Opinions on character hopping?

[Gooberking]

Any opinions on character hopping?

In this case character hopping being switching characters often, and not universal overheads.

I'm not talking about KL or other ranked sets. You don't have long to figure something out, so do what you got to do there and get the work done. I'm just talking about casual play.

Some people just seem incapable of staying on a character for more than two matches or even one. I can't really tell people how to play their game, but this is something that just makes me check out of an otherwise good run of matches I'm interested in actually playing. This is especially true when the other person is winning, but it's an all around turn off.

A degree of switching is fine, but I don't personally want to spend a lot of play time on character select screen. I want to be able to focus on dealing with the MU at hand I don't really want the flow constantly interrupted along with any chance of trying to figure out something I'm struggling with taken away. It's often enough that, even wanting to play, I'll bail in character selection after having seen it one too many times. It's pretty much the only reason I'll just bail at all.

I get not having an attention span. I play fighting games because you are instantly in and out for as little or much time as you like. I frequently watch TV and play games at the same time because doing just one isn't enough on its own. I don't think I've read anything in a video game in 25 years, and I have no clue what this game's story is.

Given that, I don't get where you have to be mentally to change characters every match, or three times out of four or five. It feels like someone can't focus at all, is so bored with the game that they are trying to stay engaged, or is trying to figure out how to win via the character screen instead actually learning to play. I don't know what I'm supposed to get out of playing someone with any of these mindsets, even if they are winning.

It probably runs the same lines as having some personal fatality etiquette nobody is ever going to adhere to, so it's not like there is anything to gain in discussing it, but I'm still curious how people feel about being on both ends of this.

 

[HeavyNorse]

Most people don't care about "getting good" when it comes to fighting games, they just wanna play the characters. While some might have one or two they lean mostly towards, a lot of people like to just play all the characters. And then do a cool Fatality in the end. You know... for fun.

 

[Archgamer]

The only thing I like to see changed is for the other player to not see who you pick and vice versa. I know you can do this by putting the cursor to hidden, but this should be a permanent default setting for ranks where you can pick without the cursor being invisible to you. I pick my character first 90% percent of the time while having to wait for the other person to counter pick. Its stupidly lame for a first match. People are too desperate to find an easy win as oppose to picking the character they really want to learn and learn how to deal with the MU's regardless.

 

[GLoRToR]

Having a basic understanding of every character goes a long way when it comes to finally picking one or two you'll stick with

 

[Gooberking]

Having a basic understanding of every character goes a long way when it comes to finally picking one or two you'll stick with

You don't need to change characters every single match to get a basic understanding of how a few work. Most people have certainly had enough time to explore the roster by now.

That's fine as a truth statement, but I'm not inclined to believe that is consistently what's going on on the other side of the internet when I see it. Largely because matches do let you observe behavior enough to get some vague sense of where someones head might be at. It's a guess, but I'm not feeling "I want try and learn..."

 

[GLoRToR]

You don't need to change characters every single match to get a basic understanding of how a few work. Most people have certainly had enough time to explore the roster by now.

That's fine as a truth statement, but I'm not inclined to believe that is consistently what's going on on the other side of the internet when I see it. Largely because matches do let you observe behavior enough to get some vague sense of where someones head might be at. It's a guess, but I'm not feeling "I want try and learn..."

Why does it bother you if your opponent changes characters though?
I'm more concerned that the Jade - Scorpion matchup is so bad that it's literally the only character I've been facing online for many matches by now, and I either struggle for a win against someone really bad, or get literally destroyed after making 15 good reads and 3 bad ones.

 

[Espio]

I don't usually play people that keep character hopping, especially if they do so when you adapt to their play style/gimmicks. The goal should be growth and fun in a non-tournament setting especially. I generally only use Baraka and Jade against people from here or for tournaments. It's extremely rare that these people actually possess high competency with more than one or two characters anyway and I've seen people use it as an option select "well you're beating my side characters lul".

If it's just for giggles and what not where you're both just fooling around, I don't see a problem but otherwise not a fan.

 

[DeftMonk]

I agree with espio, if you hop off your char every time your opponent downloads you its like taking a math test and if you can't figure out one problem you just say "oh fuck it next one". Test might be more fun that way but your always gonna suck at math.

 

[MrArcher15]

I couldn’t care less to be honest, if they have to switch usually means I’m doing something right

 

[Zviko]

I can completely understand why people do it against their friends or in casual online. But constantly hopping from character to character doesn't do you any good. It can probably make the game boring even faster imo. Of course if you are only casual about it and have no desire to actually learn and get better then sure but then I feel like maybe fighting games aren't for you at all.

What keeps me engaged is sticking to one character. Yes that sounds boring but the idea of labbing every move you have a problem with and eventually knowing what to do against every single move in every single situation makes me want to stick with a character. And the sense of improvement you feel after 200+ games feels amazing.

 

[S+ Main]

Me with no main swapping characters all the time.

 

[Hellbringer]

This is the first fightinggame where i have troubles sticking to 1 or 2 characters. I didnt realise some ppl dont like it when someone is character hopping. I assumed most ppl would apreciate it so they get more matchup knowlegde playing against multiple characters.

 

[ABACABB]

The only thing I like to see changed is for the other player to not see who you pick and vice versa. I know you can do this by putting the cursor to hidden, but this should be a permanent default setting for ranks where you can pick without the cursor being invisible to you. I pick my character first 90% percent of the time while having to wait for the other person to counter pick. Its stupidly lame for a first match. People are too desperate to find an easy win as oppose to picking the character they really want to learn and learn how to deal with the MU's regardless.

This is not a problem . First step : make ur player card with defoult mk11 logo or character that you dont play . Step 2 : learn how to get to your character with hidden cursor . For example I play cetrion and its depending on which side I start 3 times to left or right and 4 times down I do it every time in ranked . At least I play only one match vs scorpion or jade after they lose first one and counterpick lol

 

[kantboy-2]

That would be ideal for kombat league and ranked matches; you can't see your opponent's pick/ vice versa and you're locked to that character for the set.

 

[NaughtySenpai]

I just think the character design is flawed.

Why would I pick a character like Scorpion who doesn't have a single mixup outside of strike/throw and has gaps everywhere when I could just pick Jax and unga bunga your ass into oblivion, or pick Baraka who does the same thing but is a lot safer and gets more damage?

What good does it do you to pick Kano, when other characters can fuck you over with the same mind games but have a much lower risk involved in them?

Why pick Noob if Cetrion and Skarlet do everything he does just better?

I think how the characters are designed makes some matchups very tough to beat. I dunno how Scorpion is supposed to beat Jacqui or Jax if both are equally skilled, or what a Jade Emerald Defender is supposed to do against Scorpion without downright outplaying them or switching to Jaded or another character.

Also most characters are hella linear in terms of combo pathes and I totally get how you can grow bored of that and want to play new characters just so that you don't have to do the same bnb for the rest of your life.


In terms of people hopping in casual sets... Well I don't care a lot. Those people usually have the same bad habits throughout all of their characters, but I dislike character hopping if I'm being beaten, because I at least want to practice specific punishes when I'm outclassed and changing character often makes me lose track of what I was losing to exactly.

 

[Gooberking]

This is the first fightinggame where i have troubles sticking to 1 or 2 characters. I didnt realise some ppl dont like it when someone is character hopping. I assumed most ppl would apreciate it so they get more matchup knowlegde playing against multiple characters.

I haven't noticed you switching at the rate I'm talking about.

Like I fought someone last night. First match they were Jax. Came down to us both in the air for the last hit. They got the hit. Fatality match one. Switch. I was super annoying to fight that match so I kind of understood the fatal and switch.

Shang, I get beat pretty good but I'm starting to get some idea of what they like to do. No fatal, were here to play now, rematch. Nope character switch.

I'm not getting match up knowledge, I'm just seeing a char cameo. It can be super frustrating if I want to try and figure out where I'm screwing up. They don't owe me any runbacks but I tend to want to stubbornly play fights I'm losing forever, and if I can't do that then it's harder to stay interested.

I certainly don't mind some changing characters if they lost if something just didn't work, and changing can be fun every few matches, but not every match or two win or lose.

 

[Zviko]

Switching characters after you win is just as lame as tbagging/fatalizing after the first match for no good reason. I always leave when people do that.

 

[MK9]

Now I’ve heard it all, you guys just look for stuff to complain about.

 

[ZeroSymbolic]

It's all good man. Just have fun, if it isn't fun it's pointless. If you want to grind match ups it's pretty easy to find people to do that with here.

 

[Hellbringer]

Switching characters after you win is just as lame as tbagging/fatalizing after the first match for no good reason. I always leave when people do that.

Damn thats crazy

 

[MerlinsBeard]

It only really bothers me when it's clear there trying out a different character. When I'm learning a new character I stick it out with them, win or lose. Some people though, if they lose a match they'll immediately switch and I just have to roll my eyes at that. What's the point of even trying new characters if you switch the moment you lose, just stick with you're main if winning is so important.

 

[Tony at Home]

Two or three is fine but if you go through four or more characters in a casuals set your just a dirty character slut

 

[Archgamer]

This is not a problem . First step : make ur player card with defoult mk11 logo or character that you dont play . Step 2 : learn how to get to your character with hidden cursor . For example I play cetrion and its depending on which side I start 3 times to left or right and 4 times down I do it every time in ranked . At least I play only one match vs scorpion or jade after they lose first one and counterpick lol

If you can read, you'll know that I already know about the hidden cursor. Duh! All I'm suggesting is for it to be a default for first match rankings. No reason for it to be invisible for me.