Fix the clinch and improve the wrestling to round-out the game

[iceberg3445]

The clinch acts as the bridge between striking and grappling, but this bridge is currently broken because it’s based on old gameplay mechanics that don’t work well with the new striking of EA UFC 3. Fix the clinch, fix the game.

Imagine this gameplay sequence:

You’re throwing strikes to set up a takedown. You shoot, the takedown is defended, and you end up in over under clinch. Using momentum from the shot, you start to push your opponent backwards in an attempt to control them against the cage. Your opponent regains their balance causing you to lose this forward momentum, so you are now expending energy to push your opponent backwards in the clinch; all the while continuously moving, striking, and transitioning for a dominant striking/grappling position.

While pushing your opponent backward you win the transition battle from over-under into single collar. From there you throw a quick barrage of nasty uppercuts that hurt and stun your opponent allowing you to quickly get them into the Muay Thai clinch, where you throw a hard knee to the head that subsequently rocks them and breaks the clinch.

Your opponent backs up to the cage with their guard up. You throw a straight punch and shoot for a takedown, getting into the takedown against the cage position. Your opponent transitions into over under against the cage. You shoot a double and get your opponent in full guard against the cage.

They try to stand up against the cage, but you deny and pull them down into full guard with their head against the cage. From there you posture up into staked guard, and throw ruthless and damaging GnP for the TKO stoppage.

———————-

This is something seen often in real life MMA, and many of these things can be done in the current game. However, the central component missing in this sequence is a realistic/dynamic clinch.

The clinch entry animation is pretty terrible and unrealistic and takedowns rarely result in the clinch. Once in the clinch, there is little danger because strikes are nerfed (except in MT), mobility is clunky, and there is no fluidity (only can do one thing at a time).

Overall, fighting in the clinch in EA UFC 3 isn’t realistic, dynamic, or enjoyable. As a result, players crowd each other and throw hooks/uppercuts with little fear of getting grabbed. Fighters that want to go to the ground spam takedowns, or spam the clinch and use it unrealistically.

Once/if they fix the clinch, we’ll be playing an entirely different and improved MMA game. It’s the much-needed bridge between striking and grappling, and it will provide players with a dangerous tool to counter inside fighting.


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[mannyonelover]

I really never liked the clinch, I absolutely hate the clinch transition system, STRIKES SHOULD NOT INTERRUPT TRANSITIONS!!! only slow them down , and fighters should always be able to move even during strikes..


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[iceberg3445]

Quote: Originally Posted by mannyonelover

I really never liked the clinch, I absolutely hate the clinch transition system, STRIKES SHOULD NOT INTERRUPT TRANSITIONS!!! only slow them down , and fighters should always be able to move even during strikes.. Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

I hear you man. The clinch isn’t fun, and even when you do get it, your opponent has just as good a chance to score a takedown or get you in the MT clinch as you do them. There’s very little advantage.

Not having a realistic/enjoyable clinch in this game makes it feel like a kickboxing game with takedowns and submissions.

It’s very unbalanced, yet people seem to fixate on the striking or ground games only, not the clinch - or lack thereof.

[mannyonelover]

Quote: Originally Posted by iceberg3445

I hear you man. The clinch isn’t fun, and even when you do get it, your opponent has just as good a chance to score a takedown or get you in the MT clinch as you do them. There’s very little advantage. Not having a realistic/enjoyable clinch in this game makes it feel like a kickboxing game with takedowns and submissions. It’s very unbalanced, yet people seem to fixate on the striking or ground games only, not the clinch - or lack thereof.

That’s my point exactly the striking has definitely improved greatly however other aspects of the game are flawed and I think clinch game should not have strike interrupting transitions just slow them down so it would create more scrambles and not keep you locked into that position...


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[iceberg3445]

Quote: Originally Posted by mannyonelover

That’s my point exactly the striking has definitely improved greatly however other aspects of the game are flawed and I think clinch game should not have strike interrupting transitions just slow them down so it would create more scrambles and not keep you locked into that position... Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

Agreed about strikes interrupting transitions, but I think mobility in the clinch is the most important aspect currently missing.

We should be able to transition, strike, takedown, etc in the clinch WHILE moving. Everything would be fluid, and strikes wouldn’t interrupt transitions/movement. The current start-stop clinch movement is just strange.


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[Dleezy51]

They also need to re-tool ground strike animations look and feel weird. Also some realistic tension when grappling it just looks like a dude is laying under you. I know it gets old but the method of quarter turn transitions and the smothering control ud3 had were amazing. Right now this is a sweet kickboxing game with clunky clinch and grappling. Im not tryin to trash ea but if u take ud3s identical grappling system with this striking system o mylanta u have greatness.

[iceberg3445]

Quote: Originally Posted by Dleezy51

They also need to re-tool ground strike animations look and feel weird. Also some realistic tension when grappling it just looks like a dude is laying under you. I know it gets old but the method of quarter turn transitions and the smothering control ud3 had were amazing. Right now this is a sweet kickboxing game with clunky clinch and grappling. Im not tryin to trash ea but if u take ud3s identical grappling system with this striking system o mylanta u have greatness.

Right?! This game is so close to greatness. Just need to develop the clinch and takedown mechanics and tweak gameplay on the ground.

That said, there are definitely some lame ground animations. Posturing up in full and half guard looks fake, and rarely looks like that in real life. Some transitions look bad as well, like the backside mount to full guard transition, which just looks odd...

Striking while grappling should be more hands on and enjoyable, not quite sure how, but maybe incorporating some sort of wrist control mechanic, having players hold both shoulder buttons to control right/left wrist; preventing the opponent from striking/posturing up, but burning stamina and losing grapple advantage in the process. Just spitballing

Unpostured “baby punches” from all positions should be more dynamic and dangerous (I.e. hooks, straights, elbows, hammer fists from full/half guard unpostured). After landing a few strikes, players should automatically posted up (I think UD3 did this). The wrist control element would prevent spamming baby punches, and stamina tax/GA depletion would prevent people spamming wrist control.

But more importantly, and the theme of this thread, the clinch needs fixed to be more dangerous, dynamic, and fluid. Strikes in single collar should be more dangerous, takedowns attempts should result in the clinch more often, players should be able to move/strike/transition in the clinch simultaneously, and we need a new and more realistic clinch entry animation.


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