The drama bar...

LittlestPupShop

Backers' Beta Tester
Backers' Beta Tester
Feb 3, 2016
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So today's STREAM has come and gone and today something was pointed out that I didn't notice before, the herds version of the drama bar.

Lemme be honest, I'm not very fond of it. I didn't particular like it in Skullgirls, it felt like a weak band-aid to try and deal with how easy it was for people to get over the SMP loops to continue doing long ass combos that take a whole minute to go through. But my issues with skullgirls drama bar may not be the same as herds.

So, to make sure I understand the drama bar, it essentially builds up from being hit, and once it maxes out, then the character being hit starts suffering less hit stun, eventually allowing them to escape combos. Of all the fighters I've ever played skullgirls is the only one to introduce a drama bar to control combos. As the ASW fanboy I am I am very intement with the proration system those games tend to use.

For all ym understanding, the drama bar could just be a viual indication of your level of proartion. A maxed drama bar doesnt give you a burst (which leads into those skullgirls crazy mind games). The presence of this bar just makes me think he game is trying to put a cap on the players ability to combo when there are other tried and true systems out there.

But that's just my opinion, what's everyone else's opinion on drama bars and systems for limiting combo length?
 

danmiy12

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Though its fun to rack up 30-50 hit combos I'd think that the other player will prob want an escape option if it goes on too long. And no one loves infinites as that can break the game. I think a bar showing both players how long until the combo is going to be dropped is pretty fair for both the one doing the damage and the one taking a beating.

edit: and like they said in stream they can always change the values whenever in case they find a new infiinite or they are just using the same move over and over just cause it prevents enemy from recovering.
 

Naughta_Noob

"I mustn't betray spoon"
Backers' Beta Tester
Unless it changed in the most recent stream, that bar doesn't lower hitstun, it forces a juggle and makes the juggled character progressively heavier. And most combo-based fighting games have an anti-infinite mechanic (MvC 3 has the hitstun decay you thought this has and Blazblue just ends combos that last more than 12 seconds). It's just that Skullgirls and TFH have the most apparent and least obtrusive (in my opinion, at least)
 

Avering

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Well, the "drama bar" will work by either knocking the enemy down if on the ground, or reduces the "lift" each hit generates when full, so as to remove the half-hour long combos that takes off most of your health and you can't do a thing about it. I personally think it is a good idea.

Combos can be continued even with full bar, especially if the recieving character is high enough. It's there to make sure you WILL fall eventually.
 

CamTSB

僕は誰なんだろう?
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Feb 2, 2016
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So, to make sure I understand the drama bar, it essentially builds up from being hit, and once it maxes out, then the character being hit starts suffering less hit stun, eventually allowing them to escape combos.
Not exactly. The way the Juggle Decay Bar (TSTHWYCTDHM bar, drama bar, anti-infinite green bar of doom, whatever you want to call it) functions, is that each normal and special that hits your opponent makes you gain some juggle decay bar. When you hit the max value for that bar, if the character you are comboing is still standing, they will be forced into an airborne state. This is to prevent grounded rejump infinites on standing (and some cases crouching) characters, and one of the first things I made sure functioned properly.

If the character is already airborne, from a launch or what have you, when the bar maxes out they start falling faster, basically like having more weight put on them as the combo continues, and as more moves are used. Moves will also cause less height to be gained when used on a character that has been combo'd into the decay zone. Things like a launch will no longer push a character as high as they would, and in some cases, will do very little based on how far the combo has gone.

In my personal opinion, I like how the bar works. It obviously needs proper fine-tuning before release to make sure it doesn't keep a character from reaching max potential, but as it works now, it definitely is preventing infinites.
 

LittlestPupShop

Backers' Beta Tester
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Feb 3, 2016
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Not exactly. The way the Juggle Decay Bar (TSTHWYCTDHM bar, drama bar, anti-infinite green bar of doom, whatever you want to call it) functions, is that each normal and special that hits your opponent makes you gain some juggle decay bar. When you hit the max value for that bar, if the character you are comboing is still standing, they will be forced into an airborne state. This is to prevent grounded rejump infinites on standing (and some cases crouching) characters, and one of the first things I made sure functioned properly.

If the character is already airborne, from a launch or what have you, when the bar maxes out they start falling faster, basically like having more weight put on them as the combo continues, and as more moves are used. Moves will also cause less height to be gained when used on a character that has been combo'd into the decay zone. Things like a launch will no longer push a character as high as they would, and in some cases, will do very little based on how far the combo has gone.

In my personal opinion, I like how the bar works. It obviously needs proper fine-tuning before release to make sure it doesn't keep a character from reaching max potential, but as it works now, it definitely is preventing infinites.
I see, thanks for the clarification. I can't say I'm warming up to the idea, but I have yet to experience it. Again, thanks!
 

Senjin

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Feb 4, 2016
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So... what exactly about this (or Skullgirls') combo limiting system don't you like? Just that they're not the kind you're already familiar with?
 

LittlestPupShop

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So... what exactly about this (or Skullgirls') combo limiting system don't you like? Just that they're not the kind you're already familiar with?
I dislike it because it feels like a band-aid mechanic that was added. Prior to its inclusion, Skullgirls was known for having very long combos where the other player was kinda just forced to sit there and take it for close to half a minute. So to fix this, Lab Zero added the drama bar to keep such events from happening. In contrast, other combo heavy games usually have combo limiting tools built into the combos. Such as most ASW games use a proration system where each extra hit in your combo decays your hit stun. Both fulfil the job of keeping combos from getting too long and out of hand, but, for me anyway, drama just doesn't seem as natural, probably because it isn't since it had to be added on top of the base layer game while proration in other fighters was built into the core from the get go. Of course, this doesnt necesarily apply to Herds because it is being baked in at the get go so my distaste for the mechanic may be a bad knee-jerk reaction.
 

Cronnicossy

Fighter Enthusiast & Teacher
Backers' Beta Tester
Sounds like the way TFH's is handling it, is similar to how DFO's juggle decay system works.
The longer the combo the heavier the opponent getting combo'd gets until it ends.
If this is combined with the way Blazblue CS handled proration (in terms of damage scaling), this'd be perfect IMO.
 

Hadoking

Member
Feb 28, 2016
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Why does everyone say the drama bar is green? It looks yellow to me. Am I just color blind?
 

crispyruffles

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Feb 3, 2016
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So today's STREAM has come and gone and today something was pointed out that I didn't notice before, the herds version of the drama bar.

Lemme be honest, I'm not very fond of it. I didn't particular like it in Skullgirls, it felt like a weak band-aid to try and deal with how easy it was for people to get over the SMP loops to continue doing long ass combos that take a whole minute to go through. But my issues with skullgirls drama bar may not be the same as herds.

So, to make sure I understand the drama bar, it essentially builds up from being hit, and once it maxes out, then the character being hit starts suffering less hit stun, eventually allowing them to escape combos. Of all the fighters I've ever played skullgirls is the only one to introduce a drama bar to control combos. As the ASW fanboy I am I am very intement with the proration system those games tend to use.

For all ym understanding, the drama bar could just be a viual indication of your level of proartion. A maxed drama bar doesnt give you a burst (which leads into those skullgirls crazy mind games). The presence of this bar just makes me think he game is trying to put a cap on the players ability to combo when there are other tried and true systems out there.

But that's just my opinion, what's everyone else's opinion on drama bars and systems for limiting combo length?
I personally think the drama bar in Skullgirls is almost pointless, since if you ain't experienced, then the opponent will break free(pop) before it fills up. And if you are an expert, then you'll be able to continue a combo long after it's filled. I'm hoping the juggle decay system in TFH will be more than another drama bar.
 

Hadoking

Member
Feb 28, 2016
20
3
I personally think the drama bar in Skullgirls is almost pointless, since if you ain't experienced, then the opponent will break free(pop) before it fills up. And if you are an expert, then you'll be able to continue a combo long after it's filled. I'm hoping the juggle decay system in TFH will be more than another drama bar.
How can an expert continue said combo, may I ask.
 

Hadoking

Member
Feb 28, 2016
20
3
Disjointed hitboxes like Valentine's s.hk or Parasoul's cr.mp make you unable to burst safely. Skip to 9:30 for an example.
I don't see any attempt to burst at 9:30. Do you mean before that timestamp or after?
 
Last edited:

Oreo

Keepin' It Stylish
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Feb 2, 2016
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I don't see any attempt to burst at 9:30
That's because they couldn't. The normals have longer reach than the burst. What you see is a long, burstable combo that the other character does not break because he knows he's being baited.
 

Hadoking

Member
Feb 28, 2016
20
3
That's because they couldn't. The normals have longer reach than the burst. What you see is a long, burstable combo that the other character does not break because he knows he's being baited.
Ah, I see . Thanks for clearing that up.
 
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