Please allow players to up back and not get opened up for attempting. That would cover Many of the defensive issues. being in line with every other tag fighter that was ever created. If there is gap in pressure the player should be able to up to chicken guard. Instead of just being opened up for what is actually the right thing to do in many situations.
#Please Allow Chicken Blocking
clever surge
sacred swan
No. Chicken blocking rewards bad defensive habits. If you guessed wrong or a Habitual upbacker, your reward should be getting opened up instead of your negligence to block correctly being rewarded. Especially considering lows are usually 14 frames
sharp jacinth
I'd normally not want something like this but this game has such insane offense that I wouldn't even mind this
meager loom
Yeah, but the main mix in this game is strike/throw and whiff punishes. High/low actually isn't overly threatening in this game since the lows are fairly slow and stubby, and while there are some weird overheads, the defensive mechanics make it hard to get a combo going unless your opponent is down to their last character, and the more trick overheads you eventually just learn about by playing.
Plus, air blocking in a game where at least half the cast has omni-directional flight would be busted, since you could fly and air stall forever and the only option would be to air throw you.
clever surge
In a slower, 1v1 game like Street Fighter, jumping up back all the time would be an unskilled habit because you are only dealing with one opponent's ground spacing. However, in a high pressure 3v3 tag fighter packed with full screen assists, fast paced assist, constant armor attacks that start up instantly, screen clutter, unblockables, and unreactable attacks, using vertical space specifically for tactical guarding (chicken blocking) is an actual competitive skill. Tactical airborne guarding is a core part of traditional tag design, not a bad habit. It is a high IQ defensive choice, requiring situational awareness. It is counter play, not a crutch.
In fact, this game features specific high pressure scenarios where chicken guarding is the right choice and best answer to survive. Yet, the engine completely forces you to get opened up anyway. Chicken guarding, does not function like a get out of jail free card to use for everything. If a player holds up back predictably, the offensive player has explicit, built in tools to counter it or bait it, such as air throws, command grabs, anti airs, and landing recovery punishes like trip guarding. Choosing to jump also forces the defending player to give up vital ground positioning.
Allowing this mechanic is strictly about being able to do it in gaps of pressure, not just jumping back all the time. If a defending player successfully reads a physical gap in an aggressive pressure string, using a short hop or a jump to guard and escape the ground trap is a smart, high-IQ defensive choice. It is about being able to do it in gaps of pressure. Instead of being forced to take setups when able to make an obvious read, but not having the tools to deal with it.
When an engine features highly aggressive offense with zero startup specials, the defensive toolkit needs to scale accordingly. So, that a correct read inside a pressure gap is properly rewarded. Throwing away a core defensive foundation just to favor oppressive ground offense, turns a skilled interaction into a shallow reaction test. Every major, critically acclaimed team fighter in history features this mechanic.
loud vector
This game is already the most defensive oriented game of any tag fighter I've seen. There's nothing oppressive about offense right now. There are gaps for reversals in most strings and system mechanics like pushblock, heroic strike, and assist breaker already offer many options to reset neutral or even steal your turn back.
clever surge
The game having defensive options doesn't change the fundamental need for this mechanic. Chicken guarding, isn't defense through non engagement like walking back or running away; it is active engagement defense. This fits with the original vision the developers have consistently stated: wanting players actively engaged.
The upcoming changes to Sudden Death, show exactly why it is necessary. In the new format, you keep your surviving characters, and when a character dies, the next one drops onto the screen in a predetermined spot. Without a full neutral round reset, allowing the offensive player to move around and set up their pressure. While, the incoming character drops in. This forces incoming characters to face heavy mix ups and pressure, similar to MvC or Skullgirls.
Not having chicken guarding or even the threat of it to force the offensive player to consider their setup route creates a one sided situation. A player shouldn't get opened up for making the correct defensive read. Just because the engine lacks the risk reward mechanic and utility to cover it.
Because you do not recover resources in the new Sudden Death, an incoming character could drop in with zero meter and be forced to take imposed landing traps, mix ups and pressure. Without any mechanical option left to defend themselves.
Chicken guarding, wouldn't allow safe stalling either. The threat of landing recovery punishes, giving up ground positioning, or being called out, makes it a high risk, high IQ read for both sides. While, enhancing the overall battle.
sharp jacinth
This game is already the most defensive oriented game of any tag fighter I've se...
- Pushblock doesn't work half the time
- Heroic strike can be easily baited and punished
- Assist breaker whiffs half the time and takes plenty of resources
I say let people chicken block so that air grabs have an actual use in neutral
Plus every single assist mid-string is an overhead which makes 50/50s or semi-unblockable scenarios way too common and easy to perform in this game
sacred swan
lists three great defensive options and wants me to feel bad about them not having chicken blocking isn't the wave
Learn how to block
The biggest other tag fighter in DBFZ hasn't had Chicken blocking ether
If you don't want to get hit so much then block correctly and then jump or make your next move at the right time
sharp jacinth
Meh I don't give a s hit about chicken blocking being added or not since it doesn't affect me
clever surge
DBFZ, absolutely has chicken blocking. It has a 4 frame jump squat where you can get clipped, but once your feet clear the ground, air blocking has auto guard features to let you escape pressure gaps. While, it is high risk and does work a little different than other tag fighters. It is still used as a hard read that can be baited and hard countered in that game.
Telling a player to just "block correctly" misses the point of escaping unblockables and landing traps. Standard ground blocking is limited when the rules create constant guessing situations. With overlapping assists, holding standard ground block during a specific gap, often means taking a forced 50/50. Having the option to chicken guard doesn't delete offense; it introduces basic risk reward. It forces the attacker to actively read or bait a jump attempt, rather than letting them coast on a scripted, one sided sequence.
valid smelt
Can we please not give players more incentive to jump and up back in this game. High level play already consists of mostly jumping and floating and calling assists. This game does not need chicken blocking, its already hard enough to get your opponent on the ground
meager loom
DBFZ, absolutely has chicken blocking. It has a 4 frame jump squat where you can...
The high low mix of this game isn't that crazy or strong rn anyways. There's a couple of characters that have very fast, far reaching overheads, and unsurprisingly, these characters are considered top tiers. Lows are generally not that fast either and the only gimmicky overhead stuff is the fact that certain assists have overhead portions. Chicken blocking is not going to fix that since most of that is reactable anyway, once you know what to look out for, and the strong overheads might just need a little extra startup or to not scale as well for damage.
To address your DBFZ comparison, yes it had chicken blocking, but it needed it because there was also two separate buttons you could press to instantly fly or teleport to your opponent and if you couldn't, air defense would be impossible. This game doesn't have that option, its why calling assists while abusing flight is a meta strategy, and people are already covering themselves by throwing out massive normals in the air which become full combos if they hit.
Additionally, even with chicken blocking, that didn't save DBFZ from the Season 2 snapback meta of four 50/50s in a row off a forced snapback, where half the cast were literally unplayable due to being too tall and suffering the fuzzy overhead. Invincible Vs is already a much more interactive game on defense by comparison, and compared to a lot of tag fighters, despite the degenerate stuff you can do, the actual power ceiling of the game is fairly low.
Chicken blocking will not make this game more fun or balanced to play nor watch.
I don't want to sound like an old head here, but I think you just have to adapt and meet the game on its own terms. And if its not the game you want it to be and you're not having fun, you can simply put it down and play something else
loud vector
- Pushblock doesn't work half the time
- Heroic strike can be easily baited and ...
Pushblock will be more consistent with the changes to block stun but even now it works if timed correctly.
Heroic strike is still an extremely strong option. Saying it can be baited and punished is not a rebuttal, you dont want defensive options that cant be baited or punished.
Assist breaker does not whiff "half the time" and it provides the ability to reset neutral after getting hit. That is extremely powerful for a defender.
The game already goes into sudden death too often and you want it to become more defensive?
"Plus every single assist mid-string is an overhead which makes 50/50s or semi-unblockable scenarios way too common and easy to perform in this game"
I refer back the 3 things I mentioned. If you're losing neutral so often that you always end up in these scenarios you should get better at neutral instead of wanting a cheap defensive solution.
fading tideBOT
Pushblock will be more consistent with the changes to block stun but even now it...
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loud vector
The game having defensive options doesn't change the fundamental need for this m...
This is where we completely disagree. I think it's a good thing that you're forced to block in that situation. It turns SD into what it's meant to be and that's a fast paced snowbally environment.
I'm happy you're forced to block after losing your character.
clever surge
The high low mix of this game isn't that crazy or strong rn anyways. There's a c...
I see your perspective on DBFZ, but my focus isn't to debate legacy titles. I only referenced DBFZ to correct and show that chicken blocking is in that game and serves the exact purpose I am talking about.
However, saying the mix ups are reactable, overlooks the specific pressure situations my post addresses. The issue isn't about standard mid screen play. It is about being under pressure on the ground and recognizing gaps in blockstrings. Right now, chicken guarding in a grounded gap to escape a readable setup just leaves you open. I am not trying to perfectly balance the game with one change. I am asking for movement that feels right. Chicken blocking, is just a natural option to help a defender call out a trap and introduces basic risk reward and counterplay.
Telling someone to play something else and leave a game, completely undermines the purpose of a feedback board. It is dismissive and doesn't change the real need in the game or add anything constructive to the conversation. Regardless, of what the Devs decide to do.