Re: 0.30.1 Patch Notes - The "Boneless Side Effect" is killing the endgame
The developer note about the 0.30.1 patch says removing pop glitches was a "side effect" of making Bonelesses look better. If that’s true, then this patch wasn't ready to be released. A slightly smoother animation for one trick isn't worth losing the entire reason a huge part of us play. I’ve been flicking analog sticks since the first skate. came out. I already know, and have already known how to do the basic stuff, I’ve done it for almost 18 years.
The "pop glitches" and tuck-knee pops were the only things giving this game any actual depth. They gave us something to actually practice and get good at (I've broken down the mechanic and provided clips of this here: [https://forums.ea.com/discussions/skate-en/pop-mechanics-are-essential-to-tricklining-/13234117]). Without them, the game feels slow, restricted, bland, and just fully boring.
It would also be ridiculous to claim these patches are for the sake of 'realism.' Is EA suggesting it’s realistic for me to torpedo dive off a skyscraper and glide through the air in a spread eagle? You allow that, but you draw the line at a tuck-knee pop that actually takes skill to time? You can't pick and choose when 'realism' matters just to justify stripping away the depth that trickliners enjoy. Instead of completely writing off an entire side of the community, you should be embracing these mechanics and building them into the new system. It’s worth noting that flashy trickliners and realistic skaters are not actually at odds with each other. Most people mind their own business, play the game how they want and go about their day. A small section of those two communities whose only intent is to argue does not represent the overall community who are just playing in a way they personally find fun. There is no real divide, you’re just killing off a massive part of your community for no reason at all. Even if you don’t see enough of this same frustration in this specific discussion thread, this post represents a massive part of your community that is feeling the same way. Are you making the game for people who choose to only play once a week, or are you making it for people who choose to play every day? Both can be done.
If you truly listen to the community like you claim, you wouldn't be wiping out a playstyle that has kept this franchise alive for a decade on its own. Fixing simple animations is cool, but it doesn't replace the core movement depth we just lost. You aren't "fixing" the game for us, you're just removing the endgame for anyone who’s actually put the time in.
There is a real market for this level of depth in tricklining, and if EA isn’t going to provide it, someone else eventually will. What matters to players is what’s fun, not which brand is associated. I’d rather just go back to emulating the old titles that actually let us play how we wanted in the meantime until that depth is brought back, by EA, or someone else. Please, actually listen this time.
Don't just patch out the depth, make it a part of the game. You owe that to the very community you claim to listen to.
