A - Punch
B - Kick
C - Strong
⮩ 6/4C - Redirect instead of a normal throw, characters have redirects that turn the opponent around and leave them open
D - Quick Sway taking the place of lanes are quick sway options, all of which has specific invul properties
⮩ 5D - Standing Dodge high invul
⮩ 2D - Hop dodge low invul
⮩ 6D - Forward Dodge fully invul after 6 frames
Specials
There are three types of specials, grouped by what modifies them
Break A special with two levels of power mapped to A and B, can be canceled early by breaking with AB
Escalation Two different specials mapped to A and B respectively, upon entering escalation mode the properties of these change.
Heat A special mapped to C, when heat is full this move becomes an alternate overdrive version of itself.
Heat bar
Derived from Wild Ambition, the heat bar fills during neutral only--movement, whiffing, and so on. It fills based on your velocity; therefore, a faster character will gain heat faster. Filling it up drops proration modifiers, giving full damage, allows for the overdrive form of the heat move, and the use of avoid during hitstun.
Heat allows for these options
AB - Heat Blow reset your opponent to neutral during hitstun at the cost of very little damage
AB - Counter Heat Blow an all or nothing opportunity to put the opponent in a counter hit state and deal major damage
ABC - Escalation mode changes the properties of special moves, and how hittimes are calculated
Escalation mode
Escalation mode changes the properties of special moves and how hittimes are calculated.
Escalation allows for these options
AC - Feint cancels the current move, regardless of its cancel status
AAAC/AABC/ABBC - Chain routes
Unlike Real Bout, only the standing punch and kick buttons are used to chain, with crouches and strong existing as possible chain enders, making the way the system works much closer to a simplified Ninja Master's or even Tekken strings. Chains are a series of three inputs made up of combinations of the standing A and B buttons, with a C finisher, thus:
AAAC
AABC
ABBC
These may seem simple, BUT standard canceling rules also apply to them; thus, the generic AB cancel flow can be canceled from an AAA, so it's really not AAA but AAAB; moreover, because special cancel rules also apply, things like canceling Gato's BA from the chart also works, so a BAAAB is possible inasmuch as you can connect the moves. Moves specific to chains benefit from a free x vel push, as in Real Bout, making them a handy way to close a distance that otherwise might require walking forward.
All of these have three possible ends to the routes. The first is canceling into a special move, as with any other normal; the second is a 2C, a free knockdown that can provide much needed oki options; the third, however, is of most interest, a 5C option that is determined by he preceding three moves in the chain.
The flow of the chain adds another layer to the cancel chart, making escalation mode an option just as viable as expending heat on an EX move.
Neutral game
Using a modified version of Vans' buffer system and JZ's deep buffering, I'm hoping this has the most nuanced form of directional buffer of any mugen style, and consequently the deepest and most impactful movement. Because my goal is a successor to Real Bout, a series with very tight, fast, and meaningful movement, I want to make it a major part of the game, dealing with the loss of lineswaying from RB by creating a game that is entirely built around it.
Movement options are the standard Fatal Fury jumps and hops, but to create an interesting neutral game, the properties of all forms of movement can be altered by how the buttons are pressed, and in what order, just like the difference between jump and hop and running jump in kof.
In addition, jump arcs can be altered in mid air by pressing left, right, or down.
Running and super jumps are also available.
Passing Bonus
To keep with the movement based game, Just Defend no longer leads to Guard Cancels, but the Passing Bonus. Upon successful JD, a directional can be pressed, which allows for the player to set up options during the hit pause where they would otherwise be in block stun.
B- dash
U - hop
F - dash
In addition this can be done during air JD, which gives otherwise unavailable options
F - Air dash
B - Air backdash
U - hop cancel
D - fastfall
In both situations Passing Bonus allows for special/super canceling the moment the recovery animation for the movement begins.
Characters
Spoiler: Kevin Rian (click to see content)
Break
Escalation
Heat
Spoiler: Hokutomaru (click to see content)
Break
Escalation
Heat
Spoiler: Sokaku (click to see content)
Break
Escalation
Heat
Spoiler: Grant (click to see content)
Break
Escalation
Heat
Spoiler: The full package (click to see content)
Right now system and characters are the most important part, but with those done I'll being working with ikemen.
I'm hoping to eventually put together the final thing with nearly everything except for the characters new. This includes music, stages, fx, sfx etc. The core idea of my work will be Naomi/dreamcast like in implementation. If you've seen the effects I made for Gato you get a better idea of what I mean.
Classic stages like Pioneer Plaza and Delta Park will reappear for sure, though in what form I can't say at the moment.