Specialization vs Versatility

[Omegarex24]

When you create a monster, do you usually go for specialization, or do you prefer a versatile creature who can handle many different scenarios?

Me? I like versatility. A monster is only as good as the opponents it fights. Even some of my more specialized kaiju like Magmire are fairly versatile, as he is effective at both close and long ranges, and can even handle heat resistant/immune opponents.

so what are your thoughts on the subject?

[HyperGFreak]

In most cases, if you're good enough, you can still pull out a win with sheer specialization anyway...for example, if you're pure melee against a ranged god, this is your writing here, so you can still get the other guy good. Generally, though, I think pretty much everyone here goes with some degree of versatility, as you said; even kaiju with a particular focus on one area usually have some trump card to save their skins if they go up in a bad match. Hell, that's what I usually do, and that's what I'm adjusting into in my revamp so that everyone can take on a foe with an advantage and still win.

[Bio]

I go for variety, so it depends on the monster.

Rygama is my star monster, so she remains pretty versatile, as she's meant to face various scenarios. However, since I refuse to weigh down my monsters with petty ranged attacks, what counts as versatile for her might be different from another perspective.
From a neutral standpoint, she's semi-versatile, being tough, semi-quick, clever and strong. On the other hand, she HAS to be able to engage an opponent close up in order to properly affect them. Versatile from her universe's standpoint, but specialized from a neutral.

Wendigo is a bit more specialized. His role is built to contrast Rygama's, so more specialization is needed. He operates mainly by keeping an opponent out of reach of his body and tearing them apart with his limbs.

Klora is more specialized than Rygama, being purely terrestrial and fighting entirely with good old fashioned brawling.

Each of the Berserkers is a team player, so they're all highly specialized, with Skeer being guerilla warfare specialist, Kron close quarters fighter, Mox as ranged support and Octamus as coordinator.

As I said before, I'm all about variety, so it depends on the monster in question.

[Inferno Rodan]

Most of my "star" monsters are versatile, but lean in a particular direction. NSG, for example, leans very much toward ranged combat, but he's able to hold his own in a melee fight if need be. BF and Giga are almost perfectly balanced between ranged and melee ability, but they specialize in different areas of each. BF is more "energy" based at range and weapon based in melee, whereas Giga uses physical projectiles more at range and uses sheer physical power in melee. Scorpius leans heavily toward melee combat, but he can dish out the pain at a distance if he has to.

A lot of my "lesser" kaiju tend to be more specialized in one area than another, with the majority of them being in the melee category.

[yaburu]

When I sit down to make a kaiju, I have a very specific idea of what it's going to be and what powers it can use. Therefor, it's more or less destined from the word go to be either melee based or beam based, or somewhere in between.

One thing I find interesting about my guys is I don't seem to have any standout "Main Event" guys or "Second Tier" guys, at least not in my opinion. If they were all thrown in a big battle royal, I think each one would have a chance of coming out on top.

[lordnidhogg]

Interesting. Specialization vs. versatility. Being perfectly honest, I try to cheat, specializing my kaiju to a point of invulnerability. But you all knew that. Hey, it's what I do. Looking at my kaiju though, including the many I have left unfinished and/or unposted for various reasons, I believe I tend to specialize, with a few exceptions. But most of my monsters tend to be obnoxiously powerful in one area, say beam spamming or melee, or heck, offense in general, but lacking in another.

[alienhulk2099]

This really depends on the monster. I'll use mine as examples, Monsters like Tristegotops and Sharkosaurus are specialized (in their case T&C) and can bring down anything in the category if used properly. Terroroid also counts as a specialized, beam spamming in his case.

Other monsters like Centithon, Protovaljrog, and my "lucifer" (First person to gets that allusion will be granted a custom kaiju. PM me for details), Aljubell are designed more versatile due to their weapons and the fact that I need more heavy duty kaiju after my match with SW. With this they have a much broader range of enemies they can defeat.

Chainborg really falls into the middle, although given his only melee weapon is a chainsaw he can be counted as a specialized in projectiles.


Bottom line: I'm more about versatility on somethings, others I'm about specialization. I'm really in the middle, although I prefer versatility if push comes to shove.

[Azure_Ghidorah]

...

Specialization or versatility?

Versatility for me. Most of my monsters are good in all aspects. They are jacks of all trades, kings (or queens, depending on whose in question here) of none.

Normal Solranous as an example. He has more ranged offense then physical offense, but his physical form naturally gives him a nice nack for up close and personal bouts, and could very much use his ranged offensive into close quarters where the opponent cannot dodge. His movement is nothing to scoff, he can get away from a foe superior in melee to expose their weak long range ability in a fantasy match. At the same time, he can get up close to a more long range oriented beast to expose poorer close combat abilities. And that trademark endurance of his that no variation of Solranous would be complete without evens things out, even when regeneration is absent.

I say versatility > specialization.

[Monster Master]

Meh, depends on what the kaiju is and what it is based on. A lot of my 'star' kaiju (Scorpadon, Thunder, Taninim, Chimera, Blaradon, etc) are very adapt at both melee and beam battles, but there are some exceptions (Argus (melee) and Hessian (ranged)).

When it comes to a lot of my mutant kaiju, most of them are melee-fighters simply because they're based on animals. While there are some exceptions (Gorg's Natural Napalm), I try to keep most of them very adapt at melee battle and use their basic animal traits to form special moves with.

Some of my upcoming kaiju that have been in the works for a good two months now will be demons at both ranged and melee fights like my originals... Twilight and Yamato I speak of.