"Sparking! ZERO" Official Announcement & Pre-Release Discussion Thread

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Re: "Sparking! ZERO" Official Announcement & Pre-Release Discussion Thread

Post by sunsetshimmer » Sat Feb 03, 2024 10:56 am

Lukmendes wrote: Sat Feb 03, 2024 9:07 am Supposedly splitscreen can be pretty demanding because it's loading more of the game at once by focusing on two characters, and if so it's not the same thing as Tekken 8 having local multiplayer since it only has one camera focusing on both characters.

On the other hand, modern games just have something against splitscreen for some reason, and we even have a case like Halo Infinite, that explicitly went out of their way to remove splitscreen, even though you can glitch the game to activate it...

So yeah, while it could be a case of splitscreen being too demanding, Sony/Microsoft may also just be assholes by not letting such a simple option be there.
Yeah it's more demanding for sure. I'm a game developer myself. Having two cameras instead of one has quite big impact on performance. But older games somehow managed to include it. BT3 had it, on weaker hardware. Obviously Sparking Zero has more advanced graphics but well...maybe tone it down then? It's too flashy for me anyway.
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Re: "Sparking! ZERO" Official Announcement & Pre-Release Discussion Thread

Post by Gt91 » Sat Feb 03, 2024 1:21 pm

I would have asked if they will add the characters from SBDHeroes and some from Legends ahaha.

Very happy for the GT, the cover similar to previous games and the story mode. Regarding these last two points, I think they will give a lot of space to SUPER since it is the first tenkaichi to introduce it.

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Re: "Sparking! ZERO" Official Announcement & Pre-Release Discussion Thread

Post by WittyUsername » Sat Feb 03, 2024 5:16 pm

I’m no game programmer, but if the PS2 era games were able to include a split screen with seemingly little issue, I would’ve thought the ninth generation consoles would be able to do it too.

Also, I probably said this back when the game was initially revealed, but I still think the idea of having DLC characters kind of defeats the appeal of the Tenkiachi/Sparking games. I get that DLC’s have been a lucrative business model for a while now, but I miss the days when you didn’t have to pay to unlock unconventional characters like Arale and Selypa.

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Re: "Sparking! ZERO" Official Announcement & Pre-Release Discussion Thread

Post by VegettoEX » Sat Feb 03, 2024 7:46 pm

WittyUsername wrote: Sat Feb 03, 2024 5:16 pm but I miss the days when you didn’t have to pay to unlock unconventional characters like Arale and Selypa.
You actually did. See: the annualized sequels. $50 DLC packs creating yearly coasters.
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Re: "Sparking! ZERO" Official Announcement & Pre-Release Discussion Thread

Post by WittyUsername » Sat Feb 03, 2024 8:20 pm

VegettoEX wrote: Sat Feb 03, 2024 7:46 pm
WittyUsername wrote: Sat Feb 03, 2024 5:16 pm but I miss the days when you didn’t have to pay to unlock unconventional characters like Arale and Selypa.
You actually did. See: the annualized sequels. $50 DLC packs creating yearly coasters.
Ok. I miss the days when you didn’t have to pay extra beyond what you purchased at the store.

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Re: "Sparking! ZERO" Official Announcement & Pre-Release Discussion Thread

Post by Thanos » Sat Feb 03, 2024 9:39 pm

I don't really see a problem at all with DLC if a game's base content is robust--as long as the game feels like a complete package upon release, and DLC is clearly additional bonus content rather than taking a game from 70% to 100%. I much, much prefer that model to the old days with the incrementally-improved trilogies they did in the old days. The base game will already (albeit barely) have more characters than METEOR, so with DLC that will end up being pretty insane.

If it is true that this game's base roster will mainly be Z and Super, i think that's totally fine, as long as the DLC gives us a bunch of movie/GT characters. From a marketing standpoint it probably just makes sense to prioritize the more popular and newer hotness for the base game.
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Re: "Sparking! ZERO" Official Announcement & Pre-Release Discussion Thread

Post by Rinsankajugin » Sat Feb 03, 2024 10:12 pm

Yeah, that's honestly one of the main things to take away here. The original Tenkaichi trilogy got to a roster of 161 characters after 3 sequential releases. Sparking Zero on the other hand is starting from scratch with a roster of 164 as far as we know, with a relatively new gaming engine.

As for splitscreen, while it has been a while since I played Tenkaichi 3, I do remember significant frame drop during local fights. Though most of us were young back then, so that didn't really matter. In this day and age of almost everyone being amateur tech bros, many gamers take gameplay performance to heart, especially when it comes to fighting games being under 60fps. People gotta remember that splitscreen is not a normal thing for fighting games, even arena fighters. Needless to say, I do hope the game has a decent netcode, especially with FighterZ getting rollback soon-ish.

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Re: "Sparking! ZERO" Official Announcement & Pre-Release Discussion Thread

Post by miguelnuva1 » Sat Feb 03, 2024 10:23 pm

Them saying they're working on something I wonder if splitscreen can be patched In. Probably will end up getting sparking still but won't be in a hurry.

As for what others have mentioned no splitscreen is the reason Halo ended at Halo 4 for me despite being a d 1 buyer from H2-Reach.

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Re: "Sparking! ZERO" Official Announcement & Pre-Release Discussion Thread

Post by Lukmendes » Sun Feb 04, 2024 9:58 am

Hugo Boss wrote: Sat Feb 03, 2024 10:43 am Mostly agree on movie characters. I would just keep the main villains and their forms, but cutting forms that we didn’t see or didn’t fight enough. That leaves out side villains like Salza and Zangya.
Yeah I can understand cutting these two but it'd kinda suck to do that... Would be fun if they added Salza or Zangya, but updated their movesets to have other members from their teams attack, much like Babidi did in BT3, and it'd be fitting with Zangya, since Bojack's gang did do a lot of team fighting.

Although that is more models to create so I'd understand if they don't bother.
I would add Hirudegarn’s first form as he fought a lot. From tv specials Bardock (Base) and Future Gohan (Super Saiyan).
Honestly it's weird BT2 and 3 only had second form Hildegarn... First form was there for longer, and honestly I think it looks cooler.
If the character slots are too tight, I would keep only the strongest forms of the movie villains, only exception being Coola and Metal Coola as they are from different movies.
That'd work well enough for Bojack at least, he barely fought in either form.

Cooler did fight a bunch in his non-transformed form at least so that could warrant a slot, but if he's not there he could do it like DBFZ where he's shown on it then transforms.
sunsetshimmer wrote: Sat Feb 03, 2024 10:56 am Yeah it's more demanding for sure. I'm a game developer myself. Having two cameras instead of one has quite big impact on performance. But older games somehow managed to include it. BT3 had it, on weaker hardware. Obviously Sparking Zero has more advanced graphics but well...maybe tone it down then? It's too flashy for me anyway.
I think BT3 did lag during splitscreen versus, but uh, yeah, consoles nowadays are supposed to be mighty powerful, and game developers can be pretty bad at optimizing if the 100GB games are any hint...
Gt91 wrote: Sat Feb 03, 2024 1:21 pm I would have asked if they will add the characters from SBDHeroes and some from Legends ahaha.

Very happy for the GT, the cover similar to previous games and the story mode. Regarding these last two points, I think they will give a lot of space to SUPER since it is the first tenkaichi to introduce it.
It'll also be the first game to really show it off right? 'Cause I think Xenoverse 2 shows an altered version of it.

Wonder how they'll do ToP, that had a lot of random fights...
WittyUsername wrote: Sat Feb 03, 2024 5:16 pm I’m no game programmer, but if the PS2 era games were able to include a split screen with seemingly little issue, I would’ve thought the ninth generation consoles would be able to do it too.
I think BT3 did lag during splitscreen.
Also, I probably said this back when the game was initially revealed, but I still think the idea of having DLC characters kind of defeats the appeal of the Tenkiachi/Sparking games. I get that DLC’s have been a lucrative business model for a while now, but I miss the days when you didn’t have to pay to unlock unconventional characters like Arale and Selypa.
Sucks a game is 70$ and you still have to pay for DLCs lol.

Honestly they could always just add a currency system where you can just buy DLCs with it, so you can have a choice to keep playing to get it, or pay the developers, and since so many gamers want to support the company, they'll just use real money for the characters, and those who don't play it will keep playing if they're interested on the characters (Though it'd really suck if it's too grindy).

Thinking of it I wonder if DLCs characters will come together in packs, like say Zangya doesn't make it into the base roster, but they make a DLC of her and the rest of Bojack's gang as separate characters... At the very least, characters and their transformations will have to be sold as one unless they really want to look scummy lol.
Rinsankajugin wrote: Sat Feb 03, 2024 10:12 pm As for splitscreen, while it has been a while since I played Tenkaichi 3, I do remember significant frame drop during local fights. Though most of us were young back then, so that didn't really matter. In this day and age of almost everyone being amateur tech bros, many gamers take gameplay performance to heart, especially when it comes to fighting games being under 60fps. People gotta remember that splitscreen is not a normal thing for fighting games, even arena fighters. Needless to say, I do hope the game has a decent netcode, especially with FighterZ getting rollback soon-ish.
Well Bandai Namco aren't the developers, so that raises the chances of rollback netcode significantly.

Not even joking, those guys are either lazy or incompetent, Soul Calibur VI and Smash Ultimate don't have rollback, and Tekken 7 did have it but it practically didn't work. I dunno how Tekken 8 is like, what I hear about it is either "It's even better" or "It's just as bad"...
jjgp1112 wrote: Sat Mar 12, 2022 12:08 am My man, all Goku had to do was go SSJ3 and shock Vegeta so much the M on his head would have turned into an L and Buu would have never happened.

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Re: "Sparking! ZERO" Official Announcement & Pre-Release Discussion Thread

Post by pepd » Sun Feb 04, 2024 11:24 am

I had stuff to do, so I made this to procrastinate:
(I know manga characters are unlikely, but wanted to see how/if they would fit, and I'm pretty satisfied with it. Except for ToP fodder, but since Bergamo is in, probably also Ribriane, Agnilasa and the rabbit)
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Re: "Sparking! ZERO" Official Announcement & Pre-Release Discussion Thread

Post by Rinsankajugin » Sun Feb 04, 2024 12:56 pm

pepd wrote: Sun Feb 04, 2024 11:24 am I had stuff to do, so I made this to procrastinate:
(I know manga characters are unlikely, but wanted to see how/if they would fit, and I'm pretty satisfied with it. Except for ToP fodder, but since Bergamo is in, probably also Ribriane, Agnilasa and the rabbit)
Image
It's a decent roster, but as you said yourself, manga characters and forms seem unlikely, at least for the base roster. I'd probably replace them with OG characters, especially since the trailer's categorization has a decent gap of space before Goku (Early) and Vegeta (Scouter) that could easily fit a good amount of OG reps.

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Re: "Sparking! ZERO" Official Announcement & Pre-Release Discussion Thread

Post by IntangibleFancy » Sun Feb 04, 2024 8:04 pm

The thing that bothers me about the roster is the fact that it doesn't seem like it'd be a game that includes lesser known or tertiary characters like BT3 did with Appule or RB2 did with Tarble.

That kind of dashed my hopes of seeing DBS characters that haven't been able to make it out of the Dokkan/Heroes purgatory, like Magetta and Botamo - who've been apart of the franchise for 8 years but haven't made it to 1 fighting game. I wanted Belmod too.

I'm also kind of interested to see who from BT3 they're going to take out and if it's permanent. King Cold is almost definitely gonzo, but would he be DLC? Unless he came as a package deal with a popular character, I can't see anyone buying him.
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Re: "Sparking! ZERO" Official Announcement & Pre-Release Discussion Thread

Post by Rinsankajugin » Sun Feb 04, 2024 9:05 pm

Honestly speaking, if and when they do cuts to the BT3 roster, I'm pretty sure they'll them back in eventually. The devs know we've been waiting for a game like this for over a decade. My only wonder is HOW the DLC is going to be planned out. Personally, I don't think they're going to release one character at a time like other games, because Tenkaichi counts transformations as their own characters, and a LOT of characters have transformations.

Not saying it's going to happen like this, I could see packs of 5-8 characters being released at a time, each pack themed after either a saga, movie or location. Here's a few examples:
  • Cooler Pack: Cooler (Base, Final Form), Meta-Cooler (Base, Core), Salza, Niez, Dore, Cyclopian Guard
  • Bojack Pack: Bojack (Base, Full Power), Gokua (Base, Full Power), Zangya, Bido, Bujin
  • Universe 3 Pack: Mosco, Dr. Paparoni (Base w/ Koicéareta, Anilaza), Katopesla (Base, Ultimate Mode), Maji-Kayo, Narirama
  • Universe 4 Pack: Quitela, Ganos (Base, Full Power), Monna, Dercori, Caway, Majora
  • Time Patrol Pack: Xeno Trunks (Base, SS, SS3, SSG), Chronoa (Base, Time Unleashed)
  • Time Breaker Pack: Towa (Base, Darkness, Demon Goddess), Mira (Base, Berserk, Super Mira, Full Power)
  • Shallot Pack: Shallot (Base, SS, SS2, SS3, SSG, SSB)
  • Legends Pack: Zahha, Giblet (Base, Second Stage, SSG, SSG Unleashed), Shallet

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Re: "Sparking! ZERO" Official Announcement & Pre-Release Discussion Thread

Post by shadd21 » Mon Feb 05, 2024 12:51 am

Dunno if anyone here put much stock in what he says, but apparently during his livestream of battle hour, Geekdom let slip that Basil and Lavender will be on the base roster

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Re: "Sparking! ZERO" Official Announcement & Pre-Release Discussion Thread

Post by Rinsankajugin » Mon Feb 05, 2024 1:11 am

shadd21 wrote: Mon Feb 05, 2024 12:51 am Dunno if anyone here put much stock in what he says, but apparently during his livestream of battle hour, Geekdom let slip that Basil and Lavender will be on the base roster
I personally don't trust Geekdom on some things in the past, but I also wouldn't be surprised if they were in the base roster. Basil and Lavender did get enough screentime to make full movesets out of.

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Re: "Sparking! ZERO" Official Announcement & Pre-Release Discussion Thread

Post by Koitsukai » Mon Feb 05, 2024 9:10 am

I wonder how many characters would be needed to cater to the entire fandom, including DB, Z, DBS, manga, GT, movies, SDBH, Daima and then some, like the odd fusions and non-fighting characters. I guess around 300 characters, who knows when we'll get such a big roster.
9th gen and we are only getting a handful more than 15 years ago.

I'm not sure if SZ will have 164 from the get go or if that will be the limit including upcoming DLCs. If it gets half the love XV2 got, then probably the roster will be closing in on 200.

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Re: "Sparking! ZERO" Official Announcement & Pre-Release Discussion Thread

Post by Lukmendes » Mon Feb 05, 2024 11:10 am

IntangibleFancy wrote: Sun Feb 04, 2024 8:04 pm The thing that bothers me about the roster is the fact that it doesn't seem like it'd be a game that includes lesser known or tertiary characters like BT3 did with Appule or RB2 did with Tarble.
Time will tell. I kinda expect at least a few of Super's less popular characters are making it in.
That kind of dashed my hopes of seeing DBS characters that haven't been able to make it out of the Dokkan/Heroes purgatory, like Magetta and Botamo - who've been apart of the franchise for 8 years but haven't made it to 1 fighting game. I wanted Belmod too.

I'm also kind of interested to see who from BT3 they're going to take out and if it's permanent. King Cold is almost definitely gonzo, but would he be DLC? Unless he came as a package deal with a popular character, I can't see anyone buying him.
Yeah I get the feeling they'll do DLCs in packages too... Though what package would even include Cold? Maybe something related to Freeza's family (Specially if Cooler isn't in base roster), or just Freeza's army in general.
Rinsankajugin wrote: Sun Feb 04, 2024 9:05 pm Honestly speaking, if and when they do cuts to the BT3 roster, I'm pretty sure they'll them back in eventually. The devs know we've been waiting for a game like this for over a decade. My only wonder is HOW the DLC is going to be planned out. Personally, I don't think they're going to release one character at a time like other games, because Tenkaichi counts transformations as their own characters, and a LOT of characters have transformations.
Yeah and selling them separately would be just off, like, it's not impossible but it'd at the very least, look weird for say, making Frost as DLC and each of his transformations as a different character, and if you buy one but not the rest, you can't transform mid battle...
Not saying it's going to happen like this, I could see packs of 5-8 characters being released at a time, each pack themed after either a saga, movie or location. Here's a few examples:
  • Cooler Pack: Cooler (Base, Final Form), Meta-Cooler (Base, Core), Salza, Niez, Dore, Cyclopian Guard
  • Bojack Pack: Bojack (Base, Full Power), Gokua (Base, Full Power), Zangya, Bido, Bujin
  • Universe 3 Pack: Mosco, Dr. Paparoni (Base w/ Koicéareta, Anilaza), Katopesla (Base, Ultimate Mode), Maji-Kayo, Narirama
  • Universe 4 Pack: Quitela, Ganos (Base, Full Power), Monna, Dercori, Caway, Majora
  • Time Patrol Pack: Xeno Trunks (Base, SS, SS3, SSG), Chronoa (Base, Time Unleashed)
  • Time Breaker Pack: Towa (Base, Darkness, Demon Goddess), Mira (Base, Berserk, Super Mira, Full Power)
  • Shallot Pack: Shallot (Base, SS, SS2, SS3, SSG, SSB)
  • Legends Pack: Zahha, Giblet (Base, Second Stage, SSG, SSG Unleashed), Shallet
Something like this could work.

Should also have included Bardock in the Time Breaker pack, no way they're not selling another Goku :lol:

Would also be better if Shallot is part of the "Legends" pack.
Koitsukai wrote: Mon Feb 05, 2024 9:10 am I wonder how many characters would be needed to cater to the entire fandom, including DB, Z, DBS, manga, GT, movies, SDBH, Daima and then some, like the odd fusions and non-fighting characters. I guess around 300 characters, who knows when we'll get such a big roster.
9th gen and we are only getting a handful more than 15 years ago.
I mean it depends on how much representation each arc is getting and how much fans may care about minor characters.

Like you could cover all of these things you listed with "just" 150 characters, even less too.

ToP for example, doesn't even need most of Pride Troopers, just Jiren, Toppo and maybe Dyspo are fine, and maybe an odd pick or two from another universe like Anilaza.
I'm not sure if SZ will have 164 from the get go or if that will be the limit including upcoming DLCs. If it gets half the love XV2 got, then probably the roster will be closing in on 200.
It would be really stupid to show a trailer with 164 slots and later claim parts of it will be DLC lol.
jjgp1112 wrote: Sat Mar 12, 2022 12:08 am My man, all Goku had to do was go SSJ3 and shock Vegeta so much the M on his head would have turned into an L and Buu would have never happened.

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Re: "Sparking! ZERO" Official Announcement & Pre-Release Discussion Thread

Post by Rinsankajugin » Mon Feb 05, 2024 7:39 pm

They've had almost 6 years of dev time, I'm sure 164 will be the base roster (maybe even a bit more than that considering we still don't have a release date). Still though, even a roster THAT big will never please every, especially those wanting everyone back from Tenkaichi 3's 161 character roster. If Spike really wants to please everyone, then there's a good handful of characters they're going to need to add, both important and obscure...

OG Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball Z
Dragon Ball Super
To be continued in a second post...
Last edited by Rinsankajugin on Mon Feb 05, 2024 7:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: "Sparking! ZERO" Official Announcement & Pre-Release Discussion Thread

Post by Rinsankajugin » Mon Feb 05, 2024 7:45 pm

PART 2, it's a lot...

Movies and Specials
Dragon Ball GT
Dragon Ball Games
Other Toriyama Works

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Re: "Sparking! ZERO" Official Announcement & Pre-Release Discussion Thread

Post by sangofe » Tue Feb 06, 2024 9:55 am

Rinsankajugin wrote: Mon Feb 05, 2024 7:45 pm PART 2, it's a lot...

Movies and Specials
Dragon Ball GT
Dragon Ball Games
Other Toriyama Works
I hope Rild was in your part 1 for DBGT...

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