We Finally Have Purple!!!

With the VF5US release 1.10 we finally get the purple flashes a.k.a sparks a.k.a mist a.k.a sweat.

Now we have

• Yellow
• White
• Blue
• Purple

With the addition of these colorful hit indicators to the Virtua Fighter franchise not only are we now more like Tekken and SF and the other Arcade Fighters the VF Jedi Frame Master will be able to step their games up. The noobs and casuals will be able to step their games up. The colors will make us all better players. That is of course if we learn how to use the colors

Interesting observation: For the last several weeks, I've been studying VF replays (over 100 so far) of high level players playing each other and intermediates playing each other in the context of Youtube Videos , Twitch TV, for VF5R, VF5FS, and VF5US as well as the new VF5US in game stream.

I'm gathering data in terms of match length, combo drops, missed combo opportunities, rival win/loss ratios, play styles etc. Problem: So far I'm unable to see any real improvement in anyone's game play as a result of the new Yellow, White, Blue, and now Purple indicators.

I know the colors flashes (if used correctly) will make the player better at the game, and able to make better reads, and identify combo opportunities better etc. But so far, I'm not seeing any tangible improvement. At least not in any way that I've been able to objectively measure

Maybe, its not the kind of thing that can be measured objectively in terms of match length, win ratios, combo length, whiff's, etc. Could it be the pretty colors just give the players a better play experience and more confidence? and maybe there is no tangible way to measure how effective the new color indicators are on game play. Or maybe the high level VF Jedi Frame Masters are so good already that the new colors don't really add that much actionable knowledge to their game play.

I'm just sayin, when I look at hundreds of matches (VF5R,VF5FS,VF5) before the colors were introduced into Virtua Fighter, and hundreds of matches in VF5US now that we have colors, I don't see any real improvement in high level game play (at least no improvement that can be attributed to the new colorful hit flashes) And many of the matches I've studied are by the same players vs some of the same opponents they've played over the years

So the VF Jedi Frame Masters are claiming that the colors will help you play the game at a higher level, or be able to make more and better situational and contextual reads, but so far at least in my limited analysis I'm not seeing any evidence of that. Not from the high level players, not at the intermediate level. I don't know if it can even be approached at the noob level But of course I'm not using hard scientific statistical analysis, only arm chair replay eye-balling. Upon closer analysis players seem to be making the same (attack, defend, evade ) read choices now that we have colors that they made before we had colors

In either case the Purple is here!!!!! And even if the colors don't really improve game play, or transform intermediate players into high level players, or transform high level players from Jedi Frame Masters to Frame Sith Lords, at least we can all take comfort in the fact that now Virtua Fighter no longer has a unique presentation. It now fits in better with Tekken, and SF. As the VF Community we no longer have to feel like odd balls Now we have hit sparks like all of the other Arcade fighting games. VF has arrived. Its Legit We have Blue, Purple, Yellow,, and White Hit Sparks, a.k.a Hit Flashes a.k.a Hit Mist, a.k.a Hit Sweat? Now all we need is to begin to lay the foundation for meters, and comeback mechanics. And soon, VF will be just like all the other arcade fighting game. Now instead of Virtua Fighter being one of the few, its become one of the many.

For FG e-sports the goal is to allow players to jump from one Fighting Game to the next with a minimum amount of matchup studying, frame analysis, etfforts, etc. E-sports needs to be get players to be competitive without having to learn large move lists, or massive character rosters, and to be able to pick up the game and immediately compete So with streamlined move lists, simplified rosters, more on screen indicators, meters, and colors the easier it is to become competitive with any and all fighting games. For e-sports to work and maximize profit we need FG s to be more generic and standardized. Once you learn one, you've learned them all. Our new on-screen-in-game-hit-color-tutorials have laid the foundation for VF to enter the world of e-sports

 

I read your entire post, and I can also see and agree, with the criticisms in it as well.

For real?
A bunch of them, might decide to go and play tekken again for the hype, then dump tekken, and then play COD for a few hours.

Concerning the purple hit sparks, that sounds like a pretty colour for hit sparks. Everyone needs some nice grape soda in their life.

 

Yea noobs and casuals play the game to have fun, not as job, not as a professional e-sports gamer, not as a hardcore competitive player, but to have fun. This means

• Lots of Fun Customizations
• Lots of Fun Offline Content
• Lots of Fun Single Player modes

The notion that somehow adding Yellow, Blue, Red, and Purple sparks are somehow gonna grow the player base, Good luck with dat

Yes e-sports is a thing. Its real, But the majority of people that play FGs are not into the competitive e-sports aspect.