Are harder CPU players given a mechanical advantage?

Question

Are there any mechanical differences between the nine levels of CPUs besides their AI? That is, are harder CPU players given bonuses to their speed, damage, etc? For example, many strategy games give more difficult computer players advantages like omniscience of the board, bonus resources, etc.

Asked by Dan Rasmussen

Answer

Higher CPU levels don't give any speed bonuses, heavier weight, stronger attacks, or anything. They also don't change the actual AI of the character; each character has an individual AI that is the same regardless of their difficulty (in addition to some common AI routines).

The only difference between the different levels is that, at higher levels, a CPU is more likely to do something. Take perfect shielding as an example: all CPU levels can do it, and all of them come to the conclusion that they should under the same conditions, but the chance of them actually doing it instead of standing there and taking the hit is rock-bottom for low CPU levels and super-big for higher ones. (AI-hacking topics like this one make zero mention of CPU levels and are generally written as if they're assuming that levels are not a factor.)

I also found this image of what the common AI is as extracted by one of the best in the field:

As you can see it makes no mention of CPU level.

Answered by Toomai

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Origin of the term “gimping”

Question

In the Super Smash Bros. series, "gimping" is the practice of stopping an opponent from recovering back to the stage, usually by grabbing the ledge before them or just going out and hitting them. However, I'm curious... where did the term actually come from? Was it named after a player who practiced it, similar to planking? Or is it something else entirely?

Asked by Nicholas1024

Answer

The term 'gimp' is a sometimes-derogatory term for one who is crippled; a gimp. When a player uses the techniques you've described, they're effectively crippling their opponent, by removing their ability to recover. In the same vein, it could also be related to the fact that in this scenario, the player trying to make the recovery has a 'handicap' (or is crippled) when compared to the other player, who is effectively in control of the situation.

In both of these variances, the player is control is able to use certain techniques as a means of 'crippling', or 'gimping' their opponent.

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This is all absolutely speculation, but it didn't feel right as a comment.

Answered by GnomeSlice

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How can I use the D-pad of my classic controller like the one on the Wii-Mote?

Question

I just bought a Classic Controller Pro for my Wii (mainly to play old (S)NES games on the emulator). However, I just thought it would be a great idea to try it out with SSBB. When I play SSBB I use the Wii-Mote without Nunchuck in the horizontal position, which allows me to control movement with the D-pad.

In the configuration menu I found, I cannot figure out how to map the Classic Controller's D-pad to the same functionality (by default, you move with the left analog stick). I refuse to believe that it's impossible, but all I can choose for the left-right-arrows is: Attack, Special, Jump, Shield, Grab and Horizontal-Mock. Similarly for the down-arrow.

Is there some hack or trick to configure the D-pad. I mean, the Classic Controller is a superset of the Wii-Mote. Why would you exclude the most obvious choice for the D-pad?

Asked by bitmask

Answer

Brawl does not allow you to use the D-pad for movement if there is a control stick available (on any controller, Classic or otherwise). There are legitimate reasons for this; using the D-pad instead of a control stick will gimp your controls slightly. I believe this also has to do with how the control maps are coded - because up, down, and side are different functions in non-Wiimote alone setups, you can't "merge" the whole thing into "movement" and "jump". (They had to carve up a few mechanics to squeeze the game into the D-pad anyway, it gimped parts of the game engine itself.) It's the exception; the control stick is the rule (and indeed the crux of the series).

Of course there are probably hacks for this, but I don't know any offhand.

Answered by Toomai

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How can you free yourself from a grab in SSBB?

Question

While playing SSBB, I noticed that sometimes CPU-opponents can free themselves from my grab (B+1 in the horizontal Wii-Remote mote, and I believe Z+A otherwise), while I or other humans who I play with cannot. Also, the time you can hold/beat opponents while grabbing them seems to differ all the time. I guess, either this is because we manage to free ourselves while bashing random buttons, or it is randomised.

Is there some trick to break loose from an opponent's grab or how does it work?

Bonus: (How) Can I prevent to be grabbed at all?

Asked by bitmask

Answer

The amount of time you spend in a grab is calculated with this formula: damage * 1.7 + 90

The result of this formula is in frames - there are 60 frames in one second. So, if you're at 0% damage, you will automatically break free of a grab after 90 frames (1.5 seconds). If you're at 100% damage, that time extends to 260 frames (4.333... seconds).

Of course you can break out faster than that. For each button you press, or cardinal direction you input with the control stick (up/down/left/right), you cut 8 frames (0.1333... seconds) off your grab time. So pressing any button 5 times during a grab will let you escape 40 frames (0.666... seconds) sooner. Obviously, this means you should be mashing buttons and twirling your stick to get out as fast as possible. There are a few more technical details about how exactly the stick inputs work that I don't think you need to know. Note that the C-Stick counts as both a stick direction and an attack button press, so in theory that should get you out even faster. The minimum time you can spend in a grab is 20 frames (0.333... seconds), this can vary by a frame or two based on character; I'm guessing one frame doesn't mean much in situations you're interested in.

Note: This only applies to regular grabs. If DK picks you up and carries you around, the formula's different but the concept is the same: mash to get out faster. This also applies to some special moves like Inhale and Egg Lay, as well as status effects like sleep and stun. Some special move-based grabs like Falcon Dive or Monkey Flip are inescapable unless the user gets interrupted.

Bonus: You can dodge grabs by rolling, sidestepping, or just being invincible. You cannot shield grabs (which is part of the point), and launch resistance like you see in Ike's Aether doesn't help either. You also cannot get grabbed if you're lying on the ground.

Answered by Toomai

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What can't you do in Brawl with a sideways wii remote controller, and does using a nunchuk fix this?

Question

I noticed in the accepted answer to this question that there are some things you can't do with a sideways wii remote in Brawl. We are brawl newbies, so I wanted to ask what other things are either trickier or impossible to do in Brawl with just a sideways wii remote and does getting a Nunchuk to play with fix this.

Answer

There are quite a few difficulties you'll run into by using the Wiimote-alone controls.

Showstoppers

• You cannot use the up tilt attack properly. Up tilts are used by attacking while pressing up without smashing. But on the Wiimote, pressing up is always considered a smash (it makes you jump), so the only way to use an up tilt is to begin holding up during some other action (so that when the action's over you're holding up and a smash is not recognized).
• It is difficult if not impossible (or at least it is for me) to angle forward tilts. Quite a few f-tilts can be angled up or down, which alters their damage and hitbox location, but you have to have a very precise vertical position of the control stick which I don't think a D-pad can replicate. F-smashes can be angled because you can just hold up or down before the charge interval ends, but f-tilts have to be angled on startup.

Issues

• Special moves that use analog controls are harder to manipulate. Examples include Quick Attack, PK Thunder, and Fire Fox: your ability to aim them is heavily limited.
• The default shield button is B, which isn't exactly in a convenient location.
• The default grab button is either - (which is even more out-of-the way than the shield button) or A+B (which if you don't get it right might make you taunt instead).
• You cannot shift your shield. With a control stick you can reposition your shield by moving the stick around. But with a D-pad, pressing any direction results in enough of an input to cause you to jump, roll, or sidestep. Shield shifting is useful if your shield is a bit small and you can see an attack going for an exposed bit.

Niggles

• There is no "quick smash" option like the Gamecube/Classic controller's C-Stick or the Wiimote+Nunchuk's Shake Smash. Yes you can get a quick f-smash by pressing 1+2, but the other two smashes don't have an equivalent (pressing 1+2 with up or down is basically the same result as just 2.)
• You cannot walk slowly.

Notes

• You can shorthop with Wiimote-alone, and it's no tricker than with other controllers.

Using a Wiimote-Nunchuck will fix all these problems; having a control stick really is the way to go and all the button functions are in more accesible locations (except for maybe the side taunt). Smash Bros. was simply not designed for D-pad use.

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What makes Meta Knight so powerful?

Question

I was watching a stream and one of the announcers offhandedly said "Meta Knight is banned" as if that is a foregone conclusion. I have never seen Meta Knight do much of anything, but then, I'm hardly a professional Brawl player.

What is it about Meta Knight that makes him so much more powerful than the other characters that the community resorted to banning him in competitive play?

Answer

From Smash Wiki:

He currently ranks first on the Smash Bros. tier list due to his extremely fast attack speed, his transcending priority found in a lot of his attacks (also found in lasers and needles), unpredictable recovery thanks to four recovery moves and Kirby's jumping prowess, ability to avoid being KO'd with his extremely fast up air momentum cancel, amazing edgeguarding ability, approach options, some fast and reliable killing moves, and amazing tournament results and match-ups. No match-up is thought to be a disadvantage for Meta Knight, although some matchups are approximately even.

His main problem is that he doesn't have any weaknesses.

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What makes Metaknight so powerful?

Question

I was watching a stream and one of the announcers offhandedly said "Metaknight is banned" as if that is a foregone conclusion. I have never seen Metaknight do much of anything, but then, I'm hardly a professional Brawl player.

What is it about Metaknight that makes him so much more powerful than the other characters that the community resorted to banning him in competitive play?

Answer

From Smash Wiki:

He currently ranks first on the Smash Bros. tier list due to his extremely fast attack speed, his transcending priority found in a lot of his attacks (also found in lasers and needles), unpredictable recovery thanks to four recovery moves and Kirby's jumping prowess, ability to avoid being KO'd with his extremely fast up air momentum cancel, amazing edgeguarding ability, approach options, some fast and reliable killing moves, and amazing tournament results and match-ups. No match-up is thought to be a disadvantage for Meta Knight, although some matchups are approximately even.

His main problem is that he doesn't have any weaknesses.

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