FUTURE FIGHTER Characters
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Work that Works
In order to keep progressing on this sci-fi fighting game #FutureFighter I have had a rule: don't redo work that works. If later you come up with a different or slightly better way of doing something, just use it at the next available opportunity instead. Of course, there is an exception to every rule and accurately representing the real-world martial arts and sparring experiences from my 35 ye... read more
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Play Style to Fighting Style
You've probably noticed that the motion capture for this sci-fi fighting game #FutureFighter is done one move at a time. This is because I wanted you the player to be free to string them together in any way you saw fit for your playstyle; however, all the moves are still designed in such a way that no matter what combination you chose, they will all still naturally flow from one to another as i... read more
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Not Sexy, But...
With #FutureFighter, I am taking my real-life martial arts and sparring experiences and putting them into the game. A lot of what this entails is converting the way the moves feel into math. For example, if you know you are going to do a jumping strike in our world then you put a little extra umph when you start to jump to increase the force. If not then that means you did not know you were goi... read more
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Side By Side
A lot of what I show you for this sci-fi fighting game #FutureFighter is pretty polished work; however, it usually does not start that way. It takes me several...ummm...takes to really get the move looking the way it feels if I were to use it optimally in my real-world sparring sessions. In the real-world, non-optimal variances do not make a huge functional impact; however, in the game-world th... read more
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Combinations
Man it's been a great couple of months putting together the Omen Knight for this sci-fi fighting game #FutureFighter. We've seen our world transported into the game world through motion capture of many of his individual moves. This week I thought I would take a few of those moves and put them in combination. I did so all inside the game world so you can see just how this heavy hitter's fighting... read more
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Check Hand
Check hands are so important in real fighting. They are your first line of defense in case of an unexpected counter attack, so you have to position them in the place with the highest probability of a counter hit. On a jab, I put my check hand beside my chin because you can quickly and easily get to a strike to your face or your ribs. When I imported this motion-captured move for Omega, though, ... read more
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Put Your Shoulder Into It
Ready to see some motion capture in game? I hope so! It is always nice to see it transported into this sci-fi fighting game world and onto the character that it was meant for. You will see all three Omen Knight techniques that have cropped up in pictures and videos on social media over the past 2 to 3 weeks, including the Gravity Punch, which has reached almost 8000 people on Facebook alone thu... read more
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How to Take a Hit
You cannot avoid getting hit in a fight. Heck, even Neo in the Matrix got hit. But getting hit is not the problem. It is what you do after you get hit that is. Do you crumple and fold leaving yourself open for a long combo or worse, do you go full rage and hope that your strength wins over before berserker blinders gets you coldcocked, or do you do everything in your power to recover, reset, an... read more
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Intent
How someone stands on defense in this sci-fi fighting game #FutureFighter tells you just as much about their intent as how someone stands on offense. Take the Omen Knight's blocking stance that we have been motion capturing on social media and in the last post. With its concave waist position and front arm that beckons "come and get it," this stance begs to draw the opponent in. Why? It all com... read more
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I Block You Block We Block
In redesigning the moves for the Omen Knight, one thing serves as the fulcrum: his armor. This is the heaviest, hardest stuff that money can buy in this sci-fi fighting game, #FutureFighter, and the Priest faction spared no expense in both its materials and design. It is sturdy enough to withstand even the most powerful of shots but creased with flexible slits to allow the Omen Knight's hard-hi... read more
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Block This
So, fighting is subtle. More subtle than you think. The reason being is that you do not want to telegraph your moves to your opponent because the best way to ensure success on your attack is to make sure the other guy does not know it is coming. When you are motion capturing these moves into a fighting game, though, the subtlety also gets captured, and that subtlety is sometimes difficult to se... read more
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Stick and Move
Wouldn't it be nice if you could predict the future in fighting? Alas, even in the sci-fi universe of Future Fighter (TM), we find only the present poised paramount per player. But what if there were fighting strategies that used statistical probabilities to determine situations where certain moves would keep your real-life jaw from getting cracked and your in-game character from going down? Go... read more
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Swipe Hype
In translating these fighting moves into the language and look of a video game, I am trying not to lose any information. It's a challenge. I have to take the analog thoughts that are an accumulation of 35 years of fighting experiences and then translate them into computer code. The motion capture is a boon in this regard. It allows an instantaneous transfer of the 4 dimensions of my analog figh... read more
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Square
Martial arts can seem overwhelming from the outside looking in. There are so many movements -- so many approaches. But think of your body. There are really only so many ways it can move. The leg extends only until it is straight and no more. Your waist twists only so far. Even the mighty shoulder stops short while you are doing the wave at football games this fall. When it comes to movement, in... read more
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Variation
Landing a strike on an untrained individual is not difficult. They have so many openings that they are unaware of you can literally take your pick as to where you want to hit. Also, their balance is such that small disruptions can lead to even greater openings. However, a trained fighter is an entirely different animal. They have closed all of those obvious openings and adopted stances to give ... read more
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The Hook
Ready for the heavy hitter? Thus far, you have gotten glimpses of the Omen Knight's powerhouse outlook on fighting through the development of this sci-fi fighting game, Future Fighter (TM), with demonstrations of his no-nonsense fighting stance and a crazy-shock superman punch. But now we are going full-tilt into motion capturing and animating the remainder of his moves, putting them in game, a... read more
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Side Stomp
Contemporary mixed martial arts has popularized a fighting skill called the ground and pound. It is a highly effective means of putting yourself in a position to unleash extremely powerful attacks on your opponent; however, obtaining that position can be costly in stamina. So what do fighters do if they want to inflict some damage on a ground opponent but avoid the prices that come with contact... read more
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Truth
The thing that is hard about fighting is that it hurts, and I am not talking about the physical pain. Getting hit is a clear indication of failure. There is no getting around it -- no denying it -- because if you do then you put continue to put yourself in the same situation. This leads to getting hit again and again until (1) you severely damage part of your body or (2) you get knocked out. So... read more
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Suits
Those are suits, not robots? That's right! This sci-fi fighting game, Future Fighter (TM), features the most excellent hi-tech fighting suits in the galaxy -- all designed to fit our fighters in every way. This includes their body type (e.g. short, tall, small frame, large frame, etc.) but also includes their fighting style. As such it amplifies their every movement -- both offensively and defe... read more
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Power
What are three things that make a great fighter? Skill is certainly super important. It is the attribute that allows you to find an opening, exploit it, and recover so that you do not get hit while in striking distance; however, all the skill in the world won't mean jack if when you land on the opening your hand or foot bounces off of it! For this you need power, and how you decide to generate ... read more
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Placement
When you are fighting but momentarily disengaged, there is a ton of stuff going through your head. What's the opponent thinking? Am I open? I see an opening on the opponent, but will it still be there when I move in? So many variables go into making a move work, but one of the ones I think about the most is placement. Without proper placement the best intentions, the most perfect movement, and ... read more
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Deflection Flash
One of my favorite moves in martial arts is the parry, and since we're motion capturing these moves into this sci-fi fighting game, Future Fighter (TM), why not be able to use it on energy attacks as well? The red Omega is firing a Hacker Shock projectile at the green Omega on the right, and, instead of blocking it, he parries it. This way, green Omega doesn't have to absorb all that energy. He... read more
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The Pummel Podcast
The more Future Fighter (TM) videos I do and the more times I get to introduce them with "Hello fighting gamers," the more each week of this sci-fi fighting game development feels just like a web episode. It's funny because many months ago a friend suggested that I do just that, but I just didn't know how. Turns out that you just have to talk about what you know while showing some cool stuff. I... read more
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Defense Delivers
Defense is probably the most important part of fighting. Think about it. If you can't defend yourself, how can you do any type of offense? Since this sci-fi fighting game is based on my real-life fighting experiences, the same holds true in Future Fighter (TM). If you're too busy getting punched in the face and you do not know how to recover -- how to roll with that punch -- then you'll never b... read more
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Combo Clinic
This is an exciting week for this sci-fi fighting game, Future Fighter (TM). The video below contains the first look at the computer controlling our sci-striker, Omega. Up to this point, all of the combos that you have seen have been controlled by me. This week, we have a non-stop, in-and-out, hyperactive combo completely controlled by the computer. This combo really shows just how much control... read more
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Unsanctioned
So much new content for this sci-fi fighting game, Future Fighter (TM), and so little typing space! This week we have two new moves: the jumping stepping side kick and the hacker shock. The side kick is a devastating attack to the opponent's closest leg that can be aimed at the thigh to crush or the knee to derange. This week Omega demonstrates how you chain that to a canon of a kick, the spinn... read more
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High Low
In this sci-fi fighting game, Future Fighter (TM), motion capture is more than just a way to get the moves into the game. It is a way to get my real-life fighting experiences into your hands. The characters in the game can respond in all the ways a real fighter responds, just like this week's high-low combo with Omega delivering a lightning jab to the head and a rib-cracking shot to the torso o... read more
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Be the Character
As a martial artist rounding the corner towards 40 years of training, my focus in this sci-fi fighting game, Future Fighter (TM), can easily stray towards the game play and the techniques; however, if your graphics are no good then it doesn't matter how good your game play or techniques are even if the focus in a fighting game is the fighting! This is because the graphics serve more than just s... read more
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Ham Hocked
In the sci-fi fighting game world of Future Fighter (TM), that title has to sound a little funny to you. It's the best feeling I could give you, though, as to how it feels to land this combo on someone. The first move is another axe kick, but unlike the previous combo this one comes off the front leg. Aimed at the hamstring, ehem, it serves as a great disrupter whilst simultaneously winding you... read more
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One Two Chop
No, we are not making a roast for this sci-fi fighting game, Future Fighter (TM). We are making a combo! And it is one of my favorite and most used because it is just so effective. It starts with a left jab to the head that lets you work your way in to the follow up hard straight right down the middle. That's the one-two. The chop is the ending axe kick to the thigh muscle that with repetitive ... read more
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Peek-A-Boo
While it might be a childish title, the combo that I so named for this sci-fi fighting game, Future Fighter (TM), is antithesis incarnate. You see that first jab that doesn't land in the GIF above? Well, that often causes your opponent to raise their chin and body up such that they cannot move their head out of the way of an incoming technique! That's why Omega follows up with a devastating str... read more
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Back Off
No, not you! The blue guy in the game play video below! After all, Future Fighter (TM) is a sci-fi fighting game, and sometimes you are going to find yourself in a sticky situation. The good news is, just like in real fighting, there is always a way out. In this case, Omega employs a furious combo against his blue mirror to back him off (spinning back kick) and give him the spacing he needs for... read more
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Good Kung Fu
Many of the movements in this sci-fi fighting game, Future Fighter (TM), come from my training in traditional Chinese martial arts. This is particularly evident in the motion capture of Omega's jump animation. In the video below, notice how Omega swings his back leg forward and up first to provide the momentum for the jump. This technique literally throws you up and forward into the jump and a... read more
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Tuck and Roll
Like in life, sometimes things just do not go your way in a fight. That's when you have to have contingencies in place. Since this sci-fi fighting game, Future Fighter, is based on my real life fighting experiences, there are contingencies galore available to your character. Some of them are by command -- special or otherwise. Others are built in based on your character's fighting style. Omega'... read more
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Fire Fight
So I finally have delivered on the promise of that superman punch! This is the Omen Knight from the sci-fi fighting game, Future Fighter (TM). He is a massive enforcer of God's will whose punching power is only matched by his religious devotion. As such, I have designed fighting movements that take this and his wrecking-crew armor into account. At this point I bet you are saying, "Brock, I've s... read more
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Fighting Suits are Fly
So fly that I just had to post this before we get to the Omen Knight's superman punch. In this sci-fi fighting game, Future Fighter (TM), the tech ninja character had a sleek, operative-style body suit. It was good in the early days of development before Omega and the Omen Knight had been completely fleshed out; however, given their current superior armor, our female lead character needed somet... read more
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Roll Camera and Action
As I have been developing this sci-fi fighting game Future Fighter (TM), I have never thought of the design and production of the moves as choreography. I guess that is because the moves for the first character, Omega, were simply motion capture sequences of me using moves that I use every week in my real-life sparring sessions. I imagined the second character for Future Fighter (TM) quite diff... read more
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Scrape the Sky
Up to this point, the backgrounds for this sci-fi fighting game, Future Fighter (TM), have been of the inside of the underground fighting arena called Level 19. It's a cool level, and I hope you have enjoyed looking at all of the different angles shot in the previous renders posted in this blog; however, I wanted to show that you will travel to many different places during your sci-fi fighting... read more
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The Omen Knight
Last week we were introduced to an operative of the Elite half of the Future Fighter (TM) universe, Arissa D'Fury. This week we will round out this sci-fi fighting game by introducing the main character representing the Priest half of the universe, the Omen Knight. The Omen Knights are the chief defenders of the Priest territories, and once you read chapter one of the novel in the coming week... read more
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Arissa D'Fury: Elite Operative
Chapter one of the Future Fighter (TM) companion novel is on its way, and with it the introduction of two additional characters for this developing sci-fi fighting game. Up first is the female lead character, Arissa D'Fury. Depicted in the image accompanying this post and downloadable as a larger, wallpaper-version below, this female fighter has moves that match her sleekness and beauty. Tra... read more
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Tradition Meets Ferocity
I love fighting. I was scared of it at first, but the more I did it the more courage I got. You would think it is the experience of throwing and blocking attacks that gives you your confidence, but it's not. It's the amount of time you spend in your stance and your comfort level of moving in and out of it in any situation. That is because all actions are taken from your fighting stance. Yo... read more
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Watch Your Head
In fighting -- like in life -- your stance is the most important thing. It is like the beginning and the ending of every exchange, of every technique, and of every unpredictable situation that always seems to arise. Without a customized, individualized, and purposeful fighting stance, you may as well give up the fight now. In Future Fighter (TM), the fighting stance will also be everything, ... read more
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Meet Omega
I have found that if you are going to fight, it is always better to be fighting for something. Fighting for technical reasons can be fun, but I find that I progress much faster if there is an overreaching goal in mind that is more than just skill. The characters in my new fighting game, Future Fighter (TM), all have this dual drive, and Omega (pictured above) most certainly does. After all, his... read more
Motion capturing my 37 years of martial arts and sparring into the sci-fi fighting game #FutureFighter. I create fighting styles based on body type, armor and mentality and then motion capture them into the game where I program cool accompanying tech and teach the AI how to use each style as I would in the real world. When you play #FutureFighter, you face the mind of a martial artist.
I am also transferring the energy of the fight into the music of #FutureFighter where I am writing intense electronic music tracks to fuel your high-energy matches. You can find these featured in the posts on my email list and on social media where I show you how the game is developed and give insights into the martial arts.
When I am not developing, I work as a physician at a local hospital in my home state of West Virginia where I am Chief of Diagnostic Services.
