Arguments for increasing or dropping of "slots" for "kasual" / player modes

[Shoah_Kahn]

+ The "slot" restrictions are all but redundant now, given NRS have tacitly admitted that the system would not suffice for [tournament] balancing purposes (...yeah, I know they 'promised' to "look into it"... even Reagan 'promised' to "make America great again" >lip service™)

+ Allowing for free and unfettered "kasual" mode play will serve as a laboratory for millions of players to test what abilities work and / or break the game; thereby, making expanding the tournament mode/s that much more likely -- orders of magnitude more so than any time / budget constrained testing team could even yield

+ Ed Boon himself promised that players would be able to "play their characters the way THEY want to" (Jan., 2019) -- even an infamous troll should live up to his word

+ Many are purchasing the game based on the premise of customisation -- forcing variations on "competitive"¹ play, already renders said promise a mealy-mouthed falsehood -- leaving the redundant "slots" in place (for non-tournament play), only rubs more salt into the consumer wound

+ The only "balancing" non-tournament modes require are for abilities that clash directly (multiple teleports; similar projectiles; obvious infinite combo-y combinations) to be restricted -- not something the Draconian three-slot system is needed for

+ If tournament play ends up settling with "variations" (which is likely; even if chars. receive more developer-set load-outs over time) and then non-tournament players are lumbered with only three, paltry [superfluous] "slots" to customise their fighters with, MK11 is effectively taking the WORST elements of MKX and Injustice 2, and rolling them into one gumbo -- the very aspects of said games that NRS have literally cited as their reasoning behind supposedly 'evolving'[citation needed] the pertaining system/s for MK11

+ "Balance" is irrelevant when it comes to non-tournament modes -- people can play tournament / ranked play if they do not like characters with diversity and unpredictability, and a simple "three-slot restriction ON/OFF" pre-match toggle can filter the proposed unfettered customisation for anyone who does not want it in their matches (...as unfathomable as it is for anyone not playing "competitively"¹ to not want as much freedom as possible)

+ Failing the outright removal of the defunct "slot" system, increasing the slot counts to, say, six(6) ability slots per characters (or even individualising them to incorporate 50% of all available specials), would be the next best port of call. With some characters perhaps having a dozen non-default abilities, a measly three slots is insulting, and unnecessarily gimps the characters' potential; as well as the FUN players could otherwise have with MK11 -- the sole reason the game / gaming exists (...and it's Injustice 2 all over again)

+ With MK11 being touted as "less combo-centric" and more about "footsies" (*apocryphal), it is that much more of an imperative that players be given as much freedom as possible with whatever customisation the game offers, and not hamstrung by silly, arbitrarily imposed "red tape" -- for the very sake of maintaining interest in the product...

(¹Who the heck plays a fighting game 'uncompetitively'...? └(ₒ ͜ʖ͡⚆)ﾉ)


I await the kill-joys' counter [non] arguments with relish...

 

[stokedAF]

What is with Mortal Kombat and the random Ronald Reagan comments? Lmao.

A free for all party mode could be cool.

 

[podizzler3000]

as someone who thought the game could be balanced with custom variations and slots im gonna stick with slots. Im not sure how you can argue slots make balancing more difficult since it is just an additional balancing tool in addition to frame data, damage, etc. Whats easier than taking a broken move and making it require an additional slot! I thought thats where we were heading tbh

 

[Jhonnykiller45]

Uhh sure. Did you really have to insert that much nonsense into the OP though? Blegh. Could've made it like 1/2 its size without that.

 

[DarkSado]

+ The "slot" restrictions are all but redundant now, given NRS have tacitly admitted that the system would not suffice for [tournament] balancing purposes (...yeah, I know they 'promised' to "look into it"... even Reagan 'promised' to "make America great again" >lip service™)

+ Allowing for free and unfettered "kasual" mode play will serve as a laboratory for millions of players to test what abilities work and / or break the game; thereby, making expanding the tournament mode/s that much more likely -- orders of magnitude more so than any time / budget constrained testing team could even yield

+ Ed Boon himself promised that players would be able to "play their characters the way THEY want to" (Jan., 2019) -- even an infamous troll should live up to his word

+ Many are purchasing the game based on the premise of customisation -- forcing variations on "competitive"¹ play, already renders said promise a mealy-mouthed falsehood -- leaving the redundant "slots" in place (for non-tournament play), only rubs more salt into the consumer wound

+ The only "balancing" non-tournament modes require are for abilities that clash directly (multiple teleports; similar projectiles; obvious infinite combo-y combinations) to be restricted -- not something the Draconian three-slot system is needed for

+ If tournament play ends up settling with "variations" (which is likely; even if chars. receive more developer-set load-outs over time) and then non-tournament players are lumbered with only three, paltry [superfluous] "slots" to customise their fighters with, MK11 is effectively taking the WORST elements of MKX and Injustice 2, and rolling them into one gumbo -- the very aspects of said games that NRS have literally cited as their reasoning behind supposedly 'evolving'[citation needed] the pertaining system/s for MK11

+ "Balance" is irrelevant when it comes to non-tournament modes -- people can play tournament / ranked play if they do not like characters with diversity and unpredictability, and a simple "three-slot restriction ON/OFF" pre-match toggle can filter the proposed unfettered customisation for anyone who does not want it in their matches (...as unfathomable as it is for anyone not playing "competitively"¹ to not want as much freedom as possible)

+ Failing the outright removal of the defunct "slot" system, increasing the slot counts to, say, six(6) ability slots per characters (or even individualising them to incorporate 50% of all available specials), would be the next best port of call. With some characters perhaps having a dozen non-default abilities, a measly three slots is insulting, and unnecessarily gimps the characters' potential; as well as the FUN players could otherwise have with MK11 -- the sole reason the game / gaming exists (...and it's Injustice 2 all over again)

+ With MK11 being touted as "less combo-centric" and more about "footsies" (*apocryphal), it is that much more of an imperative that players be given as much freedom as possible with whatever customisation the game offers, and not hamstrung by silly, arbitrarily imposed "red tape" -- for the very sake of maintaining interest in the product...

(¹Who the heck plays a fighting game 'uncompetitively'...? └(ₒ ͜ʖ͡⚆)ﾉ)


I await the kill-joys' counter [non] arguments with relish...

Ed boon said they were likely going to do pre varation in January.

 

[Shoah_Kahn]

Here's a good case in point for why the characters need more than three slots for customisation:

"[D'vorah] also has an ability that reminds me of a guest character from Mortal Kombat X: Jason Voorhees. "There's an ability you can equip where, when she dies, one of her babies comes out of her, and you control the baby,” Brownback says. “It has its own moveset, and then [your opponent has] to kill the baby to actually kill her." The move takes up two of the three slots you can use to equip moves, however, so it’s a major gamble."

Game Informer

In the current three-slot format, that's a literal gimmick that no one will use beyond novelty... Much less, if it has a dedicated "variation" / in tournament mode/s. Compare: Jason's "Unstoppable" variant, which at least had a very good base set of abilities, plus buffs, in addition to his similar 'resurrection' ability -- if D'vorah must sacrifice her entire customisation suite to use her equivalent ability, it'll be a waste of development time for something that's actually quite unique and should probably be a default skill.

 

[Tony at Home]

This is almost definitely a @Sablicious alt account

 

[DragonofDadashov24]

I’ve cut my finger today. Going to play witcher 3 in the evening and go to cinema tomorrow

 

[Vslayer]

Even if people say it's not combo-centric, we're still gonna find combos because that's sort of the point. Even if we have to play more patiently because of the emphasis on the neutral game, once we're in, in combo time baby.

I do think that they should have more combo routes for characters, like how Kabal has a few options for combos, or we'll get bored always doing the same optimal one. I'd rather get more moves that give us that ability than anything else.

 

[Tanno]

Not combo-centric? Beg my pardon, but did you actually see what did Mitsuownes find with Scorpion? A deadly 60%! Don't believe me? Take a look here.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1112746879941570560

And leaving the kustom variations only to the casuals is equivalent to leaving the PC to a little kid that knows nothing about PCs. They're already fated to be lost in the useless hands, that will never use them. Not even using them in combos.

Only players who know a good shit about FGs would do marvels with combos AND abilities.

My condolences.

 

[IamBatface]

I think the three slots for custom is a good idea to prevent people coming up with utterly broken combinations but I think the presets shouldn’t necessarily have to keep those rules as since there will be two of them and they can choose what’s goes with what and they will be locked that way.

 

[DDustiNN]

No.

3 slots is fine, and the game was designed and balanced around it.

All they need to do is allow custom in ranked and they’ll be all set.

 

[Shoah_Kahn]

@Tanno
A combo =/= combo-centricity... And irrespective of raw combo-for-combo comparisons made between MKX and MK11 (...the latter of which, at time of typing, no one but the devs can accurately assess), my point has little-to-nothing to do with the "combo" meme. In fact, the ratta tat tat, 100-hit anime style garbage (or, in MK's case, crouching punch-juggling in "death korners") is something I loathe -- nay want more of.

My argument is underpinned by three, fundamental points:
1) Gameplay / character diversity (how chars. can be played)
2) The realisation of the creators' vision / promises (re. large, diverse move-sets and allowing players to avail everything the game has to offer / experience said vision)
3) FUN (d'oh!)

...Hence, my direct and deliberate demarcation of the game's "competitive" side from its "player" game mode/s.

To borrow the Sony gaming division mantra, these game are "FOR THE PLAYERS" -- not 'for the money-corrupt pros'. If NRS want to make some nauseatingly balanced fighting game -- have at it, Hoss! Just don't expect 99% of those who've bought their games in the past, to continue to support them... And that goes manifold for the hand that currently feed$ them, Warn-a-Brother.
---

@IamBatface
@DDustiNN
To clarify: I am arguing for more liberal customisation IN PLAYER / CASUAL MODES ONLY... In case that fact inflects your opinions in any way.

Pros (SonicFox notwithstanding) need not raise their pitchforks -- their play experience will be wholly in the hands of NRS developers. Neither they nor we, the filthy "uncompetitive" casuals, will have any bearing in how their side of the game will play. NRS, alone, will decide what is "balanced" for you, and what is "fun" for you and, indeed, what you will play competitively.
>peace, love and mung beans