If you've played TNA the videogame, you will have noticed/atleast heard the criticism that all the wrestlers not only do similar moves, but that they all REVERSE moves in the same way. This thread is about the latter.
Whereas TNA forces every wrestler to reverse a move at a certain point in the same way, maybe PWX can escape that criticism and still have a dynamic, fluent-looking reversal system.
My problem with Smackdown! series' reversals was that you didn't see ANY of the move occur before a reversal the majority of the time; just a collar-and-elbow tie up, then a reversal before a move even starts.. then lather rinse, repeat several times. That's part of the reason the Smackdown! series feels so stop-and-start, with no fluidity to me. And it sucks.
Maybe PWX can find a happy medium between the two, where you still see some of a move performed before a reversal - keeping it looking smooth, but not forcing all wrestlers to reverse a move into the same move. Take the SUPLEX animation in TNA. In the TNA game, the suplex is reversed into a swinging vertical DDT, whether you're Chris Sabin or Tomko. In Smackdown!, you won't even see a suplex animation most times, just that shoddy looking collar-and-elbow break-up. For PWX, perhaps a move should be reversed so that the opponent falls out of the suplex behind the opponent - this reversal has been done in real life, I hope you can picture it - and from here, you can move seemlessly into your wrestler's specific back grapple.
If PWX has no pre-grapple-lock-ups (which I despise, by the way... just use a modifier button to get a medium or a strong attack, I cannot stand the fluidity you lose when there's an awkward tie up every two seconds) then you can reverse said suplex into your wrestler's specific back grapple move - WITHOUT it actually being an adjoining, restrictive animation like in TNA.
If each move can be reversed into a different "groggy" state, from which you can choose to hit a grapple, strike, run off of the ropes (plenty of freedom here, it's free-roam) then you can have all sorts of nice 'spots' and sequences, move-specific to each wrestler, and the best part is it's ALL in the control of the player this way.
It means you could have, say, Shawn Michaels attempt to suplex Kurt Angle, where Angle slips off HBK's back, and - when HBK is now groggy, Angle can choose to hit a german suplex. The spots would all be wrestler-specific, smooth and infinitely variable.
* You could have a different reversal beginning for weight classes. The suplex reversal beginning mentioned is of course not plausible for a wrestler like Big Show. Have a reversal beginning for each weight class, and the system carries on as normal with you choosing which move to use.
* The same can apply for finishers. If you're Angle again, and HBK attempts a Sweet Chin Music on you, Angle can duck underneath this, leaving HBK groggy for a short second, prone to Angle's free choice of move - possibly even an Angle Slam, if a finisher is available. There you go, a wrestler-specific spot, a beautiful finish to a match. It isn't a hard system to run with, and it just sticks a foot right up both TNA's and Smackdown!'s butts because it keeps the fluidity but you have as many choices for a move to reverse into as your Moveset allows.
* As a little aside, I'm aware the suplex counter is actually in some Smackdown! games... it's just an example of what PWX could run with, however, for every move in the game. Smackdown! only has one or two moves that can be reversed like this, one is the suplex, another a german suplex... you get the idea.
Do as KoC2 does and give 20 or so different reversal types. For example one type might reverse a powerbomb into a hurricanrana, one into a sunset flip, one into a backbody drop, one into an alabama slam. Obviously some reversals will be duplicated so one might do the hurricanrana reversal and another might do the sunset flip reversal but those two types might both reverse a DDT into a Northern Lights Suplex. Obviously you could give us the option to asign all the reversals as well but part of why I love KoC2 is that every now and then I witness a new reversal that I'd never seen before (such as the Tarantula that Kendo Ka Shin does, which I saw for the first time after owning the game for about 4 years).
The Legends of Wrestling reversal system was timing-based with an ever-decreasing window of opportunity with each successive reversal.
Let's say you're getting Bodyslammed. Press X at the right time and you'll drop around back, giving your opponent a timing meter to press X (with a slightly smaller window than the first reversal). They're successful and switch around behind YOU, making the window for YOU to press X smaller than before. As each reversal succeeds, the window becomes so small, you have to execute perfect Fire Pro like timing to reverse, before SOMEBODY'S move becomes 100% successful. If your SPECIAL meter (the meter that allows you to perform a Finisher twice before going emptying again) is full, your window of reversal is HUGE while your opponent's window is almost non-existent (except when they're stunned, where your move will be 100% successful with no chance of reversal).
In the small list of "good things" about the Legends of Wrestling series (including the roster), the reversal system is tied (with aforementioned roster) for the BEST.
Wow, okay. That does actually sound pretty swell as a reversal system.
It's oh-so-frustrating that the best elements of wrestling games are scattered across different titles from different consoles, companies and time-periods..
I'd like to see submission-to-submission reversals. Even in the games I come close to liking it is too often the case that wrestlers will just break holds in the middle of the ring for no apparent reason. If it's not possible to turn a hold in one's favour, shuffling to the ropes (complete with a corresponding animation) would be the alternative. It would be more work for the animators, but I doubt anyone really wants to see entrapped wrestlers slowly gliding as is often the case in games. Additionally, reversing moves when you're on the mat (i.e. using a quick inside cradle, low blow crouching takedown etc) could be considered. What InTheZone has mentioned about grapple systems has been something I've wanted in the game for a long time, but short of someone modding the game itself I alas doubt it's going to happen.