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Is Injustice's "Round" System Flawed?

M2Dave

Zoning Master
I have been playing Injustice: GAU offline and online more than ever and I have as much fun using Zod as I did using Freddy in Mortal Kombat 9. I have noticed, recently in particular, the difficulties in making a comeback once you lose lots of life, but I could never figure out why. The mix ups (i.e., 50/50 and vortex) are as strong as ever and interactable objects provide the opportunity to deal quick, unblockable 16-22% of damage. After analyzing the game, I have come to the conclusion that the no round system is the issue.

The player who wins the first "round" has a tremendous advantage. Unlike in other traditional fighting games, the remnants of your life bar are transferred. Batgirl can, for example, beat Sinestro in the first "round" with 25% of extra life (125% in reality) while Sinestro has access to 100% of life. Not only does Batgirl have 25% of more life, the key is that she can afford to take more risks. If she attempts an MB teleport, she can potentially end the fight with the 50/50 mix ups. If the MB teleport is blocked, she cannot lose more than 25% of life because of the "round" transition, which kind of behaves like a second clash for the winning player. The opposite scenario gives an advantage to Sinestro. If he has an extra 25% of life, he can take more risks by charging his trait. If Batgirl takes the bait and does a teleport, Sinestro can do at least 30% of damage and potentially finish charging his trait, which puts Batgirl, as great of a mix up character as she may be, in an extremely disadvantageous position to make a comeback. If Sinestro happens to be caught by the teleport, he loses 25% of life, the combo stops, and the playing field is now even at 100% of life for each character. The point again is that making a comeback on the winning player is very difficult because of extra life.

Imagine if in Mortal Kombat 9 Kabal and Kenshi won the first round and then had the opportunity to transfer extra life into the second round, fighting them would be even more so difficult than it already is.

I want to ask all players of this community the following questions.

1. Is Injustice's round system flawed?
2. Does this system favor top tier characters as they will be winning more?
3. Does this system favor certain types of characters? 50/50 mix up / vortex characters? Rush down characters? Zoning characters?
4. How should the player who is losing approach the fight? What should be the mentality?
5. Should this system be in the next Mortal Kombat game?
 

RM Truth

Unintentional Tier Whore Follow me @TruthRM
Inb4 ppl bitching about another M2Dave thread, but in all srsness, I think this is a valid question to ask. I myself don't have a good answer, but I would rather have the traditional round system in here.
 

RM Jonnitti

Hot Dog
i dont think its really flawed. i like the vampire savior type life bar system. not a lot of games use it and i think it works nicely with injustice. yes it does make it harder to make a comeback, but i feel like the system mechanics of this game in general don't favor comebacks. i dont really think it favors top tier characters any more or less than the 2 round system but im not sure, i havent seen these characters in this system. i feel like to an extent it favors zoners because you can get the life lead and just try to keep people away and kill the clock. the player losing should just take it easy and do their thing and adapt, there really isn't much you can do about it. i dont think this should be in mk10 however. i like it exclusive to injustice.
 

Gengar

Hypnosis > Dreameater (its a reset)
Which other games? Explain.

I do not care about non-fighting games such as the Smash series.
Darkstalkers and Killer Instinct, although i do agree with revolver that it is annoying that ending around sends them full screen, but that would occur no matter what round system they used, and changing that wouldnt require any changes to the round system
 

M2Dave

Zoning Master
I'm not sure really, but I get really annoyed when I get in on Sinestro or something and get pushed fullscreen again no matter what hits if it ends a round.
Exactly.

That is what I mean by "second clash", which is pretty much what the "round" transition does.
 

NRF CharlieMurphy

Kindergarten Meta
I personally don't mind it either way

You can also look at it this way

In a single life bar... you have the inherit advantage of having to only deplete 1 life bar, where as the other person has to now deplete two of your life bar.... meaning you can end the game quicker and take more risks knowing you still have another life bar to spare.

It is the same principle really.
 

RM Truth

Unintentional Tier Whore Follow me @TruthRM
Exactly.

That is what I mean by "second clash", which is pretty much what the "round" transition does.

Agreed. Mortal Kombat's round transition was more acceptable. Barring some glitches that would happen, both players were at a prefectly acceptable distance from each other.
 

-Deadman-

Getting better with age
If anyone has an issue with this type of round system and feel that its flawed, the flaw was in your play that got you placed into your unfavorable position. This is one of the few things I actually like about Injustice. It may be unforgiving at times, but at least it doesn't hold your hand, reward you for getting your ass kicked (Ultra) or hand you a free comeback tool (Xfactor).
 

RM Truth

Unintentional Tier Whore Follow me @TruthRM
If anyone has an issue with this type of round system and feel that its flawed, the flaw was in your play that got you placed into your unfavorable position. This is one of the few things I actually like about Injustice. It may be unforgiving at times, but at least it doesn't hold your hand, reward you for getting your ass kicked (Ultra) or hand you a free comeback tool (Xfactor).

There's nothing wrong with a comeback tool in fighting games. That's what makes a lot of games exciting. In Marvel even if you're up 3 characters to 1, you still need to keep on your toes because that one x-factored character could be all they need.
 

Doombawkz

Trust me, I'm a doctor
Meh. It makes being Bane hard because we usually go into debuff when the rounds are swapping, but then again the same wouldn't be balanced with the other system. Like literally, imagine a game where you can't clash Bane until he's already taken a full round off of you, and he gets to start the next one with his venom reset.

The guy does more damage for 2 bars than pre-patch superman did in the corner anywhere on the screen, and even moreso if he has interactables to play with (which turn from simple 20% TVs to like... 35% plasmas). Like do I feel the round system is flawed? Yes, but not for the reasons you stated.
 

BlastX21

Mortal
Injustice's system is fine. I don't like the idea of winning a round by 90% being treated the same as winning by 2%. If I body somebody to start the game, I want to be rewarded. Similarly, if they destroy me initially, I should have to do a lot of work to come back.
 

T4T|Nevan

"Burn baby! Burn!"
I don't like it at all,what's with the stupid expanding screen when u drop a lifebar?
It's the same thing when in another game, like SF, you get a round and you're back at the match distance. In Injustice it's the same thing, and I do prefer it like this, because you don't lose time to another "Round 2...FIGHT". Another point is, in Injustice that plays a bit with strategy and positioning on the stage, i.e an interectable setup or to push someone into the corner.

TLDR I don't think it's flawed at all, it just has another strategic component to be taken in consideration. I think it's great really.

Good thread Dave.
 

ZigZag

That Welsh Guy
OH BOY!
I've been waiting for the next thread, but I can agree, there is no even ground realistically what we see here though is the game is like 1 big match and there are no rounds however it does restart like a new round after removing the white bar, just a clear mistake over all.
 

-Deadman-

Getting better with age
There's nothing wrong with a comeback tool in fighting games. That's what makes a lot of games exciting. In Marvel even if you're up 3 characters to 1, you still need to keep on your toes because that one x-factored character could be all they need.
I've never understood the logic in rewarding bad play. If your back is against the wall because you made mistakes, you should have to play better to regain position, not use your magic get out of jail free card.