Yeah. Maxi actually looks to be subtly improved at least.

I like the CF system. I like it a lot. It's one of the few SC innovations they've done in awhile that they actually got right.

The CF system adds another element of danger, discouraging turtling and encouraging step/2D gameplay, I love it too.

The new A+B+K moves improve upon that element, adding the danger of CFing on block OR hit with a linear move, further encouraging the use of the (recently buffed!) stepping system. They also reduce migraines.

The Armor breaking system wasn't designed that well... yet, but the CF system is great. With a game involving ringouts, CF isn't as broken as some thought it would be.

I think I'm going to pick this up tomorrow, despite the lack of online. Will just have to use it as as practice while on the go, even though its an updated version of the game.

I just hope they don't bastardize the series like they did with Tekken 6, borrowing elements from DoA:Retarded.

They need to bring back Soul Charge. WAY better than CF imo. =)

SU: Does this game seem more balanced so far? I think SC4 balance was awesome as it is, but it could always be better. After all, this is Namco we're discussing here.

Unless youre excluding the bottom 5 characters, Soul Calibur 4 wasnt very balanced at all.

Playing ahainst upper tier, you start to see how weak some characters are in what tools they have to use. The bottom tiers get reduced to step..punish...throw depending on the characters youre facing.

I'm still laughing my ass of at Mina getting the nerf. Though pissed at what they did with Ivy. I almost dare say I FEAR a patch for my character.

CF is awesome. It just encourages a more active defense SS'ing/GI'ing then the passive block forever defense. Scrubs can still block against their scrubby friends and be just fine though. I would disagaree that it forces you to be ultra offensive but it definitly forces you to play a more solid defense game.

i heard from someone that read the Taiwan forums that confirmed, Ivy's WS B infinite is backkkkkkkkkkkkk.

Can someone test this out? lol

People should stop making assumptions that are based on fragments of data. We only know how balanced stuff are when we play the game at a great depth. Even if something becomes absurd, maybe other characters have new and really good answers to them. Never know.

IMO SC4 on console was really really balanced. having say... even 5 really bad characters (just quoiting art) is already considered really balanced.

Chickenwing:

Yeah I apoligize about that. I forgot to direct that towards that idiot but then again now that I think about it none of it was nesscesary since that scrub is leaving soon. The forums could do without him since all he does is flame and shit.

Nori:

This game is alot more balanced than SC4 which was fairly balanced in itself. The top tier characters have been either slightly nerfed or slightly buffed or a combination of both making them closer in balance. Some of the mid tiers have been slightly buffed to push them closer to the top as well as some of the low tiers have received major buffs that propel them up to mid-upper mid tier like Rock & Zasalamel. There are still some characters that haven't received anything substantial in the low tier department but at the end of the day someone is always gonna be better than someone else. That's just the reality.

This game balance that I speak of excludes Hilde though and i'm gonna continue to say it because its true and I don't give a shit about the Hilde defense force. To think I was not going to attend tournaments that banned Hilde in general support for them. Biggest mistake ever! Excluding RTD since he's pro anyway and will still be at the top with any character he runs!

Other than that there is a potential game breaking buff and that is the 23+ GI window as to much shit fits in that window. C3B (C3B 104-Damage), 11B (Dampierre 128-Damage), a:g:B (Setsuka 100-Damage) just to name some. It needs to drop back down to 20 or the frames on the above moves with that kind of damage need to be upped to i24 or more.

Hello Rikuto!!!

Suirad mentioned some of the changes in the chat and it seems that the ax pickup is kinda nerfed since it doesn't pick up properly after 6AB and 3B options. Also, some slight damage decrease in some of his combos.

Try to catch Suirad if you can as he can explain a little better and indepth. And yes, strange that there isn't an Astaroth change thread in his arena yet.

Yeah this is true. But I still don't think it should be a one hit kill. If it was a free attack that your opponent could do nothing about I think it would be better. I.E. launcher, combo, chain/command throw, or ring out. That would fit more alongside the game imo. CFs look like bad MK fatalities, lol.

S-U: Wasn't the GI window in SC2 23+ or am I mistaken here? I personally think the larger GI window is good for mixups and more encouraging for some defensive play. But I do see the high damage combos as a little too rewarding for one GI. But, it is what it is I suppose. Maybe it won't be this way in a console patch.

BtG:

Not sure since the first time I ever played Soul Calibur was SC4. I guess the real problem is that the above moves need to be changed in frames to i24 or more because whats the point in having a JI window then. Just thinking about it, a regular GI is an easy method to place pressure with such high damaging tools like the above mentioned. No real harm or foul even though it seems like a bit much but then again that's just IMO.

Sounds like SC4 just became DOA4.

Actually I take that back.

In DOA4 you could high-counter throw punish :P

Uh astaroth changes huh? What I remember from messing around is:

A+G deals 52 fown from 55. Back throw does 72 up from 70. Titan Bomb does 60 in combos now instead of 70(JF 67 down from 75)/ yeah 3B/6AB > 2A+K isnt guaranteed anymore. Bullrush does 2 less damage and at least feels like its more steppable. Only buff I saw was 4B does 25 now up from 20 (and 4[B] partial hold does 35 up from 30) while retaining it's speed and block/hit/ch properties. Crouch throw and command throws the same as was 22B.

/edit/ Oh yeah, they also changed how you can input techs. In SC4 you can hold G and it will attempt to tech whenever you are given the opportunity, but in BD you have to press G after the move that is causing the tech instance hits otherwise it wont count it.

Artilust: Not true. SC4 was the only major where you saw Zas and Talim near the top a couple of times. You saw all kinds of different chars in the top 5 of Evo and Nats.

SU: Thanks for the breakdown. I heard Cervantes got BUFFS. IMO, he didn't need them but I'm ecstatic he got them

QQ @ Ivy nerfs. Totally unnecessary.

We need someone to make an Amy changes thread. I would make one myself but I cannot handle updating it all the time as I am not active.

Some new Amy changes

Pros:

236K:A; is way too easy to perform now.

Cons:

66A+B B+K 8A+B; does not combo, 8A+B will not hit. I've always landed this.

66A+B B+K 236KK; doesn't seem guaranteed anymore. 236KK sometimes misses completely. (More strict timing?) I've never missed this combo before until i tried it on BD.

66A+B B+K 236K:A; 236K:A has whiffing issues as well as the above. (More strict timing as well?)

Can others confirm these as well?

I will come back with more updates.

By the way, I'm testing these on Nightmare, I will try other characters as well.