idk if they are trying to go for more of a standard fighting game model by not having abilities like the older games (are they trying to go for some kind of esports thing or what). but i'm not happy about it, that's not a good change.
NT is being marketed as a legit competitive experience. SE and fighting game fans are both making pushes to have it appear at events like Evo and SoCal. It's also the key reason development was handed to Team Ninja.
I, personally, love the game. My brother and I are big Overwatch players. One similarity between Overwatch and Dissidia NT is that characters are mostly static. I'm actually surprised there's any move customization at all in NT, there's none in Overwatch. Like you said this is purely for balance reasons. Accounting for over a hundred separate pieces of equipment and accessories that existed in the original games would be impossible.
However, I've never played a game with as much strategy as Overwatch and it's one of the reasons I'm stoked for NT. You'd think with static movesets that gameplay would become stale, but I've found the opposite. The strategy comes from knowing the strengths and weaknesses of both team compositions and organizing big plays. For example, one of my favorite characters in Overwatch received a seemingly minor buff. Her primary damage went from 60 to 70, a mere ten points, but this totally affected how I consider enemy engagements. It means I can take down 200 health enemies, which is common, in three shots instead of four. I may be able to hold my own instead of running. This can easily launch into a conversation about how she compares to other healers. It's crazy fun!
The use of strategy is flipped between the original Dissidia games and NT. In the originals there was more strategy taking place pre-fight in your character build. Do you focus on Assist or Ex Mode? Do you equip a variety of moves or focus on passive skills? Whereas in NT you organize team attacks and call out key targets. I think both are great. Admittedly, since no one uses a microphone, NT is at a disadvantage in casual play.
So yeah, I get why NT might not be for everyone, especially if you enjoy deep character customization or a story mode. However, there is a reason for all the changes and I think they're good relative to their goal of building a competitive brawler.
I was supposed to have the package weeks ago
The game launches January 30th so I'm not sure what you mean. We've been playing the beta.
The primary reason for that is: lootboxes. "Shop" and "Treasure" where shiny pseudo-satisfying noises happen when completely random things drop spells absolute trouble. Obviously none of us can accurately comment on this as yet since the game hasn't been released but if there's a way to buy "memoria" from the shop (and it's REALLY looking like there will be) this game is trash and lives a life of trash regardless of how enjoyable and balanced the game play potentially is. fuck lootboxes
Loot boxes are confirmed to be in-game unlocks in NT and there will be no real money involved. You can rest easy on that.
However, I disagree with your blind hate towards loot boxes. At risk of sounding like an Overwatch fanboy (I'm not really, I barely talk about it outside of my brother), I'd argue the game is one of the many current examples of loot boxes done right. If done right it eliminates season passes. If done right developers are now able to build meaningful content for a game and be supported with a constant stream on revenue. If done right it should only affect cosmetics and not give other players unfair advantages. If done right. I'm not saying loot boxes work for every game, but when they do it's a great thing. Overwatch has released lots of new characters and maps and has only charged me for the entrance fee. What I get is a living, breathing game that always has something new for my friends and I to return to.
It is too bad they didn't have any villains in, I've never heard an interview with Newbern about Sephiroth, though he lists him on his shortlist of roles on his twitter.
