Extra Tech
Extra Tech is an option in versus mode and in lobby creation that turns the optional layer of Evolution mechanics on, including Instant Awakening and Relay. It also gates extra tech items. Offline practice mode has its own Extra Tech flag so you can test the mechanics without creating a lobby.
Extra Tech is the mod's answer to a problem every overhaul mod has: how do you offer two rule sets without shipping two builds.
What it turns on
- Instant Awakening — the Storm 3 mechanic that lets you enter your awakened state deliberately.
- Relay — the Storm 3 hand-off system, activated by holding Attack.
- Extra tech items — the associated item layer.
- Singles and Extra Tech modes for specific character forms, such as Mecha Naruto's 3-Tail instant awakening.
Where you set it
| Context | Where the option lives |
|---|---|
| Versus, local | Versus mode settings, before the match |
| Online | Lobby creation, before players join |
| Practice | A practice mode flag that keeps it available in offline play |
The practice mode detail is deliberate: 1.10's notes record a fix so the practice mode Extra Tech flag is not reset in offline play, which is what lets you take the toggle into VS battle practice sessions.
Why it matters for balance
The systems Extra Tech gates are Storm 3 designs dropped into a Storm 4 engine. They behave differently from the modern mechanics: Relay changes team economics, and Instant Awakening changes when a character's wake-up state is available. Leave it off and you get the modern-feeling match; turn it on and you get the older, more technical one.
Practical setup
- Decide the ruleset with the other player before the first round.
- If online, set Extra Tech when you create the lobby so nobody joins expecting a different game.
- If you are learning a character, drill with Extra Tech on in practice first — several forms only exist in that mode.
- If you are not sure which systems a character's new form belongs to, the character's entry in the changelog usually says "Extra Tech" explicitly.
Related pages
- Instant Awakening and Relay — the two systems it carries.
- Practice mode settings — where the offline flag lives.
- Online lobbies — setting it for a room.
