No problem. Any questions anyone just ask. And I'll be 100% honest, as much as I'm loving the game I can't stress how much I hate most of the new system changes. In short, it's dumbed down imo to appeal to more people. Gotta get those newer players off to a good start right? :/
THROWS- Now if you do a 1+3 or 2+4 throw, they can use 1 or 2 to break either. So it doesn't matter if you do 1+3 or 2+4, anyone with the reaction speed of a turtle will break. Regular throws are useless now. The problem is that most characters only have one or two other throws max, that are broken with 1+2. So throws are broken a lotttt more now. Some command throws like Asuka's DF2+3 throw you still break with 2, but not everyone has command throws outside of the 1+2 escapes. King will shine more than ever, because people will be used to breaking throws easier but newer players who don't know the escapes of King's chain grabs and the timings will have it rough. I know the MU's (of the returning characters) so when I see certain throw animations I knew whether to push 1 or 2 to escape or 1+2. I hate that they've dumbed it down. Instead of looking at the throw animation and breaking on reaction, now I can mindlessly just push 1+2 1 to break 90% of throws in the game. Side grabs are still exclusive to knowing the 1 or the 2 though, but you'd have to side step there. That's coming up soon.
OKI- As they say, "back in my day we played Tekken 5, and at a high level if you didn't know what you were doing you would die on the ground". Oh how I miss those days. This is blatantly the most obvious of the "beginner friendly" changes. It is incredibly easy to get off of the ground now, and at worst you may be ground spiked once. Casuals and even intermediate players, above all else hated being bodied on the ground back then, even though they just misused their options or were punished for bad reads. The answer? Lower the oki each game after Tekken 5 to the point where now it's weaker than any Tekken ever. Instead of dominant oki that you're used to, you can get of a spike if they make a bad read and then apply pressure as they get up. That's basically how it works now. Someone is celebrating this change right now, but it isn't me.
SIDESTEP- Nevermind, because THIS is the biggest change made for beginners and new players. No more knowing which way to side step block (call it SSB)and how far to against each character. Nope. It is dead. Better off going back and forward with slight steps. I don't know the frames, but there is a clear delay in the SSB now so you can't utilize the old Tekken style of movement. Like when I SSL and try to cancel into back and SSL again, Tekken moving, there's a few frames of delay before I can step again. During that you can no longer block and can be poked or combo'd. So where you used to be able to evade or position at angle with SSB to stay safe using that magnificent MU knowledge, now you will be hit because you can't block in time after cutting a side step. They are cautious types of movements now, not the core. It is much more "I'm in front of you like a 2D fighter" than the Tekken I'm used to. Again, I don't like it, but I guess it takes to much to learn all the proper movements so it had to go. :/
FOCUS PUNCH- It's pretty much the SF Focus absorb, but you can't cancel it. They are unsafe on block and you absorb damage to land a hit. Dislike them, but the only change that doesn't "bother" me as much as the others. I don't feel like this is balanced at all. Some characters have really weak ones like Kazumi, that barely does any damage compared to what you absorb. Some like Bryan that knock you back. Some like Paul who pops you into the air for a full combo of unscaled damage even if they hit you with it on the wall! Not a bad idea, but very poorly balanced across the cast, and I wish their was a limit to the amount of times it could be used.
SUPER ARTS- Tekken with supers. When you're low on health and in rage, you can do your "Rage Arts". Full combo punishable on block, about 37% damage or so if you land it. You get only one. They have armor and you take damage, and you can die before it hits if you absorb fatal damage. If you interrupt a gap with a rage art you hit it, which I hate the most. Armor'ing through gaps with Supers in Tekken? Really? You can also combo into them, which does about 45% depending on the combo. I'm too old school to be on the verge of winning, applying pressure on block, just to be Super'd doing a 121 and die. I can see why some like it also, but another change I hate.
COMBOS- They have the "tailspin" now which is pretty cool. You do certain strings in combos, and then do another string that "tailspins" to finish the combo. Those moves are different from the ones that break the ground for combo extensions. You can also do moves at the wall on certain stages that knocks them to the next level. It opens up SO many combo extension opportunities, and to maximize your damage (because damage is less unless your name is Shaheen) you have to be fully aware of the stage positioning and combo you are using. All combo fillers are not good for all situations so you really have to know which is which and when to use what. Finally an amazing change. I love it and how it incorporates much more moves than before in different launchers for the best outcomes:
All in all, I really don't like the "let's bring the skill gap closer" changes. These changes are 100% for people lesser skilled to play better, casuals, and for newer players and beginners to play better than they would have. Removing advanced options because it's "too advanced for others" is the worst possible decision imo. If the game itself wasn't as amazing as it is in gameplay it would probably be enough to dislike it as a whole. But the game is really really fun still, the characters play smooth, the technical aspects are still there, the poke/pressure game is still real, a lot of aspects are still the same and great, just some of the depth is gone.
