First if this is in the wrong section sorry I'm new here the last forum where i asked a similar question under the game-design tab it said it did not belong there.

What makes a fighting game fun and what can you do to make it fun? I am planning on making a fighting game so what at it's core is fun about fighting games and do you have some tips on how to highlight this element? Thank you for reading and more thank you if you answer.

"Fighting game" such as a "beat-em-up" or are you talking of a "1vs1" match ?

In a "beat-em-up" you need a lot of verity in your enemies looks and attacks. You have to force the player to use different tactics to defeat different enemies. You also need to utilize a VERY good sound design in your game, to make the player feel like they are actually hitting enemies, and taking damage. It is also good to have relevant visual effects for attacks and damage ( enemies reacting to taking damage, e.t.c. ) .

A one vs one fighting-game like mortal combat.

First if this is in the wrong section sorry I'm new here

Well, you're asking about game design - so I'm moving this to Game Design. Funny thing - most newcomers just post anything and everything in Game Design because they think Game Design encompasses everything! It doesn't encompass everything, but your question definitely is a Game Design question.

ok

this short video has a pretty good explanation:

Extra Credits - The Fighting Game Problem - How to Teach Complicated Mechanics

i've never been into them myself, never even played one, but once i saw the video, i understood the appeal. might even have to try one someday.

ok how could i miss that video i watch them a lot! Well thank you.

Excellent video! Makes me want to get into them too. It's funny how many other games that involve fighting do the exact thing he's talking about. Just not "fighting games".

Because the video touches upon it yet doesn't say it directly; fighting at the core is about skill.

Real world fighting events has this in common with fighting games, the people who participate go to extreme lengths to learn to be better at fighting. The arena is where they get a chance to show just how good they have become.

This is the reason why so many fighting games refuse to change the way they teach players. If complex moves are easy to learn they lose value as complex moves, as a result fighting game fans will feel cheated; they had to spend years training to use moves that new players can learn in just a few months.

This can be fixed in many ways and will require a lot of effort from the developer.

Fighting games are about skill, the players who play these games want there effort to be validated.

forgive my unusual perspective, accept it for what insight it may offer:

what makes fighting games appealing = girls. the popularity of "streetfighter" was based on a female character with "provocative" panty revealing high kicks that allowed females a chance to play a gender pertinent role with prospective/hopeful males.

i think like most games the abstraction of reality to the form is significant enough that the dynamics "belong to themself" more than accurately reflecting brawls. it would be nice if people who were eg. martial artists primarily were into game design, it's happening slowly. while the sights and sounds may remind players of fights, the skill sets only overlap in the most fundamental human domains eg. hand-eye reaction.

in my opinion, "what makes games fun" is very simple - provide a venue for the basic dramas of event. that's all.

whether you're balancing dominos, or punching a shark on the nose, it's the same fundamental drama of risk. i think the key to *good* game design is facilitating a venue for the intended frequency of drama, eg. "asteroids" is extremely high paced and would tire you out if you played it for as long as "skyrim" is meant to be played.