, hand speed, killer instinct/finishing skill, survival skill (the finishing stat and survival stat would affect what happens when a fighter is hurt), personality/attitude (this stat is KEY, since it would control what kind of entrances and victory celebrations they would do, thereby avoiding stupidity like Marciano breakdancing, respectful fighters doing the gravedigger, etc.) and I'm sure we can think of plenty other stats to add as well. (Hell, your career boxer in VB2 has something like 40-60 different stats/attributes.)
7) Authentic boxing presentation: This one is absolutely inexcusable. No proper staredown, or tale of the tape, or the fighters even announced at the right time. How hard is this? Let's see....watch a few HBO, ESPN, and Showtime boxing shows.....then copy. Not too difficult, was it?
8) TRUE one punch KO's (first round, first knockdown) and based on a system/engine, not some stupid special windup punches.
9) Name Recognition: they're about as expected as sliders these days, yet we haven't seen it in the FN series. On a similar note, seeing/hearing the other fighters names and seeing it on their trunks online would be a nice touch.
10) Less Gimmicks/More Simplicity: Haymakers that must be pulled even further back now for yet more gimmicky power punches? C'mon now, the HM's were enough, and I'm not even sure they should have been included. At least make there be a way to throw "HM" straight right hands, as this is about 75% of boxers best punch, and it is not some big silly slow wind-up punch.
11) More balanced styles…the “Philly Shell”, “Judge Jab”, and “Sinister Cross” are all grossly overdone and way too good for certain other styles to even have a chance of winning the fight.
CONTROLS: TPC OR NOT TO TPC, THAT IS THE QUESTION:
_________________________________________________
Here is what I would prefer even more than the analog control on the Fight Night series (would TPC actually be "copyrighted" anyways?), in place of analog stick punching.
My idea: I actually preferred the ***01 version of "haymakers", where holding some sort of modifier button would add extra oomph to ANY punch, although it would be a bit slower than the normal punch. Then they could also add more power to any "lunging" punch, which would be accomplished w/ the double tap of the stick and throwing a punch in the middle of the lunge. (except for lunging backwards of course....those should give an extra/different punch animation too, but power reduced instead of added, obviously)
The extra power modifier punches and the lunging shots, combined w/ a good engine where the angle of the punch and angle of the opponent would "matter" (like VB, where it gets the physics of boxing included into the game......for example: sway left/throw left hook=more powerful left hook, and sway right/throw left hook=weak left hook. And: land left hook while way off to the left of opponent=more power than a left hook when standing to the right of the opponent, etc, etc.) would make the game a lot more varied and realistic. Add in a good one punch KO formula/system, and we'd have more realistic boxing IMO, as opposed to the current "throw normal punch for minimal damage, or haymaker for extra damage" limited options.
They should also add way more sig punches (realistic ones) so you can customize created fighters more, like for example you could give Thomas Hearns a big brutal straight right hand sig punch, Micky Ward a brutal left hook to the body, Mike Tyson a hard right hook to the body/right uppercut to the chin combo like he always used to throw, etc, etc.)
That way, you could be knocked down/out by a variety of different things (a lunging shot, a "power added" shot, a sig punch/combo, just being in a bad position/angle yourself and getting caught w/ something, etc, etc.) leading to more variety, more fun, more realism, and deeper gameplay.
I think the ultimate gameplay would be a mix of: FN 04, VB, and ***'01. Here's what each game got "right" in my opinion:
FN 04/R3: Punching out of the lean/weave positions, this seemed to have been gone in R2. Parrying and feinting introduced to boxing games finally, and parries weren't as long and dumb as they are these days. One of the guys on the team for this game was an amateur boxer, and you can tell.
VB: Took into account the power differences that happen when you lean into or away from a punch, twist into it or not,etc, along w/ a pretty good one punch/flash Kd/KO system integrated into it. Every fighter had a different best punch too, not their right uppercut like FN. Real boxing "physics" basically. And also lots of more realistic sig punches to customize your fighters style.
***01: Had clinching, fighting in the clinch, pushing away, and you could add extra power to ANY punch. Also had the best roster, commentary, refs, & announcers in a boxing game to date.
Combine all those best features, and you've got a seriously good/authentic boxing game on your hands.