I Love Everything About UFC 4....Except

[12_Adriyel_12]

THE GRAPPLING!

My god I can't stand the ground game. Nothing about it feels good.

1. It's stiff, you can't slowly make your way to the cage to wall walk to your feet, unless you're already positioned near the cage.

2. There's hardly any options to keep the ground game exciting. You literally just sit and camp for denials because it's too easy to block any and all transitions.

3. You can't catch strikes into submissions.

4. The on-screen loading meters make you take your eyes off the action.

5. You can't close and lock your guard, your only way to hold someone is to block transitions. No Butterfly Guard.

6. Once you get denied, goodnight to your stamina and any chance of getting back up against someone with a PS4 Pro or Xbox One X that can block transitions easier due to having a newer game system (unfair advantage).

7. I should be able to kick and buck someone off of me if they're wailing away with Ground n Pound. Because in real life, if you're throwing wild strikes, you're gonna lose your base, making it easier to get bucked off. But that's not the case on here, because when your opponent is postured up, you can't transition manually until you've blocked a set number of ground strikes. Zero Logic Behind That Decision.

8. Give us back the SWOOP transitions. The Minor and Major Transitions that EA MMA and UFC 1 had (UFC Undisputed series were correct in this idea). It makes more sense that holding your stick left or right should make you hold down your opponent and/or hold someone in your guard. In real life you're not waiting around to deny transitions, you're striking and working for better positions constantly, not camping around for transition denials.

9. Transition Fakes are not jumping left and right trying to get your opponent to bite on it so you can transition. UFC Undisputed series actually made more "real scenario/video game" sense in the fact that you can hold your transition direction and "seem" as if you're going one direction, then actually swoop the stick and go back another direction.

I know it's a long read, but I honestly do love this game but I can't stand the staleness of the ground grappling.

Hopefully this changes in UFC 5.

[ragreynolds]

Swoop transitions are in the game btw. You just aren't required to use them. Using a swoop motion prevents your opponent from being able to reverse your transition, meaning they can only deny, but not sweep you.

The grappling is certainly tedious, especially if you're on the bottom. There are times when offensive grappling can be fun for a bit, but as the defender, I'd go as far as to say that grappling is quite honestly unfun. Striking never has this same issue, as even when losing the striking battle, there are still many options for you to choose from. But when grappling, you are limited to a couple of directional transitions/subs. If your opponent denies a couple, you're in for a long round. There's nothing fun about it, and it often feels cheap and unfair to be on the receiving end of (this isn't the offensive players fault, they're just trying to win).

I was saying this about grappling in UFC 3 too, but for some reason, I'm feeling even more strongly about this in UFC 4, and I think it's down to the new ground and pound system. It's just so easy to posture up now, and because the system feels so unresponsive, especially as the defensive player, it's just so much more frustrating and unfun to be on the bottom in UFC 4 compared to UFC 3 (not that UFC 3 was great fun from the bottom, because it wasn't).

We really need a better grappling system. Maybe in UFC 5 it'll be better. The new clinch system is promising, and maybe there's a possibility that they can do something similar to the grappling where both players are free to move around or something. Ignoring the new grapple assist controls, the left stick is not used on the ground at all. I'd like to see the left stick be utilised, perhaps allowing us to move around using the stick, regardless of whether we are on top or bottom. The rest of the controls could remain the same. Only issue here might be that it makes the entire thing more complex, but I'm sure there are work-arounds for that.

Anyway, I agree that there needs to be a change.

[12_Adriyel_12]

The Grappling needs to be completely redone, IMO.

It doesn't make sense logically, realistically and for a video game trying to represent MMA.

For Example (I have to keep bringing up UFC Undisputed 3)

In real life, if I want to hold someone in my guard, I simply lock my guard crossing my legs and depending on how strong my legs are, and how tired my legs are should depend on how long I can hold my opponent in my guard.

In UFC Undisputed 3 it was easier to break someone's guard if they're tired, which made sense.

In UFC 4, you can't manually lock down your guard, because you're only allowed to play a guessing game of "guess which way I'm gonna transition fake" and hopefully you can deny it in time. That logic makes zero sense in a videogame aspect of trying to represent MMA.

Now as the player on top, for example in real life from Side Control, to hold someone down, you literally have to GRASP and HOLD them down. UFC Undisputed 3 had this aspect correct in that you have to HOLD THE STICK and GRASP and HOLD the opponent down. It makes SENSE.

So if I'm holding you down by holding the right stick left or right, it should be easier to break the hold based on how tired or damaged the fighters arms are.

But no, on UFC 4, you only have to block a few "easy to tell" transitions and then you can keep the opponent down forever. It makes zero sense. That's why players who have a PS4 Pro or Xbox One X have an easier time blocking transitions and can hold you down forever because they can see the transition animation quicker and deny you all day until you're gassed. (It's an unfair advantage to those who only have the base version of the PS4 and Xbox)

I no longer online because I will always lose to those players who know which animation is coming and deny it easily because the ground game on UFC 4 is checkers and not chess.

Don't even let me get started on the "Transition Fakes".

Who has EVER seen an MMA fighter spaz out left and right to fake a transition??? I'll wait. Lol even the COMPUTER uses the spaz out left and right to fake a transition. SMH

PLEASE EA SPORTS, REVAMP THE GRAPPLING, MAKE IT MAKE SENSE!

I love UFC 4 and everything it has, but I can't stand the ground game. I KNOW how to use the ground game, but it's just so boring, stiff and stale once it hits the ground.

[Abstrakt fists]

I agree with pretty much everything being said here. It isn’t that it is too hard or overpowered it is just boring and not fun to play. It lacks the chess match feel of THQ and EA MMA, where you had to outsmart your opponent on the ground.

The hand fakes in the THQ game were a way better fake. It was a mini game in itself of getting them to bite on the deny and give up a free transition.

EA MMA nailed the rock/paper/scissors you had to strike, block, transition or deny at every second. If someone just laid there not moving it was an easy finish for the other person. Half the time on the current game my opponent just lays there camping the deny. It lacks the tools to keep active and force mistakes on your opponent.

[tomitomitomi]

Quote: Originally Posted by 12_Adriyel_12

The Grappling needs to be completely redone, IMO. It doesn't make sense logically, realistically and for a video game trying to represent MMA. For Example (I have to keep bringing up UFC Undisputed 3) In real life, if I want to hold someone in my guard, I simply lock my guard crossing my legs and depending on how strong my legs are, and how tired my legs are should depend on how long I can hold my opponent in my guard. In UFC Undisputed 3 it was easier to break someone's guard if they're tired, which made sense. In UFC 4, you can't manually lock down your guard, because you're only allowed to play a guessing game of "guess which way I'm gonna transition fake" and hopefully you can deny it in time. That logic makes zero sense in a videogame aspect of trying to represent MMA. Now as the player on top, for example in real life from Side Control, to hold someone down, you literally have to GRASP and HOLD them down. UFC Undisputed 3 had this aspect correct in that you have to HOLD THE STICK and GRASP and HOLD the opponent down. It makes SENSE. So if I'm holding you down by holding the right stick left or right, it should be easier to break the hold based on how tired or damaged the fighters arms are. But no, on UFC 4, you only have to block a few "easy to tell" transitions and then you can keep the opponent down forever. It makes zero sense. That's why players who have a PS4 Pro or Xbox One X have an easier time blocking transitions and can hold you down forever because they can see the transition animation quicker and deny you all day until you're gassed. (It's an unfair advantage to those who only have the base version of the PS4 and Xbox) I no longer online because I will always lose to those players who know which animation is coming and deny it easily because the ground game on UFC 4 is checkers and not chess. Don't even let me get started on the "Transition Fakes". Who has EVER seen an MMA fighter spaz out left and right to fake a transition??? I'll wait. Lol even the COMPUTER uses the spaz out left and right to fake a transition. SMH PLEASE EA SPORTS, REVAMP THE GRAPPLING, MAKE IT MAKE SENSE! I love UFC 4 and everything it has, but I can't stand the ground game. I KNOW how to use the ground game, but it's just so boring, stiff and stale once it hits the ground.

Yeahhh you haven't actually tried to keep anyone in your guard.

[12_Adriyel_12]

Quote: Originally Posted by tomitomitomi

Yeahhh you haven't actually tried to keep anyone in your guard.

I GUARANTEE you wouldn't break from my guard if I locked my legs. I would sweep you easily. Lol

Come to Wanderlei Silva's gym, Wand Fight Team MMA in Las Vegas, since I've "never tried keeping someone in my guard". Lol

[tomitomitomi]

Quote: Originally Posted by 12_Adriyel_12

I GUARANTEE you wouldn't break from my guard if I locked my legs. I would sweep you easily. Lol Come to Wanderlei Silva's gym, Wand Fight Team MMA in Las Vegas, since I've "never tried keeping someone in my guard". Lol

Not gonna lie, squeeze-your-legs-defense sounds like something Wanderlei would teach. It's a bit more complicated than that.

[12_Adriyel_12]

Quote: Originally Posted by tomitomitomi

Not gonna lie, squeeze-your-legs-defense sounds like something Wanderlei would teach. It's a bit more complicated than that.

Holding someone in guard is as simple as "how long can I lock my guard?".

There's nothing complicated about holding someone in your guard.

I don't need to mention wrist control or anything else involved because wrist control can't be recreated in a video game.

My coach was a HW Muay Thai champ and a BJJ Black Belt, he can keep you in his guard simply because his legs are strong as an Ox. Nothing complicated about it. The only complicated part is escaping the guard with the right steps.

Holding someone in guard with a Gi on, yeah maybe THAT is complicated, but No-Gi isn't.