I understand why people want the recovery for counters to be fixed but i thought once you hit them, it just resets and the opponent can just hold again. So how does recovery matter really?
I don't think you understand... You say you do but your following sentence contradicts it.
I'll try and explain: the number of dashes indicates time ... (without any specific frames just to make it easy)
Lets say a STUN is ---------- (10)
Lets say a NEW HOLD is ----- (5)
Lets say ALPHA DEMO HOLD IS ---------- (10)
You need to understand that regardless of hold active frames and recovery .. the hold animation counts as an extension of the critical state in stun.
Now, lets say you got hit ... and you're stunned ... and you attempt a hold at the 2nd dash:
With this new system that we are worried about and in DOA4 it would look like this.
--/----- (7) : meaning you now decreased your duration of stun from 10 to 7 despite making a wrong guess. and if a move were to connect in stun normally (lets say a (9) dash move ) it would not work anymore. not only that, you as the defender are considered out of stun now and you have 2 dashes to react with another hold OUTSIDE OF STUN.
If you do not know already a hold OUTSIIDE OF STUN deals more damage and is active for a long time. As a defender you already made a wrong guess, you should NOT be given an advantage like that by being able to hold again out of stun but you should be punished for the wrong call you made when getting hit.
Now lets see that same scenario with the alpha demo:
--/---------- (12) << This is the length of your stunned state as a punishment of your wrong hold guess. and this not only allows that (9) dash move to connect, but even a (10) or (11) or (12) dash move. This creates a much more fair punish and a much more creative mind game and gives alot more options to the attacker AS IT SHOULD BE. It also gives you the ability to connect throws that have a longer start up than normal.
Yes, the situation will reset again once you get hit again. But, if you make the mistake again, you are screwing yourself AGAIN.
Another thing to consider is this:
Lets say that (9) dash move was a launcher attack that only works in stun or counter hit:
- With the new numbering and the DOA4 scenario: that move would not launch but cause a stun and force you to work all over again as an attacker.
- With the ALPHA demo settings: that (9) dash move would connect and LAUNCH.
You see the huge difference here ?
basically, shorter holds reset the situation every time and make the offensive pattern redundant and stupid. And shorter recovery gives the defender a far bigger advantage than he would deserve as they would be able to hold out of stun or simply just block and reset everything.
I hope this makes things clear.