Buffer: Difference between revisions

'''Buffering''' is a game mechanic in which a player may input an action shortly before it can be executed in-game, resulting in the action being carried out on the first possible frame. Many different video games of various genres implement a buffering system of some sort, but its implementation is arguably most notable in fighting games, where a decreased emphasis on frame-perfect inputs means easier access to [[combo]]s, thus improving accessibility for casual players. The mechanic has existed in some form in every ''{{b|Super Smash Bros.|series}}'' game, although ''[[Brawl]]'' was the first one to allow any input to be buffered, as opposed to a select few actions.

There are negative effects to buffered inputs; most notable, a player may input a move that does not activate until their fighter is in a different spot, such as a [[jab]] near the [[ledge]] becoming a [[neutral aerial]] if they leave the stage before it can activate. This kind of situation can be deadly for characters with [[lag]]gy aerials, such as [[Ike]], whose recoveries do not provide enough vertical distance to recover after the attack ends. Unintentional buffered actions are significantly more common in online play than offline play, due to built-in [[frame delay]] used to stabilize matches combined with [[Wi-Fi lag]] that can result from a poor connection,

''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'' was the first game in the series to introduce a universal input buffer for basic actions. When the player is performing an animation, there is a window of 10 [[frames]] at the end of most moves and animations where the player can buffer any action, including attacks, jumps, and dodges. This allows the player to easily perform frame-perfect actions without having to perfectly time their button presses; in other words, they have 1/6th of a second to enter a precise input rather than 1/60th of a second. If the animation is shorter than 10 frames, the player can still buffer actions, but they will have less time to do so.

When multiple buttons are pressed, the game will usually buffer the first input pressed (so if the player did a forward smash, a side special and then a spot dodge for example, the game would buffer the forward smash) but there are some instances where the game can buffer multiple inputs. This can result in the player being capable of doing things which would not be possible without buffering. Some examples of this include:

*Performing any action on the first frame of a ground jump.

*Double jumping and performing an aerial/air dodge/special on the same frame. The player has to buffer the double jump first and then buffer the desired aerial action. Usually, the double jump overrides the player's attack input if both are done on the same frame.

*Performing an instant dash attack or dash grab by buffering a dash, letting go of the control stick and then pressing attack/grab.

**The player can also input an up smash after buffering a dash attack to perform a Buffered [[Dash attack canceled up smash]]. The player performs an up smash but they also carry over the momentum from the dash attack.

Despite the introduction of a universal buffer mechanic however, there are still multiple instances where the player cannot buffer either a specific action or any action. Instances where this is the case include:

*Grab aerials in the air if used on their own (can be buffered if the player buffers a double jump before hand).

*Shield after dropping the input during the 10 frame period

*All actions except for a down tilt after a down tilt with no [[interruptible]] frames.

Additionally, side tilt, down tilt, and non-smash-input side and down special cannot be buffered unless the control stick is released before the buffer window ends.

In ''Super Smash Bros. 4'', the universal buffer system returns, albeit with some adjustments. There is now a hierarchy of moves that will come out when multiple inputs are pressed at the same time/during the buffer window. Special moves have the highest priority, followed by shields, attacks, jumps, and stick inputs, in that order. For ledge options, ledge jumping has the highest priority, followed by ledge attacking and ledge rolling. This hierarchy is the reason why buffering both a control stick input and a button input at the same time (or multiple button inputs) is impossible and thus, a common problem when trying to perform moves like [[dash attack]] or dash grab [[out of shield]]. This also means that multiple actions which could be buffered in ''Brawl'' (like an immediate double jump aerial or a dash attack) can no longer be buffered.  

The strange buffer issue forward tilts, down tilts/specials and side specials had in ''Brawl'' has been fixed, allowing these moves to be buffered like any other move. This issue does still exist with down tilts/specials when performing a soft or hard landing however although like in ''Brawl'', the player can still buffer these actions by letting go of the control stick before the landing animation ends.

 

Most of the actions which cannot be buffered in ''Brawl'' still cannot be buffered in ''Smash 4'' although the player can now buffer actions out of hitstun unlike in ''Brawl''. The issue where moves could not be buffered out of a down tilt with no interruptible frames has also been fixed.  

While ''Ultimate'' retains the buffering system from ''Smash 4'' (albeit with the window reduced to 9 frames), it also introduces a second universal buffering system: holding an input through the end of a previous move's animation will now cause the held input to be buffered. This type of buffering has always existed for actions such as walking and shielding but ''Ultimate'' makes it a universal mechanic for any animation. The input can be made as early as desired, but must be held until the standard 9 frame buffer window is reached.<ref>https://smashboards.com/threads/ultimate-buffering-system.465269/</ref> For example, holding the forward smash input the entire time after using a recovery onstage will result in it charging when the character lands. This can also cause other negative side effects while bringing its own advantages, such as making buffered airdodges more likely, but also making the online mode have more consistency in inputs. It is notably no longer possible to buffer a full hop aerial. This is because if the player inputs an aerial during their jumpsquat, it will always result in a short hop aerial, even if the jump button is being held.