fighting games and characters: unlock them or all available from the start?

[Shadowspire]

the title is the question.
would you rather your fighting games start off with all characters unlocked or would you prefer playing storymodes and arcade to unlock them all?

for me I prefer to unlock them,it's like a sign of progress and completion to me.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

It was rather frustrating sitting down at a friend's house to play Super Smash Bros. Melee but I couldn't play my favorite characters because he hadn't unlocked him. I'd very much prefer to have immediate access to the entire roster of characters from the get-go.

It used to be a form of bragging rights back in the day before online competitive matches took off to go to be able to say "I unlocked this character", but now in an era where everything is online and where players are actively herded towards certain characters and strategies because of the all pervasive "meta", restricting access to characters means that it just makes it harder for a new player to get into competitive since they may night have access to the best picks. It's especially easy for developers to restrict characters behind a simple "reach rank X" wall that may make it impossible for many players to reach, and the internet takes the mystery out of the old Melee way of unlocking characters through performing certain feats.

[Tech614]

It works okay for Smash, after all the "new challenger approaching" screen is iconic to the series. It pretty much sucks ass in any other modern fighter.

DBFZ only locks 1 fighter at the start of the game, and you have to suffer through the dreadful ass story mode for hours on end to unlock her. Fuck shit like that.

[Shadowspire]

bump
realize i wrote this late

[Okacz]

Unlocking works fine in most cases. Fighting games don't really have much progression in single player mode (aside of player getting better ofc), even with story mode it's always the same "beat that guy with your guy". Having character unlocks after completing milestones gives players a reason to reach them and try out a new guy. Worked wonders in SF4 in my opinion.

Sure, it sucks not being able to play the most popular characters from the get go, but that's a game trying to be too greedy. Again, SF4 locked mostly only niche characters, or those that were total newcomers to the series like. Purchasing, let's say, new Mortal Kombat and finding out that you need 20h of gameplay to use Scorpion or Raiden would be bad, but seeing that you can play as Kabal in the next one after unlocking him would be fine in my book. Unlocking ofc, not purchasing, screw that noise.

[StrawberryZebra]

I'd much rather just have them all unlocked from the start, particularly with established series where players have undoubtedly already picked out their main. Having to jump through hoops just to unlock the character you want, before you can even start playing the game properly, is just unacceptable.

I don't think that measured progression should be a part of Fighting Games. Players already have goals and plenty to strive for as part of their personal progression with the game - You don't need an internalised game system to reward that outside of a simple rating.

If developers absolutely feel that they must add some form of "progression" in game, I'd rather it be cosmetic. You unlock new colours, outfits, titles and so on rather than new characters. Sticking them as rewards for completing Arcade/Story modes or Combo challenges makes them appropriate rewards for the effort, and a nice incentive for players who otherwise would skip them entirely to check out the content.

[Appelgren]

the title is the question.
would you rather your fighting games start off with all characters unlocked or would you prefer playing storymodes and arcade to unlock them all?

for me I prefer to unlock them,it's like a sign of progress and completion to me.

Agree mostly. A base number of characters that you use to progress in the story and unlock a few new characters by defeating them or saving or whatever the story decides.

These characters should mainly be flavor characters with same power levels as the ones you already have.
That way you arent forced into farming better characters and can just ignore it if you want.

Im against getting characters for real money tho.

The only way new characters should be buyable is by earning in game currency and a shop.
People with money shouldnt have the upper hand against players without money.

I fail to see any other reasoning to this issue.

- - - Updated - - -

If developers absolutely feel that they must add some form of "progression" in game, I'd rather it be cosmetic. You unlock new colours, outfits, titles and so on rather than new characters. Sticking them as rewards for completing Arcade/Story modes or Combo challenges makes them appropriate rewards for the effort, and a nice incentive for players who otherwise would skip them entirely to check out the content.

This is my standing point too. Everyone can choose freely to get the flavor/cosmetic characters/items/skins but it wont affect their ability to perform in the best way possible.


And with that said im really looking forward to Jump Force since it involves characters from many of my favorite animes.
Im also looking forward to mk11. But maybe im derailing the thread now so lets forget that :P

[sam86]

i come from tekken 3 and sf alpha3 era... so guess my answer
i FUCKING hate current system

[avitush]

I'm fine with unlocking some characters through progression, but main characters should be available from the beginning. I shouldn't have to "unlock" Scorpion in a Mortal Kombat game or Chun-Li in a Street Fighter game, for example.

edit: and I don't mind DLC. Same thing applies though. Iconic, main characters should be playable right out of the box, not DLC. But I'm ok with it if a Mortal Kombat game wants to add some random horror movie character as DLC.

[Greyvax]

Main characters relevant to the platform's universe should be available. Unlocks should be restricted for bonus or gag characters (i.e. sonic in SSB)

[Rogalicus]

i come from tekken 3 and sf alpha3 era... so guess my answer
i FUCKING hate current system

Didn't Tekken 3 need 10 full clears of story mode, clears of that survival sidescroller and even volleyball bullshit to unlock every hero?

[Rendark]

Having to unlock characters is fucking lame. Having to unlock some cool secret skins is fine but all the characters should be there from the start.

[Nnyco]

All unlocked from start, except final boss as bonus from completing story.

[A Chozo]

I like to unlock the characters, but only if it's in a cool fashion like in Super Smash Bros.

[bbr]

All the base claracters unlocked.
Unlock special skins with achievements, progress, etc.
No DLC - obviously.

[sam86]

Didn't Tekken 3 need 10 full clears of story mode, clears of that survival sidescroller and even volleyball bullshit to unlock every hero?

yes, but zero payment
can u unlock all chars in tekken 7 without paying ?

[Bigbazz]

I think most should be available, but unlocking special or secret characters is fine. I got that Dragonball Fighterz in the steam sale over Christmas and that seems a good compromise, all the characters are available in arcade mode while they have to be unlocked in story mode. If I remember correctly the original Soul Calibur had unlockable characters, and that's the greatest 3d fighting game of all time, while Street Fighter 2 (greatest 2d fighting game) had all characters available.

I mean it depends on the game, how its done. In this modern age of gaming and monetization the intentions behind unlocking things aren't as pure as they were in the past.

[sam86]

Honestly, grinding bullshit is just as bad as paying.

I would pay $5 for color unlocks in SF5 looooong before I'd grind through level 100 Survival or whatever it was.

sf5 offer option to grind all chars, also the grind is extremely horrible, but at least it exist
and tekken 3 'grind' is still far better than sf5 grind, and both are better than pay or go f8ck urself tekken 7 module

[Mysterymask]

Actually Dragonball Had it good with unlockables

outside the Season Pass characters 3 could be unlocked through gameplay..or if you felt like it you can pay a little money and just unlock them anyway..same with street fighter...kinda a "pay so I don't have to grind"

Best system without a doubt is Street Fighter 5...you can play and grind your way to the buyable characters or you can pay some money and just unlock them...of which nowadays you can just get Arcade Edition on sale and unlock the first 3 seasons right there

[Lodreh]

Roster should be available from get go... outfits/ color variations can be unlocked... at no point should it be grindy or through a cash shop. Unlocking variants should be achievement style rewards... finish the game on normal... finish the game on hard... defeat final boss w/ perfect... clear hard mode without losing a round. No loot boxes... or cash shops.