It's only affected like 4 characters don't be ridiculous...the increase in 50/50, how character tiers seem to have switched around and the game doesn't seem more balanced, and a list of other things.
I'm sure you think Laura is fair and balanced tho and love the DP nerf. Everyone is biased in some way, but honestly, even without Ken being touched I would have taken a long break. This is purely coming from me watching matches now and updates. So you can save the smart remarks...
Apart from Laura currently taking Mika's old spot in the tier list, I don't think there was necessarily a huge increase on 50/50's. IMO Urien would've slowly would've been top 10 in S1 if it stuck around for longer or if he came out earlier. The rest of the top 5/10 don't rely on it that much imo.
Do I think Laura is fair and balanced in this patch? Not really. There's a few things that I don't think are necessary like +1 elbow after VT command throw, but I also don't think people have learned the proper defensive tools against Laura either. A lot of players get away with fake pressure/blockstrings/mixups that have options against it, but the players don't yet know it, which is really on yall for not knowing how to deal with it properly. I also think the input lag helps her and a few other characters out a bit which needs to still be lowered. Tbh I really don't know why Capcom took away Mika's cr.HP being +1 and gave it to Laura but it'll probably be removed soon enough anyway lol.
In regards to DP's, I don't just like the change as a Laura player, I just don't think it made any sense for some of the most offensive characters in
this game to have it. Cammy/Necalli/Ken are all straight RTSD characters that also has a get off me card to use at any given point really doesn't make sense imo. If their going to have it, then share the wealth to the rest of the cast that's getting knocked down once and instantly losing as well. I've said this before but DP's should never trade with jump ins when it's done deep though, I'll always agree with that.
I think the balancing for the game is more or less kind of the same. Chun negated pretty much the entire cast just off the strength of her tool set and now Guile does that in her space. Necalli/Cammy/Ken are still all viable. Nash was on his way out of the top 10 by the end of S1 now he's definitely out of it. Ryu I really don't know where he stands right now. Laura replaced Mika. Urien/Balrog are on the come up. Overall there's a lot more viable characters in this season imo.
IMO the list of viable characters for this current version of S2:
- Guile
- Necalli
- Laura
- Mika
- Chun
- Cammy
- Ken
- Urien
- Balrog
- Bison
- Rashid
- Ibuki
- Akuma (maybe lol, gotta wait til CPT starts)
- Dhalsim
- Karin
- Zangief
- Birdie
All of the characters listed imo could win a fairly stacked tournament.
Characters that I don't think are currently viable are: Fang/Vega/Juri/Alex/Nash/Ryu
I have no idea what they're doing with Fang/Alex and they were probably better off in S1. Nash got smashed with the nerf stick because of Infiltration's sins. (also 3 Nash's top 3 at evo is a big sign). Infiltration will probably prove me wrong with Juri, but with barely anyone currently playing her I don't really see what makes her that great. I also barely know the MU lol. Vega is a good character, but I can't see him running through a whole tournament bracket by himself, his defensive options are still way too poor imo and his offense still isn't that scary. Ryu is in a weird spot where I think he's still viable and I don't think he is. He's a solid character but.. I really don't know what he's supposed to do now lol. And Guile shuts him down worse than before.
Viable characters in S1 going off of tournament results:
- Chun
- Guile
- Mika
- Ryu
- Ken
- Necalli
- Nash
- Karin
Overall I think the balancing is better in S2 with more characters being viable. With Chun being nerfed, that has already opened up a door way for more characters to have a breathing chance at winning instead of getting stomped down by her. The tournament season hasn't started and they've already teased at a balance patch coming so the tiers could get flipped around again before CPT starts.
What if she has ice powers normally but then gets fire in V-Trigger as a callback to Gill
What if she has resurrection and her name changes to Elena?