Carraggi's Corner: Wrestling With Realism

[Cryolemon]

Instead, let us play out the pay-per-view shows a few weeks after they actually take place. And not just play them, I also want to experience the run-ins, match stipulations and whatever else is thrown at us. Even if this just goes through WrestleMania, let us play out the PPVs with the actual promo packages before the match and a highlight video of the real match afterward.

I really like that idea.

[ILLCHILL]

Re: Carraggi's Corner: Wrestling With Realism

Thanks for the good write up Chris.

Chris gets enough credit It was my write up!

It seems that a recurring sentiment of everyone posting is that, if the developers would just really follow through on making improvements and not stand pat year after year, the series would be closer to hitting its potential. And I've got to agree that in this particular case, it seems effort on THQ/Yukes's part along with some possible buzz-killing on WWE's part is holding the series back.

[SmashMan]

Re: Carraggi's Corner: Wrestling With Realism

I'm sure there's quite a bit of WWE-imposed limitations, but I would assume (that being the key word, obviously) those would be on how their characters are represented; not on gameplay enhancements.

I don't know...I buy the games because I'm a lifelong wrestling fan and I do have fun with the games for some period of time; but each version just seems so "closed off", for lack of a better term. Where other games have varying levels of developer interaction, DLC, patches, and user-created content, the Smackdown series seems ten steps behind on all those aspects. Even the menu screens are clunky and outdated.

This game still feels like a PS2 game instead of a next-gen game, and I really wish they'd realize that. I don't expect wholesale changes from one version to the next, but gradual change would be very welcome by just about everybody.

I could type way, way, way too much about wrestling games, but I'll stop now.

[goh]

Re: Carraggi's Corner: Wrestling With Realism

I'm sure there's quite a bit of WWE-imposed limitations, but I would assume (that being the key word, obviously) those would be on how their characters are represented; not on gameplay enhancements.

You'd think not but because some kid broke his neck or killed his brother or something like that immitating in game Jeff Hardy we're not allowed to jump off things anymore. Not like it's the parents or kids fault. Totally on the game.

[Rebel10]

"Faker than Pam Anderson."

Do people even know who she is anymore?

[stlstudios189]

Weight detection and better career mode is all I need. DLC to update the roster would be helpful, I mean look at this years game no Shamus and he is now a 2x champ.

[SmashMan]

Re: Carraggi's Corner: Wrestling With Realism

Weight detection is tough because they obviously can't do it right with the system they had before. I guess, within their system (the one based entirely on weight classes), they could just "flag" certain guys (Cena...others?) as able to lift the really big guys.

I really think they should rehaul the ratings similar to how sports games do it. Give us a strength rating and base the weight detection on that. Maybe have it so they can update the ratings once a month (or whatever) to better reflect TV. Say we had ratings like that in place now, they could bump up Jack Swagger's submission rating because of his newfound use of the ankle lock, for example.

[Eman5805]

To this day one of the best wrestling games I've ever played was No Mercy on the N64 and just about every other game using that AKI engine.

Including the Def Jam fighting games.

[Pappy Knuckles]

How are these games online?

[Majingir]

Matches need to be improved and give it a more wrestling type of feel. Wrestling games are still like the button mashing type of things with the exception of strong grapples. They should make it more like nba,nhl where it takes skill to preform moves and stuff and not just button mashing and/or luck.

There needs to be more things outside of actual fighting to do in the game. Not just default RTWM or even create a story, we need more than that. Like No Mercy and HCTP games were great.

Why not have a "be a wrestler" mode type of thing also. Live the life of a wrestler by doing things like traveling around the world, competing on shows, making good promos to get fan support and everything like that.

[7stringking]

A career mode for created players would be great if, and only if, you started out wrestling other newcomers on NXT. The way they do it now with the CAW's RTWM mode just puts you automatically in the ring with established superstars and it isn't that great.

My biggest gameplay issue is that every AI character wrestles the exact same way (95% strikes to build to finisher, end match), which absolutely kills the replayability. I made a post not too long ago about having wrestler tendencies to drive the Ai characters, but I have no confidence that anything like that would make it into the Smackdown series.

Their presentation of the moves is really confusing. I actually like the idea of having actual wrestlers do the mo-cap (though it does lead to stale animations being reused year after year) but then they couple that with the overexaggerated animations like Kofi Kingston jumping 20 feet in the air and it totally throws off the feel because I don't know what they're going for. Between the two, I'd personally prefer straight mo-cap without exaggerations.

DLC is tricky, especially for a game that with (and this will sound harsh to those that work on it) so few overall improvements, is entirely too dependent on new wrestlers and arenas. As you said, they can't add new guys because it cuts into next year. I do like the PPV idea, but I wouldn't pay for it as I could just go into Exhibition and set up the matches myself. I would like to see them update the "My WWE" section with appropriate heel/face, brand, and champions so I don't have to do that.

In general, I could sum up my problems with the game being that there seems to be a feeling that THQ/Yukes think a lot of aspects of the game are just good enough, when they could be expanded on over time.

The game Smackdown vs Raw is based on(Token Redsuden) had a MASSIVE programmibilty section for created characters(i think it was Token 4)...The whole section was in Japanese and i translated about half of it.It worked pretty well, and this was 1999 or something!So that could easily be done to make the CPU fight in a more varied fashion.ANother thing is to have something like 2k's VIP profile recording,that is pretty great, and on NBA2k10 the CPU will play A LOT like you(or whoever's profile it is you are playing agaginst....profiles can be downloaded off the interenet to play against), and since the profile is evolving, it would change a little over time.You could even create wrestler specific profiles ...So for instance I could 'program' Triple H or Undertaker to fight the way I think they should whenever I use certain profiles to control wrestlers with....I think that is the solution for some gameplay woes.

[goh]

Re: Carraggi's Corner: Wrestling With Realism

How are these games online?

Not very good from what I've heard. People always find an exploitable move or some way to give their CAWs max points and abuse it. Also if you put any logo on your CAW you're not allowed to use them online which really makes the bluring of said logos even more ridiculous than it already is.

[PantherBeast_OS]

Re: Carraggi's Corner: Wrestling With Realism

How are these games online?

Since SD vs Raw series came to the next gen console. Online has really become bad. SD vs RAw 06 was the last time online was real good.But according to Bryan Willaims and Cory. They have done alot of work on the online aspect of the game to improve it. So I'm hoping this year Svr game online changes to make it more fun online.

[Teebone21]

time for THQ to get back to its roots. todays wrestling games suck in realism department the old N64 games like WWF no mercy and WWFwrestlemania 2000 were the realist they ever made
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYM7UQWU6FA

[areobee401]

Re: Carraggi's Corner: Wrestling With Realism

So very simple to make a WWE game with realism. Make it a wrestling game and not a fighting game.