What is a reasonable size roster for a first (in a series) new fighting game?

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Topcyclist

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Poll What is a reasonable size roster for a first (in a series) new fighting game? (19 votes)

2 5%
3-8 16%
10-14 53%
16-20 32%
25-50 0%
100-150 0%
200 0%
Infinite - DLC, mods, Ongoing, with a create a character and move set 0%
I don't understand the question 0%
None of the above 0%
1 character, i just wanna play tekken force lol 0%

(including unlockables as a character slot such as beating the game and getting the boss as a choice, and minor edits aka goku level 1 and goku level 3 transformations are different characters if you can choose them differently in the selection screen)

I got to thinking after playing some older fighters like power stone and how the first game roster felt sorta small but made them all unique. Then the sequel, again sorta same issue, etc.

Then you have games like dbz breakers with a selection that would take days to get through and you likely wont use most of em, then the extreme ends like M.U.G.E.N where people just vs 500 slots. So what is the fair enough passable level for a first game you are putting out?

PS: For those who don't know anything about dbz, just replace goku with idk subzero, and reptile in the older games, similar look but different enough for a slot.

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chamurai

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20 is a good, round number.

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judaspete

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#2  Edited By judaspete

I'd say 10 is a reasonable expectation for a new franchise. It's enough for decent variety without putting too much burden on the devs. We tend to get spoiled by iterative sequels in this genre. I do love having 40+ fighters to choose from, but if I'm being real, no matter how big the roster I tend to settle on a handful of characters for 90% of my playtime.

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AV_Gamer

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#3  Edited By AV_Gamer

I picked 16-20, but really 10-14 is also a really solid number for a new fighting game. But it's more so about the quality of the fighters than the overall number. The reason Street Fighter 2 is now a classic in the genre, is because each character was fun to use and to master.

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bigsocrates

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All you need is one Nidhogg.

More seriously I think that it somewhat depends on price, but 8-10 is fine for a smaller scale game. A massive roster is harder to balance and often has a lot of duplication. 8-10 unique fighters can make an enduring game, as we've seen many times.

@av_gamer: You're not wrong per se, but there were a LOT of reasons why Street Fighter 2 became a classic. It revolutionized the genre. Obviously its roster has endured and is still mostly relevant, but it's impossible to pick one aspect that made it what it was.

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Shindig

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It depends on the roster, too. I don't like it cluttered with copycats.