Rewatch any EVO right after a NRS release: you always cringe about how basic, non-optimal, shallow and straightforward the gameplay was. You then watch the same game 2,5 years after, and notice a huge evolution of the neutral, MU's, optimal combos, punishes, etc.. but by then, the game is already being dropped and the offline scene has the same repeated top players, and a small influx of new players.
NRS fighters have a very short life cycle, and they cannot build up a large base of players due to that. By the time the majority start to grasp the intricacies of the game, we are already moving on to the next. And then, it's all over and start from scratch. We are able to see very little of the higher potencial the game has, and from very few people (just the ones that are fast learners, as Sonicfox, F0xy, and the other usual top 10). Actually, we see one year of shallow gameplay, then one year of average gameplay with occasional high level from selected players, and then one year of higher gameplay from more people, but with small turnouts in a niche community. I.e. we almost don't see the game being played on its potencial. It's majorly suboptimal play, and very few people have time to reach the highest level.
That's why I think it's fantastic if Injustice goes for the legacy way, keeping the same movesets for the old characters. Advantages:
- We are able to start from a higher level of gameplay.
The tournaments immediately have more skilled players than before, when only a handful of prodigies could pick up the game very fast.
- The skill gap will be smaller.
Now, players can build upon previous learning, and had 3+ years to develop skills and close the gap to the top prodigies. Eventually, more people will be playing at the highest level, know MU's upside down, react with optimal punishes and combos, defend/deal with other's dirt, know spacing, have a strategy for every neutral situation, etc... Doesn't matter if some took 1 year to do so and others took 4 years. They eventually will meet at the top of the gameplay
- The community will grow.
Being able to build from previous titles, the players now have incentive to keep playing. When you know all the Lab hours will not be lost in 2 years, but on the contrary, will pay off for years to come, you can keep playing. And new players can be sure that with dedication, they'll have time to get at the top, or at least a chance to do so. So, the numbers can steadily grow over the years.
- Less time finding out combos, more time working on your neutral.
Footsies will surely be more present from the start, when you already know how to deal with crazy shenanigans and to work out MU's.
- Tournaments more pleasant to watch from scratch.
More hype, more skill, and increasingly more competition. Look how, after 2 years of MKX, people are starting to catch up to Sonicfox. He is still winning a lot, but he's clearly working harder to do so. If MKX had one more year, I'm sure guy's like Hayatei, Scar, F0xy, Dragon and others would get there.
- The game itself can have a more balanced and larger roster from start.
Less patches, more fun.
So, Injustice having a legacy approach is fantastic and I'm looking forward to see how it develops during the game's lifespan.
