Nuovo_Cabjoy
G O R O B O Y S
My post from another thread, more relevant here:
I feel the majority of players that say stuff like "MKX is in a bad place right now" or that the game is poorly designed have actually never striven to overcome the challenges this game presents. MKX is a game of knowledge as much as it is a game of fundamentals, and even though there are some cases where you're stuck in a position where you have to eat a 50/50 or something else there's usually a reason you got yourself into that position in the first place. The top tier in this game have nothing on the top tier in the previous 2 NRS titles, and even still the top 5 or so actually have counters from within the top 5 and elsewhere in the mid tier. If we focussed more on solving problems than crying about them, I think more of us could remember why we loved the game in the first place (which, fyi, has likely only gotten more balanced with time if we're being completely honest).
Just to expand a little, I actually really, really enjoy the neutral in this game (which I understand many players don't agree is necessary to play in MKX). Run ins can make it hard to play neutral, but you have to be ballsy and know how to tackle certain characters run ins/advancing normals/jump ins in order to play the neutral successfully. Even something as simple as going to the lab and looking for things like "In the neutral, what button is most effective at stopping Johnny's f3, D'vorahs f1, Mileena's b12" etc is something I can guarantee most people here have never done. On top of that, yes the variable blockstun sucks, but you can find ways to punish these "difficult to punish moves" by labbing them. You can find more reliable ways to anti air certain characters by labbing which of your anti air buttons is best for a given situation. (I actually don't have a problem with anti-airs in this game as they are. They're not impossible by any means, and in most cases you're getting as much damage for an anti air as the aggressor gets for jumping in).
If you have trouble finding the right buttons, work on reading the habits of the other player. Maybe you're playing against a cutthroat and you eat a db1 in the corner. Chances are your opponent could have some habits in terms of which option they go for (may be dependent on your life or their previous mixup attempts). Maybe you eat the 50/50, but you got put there in the first place because your neutral was lacking. Further, you can make good reads on the ridiculous offense of Johnny and D'vorah if you really try as well. Knowing when you need to hold the block, armour a gap or even contest their options with normals to punish is extremely important but treated as mythology. There are ways around Johnny and D'vorah's pressure, no matter how desperate things may seem.
Not all of what I've said applies to ALL characters, obviously some characters really can't deal with Johnny or D'vorah as well as others but that's the point of a large and diverse roster. I think in a game like MKX you need to learn to love your options on the select screen. I know some people are character loyalists and just won't pick other characters, in which case it's up to you to be vigilant about finding answers. There's ALWAYS answers, so please let's not convince ourselves that anything in this game in unbeatable.
I feel the majority of players that say stuff like "MKX is in a bad place right now" or that the game is poorly designed have actually never striven to overcome the challenges this game presents. MKX is a game of knowledge as much as it is a game of fundamentals, and even though there are some cases where you're stuck in a position where you have to eat a 50/50 or something else there's usually a reason you got yourself into that position in the first place. The top tier in this game have nothing on the top tier in the previous 2 NRS titles, and even still the top 5 or so actually have counters from within the top 5 and elsewhere in the mid tier. If we focussed more on solving problems than crying about them, I think more of us could remember why we loved the game in the first place (which, fyi, has likely only gotten more balanced with time if we're being completely honest).
Just to expand a little, I actually really, really enjoy the neutral in this game (which I understand many players don't agree is necessary to play in MKX). Run ins can make it hard to play neutral, but you have to be ballsy and know how to tackle certain characters run ins/advancing normals/jump ins in order to play the neutral successfully. Even something as simple as going to the lab and looking for things like "In the neutral, what button is most effective at stopping Johnny's f3, D'vorahs f1, Mileena's b12" etc is something I can guarantee most people here have never done. On top of that, yes the variable blockstun sucks, but you can find ways to punish these "difficult to punish moves" by labbing them. You can find more reliable ways to anti air certain characters by labbing which of your anti air buttons is best for a given situation. (I actually don't have a problem with anti-airs in this game as they are. They're not impossible by any means, and in most cases you're getting as much damage for an anti air as the aggressor gets for jumping in).
If you have trouble finding the right buttons, work on reading the habits of the other player. Maybe you're playing against a cutthroat and you eat a db1 in the corner. Chances are your opponent could have some habits in terms of which option they go for (may be dependent on your life or their previous mixup attempts). Maybe you eat the 50/50, but you got put there in the first place because your neutral was lacking. Further, you can make good reads on the ridiculous offense of Johnny and D'vorah if you really try as well. Knowing when you need to hold the block, armour a gap or even contest their options with normals to punish is extremely important but treated as mythology. There are ways around Johnny and D'vorah's pressure, no matter how desperate things may seem.
Not all of what I've said applies to ALL characters, obviously some characters really can't deal with Johnny or D'vorah as well as others but that's the point of a large and diverse roster. I think in a game like MKX you need to learn to love your options on the select screen. I know some people are character loyalists and just won't pick other characters, in which case it's up to you to be vigilant about finding answers. There's ALWAYS answers, so please let's not convince ourselves that anything in this game in unbeatable.
