darkSpyro

So, I recently managed to find a Spyro S2 figure from a local gamestop and promptly began leveling the character. However, during the process of buying the powers, I discovered a rather distressing issue: getting the new wow-pow "Fireslam!" removes the stun gained from "stun charge", the first power of the Blitz path.

At first, I thought I might be an isolated issue or perhaps I was mistaken, and so I reset the figure and carefully tested the stun against the following conditions, two test runs after each upgrade:
Difficulty: Medium, Heavy.
Location: Kaos' Castle, first area, targets are the orange trolls in front of the door.
Assume all basic upgrades.

• With just stun charge: stun on first hit.
  
• Stun charge and comet dash: stun on first hit.
  
• Stun charge, comet dash, Ibex's wrath: stun on first hit.
  
• Stun charge, comet dash, Ibex's wrath, earth pound: stun on first hit.
  
• Stun charge, comet dash, Ibex's wrath, earth pound, fireslam: NO STUN, EVER
  

Conclusion: the loss of stun is directly related to purchasing fireslam.

I reset a second time to also test buying earth pound and fireslam before buying stun charge. This resulted in the stun charge never having an effect in the first place. It seems that somehow, having the fireslam upgrade negates the stun charge ability.

I also tested both cases against the enemies in the Lost City of Arkus (just to be sure), with the same results.

This is immensely frustrating, since I hate having what I consider "incomplete" characters. Has anyone else noticed this?

TL;DR
S2 Spyro (Blitz path) should not buy Fireslam because it makes him unable to use his stun charge.

Real spyro fans go sheep burner cause of the classic.

But people who want the better path in-game go Blitz.

Quote: EmperorKaos

Real spyro fans go sheep burner cause of the classic.

But both charging (Blitz Spyro) and flaming (Sheep Burner) are based on the classic.

that went kinda off topic fast, but I have a (probably dumb) question:
are you saying that fully upgraded "Blitz Spyro series 2" can not ever Stun opponents anymore?
or are you saying that its just his Earth Pound that looses its Stun? (its been a long while since I played Spyro, is the Earth Pound even suppose to Stun?)


Quote: Tashiji

But people who want the better path in-game go Blitz.

If he looses his stun completely, Blitz may not be the better path anymore, would it?

Quote: Tashiji

But people who want the better path in-game go Blitz.

The SA Spyro I got was all about Blitz but then after giving the variants the Burner one, I have pretty much found the Blitz to be not only the least appealing but the least useful of the two paths.

Well Draculaura, I'm saying that getting the Fireslam upgrade seems to remove the stun entirely. However, as earth pound does not stun, I am referring to the stun which is caused by his charge ability via the "stun charge" upgrade.

Also, I have now tried this in pvp, and my theory holds: if s2 spyro has fireslam, he can't stun his opponent with his charge.

I'm hoping to get confirmation from someone else that has the toy that this isn't a unique problem and is present in all series 2 spyro figures. Thus, anyone who has him, can you please check and see if you can stun charge enemies after getting Fireslam?

Quote: Aura24

Quote: EmperorKaos

Real spyro fans go sheep burner cause of the classic.

But both charging (Blitz Spyro) and flaming (Sheep Burner) are based on the classic.

I want to see a video of you using the big horn atack on the classic spyro

EmperorKaos et al., while I understand that you are passionate about the "classic" status of the sheep burner path, I would request that you do not argue that here. I am concerned about the blitz path and it's negative interactions with the new wow-pow, not which path is more true to the original or even which is "better". I and many others like the charge powers, and it worries me that the upgrades are flawed due to a blatant coding error.

Also, after consideration, I realize that this bug is likely present in all S2 Spyros, since the bug would have to be part of the game code, not part of the (rather limited) data stored on the rfid chip in the figure.

Still, I would like some outside confirmation. If this proves to be 100% true, Spyro may be one of the only characters that gets significantly worse after getting his wow-pow.

Hi, folks. Long time lurker, first time poster. I've really come to appreciate a lot of the more constructive posts here about upgrades, PvP tier rankings, and that sort of thing and I hope I can help with my own input and do my part to improve the signal to noise ratio.

Arkk, as much as I'd love to say your issue with S2 Spyro is an isolated glitch, it's definitely one I can confirm on mine as well (in fact, one of the main reasons I finally bit the bullet and registered here is because it felt like you were calling out for confirmation and as yet no one else had answered and I wanted to jump in and share your concern!)

While I haven't tried isolating all the different variables you have (resetting him, adding one upgrade at a time) I think it's safe to say you've nailed the problem with your tests. For what it's worth, after reading your post, one simple test I did do was just to switch paths back and forth between Sheep Burner and Blitz just to see if that would somehow "reset" the glitch or fix it. Sadly, I don't see any solution outside of contacting Activision, which leads to my next question.

What's been this company's track record with fixing glitches as profound as this? Because it impacts the figurine, I presume it's not something they can simply do a data patch to the consoles themselves to fix and it would mean having to replace the figurine or send it in.

Have they offered to fix such figurines in the past? Has anyone had to send one in and get it back? I'm just curious because I'd really like to have this character and play him as he is meant to be played.

This is shoddy and sloppy on Activision's part. Regardless of the debate about how prominent the character of Spyro is these days, I think it's safe to say he's still one of the most beloved characters and helped springboard the franchise. That they didn't playtest the figure any better is distressing. The character, and the fans and customers, deserve better than to have it suffer from such a profoundly limiting glitch.

My hope is that they realize such a crucial glitch will limit the sales of this figurine over the long term (particularly in all those who already have an S1 Spyro, which is to say anyone who played the first game on console) and damage customer trust enough that they fix it in future waves and offer those who already purchased the figurine a solution. I'd like to hope so, but with Swap Force just around the corner my skepticism tells me it's not likely, particularly if they can cop out that the solution is to offer a S3 version.

Color me extremely disappointed. Between my love for this character and after reading Tashiji's comments about the potential of S2 Blitz Spyro in PvP as possibly full on A tier material now I had made up my mind to make an exception to my own personal "no two versions of the same character" rule (mostly budgetary reasons and just a personal choice).

I should also mention that compounding my disappointment is the fact that I fully upgraded my S2 Spyro, doing all the heroics in both SA and Giants (over 35 on my two games, not as many as some here, but a time commitment no less) and earning him his gold top hat just like his S1 predecessor. And this is the only character I'd do that much for personally, because, hey - it's Spyro.

So I'm curious as to what solutions folks have found when glitches this bad have shown up before.

^ Yeah, I apologize for the hype. That was made under the pretense that there was nothing wrong with the character. Like I said in the post, I had just gotten him home from the store, didn't fully know what I was talking about, and only saw the damaging potential. I, too, can now fully confirm this glitch, and I'm probably going to go delete my other comment. If anything, this makes him worse than S1 Blitz...

But you know what, Sheep Burner on S2 is actually extremely nice. The four fireballs you shoot before headbutting all have their explosive AoE, and it covers a very wide field. If anything, S2 provides enormous help to the path I had considered an afterthought when first unpacking him. I would still consider him to be a worthy purchase, but if my early hype convinced you to buy him, you are unsatisfied, and your budget is strapped, I'll PayPal you cost for the figure. I don't want to be responsible for a bad purchase, this game is seriously expensive.

I actually like Sheep Burner a ton overall.

My Dark Spyro has been down that path from the beginning and dominates PVE and PVP alike. He's even murdered all the Techies by me(sans Drobot and Sprocket because OP and I never let my dad use her).

tbh I always thought that Blitz was the mediocre path :<

BUT THEN WHAT DO I KNOW. Nothing since I watch Jolly Old Yoshi.

FlynnsHumility, I'm very sorry to say, you may wish to toss aside hope of this being fixed. The original SA had a serious glitch on PS360 which made it literally impossible to complete Lightning Rod's Heroic with an extremely obscure workaround. A patch was never implemented and the problem remains to this day. They never offered the typical Wii "send your disc in" option to fix a potentially game breaking bug that involves the Weapons Master on the Wii version(they offered a "Remastered" Wii edition on Amazon instead). So their "workaround" will probably just be forcing you to buy Swap Force, if they even acknowledge it there...

Tash,

That offer's extremely kind but also completely above and beyond what anyone should ask or expect. I'm an adult, I chose this hobby and made the purchase myself, and any disappointment I may have is reserved for Activision (for failing to test the glitch) and myself (because I'm responsible for how I spend money). In the grand scale of disappointments in life this still ranks pretty low, thankfully, and I'm also adult enough to keep it all in perspective. At the end of the day this is just a fun way for me to kick back with my wife and son and I keep that in mind. My personal rule was also honestly more about setting an example to him on making smart purchases and being responsible for sticking to a set budget than anything else.

I mostly mentioned my hard work in heroics and quests for my newer figure as a sort of self-deprecating humor about my love for the character and also what happens when you rush things too quickly or break your own rules and get karma slapped. With text it's hard to convey mood or tone, so understand my mood over all this is more musing and humorous wistfulness than actual angst (or, to put it another way, more "aww, shucks" than "@#*%!").

I mentioned you in my post largely as a tip of the hat to you and as a measure of respect and gratitude for all the thoughtfulness and insight you add to these forums, not because I in any way would hold you responsible for my spending habits or for Activision's bad play testing. No one should. And go easy on yourself, man, you're allowed to make make a post without catching every glitch in the game. You're human. If all of us took responsibility for every time we made a post without catching any possible exception or instance where that information was incomplete and offered financial restitution there'd be a lot more folks declaring bankruptcy.

And yeah, GM76, I'm skeptical enough that I don't really expect any kind of fix to this issue beyond them hopefully getting it right if they ever make a third series for Spryo. On the bright side, as Tash also said, it does make Sheep Burner a more appealing path, and I suppose having one figure with each path isn't such a bad thing when all's said and done. It just sort of ruins the point of having one character that can swap paths on a whim and as I said before, it's just sloppy on Activision's part, especially when it comes to such a recognizable character.

If this thread does help other people make a more informed decision on whether or not they want to dive into buying S2 Spyro (can recommend it for those who love Sheep Burner, not so much for the Blitz fans and those who PvP heavily), then there's at least that, too.

i think the blitz sucked hard... the burner soooo much better, its like day and night when your in a hard spot and need the extra powers...

I haven't gotten to play around with my S2 Spyro much yet, and only in PVE, but I thought I'd noticed the stun seemed like it wasn't activating consistently. I could swear that I did see it activate at least some times though. I purchased all upgrades at once, so it's not like there was any time where I was playing with the stun upgrade and without the Fireslam. Did I just imagine it, or does it maybe just have a random chance of activating the stun now?

At least with it being an S2 figure, we can always just switch to Sheep Burner if that's going to be the more effective S2 path. Hopefully this glitch, along with others like the L-Chop Chop and Ghost Roaster quest glitches, will be fixed in Swap Force.

so is the glitch only on S2 ?

Yes, since it only seems to be triggered by buying the Wow Pow, which only S2 can buy.

Well, thank you very much, both Tash and Flynn. You guys have been very helpful with your responses. And Flynn, posting this topic was the reason I finally signed up too!

In the end though, the sad conclusion is that buying the wow-pow is bad for series 2 blitz spyro. I feel you lose far more than you gain, since the stun is usually how I manage to land the headbash in the first place. I am just disappointed that something this obvious got through testing. I expect it actually has to do with Spyro getting a new in-game model once he buys the wow-pow, since none of his previous upgrades actually changed his look.

Quote: ArkkSpanner

Well, thank you very much, both Tash and Flynn. You guys have been very helpful with your responses. And Flynn, posting this topic was the reason I finally signed up too!

In the end though, the sad conclusion is that buying the wow-pow is bad for series 2 blitz spyro. I feel you lose far more than you gain, since the stun is usually how I manage to land the headbash in the first place. I am just disappointed that something this obvious got through testing. I expect it actually has to do with Spyro getting a new in-game model once he buys the wow-pow, since none of his previous upgrades actually changed his look.

they may fix that on swap force

I agree you lose more than you gain. I don't get to PvP as much as many here (my wife and son both prefer story mode for 2P action instead of PvP) and while I enjoy and appreciate the merits of both paths, I really felt like the stun and his charge speed set Spyro apart in both PvP and story - now that I have two Spyros to play and compare side by side I have to say the advantages of blitz stunning baddies in Nightmare mode still seems to outweigh the merits of a Fireslam from a Sheep Burner. But that is probably my play style as much as anything.

At the risk of creating more noise than signal, I'm going to allow myself to digress back to an earlier claim someone made about Sheep Burner being truer to the original Spryo: I can remember reading the articles about Spyro the Dragon for PS1 long before it came out. I remember preordering it at the store that was the predecessor to Game Stop, buying it, loving it, and also enjoying the two sequels for PS1. I still have them, and I still dust them off and enjoy them for nostalgia's sake from time to time.

So when I say my appreciation for the character goes back a long time and that I still would never presume to tell someone which path is "truer to the character" I hope that means something. I love both paths and both feel like Spyro, but I tended to stick with Blitz because in addition to its merits, to me (and I stress "to me" as this is only one person's opinion) the path feels more like the old Spryo I loved to play, holding down the charge button and running around collecting gems and charging baddies and having a blast. But that was how I played him, and still enjoy playing him in this current incarnation. Doesn't mean I'm right and those who prefer Sheep Burner are wrong when it comes to character integrity, or vice versa.

And while Spryo didn't sprout huge fiery Ibex horns when he used his charge back in the original, he also didn't have a fire shield around him, had a short range fan of flames instead of triple flame balls, and certainly never had an ability called Fireslam or Daybringer Flame. I'm throwing that out there so that when folks argue about "truest path to a character" they can hopefully be a bit more even-handed and understand not everyone is going to agree with their point of view and that characters are going to evolve.

This is still just a game, and while some research and trial and error will help with objective issues like glitches, PvP rankings, or which path is best to achieve certain results in game, subjective things like which path is "truest to a character" are going to always be a matter of taste and personal preference. They all have two paths for a reason, and many folks (myself included) can appreciate the merits and fun of each even if they have to choose.

If one is truly intent on being the authority on old school character integrity, I suppose one could play Spyro without any upgrades at all, other than Long Range Raze, Sprint Charge, and Earth Pound. That would certainly be closest to the original, at least as he was after getting Earth Pound and converting his fan of flames into the long range flame ball for completing all of Spyro 2. Might be an exercise in frustration for many, but I bet there are a few diehard fans who might enjoy it.

And remember that a glitch to a character, even if it's in a path you don't personally prefer, is always bad for the gaming community as a whole, no matter one's personal taste in that character or path, since it means the maker is, sadly, letting quality start to slip for quantity.

Ok, so S1 Spyro and Legendary on Blitz path, S2 Spyro and Dark on Burner path, got it. Sucks to hear about the stun glitch but at least most of us on here have some form of an S1 Spyro that we can keep on Blitz instead.

^Dark Spyro is still better on Blitz, and if you check the pvp tire thread there is still some debate on whats the best for series 2.

Wasn't there also a glitch with Camo in SSA? I think one of his paths nerfed an attack or something. I can't remember exactly though.

I guess somewhat thankfully, Sheep Burner is my fav Spyro path. I think right now I have each of my Spyros on a different path (regular and 1st Dark on SB, 2nd Dark and Leg on Blitz) so I'll just keep S2 on SB when I get him.

Kind of sucks though. I guess we should perhaps hope that it'll be addressed and fixed in Swap Force. In the least, with SF coming to Wii U and PS3/360, it should be MUCH simpler now to release a bug fix or patch for things that happen in the games.

Giants is on PS3/360 and Wii U, so how will swap force being on those consoles help with getting patches?

Quote: spyroflame0487

Wasn't there also a glitch with Camo in SSA? I think one of his paths nerfed an attack or something. I can't remember exactly though.

I guess somewhat thankfully, Sheep Burner is my fav Spyro path. I think right now I have each of my Spyros on a different path (regular and 1st Dark on SB, 2nd Dark and Leg on Blitz) so I'll just keep S2 on SB when I get him.

Kind of sucks though. I guess we should perhaps hope that it'll be addressed and fixed in Swap Force. In the least, with SF coming to Wii U and PS3/360, it should be MUCH simpler now to release a bug fix or patch for things that happen in the games.

Wii cant have bug fix via pacth and WiiU got low game memory so dont count with patch

Quote: DraculauraXXX

^Dark Spyro is still better on Blitz, and if you check the pvp tire thread there is still some debate on whats the best for series 2.

My point was that I have 2 Spyro figures in Blitz and 2 on Sheep Burner. Also I don't care about the PVP thread seeing as how I almost never play PVP. As far as a debate about which is best for Series 2.... well that's the great thing about Series 2, they can switch paths.

As has been stated before, this error is likely to be based in the game's programming rather than with the figures. this means that they won't be able to fix the error by sending out new versions of the figure. The only way it might be fixed is with a patch, but I personally reckon the chance of one being made is zilch. What is more likely to happen is that the error will simply be fixed in the coding of Swap Force.