SFLIU Frequently Asked Questions (& Answers!) ============================================= By Brian Chan (chanav@sfu.ca) Version 1.02 Last revision: January 16, 1994 Updated for SFLIU V2.00 release Q: Can I write to the author? A: Yes you can! And here are the E-mail addresses of the author and his dearest assistant. ;) Comments, suggestions, requests, or even a word from you are very welcomed! Hey, your letter will probably be the only reward me and Derek will ever get so feel free to write to us! Derek Liu (Lancer) - deliu@unixg.ubc.ca Brian Chan - chanav@sfu.ca Q: When's the next version of SFLIU coming out, and what can we expect? A: The next version of SFLIU will probably be SFLIU 2.10. Hopefully Vega should be completed by then. Possibly even more game graphics will be added and edited, and maybe the postponed "Super" version will be released then. Q: Some of the backgrounds look really smudged or are off in color, is Derek going to change them or what? A: Not if you don't write to us telling us which background do you think is poor in quality and which one's not. We didn't have time to fine tune the backgrounds but if there's enough requests you'll see some improved backgrounds in V2.10. Q: I've looked into the KEY file and noticed that there are many moves starting with a number followed by an "U", should I edit them so we can use the move? A: Hey certainly not! Those moves are reserved for the computer's use only, you mess around with that the EXE file will notice the changes then format your hard drive! Actually the game will just act weirdly if you change that, our advice is: NEVER DO IT. Q: Why is the computer so stupid? The game isn't much of a challenge. A: SF196.EXE merely does normal moves and the special moves (specified in the KEY file) at random. To get the most fun out of the game, try increasing the computer's Offensive and Defensive strength to about 3/4 full, and yours around 1/4. And don't just sit there throwing fireballs all day at the opposite side of the screen, get in the computer's face! Practice your combos! (And maybe the computer will land one too!) :) Note that in SFLIU the computer has a bit of AI, where you'll see the computer landing combos on you from time to time. That's our slightest effort to make the game more fun. Also note that in version 2.00 the computer slams less than the alpha version. Q: Why can't Ryu/Ken/Chun Li do Cyclone/SBK in the air? A: SF2IBM has a number of problems regarding the ability to perform special moves in the air. Firstly, it cannot detect where the ground is, or where in the jump that the CK/SBK was called. Therefore, we cannot program a proper CK/SBK without having Ken/Ryu/Chun Li "float" back to earth, or disappear below the ground. Secondly, continual use of moves in the air has the potential to hang the game by having Ken/Ryu/Chun Li go higher and higher, off the screen. Thirdly, there is a bug in the .EXE that involves interrupting sequences "reprogramming" other sequences. Therefore, we tried to keep interrupting to a minimum-just the moves that are able to be interrupted in the arcade. Fourthly, if we did do moves in the air, it wouldn't exactly match the arcade anyways. In HF, an aerial CK/SBK has no ascending motion, while in SF2IBM it would. Note that in SFLIU 2.00, the computer can now do it though :) Q: Why is there a file called "HYP-#SET.COM" and what does it do? A: It turns on the Number Lock. A while back, Derek and I were annoyed at having our number lock turned off by SF2IBM, so we came up with HYP-#SET. If you prefer having your Number Lock off, just edit it out of the batch files "SF2.BAT" or delete the "HYP-#SET.COM" file. Q: Why isn't there charging built into the game? A: Charging IS in fact built into SF2IBM, but it doesn't add anything to the gameplay. You cannot jump and charge, so Guile wouldn't be able to do any combos. The charge time is too long, longer that Guile's jump time, so Guile still wouldn't be able to do combos! :( A single keystroke would erase the charge, so one cannot punch and charge at the same time. Note that charging is used on Balrog's level 3 charge and on Andy's killing move. Q: How do I Cyclone Kick over a fireball? The game always makes me block. A: "Timing", in the arcade sense, is not needed to perform special moves in SF2IBM. The game merely detects a series of keystrokes within a certain time "window". If it matches a special move, then that special move is performed. Try pressing "down", release, then press "back", release, then finally hit a kick button. Ryu/Ken should still do a CK, despite the fact that the keystrokes were not "consecutive". Of course, this doesn't apply to Sonic Booms or Yoga Fires. And also keep in mind that only Ryu is invincible on the way up, and that you cannot CK over a slow fireball unless you're getting up. This method also applies to going through projectiles with the jab Sumo Head Butt. Q: Why doesn't a jumping short last throughout the whole jump? A: To avoid having an attack hitting twice. There are no "hit flags" in SF2IBM, where once an attack has hit, it is incapable of hitting again, so we had to cut the duration of the attack. Q: Why do some combos still redizzy? A: The internal dizzy meter works a bit differently than the arcade. When dizzy in the arcade, one's dizzy meter should be set on empty to make a re-dizzy extremely unlikely, if not impossible. Besides, in SF2IBM, the dizzy meter is extremely crude. In SFLIU, the "big" combos might redizzy, such as the Fierce/Fierce/DP combos. However, there's not much we can do about that, since the dizzying power of all attacks were already lowered as much as possible. Q: Why is it that if I throw a fireball close up, and my opponent blocks, his blocking time is shorter than my fireball delay time? Then he combos me back. This isn't MK, y'know! A: In the arcade, different actions cause different blocking time. For example, the "block stun" time of blocking a fireball is exactly the same as the fireball delay. The block stun caused by a jab will be shorter than the block stun caused by a fierce. However, in SF2IBM, there is only one blocking time. We had to shorten it to allow blocking a high attack immediately followed by a low attack. Unfortunately, that brought in the MK factor. :( Q: Why does Blanka's roll go through the opponent? A: The .EXE cannot interrupt the rolling motion when it detects a collision. Going through the opponent is due to the small invulnerable time during the "slide back" motion after being hit. The same thing happens when two Kens do a fierce DP -- they pass through each other, due to the invulnerability. The .EXE will not make them slow down and "collide", like the arcade. Q: Why can't I do moves if my opponent is holding down too many of his keys? A: The .EXE doesn't handle keyboard conflicts rather well. Try using the default key mapping given with SFLIU. If anyone finds a less conflicting configuration, please tell us. Q: Why doesn't the close range attacks work if my opponent is directly above me? A: I guess the .EXE only calls up the close range attacks when the opponent is on the ground. Q: Why are the interruptable moves still able to be interrupted when I haven't hit my opponent? A: SF2IBM 1.90's interrupt feature makes no distinction between previously hitting or missing your opponent. Besides, it is possible in the arcade to interrupt without a previous hit (although it is nowhere near as easy as SFLIU!)