Kikirin

Here's a quick combo showing the tipper 236a and j.214c blowback change:

Generally, it sounds like her combo damage will be lower overall when using the current combo paths, particularly in the corner where 236a, 236b, and enhanced 214x are staples. The B stance > overhead changes seem like quality of life fixes. I recall particular things (5x~8a > 5aca) strangely dropping on counterhit vs normal hit, and it sounds like it'd be nice to get ~8a instead of ~6a with a ~9a input. Less blowback on 214b/c is likely a positive overall. While it cuts corner carry off an aerial ender, it'll give better oki positioning and a more-stable RC continuation without reaching the corner. Also, shockwaves will land more consistently at midscreen. The bigger wallbounce on hit and fatal starter on B stance > 6a could potentially lead to new routes. It currently doesn't seem to have much use outside of corner combo part, especially midscreen even with CH or RC. So this could change that up. Vacuum vs airborne opponent on tipper 236a could also lead to new midscreen routes but seems pretty situational. Mainly thinking that a meterless 5a pickup could be possible - maybe after something like max range 2bc > 236a?

New PV for the upcoming console release with Enkidu and Erika snippets:

Erika Wagner!

Looks like I was sniped, but I do think no-stock makes the 20th.

We have Amane notes! \o/ https://twitter.com/Shima3_shima3/status/623341096014209024 https://twitter.com/Shima3_shima3/status/623341143980244993 https://twitter.com/Shima3_shima3/status/623341218894757888 https://twitter.com/Shima3_shima3/status/623341282690084864 https://twitter.com/Shima3_shima3/status/623341325585219589

Reposting the changes to system mechanics here (w\ SMP info added).

Is there a post somewhere covering / summarizing said system changes? I don't recall seeing one on DL yet, in either English or Moon Runes. Edit: nevermind, found it here: http://www.dustloop.com/forums/index.php/topic/10979-cf-blazblue-central-fiction-news-and-gameplay-discussion/page-25#entry925887 SMP info got edited in after I'd read the post.

Er, whoops. Yeah, it's 1C. Corrected it in my original post.

Amane info from the Famitsu list. A new special "Gan Gan Senpu [Ginga]" (214C) is added. Fires a tornado-like projectile at mid-range. It blows the opponent back on counterhit for possible Gekiren (623C), etc. (and maybe C series) follow-ups. Also, 4C and 1C normals have been added. Each are slightly-shorter / more-compact versions of 5C and 2C. Control of the mid-range has been improved with these attacks.

The Exceed Accel stuff doesn't seem like anything new. Just that it's basically a super move that comes out with ABCD during OD, and that it's special for each character and has big damage. The Active Flow stuff sounds interesting. Sounds like something of an equivalent for UNiB's vorpal or GG's meter gain on forward movement. Active Flow: Active Flow state is entered from maintaining aggression / playing actively. Offensive ability up and burst recovery boosted. Exceed Accel also strengthened and becomes flashier.

YESSSSSSSSS! Will be looking forward to the Chemeti/Phonon details as they come in.

Whoa, whoa, whoa - where's the image from? I'm interested in seeing more of those side / scrapped / unused characters. Dat Chemeti!

Maybe I'm confusing this with other ASW fighters, but doesn't air blocking reset your air options? So air dash would be possible after double-jump > block.

Dunno about the HKD prices, but the nominal/retail JP prices for the console versions are 5800 yen for digital and ~6200 yen for physical. Vita is 4800 yen, digital only.

HKD = Hong Kong Dollars, I'm guessing. To get the relatively less expensive Asia release of the game off the HK PSN.

Hi, all. I'm in need of some help finding an Xrd character that fits the following criteria: Strong neutral, particularly with excellent anti-air options. Strong options / buttons for dealing with opponent's pressure, preferably meterless. I don't have any particular preferences for the offensive side of the equation, so damage, pressure, mixups, and oki aren't of concern - I just want to have the appropriate tools to deal with whatever the opponent tries offensively. From skimming the wiki descriptions, it sounded like Axl, Ky, Bedman, and Faust might be decent bets, but I might be totally off-base. Feel free to correct, highlight, or suggest others.

This is something I'd like to know, too, not just for this game. And it doesn't help that I tend to play characters that have a harder time up close and under pressure. The things that helped me are: 1) really knowing the ranges and timings of your pokes and anti-airs, 2) figuring out the opponent's habits for trying to get in at neutral (particularly at mid- and full-screen distances), and 2.5) looking up how disadvantageous the tools they commonly use are. After getting the latter two points, I go to training mode to experiment with what I can do against those specific things. It should be noted that this mainly works for me as a person who primarily plays against a couple specific people who use a very limited number of characters, but playing against a variety of people using that specific character also gives you a feel for what tools / approaches are "commonly" good for them.

Normal Chie’s corner carry is up due to 5AAA > B Rampage > B Skull Cracker > B Herculean Strike comboing from anywhere on the screen and at any proration. Also, meter gain is up since A/B Skull Cracker > B Herculean Strike > 5C > 2C > AOA combos in the corner. It’s easier to beat the opponent’s attacks with 5C, 2C, j.C due to persona being invul until active frames. A and B Lunge Punch have faster startup, less recovery. Since AOA creates distance with opponent on block, it's harder for opponent to counterattack. 2C has faster startup. If you hit an airborne or crouching opponent with 5C during neutral, can connect 2C > dash cancel > 5AAA > B Rampage > etc. Charge effect is no longer a timer, but a counter that decreases on hit or block for particular attacks. * Attacks that consume stock: all B normals + special attacks. (TL note: unclear whether it’s only B specials or all specials or if it also includes supers.) Charge lv 1 and 2 have 9 stock, Charge lv 3 has 5 stock. SB Black Spot proration on CH more lenient(?) A meterless combo doing up to 5500 damage off CH SB Black Spot has been found. Blowback direction of Dragon Kick changed. The following have been nerfed: 5A starter proration is the same as 2A’s. Unable to cancel into A Charge after landing from DP. Landing recovery of DP increased, unable to combo off it even in the corner. B Charge recovery increased by 10F. God Hand’s minimum damage reduced. (TL paraphrased: For this version, use Shadow Chie if you want to win.) Forgot another nerf: 5A is -2F on normal block.

If you're hoping to find videos of his P4AU play or to bump into him online, he unfortunately hasn't been playing it much if at all. And recently the few times he's online, it's mainly to play against a handful of friends on a private lobby. I can assure you that we're lower-mid level players at best though - there're much better players to learn from. Anticipation and obvious startup animations help a great deal with "reacting" to AOAs. Throws seem to typically be a relatively quick 5 frames of startup, so that leaves... at least 17 frames to recognize the AoA and input the throw if you correctly anticipate it. (Note: not sure how quick the fastest AoA is, so using 23f here.) The obvious startup animations give you more of the 17f+ to recognize it, whereas a more-subtle one gives you less. While the window for inputting the throw is smaller and in the latter portion of the AOA startup when it is used during a blockstring, aiming for these latter frames would work for both raw and blockstring uses. Of course, this is just talking raw numbers. Keeping this in mind while also being wary of the opponent's other options is a struggle for most players.

Haha, I'm sure that they're generally reasonable (or even bad) at high level play when looking across the whole cast. But playing frequently against a friend's Chie has scarred me for life - I still have PTSD from our vanilla P4 sessions.

That's not very reassuring to hear. Blocking and punishing AOAs was one of the few semi-reliable ways that I could escape pressure, and even then I'm already getting tagged by them at least 75% of the time they're used. Them having faster startup and being harder to punish on top of the armor does me no favors, particularly against people who mash them on defense. Even GG had the sense not to make Dusts universally armored.

Liz-specific: #P4U2エリザベス General aggregator: http://niceburst.com/timeline

Narukami: http://www.dustloop.com/forums/index.php?/topic/9814-p4au-yu-narukami-20-changes/#entry884235

Combo rate is pretty much a character-specific modifier to subsequent hits in a combo. This is a separate value from proration from specific attacks. See: http://www.dustloop.com/wiki/index.php?title=Damage_(P4AU)#Combo_Rate I can tackle Narukami this evening if there haven't been any other takers.