WIP Character Update Mar 01 2024

As usual, Character files with bonus Tag.zss is included at the bottom of the post. Also as a reminder, my characters are being focused for IKEMENGO now. My characters will likely crash MUGEN.

EDIT FOR QUICK PATCH: I made a quick patch today that changes a few things. The main thing is that I realized my characters all had different wake up times, and most of them way too fast. I have standardized them to a universal 20-tick wakeup time. I might give some characters a slight difference for character specific antic reasons, but for now, universal timing is 20 ticks.

The other EDIT  is specific to SHIREN. I forgot about her Counter Grab attack [Half-circle + Guard] and I wanted to make a couple of quick changes to it. It now only has 1 varient. I got rid fo the experimental low and expanded the function of the base.

Her counter grab now has a grab attempt on activation, this is a nerf so that she cant grab super far away. She will use a (temp) animation to reach out a grab. This can miss, so disjointed attacks can still be safe from this counter. Another nerf is that the active time is slightly shorter by 2 ticks, and the failure recovery is increased to 24 ticks.

A buff is that she will now ARMOR projectile based attacks during the startup and active frames, but not try to counter. The hitbox for the counter start is much bigger vertically, and reaches lower, so it can catch lower attacks. This may or may not change. 

I wanted her counter to not be as good as Aurumo's, but I feel like the way I had it, called for too many situational guesses. So I think most counter style moves will have more general coverage, but be more punishable on failure. I'll have to see as I play test more and more.

Files attached at the bottom have been updated!

EDIT OVER

This month's update is mostly focused on SHIREN. I did some small tweaks to a couple other characters, but I honestly cant remember the small tweaks I made. So I'll focus on the updates for Shiren.

Shiren got a major update to many moves. I think I'm finding the right grove for her with this month's changes. I was struggling for a while to find the exact way I wanted her moveset to function, within the system I have built. 

"st." = standing "cr." = crouching "ar." = air

Auto-combo [st.1, 1, 1] last hit (and the Down-Forward unique attack that mimics it) "Down Pound" had a major change after a lot of testing. The attack now forces a floor-bounce state that Shiren can make various follow-ups for. The attack bounces air-targets higher up. The solo unique version of the attack also bounces higher and does more damage than the auto-combo version, allowing for even more follow up options.

Low Sweep (the new D+2) has a WIP animation now. The attack's attributes have been tweaked from the Aurumo based placeholder that was there before. The sweep flings the target up slightly higher, it also cancels right into standing 2.

St. U+2 is a high version of standing 2. The attack is generally just an anti-air normal. It cannot be canceled with Jump like st.U+1 can. but it can be special canceled. It also forces standing targets into knockdown. 

St. F+2 is a new forward kick where she thrusts her foot forward after a short delay. This attack hits decently hard and can be canceled with a forward dash when it makes contact with a target. This allows it to be a strong hitting combo starter on hit, or a guard pressure option if the kick is blocked.

Burst Hook had it's command changed to [L,D,R or R, D, L (half circle) + 1] from it's former quarter circle input. The attack has been changed significantly, now starting with a command dash that will activate the attack portion when she is near a target.  The dash portion of the attack armors projectiles (but can still be hit out by other attack types). The knockdown arch has be changed to juggle lower than before, but this attack now has an added 1-bar EX follow-up with Leaping Leg Grapple, which always does the stronger version of the attack. The projectile element of the attack has been turned off for now, so the attack only hits once. This MIGHT be brought back.

Leaping Leg Grapple [F,D,DF + 2 or 3] had it's damage values tweaked, generally nerfed a bit to fit the new combos she's acquired. But the attack now still hits grounded foes, but only knocks them down for a weak hit, so the "grab" only affects air targets.

Power Bomb has only gotten a small change to it, becoming active on frame 3 instead of frame 2. Other changes will happen once I get the animation out for it instead of Aurumo's placeholders.

NOTE: I intend to better tweak the Hit animation scripting for the target being thrown by both the Leaping Leg and the Power Bomb.

Flip Tackle [L,D,R or R, D, L (half circle) + 2] was slightly nerfed in damage for reasons mentioned before, but it's still one of her strongest specials in terms of base-damage. The travel arch was tweaked a bit to has a little more steering when holding back or forward into it.

NEW SUPER!
I gave her her first Super Move for now called "Triple Pound" until I think of a better name. It starts out similar to Burst Hook, as it starts with a dash, but faster. It also has projectile armor and a brief total invincibility for 8 frames at the very start. When the attack activates, she will do 3 big hits based on Burst Hook, Down-Pound and Launch Upper. The last hit sends the target into a free juggle state, launching them up pretty high into an unrecoverable fall state, leaving them at her mercy for further follow-up. 

I had some issues gettin this attack to land all 3 hits consistently after the first, but I think I have it functioning well enough for now. I'm going to do more work on this tho. Perhaps making the first hit force-stand even from an air-state.

IDEAS FOR WHAT'S TO COME:

I have some other ideas floating around my head for a 2nd super, but I'm not 100% settled on it. It may very well be a grab-super. I DO however have a good idea for what her Omega will be. Something much like Abel's Ultra 2 from SF4, a chargeable dashing grab with armor. I'm just deciding on what exactly I want her to do with this grab. 

I have solid ideas for Ar.3 and Ar.D+3 for her, one of them in the works animation-wise.

I still need to figure out a Cr.1 for her and a Cr.3.  Cr.1 will probs just be something simple. Cr.3 I have no idea quite yet. I also need to figure out how I want to handle her Turn-2 both on the ground and in the air. They will both likely be kick related. I may also add in a close varient for St.2, like Gejhi has.

I also want to do something unique with all of her normal throws to play into her kit, but I'm not 100% on that yet.

I want to advance RAEL along a bit more as well, as she still has too many placeholders. I'm likely going to change her Omega attack to some sort of air-strike type of attack to fit her motif a lil more.

I also want to Start working on Jeibu and/or Zandur very soon.

Thanks all for the continued support!