So it's a double mode in one character. I won't argue about the way you want to do things, just expect comments like how "non-competitive" that is.
Personally, most of what they call non-competitive I call as an excuse they use to cover how bad they are controlling the character under different and unexpected situations. "
So, since we don't know how to handle this, let's only play in flat platforms to make things easier." I'm saying this because you have some amount of work already done, and see something new worth using nowadays is a miracle. Don't give up.
You can do that if you wish, just be careful with the filesize. A thing I just thought reading this would be using the child form as a training stage. For example, if you use more side tilts, then, in the adult form, your side smashes will be stronger. This will make harder to balance it, though, but could give some good meaning to the child stage.
A lot of Haru's design is based on conditioning. After playing with Shulk, I realized he is much too slow to do damage on his own without first conditioning the opponent. Haru is only able to level up by conditioning his opponent to act differently out of some responses. If they avoid him, he will level up. If they attack him, he can try to continue the combo further and sacrifice the level-up for damage. A lot of Shulk is too slow to actually follow up so I constantly found myself patiently doing one or two hits, waiting, and then reacting to fend off damage. I thought to myself how cool it would be to have a reward for either waiting, or actually attacking.
This is a bit like Cloud though, since if you don't approach him, he can decide to gain strength via limit charge. If you decide to face him, he will be unable to charge his limit but he's very formidable and safe.
Haru is the perfect balance between these, except he can't simply avoid combat and camp unless he is using projectiles. You find a LOT of cloud players who will hit you away, then use the opportunity to charge limit and it feels more like you're being scolded by an adult for doing something dumb. I don't like that feeling.
If people want to use Haru Akenaga, they have to realize that he can be very weak or very strong. It all depends on how well you read your opponent. Just like how in any smash game, you can score a major hit or kill simply by performing the perfect chain of actions depending on how your opponent acts. Haru rewards reads.
I think because he has some aerials that last a long time (Tap-Backair, Tap-nair, and hold-dair)
I would consider making Haru's smash attacks when he is a child moves that will simply level him up when used. Sort of like how Robin's Levin sword recharges faster the more you use the bronze sword. There's little reward because the low damage and low safety, but you'll still try to land them. I would make them completely different animations because his adult-smashes will use the sword. I still haven't planned his Dsmash yet because I need something better than what he has now.
As for the rest of him, I sort of designed him to be a mix of my favorite characters in smash. Here's my major philosophy:
-Flexibility offstage (Shulk, Ganondorf)
-Strength based on charge or level (Robin, Cloud, Shulk's arts [which felt very inconsistent AND are forced])
-Combos based on skill (Ryu, except I hate his dtilt and utilt. It feels cheesy for me to get a combo out of them)
-Movement skills (ZSS, Bayonetta)
-Having more than one version of an attack (Ryu, Bayonetta)
I feel like Haru will be able to compete with the rest of brawl's cast, but will have strengths and weaknesses that aren't present in the game. He will do well against balanced mods that are meant to feel like mods. Additionally I have made his kit intentionally so that the next character that I make will feel a bit like him. I wish to make a roster of smash characters that feel similar and change the meta.
For the future modpack, each character will have the following:
- A way of healing
- Super moves of some kind
- An additional mode that they can activate
- Ways to deal with projectiles or camping
I simply want to balance my own version of a fighting game so that everybody feels fair. I want to create a game where all play-styles are welcome and nothing feels cheesy. But in addition to this, I want the player to be able to feel like he is having a grand adventure. Perhaps he or she can choose larger stages where the battle feels more like a story than a competitive match with a certain meta. I want running away and healing to be viable, especially for 4 player matches. I want stage control to be a real thing for some characters so that it all becomes a thinking and conditioning game regardless of which character you are using. I believe that I will be able to create a very fun and interesting version of this game. Much like Minus or Project M, except with my own characters. This will be a project to help me grow as a game developer since I am currently working for a gaming company and am also working on a game of my own. Understanding balance and design philosophy is the first thing that I want to do before I will release a game of my own. That being said, I think I will create a thread discussing this new modpack (which I had planned for a while actually).