Current State of the Skullgirls Scene

Mr. X

Discuss.

UFGT8 was the largest Skullgirls major thus far with 93 participants.

8 at the Break dropped it for lack of participants recently and it doesn't seem like the number of players at WNF is increasing.

What do you think?
How's your scene?
How's the online scene?

Jon Slayton

My scene died week 2 or 3. What little interest it had was lost when people saw the combos / hornet bomber and what not unfortunately.

RustyShacklefurd

Mr. X, post: 7081349, member: 7367 wrote:

and it doesn't seem like the number of players at WNF is increasing.

Honestly, if we could get everyone that has shown up one week and didn't show up a different week to all arrive on the same day, I think we'd have about 20 or so. We have gotten new people; just not everyone has shown up consistently. Last week was a bit disheartening though D: I think people thought SG wasn't happening because of the VF5 event. At least I hope that was the case. We'll find out this week I guess.

Also, it would probably help if we were on Thursdays. That MvC3/KoF crowd seems more in tune with SG.

Austin_QED

Jon Slayton, post: 7081357, member: 2817 wrote:

My scene died week 2 or 3. What little interest it had was lost when people saw the combos / hornet bomber and what not unfortunately.

So that means they're coming back after the patch?

Russai

There might be 4-5 people in Ireland who play - more realistically 2.
As with virtually every game, it tapered off and died pretty quick :/
I'm hoping the patch with inject some life into it again.

ukyo_rulz

In the Philippines I knew five other people playing online but they don't seem to be playing anymore. Recently I only play with a friend locally because I can't find opponents online. I'm hoping the patch will revive interest in the game.

Drizzt Do'urden

I recently relocated and the new area that I live in has all of 2 players including myself

however online I can find matches whenever I want of varying calibur of players

I love the game and hope it does well but 95% of people I know who play fighting games just flat out hate the game or wont give it a chance since its not an established IP or because it plays like "a game that I dont like"

I've heard its too much like guilty gear or its too much like marvel 2 or its too much like blazblue on the negative side of the spectrum even though the majority of those people play those games and thus tried the game once or twice and decided to drop the game instantly with that excuse

new IP = no love for fanboys it seems :-(

from my personal experience the balance issues and combo system dont seem to be the excuses I'm hearing for disliking the game and thus not playing it

its somthing more along the lines of.......I have been playing street fighter marvel blazblue/guiltygear kof tekken and soul calibur for years I know how to play those games and I have plenty of comp. I dont feel like learning somthing new because no one will be playing this game in 6 months anyway

really depressing TBH

AmishOpiate

So, you guys are surprised that a DLC game with 8 characters doesn't have legs? The problem with trying to take the good parts out of other games, and put them into one game, is that, even if you do everything exactly right, all that you are giving people is something they have already seen before. Skullgirls doesn't bring anything new to the table, it just collects a lot of things tournament players like into one package; it is high quality, just not groundbreaking or new, and that's the problem.

Also, if people try Skullgirls and drop it, they aren't making excuses, they just didn't like the game; everyone is entitled to their own opinion, right?

tilopud_rye

I think it's doing very well for a new indie IP. I'm hoping that the turnout of EVO side tournament and continued character additions will bring it to the Evo mains next year. People seem focused on the main EVO games at the moment even if they don't intend to enter. Hopefully when people start seeing more gameplay from more tourneys they'll start to catch on.

Drizzt Do'urden

excuse is simply negative connotation for ones reasoning for doing somthing so yes they are making excuses

and I'm not suprised at all simply disappointed because I really enjoy the game and I want the scene to grow and flourish unfortunately that simply dosent look to be the case :-(

Scrub Saibot

My scene never even started in Edmonton. We had one guy with a long MvC2 background who went into the game hard in its first week and then stopped to train for KOF13 for EVO. We also had two other guys play for a bit but they weren't very good and they've just given up to play other games.

The online scene is looking pretty abysmal. It is extremely difficult to find other people in ranked matches on both 360 and PSN. There are very few player match lobbies open. A lot of the people I friended just for Skullgirls do not play the game anymore. There are very few people playing on the Skullgirls SRK tag.

---

If we really want Skullgirls to last in the long run we need to rep it at events as much as possible. All of us should be going to every SG tourney in our local scenes, even if we are the only ones that show up. If you are fortunate enough to have a sizeable number of SG players in your area, you need to organize a ranbat and you need to stream it online. Also, more of us need to make the push to go to major tournaments and stream the game on our own terms, separate from the Spooky or LevelUp streams. I'm already going to EVO and when I'm done with that I'll start saving up for the next major.

Mortal Kombat 9 had this really dark period right before EVO where everybody thought the game was going to die, but the people on TestYourMight kept pushing the game at tourneys to show that it was a game worth keeping on. They brought their own stream setups to tourneys so they could stream the game as long as they want while avoiding stream monsters. They've fought hard to foster a scene for the game they love and they've succeeded.

I think something that would help is if we had a Skullgirls-centric community site like TestYourMight.

Age_of_Fools

Our locals tend to get 6-10 entrants depending on the venue, though I think a few people are missing for some reason or another and will hopefully add to that number. I don't really know how to go about fostering that scene other than training myself up and giving advice to players at tournaments.

How do ranbats work, anyway?

Zidiane

As more and more DLC comes out, the scene SHOULD increase. It would help if one of the big gaming-video-people (Maximillian, Cross Counter, Finger Cramp, whoever) picked it up. I think Ultrachen helps, mentioning it every week or two, but we need more. People would be playing this game to death if it had 10+ years of fans behind it, it has nothing to do with what this game does or doesn't do new for the genre. People like to play what's familiar, and they like to play what big-named people are playing. It's the same as anything else (Fashion, music, political views, literature), a majority of people are followers. If someone endorsed the game and released weekly videos, everyone's scene would probably go "scene * 2 + 15" overnight. 50K+ (at least 1k per state) people in America have this game already; we just need to get them interested enough to start playing it again.

Hogosha

Max did pick it up and spent a week or so playing Solo Filia and bending over for free to people playing more than one character.

That said, I agree with the person above that said it'd do better on The Runback on Thursdays. People that play UMVC3 and maybe even KOF13 play Skullgirls. People that play SF4 and SFxT usually play those games or just SF4. Isn't anything wrong with that; people play what they wanna play. I just think you have to play the crowd when you pick what games go together.

If the game had even four more characters, I think it would've done better out of the gate. It's not doing horrible by any stretch. However, because there are only 8 characters, half or more of the characters have exactly ONE optimal assist in high level play, and two of the characters have such good assists that nearly everyone puts them on their team for exactly that reason (I'm so fucking tired of seeing shitty Parasouls and Doubles in major top 8's, you have no idea), the game looks a lot more stale than it actually is. It's just the way it happens with a team-based game that has 8 characters.

(Edit - Case in point, I'm watching top 4 of ECT4 and seeing a Valentine/Double mirror with a Valentine/Parasoul vs Parasoul/Double and one of those vs Valentine/Double coming up. Regardless of how GOOD the system is, that seems stale to everyone but the most devoted.)

Zidiane

Hogosha, post: 7081956, member: 3182 wrote:

Max did pick it up and spent a week or so playing Solo Filia and bending over for free to people playing more than one character.

Yeah, and that was awesome. He has, like, 50k views on each of the videos he put out (that wasn't the 'week of'). But, he didn't play/put out videos after the first week and a half or so.

I think you're right on the game selection: maybe pairing the game up with similar fans will do better. I don't really know, though; I don't watch streams.

D_W

Still, there's over 6000 people watching the ECT4 stream of the top 4. That's pretty significant. Hopefully the scene will blossom after the patch since it' may make the game a bit more friendly to new players.

Sensei Rouzu

I didn't know the scene dwindled. I was there in the first week only and so didn't have much chance to see how well I could do in it. I really want to help promote this game and being involved in tournaments, but like I said before most people don't like to help others out and there's no point in trying if I don't have the resources or can't get any help.

Now I sort of feel like I wasted my money buying the game.

Dime_x

Personally i havent heard any reasons why the players in my area have dropped it. They just dropped it.

If amy one thing is to blame, i'd point at evo not having it as an official game... That REALLY hurts. Probably more than double or "long combos"

Valle i think last week or the week before was still streaming it, saying that its what the people wanted to see. This makes me think people like the look of the game, and want to follow it, just not play it when there are already so many fighters that people "want" to play yet have little time for. The average person can only really handle learning 2 fighting games at one time. Of course they could learn more, but there will be a dropoff in skill... Justin wong is a very good example of a very good player that is just spread to thin.


Hopefully these patch changes bring people in. But to be quite honest the only real way to bring people in on this game is to constantly stream it and to constantly release newer and newer videos of tech/combos/traps/resets etc. this keeps peoples minds on the games while simultaneously teaching them how to play at higher and higher levels.

I didnt mind the 8 characters at the start, but now i really find myself hoping that that dlc gets here as quick as possible as i only really resonate with one character. Inthink other people may have similar issues of being able to find a character that they actually dont mind using.


Tbqh i wouldnt play this game if painwheel werent in it.mnow look at those people that are like me only they dont like painwheel either... Having a character that you like to use in a fighting game is one of the biggest key ingredients... Its why ryu and ken and chun are in every goddamn capcom game.



-dime

Zidiane

Dime_x, post: 7083937, member: 4896 wrote:

I didnt mind the 8 characters at the start, but now i really find myself hoping that that dlc gets here as quick as possible as i only really resonate with one character. Inthink other people may have similar issues of being able to find a character that they actually dont mind using.

Tbqh i wouldnt play this game if painwheel werent in it.mnow look at those people that are like me only they dont like painwheel either... Having a character that you like to use in a fighting game is one of the biggest key ingredients... Its why ryu and ken and chun are in every goddamn capcom game.

Dittoed. If Cerebella wasn't one of the original two characters... I don't think I would have paid attention to the game, let alone played it.

CaButler

I dropped the game for a while and only came back recently.

Then I got stuck playing a guy who kept abusing the Hornet Bomber assist and remembered why I dropped it to begin with.

Now, don't get me wrong, I really like the game, but the Hornet Bomber assist "tactics" takes the fun out of the game, and I tend to not play games where I'm not having fun. And while I can't say this with a fact, I imagine that's why the game's online community dropped as it did.

CrownAxe

Sadly SG turn out has been steadily dropping where i play at (Box Arena, if you're in the San Diego area on tuesdays come and play or check out the stream) though I suspect it is also because its summer so a lot of attendence, in all the tournaments, has been dropping because of vacation and D3 and what not.

NickRocks

I just can't bring myself to care for this game

Deps

I think the numbers will keep dropping until EVO and the patch. A lot of people are focusing on EVO games or waiting for the patch.

Vulpes

Deps, post: 7084704, member: 14794 wrote:

I think the numbers will keep dropping until EVO and the patch. A lot of people are focusing on EVO games or waiting for the patch.

Yesh.

Is just hard to sit down and practice stuff when you fear to be forced to throw half of it out the window within a month.

ataconazi

People are obviously thinking the patch is a bigger adjustment than it is. If you get good at the current version you're guaranteed to adjust completely with like 1 hr training mode
It feels like the exact same game...just faster and less scrubby

pali

People aren't drawn to skullgirls because not everyone can be a super star in it, most people don't have good execution which is why Mvc3 is so popular because you don't need it to get a win against someone. It's just like how guilty gear wasn't that popular in the U.S

Not dissing Mvc3 cause i love the game as well.

Uncivilized Elk

I didn't realize that even on SRK people still can't handle Hornet Bomber.

I dunno how many Hawaii players play this. I found 2 online who did, none IRL. Though I haven't checked the (seemingly SF dominant) tourney scene here out at all either.

ataconazi

After watching the finals of gg last night I'm pretty sure I'm buying and playing the xbl version.
that shit looks godlike

DaRabidDuckie

Lost of people in my state play it, unfortunately there are only three players (including myself) in my area.

CEO has around 49 entries. More than BB, so there's that, at least. XD

Mr. X

pali, post: 7084968, member: 9193 wrote:

People aren't drawn to skullgirls because not everyone can be a super star in it, most people don't have good execution which is why Mvc3 is so popular because you don't need it to get a win against someone. It's just like how guilty gear wasn't that popular in the U.S

Not dissing Mvc3 cause i love the game as well.

In specific years, Guilty Gear would bring in the second highest entrants behind 3S when both were at EVO.

Johypnol

i entered skullgirls at toryuken thinking it was full of nobodies that would be free and i was happily mistaken. but even though these guys were godlike and bodied me i don't think i have seen any of them at casuals

as for me personally as soon as a game gets a patch announced i lose interest until it drops. the fact that it might get a speed increase has me interested because as it is right now i find movement in the game to be blaz blue levels of clunky guys don't kill me

Uncivilized Elk

Johypnol, post: 7085047, member: 53578 wrote:

i entered skullgirls at toryuken thinking it was full of nobodies that would be free and i was happily mistaken. but even though these guys were godlike and bodied me i don't think i have seen any of them at casuals

as for me personally as soon as a game gets a patch announced i lose interest until it drops. the fact that it might get a speed increase has me interested because as it is right now i find movement in the game to be blaz blue levels of clunky guys don't kill me

I like your avatar.

Firekid2468

It still feels faster than BB to me. But its been a long time since I've been in a serious BB match... >_>

JuniorMints

We get a few players here and there at FFA, but thanks to Mike Z actually. Here's to hoping that the patch, along with some DLC to bring some life back to this game. I love it personally. I wish online was a bit more fleshed out, because no one is playing online. People get in unranked matches and play just ONE game with you then bounce. :[

RustyShacklefurd

ataconazi, post: 7084941, member: 18034 wrote:

People are obviously thinking the patch is a bigger adjustment than it is. If you get good at the current version you're guaranteed to adjust completely with like 1 hr training mode
It feels like the exact same game

Pretty much. People need to stop being so dramatic D: .

Uncivilized Elk

I don't think people stopped playing until the patch because they think the skill won't carry over.

It's some other much more complex and layered mental state that I don't have the patience or time to explain. But take it from me because I have that mental state too.

Mike_Z

Well, it's sad in here...
Though I wish WNF would have put it on Thursdays as well, and have said so many times to them...

Austin_QED

I'm hoping the upstate SC tourny puts a kick in my "scene".

I'm pretty hype for it, and bringing five people, and maybe carpooling someone who I'll try to assassinate so I can win.

I heard that the SG portion is gonna have a fair amount of players.

deadfrog

Austin_QED, post: 7085374, member: 48615 wrote:

and maybe carpooling someone who I'll try to assassinate so I can win.

Be sure to kill him AFTER he registers. Better for the pot.

Hawkingbird

I don't even know. I'm the only player I know that plays this game in the Bronx. None of my friends have any interest in this game most of them for stupid reasons. Online community certainly dropping. It takes me a while to find any players. I'm hoping for the PC version to come out soon to at least expand the playerbase a tiny bit

Johypnol

Mike_Z, post: 7085361, member: 504 wrote:

Well, it's sad in here...

sorry

Uncivilized Elk, post: 7085171, member: 64896 wrote:

I like your avatar.

me too

Number 13

Local Scene: Use Word-of-Mouth either in real life or cyber-space if you want to see increased interest in this game. I did something similar in my club. Its pretty much video-game enthusiasts at my college and luckily a good amount of members enjoy fighters. I suddenly started playing skullgirls week one and people were curious about the game. I Advertise what the game was and what started from two people (Me and a friend) i know locally who enjoy the game we roughly have 9-10. We would stream a tournament (we did for Brawl -_- don't ask that game is Casual gold-mine) but so far it seems unlikely at the moment. I notice patterns.. Some local areas are decent numbers while others not so much.

Online Scene: A BIG factor is the absence of Lobbies. This really hurts the replay ability online and honestly should be on the list of priorities. Makes streaming online tourneys difficult as well. Online-mode as a whole needs more polishing as of now. Another one is the PSN online matchmaking. I been having consistent matches on XBL but psn tier list set-up makes things really difficult to find an opponent.

Majors Scene: This is GOOD news as it seems the entrant numbers seems to be healthy and are usually getting KoF13 territory numbers. Issue is that mirror matches are really common which can kill hype. Skullgirls being on major streams can be a good thing for exposure, but can be bad on first impressions for a person not following the game.

Improvements needed: Needs MORE characters to increase the variety, and tweaks to the game mechanics. I am well-aware of the patch coming as well and I am glad for that. PC release should also steam up more interest. Hopefully after patch is finished that dlc characters are being focused on to help keep more interest in this game. If the Roster-size are noticeably larger by evo 2013 then I can see this game picking up alot more steam.

-Sorry if some of the things sounds blunt, but this is just what i consider the general over-view of how Skullgirls is doing in the grand-scheme of things in terms of people actually playing it and why they do/don't

Side Note: Lets try to avoid having a negative vibe on this. Skullgirls is still alive and breathing and be glad for this

pali

Mr. X, post: 7085035, member: 7367 wrote:

In specific years, Guilty Gear would bring in the second highest entrants behind 3S when both were at EVO.

When was this 2002? LOL. Lets keep this in the present please.

Russai

I'll be moving to Japan soon and there's always those two Japanese PSN lobbies that are usually active around 10am UTC that give me hope for some players over there :)

Zidiane

Upgrade Online Modes
Add More Characters
Popular Weekly Videos Attention
Evo Game

These are our goals.

Jamp

It's a brand new IP with a small cast of non-estabilished characters (yet). Considering that, I'd say the overall scene is doing pretty nicely, specially in majors. As long as people keep going to majors and the game starts being updated with characters and such, we should see a healthy growth of the scene.

As for my scene, a couple of friends of mine are trying to push the game to the mainstream Brazillian scene, no results yet, though some big name players are starting to dig it.

Callisto

It's definitely not as big in Chicago as I'd like, but a decent chunk of our Marvel players have expressed interest in it after the patch drops.

AndoTheCommando

I never had a scene, I haven't really touched the game as off late as I'm waiting for the patch to be released. Hopefully I can get a few more people to play when I finally get a region, and a few more when the game gets stuff like lobbies and a decent training mode.

AmishOpiate

Skullgirls has the best elements from every game that we love, but I think the problem is that it isn't bringing anything new to the table; it is simply compiling and polishing stuff that we have already seen before. One of the reasons that people aren't leaving established games for Skullgirls is that Skullgirls doesn't offer anything the established games don't, and players aren't going to devote time to making a lateral move. The limited character roster on launch doesn't help, but I don't think Skullgirls is going to gain much traction until it becomes something more than a better version of what we have already seen.

Age_of_Fools

AmishOpiate, post: 7085845, member: 11615 wrote:

Skullgirls has the best elements from every game that we love, but I think the problem is that it isn't bringing anything new to the table; it is simply compiling and polishing stuff that we have already seen before. One of the reasons that people aren't leaving established games for Skullgirls is that Skullgirls doesn't offer anything the established games don't, and players aren't going to devote time to making a lateral move. The limited character roster on launch doesn't help, but I don't think Skullgirls is going to gain much traction until it becomes something more than a better version of what we have already seen.

This seems ironic when the vast majority of modern popular fighting games are sequels of some kind of another. Skullgirls has original characters, several unique features such as the IPS, custom assists, team size options in an assist based game, unique art and animation style, in addition to the good points from other games as you've mentioned. It offers something that other fighters don't not only because of those unique aspects but because the games those good points come from had their own flaws, or limitations that Skullgirls deals with differently.

[offtopic] Take AE, how many original characters with different styles are in that game and how many of them are just the best from what we've already seen in previous game? Same with UMvC3, KOF, Smash, MK... [/offtopic]

I disagree that originality is what is holding back the scene from growing, or maybe I disagree that it's the lack of originality. I think it's far more likely that character loyalists from other fighting games are hesitant to pick up a game where they do not immediately identify with a character, or have no solid foundation of experience with previous versions of the character to use in a new system.

Scrub Saibot

Not gonna lie, this game should not have been released in its current state. The game should have had better online modes and more characters at launch (at least 16) and all of the changes present in this upcoming patch should have been in the game already.