How I think 50/50s should work (at least in NRS games)

[Gesture Required Ahead]

I think the way 50/50s would be balanced is to have a safe and unsafe option: (See MK9 Skarlet)

Because this way it doesn't end in a YOLO situation for the character who's initiating offense (See MK9 Scorpion) and it also doesn't make it a braindead coinflip(See all Injustice characters).

Having both a safe and unsafe option creates a mind-game where if the offender wants to keep being safe, he can. And if he's a risk-taker, feel free to do so as well and will deserve the reward for doing so. But at least it will be more fair to the defender because he has to learn the opponents way of thinking rather than praying to god he doesn't lose a third of his life from a coinflip.

 

[miloPKL]

imo in a vortex 50/50 one option should be safe, one should be unsafe. if attacker chooses safe option every time its too predictable and no reward but they are safe. if the unsafe option gets defended they will be blown up, but they must use it often enough they arent predictable and get a reward. both options in a 50/50 vortex being safe is unfair to defender imo

 

[Duck Nation]

Setting rules like this overly homogenizes characters. There's nothing wrong with a character having excellent mixup as long as they have weaknesses in other areas.

Besides, just because something is safe doesn't mean they get a free pass to keep doing things. Any time you get blocked, you're passing off advantage to the other player.