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 Knockout City is an online-only multiplayer arena game about bonking people on the head with dodgeballs. It's published by EA and developed by Velan Studios, who developed Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit! Store Links: Steam - Nintendo Switch - Playstation 4 - Xbox It's also available on Xbox Game Pass, EA Play, and the Epic Game Store. Official Website https://www.ea.com/games/knockout-city Official Discord https://discord.gg/knockoutcity Twitch Game Category https://www.twitch.tv/directory/game/Knockout%20City OpenCritic https://opencritic.com/game/11404/knockout-city Reviews often cite it as a neat spin on your typical arena shooters, trading in bullets for dodgeballs. The aesthetic has a bit of Jet Set Radio, 50s greaser style, and a heap of retrofuturism. You have a bombastic DJ announcer, mile high pompadours, and big ol' hovering Cadillacs.  Gameplay! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJVyyojmY1E Pick up a ball, throw the ball, catch the ball. Easy peasy, right? Turns out there's actual strategy involved, if you choose to get deeper into the "simple to learn, yet difficult to master" game mechanics. There is a tutorial that goes over basic movement, trick shots, catching, throwing, and showcases a few of the maps. Movement! There's a dash that you can use to tackle other players. But there's also the ability to spin or lob your dodgeball throws to get enemy players if they're in tricky spots. Another cool thing is the ability to go into Ball Mode, and be thrown by a teammate. If an enemy is hit by a player that's in Ball Mode, then they're knocked out instantly. There are also Ultimate Throws, where a player in Ball Mode is thrown towards the enemy and that thrown player is able to aim their own trajectory. I've seen some tips about on how to use the environment (bounce pads, specifically) to increase aim time. There's also the ability to pass a ball to a teammate. This is important, since the ball will charge up with each pass. This could give your team the edge needed to get some KOs! Balls! There's a few types of specialized balls that randomly spawn in each match: Moon Balls, which make you jump as if you're on the moon. It'll also knock enemies hit by it to the moon itself! Sniper Balls, which look like footballs and are used to snipe enemies from a long way from their location. One throw, one kill. Cage Balls, where if they come in contact with a player, they'll be locked into a Ball Mode state. And Bomb Balls, which explode after a short time. Arenas! There are a handful of arenas in rotation, including: a futuristic turnabout in the city streets, a grungy back alley lined with pipes to travel through, city rooftops with gusts of wind blasting between buildings, and some more locations on the way in Season 1, most likely.  Crossplay and Crews! There's also crossplay between platforms, with the option to opt out of it in the game's settings! This is great, since you're allowed to create a Crew and invite your friends to play no matter what platform they're on. Crews are kinda like guilds, and if you play together your Crew can get shared rewards. Some rewards include sweet rides to hop out of at the start of a match, matching jackets, emblems, and a bunch of other cosmetic stuff. It's unclear if a person who is already a part of a Crew can join another to help others earn Crew rewards on the fly, though. Other Stuff! All things you can buy in the shop look to be all cosmetic. There are no loot boxes planned either, but of course this could change. It looks like you will be able to purchase Holobux, the primary currency, with real world cash.  Also, you need an EA account to play on any platform, and you'll need Origin if you're running the game on Windows.Tips! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gpQVYv6yNY Here's a nice, small guide I found with some tips and tricks, assuming you know the very basics and have played the tutorial (which I highly recommend, by the way).  Try it out! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWaAuPqtKsA If you want to try it out, it's free until May 30 at 12pm UTC. This page contains details about the events and stuff going on during the launch week's Block Party. After the event, you値l have to pay to play, it seems. Hopefully they'll offer a permanent free trial in the future. I hope this thread was a decent intro to the game! Let me know if I'm missing anything, if you have some more info I should shove into the OP. I've barely clocked in some time with Knockout City, but I'm excited to see where it goes.
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May 23, 2021 21:09
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I've been enjoying this pretty well, scratches my Mario Strikers itch a little. I love games like Rocket League, where individual skill is the main deciding factor. If only I were better...
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May 23, 2021 22:29
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Game's super good, people are already figuring out the big brain strats even in rando queue. It's gonna be fun as heck with a coordinated team Couple things for new players! The warning border that pops up when you're being locked onto is a little too thin to be visible by default but you can make it thicker in the settings and I really recommend that people do that. Also set the aim look sensitivity to max since there's no need for precise aiming but being able to quickly look around is SUPER important
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May 23, 2021 23:01
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EightFlyingCars posted:being able to quickly look around is SUPER important So many kills come from just being the first person to flip around during an exchange. Not nearly enough people are balling up. I try to be good about it, but half the time when someone picks me up they immediately panic throw. Moon Ball best ball.
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May 23, 2021 23:41
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I learned the hard way that increasing the border size is super helpful. I'm still trash at the game, but at least I can see where shots at me are coming from now. I played this game on Switch first, but I also have the demo on PC. I haven't decided if I want to keep playing with a controller setup or start using keyboard + mouse. Has anyone done both? If so, does one feel better than the other for you? On Switch there doesn't seem to be an option to use gyro controls, which is kind of a bummer. I do like that there's auto aim in the game by design, and it's up to you as a player to figure out how to make it work for you, if that makes sense. rockinsaki posted:I love games like Rocket League, where individual skill is the main deciding factor. If only I were better... This game has such potential for all sorts of strats that I'm afraid that even if I do Git Gud, I'll have to constantly be on top of new meta or else people will yell at me when I'm on their team.
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May 24, 2021 00:39
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I've played about an hour of this on PC and it's really fun just messing around in quick play. Reminds me a lot of Rocket League and I hope it finds a playerbase.
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May 24, 2021 00:47
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Somberbrero posted:Not nearly enough people are balling up. I try to be good about it, but half the time when someone picks me up they immediately panic throw. I've noticed this too and you can exploit this! If you're in a 2v1 situation but your buddy is the only one with a ball, curl up and get ready to roll into their arms because giving them two things to quickly huck at the other guy can catch them off guard a LOT And to top it off if your rear end meets their face then it's an instant KO even if they're at two hearts
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May 24, 2021 01:29
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I tried switching to controller but after a few hours on PC it felt wrong. I prefer kbam but I think it's largely personal preference.
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May 24, 2021 02:16
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I've been absolutely loving this game so far. I'm playing on PS4, and it's a smooth experience for the most part. Occasionally a match will fail to fully load me in, so I can hear what's going on but I can't see anything or control my character and I just have to either wait it out of quit out of the round. I'm also hoping that this game gets traction because it's so easy to pick up and play. Hopefully we can have a good goon presence here as well. Quick aside: I just had a great game after maxing out camera speed and boarder size. 17.00 kdr, I think I might have found the pvp game for me. Plasbad fucked around with this message at 06:36 on May 24, 2021 |
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May 24, 2021 06:10
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Cool strat I saw on Twitch: doing an ultimate throw under the overhangs in the diner arena so that it immediately bounces back to the ground and instantly nukes any nearby opponents
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May 24, 2021 10:18
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tried this game with the block party trial and holy gently caress is it better than i ever could have expected after seeing it for the first time at that nintendo direct. hope i can get more of my friends to try it and like it because it plays way less like a sports game and more like an arena fps
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May 25, 2021 11:34
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Is anybody thinking about setting up a Goon Crew now that League play has gone live on PC? You can add me as ecalogia if you'd like to get something started.
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May 25, 2021 13:48
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exquisite tea posted:Is anybody thinking about setting up a Goon Crew now that League play has gone live on PC? You can add me as ecalogia if you'd like to get something started. I added you as GigaPeon.
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May 25, 2021 17:07
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def down to ball with some goons GT is ScootsMcSkirt
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May 25, 2021 18:06
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Added some folks with GT Master_Odin. At least at bronze ranked play, I've been twice matched into a game where the opposing team had won a round and they were leading like 7-3. I really hope they patch that out as I'd be annoyed to lose a ranked point on that. Sharizard posted:This game has such potential for all sorts of strats that I'm afraid that even if I do Git Gud, I'll have to constantly be on top of new meta or else people will yell at me when I'm on their team.
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May 26, 2021 04:05
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I've been playing 80% against full crews in solo queue and it's pretty rough.
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May 26, 2021 05:02
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new pro strat i found is to just slow throw the sniper ball at close range. its way slower than most ppl anticipate and they usually screw up their catch timing as a result. Got way too many knockouts tonite doing that this game is gonna get rough when ppl start getting good at it
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May 26, 2021 06:21
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gently caress yes, ground floor Was playing this all day instead of working. I love this game. It's got an insane amount of depth. I hope 1v1 comes back soon.
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May 26, 2021 06:44
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I've created The Goon Squad #8096 in case people want to crew up!
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May 26, 2021 10:34
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I got in on the PS4 early demo thing a month or so ago, one tactic I noticed in the couple of days playing was one guy on the other team purely tackling which is a move you can just throw out non-stop and the other player(s) hitting them while they're stunned. There definitely needs to be a cooldown on the tackle so you can't just spam it for cheap points/kills. That said, when people aren't doing this particular strategy I enjoyed it a whole bunch.
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May 26, 2021 11:37
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Who the hell is yelling "stop spamming tackles" at my window? Cowards, i will never stop spamming tackles
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May 26, 2021 14:19
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I've found that it's easy enough to either dodge away from someone spamming tackles at me or just jumping over them. There's a small startup time to tackles and a long period of vulnerability at the end of the animation so if I have a ball they're pretty much dead as long as I don't panic throw. That said, people coordinating tackles with team throws requires more awareness to deal with and still gets me sometimes. I've gotten to the point where if it's 1v2 against me and I don't have a ball or feel confident I'll just run/jump/dodge away until I can get back near my teammates.
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May 26, 2021 14:27
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Master_Odin posted:At the moment, I'm not totally sure how the meta would really ebb and flow around stuff, given that I'm not really sure what all the developers would change for the sake of "balance". I figure it'll be mostly like Rocket League where it's a lot of mechanical skill, but the top levels is just coordinating with your team on that mechanical skill. Yeah, now that you mention that, you're right. I'll stop worrying and have fun playing the game.  exquisite tea posted:I've created The Goon Squad #8096 in case people want to crew up! I'm for sure going to join. Is there a way to search for the crew or do I need an invite? Also, gonna add a bunch of people here using the name of Kiwithing sometime today.
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May 26, 2021 15:14
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The strat my uncoordinated teams kept getting owned by last night is just keeping tight formation and continually passing. It's a little vulnerable to a charged ballform shot, but especially on the circular stages it's hard to break that once the other team has any momentum. Passing is just very strong, the instantly charged shot takes people by surprise.
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May 26, 2021 15:27
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Somberbrero posted:The strat my uncoordinated teams kept getting owned by last night is just keeping tight formation and continually passing. It's a little vulnerable to a charged ballform shot, but especially on the circular stages it's hard to break that once the other team has any momentum. Passing is just very strong, the instantly charged shot takes people by surprise. Feels like passing is the most underrated ability of the game and I wish I see more of it. I am not a good player but it feels like most of my better games are with people who know to pass whenever they can.
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May 26, 2021 15:45
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Speaking of passing, does passing a sniper ball power it up? I've done a couple of passes but didn't see the powerup glow on the ball when a teammate caught it. Then again, I was playing on Switch, so maybe that effect is removed if it's far away enough from you.
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May 26, 2021 15:52
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Sharizard posted:Yeah, now that you mention that, you're right. I'll stop worrying and have fun playing the game. Pretty sure you can request to join any crew without an invite using the Find Crew tool. I'm on PC though, not sure how many platforms crossplay with it.
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May 26, 2021 16:14
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Sharizard posted:Speaking of passing, does passing a sniper ball power it up? I've done a couple of passes but didn't see the powerup glow on the ball when a teammate caught it. Then again, I was playing on Switch, so maybe that effect is removed if it's far away enough from you. Almost certain it does not. I tried the same thing to no effect. Probably for the best. The new Jukebox map is interesting, I've only had it twice but it's a little more difficult for me to map out in my head. I like the more aggressive environmental hazards.
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May 26, 2021 17:02
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Made it to silver rank this morning solo in team match. Passing is definitely very strong, as is using your teammates or yourself as the ball. I don't think a lot of people realize that hitting someone with a player ball takes off both hearts instead of one. Currently my only minor frustration with randoms is when they immediately charge me and throw me as a super when there's no one else around at all, or directly under a roof with no one around. Still, most people in ranked are starting to get it now, I think. It's also a nice feeling to beat a full crew when I'm paired with two other solo players. Honestly even when I'm losing this game is just a joy to play, and every time I get knocked out it feels fair and I can tell I did something wrong. Later on I'll look into joining the goon group.
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May 26, 2021 17:05
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exquisite tea posted:Pretty sure you can request to join any crew without an invite using the Find Crew tool. I'm on PC though, not sure how many platforms crossplay with it. Just tried joining while playing on Steam, and there's no search bar or anything on the Find Crew screen. I see the same crews that display when you first hit the page that I've seen while on Switch. Super weird.
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May 26, 2021 18:26
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Sharizard posted:Just tried joining while playing on Steam, and there's no search bar or anything on the Find Crew screen. I see the same crews that display when you first hit the page that I've seen while on Switch. Super weird. I'm on the Switch, and when I look for Crews to join, and I only get a blank screen...
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May 26, 2021 21:12
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I think I heard somewhere that find a crew is broken and you need to be invited. I have a Goodburger/Jonny Rocket car. Does that mean if I was captain, I could make it the Crew Car and everyone can use it? 
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May 26, 2021 23:41
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Yes but I知 not sure how that works. I値l try to pass you lead the next time I知 on!
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May 26, 2021 23:43
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exquisite tea posted:Yes but I知 not sure how that works. I値l try to pass you lead the next time I知 on! Or maybe you can see all the cars someone owns? I was looking around and it said how many people owned a particular thing, so maybe you can just see it? Does everyone have invite rights though?
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May 26, 2021 23:50
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If people end up throwing around invites, I'm Plasbad64 on the PS4. I can't promise I'll always be available due to weird work schedule times (yay retail) but I figure being part of a group will be more fun than burning out on this game alone.
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May 27, 2021 00:54
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Had some good games with Odin just now. I think I have a fetish for being turned into a ball and thrown at people's faces. https://gamerdvr.com/gamer/gigapeon/video/135541245
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May 27, 2021 02:31
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GigaPeon posted:Or maybe you can see all the cars someone owns? I was looking around and it said how many people owned a particular thing, so maybe you can just see it? I was able to add your cool burger car and background for our crew, so I think you just have to be a member to make them available.
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May 27, 2021 16:11
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Just checked up on the Find A Crew screen and I've been able to finally join the Goon Squad crew! I plan on playing quite a bit after this weekend.
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May 31, 2021 00:48
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1v1 league play is interesting. There's a shrinking ring, battle royale style, that rotates around the arena and resets whenever there's a knockout scored. It's first to 3 rounds, so it's pretty tense. Overall though, losing the teamwork aspect is just not as much fun unless you love dueling. It definitely sharpens your skills though.
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May 31, 2021 00:56
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1v1 kinda sucks because the maps are not designed for it, so you can spend a solid minute just trying to find one another. Also the block party contract didn稚 award if the opponent ragequit, which drove me up the wall last night. I think they should have design some 1v1 maps for next season or something.
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May 31, 2021 03:24
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