How NetherRealm Studios Changed the Methodology of Balancing Fighting Games, by Zoran Cunningham

[Pig Of The Hut]

Today, a journalist named Zoran Cunningham released a lengthy review on the method of patching that Netherrealm Studios has established itself with, using Injustice as the example, and goes on to explain the pros and cons between their patching methods and that of other fighting game companies. Comments from GGA 16 Bit, AK Pig of the Hut, and General M2Dave are included throughout the story. It is worth giving this a good read, so check out the link below and feel free to provide your thoughts. To get started, below is an excerpt from the story. Credits to AK Pig Of The Hut for this post.

​

For years, competitive fighting game players have competed in games and had no choice but to accept balance issues and flaws until a new version was released. That was the way of it. This was due in large part to their arcade and console platforms which, until recently, lacked the capability of dynamic patching and updating. It was a far cry from PC mainstays in the MOBA, RTS and FPS genres that had the luxury of instantaneous balance and patch updates via a network connection.

Even when current generation consoles allowed developers to patch their games over online networks many fighting game devs, especially those based in Japan, stuck to the old way of doing things preferring instead to release fully boxed annual updates to their games in an attempt to actually turn a profit by selling the updated version at retail. This can be attributed in large part to the extensive cost and certification process of patching console software. Exactly how arduous is this process for console devs?

To be continued at the below link...

http://gamasutra.com/blogs/ZoranCunningham/20131109/204213/How_NetherRealm_Studios_changed_the_methodology_of_balancing_fighting_games.php

STORMS
CrimsonShadow
GGA 16 Bit
General M2Dave
hecterrific
colt
GGA Slips

 

[Doombawkz]

I like it. Its very true, honestly this game is a beautiful gem.

I've never felt like this about any other game, where playing a character who is top 15 feels as fluid and powerful as one that is top 5, yet still strikes about even with those below him. There is so much diversity in the tournaments now, so much room to grow and develop our characters without having to think "Why bother when my character isn't viable?"

It says something great about a game when how you compete with the top 3 characters isn't as important as being able to compete with every character. It really does add flavor to the community to know that you have to know how to fight Deathstroke, Bane, and Lex as much as you do Killer Frost, Aquaman, and Batman, and it makes it so players have to play more often and a wider range of opponents to truly stay on top.

In Stick wars, we saw a player known as ISF_AWG_Indecisive, a Shazam player whom used to be on commentary more than on controller, step up to the dominant force that is Chris G's Arrow and strip a round off of him convincingly, with the remainder of the matches being close in call. We saw AK Glass_Sword do the unthinkable and not only dethrone AK Smarrgasm but prevent him from resetting altogether with a character most people had forgotten about, doing something most people had only dreamed of. When the stream exploded in "THE DREAM IS ALIVE", I was humbled in my arrogance of what was a player whom put himself to the grind and proved himself beyond any doubt.

I won't say everything is perfect, of course not... But there is no doubt that this game has earned its keep, and its players are more than willing to provide for it to ensure it never stops growing and becoming hype.

 

[miloPKL]

too long an article to make a short point.

japanese devs are in the routine of annual retail updates which was practiced in arcades which didnt have the ability to be easily updated. nrs are among the first devs to take advantage of free software updates made available by todays technology.

it makes a lot of debatable and sensational claims too.

 

[RunwayMafia]

I like it. Its very true, honestly this game is a beautiful gem.

I've never felt like this about any other game, where playing a character who is top 15 feels as fluid and powerful as one that is top 5, yet still strikes about even with those below him. There is so much diversity in the tournaments now, so much room to grow and develop our characters without having to think "Why bother when my character isn't viable?"

It says something great about a game when how you compete with the top 3 characters isn't as important as being able to compete with every character. It really does add flavor to the community to know that you have to know how to fight Deathstroke, Bane, and Lex as much as you do Killer Frost, Aquaman, and Batman, and it makes it so players have to play more often and a wider range of opponents to truly stay on top.

In Stick wars, we saw a player known as ISF_AWG_Indecisive, a Shazam player whom used to be on commentary more than on controller, step up to the dominant force that is Chris G's Arrow and strip a round off of him convincingly, with the remainder of the matches being close in call. We saw AK Glass_Sword do the unthinkable and not only dethrone AK Smarrgasm but prevent him from resetting altogether with a character most people had forgotten about, doing something most people had only dreamed of. When the stream exploded in "THE DREAM IS ALIVE", I was humbled in my arrogance of what was a player whom put himself to the grind and proved himself beyond any doubt.

I won't say everything is perfect, of course not... But there is no doubt that this game has earned its keep, and its players are more than willing to provide for it to ensure it never stops growing and becoming hype.

*Raises martini glass* WELL SAID.

 

[Tony at Home]

It's just nice to read an article that isn't pissing on NRS games while holding up Street Fighter games like they are the Gods Among Other Fighting Games.

This version of the game is definitely excellent and well-balanced. Kudos to NRS. I think they've actually made a game more balanced then Capcom games such as MvC, SFxT, and Street Fighter 4 AE

#BuffElFuerte

 

[Doombawkz]

*Raises martini glass* WELL SAID.

*raises martini glass*
My life is complete

 

[RunwayMafia]

I think it's obvious to anyone with a functioning brainstem that this game is relatively balanced (with the exception of some special moves ala MMH OH tele) and it's leaps and bounds ahead of MK9.

To be honest, the people who have quit INJ or are constantly whining are either insecure or just aren't good. Plain and simple. Whenever I play Emperor Gametime's Shazam or Dark's Joker, I think to myself "umm yeah, these characters can get shit done (yes, they may have to work a bit harder, but it's feasible)".

People just need to study the game like it's a final exam and know the in's and out's of their character or cast and you will be able to compete.

 

[trufenix]

it makes a lot of debatable and sensational claims too.

I'm interested in this.

 

[CommonNick]

Loooooong British text

Add the gentleman's stache, monocle, and top hat already got dammit!

 

[Konqrr]

That was a good read.

 

[Doombawkz]

Add the gentleman's stache, monocle, and top hat already got dammit!

You are as presumptuous as you are poor and Irish. Good day, sir.

 

[HellblazerHawkman]

Only thing I got from that article is that we need to Nerf Harley

 

[Under_The_Mayo]

I think it's obvious to anyone with a functioning brainstem that this game is relatively balanced (with the exception of some special moves ala MMH OH tele) and it's leaps and bounds ahead of MK9.

To be honest, the people who have quit INJ or are constantly whining are either insecure or just aren't good. Plain and simple. Whenever I play Emperor Gametime's Shazam or Dark's Joker, I think to myself "umm yeah, these characters can get shit done (yes, they may have to work a bit harder, but it's feasible)".

People just need to study the game like it's a final exam and know the in's and out's of their character or cast and you will be able to compete.

Mace charge mace charge mace charge

And I don`t it`s fair to just lump everyone together and call them whiners and scrubs. I stopped playing for plenty of legitimate reasons.
1. I have no local scene
2. I don`t like the huge distance between characters on screen
3. The walk speed is absymal
4. The animations are jacked leading to really dumb crossup situations
5. Clashes become annoying
6. The special buffer when blocking can`t be turned off
7. OTG interactables

I give the game props for style. It`s an entertaining and cinematic. Some MU`s can be genuinely fun. I have a blast with Catwoman vs Batgirl even if I lose a lot. But people have grievances against the game and they shouldn`t just be discarded. I`ll still follow the scene and work on tech when I have the urge (really just to help 16 Bit, but I`m not a loser just because I can`t find passion for a game that irritates me more than it excites me.

 

[juicepouch]

Enjoyed reading this. Glad to see NRS is getting praised for something for once lol

 

[RunwayMafia]

Mace charge mace charge mace charge

Lol...if someone can't handle back to back mace charges...buh bye.

 

[HellblazerHawkman]

Lol...if someone can't handle back to back mace charges...buh bye.

I've been doing the WE3 can-can (as my friend calls it) with greater rage inducing effects personally

 

[xWildx]

It's really annoying that the general consensus of this community is, "Oh, you don't like Injustice? You must just suck at it," when there's a multitude of reasons that people, myself included, may not like it. Obviously, if you're not playing the game as much as others you're going to lose more, so that's a terrible reason as to why they aren't playing the game in the first place.

 

[RunwayMafia]

I've been doing the WE3 can-can (as my friend calls it) with greater rage inducing effects personally

Yesssss...I love doing WE3 constantly...going right through the opponent multiple times. Now that's salt inducing!

 

[Under_The_Mayo]

It's really annoying that the general consensus of this community is, "Oh, you don't like Injustice? You must just suck at it," when there's a multitude of reasons that people, myself included, may not like it. Obviously, if you're not playing the game as much as others you're going to lose more, so that's a terrible reason as to why they aren't playing the game in the first place.

Exactly.

I bleed MK. I will love it, especially mk9, til the day I die and will always defend it. However, if someone dropped the game or dismisses it, they have reasons. Kabal, Cyrax, Kenshi. Input bug. Random advantage. Frame drops. Meter drain. Stage imbalances. Player 1 advantage. Maybe they don`t like that it`s built around dash blocking. Maybe they don`t like the inconsistency of AA`s for many characters.

That`s how they feel, and I`m not gonna judge them for it.

 

[GamerBlake90]

It's really annoying that the general consensus of this community is, "Oh, you don't like Injustice? You must just suck at it," when there's a multitude of reasons that people, myself included, may not like it. Obviously, if you're not playing the game as much as others you're going to lose more, so that's a terrible reason as to why they aren't playing the game in the first place.

I agree and disagree at the same time.

As an example, MyGod 88 has only unkind things to say about Injustice and yet he's still a consistent top placer in the Texas scene. He recently came in second at Absolute Battle last weekend as an example, losing to M. Betty's Doomsday, and before that he won MK and Injustice at this year's Uppercut Circuit. Speaking of MK, he also disliked quite a bit of things about it, particularly Kabal...but tell me again whose Sonya took third at this year's Evolution tournament?

Not liking something does not equate to lack of competence.

However, there still begs the question as to why a player would torture themselves by playing a game they don't like. Personally, I tend to believe that it's because they want to like the game, but are too fixated on whatever downfalls it may have for that to be possible. Or perhaps they have fellow friends who like the game and they want to be at a sufficient level of skill to help them practice.

Whatever reasons they may have...the only ones who know them are those who play the game.

 

[Duck Nation]

However, there still begs the question as to why a player would torture themselves by playing a game they don't like.

this this this this this this this this this

Anyways, I think NRS is doing a good job. But I don't like that this article or some of the posts in this thread tilt at the idea that things are good to go as they are in perpetuity with no more patches. The tier divides are more likely to grow than to even out, and there's already people in the current version who are very problematic (HI AQUAMAN). I will continue to hope that they aren't done patching.

 

[xWildx]

I agree and disagree at the same time.

As an example, MyGod 88 has only unkind things to say about Injustice and yet he's still a consistent top placer in the Texas scene. He recently came in second at Absolute Battle last weekend as an example, losing to M. Betty's Doomsday, and before that he won MK and Injustice at this year's Uppercut Circuit. Speaking of MK, he also disliked quite a bit of things about it, particularly Kabal...but tell me again whose Sonya took third at this year's Evolution tournament?

Not liking something does not equate to lack of competence.

However, there still begs the question as to why a player would torture themselves by playing a game they don't like. Personally, I tend to believe that it's because they want to like the game, but are too fixated on whatever downfalls it may have for that to be possible. Or perhaps they have fellow friends who like the game and they want to be at a sufficient level of skill to help them practice.

Whatever reasons they may have...the only ones who know them are those who play the game.

Well it's true. If you're playing the game because you don't like it, it's probably because you still want to be an active member in the community and this is the game it has moved onto as a whole. So regardless of whether or not you like it, if all your friends/clanmates/etc. are playing it, you'll probably just play to stay involved.

For the people without that impetus it's just a lack of a desire to pick up the controller.

 

[Zoidberg747]

I agree and disagree at the same time.

As an example, MyGod 88 has only unkind things to say about Injustice and yet he's still a consistent top placer in the Texas scene. He recently came in second at Absolute Battle last weekend as an example, losing to M. Betty's Doomsday, and before that he won MK and Injustice at this year's Uppercut Circuit. Speaking of MK, he also disliked quite a bit of things about it, particularly Kabal...but tell me again whose Sonya took third at this year's Evolution tournament?

Not liking something does not equate to lack of competence.

However, there still begs the question as to why a player would torture themselves by playing a game they don't like. Personally, I tend to believe that it's because they want to like the game, but are too fixated on whatever downfalls it may have for that to be possible. Or perhaps they have fellow friends who like the game and they want to be at a sufficient level of skill to help them practice.

Whatever reasons they may have...the only ones who know them are those who play the game.

I think Mygod just likes the scene.


PLus he gets free money every time he goes to locals so why wouldn't he lol

 

[RYX]

this this this this this this this this this

Anyways, I think NRS is doing a good job. But I don't like that this article or some of the posts in this thread tilt at the idea that things are good to go as they are in perpetuity with no more patches. The tier divides are more likely to grow than to even out, and there's already people in the current version who are very problematic (HI AQUAMAN). I will continue to hope that they aren't done patching.

Aquaman's not that bad, in my opinion. I mean he's incredibly obnoxious but I think he'll be shown to have a few bad match-ups later down the road. Same thing with perhaps a few other of the high tier characters.

I think who we should be worried about most are some of the DLC. They're so underplayed, underdeveloped, and even then Zod and MMH (who were admittedly just designed better than the other 4) are only getting dirtier every day. There's also the issue of characters that are just plain slept on like Wonder Woman who is beyond frustrating when the player behind them is competent.

Who knows what will happen? We'll just have to see.

 

[GamerBlake90]

Well it's true. If you're playing the game because you don't like it, it's probably because you still want to be an active member in the community and this is the game it has moved onto as a whole. So regardless of whether or not you like it, if all your friends/clanmates/etc. are playing it, you'll probably just play to stay involved.

For the people without that impetus it's just a lack of a desire to pick up the controller.

And that's perfectly fine, nothing wrong with that. But it's when people begin to force their dislike for a game down another's throat that we have a problem, and unfortunately we see a lot of it here (not including you in this, of course). Hell, it's happened before the release of Injustice...it's been an ongoing problem. Need I refer you to the non-sensible Capcom vs. NRS fanboy wars, as an example?

If you intend to be a part of a community, you must understand that you're bound to encounter people who just have a different taste for something. Can't deal with that? Then it's not the best place for you.

I think Mygod just likes the scene.


PLus he gets free money every time he goes to locals so why wouldn't he lol

Yeeeeah, make those green bucks!