Advanced Game Mechanics

From Pocket Rumble Wiki
Jump to: navigation, search

Advanced Game Mechanics[edit]

Movement[edit]

Dashes[edit]

Dashes can be inputted with not only straight left and right, but up-left and up-right, but not down-left or down-right. This means the following inputs are valid

Dpad right.png
Buttons none.png
Dpad up-right.png
Buttons none.png
Dpad up-right.png
Buttons none.png
Dpad up-right.png
Buttons none.png
Be careful when buffering forward or back jump, as they may come out as a dash if mashed.

This becomes a real issue when superstop is involved since the timer the game uses to check for dashes gets wonky, so if the player presses in a direction right before the time stop, then lets go of the control stick and presses up + the direction they moved in, the game buffers a dash. This can be avoided by pressing away before up-forward during the superstop.

Keiko's dash is unique in that it moves her cat Q, not her. Unlike all other dashes, she can use down-left and down-right to activate it, making it easier for her to make Q dash while blocking for instance.

Because Keiko's dash has fewer limitations than other characters in how it can be activated, if the player is on a keyboard or controller with multiple sticks, they can have Q dash in the opposite direction to the way Keiko is crouching. If Keiko is blocking with down back, holding down back and then pressing forward twice will not move Keiko, but make Q dash.

Offensive Mechanics[edit]

Air Normals[edit]

When landing during an air normal, the landing frames are equal to the amount of recovery (green) left in the move. For most air normals this is 7 frames. This state of landing can be canceled if the air normal hit or was blocked by the opponent. The landing state can be canceled by normals and specials with a few strange exceptions. Naomi's down-forward AB and down-back AB cannot cancel the state, nor can any move besides neutral AB that are buffered with A and B, even if the move that comes out doesn't require both buttons.

Special Moves[edit]

In order to differentiate special move inputs from crouching normals done while holing the diagonals, the game requires the player to hold A or B for a certain amount of frames. This also means that when trying to do crouching normals from a crouch, the normal comes out when the player releases the button when not using tap buttons.

When doing a special during hit-stop the holding time is 4(?) frames, otherwise it is 6 frames, with the move coming out the next frame

Things deviate when using specials moves with both the A and B buttons, as well as the AB button. Specials done with A and B include Naomi's down-forward AB and down-back AB moves as well as normal special moves when neutral AB is unavailable but not neutral AB itself. They seem to be the same charge times when done during hitstop or during other moves, such as a late cancel or buffering after a whiffed attack. However, they need 12 frames of charge when done from a neutral state. This charge time can be reduced by starting to execute a special with one button and then before the charge time is up, adding the second button. The fastest I (wa, the writer of this section) have been able to get the charge time down to is 7 frames, one frame slower than a normal special charge time.

Throws[edit]

Throws are executed the third frame of a standing B, but the opponnent must have been in throw range and throwable for the first 2 frames as well. Normal throws do not check vertical distance, only horizontal distance and eligability. This can cause situations like Subject 11's crawl startup being able to be thrown since they only become immune to throws after the startup even though they become low to the ground frame 1.

If a throw and attack would connect on the same frame, the attack wins

Command Throws[edit]

Unlike normal throws, command throws check vertical distance.

If a command throw and attack would connect on the same frame, the command throw wins.

Canceling[edit]

Canceling can happen during any point during the recovery of a move, although as noted in the specials section, the holding time required of specials canceled late is much longer.

Defensive Mechanics[edit]

Auto-Guard[edit]

When blocking multiple attack close together in a blockstring, the game doesn't require the player to hold block for them all. The game only checks the direction the player is holding when an attack comes that needs to be blocked either high or low when the player last blocked the other way. As long as they player isn't actively holding the opposite height of block, they do not need to worry about which direction they hold.

Even if they next attack in a blockstring needs to be blocked in the opposite direction it doesn't matter.

Up-back is a valid blcoking direction for blocking high

While the block system is lenient for direction, if any button is buffered when blocking an attack, the attack will connect. This is to prevent players buffering invulnerable reversals during block.

This does not count dashes, so characters like Hector and Parker can buffer invulnerable moves while blocking (although it does lose to lows)

Fuzzy Attack/Guard Break[edit]

After blocking an attack, whether it be high or low, the game keeps the blocking hurtbox for the type of block done until blocking again. This can lead to situations such as blocking the first hit of Tenchi's down-back B high (straight back) forcing the player to block the second hit (normally misses crouching opponents) even if they block low.

Chip[edit]

The flashing state induced by the opponent being vulnerable to chip damage lasts for 90 frames and does not stop for hitstop

Throw Techs[edit]

In order for a throw tech to occur, a player must throw during an opponent's throw startup (2 frames) or 5 frames after that

Both players become invulnerable and move back a set distance, becoming actionable on the same frame.

If one player is in the corner, they will just stay in place when teching, making both characters significantly closer than normal

Command throws can cause techs only if 2 command throws would hit the other player on the same frame. Since command throws have longer range than throws, the tech animations can occur farther apart from each other than normal techs.

Throw Invulnerability[edit]

Certain moves make the player invulnerable to throws, often frame 1:

Parker down-forward B: frame 1

Naomi down-back A: frame 1

Hector down-back A: frame 1

Subject 11 dash: frame 5

Quinn stand B: frame 8

Armor[edit]

Armor is only gotten through Subject 11's AB attack. It has 1 hit in that move, but can be given more hits in theory. The user takes no damage when they otherwise would have, and the game has a higher hitstop (value to be added)

The game treats armor like a normal connect, so the opponent can cancel off of hitting armor.

Parry[edit]

The only parry in the game is Parker's AB.

Parries parry all attacks and projectiles with different animations depending on the type of attack.

After Parrying, the player has no recovery and the opponent is stuck in whatever state they were in for 5 frames after. This means parker can always punish a close parry with a throw or stand A.

If the opponent is actionable during the parry, then they are still frozen, but if they do something during that time they become frozen in the first frame of the next action for up to 5 frames.

Input Buffer[edit]

While holding a button buffers it forever, releasing a button keeps is buffered for another 7 frames.

Input Buffer Priority[edit]

When buffering multiple things at once, the game has a predictable system of what will be executed first:

Dash > Jump > Tap A > A > Tab B > B

If buffering a Tap button with its corresponging non-tap version, the Tap input will cause the other input to be ignored.

Simultaneous Opposite Cardinal Directions[edit]

With many controllers such as keyboards and gamepads with a d-pad and stick, players have the ability to press both left and right at the same time. Up and down can also be pressed, but since that usually just results in a jump its less notable. Pocket Rumble will take left + right without any issues, although it does lead to some quirks.

In terms of character movement, left + right = neutral, the character will be in an idle stand, or if crouching will be in a neutral crouch. For most characters, left + right is not equivalent to neutral when checking for a dash input. Holding left and double tapping right will not cause a dash of any kind. The only exception is Keiko who can hold down + a direction and then double tap the other direction to get Q to dash in that direction, but only when crouching. However, the previous rules still apply so Keiko will go to neutral crouch when the opposite direction is pressed.

Holding left + right and pressing B will count as a forward throw if the opponent is throwable.

Some more modern controllers that let the player press left + right, such as 'stickless controllers' will automatically "clean" left + right inputs to no input. This causes the previously mentioned Keiko technique to make Q dash in the direction that was held instead of the one pressed. It also allows all characters to dash by holding a direction and double tapping the other direction, which will cause a dash in the held direction.

When playing on keyboard be aware that some don't allow more than two arrow keys to be pressed at one time, which prevents this from working, but using most other keys for movement will work fine.