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NetherRealm Story Director, Dominic, gives insight into Injustice 2's writing process

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NetherRealm Studios' games since 2011 with "Mortal Kombat 9" have packed a punch with content. If fact, since the Midway team transitioned to Warner Bros under the name NetherRealm Studios, they've been doing serious work. What am I talking about? I'm talking about the single-player mode, multi-player mode and on top of all of the other modes... the impressive story modes they deliver.

Dominic Cianciolo, Story & Voiceover Director for NetherRealm Studios did an interview with PCGamer recently where they dive into the details of the writing process. Dominic explains how the story as a whole is first created in one paragraph summaries. You can read all about it in the link below!

"Justifying why characters fight is definitely one of the more challenging aspects of writing our story mode scripts," Cianciolo says. "To keep things fresh from game to game, fights must be a natural outgrowth of the story’s plot, the protagonist’s objectives, and the relationship between the protagonist and his or her opponents. The more the stakes for the characters in a particular match up can be personalized, the more... continue reading!"
Thanks to Tim Static for the tip
 

Jynks

some heroes are born, some made, some wondrous
Probably a unpopular opinion around here.. but I am not unto story modes. I just think they get in the way of gameplay. I tend to think John Carmack said it best,.... "Story in a game is like a story in a porn movie. It's expected to be there, but it's not that important."

Studios put to much focus on the wrong things, when talking story imo. I mean look at Street Fighter and even the original MK games. All that "lore" and history and form what? A few simple text screen and a few still images.

Gameplay and player imagination is all we need.

I do not need story elements turning Superman into an arsehole or making Sindel Dead. I just want the coolest roster with the best balance and gameplay. Oh yeah and some story on top would be nice.. but something small is all I need. but we do not NEED justification for them to fight... they were wisked off to the Moral Kombat event and face off.. that is all we need.
 

Roy Arkon

I will leave my seal on you!
Probably a unpopular opinion around here.. but I am not unto story modes. I just think they get in the way of gameplay. I tend to think John Carmack said it best,.... "Story in a game is like a story in a porn movie. It's expected to be there, but it's not that important."

Studios put to much focus on the wrong things, when talking story imo. I mean look at Street Fighter and even the original MK games. All that "lore" and history and form what? A few simple text screen and a few still images.

Gameplay and player imagination is all we need.

I do not need story elements turning Superman into an arsehole or making Sindel Dead. I just want the coolest roster with the best balance and gameplay. Oh yeah and some story on top would be nice.. but something small is all I need. but we do not NEED justification for them to fight... they were wisked off to the Moral Kombat event and face off.. that is all we need.
That's where you are wrong my friend, as well as that John guy. Story in games are nothing like porn movies story, if there is no to very little story, you're not gonna care about the characters in the game as much, and if you can't care about them as much, it's gonna be a lot harder for you to play them, which means you're not gonna play the game, especially if you're new to the series. NRS/WB put all the work they need to the gameplay and netcode, and full-fledged stories are a must have modes, not just in fighting games, but in all games in general. And the story must be a good-quality story as well. That is why tons of people don't buy other fighting games outside of NRS/WB games, because these games don't give them good stories or single-player content, and they don't even work enough on the rosters, they just focus on the gameplay because they think people will except that fighting games should only focus on the tournaments, but it's 110% false. Fighting games are way more about gameplay, hell, every game is, or else you're not gonna play it as much, if at all. Even if a few people don't focus on that, it's only an extremely small number of people, but the vast majority of people want full-fledged stories, thus it is a must have mode.
 

GLoRToR

Positive Poster!
lbsh my granny has more story to her days than injustice 2.
she can go on and on about stuff and be entertaining.
injustice 2 is summed up like "Alternate universe where Superman goes evil when his wife dies and every dc character either overreacts or acts out of character"
 

TamedLizard

Buff George
Let's hope they do a good job with MK11! With Shawn Kittelsen (the writer for the MKX comics) on the team I feel like there's a lot of potential for a really good story in the next MK.
It does. It'd have even more potential if they told us Kombat Kids were a joke.
 
That's where you are wrong my friend, as well as that John guy. Story in games are nothing like porn movies story, if there is no to very little story, you're not gonna care about the characters in the game as much, and if you can't care about them as much, it's gonna be a lot harder for you to play them, which means you're not gonna play the game, especially if you're new to the series. NRS/WB put all the work they need to the gameplay and netcode, and full-fledged stories are a must have modes, not just in fighting games, but in all games in general. And the story must be a good-quality story as well. That is why tons of people don't buy other fighting games outside of NRS/WB games, because these games don't give them good stories or single-player content, and they don't even work enough on the rosters, they just focus on the gameplay because they think people will except that fighting games should only focus on the tournaments, but it's 110% false. Fighting games are way more about gameplay, hell, every game is, or else you're not gonna play it as much, if at all. Even if a few people don't focus on that, it's only an extremely small number of people, but the vast majority of people want full-fledged stories, thus it is a must have mode.
That also have its reverse. I would like to play Wonder Woman, but her story part in Injustice 1 was so repulsive, stupid and sickening to me that I have never ever touched her and I don't have any plans of even playing the story of Injustice 2.
 

Dankster Morgan

It is better this way
Let's hope they do a good job with MK11! With Shawn Kittelsen (the writer for the MKX comics) on the team I feel like there's a lot of potential for a really good story in the next MK.
The comics were great. Kotal Kahn, Scorpion, Takeda, the Cage family, and Sub-Zero all had really interesting and compelling arcs. Hell, even the part where Reptile was emo about being a massive jobber was really good.
 

Dankster Morgan

It is better this way
The Injustice 2 story was great I thought, except for a few gripes.

1. Fate was INSANELY de-powered. This character would decimate most of the roster but instead he loses to Green Arrow. Niiiiiiiccccceeeee.

2. They created plot holes, mainly Arkham Asylum, and now Nightwing's death is different, we just don't know how he died.

3. Wonder Woman, Superman, Cyborg, and Robin(even Damian isn't THIS bad, Rebirth Damian is actually great) are really out of character. Superman has to be because thats the premise of the game, but the other 3 are terrible.
 

Roy Arkon

I will leave my seal on you!
That also have its reverse. I would like to play Wonder Woman, but her story part in Injustice 1 was so repulsive, stupid and sickening to me that I have never ever touched her and I don't have any plans of even playing the story of Injustice 2.
I don't know that was repulsive about Wonder Woman in IJ1 but you in any case I do recommend you to see the IJ2 story mode, and there is no repulsive thing in that story for sure.

The comics were great. Kotal Kahn, Scorpion, Takeda, the Cage family, and Sub-Zero all had really interesting and compelling arcs. Hell, even the part where Reptile was emo about being a massive jobber was really good.
I think "massive jobber" is a bit too harsh but yeah that part was really good as well as all the others, the comics were indeed great.
 

Dankster Morgan

It is better this way
I don't know that was repulsive about Wonder Woman in IJ1 but you in any case I do recommend you to see the IJ2 story mode, and there is no repulsive thing in that story for sure.



I think "massive jobber" is a bit too harsh but yeah that part was really good as well as all the others, the comics were indeed great.
I dont know, Reptile pretty much just serves as a punching bag in every story mode, he just exists because there needs to be a character to get beat every chapter
 
I don't know that was repulsive about Wonder Woman in IJ1 but you in any case I do recommend you to see the IJ2 story mode, and there is no repulsive thing in that story for sure.
I don't remember it exactly, but something like "Women are supposed to calm men violence with love". I mean. Just....
 

Roy Arkon

I will leave my seal on you!
I don't remember it exactly, but something like "Women are supposed to calm men violence with love". I mean. Just....
What's so repulsive in that? I don't feel like they meant to say that women are only good for sleeping with men or something, in fact that sounds more empowering for women more then anything else, as if women try to stop violence in the world and bring love to the world instead.

I dont know, Reptile pretty much just serves as a punching bag in every story mode, he just exists because there needs to be a character to get beat every chapter
Reptile exists because of the impact of the series he has as the first secret character in the history of fighting games all the way from MK1, and became a legacy character since then. He is the most important ninja only behind Scorpion and Sub-Zero. All of the antagonists are the ones who get beat almost all the time anyway in the story modes as the player plays the protagonists in all of those times. Also, Reptile beat Cyrax in the MKDA story, so he isn't a jobber.
 

Eddy Wang

Skarlet scientist
That's where you are wrong my friend, as well as that John guy. Story in games are nothing like porn movies story, if there is no to very little story, you're not gonna care about the characters in the game as much, and if you can't care about them as much, it's gonna be a lot harder for you to play them, which means you're not gonna play the game, especially if you're new to the series. NRS/WB put all the work they need to the gameplay and netcode, and full-fledged stories are a must have modes, not just in fighting games, but in all games in general. And the story must be a good-quality story as well. That is why tons of people don't buy other fighting games outside of NRS/WB games, because these games don't give them good stories or single-player content, and they don't even work enough on the rosters, they just focus on the gameplay because they think people will except that fighting games should only focus on the tournaments, but it's 110% false. Fighting games are way more about gameplay, hell, every game is, or else you're not gonna play it as much, if at all. Even if a few people don't focus on that, it's only an extremely small number of people, but the vast majority of people want full-fledged stories, thus it is a must have mode.
I don't pick my characters based on their background story, don't really care as much.

However the way the character plays in game its what it appeals to me, saying Scorpion used to be a hell spectre from netherrealm didn't really add anything that would make me main him, but in MKX they gave him the ability to cancel teleports, a spear which he can lit on fire if it hits, the ability to set himself on fire while dealing damage overtime, the whole package that made the character as a whole this includes a lot of things besides story mode.

Not saying i disagree with you on why story mode is important, but i totally disagree with you that a good portion of people pick characters based on their characters background, that is totally false and has been proven many times.

Not everyone picked and mained the characters they expected to main in MKX or I2 because the gameplay didn't really suit them or character was too weak for them to connect with, i didn't really expect to play Hat Trick Kung Lao but ended up being my best character, wanted to play cassie but really didn't gave a shit.
 

Roy Arkon

I will leave my seal on you!
I don't pick my characters based on their background story, don't really care as much.

However the way the character plays in game its what it appeals to me, saying Scorpion used to be a hell spectre from netherrealm didn't really add anything that would make me main him, but in MKX they gave him the ability to cancel teleports, a spear which he can lit on fire if it hits, the ability to set himself on fire while dealing damage overtime, the whole package that made the character as a whole this includes a lot of things besides story mode.

Not saying i disagree with you on why story mode is important, but i totally disagree with you that a good portion of people pick characters based on their characters background, that is totally false and has been proven many times.

Not everyone picked and mained the characters they expected to main in MKX or I2 because the gameplay didn't really suit them or character was too weak for them to connect with, i didn't really expect to play Hat Trick Kung Lao but ended up being my best character, wanted to play cassie but really didn't gave a shit.
I don't know what you're talking about regarding that it as been proven many times, a lot of people get into characters because of their backstory, which can be showcased in a story mode, in addition to their gameplan, so a a story is important for that reason as well as other reasons like why the world of this game is worth investing. People can also pick a char based part of their character design, overall looks and personality, which can sometimes relate to that character's story. One of the reasons I like Reptile in addition to his gameplan and him being the green palliate swap Ninja is that he changed his overall look overtime in the games, from the human Ninja until the hybrid of human Ninja and lizard man that he is now, which reminds me of how The Undertaker has changed his look overtime in his wrestling career, and that part of Reptile is connected to his backstory as he came to a mental state that prevented him to keep his human from because of the separation of his race of Zaterra, that is explained in the MKDA story. A backstory is also the main reason why I like Scorpion as much, because he is the undead Ninja of the thirst for vengeance, again in relation to The Undertaker, so his backstory is the pretty much the main reason why I like Scorpion. And yes I also don't play as Scorpion as much as I play Reptile because his gameplan in generaldoesn't fit to me like Reptile's, but I like both characters for their backstory, personality and character designs, with Reptile also having the general gameplan. I always go for character's look, personality and story in addition to the gameplan. If it's just the gameplan alone while all the other areas of character backstory, design, looks and personality don't appeal to me, I won't play that char.

Story modes help you get a connection with a character that you eventually like and then play, and they also help you understand the overall feel of the universe the game takes place and it also helps you understand why the chars even fight with each other and have been put in those fights from the get go. Of course the story must be done well with well done presentation and such or else it won't work. That is why NRS' story modes are the best on the market, because they know how to make them right. Now if you're one of those who pick a char based on their gameplan alone that is perfectly fine, but a lot of people pick characters for the story, whatever it's their main reason, one of the reasons or even the main reasons why they did such, and backstory can be showcased via the story mode of a fighting game.
 
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What's so repulsive in that? I don't feel like they meant to say that women are only good for sleeping with men or something, in fact that sounds more empowering for women more then anything else, as if women try to stop violence in the world and bring love to the world instead.
What's wrong with the leader of a tribe of Amazons, a mythological tribe of female WARRIORS, talking about chilling men with love? They live and fight without men, and suddenly their purpose is to bring peace to the world by love? What the fuck is that? Do you see female empowerment in the Cinderella story too?
 

Roy Arkon

I will leave my seal on you!
What's wrong with the leader of a tribe of Amazons, a mythological tribe of female WARRIORS, talking about chilling men with love? They live and fight without men, and suddenly their purpose is to bring peace to the world by love? What the fuck is that? Do you see female empowerment in the Cinderella story too?
I really don't see that as an insult to women, that only shows their power if anything. I think you got this in the wrong way.
 

Eddy Wang

Skarlet scientist
I don't know what you're talking about regarding that it as been proven many times, a lot of people get into characters because of their backstory, which can be showcased in a story mode, in addition to their gameplan, so a a story is important for that reason as well as other reasons like why the world of this game is worth investing. People can also pick a char based part of their character design, overall looks and personality, which can sometimes relate to that character's story. One of the reasons I like Reptile in addition to his gameplan and him being the green palliate swap Ninja is that he changed his overall look overtime in the games, from the human Ninja until the hybrid of human Ninja and lizard man that he is now, which reminds me of how The Undertaker has changed his look overtime in his wrestling career, and that part of Reptile is connected to his backstory as he came to a mental state that prevented him to keep his human from because of the separation of his race of Zaterra, that is explained in the MKDA story. A backstory is also the main reason why I like Scorpion as much, because he is the undead Ninja of the thirst for vengeance, again in relation to The Undertaker, so his backstory is the pretty much the main reason why I like Scorpion. And yes I also don't play as Scorpion as much as I play Reptile because his gameplan in generaldoesn't fit to me like Reptile's, but I like both characters for their backstory, personality and character designs, with Reptile also having the general gameplan. I always go for character's look, personality and story in addition to the gameplan. If it's just the gameplan alone while all the other areas of character backstory, design, looks and personality don't appeal to me, I won't play that char.

Story modes help you get a connection with a character that you eventually like and then play, and they also help you understand the overall feel of the universe the game takes place and it also helps you understand why the chars even fight with each other and have been put in those fights from the get go. Of course the story must be done well with well done presentation and such or else it won't work. That is why NRS' story modes are the best on the market, because they know how to make them right. Now if you're one of those who pick a char based on their gameplan alone that is perfectly fine, but a lot of people pick characters for the story, whatever it's their main reason, one of the reasons or even the main reasons why they did such, and backstory can be showcased via the story mode of a fighting game.
Then again, i don't disagree with Story being a needed element, i just pointed out that not everyone picks their characters based on story background, i don't and a bunch lot of people doesn't either.

Reptile has been retconed, despite the entire escuse of his swapping to a reptile look, no one really do enjoy his lizard face as much besides, he always had lizard face, he just hid it under some human skin, which imo was way more scary, a lizard inside a man skin, that shit was terrifying.
 

Roy Arkon

I will leave my seal on you!
Then again, i don't disagree with Story being a needed element, i just pointed out that not everyone picks their characters based on story background, i don't and a bunch lot of people doesn't either.

Reptile has been retconed, despite the entire escuse of his swapping to a reptile look, no one really do enjoy his lizard face as much besides, he always had lizard face, he just hid it under some human skin, which imo was way more scary, a lizard inside a man skin, that shit was terrifying.
As I said myself, not every single player chooses a char based on their story, and they can choose a char based on their gameplan alone, all I was saying is that a lot of people do pick a char based on their story, whatever if that's one reason, the main reason or the only reason.

As for Reptile, yes his design has been retconed for for the new timeline to have the lizard Ninja look since the start of the events of MK9, but keep in mind that he already had the lizard Ninja look in MK Armageddon in the original timeline (which for the record, is connected to the current timeline despite some parts of the story being retconned) after all of the changes he went through, so it might be the case that Reptile already wend through those changes in the new timeline but before the events of MK9 in the new timeline, and it's not like that this retcon completely changes what happened in the original timeline for Reptile, it is still intact for it, which once again is connected to the new one but their are differences between due to them being 2 different timelines as well as events that were changed in the new one. Even if NRS decided to completely retcon that part for Reptile to the point that he was hie appearance since the very beginning and not just from MK9's events, it doesn't change the fact that Reptile had more design changes then any other MK char in history across all of the games.

And as for Reptile's DA look, I actually liked his fully-fledged lizard form, all of Reptile's looks were cool. And yes he always had lizard parts in all of his designs including in the 2D games, but his lizard side was always presented in a different way, from the 2D games to MK4/MKG, to MKDA, and from MKA to MKX.
 
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Revy

★ 19 Years of Jade ★
I think Injustice 2's story sucks major ass. They made far too many mistakes in the story, lots of missing explanations, they didn't do the characters comic versions justice as Green Arrow should NEVER beat Fate, forced character introductions just for the sake of why a certain character is in the roster (Joker, Atro & Fate) as they're literally in the game for 5 minutes & there's barely any character development. The only things I actually liked were Harley working with Batman, Black Adam moments & the final choice between Batman versus Superman.

Injustice: Gods Among Us story wasn't as bad but it still has some flaws and having more interesting takes on the alternate universe versions of known characters.
 

MKF30

Fujin and Ermac for MK 11
The MK team even with Midway and DEFINITELY once they became NRS blow the competition out of the water in this category hands down, no contest. The effort they put into their developed characters, story modes and bios are just unmatched. The comics also tie in nicely, we've also seen them have way more success on film than their competition as well be it MK one movie or MKL series. I really, really, really hope they make or consider an Injustice live movie or animated movie, it would do very well I think and I of course look forward to the MK movie reboot and MK 11's story..