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Grasshopper (Character Balancing / Frame Data Tool)


RobotMonkeyHead

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Hello MFFA peoples!

This is a character balancing / frame data tool I made a couple years back called Grasshopper.  I finally just finished polishing it off.

It allows you to gather multiple characters' frame data and damage values on a chart.  You can easily copy / paste / move them around for averaging and comparison.  It's geared for creators and editors who want to make highly balanced characters, or balance out existing characters or rosters. 

You can group the characters data however you want.  By game, or play style, etc.  Grasshopper will then tell you the frame data averages for these groups and allow you to compare that average against specific characters data.  It will show you either the difference between the two, or the average between the two, whichever you prefer.  This will give you a clear sense of what damage and frame advantage you should set for each attack of your character.
 

Frame data for comparisons can be found on a reference site, or by using the Training character to get the frame data from existing Mugen characters.  Grasshopper actually comes with about 5 or 6 characters frame data already loaded on it.  If anyone decides to upload and share their frame data (partially or fully filled charts) for the good of the community, here's a thread specifically for that project.  Hopefully, over time it could build up to a little library type resource of frame / damage data which could help bring much needed balance to the Mugen!
 

(A couple SF2 / SF3A characters frame data are included, along with links to pages where you can find more.)

 

Here's a gif that nicely shows the type of data Grasshopper works with:

5kLTlgK.gif

Other possible uses:

Spoiler

* Let's say you're trying to balance an entire roster for a full game.  You could enter all the characters frame data into the chart, and see how their stats stack up.  You could even compare their range of deviation from the average to that of other games, provided you had the frame data. 

* In order to balance a single character, you might want to know what to set their multiplier to.  Start by checking his frames to damage ratios.  Compare it against some of your other characters that you consider more balanced.  Then adjusting the attack multiplier and test it till you get the results you want.

*Maybe you play competitively and want to analyze a particular fighting game from the frame data angle.  No prob.  Once the data's entered, you can easily view the characters average start up, active, recovery, frame advantages and damage.


Here's some pics:

Spoiler

 


Title Section:

V2A0shr.png
 

 

Comparison Section:

cqf98dM.png

 

 

Averages Section:

uRQVMDv.png

 

 

Data Entry Section (P1/2):

Eh68OZ7.png

 

 

Data Entry Section (P2/2):
Ha53AV9.png

 


E.g. Data 1:
a9DlG6B.png

 

 

E.g. Data 2:
lB8QIoW.png

 


Download this shit, my son.

http://cdn.bgr.com/2015/08/darth-vader.jpg

 


And here's the link:
Download Grasshopper 1.0  - Contains original OpenOffice version, and a Microsoft Excel '97 exported version.
Download Microsoft OpenOffice - Free open source excel / word / draw clone.  The program Grasshopper was made in, and the sure way to run it. 

 

 

 

 

tl;dr

Spreadsheet for viewing, comparing and averaging characters frame data and damage.

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On 2/9/2016 at 1:45 AM, Demitri said:

oh you finished it, grats

Thanks! 

Pretty sure it looks complicated enough to scare most people away :) 
(it's actually simple as all hell)

Did you known Blanka (SF2 CE) does an average of 160 damage per attack (scaled to mugens 1000 health), and has an average frame advantage of -9 when his hits connect?
Compare that to E. Honda in (SF2 CE) who does an average of 156 damage per attack, and has an average frame advantage of 0 when his hits connect.

The averaged frame data for both Blanka and E. Honda's fierce punches is:
Damage: 141
Frame Advantage on Hit: -4
Frame Advantage on Block: -3
Start-Up Frames: 7
Active Hit Frames: 9
Recover Frames: 18

So, I guess if you wanted to make a character that played like a mix of Blanka and E. Honda in SF2, you would want their fierce punch animation to be somewhere around 34 frames (7 start up), dealing about 140 damage. 

Balance, Grasshopper.

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