This guide section, and it's subpages, describe the Game Systems in Skullgirls. Knowing the details may give new Skullgirls players an understanding of how to improve their gameplay. Players with experience from other fighting games may want to understand the similarities and differences between Skullgirls and the fundamental gameplay in other fighters.
- Glossary: An index of move properties and a general fighting game vocabulary reference.
Fundamental Systems
- Frame Rate, Timing, and Animation: Frames, Frame Skip, Start Up, Active, and Recovery Frames, Block Stun, Hit Stun
- Character States: Fill in the list of subjects
- Hit Boxes: Attack Boxes, Hurt Boxes, Physical Extent
- Commands and Inputs: Fill in the list of subjects
Character Ability Systems
- Movement: Walking, Dash and Run, Jumping, Air Dashes
- Basic Attacks: Normal Moves, Command Normals, Normal Throws, Special Moves
- Basic Defense: Blocking, Pushblock, Ground Recovery, Throw Tech
- Advanced Attacks: Ensembles, Tag Outs, Outtakes, Blockbusters, Stunt Doubles, Blockbuster Sequels
- Combo Mechanics: Notation, Chains, Cancels, Links, OTGs, Landers, Character Size and Weight
Unblockable Protection
Defending characters get a brief period of unblockable protection after successfully blocking any attack that forces a specific block direction. This protection lasts for the duration of the attack's hit stop, lasting between 4 and 12f for most attacks. During this brief period all attacks requiring a change of block direction will get blocked automatically. The fearsome high/low and left/right unblockable setups, common to many 2D fighters, will not guarantee a successful hit as long as the defending player can block the first hit. At worst, these tactics will require the defending player to make a 50/50 guess.
The Infinite Prevention System
Hitting an opponent with an infinite combo allows the defending player to break out of the combo with a unique Infinite Escape attack. An infinite combo uses a repeated sequence of the same attacks and can deal 100% damage to the defending character. When the Infinite Prevention System (IPS) detects an infinite combo, hit sound effects and impact effects change and any attack input by the defending player will execute the Infinite Escape.
All characters have identical properties for their Infinite Escape: 10f of invincible start up, 23f active frames, and 28f of recovery. The Infinite Escape can start the frame after an IPS triggering attack lands. The defending character is invincible during the the entire Infinite Escape and can take any available action at the end of recovery frames if the Infinite Escape hits or is blocked. If it does not hit, the recovery frames are vulnerable and there is an additional period of recovery as the character falls slowly to the ground and lands standing.
The IPS looks at combos for reptition in smaller sequences or loops. Many of it's rules are shown in this example combo by Urichinan:
The complete combo can be written out as:
j.MK, j.HP xx air dash, j.MP, c.HP, s.HK xx qcf+LK, s.MP > s.HK xx qcf+LK, walk forward, s.MP (lander) > s.HK xx qcf+LK, walk forward, s.LK (lander) > s.MP > s.HK xx qcf+LK, walk forward, c.LK > s.MP > s.HK xx qcf+LK, walk forward, c.LP > s.MP (lander) > s.HK xx qcf+LK, s.MK xx super jump, j.MP, j.LP > j.MP, s.LP > s.LP > s.MP > s.HP xx qcf+MP, wall bounce, knockdown, c.MK > s.HP xx qcf+HK xx qcf+PP
Breaking this up into what the IPS considers loops gives the following:
- j.MK > j.HP xx air dash, j.MP - The 1st loop, ignored by IPS, ending when the attacking character hits the ground.
- c.HP, s.HK xx qcf+LK - The 2nd loop, also ignored by IPS, ending with a non-cancelled special move.
- s.MP > s.HK xx qcf+LK - The 3rd loop, and the first watched by IPS. IPS sees s.MP as the opening move of the chain and the loop ends with a non-cancelled special move. Even if there was an infinite detected here, the Infinite Escape will not trigger on the third loop.
- s.MP (land) > s.HK xx qcf+LK - The 4th loop, starting with s.MP, ending with a non-cancelled special move. s.MP will trigger infinite detection if used to start a loop for the third time.
- s.LK (land) > s.MP > s.HK xx qcf+LK - The 5th loop, starting with s.LK, ending with a non-cancelled special move.
- c.LK > s.MP > s.HK xx qcf+LK - The 6th loop, starting with c.LK, ending with a non-cancelled special move.
- c.LP > s.MP (land) > s.HK xx qcf+LK - The 7th loop, starting with a c.LP, ending with a non-cancelled special move. This sequence shows IPS does not care about landers.
- s.MK - The 8th loop, a lonely s.MK. This single move loop ends with the super jump cancel.
- j.MP, j.LP > j.MP - The 9th loop, starting with j.MP, ending when the attacking character hits the ground.
- s.LP > s.LP > s.MP > s.HP xx qcf+MP - The 10th loop, starting with s.LP, ending with a non-cancelled special move. The defending character enters a normal knockdown after the ground bounce.
- c.MK > s.HP xx qcf+HK xx qcf+PP - The 11th loop, ending the combo. This starts with c.MK, using the one OTG hit for the combo.
I'm not sure why people think this IPS is complicated [...] the rules are still simple to explain - "don't start a chain with something you already hit with, and your combo is always legit." You get 2 free sections before moves are even counted toward this limit (your first and second chains) and one more free section where moves are kept track of but the limit isn't enforced yet (the entirety of your jump if you're in the air, or your next chain if you aren't). That's it.
You can determine exactly whether or not a combo is possible just by writing it out: "Did I already use s.LP? OK, can't start another chain with that." And if something doesn't work, the hitsparks change color and you immediately know which move caused it. You also immediately know why, because the ONLY THING that would cause it is you having used that move before. [1]
"Don't start a chain with something you've already hit with" is the only rule. The exception is your first jumpin sequence, first ground chain and first air combo. [2]
- Mike_Z
Additional IPS facts:
- Blockbusters get ignored by IPS. Infinite Escapes can be preformed while getting hit by a Blockbuster if something else triggered IPS first.
- Infinite Escapes cannot be preformed during a throw.
- Continued use of moves with Chains Infinitely as a combo can only trigger IPS on the the first hit.
- Flight mode starts/ends loops for the IPS.
- When a team goes under 20% health, it does not get 5 levels tension and immunity to the IPS. [3]
- More stuff here- updates needed [4]
- Regarding the combo stage counter: [5]
- 1 = (optional) jump-in section (free)
- 2 = ground series (free)
- 3 = first air combo or 2nd ground series (watched)
- 4 = special case if they land before you do (watched)
- 5 = limited (watched, and if you start a chain with something you hit with at all during a watched section = infinite)