I do agree very much on that. I know you already see where I'm coming from, but I wanna say it again, just so that I make it clear to anybody that doesn't know: I think practice makes perfect and that nobody should be able to just hop on a game the first time and start beating vets that have been around for years. Somebody who's never touched an FPS should have no business beating somebody who's been playing Halo or COD for years, somebody who's never even watched a game of any sport (ever) should have no business beating a hardcore FIFA player, and somebody who just grabbed their first fighting game on a whim should equally have no business beating on those that have been honing their skills since SF2 (for many of us our entire life). It just shouldn't work that way, and it isn't fair to those that actually have put in the practice to be as good as they are.

I don't like things like the "Simple" control scheme in (U)MvC3. Yeah, sure, in the long run it kinda punishes you by taking away most of the specials and hypers, but a new player doesn't care about those things anyway. I have a friend that uses that setup, and all he has to do to win is spam Chris's machine gun; I am so sick of hearing "open fire" that it kinda ruined the game for me. Granted, he doesn't do it right off the bat, but half the time he will pull it out when he's losing. And that isn't fair to me, somebody that, were it a game like Third Strike or Guilty Gear (I CANNOT WAIT FOR GG TO HIT ARCADE), I would trounce all over his grave. MvC3 is the first fighting game he's really gotten into, and the only reason is because the "Simple" mechanics level the playing field. He's never had to practice a day in his life, and yet he pulls off 20-hit combos with regulars and specials alone by simple button mashing.



I guess what I'm trying to say is that I really can relate, and my opinion is on both sides of the argument. There should never be a way to "level the playing field" in competitive games. I think fighting games need to add ways to allow newer players to more easily learn the advanced mechanics, but definitely not make them more easy to do.

What I'd like to see is a tutorial system like Third Strike's. One where it teaches you about how the mechanic works, and then does several examples where you learn it by doing it, getting harder and harder as you learn more and more. But even those tutorials would do better to draw out the explanation a little bit. It would be great to see companies offer stuff like that instead of spoon-feeding the ability to new players. Do date, Third Strike is my favorite fighting game to play online, despite the fact that I get beaten far more than I win, simply because I know it's one of the few games where I was beaten, not because my opponent is offered an easier way to play (or even taking advantage of glitches), but because he is truly better at the game than me. I can actually feel myself getting better as I play that game, as I lose and study what I did wrong, and as I win and take note of what I did right.

BTW, off topic, but we (the haven) should totally get a forum started where we organize matches against each other. When GG hits the marketplace this month, I totally plan to "DESTROY" the competition. *snicker* (EDIT: In fact, I'm gonna bring that up in the "talk to staff" section right now. lol)