Spam in Fighting Games

[RaffB]

Recently been playing a lot of Soul Calibur 4 , Street Fighter and MVC3 online and the way that some people play just eludes me.

I can understand those who learn every little nuance of a character, all their moves and perfect timing. Hell, thats what I always aim for.
I can understand those that try to learn as many characters as possible. Again, I do the same otherwise I get bored stiff.

But I just can't see the fun in those that quit just before they lose, and those that learn about 3 moves, then spam the hell out of them.

Sure you may win, but doesn't that get boring really quickly?

 

[Mid-Boss]

Hey it's not just fighting games. I use to play Supreme Commander online and people would just push to build and spam nuke missiles. Half the time it was their only strategy and if you started to win they would rage quit immediately.

 

[Ordinaryundone]

Doesn't matter if it gets boring. Most people play because they want to win. If spamming is an effective strategy with the character, then you gotta do what you gotta do.

That said, spamming usually isn't an effective strategy, just an easy one. Think of spammers like a skill gate: something to overcome to gauge if you are getting better at the game.

 

[StriderShinryu]

That said, spamming usually isn't an effective strategy, just an easy one. Think of spammers like a skill gate: something to overcome to gauge if you are getting better at the game.

Bingo.

I actually agree with the OP's viewpoint of not really understanding what the point to playing a fighter is if you're just going to mash buttons or repeat two moves infinitely. There are pseudo fighting games or combat heavy action games developed with this sort of play in mind and the masher/spammer would likely be having more fun playing them instead.

The above quote is absolutely true though. Spamming something like a fireball or an abusable power move is an easy way to play and probably rack up a few wins, but beating someone who does that sort of thing should be one of the first lessons learned by something actually wanting to really play a fighter. No one who knows what they are doing at any decently designed fighter will ever lose to someone who spams a few moves.

All that said, if I can beat you by doing nothing but fireballing you to death with one hand while reading a book I'm holding in the other, then I just might fireball spam you. It doesn't do either of us any good if I break out the full bag of tricks except to get us both to the rematch screen faster.

 

[hawkeye52]

depends on which fighting game you play. For example you can't get away with that on MK since there are various moves which counter said spamming and the only way to stop them is to block them. But if you block to much then each char has the ability to cast a long range unblockable move that homes unless you shift out of the way.

It all has a counter system and if you try spamming say one move you will generally be beaten rather easily as I found out when I first played mortal combat against someone who knew what they were doing.

At the extreme opposite end on tekken. Take eddie Gordo and repeatedly mash any button and win as he uses loads of kicks all targeting different areas of the body to block that are all really quick and hence hard to counter

 

[Ordinaryundone]

Also, one more thing. Don't confuse spamming with zoning. A lot of new players watch pros sit back and throw fireballs and anti-air moves out a lot and accuse them of spamming, completely ignoring what they are actually doing with the strategy. Its unfortunate, and happens a lot, mostly because zoning isn't as visually exciting as rushdown is and doesn't result in big combos (unless you are Mu 12 in Blazblue), so people just assume its an inferior style of play, or somehow cheap.

 

[StriderShinryu]

At the extreme opposite end on tekken. Take eddie Gordo and repeatedly mash any button and win as he uses loads of kicks all targeting different areas of the body to block that are all really quick and hence hard to counter

Seeing as how pretty much all of Eddy's moves have considerable start up and rather obvious animations once you've seen them a few times, the situation remains the same. If you continually lose to someone mashing with Eddy, just as is the case with someone continually spamming fireballs, the problem is with you and not the spammer.

 

[TheTim]

Sadly, Spamming is very prominent in Mortal Kombat is very prominent and ridiculous. From people using Johnny Cage and mashing the a button and winning, to people using liu kang or kabal and spamming the low and air projectiles.

and it just irritates me to no end when i can spend hours on a difficult character like Sonya or Mileena only to be beaten by someone who spams the same shit.

 

[BLAHwhatever]

Haha! This reminds me of gaming sessions in my youth. spampwning each other with cookie cutter moves, raging at each other for it and banning certain moves randomly to piss each other off.
Most of the time there was a RL Wrestling Aftermatch
GOOD GOD I WANNA BE A KID AGAIN!!!!!
..except ... not really

 

[Racecarlock]

It's not just people who spam. Ever play against an AI controlled ryu? Half the match is this "HADOUKEN! HADOUKEN! HADOUKEN! HADOUKEN! HADOUKEN! HADOUKEN! HADOUKEN! HADOUKEN! HADOUKEN! HADOUKEN! HADOUKEN! HADOUKEN! HADOUKEN! HADOUKEN!"

 

[Capt. Crankypants]

I could NOT stand playing SC4 on Xbox Live. Locally, I am almost unstoppable, and have mastered several characters. However, I dunno whether it's just in Australia or what, but online, the button-to-action lag was, not embellishing, about 1.25 seconds. There is NO way to play (with skill) a game entirely based on timing and deciet with that sort of delay.

EDIT: huh, got a lil off topic there. Anyway, in SC4, spamming was no obstacle. Unless you took the time to block and recover after being hit, if you continually tried to attack, you will get demolished, as your opponent, who actually blocks, has the initiative, and if you keep trying to swing, you'll keep getting smashed with counter-hit damage.

Other fighting games, I dunno. I have much less experience with them.

 

[Mr. In-between]

Old versions of Street Fighter 2 had the AI programmed to spam projectile attacks. It was annoying, but there were pretty easy ways around it.

 

[RaffB]

It's not just people who spam. Ever play against an AI controlled ryu? Half the match is this "HADOUKEN! HADOUKEN! HADOUKEN! HADOUKEN! HADOUKEN! HADOUKEN! HADOUKEN! HADOUKEN! HADOUKEN! HADOUKEN! HADOUKEN! HADOUKEN! HADOUKEN! HADOUKEN!"

Soul calibur 4 , The Apprentice (Starkiller for those who have played Force Unleashed)


The spammiest, most brutal AI fight ever. He makes you his ***** with his force combos..

 

[BeerTent]

Hey it's not just fighting games. I use to play Supreme Commander online and people would just push to build and spam nuke missiles. Half the time it was their only strategy and if you started to win they would rage quit immediately.

Or build an impenetrable fortress with 15 land factories and 50 Teir 3 defence turrets.

Nothing says "victory" like 500 tanks making their way across a 30km. landscape.

 

[Ordinaryundone]

Sadly, Spamming is very prominent in Mortal Kombat is very prominent and ridiculous. From people using Johnny Cage and mashing the a button and winning, to people using liu kang or kabal and spamming the low and air projectiles.

and it just irritates me to no end when i can spend hours on a difficult character like Sonya or Mileena only to be beaten by someone who spams the same shit.

You've got a teleport as Mileena, use it. It completely wrecks inexperienced zoners. If you are up against a rushdown Cage, use your Sais, mix up ground and air ones. Doing one just a foot or two off the ground is very effective, if you can do it quickly you can shut him down by making jumping very difficult to gauge.

What you have done is the classic scrub mentality of labeling a tactic you can't handle as "broken" or "unfair". Liu Kang or Kabal using projectiles isn't spamming; they were given low and high projectiles for a reason. Thats like saying Sub-Zero is cheap when he uses his Ice Clone. I don't even know what you mean as far as Cage is concerned, I guess people doing combos with the 3 button? Remember to block, it shuts everything Cage can do down pretty fast, at least until he gets X-Ray.

Really, people don't give MK9 enough credit. Its a pretty damn balanced game, with the exception of a few little things like Kung Lao's hat spin have such ridiculous priority and start up. Every character is very beatable, if you just take the time to learn what to do.

 

[TheTim]

Sadly, Spamming is very prominent in Mortal Kombat is very prominent and ridiculous. From people using Johnny Cage and mashing the a button and winning, to people using liu kang or kabal and spamming the low and air projectiles.

and it just irritates me to no end when i can spend hours on a difficult character like Sonya or Mileena only to be beaten by someone who spams the same shit.

You've got a teleport as Mileena, use it. It completely wrecks inexperienced zoners. If you are up against a rushdown Cage, use your Sais, mix up ground and air ones. Doing one just a foot or two off the ground is very effective, if you can do it quickly you can shut him down by making jumping very difficult to gauge.

What you have done is the classic scrub mentality of labeling a tactic you can't handle as "broken" or "unfair". Liu Kang or Kabal using projectiles isn't spamming; they were given low and high projectiles for a reason. Thats like saying Sub-Zero is cheap when he uses his Ice Clone. I don't even know what you mean as far as Cage is concerned, I guess people doing combos with the 3 button? Remember to block, it shuts everything Cage can do down pretty fast, at least until he gets X-Ray.

Really, people don't give MK9 enough credit. Its a pretty damn balanced game, with the exception of a few little things like Kung Lao's hat spin have such ridiculous priority and start up. Every character is very beatable, if you just take the time to learn what to do.

80% of the time i handle Cage's rushdown and even moreso with Liu Kang zone. but theres those times when you get the experienced and smart player who predicts my mixups perfectly then traps me with cages kicks, i guess its not so much the projectiles that get me because i just use smokes shake to get them to stop. Its just ridiculous some of the skill gaps required for each character. Its the most balanced fighting game imo, but theres still issues with it.