Auto Stacking and the Taketori

So, just like with all new weapons, the Taketori dropped, and everyone has one.

There’s a lot of talk going on about the speed of the weapon, and the lack of automatic combos. Some people say its too fast, others, too slow. I think this largely depends on your perspective. The spinning slash in the middle will likely seem quite slow if you’re used to the swift combos of Ashes. On the other, hand, the combo in general is likely to feel speedy if you’re a Musashi user. So, given that this comment is subjective, we’ll move on to my favourite, and other people’s least favourite feature.

No AUTO STACKING. Auto stacking is where you type in a command line, and then you can take your fingers off the keys, because it’s doing whatever you just said to do. That is, asd is a full combo, when typed quickly. All swords have it. Ashes get easily stuck in it, because they seem to have the largest buffer for them.

This one does NOT have it. There is no queue, no buffer, no auto combo waiting for you to tap your way into victory. And I love it.

Why? Well, let’s examine that. C:SI is a skill based game, in which timing, strategy, and discipline are rewarded. Timing is always important, whether you’re timing your jump slash, or timing your counter from tanking, you’re always calculating the best timing to take a swing, kick, or block. Various strategies evolve out of the timing of the game, and the strengths and weaknesses of each fighter, and each sword. Discipline is required to master the timing, and the strategies, to stay calm in the fight, to not get locked into ‘health’ or ‘losing’ anxiety, and to advance in C:SI as an art.

And yet, swords allow what we shall call… button mashing. That’s right. I said it. We’ve all been button mashing. Heck, I played Ashes for so long, I know I button mash.

Taketori does not allow Button mashing. Or rather, it does, but it does you no good. No matter how many keys you hit, it only allows the one you hit in its activity window, which begins near the end of the swing. This is different, and new, and I honestly think, it will make a better fighter out of you, to be more aware of what you’re swinging, and when.

I think that this adheres to the Spirit of C:SI and encourages better timing. I think that disabling button mashing should be a step more developers should take, though doubtless I am not popular in this stance.

All in all, I love the Taketori, I love the weapon from the top down to the bottom, starting with a lovely Saya, and working my way up to the block timing being crisp and smooth, with little ‘lag’ between hitting that button, and the response. And I’d like to extend a personal thanks to Robby Raccoon, for being such an awesome dev, working so hard on updates and balance issues as they’re discovered.

Yesterday, I saw him come out to see a reported problem that he could not duplicate from one of his sword users. Very rarely do you see anyone in SL who has that sort of devotion to their product, that they will come and listen to the users in a face to face to see something they can’t verify. It denotes a special kind of person, and I salute you, and your wonderful, wonderful sword.

EA Poe

edit: In post script, I felt I needed to say, This is NOT a jab at people who are having issues and reporting them. I understand that you all have what you view as legitimate issues with the performance of the sword, and that Robby is working with all of you to make sure you’re getting the same great experience I’m having.

I just felt like talking about the lack of auto stacking as a good thing, not as an attack on anyone who may or may not like ti.