KOF XV System Mechanics [Work In Progress]

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SHORT AND TO THE POINT, JUICE!
Are you experienced with KOF? Here are the changes from 14!
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- backdashes put you in a counter hit state
- wakeup throw to beat meaty attacks is now always available to the defender, including on air resets, hard knockdowns, and after GC roll
- GC Blowback has more startup when used against jumping/airborne normals and specials
- the counter hit anti-air juggle state window for non-CD attacks has widened significantly, many characters can now anticipate their antiair will counter hit and score a strong conversion with standard anti-air normals
- all level 3 supers (climaxes) have the same input - qcb,hcf+HP+HK (2141236+HP+HK)
- yes, Kyo's reverse DP + kick move now requires an extra direction, it is 4214+K.
- universal health has returned (technically a change from KOF 14)
- raw max mode gives buffs (+25% damage, more guard gauge depletion) quickmax does not
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TELL ME EVERYTHING, JUICE!
Are you new to KOF? If so, here is the information on various mechanics!
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### KOF's Four Jumps ###
- King of Fighters games have four different types of jumps
- press any upwards direction to jump (7/8/9)
- press any upwards direction *then quickly release/return to neutral* to hop (75/85/95)
- press any downwards direction, then any upwards direction to super jump (1/2/3 then 7/8/9)
- press any downwards direction, then any upwards direction *then quickly release/return to neutral* to hyper hop (1/2/3 then 75/85/95)
>> there is no vertical hyper hop or super jump (28 and 285 are not any different from 8 and 85)
- after inputting a jump, if you are hit in the next 4 frames, it will count as a normal hit on the ground (there are 4 pre-jump frames)
- the input window for hops is 4 frames. if you press an upwards direction for 5 frames or more, it will not be a hop.
- all 4 jumps have a 1 frame recovery on landing. any perfectly timed attack can catch a jump with a grounded hit ("trip"). using an attack while jumping does not increase this recovery in the majority of cases.
>> some but not all jumping command normals and air special moves have additional landing recovery
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### Running ###
- input forward, forward (66) to run
- you can hold forward to continue running
- you can switch to down-forward (3) and continue running as well, useful for some charge special moves
- if you hop while running, it will become a hyper hop
- if you jump while running, it will become a super jump
- you can cancel a run at any time with any action, with two exceptions:
>> at the beginning of a run, if you switch your input to back (4), your character will briefly continue their run, and you cannot guard during this brief period. What this means is, you cannot instantly guard out of the beginning of a run. However, you *can* instantly do anything else.
>> if you are running at the opponent and are in throw range, pressing HP or HK will not grant a throw. An input trick is needed to throw from a run (see the "Input Tricks/Mechanics" section below). However, you can use this to your advantage when punishing highly punishable attacks like reversals. Run at them before you punish, this prevents you from accidentally throwing the opponent, which is commonly a very ineffective and low-damage punish.
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### Blowback ###
- HP+HK
- often referred to as "CD" (this is a reference to the ABCD buttons on a NeoGeo arcade cabinet)
- think of Blowback like a fifth button (light punch, heavy punch, light kick, heavy kick, blowback)
- you have a standing blowback and a jumping blowback, but there is no crouching blowback
>> the majority of the standing blowbacks in the game can be cancelled on hit, guard, or whiff
- if a standing blowback hits a grounded opponent, they travel full screen and bounce off of the wall. You can combo them from this state.
>> it is possible by cancelling standing blowback into certain special moves, or by using max mode, to score a restand combo after the wallbounce
- jumping blowback knocks the opponent down on any hit
- jumping blowback causes more guardstun than your jumping heavy attacks, allowing you more time for mixups
- jumping blowback is NOT an overhead like your other jumping attacks
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### Roll and Quickrise ###
- LP+LK
- Roll was officially called "Emergency Evasion"
- you can roll forwards or backwards
- to roll backwards, hold back (4) and press LP+LK
- forward and back rolls take the exact same amount of time, and the entire cast's rolls are exactly the same [so far]
- Rolls are strike invincible on frame 1. This is a decent reversal option, an option for avoiding fireballs, and gives you a way to avoid death from chip damage
- Rolls can be thrown at any point for their entire duration, and there is a recovery period at the end where you can be fully punished
/// [VERIFY] the recovery period at the end of the roll seems bigger in this game
- if you are knocked down, you can press LP+LK as you hit the ground to get up faster, this is a Quickrise.
- Quickrise is invincible for its duration and has no recovery window/is not punishable.
/// See "Throw Invincibility" below for the one negative aspect of Quickrise
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### Backdash ###
- back, back (44)
- invincible to Lows
- airborne on the very first frame (if you are hit, you will flip backwards, as if you were anti-aired)
- puts you in a Counter Hit state [new in XV!]
/// traditionally backdashes have been a decent reversal option. the new counter hit state does change the situation a bit against opponents who know how to take advantage of it
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### Throws ###
- classic one-button throw style
- while very close to the opponent, input forward or back (6 or 4), plus HP or HK to attempt a throw
- you can escape a throw with exact same input (you cannot escape command throws, like Shermie's hcf+P (41236+P))
- the throw break window lasts a few frames after the throw has initially connected
- you can escape throws as long as you are not in a roll, and not in the recovery of a special move or super
- normal throws do 100 damage (10% of a full health bar)
- some but not all throws grant hard knockdowns
- if the opponent isn't close enough, or is in a throw immune state, you will merely get your HP or HK attack (there is no throw whiff animation)
- throws are *instant* (start in one frame)
- when waking up from a knockdown, inputting a throw can beat perfectly-timed meaty attacks if the opponent is too close to you.
>> if a throw and a strike connect at the exact same time, the throw wins by default, and this is also true of command throws. The strike will win only if it is throw immune/out of range. However, the defender may still be able to break a normal throw depending on the circumstance
/// in previous KOFs, you could only use a wake-up throw to beat meaty attacks if you used a quickrise. KOF XV has changed this and wake-up throw is now always available to the defender
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### Throw Invincibility ###
- you are immune to throws after a hard knockdown, air reset, after GC roll, and after exiting any guardstun
>> [VERIFY] this throw immune period lasts a significant amount of time, my guess is around 10 frames
- if you press a button while throw immune, you are still throw immune
- the only way to surrender throw invincibility is by using a Roll, which becomes instantly throw-able
- you do not have throw invincibility if you quickrise from a knockdown. this creates a situation where you can be thrown or hit at the exact same time
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### Just Guard/Just Defense ###
- there is a white flash when you succeed
- you can JD multiple attacks in a row, if you return to neutral before each guard
- guard gauge loss cut in half
- extra meter gain
/// no other effects currently noticed. Does not increase or reduce pushback, does not affect frame advantage
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### Guard Cancels ### (GC Roll and GC Blowback)
- you can use Roll (LP+LK) or Blowback (HP+HK) while in guardstun
- both cost 1 meter to use
- GC Roll allows you to escape a tricky defensive situation, and can also be used to punish an opponent who predictably cancel into special moves at the end of their attack strings
- GC Blowback delivers a counterattack that knocks the opponent away
- GC Blowback does 5 damage and yes it can KO the opponent
- GC Blowback can't be cancelled like a usual blowback
- depending on timing and other factors, a GC Blowback can be guarded, and can then be fully punished
>> against jumping attacks/airborne specials, GC Blowback has more startup [new/possibly an intentional universal nerf]
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### Counter Hits ###
- hit an opponent during the startup of a command normal, a hop attack, a special move, or a super to score a Counter Hit
- you can also score a Counter Hit against the recovery frames of command grabs
- 25% bonus damage
- Counter Hit Blowback (HP+HK) causes a fully combo-able juggle state until they hit the ground. this is true of ground blowback used as an antiair, and jumping blowback in general
- Counter Hits against an airborne opponent put them in a very brief juggle state regardless of the attack used
>> technically this very brief juggle state was in some previous KOFs, however the timing window is bigger than it has ever been, it will be worth exploring conversions.
>>> for example, Counter Hit anti-air standing LP xx EX qcf+K with Kyo
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### Input Tricks/Mechanics ###
- special moves that have a dp input (623) can be done with alternative motions. This is sometimes useful in order to cancel them into particular supers.
>> dp+P (623+P) can also be done as f~hcf+P (641236+P) or hcb~f+P (632146+P)
- some characters (a good example is Kyo) may want to use a special move with the input qcf+P (236+P) while running. However, inputting qcf+P (236+P) from a run will trigger a dp+P (623+P) command.
>> to avoid this, while running, input qcf~uf+P (2369+P). This will give you a qcf+P (236+P) special. special moves that end in down-forward (3) cannot come out if you input up-forward (9).
- when inputting a special move or a super, you can press and hold the button, and the game will continuously check if the special/super is possible for a significant amount of time (my guess is 15 to 20 frames). This allows you to pre-buffer specials and supers for situations like combos, guard punishment, and reversals. [this is commonly referred to as the "button hold trick"/"button holding"]
- there is a two-frame lenience on simultaneous button presses
>> this applies to roll, blowback, taunt, Max Mode, EX specials, and Level 2/Level 3 supers
- to do an "instant" throw from a run, follow these inputs:
>> run > be very close the opponent > back (4), then HP or HK
>> the HP or HK must be immediate after you input back (4), otherwise you may walk out of throw range unintentionally
- Taunt is LP+HK! (it has no effect)
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### Health, Guard Gauge, Stun, and Timer ###
- all characters have 1000 health

- beneath your Health is a Guard Gauge
- whenever you guard an attack, this meter depletes
- if you avoid guarding attacks, over time it recovers
- if it completely empties, your guard is broken and you are vulnerable for a little over one full second
- the opponent can hit you with anything they want and the damage is not scaled/reduced

- hitting the opponent repeatedly without doing high damage can cause a stun ("dizzy")
- stun will recover over time if you are not hit. you can recover stun while guarding attacks
- if your opponent is stunned, your followup attacks count as part of the same combo and will do scaled/reduced damage

- the round timer shows '60' by default
- this lasts 90 real seconds, each 'tick' of the timer is 1.5 real seconds
- round ends when the timer would move to -1. When the timer hits 00, the round is not yet over
- timer pauses during super freeze, quickmax activations, and climax super cinematics
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### Life Gain ###
- when you win a round, your character is rewarded with life gain based on how much time was remaining:
> 60 - 42: +30% health
> 41 - 30: +25% health
> 29 - 18: +15% health
> 17 - 00 OR a timeout win: +10% health
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### Meter, and how to build and spend it ###
- at the bottom of the screen is your meter, sometimes referred to as Power Stocks or simply "bars"
- you can spend meter on the following actions:
> EX special move - costs 0.5 stocks
> Super - costs 1 stock
> Max/EX Super - costs 2 stocks (sometimes called level 2 super)
> Climax Super - costs 3 stocks (sometimes called level 3 super)
> guard cancel roll or blowback - costs 1 stock
> shatter strike - costs 1 stock
> max mode/quickmax activation - costs 2 stocks

- Many special moves can be cancelled into supers of any strength
- there is no additional cost to do a super cancel

- Most supers can be cancelled into a more expensive one
- canceling a Super into an EX Super is called an Advanced Cancel
- canceling any Super into a Climax is called a Climax Cancel
- there are no additional costs to do these cancels

- meter builds when your attacks hit or are guarded, and also when you are hit or guard attacks
- you can build up to 3 stocks on your first character, 4 stocks on your second character, and 5 on your final character.
- you can also build meter by using special moves, most of them build meter even if they do not make contact
>> throwing a fireball is an exception to this rule. fireballs must make contact otherwise you build no meter
- attacks and specials being guarded builds you slightly more meter than if they hit
- if you are guarding or being hit by attacks, you build (very roughly) half of the meter that your opponent is building
///in general, playing aggressively builds more meter than playing defensively.
- if you lose a round, you gain 1 stock automatically.
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### Damage (Combo) Scaling ###
- "scaling" refers to the mechanic where later hits of a combo do reduced damage compared to the normal amount of damage when used on their own
- each hit after the first will deal 5% less of its original damage
- 100% > 95% > 90% > 85% > etc.
- combo scaling stops at 20%. if you reach 20% scaling (17 hits), the 18th hit and beyond will all still deal 20% of their original damage
- combo scaling stops at 50% for supers. If you are doing a long combo with many hits, supers will still deal 50% of their damage
- some specific hits have higher minimum scaling as an exception to the rule (the final hit of Yashiro's Climax maxes at 75% scaling)

- standing blowback, Quickmax activation, and certain Shatter Strikes have additional scaling added to them
>> stand CD and Quickmax both cause an additional 10% scaling
>>> stand CD does 100% > next hit does 85% (instead of 95%) > next hit does 80% > 75% > etc.
>>> heavy punch does 100% > cancel into Quickmax > next hit does 85% (instead of 95%) > next hit does 80% > etc.
>>> as a sidenote, the wallbounce after stand CD does not cause any scaling on its own, all of the scaling comes from the stand CD itself
>> if you cancel into a Shatter Strike in a combo, it causes 25% additional scaling
>>> heavy punch does 100% > cancel into Shatter Strike (this deals 95%) > next hit does 65% (instead of 90%) > 60% > etc.
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### Shatter Strike ###
- costs 1 stock to use
>> refunded half a stock if it hits!
*****there are TWO KINDS of Shatter Strikes: raw and canceled*****
>> raw Shatter Strike has armor frames to help it beat other attacks
>>> this armor is not active for a few frames, so Shatter Strike is not a good reversal
>> if it hits an opponent on the ground, it causes the opponent to crumple in front of you then you may combo from there
>> if it hits an opponent in the air, they will bounce off the opposite wall in a free-juggle state
>> after a raw Shatter Strike grounded crumple, hitting them with a normal will make them backflip and the combo will end. To continue the combo you need to use something that can continue the juggle state (such as Kyo's qcf+K (236+K))
>> there is NO damage scaling on raw Shatter Strike. The next hit will do 100% of its normal damage.
>>> this is still true even if the opponent was hit in the air and wall-bounced

>> cancelling into Shatter Strike causes a similar-looking ground crumple, however your next hit will combo normally (they are not airborne)
>> this version causes the extra 25% damage scaling mentioned in the above Damage Scaling section

- Shatter Strike shares its animation with your character's standing blowback
- [VERIFY] it may or may not share the same hitboxes and hurtboxes and your character's standing blowback
- Shatter Strike has much more recovery than your standing blowback, it's clearly punishable on block when used up close
- near the tip range, Shatter Strikes might not be punishable in some matchups
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### Max mode and Quickmax ###
- input HP+LK to enter Max Mode
- costs 2 stocks
- a new meter will appear above the Power Stock meter
- this meter slowly drains over time
- in Max Mode, you receive three buffs for a short time:
> your attacks do an additional 25% damage, except EX specials, supers, and shatter strikes
> your attacks take away more of the opponent's Guard Gauge if guarded
> anything that costs meter uses a portion of the Max Mode meter instead of Power Stocks
>> the length of the Max Mode meter is tied to team position
>> Max Mode values for your 1st/2nd/3rd characters are 1000/1250/1500
>> EX moves, GC roll, and GC blowback cost 200 units
>> Shatter Strike costs 400 units
>> Supers cost 500 units
>> Max supers/EX supers cost 500 units + 1 additional stock
>> Climax supers cost the entire gauge + 1 additional stock
>> when using a Super of any kind during Max Mode, the timer stops for the entire duration of the super
>>> if the super can be charged (example: Kyo's qcfqcf+PP super (236236+PP)) the timer is also frozen while charging
>> if you have less Max Mode time remaining than the cost of one of these actions, you can still do it, and then the Max Mode ends

- you can cancel ANY ground normal or command normal into Max Mode. Done this way, it is called Quickmax Activation
- Quickmax does NOT grant the 25% damage buff nor the extra Guard Gauge depletion buff
- Quickmax grants you the new meter that drains over time, but at half value (500/625/750)
- Quickmax briefly pauses the game (and the round timer), and causes your character to automatically dash forward
- due to the Quickmax cancel and the auto-dash, you can followup your previous attack with a combo
- [VERIFY] [frame advantage after quickmax?]
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