Paragraph Update!
> Just so you are aware, the idea behind this character is a character that demands good movement and skilled positioning. As well as management of resources, and preparation paired with the usual prediction. This character is acting as both a movement based rushdown character and the """""""charge""""""" character of the game. Switching between the two when he needs to. His moves that require you be crouched for a while obviously require planning to use well. As to make going on the defensive possible, but require more gamesense and skill than the other characters. In return the defensive shenanigans shall be pretty strong, but with not much sustain. This will make him play differently from the other characters. And make him a unique combat puzzle to solve. If you can skillfully breach his defense or catch him off guard before he can prepare his shenanigans, his disadvantage state will be quite vulnerable.
Viewing post in Character Concept: The Operator (Formerly "Soldier")
>Super Sprint: A more extreme version of the "Sprint" movement tool I'll talk more about later. The animation I have in mind is most similar to Iron Man's dash from Marvel Superheroes. Basically using the strength of the exoskeleton for a big burst of speed. However this is pretty slow to recover after the fact. In return it's free cancelable. It is very fast and covers a lot of ground though.
> Exo Double Jump: Very precise and controllable double jump Works off of an "air" meter the exo suit runs off of rather than air actions. This meter recharges slowly when you are on the ground. I'm half tempted to come up with some sort of way to refuel mid air for an air action and meter, but I think using a resource that's more limited than air actions is a notable weakness I feel this warrants having. You use slightly more air the higher and/or further you jump.
> Exo Air Boost: Uses a fair bit of air, but launches Soldier in a manner similar to Ninja's momentum release. Except you can actually control the direction and speed directly. In the same way you'd control teleport or a double jump. Meaning it’s basically an air dash you can react out of very quickly. Very strong, probably in every situation. This is designed to be his most versatile movement tool. But you’d need to be in the air to use it, so it requires some planning and setup. You shouldn’t be able to use this as a reaction to something if you aren’t in the air. If it turns out to be too powerful in this way, lock the fast recovery around initiative and while doing a combo. It should use a not irrelevant amount of air in return for its immense usefulness. Note that you cannot use this on the ground, that and the air meter are the balancing factor here.
> That's it movement wise. Obviously backwards movement should have the penalties like everyone else has. This is supposed to be a rushdown character after all. Maybe even make his backwards movement cost air lol. In general I'm trying to make sure that running away and doing shenanigans with his longer ranged attacks isn't valid as a response to the neutral. It should really only be an option when Wizard and Ninja start spamming their projectiles, or they start running away. As this character specializes in anti projectile shenanigans. As well as the type of character that sort of demands the opponent interact with them in the neutral. If you leave the soldier to his own devices, you’ll find that he’ll use certain tools that’d otherwise not be safe to use at a closer range to give you lots of trouble. Both players are looking to apply pressure to scare the other off from doing chicanery.
I'll be taking a break now, I got games to play lol.
> A knife!:
It’s a knife, basically a cowboy slash, but with much, much, much worse range. Maybe better frame data in return? But you basically have to be point blank for this one. Having worse range than even the pistol whip. But in every other way it’s a good move. This is the combo starter you wanna go for on the ground. Most of the time though you’ll be coming in from the air. But this move serves its niche well.
> Rifle Butt: Lunging attack with poor recovery on whiff. But good damage and chaining potential. Kind of like ninja nunchucks, but not attached to a stance. This move exists to be instant canceled for the most part. As it's a slow recovery from having to throw the rifle (which is on a sling mind you) back over your shoulder. But, surely it can work just as well in the corner or with some additional setup, right? Also a good whiff punish or read.
> Dive’n Slide: Soldier does a diving kick that keeps his momentum upon activation without changing that momentum whilst in the air, when he hits the ground he does a slide, the slide goes a different distance depending on distance fallen. This has a hitbox obviously but is mainly a movement thing to chase after people after a conflict in the air. Not super safe if whiffed, hits as a low, but is pretty good on hit. But obviously reactable. This is free cancelable. Because that'd be cool. It’s best used though as a mixup. If you react to or read a high block while coming in from the air, you can use this to hit low and defeat their high block.
Back to work with me! More editing for now. I'll get to new stuff soon enough though. I just gotta think of more special moves lol.