If You Could Choose Between 2 X-Rays Before the Match, What Would Your Character's Be?

[BlueLightningTN]

This is the starter post. I'll edit it as we find excellent ideas for alternative X-Ray moves. The idea is that in the next Mortal Kombat (or maybe even as DLC), we should be able to pick between 2 or 3 X-Rays before a match to help our character match-up against the opponent. But since I'm not an expert with every character, I need your help to figure out what the other (1 or 2) X-Rays should be.

Scorpion

Liu Kang

Kung Lao

Sub-Zero

Sindel

Ermac

Reptile
X-Ray #1: Reptile goes invisible, passing thru projectiles, with a 35% forward attack travelling half the screen.
X-Ray #2: Reptile creates a non-moving mega forceball behind him. Stays for 8 seconds, does 32% damage if touched. Reptile can move normally while it exists.

Kitana

Johnny Cage
X-Ray #1: An instant counter against any physical attack. Provides limited ability to combo further afterwards. 35% damage.
X-Ray #2: Quick, aerial grab (will lose to any attack). Allows Cage to severely punish spinning recoveries and add large damage to juggle combos. Does 40% damage. *Thanks to Shib for this X-Ray*

Mileena

Nightwolf

Cyrax

Noob Saibot

Smoke

Sektor

Sonya Blade

Jax

Kano

Kurtis Stryker

Shang Tsung

Baraka

Kabal

Raiden

Cyber Sub-Zero

Sheeva
X-Ray #1: Sheeva stomps the ground, lifting any grounded opponent into an unblockable X-Ray attack that deals 37% damage.
X-Ray #2: Sheeva lifts off the ground, possibly hitting the opponent, then lands. If the land connects, the X-Ray deals 36%, plus 6% if it hit on the way up as well.

Quan Chi

Skarlett

Kenshi

Rain

 

[BlueLightningTN]

So the first alternative X-Ray you'll see is for Reptile. I main lizardboy and have an 80%+ win record with him online... I'm not the best on XBL, but I'm in the top ten I think. An X-Ray that would greatly help Reptile would be an X-Ray to stop teleporters since Reptile has great difficulty against Raiden, Smoke, etc. Not all teles are difficult for Reptile, but enough are that I would pick a counter X-Ray if I had the option (especially against Raiden).

So my proposal is this:

Reptile X-Ray #2:
Reptile turns backwards and creates a mega force ball which stays in place for eight seconds. Reptile can continue to fight as normal while the ball is in existence, and the ball does not move regardless of what Reptile does. If a character hits the ball, they initiate the X-Ray attack. The ball shoots the character up in the air, Reptile knees them as they fall (breaking their jaw bone), then hits them with a normal size force ball against their chest (breaking their ribs). Damage is 32%. Reptile can either use this X-Ray to stop teleporters, or he can hop behind it and use it as Sub-Zero uses an ice clone. The only problem with this X-Ray is that Reptile will not create the forceball if he is hit while creating it, and he obviously leaves himself open by turning around to create it.

What do you think? If someone has a better idea, I'll modify or change the listing for Reptile on the first post.

 

[Lyuben]

Perhaps the old Sub-Zero one where he freezes the floor for an unblockable to get you. Obviously it would be very much faster, probably Sheeva fast.

 

[BlueLightningTN]

Couple of things I need to know about your idea:

1) What area of the ground does it freeze?
2) How much damage should it do?
3) Can you combo off of it?
4) In what area does this help Sub-zero that his normal X-Ray doesn't?

Let me know - I think it could be a very good idea!

 

[BlueLightningTN]

Okay, here's another one:

Sheeva has a great deal of trouble with pressure as she currently has no good wakeup options. Let's partially remedy that with an X-Ray:

In our alternate X-Ray move for Sheeva, the female shokan lifts off the ground as if doing her stomp move, but with the X-Ray effect in place. Any opponent who is touched by Sheeva during her lift is hit for 6% and given the inability to dodge her descent. As Sheeva descends, she quickly lands where the opponent was at the top of her ascent. This hit begins the X-Ray portion of the attack and is unblockable.

Sheeva lands on the opponent, breaking their spine, then throws them up in the air over her head. As they fall back down, Sheeva's lower arms push down on their stomach while her upper arms swing in an uppercut motion, breaking the back of their neck and lower spine. Once the opponent is on the ground, the X-Ray finishes with Sheeva taking a step back. The damage for this move is 36% without the ascension hit, 42% if it connects as well.

 

[Mechacide]

Great thread.

It's hard to find a good alternative for Sub, because his XR is already one of the best, and it already works to help with his worser match-ups. Perhaps one that looks the same as his current XR (when you hold it) but works as a parry. It could do no dmg itself, but freeze the opponent for an unbreakerable combo (which doesn't scale as much as his normal freeze combos do). Trouble with that is that Sub already destroys rushdown characters, so it wouldn't really cover any of his weaknesses. Although if it were possible to hide your XR selection, and it doesn't tell you which one the opp has during a match, the fact that they look the same could work very well, as the opp would have to guess which one you're using and you'd potentially be shutting down all of their options.

I'll post again if I think of a better one.

 

[Lyuben]

Couple of things I need to know about your idea:

1) What area of the ground does it freeze?
2) How much damage should it do?
3) Can you combo off of it?
4) In what area does this help Sub-zero that his normal X-Ray doesn't?

Let me know - I think it could be a very good idea!

I think it would be full screen towards where opponent is. It should do higher damage because you cannot combo into it or after but because it is unblockable it should do less. So, 35% or so?. Could help against turtlers and zoners.

 

[BlueLightningTN]

Lyuben and Mechacide, tell me what you think about this:

I know that Sub-zero has difficulty with teleporters and characters that can out projectile him. So... I like the idea of the full screen attack to stop turtles, but freezing the ground that far would be a strange animation. I also like the idea of a parry for Sub-zero to stop teleporters from constantly punishing, so here's my combination of your two ideas into one:

Sub-zero shoots ice straight up into the air - the ice falls as far as possible away from Sub-zero simultaneously. This move looks very similar to unmasked Sub-zero's move in UMK3. Players who do a high or middle attack on Sub-zero during this move are frozen, as well as players who are hit by the unblockable far ice attack. Once the player is frozen, the X-Ray begins with Sub-zero braking the ice with a punch to the throat. The opponent doubles over as Sub-zero breaks their hip with an icy mace. Damage is 31% because it is such a powerful counter tool.

What do you guys think?

 

[OtherworldOdd]

I don't really like the alternative Reptile. I mean, it's good! It's great, really. But it's just not... an x-ray. It lacks the feel of one. I think if we're going to brainstorm new x-rays, they should stick to the style of x-rays and the flavor of them. The reptile one is more of a SSF super or ultra.

 

[Tim Static]

This thread smells like what UMK9 could be....

 

[shig]

But it's just not... an x-ray. It lacks the feel of one.

I don't see what you're talking about.

For Johnny Cage, I'd like to see an X-ray that hits low first and can be used in the place of the last hit of his combo strings that end in an overhead. (bp, fp, >bp and >fk, fk, <fk)

 

[BlueLightningTN]

Shig, tell me what you think about this for your X-Ray for Cage:

Johnny Cage X-Ray #2:
Cage goes for an anti-air grab - it will only grab a non-attacking, aerial opponent, but it's super fast. This is a punisher for spinning recoveries and a great combo finisher when juggling. During the X-Ray, Cage grabs the opponent and tosses them on their feet ala Cage's UMK3 throw. The opponent is facing away from Cage as he says, "Take a bow!" Cage kicks the back of the opponent's head, fracturing their skull and causing them to "bow". Cage then lifts the opponent back to standing by raising their arm - Cage says, "And the winner is..." as he flips the player onto their back using their arm (and popping their shoulder out of socket). Cage finishes his sentence by saying "Johnny Cage!" This X-Ray cannot be comboed further. Because it's either going to be diminished damage at the end of a combo or a punisher for a foolish special attack, this X-Ray should do 40%.

Well, what do you think? Any Johnny Cage players think that's a good one?

 

[BlueLightningTN]

I don't really like the alternative Reptile. I mean, it's good! It's great, really. But it's just not... an x-ray. It lacks the feel of one. I think if we're going to brainstorm new x-rays, they should stick to the style of x-rays and the flavor of them. The reptile one is more of a SSF super or ultra.

I don't know, I like making them more unique for the characters. Kinda like how Smoke can charge his X-Ray. However - if plenty of people feel the way you do, I'll definitely change it to be more in the line of the desires of the "kommunity."

 

[OtherworldOdd]

Well, it's just personal preference.

What i'm saying is that usually x-rays work like this:


You use it, you hit them, then you go into the cinematic. That's pretty much it, but of course there's other things to it like projectiles, charging, etc. This excludes Cage of course, which is basically the same but with a counter.

But the proposed Reptile one is pretty much a giant ball that follows him around. No one in the game has an x-ray where you can move free willingly while using it. There's no attack to it to hit the other person either so it gets rid of the chance of a whiffed x-ray. This is just from a game design standpoint.


Edit: I'm not a huge SF player but what I meant by it feels more like a SF or MVC ultra or super is kind of this: Dhalsim for instance has that giant fireball. Not sure if it's an ultra or super but I know it's one of those. And it's basically what the proposed Reptile could be. A ball that has presence on screen and limits movement. It also allows the character to move around after using it. Other people have something similar too, such as Trish from MVC but I've never seen something like that in MK.


I'm not saying it wouldn't be cool to see either, but I just don't think it's what they had in mind with MK x-rays. If they chose to include x-rays like that, I'd be all for it.

 

[Rathalos]

Kanos x-ray 2.

It has the same start up as his ex canon ball, can hold it for as long as you want, has one hit of armor, he flies at you and hits you in the stomach crushing your ribs, you got knocked down on the ground, he lands on top of you, sitting on your chest and then procedes to use his eye laser to melt both of your eyes.

He doesn't really need this at all, I just want him to laser eye something, feel so cockblocked he doesn't have a laser eye fatality.

 

[OtherworldOdd]

Lol, I know right. I don't see why they excluded his laser eye.

 

[BlueLightningTN]

Well, it's just personal preference.

What i'm saying is that usually x-rays work like this:


You use it, you hit them, then you go into the cinematic. That's pretty much it, but of course there's other things to it like projectiles, charging, etc. This excludes Cage of course, which is basically the same but with a counter.

But the proposed Reptile one is pretty much a giant ball that follows him around. No one in the game has an x-ray where you can move free willingly while using it. There's no attack to it to hit the other person either so it gets rid of the chance of a whiffed x-ray. This is just from a game design standpoint.


Edit: I'm not a huge SF player but what I meant by it feels more like a SF or MVC ultra or super is kind of this: Dhalsim for instance has that giant fireball. Not sure if it's an ultra or super but I know it's one of those. And it's basically what the proposed Reptile could be. A ball that has presence on screen and limits movement. It also allows the character to move around after using it. Other people have something similar too, such as Trish from MVC but I've never seen something like that in MK.


I'm not saying it wouldn't be cool to see either, but I just don't think it's what they had in mind with MK x-rays. If they chose to include x-rays like that, I'd be all for it.

I get what you're saying. One thing that should be noted, however, is that the ball doesn't move... it's completely stationary. It's like an ice clone in that it stays where you put it.

 

[Rathalos]

I also get what you're saying about the x-ray thing, its why I always hated the idea of the x-ray moves, I always felt it shoehorned them into cinematic supers, the effect is nice, but they shouldn't have actually called them x-rays.

Id love liu kang or shang to have a fireball super attack that can do chip and doesn't go into some kinda cinematic when it hits. Could also do cool things like buffs, or make invisibility not useless by having them be supers.

 

[BlueLightningTN]

I really like your chip damage idea for projectiles, especially for Shang Tsung since he's supposed to be the fireball juggle character. Looking forward to fleshing that idea out more.

 

[OtherworldOdd]

I completely agree. X-rays or "supers" that didn't do the cinematic thing would be awesome.

I misread the reptile one, I thought it followed Reptile around. If it was stationary, that would def be a lot less broken then I thought it would be and would really be cool if they broke out of this cinematic x-ray mold.

 

[BlueLightningTN]

I'll get up the Shang Tsung X-Ray #2 description based on chip damage projectile sometime later today. In the meantime, look over what we've got and keep adding! =)

 

[Gamin_Guru]

Shang 'Bang' Tsung: He throws an up skull and it grows as large as a spirit ball and falls from above you. Can not be blocked low (overhead properties) and it tracks. Can not be combo'd into or out of. 35% damage

 

[shig]

Why are you giving me credit for the anti-air grab x-ray? lol

Also, about that same X-ray: would you be able to cancel an uppercut into it, after the uppercut connects? If you hit someone who's trying to jump on you with your high fireball, would you be able to dash in and connect the x-ray afterwards?

Cause that would be amazing.

 

[Konqrr]

Kitana X-Ray/Super #2: Anti-Air Super Fan Lift that, once activated, it lifts the opponent up and starts a timer for like 8 seconds that removes the inability to do multiple air fans. Potential for large unbreakable combo damage.

More of a Super than X-Ray as it doesn't do internal animation.

 

[Sentry_Gun]

Baraka X-ray/Super = Cuts off opponents arms with his blades, opponent must resort to using only kicks.





Edit: This is a joke lol