Soul Calibur 3

[Garland]

If SCIII has any flaws, it's the AI. The AI defends with a cheapness only explainable by CPU cheating. The AI reads controller inputs. The resulting nigh invulnerable AI doesn't force you to become a better player. It's not that sort of a challenging AI. The AI will block every throw, GI all your combos, and generally dispatch you as if you weren't playing at all. Instead, you're forced to browse your move list for that one attack that the AI has no scripted perfect defense against. It seems every character has a "win move" that they can spam to beat the perfect turtling AI. Gamefaqs and I believe Soulcalibur.com both have lists of these moves for each character. Other than the AI though, SCIII is my favorite fighting game ever. I'm completely hooked on the character maker. Unlocking all the content will take me ages.

[Ruskies]

If SCIII has any flaws, it's the AI. The AI defends with a cheapness only explainable by CPU cheating. The AI reads controller inputs. The resulting nigh invulnerable AI doesn't force you to become a better player. It's not that sort of a challenging AI. The AI will block every throw, GI all your combos, and generally dispatch you as if you weren't playing at all. Instead, you're forced to browse your move list for that one attack that the AI has no scripted perfect defense against. It seems every character has a "win move" that they can spam to beat the perfect turtling AI. Gamefaqs and I believe Soulcalibur.com both have lists of these moves for each character. Other than the AI though, SCIII is my favorite fighting game ever. I'm completely hooked on the character maker. Unlocking all the content will take me ages.

The computer wont block the throws if you throw fakes and the only reason they block all the attacks is probably because all the attacks are mid attacks or low attacks, they catch on just like any human controled opponent would. All you have to do is mix it up, do your own counters and take advantage of your cpu's open spots. The AI was hard at first but now its a breeze (except for when the cpu is Ivy). So please stop saying the cpu cheats cuz all that needs to be done is spend time learning your characters moves. If you bring at least two high/two mid/two low attacks and learn to throw fakes (which is as simple as hitting block early in your attack which lets you do throws with ease ).

[Garland]

The computer wont block your throws if you know how to throw fakes and the only reason they block all your attacks is because all your doing is mid attacks or low attacks, they catch on just like any human controled opponent would. All you have to do is mix it up, do your own counters and take advantage of your cpu's open spots. The AI was hard at first but now its a breeze for me (except for when the cpu is Ivy). So please stop saying the cpu cheats cuz all you need to do is spend time learning your characters moves. If you bring at least two high/two mid/two low attacks and learn to throw fakes (which is as simple as hitting block early in your attack which lets you do throws with ease ) then youll probably be able to stop crying about the cpu being a "cheater".

What's that? I need to use more than one height of attack? Learn my character's moves? Really, enough of the "maybe you'll be able to stop crying" garbage. If I wanted condescension, I'd read Gamefaqs.

[Ruskies]

We don't tolerate this here.

~Void

[Garland]

Did you come here solely to cause trouble? I don't believe I was crying at all. "Just realize the fact that you're not very good"? Save that for another thread. This is an SCIII oppinions thread. Not your oppinions on me. I'm not returning the favor out of fear of getting in trouble (don't care to be modded). I did in fact state that the game is one of my favorites and I'm totally hooked. I just happen not to like the new AI. In SCII, there were several phases of difficulty, and on the final phase, the AI had the same sort of perfect defense. It was good for that level, but it isn't appropriate to be thrown at you randomly. SC III has no difficulty setting for the primary single player modes.

[Ruskies]

No I didnt respond to this meaning to point at you and say your crying, all I wanted to accomplish was the fact that yes soul calubur III AI has a brain and they dont bend over and take hits like they did before. You had your opinion, I respect that and I appologize if it came off like I was just attacking you but I also have my opinion. I hear alot about people saying the AI is hard and I dont want someone to think against buying the game because they heard the AI is unfair...

I think this game is awesome and I am glad you do too, im happy to hear that people love this game as much as I do I just dont want someone to be scared off cuz of something someone said, its just not fair...

Once again I am sorry if you felt attacked I was just giving an opinion from a point of view... thats all.

I dont care about getting in trouble either I have more important things to think about like college, I just love this site and having post-convo's with people...

[Garland]

That's cool then. I'll chalk it all up to internet text not conveying tone of voice. I could like the new AI if it were structured better. I'm not sure my real complaint is with difficult AI as with inconsistant AI. Maybe you're a SC expert, I myself am probably average, but even below me in skill are first time buyers. In other fighting games, you learn to play on the easy level, get better in the middle level, and hone your reflexes on the god level.

You said you were concerned about prospective buyers being turned away by the negative criticism of the AI. I agree that no player should be turned off from buying this incredible game. I do think though, that if they don't know what's coming, they aren't going to have any fun at all when they pop in the game, start up the game's very first playable mode, and lose in 3 seconds. If this is a person's first Soul Calibur experience (which is a shame in itself, I loved the other three), what a harsh learning curve the game presents. It's as if Namco expects casual players to spend their first 50 hours in the practice mode before dipping into the fun. I managed to overcome the AI to unlock most of the stuff (I think), by virtue of prior soul calibur experience (I already knew the fundamentals - to an extent), and a modest dash of cheapness (though some would say there's no such thing as cheap, in playing to win). If this was my first fighting game, I'd have thrown a fit and smashed my controller 100x more than I do now. I'd have probably given up.

[Azure Chrysanthemum]

Be it intended or not, you should watch what you say Yunaslove. I've only deleted one comment but I might easily have done more.

[Ruskies]

Yeah I agree if this was someones first fighting game they wouldnt hae such a great time either. I am by no means a SC expert just a huge SC fan. I love goin to tournaments for this game and even more for Tekken. I love fighting games ( I play them when im burnt out with rpg's) I even bring my tekken arcade stick with me whenever I play these games away from home. Im glad this is settled and if you dont mind me asking who are your fav. SC characters?

[Garland]

In Soul Blade/Edge it was Sophitia, because her final weapon was unbreakable, and since attacks were much less fluid, even I could reliably block just about everything, and was immune to annoying weapon breakage. I wanted to like Taki and Siegfried, but wasn't very good with them.

In Soul Calibur, my favorite character was Nightmare, after trying to use Sophitia unsuccessfully with the same strategy I did in the prior game. Her advantage I exploited was gone. I tried Taki, but I could never really take advantage of the only thing she has going for her: lightning fast attacks. I couldn't think ahead fast enough. Nightmare is incredibly easy to pickup and play. I got modestly good, if beating inexperienced dorm floor friends is modestly good. I could beat the computer on all the levels, which was fine for my non tournament going self.

In Soul Calibur II, I stuck with Nightmare. I only had the Gamecube version, not out of any system fanboyism, or Link fetishes, but because of PS2 and Gamecube, the cube has better graphics. I missed getting an Xbox and it's not worth it now. Soul Calibur II played like Soul Calibur 1.5 as far as I'm concerned. Nightmare is Nightmare.

In Soul Calibur III, I have to split my answer. Of course, my favorite character is Kali, my cool little Dancer. She does things with tambourines that I never learned in marching band. Of the plot characters, well, I've had a change of pace. In Soul Calibur I and II, I thought the big weapon users like Seigmare and Astarock had the advantage. In Soul Calibur III, it seems like throwing out a constant blitz of cheese combos till something gets through puts the advantage in the light characters' court. I'm thinking Taki is actually getting me the best results so far, though I haven't really given Voldo a serious try. Dancer is remarkably Voldo-esque. I might try later.

[Mo-Nercy]

I consider myself rather scholarly when it comes to everything Soul Calibur. I myself haven't participated in any organised tournaments but that's only because the last one anywhere near my area was held when I was still rather n00b (we're talking pre-Tekken 5 in the arcades time, people)... Not that I'm saying I am very good now. I haven't been playing much lately because of the aforementioned rival 3D fighter.

Anywho, I'd just like to add my two cents and say how much of a let down it was for me to hear that Soul Calibur III would not exist in the arcades. It's as if Namco just let Tekken take over this area, and though I have the utmost respect for Tekken, its fighting style of forcing CH and working away on juggles isn't my flavour. I much prefer the emphasis on timing and movement that SC brings. Unfortunately now, I am unable to show off my prowess in an arcade environment. Sure, I can still play with friends and such but because I've played "professionally", I mop the floor with most of them. Do you have any idea how disheartening it is to pull off a seemless buffer for Calamity Symphony and have no one understand the effort you went to? Or to 4B+K with Taki and follow straight up with Seal of the Fire Dragon and have no pat you on the back in a silent symbol of respect? Without the arcades, Soul Calibur 3, and indeed any fighter that has reverted completely to console, looses all it's credibility as a serious game. That's just my opinion.

I'm still going to buy the game of course. Would I may miss out on a game with Cassandra in it!? Hell, no. This kind of leads into my next rant. The nerfs. I've only played the demo so far (it only has a few characters) so maybe I'm not in a position to judge but I think Kilik's been nerfed to infinity. The guy has lost his 214 (Tribute) and also the games simplest juggle has been removed from his movelist (22_88B, A+B). Also Phoenix Thrust can't be charged freely (that is, without Soul Charge). I never liked Kilik too much in the first place, even though he was my first character but this just leads to me to wonder whether my favourites have been similarly nerfed. Cassandra's godly 236B definitely needs to be brought down in RO power and horizontal breakage but deep down in my heart, I really hope it survives the cut.

Um...I'm done.

[Dignified Pauper]

so far, i'm only on chronicle nine and have unlocked almost every character but Amy. Still haven't fought Night Terror.

I find the AI challenging, but not impossible by any means, and I am not that great at Fighting games.

[Dreddz]

I just picked this game up, damn good, Casandra is still the best, the new characters are alright, none of them I partically like, I havent done any character creating yet, maybe in a bit....

[Mercen-X]

Really freakin' peaved now. I had this three paragraph comment about SC and when I tried to post the GD site told me I wasn't logged in. I know for a fact that I did log in not 20 minutes ago, but I went ahead and logged in again. Then the site told me that my reply had been lost. This isn't the first time this has happened to me and I DON'T LIKE IT!!!!

That aside, Heihachi in SCII should have instead been Cloud, I like that Siegfried and Nightmare are available in SCIII, I've made great strides in Tales and Chronicles modes, took third in the Tournament, my favorite job is Ninja, discipline Kunai double kick flip, second favorite discipline Staff followed by Great Sword, I made Mercerius from Void's Grand Tournament and if I had the money, I'd buy Soul Calibur III.

[Azure Chrysanthemum]

You actually can make Cloud in the character creation area. I believe it is as follows:

Job: Barbarian
Weapon: Iron Sword (Demon Knife)
Hair: Medium Hard (08, 18)
Lower Torso: Sleeveless Shirt (25, 02)
Arms: Bandit's Gloves (04, 25)
Shoulders: Metal Shoulders (01, 08)
Neck: Scarf (02, 23)
Waist: Large Belt (04, 25)
Upper Legs: Leather Pants (25, 02)
Feet: Buckled Boots (04, 25)
Face: 04
Eyebrows: 07, 26
Eyes: 25, 26
Skin: 05, 20