Banning Lylat: The Alternatives
CTQ - August 22, 2017All the way back in May, I wrote a blog about how Lylat was a necessary evil. Well, it's still a topic of huge discussion, so this is a part 2 to that, talking more in-depth about solutions. All of these solutions answer the question "We banned Lylat. What's Step 2?" As stated before, I am not strictly pro-Lylat. I accept that it's a buggy mess. However, I also know that banning Lylat, not adding any new stage, and keeping BF/DL tied cannot work, it just doesn't give enough flexibiltity, especially in Bo5. Keeping Lylat is still definitly an option, and, referring to the TLTC poll, is still the most agreed-upon choice, but let's say it gets banned. What now?
Option 1: Replace it with a new stage.
This is the simplest option. Just replace Lylat with a different stage. The obvious answer would be Duck Hunt. When it was legal, it too was under heavy fire, and was eventually banned. I personally think we might want to give it another chance.
Pros:
- No glitches (at least, nothing as major as Lylat)
- Unique design, unlike any other stage from any Smash game
- Walled sides offers room for interesting new strategies such as wall climbing
- Interesting blastline layout to make counterpicking interesting
Despite these pros, there is obviously one major con. The tree promotes a campy playstyle, especially against Mac and Ganon, as they cannot reach the tree without using their up-b. However, I feel that this is not as big an issue as some people make it out to be. It just turns into a stage that you need to ban as some characters or for some matchups. It may have to be an instant ban against a Sonic or Bayo, but it isn't like triplats isn't an instant ban against ZSS due to ladder combos, or a Bayo always banning FD since they can't get top kills. And while this may make a usually non-campy player play more defensive, it is simply a playstyle that must be accounted for when playing on the stage. It also isn't like a stage that promotes camping is anything new. Case in point, Pokemon Stadium in Melee. With some of the transitions, specfically Rock and Fire, obstructions spawn that will often end up with the players simply staying on their own side of the tree or mountain, just waiting for the transition to end. It's been years, and there's very few people who argue against Stadium's legality.
While this was all about DH, as it is widely regarded as the closest to being legal stage, stages like Delfino, Castle Siege, or no transformation PS2 could also be options.
Option 2: Split Battlefield and Dream Land.
While my main point in this article was to make a case for trying out DH again, that might not fly, and I know that. As such, an option where Lylat is gone but DH isn't brought back: Seperate BF and DL. DL would be a counterpick, so there's no worry for getting the "you ban one, I go to the other" problem game 1. This would be a way to make everything still work: 1 ban, Stage Clause, no changes for Bo5. This does raise the problems that caused the tie-in in the first place. However, if people are insistent on taking out Lylat and not replacing it with anything, this is the only solution.
That sums up my thoughts on Lylat replacements. I may write another article on why four stages cannot work well down the road, but hopefully the reasons are clear without having to spell it out. For more of my opinions, as well as updates on upcoming blogs, you can follow me @CTQ_SSB.
For now, I bid adieu, and I leave you with this: If we ban Lylat, that's just the first step. Think about the future when you talk about banning a stage. If you hate DH and don't like the idea of splitting BF and DL, Lylat is as it has been a necessary evil. Thanks for reading.
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