EA Sports MMA Video: Lashley vs. Overeem

[thegut]

Quote: Originally Posted by allBthere

agree 100%. I'm not sure why people have so drastically changed their stance on how the game looks, because there has been zero improvement to the strikes since the first video from what I've seen AND on top of that seeing sustained gameplay has actually taken AWAY from original opinion of takedowns and the ground game.

Well I have to agree that the strikes don't look all that great. Very weak looking almost like they are just sparring. It's hard to judge the ground game on this vid and the takedowns. Obviously both of those guys had no idea what they were doing and decided to mash everything. Reversals and takedowns may be easy to block but its hard to tell in the video since these two obviously did not care or understand how to stop them. If you put two noobs on any fighting game its going to turn into button mash city. I'm actually impressed with how this game is shaping up because the early build videos made this game look BAD. I will save my judgment till they actually show two guys who know what they are doing fighting. If it appears to go the same way then I will hold off on a purchase.

[oChaos_Nine]

Game Killers - No struggle for takedowns, reversals are too easy. If it's not changed it will turn into UFC 2010 v.2 with different problems and people will constantly complain about those said problems.

[Phobia]

Quote: Originally Posted by oChaos_Nine

Game Killers - No struggle for takedowns, reversals are too easy. If it's not changed it will turn into UFC 2010 v.2 with different problems and people will constantly complain about those said problems.

Impossible to know those things from a video. The multiple reversals over and over could just be that the players did not know what they were doing. No different if you watched a UFC 2010 video and neither guy knew what they were doing you would NEVER see a reversal. But the moment you see two guys who understand the controls then you see reversal after reversal.

Until the game is in our hands it is impossible to tell how it will control from a video. It is obvious the guys did not know the controls.

[Anim8or]

Quote: Originally Posted by DaveDQ

I was watching the stamina meter and trying to figure out how it plays a role during the fight. When Lashley finishes him off it seems to dip real quick and then comes back. I'd like to know what effects stamina and if it at all slows a fighter down.

You can read my blog on the EA Sports Web Site.. I talk a bit about how stamina affects well... everything you do.

As a former fighter myself, and with many former fighters on the game team, we stressed the importance of stamina management in every aspect of the game.

[Anim8or]

Quote: Originally Posted by Phobia

Impossible to know those things from a video. The multiple reversals over and over could just be that the players did not know what they were doing. No different if you watched a UFC 2010 video and neither guy knew what they were doing you would NEVER see a reversal. But the moment you see two guys who understand the controls then you see reversal after reversal. Until the game is in our hands it is impossible to tell how it will control from a video. It is obvious the guys did not know the controls.

when new people play the game, it tends to play like people who don't know how to fight. The more experience the gamer has, the more like a real fight the game progresses (and the longer the fights tend to last as players recognize the need to respect the other fighter's skill sets). As you would expect with a simulation that doesn't use a single random number to generate outcomes. Reversal counters are the risk you take when attempting a more aggressive transitions (which the user controlled on the L stick) - so if you don't want someone reversing you, don't attempt an aggressive transition when your opponent has the stamina to defend it.

Takedown durations are quite variable in the game, the struggle depends on the takedown skill and stamina so when the guy is a world class wrestler with maxed out takedown ability they are a quick and powerful, but can still be submission countered and strike countered (if your fighter has those skills and you are fast enough) standing sprawled, ground sprawled, and you can even pull guard on the way down.

[Phobia]

Quote: Originally Posted by Anim8or

when new people play the game, it tends to play like people who don't know how to fight. The more experience the gamer has, the more like a real fight the game progresses (and the longer the fights tend to last as players recognize the need to respect the other fighter's skill sets). As you would expect with a simulation that doesn't use a single random number to generate outcomes. Reversal counters are the risk you take when attempting a more aggressive transitions (which the user controlled on the L stick) - so if you don't want someone reversing you, don't attempt an aggressive transition when your opponent has the stamina to defend it. Takedown durations are quite variable in the game, the struggle depends on the takedown skill and stamina so when the guy is a world class wrestler with maxed out takedown ability they are a quick and powerful, but can still be submission countered and strike countered (if your fighter has those skills and you are fast enough) standing sprawled, ground sprawled, and you can even pull guard on the way down.

Glad to have you on the boards Anim8or! Mind if I ask you a few questions about the game?

1) Can fights end on a single blow? Another words are KO's based on strike connection, power of puncher, angle of shot, chin of opponent, and state they were caught? I don't wanna see a health bar having to be depleted ala FN4

2) Is cage work utilized correctly? Can u use cage to reverse ground position for defense? Can cage be used in offensive manner having a opponent in side control laying along cage?

3) Is there different connect animations? Such as a leg kick stumbling opponent or the same opponent just barely wincing at it? connects to the head might rock a guy, while another shot barely stumbles him?

4) Will speed of the fighters footwork match the speed of the hands? In some of the videos it looks as if they are moving faster on their feet than say the jab.

5) Last one, and most important. Will the game play chess like for two human opponents? Will you have to stick to your strengths and try and put opponents in their weak game?

a brilliant BJJ guy on the ground should be feared and if you are using a strong striker. Your goal going in could be to keep it standing and utilize your strong suit while bringing the opponent into your game. This is a huge part of MMA and is what most sim fans want. There is a strategy and plan to fighting. it is not run in and wail till someone falls.

If I create a dominate GnP fighter such as Clay Guida. I might have great ground striking but weak standing. I want to see that really reflect in how you approach fights and how you plan for fighters.

3)

[Anim8or]

1) Can fights end on a single blow?
-Yes, but it's rare and not at all random, it's gotta be a perfect storm - right strike right time right spot right angle of movement, right power, right chin rating.. but yes. We have had fights end in the first punch normally resulting in the entire room screaming and on their feet (eg.. a few weeks ago I had Tim Sylvia and caught someone trying to open the fight with a superman punch right on the button and flashKO'd him in the first 10 seconds with an overhand right as he was flying at me).

2) Is cage work utilized correctly? Can u use cage to reverse ground position for defense? Can cage be used in offensive manner having a opponent in side control laying along cage?
-Cage position matters to vitals, and in stand up and clinch we utilized it very well, but we don't visually utilize it on the ground this year unfortunately, we wanted to much more and have a huge list of ideas for how to do that, but we had to push off for now due to RAM constraints (we use more animation memory than any other EA sports game as it is) and then just development time. I don't want to make too many excuses, it's definitely something we wanted to do more of, but finding the right balance of ground game to make it fun took a lot of time and trial and error and adjusting mechanics and then a ton of tuning and we simply didn't get there soon enough to do complex cage interactions from the ground. Clinch against cage was a must-have for us this year and we do use it.

3) Is there different connect animations? Such as a leg kick stumbling opponent or the same opponent just barely wincing at it? connects to the head might rock a guy, while another shot barely stumbles him?
-yes a lot (you can read my blog on the EA Sports MMA web site on this called "power of the punch", the results are basically infinitely variable based on vulnerability and power delivered)

4) Will speed of the fighters footwork match the speed of the hands? In some of the videos it looks as if they are moving faster on their feet than say the jab.
-Speed on your feet is a combination of your footwork attribute and your current leg health. Striking depends on if it's a lead or combo strike and your per strike skill (and per strike combo ability, which is per strike combo pair). Locomotion speed in a cage/ring is more about the fighters desire to move fast and their ability to still switch to striking, while hand speed is really separate (at least in my mind as someone who did Wing Tsun, Hung Fut, and Sanshou... I can stand in front of a wooden dummy and strike the hell out of it with relatively careful and slow footwork and very fast strikes. But another fighter might move very fast around the ring on their feet and strike slow as dirt like a wrestler).

5) Last one, and most important. Will the game play chess like for two human opponents? Will you have to stick to your strengths and try and put opponents in their weak game?
-yes, (and I love that people understand the cerebral nature of this sport), as you dive deeper into the game, it's about knowing the weaknesses of your opponent and your own strengths, and even being able to adapt on your feet and adjust your game based on the user playing him shutting down your biggest strengths with a strong defense.

a brilliant BJJ guy on the ground should be feared and if you are using a strong striker. Your goal going in could be to keep it standing and utilize your strong suit while bringing the opponent into your game. This is a huge part of MMA and is what most sim fans want. There is a strategy and plan to fighting. it is not run in and wail till someone falls.
-My favorite fight is Me with Cung Le and Vic Lugo (our gameplay designer who is an abudabi medalist).. If he puts me on my back, I am done, if I can stay on my feet I can wreck him, but I get adrenaline pumping through me every time he goes for a takedown. It's how I imagine a real fight with Victor would go for me.

If I create a dominate GnP fighter such as Clay Guida. I might have great ground striking but weak standing. I want to see that really reflect in how you approach fights and how you plan for fighters.
- I think you will be pretty happy when you get your hands on the game.

[Phobia]

Excellent Man!!! Understandable with the ground cage interactions. Limited amount of time and yea the tuning, testing, man hours to get it done correctly would be a little tough to get in with everything else.

Really glad to have you on the boards man. This is the kind of interaction with the Devs I was explaining is seriously lacking by THQ. Such a small thing to just interact with the community but it makes such a difference in the confidence & respect I have for that developer. It shows that the guys making the game care just as much as we the fans want to see it be great.

All in all, glad to have you on the boards and would love to swing down with ya one day. Take care my man.

P.S. I read the blog, kick *** stuff there. Can tell you & your team is driven to create a great real to life representation of the sport. Like you said, MMA is so cerebral. Balanced ratings will be so key here. You got guys who specialize in certain areas (ala cro cop head kicks), then guys who might not have any dominate feature but is a solid all around fighter (ala Nate marquardt). Then fighters with clear weakness (ala Kimbo ground game). Knowing how to approach/use each individual fighter is every much apart of the sport as fighting itself is.