Opinions on Source Conversion vs Custom Adaptation

[Demitri]

Mugen is known for its sort of mashup of different games, characters, and gameplay styles. Amongst other things. I'd like to believe it started with just fighting game characters in mind, so naturally sf and kof chars would be made. From way back up to now, we've seen many chars from many different franchises converted for mugen, some designed to play close to their source counterparts, and some are just loose adaptations from the author.

 

I think we can all agree that source accuracy can be a great thing, but I think we can also agree that custom takes on these characters can be fun too (and not necessarily broken).

With all of that in mind, I've come to wonder if source accuracy always fair when against another style of gameplay? Is custom gameplay always fair against another? 

 

Which do you prefer and why? What do you believe is the best route a creator can take?

[Luis]

It's hard for me to say because I don't use that many characters and I kinda of like what they did to the ones I use, but there are some bad stuff they did too and I had to get use to it because I'm not a coder. When I downloaded Yuki (The first character I used in mugen that is from a real game) I was surprised how different she was from the source. She can throw Scattered CD even though the single fireball hasn't disappeared from the screen yet, she gains meter by whiffing now and has a combo that is not from the source. I didn't like this at first but I got use to it later on because this is the character that brought me back to mugen and wanted to use. Her Scatter CD is glitchy and I don't know how to fix it because I'm not a coder. I like what they did to Rina too by replacing her short moving punch send the opponent to the other side of the screen, with a fast dash kick that increases her mobility. What I don't like is she's missing her guard cancel so she can't do reversals and can't punish some stuff on block. Regardless I was still able to beat many characters with her without reversals. So basically I was expecting accuracy but was forced to like the changes.

[Alchemist of Atlas]

I pretty much prefer chars as close as possible to source. Although chars made in a custom state are ok, if only they keep the char's essence, it's hard to replicate on Mugen or outright impossible.

[SSBKing65✯]

I don't mind either as long as they're enjoyable to play, it just changes a character's playstyle, it also depends on the author's decision and whether they want their character to be source accurate or custom to their own moves, which brings in more opportunities for creative move sets.

 

In my eyes Mugen is a real fighter, it has balance, you just need to have a balanced roster. It's the only game where I can play as Astreaea, and aside from popular anime and video game characters it has many other unique and original creations you won't see anywhere else. It's something that brings out the creative minds in all of us with the amount of customization, it's like the fighting game version of Minecraft or the Sims basically.

 

Build a roster, make stages, create characters and deliver for the community, that is Mugen's true goal. With classic characters like Ryu, awesome fancharacters like Think, and obscurities like Wu-Ling. Mugen changed my life and look on fighters.

 

There's so much potential it has, but some just don't believe so. Mugen is infinite, no limit to the amazing things you can do. It's a true gift to the fighting game community IMO. When you don't download all the OP nonsense, one's Mugen roster is viable to a real fighting game roster.

 

It all matters on what you like. And lastly if you think Mugen's not a real fighter, why are you even here, this site is a Mugen online community, we're all one big family.

[yaminogun]

as long it good quality(complete hitbox, AI combo, playable) neither really matter

[Luis]

The character I use Yuki Morikawa has two supers that is not accurate from the source and both of them are useless. One is the uppercut super which is stolen from Shiho Nagaoka, who is from the same game and it's hard to do. The reason why it's hard to do is because it's a dragon punch command super but she already has a super like that. So to do it you have to press down forward at the same time, then do the dragon punch. Most of the time her real super will come out instead of this stolen one. The other super I don't know what's it for. All it does is makes her start flashing and her meter starts going down. Her damage does not increase or anything and you can turn it off anytime.

[DarkWolf13]

I like source accuracy but I also like a touch of custom. Like my project, the fighters like Cammy, Guile and Ken have moves that they use in the source game but they also have a hyper move, in which they don't have in the source game. These hypers I speak of are their Lv 3s, in which they don't have in the original at all. Nothing wrong with spicing up the game in MUGEN isn't it? When I converted hsienthm's Morrigan to MvC2, I kept her Lilith-mode specials without the use of specifying a palette to use them and her Lv 3 Hyper, Eternal Slumber.

[Neo_Fire_Sonic]

Just don't say its accurate to the source game if it plays nothing like it.

[Demitri]

I forgot i made this thread. lol.

[AxSeeker]

A good thread though, sorry i missed it.

For accuracy you can play the real games themselves, mugen, however, is the engine that allows you to expand into unknown territories. It can be strange, it can be familiar, it's all up to the player/collector.

In no way will mugen ever be better than the accurate rendition by a professional company, however, one can enjoy a characterization more if it's customized for that person and like minded individuals. Some will say it's heresy while others will say, why didn't this happen sooner?

I say, it's better to go custom. Why? It's more interesting this way. In all likelihood there are all ready accurate conversions (I use that loosely) so the only way to have something refreshing is to make it another way. This doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be better or even fun, but that's always a possibility for you, the player/collector. 

Doing things custom allows just a lot more. A new version of the game comes out, well guess what, you can implement those new features in an update with your custom version that shares the best of both worlds. Or why limit it to that, why not introduce your own unique idea? Maybe even add something that should have been there but wasn't for reasons unknown.

If you didn't have custom, you would not have 90% of mugen out here. Granted much of it will likely not be to your liking, some of it may, however. And that's just an automatic plus because you get more or at least more options.

[Luis]

I have an interesting question. Are you people good with the characters that you use in mugen in the source game? When I wanted to start using Rina Ogata, I tried to learn her first in the source game because it wouldn't feel right if I'm good with her in mugen and bad in the source. I can wreck arcade mode with her in the source. (The Queen of Heart 99) Using her in the source first helped me spot many differences in her gameplay in mugen.

[Seadragon77]

Accuracy is nice because then you can translate what you learn from the source game and see if it can work in MUGEN. If not, then you can be creative.

I like both styles personally... I think that's part of the beauty of the engine: There is no one core style you have to follow to be successful in creation. You can create what your heart desires... just remember that what you like may not be what the public might like and you'll have to go back to the drawing board and that's OK. There is no rule that says you have to get it right the first time.

[Demitri]

To add to that, there is also no rule that says the public has to like your creation.

 

This can be a double edged sword but that's how I feel.

[Seadragon77]

To add to that, there is also no rule that says the public has to like your creation.

 

This can be a double edged sword but that's how I feel.

Exactly. If people don't like what you did, you have two choices...

1.) Fix the issues mentioned to make a better product

or...

2.) Ignore the issues and watch the public give your creation a public ass kicking. No one likes bad creations to begin with. Hell, I've dealt with my share of stubborn people *cough cough* IMT! *cough cough*

[GohanSSM2]

I always try to add something a little different each release.  In the professional games it's the difference (oddity) that makes the character what it is.  But sometimes accurate and sometimes custom and sometimes both (Young Goku). But having fun is the main goal and hard to have fun with a character that crashes or hangs up.

[Mʀ. Sтᴇαl-Yoᴜя-Wαεfυ]

I like how the mugen fighters can have more moves and do more moves than the bought game. You can't go back to Tenkaichi or MvC3 after mugen, because they feel so slow and limited and don't do as much as they do in the shows and movies or whatever they are from. If the fighter in mugen is the exact same as the game, what's the point in having it? Just buy the game.

[Luis]

I don't think the source accurate version of the characters on my signature will be able to beat most of the hard and broken characters in my roster, so I do like how they were buffed in mugen.