Hi devs (apologies for tagging: @TempusChaoti @BlitzedKraig @developers), I wanted to bring up an issue I think is really important, with the hopes that a) the change is relatively straightforward and b) there will be enough time in your monstrously busy schedules to fix it in the next patch, which is the last patch before a hugely important spectator event, EVO. I’ve brought it up in other threads that the devs have perhaps read, but I think it’s important enough to mention it in its own thread.
Counter breakers “not working properly” is a hot button topic with the community right now. Many of these missed counter breakers are not the fault of the system and simply the player being late, and the community is still trying to get used to the slight change in counter breaker timing with the S3 hitstop change.
But I do think there is at least one very important reason that counter breakers “feel frustrating” when they barely miss, and it’s because of how the lockout X changed late in S2. You guys made a great decision to introduce the new X with the timing/strength indicators, but a byproduct of this is that the X now takes 8 frames to animate in when the defense locks out. This is different from the expectation in all of S1 and 95% of S2, where the old lockout X appeared immediately. See the gif below, where I have paused the video briefly on the frame where the lockout occurs:
This means, any time you are late on a counter breaker by 7 or fewer frames, the game will give you false feedback and display the lockout X after you hear the counter breaker sound and see your character already in the counter breaker pose, as the video shows. Even if you can mentally acknowledge that “my counter breaker missed so I must have been late”, seeing this feedback can really add to the frustration (and you are probably already a little peeved because your counter breaker read was correct but only slightly mistimed).
My request is that you remove the 8 frames of the animation where the diamond is trying to form and is essentially invisible. Ideally, the 1st frame where the lockout happens, the X jumps immediately to the enlarged version that finally appears, and then it shrinks down to the normal size. Of course, the lockout timer should be the same as it always has been, this is just a change in how the X appears.
Even though this will not universally address the frustration with missed counter breakers, I really do feel like this small aesthetic change will have a big impact on player and spectator enjoyment, and will go a long way to making players feel like the game didn’t cheat them. The lockout X is a very timing-sensitive thing; it needs to be shown to the player as soon as the game knows about the lockout happening. Players will be more willing to accept that their counter breaker was late if they see the feedback as it actually happened (and, therefore, not blame the game and spread negativity).
I know the team is very busy with the last few characters and all the new single player content you’re building, but I feel this change is very important for player enjoyment, and I hope the changes involves a small enough amount of work that it can make the next patch before EVO. Thanks for listening!
