What is "Preventative Counter"?

In the analysis of interplay between different game mechanics, counters are used to show a certain asymmetry between game elements, in which one can be used to reduce or nulify the effect of another. Preventative counters are a specific type of counters, represented by a gameplay element or mechanic utilized by a player to prevent another element from affecting them according to the aims of their functional intent. Whereas counters are forced changes in the line of motion of a gameplay element by another gameplay element, preventative counters also add to the idea that one of the gameplay elements does not cause any effect due to the fact that another condition was met before.

In contrast to reactionary counters, where an attack or action has been successfully performed but the receiving end can "react" afterwards, preventative counters do not let the action take place. These counters generally require of a player to be fast and to have timing as they need to predict when they are going to receive an attack and act accordingly on a short timeframe.

Soulslike games like Dark Souls 3 introduce parrying as a preventative counter: whenever an enemy attacks the player, they may try to perform a parry with a shield (or maybe a weapon in some cases) that, if done at the right time, will deflect the attack and give an advantage to the player (riposte). For the parry to be successful, the active frames of the parry animation have to coincide with the active frames of the opponent's attack animation. Were it done correctly, it can be followed by a riposte to inflict critical damage.