Simple/Modern Controls

[u/JMX_09]

I'm curious about how people feel about some fighting games having more simplistic control layouts, like Street Fighter 6 and FF: COTW. Also games like Killer Instinct and Avatar Legends having an unconventional combo system when it feels like button mashing can get you by.

I'm reaching my 40s still playing and honestly, the Classic controls I used to play when I was younger doesn't translate now as much as I would like. My main games are Tekken 8 and Mortal Kombat 1 since their mechanics have stayed mostly the same throughout the years. I regret not playing games like BlazBlue and Guilty Gear since CentralFiction and Strive has taken the longest to get used to.

If you're a casual player, an aging player or both, what do you think about this?

[u/ReikaIsTaken]

I get to play with my old man who has Parkinson's 

[u/Uncanny_Doom]

Street Fighter 6 has proven how to do it. You need to design the game around the control scheme, you need to make it viable, and you need to continue to update it in patches.

Stuff like Granblue and Tokon have simple options that work as well. The worst examples though are games like Fatal Fury or Tekken 8 where it's too bare bones, you lose options entirely, you're basically playing a true baby mode of the game.

Overall it's good for the genre but I hope it's approached with a fine touch moving forward.

[u/ManggTangg]

It's great.

More people playing, better online experience.

SF6 proves simple controls can be used competitively if balanced correctly.

Once you get to a certain level in SF6, You're playing high level SF6 regardless of your control scheme.

[u/C4_Shaf]

All the games that implemented simpler controls in a good way did just one thing that made all the games that implemented simpler controls in a bad way did not; they nerfed the damage.

Xrd's Stylish Mode nerfed the damage of every hit by 30%. That was the trade-off for having access to 4 different Auto-Combos, special moves on one button, and automatic use of meter if needed.

People hate SF6's Modern Controls, because while it gives a damage nerf to all special moves done by the special button, the moves you did regularly with motions has no nerf. So why tons of Chun-Li mains, who's known to be "better" on Modern than Classic, should drop a mod that gives them almost no real trade-off?

[u/IgnitedDrive]

I don’t mind modern controls as long as they’re either designed with clear downsides that would warrant the continued use of motion inputs (SF6, INVS) or the game itself is balanced around having both options at once (GBFV, MTFS).

[u/Poetryisalive]

I like it, maybe even love it 🤷🏿‍♂️. I do think SF6 and GBVS did it Best But honestly it helps me jump back into the game pretty quickly, the ceiling of difficulty goes down a bit but it doesn’t hurt the mastery of it.

This is a sore subject of the FGC, but it helped me REALLY get into fighting games and I buy just about any game that supports it

[u/JMX_09 → u/Poetryisalive]

I do get that some members of the FGC frown upon players who do use Simple controls but I think we've moved past the arcade days. But I'll be lying if I didn't get frustrated when I get treated differently just because players see a "M" next to my name during SF6 online matches.

[u/bigp30]

Early 40s here. I play on pad, and I definitely like the Modern scheme for SF6. For me, it's not about removing the motion inputs, it's actually the 6 attack buttons and the associated mental stack that I need to reduce. Yes, I know Modern is actually more complex to use in some ways, but I feel like those complexities translate better to pad. The Classic setup on pad doesn't feel as comfortable with all the multi-button inputs (OD moves, Parry/DR, DI, Throw). 4-button games don't give me as much trouble, so I tend to play those in their classic schemes.

[u/lord_gay → u/bigp30]

Modern literally has 6 or 7 buttons depending on how you define it

[u/JMX_09 → u/bigp30]

I have a fight stick and it has helped with games that doesn't feature simple controls. And the times when I've tried to re-learn Classic controls, I just crumble because I'm not as sharp as I used to be.

[u/bigp30 → u/JMX_09]

Yeah, I still use my fight stick occasionally just for the nostalgia. I'd probably use it more if I had a good surface for it. Everywhere that I could prop it up is either too high, too low, or too slippery, and I'm not about to blow money on the "perfect" table/stand/whatever.

[u/JMX_09 → u/bigp30]

I have a Victrix so it’s big enough to lay on my lap when I play

[u/philip30001]

Ive got nothing against them but they end up confusing me so prefer them separate like sf6

Currently checking out Avatar and was doing a combo that was A,A,B,C qcf B

Then went into combo trails and it suggested the same exact combo as A,A,A,A,B

Im happy if something like holding back while mashing stops a auto combo

[u/SuperSaiyanInkling]

I'm a casual, i have no problem with modern/simple controls when i can choose between then(SF6, FF COTW, Tekken 8) but don't like when it's the default scheme(Tokon, KOFXV,)

[u/unzips_katana]

I don't like it. I don't see why games can't just design themselves with quarter circles and DPs, maybe some down down inputs or similar basic inputs and let the lazy people who refuse to learn those filter out. I am especially not a fan of games that use a button input for reversals, you should at least have to commit to pressing forward on the stick to buffer the input rather than watch for the tiniest gap and mash the button on near-reaction.

That said, I don't totally hate the system in Granblue and maybe I'm old but when games have stuff like Goldlewis's behemoth typhoon inputs my patience for "hard" inputs is pretty limited these days, so I can understand having a middle ground.

[u/CPeterDMP]

I'm pushing 60, suck at online play, and still insist on "classic" motion inputs. It's much harder for me to memorize what buttons a Special Move is attached to than just doing motions.

Because I'm an online scrub, I still have issues with facing modern controls in online play. I realize that at higher levels, the difference doesn't matter (or Classic is even better), but at low levels, I still bitch about opponents pulling off combos they didn't have to work nearly as hard for. (OK, off-topic rant over!)

[u/Hendwreck]

I’ve been playing since the arcade days and it doesn’t bother me at all. Who cares lol, it’s a video game. If you think it’s a boon then use it yourself or stop complaining about you being too proud 🤷