Ed Boon: "Which four fighters do you feel need the most love in Mortal Kombat 1?"

[M2Dave]

At the beginning of this week, Ed Boon tweeted and asked "Which four fighters do you feel need the most love in Mortal Kombat 1?"

Although Mortal Kombat 1 finds itself in a respectable spot in terms of its balance, set play clearly dominates the meta, as observed from offline and online tournaments.

To assign arbitrary numbers, I believe that the meta consists of 70% of offense/rushdown and 30% of defense/zoning.

While I support offense/rushdown being more prevalent in the contemporary fighting game meta, I would prefer if the aforementioned percentages resembled 60% and 40%.

Consequently, I would like to see meaningful buffs for characters like Peacemaker, Quan Chi, and Tanya.

More polemically, I would also like to see minor buffs for characters like Rain and Sektor.

However, certain rushdown characters like Baraka and Conan could use some buffs as well.

What would you guys like to see? Which characters would you buff? Would you nerf any characters?

 

[Jynks]

Kano... he isn't even playable!

 

[Jynks]

Seriously though.. I'm not sure.. all the ones I personally play seem to play very well. I honestly have no real complaints about MK1 right now. Sure some are weaker than others, but that is just how fighting games are, and it is, imo, how they should be.

 

[CrimsonShadow]

At the beginning of this week, Ed Boon tweeted and asked "Which four fighters do you feel need the most love in Mortal Kombat 1?"

Although Mortal Kombat 1 finds itself in a respectable spot in terms of its balance, set play clearly dominates the meta, as observed from offline and online tournaments.

I still don’t understand why you keep saying this when Sonic is the only person to recently win a tournament with setplay.

Just about every playstyle has been represented in Top 8 in recent events.

 

[Pan1cMode]

My list would look like the following in order of need:

• Tanya
• Quan Chi
• Shang Tsung
• Li Mei
• Peacemaker
• Omniman
• Baraka
• Smoke
• Raiden

I still don’t get why you keep saying this when Sonic is the only person to recently win a tournament with setplay.

Just about every playstyle has been represented in Top 8 in recent events.

Have you been looking at recent tournaments? Most have multiple Cyrax, T-1000, and Noob in top 8 mixing with knockdown loops. It is clearly a very strong/dominant play style. And I say this as someone who loves setplay; having been a previous batgirl main in injustice 1.

 

[M2Dave]

I still don’t understand why you keep saying this when Sonic is the only person to recently win a tournament with setplay.

You do not understand because you neither play the game nor watch the game as much as you claim that you do.

How many online tournaments has Tweedy won with T-1000 in the last two weeks?

Tournaments aside, watch this recent set between Tweedy and Grr, who is one of the best defensive NRS fighting game players.

If I were to emulate your antics, I would be making a smirky status update every two days right after most online tournaments.

The point is that defense/zoning ought to be stronger in Mortal Kombat 1.

As I have already stated, buff characters like Peacemaker and Quan Chi so that characters like Cyrax and T-1000 have (more) bad match ups.

 

[Jynks]

Narr.. Defence is boring. MK is best when everyone had broken offence and it's a my turn your turn thing.

 

[chrisisnice]

Li Mei. She is so stumpy and has to work so hard to be competitive.

I do not play her, but Tanya seems to have been way overcorrected.

 

[superbn0va]

Buff:

• Kung Lao
• Reptile
• Tanya
• Takeda

Adress/Change:

• Cyrax please. She has way too much going on without needing to spend bar/kameo meter.

 

[CrimsonShadow]

You do not understand because you neither play the game nor watch the game as much as you claim that you do.

How many online tournaments has Tweedy won with T-1000 in the last two weeks?

Tournaments aside, watch this recent set between Tweedy and Grr, who is one of the best defensive NRS fighting game players.

If I were to emulate your antics, I would be making a smirky status update every two days right after most online tournaments.

The point is that defense/zoning ought to be stronger in Mortal Kombat 1.

As I have already stated, buff characters like Peacemaker and Quan Chi so that characters like Cyrax and T-1000 have (more) bad match ups.

I do play, and likely watch more than you do. This is the definition of cherrypicking.

You will talk about Tweedy, but have nothing to say about Cale, Yungmonster and Sooneo. Or even Bandinoz, who plays a different style of T-1000 than Tweedy. That is the definition of a disingenuous argument.

 

[M2Dave]

You will talk about Tweedy, but have nothing to say about Cale, Yungmonster and Sooneo. Or even Bandinoz, who plays a different style of T-1000 than Tweedy. That is the definition of a disingenuous argument.

What are you talking about? LOL.

I up play Kung Lao. I was arguably the first person on TYM who told Kung Lao players to stop asking for buffs and begin emulating Cale's game plan.

I also have nuanced conversations about Sektor. I never said that she could not zone. I also never discredited Sooneo.

I just ran into Bandinoz in Kombat League last night! He is a phenomenal player, but Rain being a "premier zoning character" remains a meme.

Anyway, the irony is that you are the one who is cherry picking and attacking a straw man.

You used to have some credibility, even when I vehemently disagreed with you.

 

[Trickywizard]

You do not understand because you neither play the game nor watch the game as much as you claim that you do.

How many online tournaments has Tweedy won with T-1000 in the last two weeks?

Tournaments aside, watch this recent set between Tweedy and Grr, who is one of the best defensive NRS fighting game players.

If I were to emulate your antics, I would be making a smirky status update every two days right after most online tournaments.

The point is that defense/zoning ought to be stronger in Mortal Kombat 1.

As I have already stated, buff characters like Peacemaker and Quan Chi so that characters like Cyrax and T-1000 have (more) bad match ups.

Crimson doesn’t even have the game lol
Exposed?

 

[Lt. Boxy Angelman]

Kano... he isn't even playable!

Agreed. That's the first immediate person that comes to mind, because he might actually be the only unviable Kameo at the moment.

My choices come more out of boredom than viability. I don't know if there's a character in the Main Roster right now who can't do a SF4 Hakan, oil themselves up and win with the right Kameo, but there are four who just don't give off the right vibe:

-Tanya is now just a niche character whose niche doesn't do a whole lot.

-Geras...kind of the same feeling as Tanya. Needs more to be appealing than just doing a unique thing, or it's a waste of a unique thing.

-Quan Chi. I feel like they're keeping him medicated because they're afraid to create the monster Dave and also myself are waiting for: the viable zoning machine. I would love to see him get back one of his old tools...maybe his 212 string from MK9, or the Runes. Maybe even Puggles. Maybe if you fire Puggles at someone while they're in a Cage, it explodes and pops up like Frost's Wall. I have thoughts.

-Kung Lao. Z Hat, new string, buff his Divekick. There's no way on Elder God's Green Earth that Megan Fox should have a better Divekick than Kung Lao.

Two honorable mentions:

-Sektor needs two things: a hitbox on the Air 212 string that doesn't drop half the time, and a better Air Grenade. But she needs them intensely.

-Maybe I'm insane, but the input window on Noob Saibot's EX Teleslam feels tighter than any other EX move in the game, and I really hope they widen it a bit. I was 100% exclusively a Noob Saibot main in MK11, and it is a sad day when I can't have faith in a move that never once gave me trouble in all of that game, in spite of all it's weird input issues and dropping out of juggles by accident and so forth.

 

[superbn0va]

What are you talking about? LOL.

I up play Kung Lao. I was arguably the first person on TYM who told Kung Lao players to stop asking for buffs and begin emulating Cale's game plan.

Did you think this before Kung Lao got his air buzzsaw buff? What makes you think Lao is that good? Just bc Cale is playing him? Cale is a very good player and he also think that Lao should get buffs. Are you saying that Cale, and i also think Lao should get (minor) buffs, are in the wrong?

Who do you think needs buffs?

 

[M2Dave]

Did you think this before Kung Lao got his air buzzsaw buff?

I did not use pre-patch Kung Lao, so I do not have a strong opinion on this matter.

What makes you think Lao is that good? Just bc Cale is playing him?

Cale is the primary reason.

I also consider anecdotal evidence because I play this game a lot.

For a washed up old man, I do very well, including against a couple of tournament players.

Along with JP, I believe that Kung Lao (with Sektor as the kameo, of course) is the best-designed zoning and run away character in the current fighting game meta.

The reason: the quantity of interactions throughout a match.

While pre-patch Peacemaker (and now Cyrax, offensively speaking) "freeze" the gameplay experience, Kung Lao maximizes interactions (i.e., standing buzzsaw, aerial buzzsaw, hat toss, dive kick, armor, missile, double missile, etc.)

As a result, players and spectators are less likely to perceive Kung Lao's gameplay as "boring" and/or "spam".

Cale is a very good player and he also think that Lao should get buffs. Are you saying that Cale, and i also think Lao should get (minor) buffs, are in the wrong?

I support buffs for Kung Lao, but the buffs must be minor.

I feel like a significant portion of the Kung Lao fanbase requests better approach tools and offense, which I firmly oppose.

Who do you think needs buffs?

Major buffs: Baraka, Peacemaker, Quan Chi, and Tanya.

Minor buffs: Conan, Li Mei, Omni-Man, Rain, etc.

 

[Trickywizard]

I do very well with Lao too and I’m like a year behind on MUs, He does not need anything.

 

[Eji1700]

I feel like a significant portion of the Kung Lao fanbase requests better approach tools and offense, which I firmly oppose.

This kinda comes back to the main problem with MK1, and perhaps some issues with MK's "throw out the sauce" approach in general.

My understanding was that Lao, traditionally, was far from the best zoner and absolutely about "fuck you I'm in". So you have character loyalists clashing with intended styles.

I think he's probably fine as things are(and agree on your take of him being a healthy zoner), but I get if you're looking for that lao "swag"' this doesn't feel like it.

 

[ticklebandit!]

BARAKA.

Second game in a row where he is excruciatingly plain to play. All of his cool strings went to T-1000 and his fatal blow buff thing is not nearly enough to make him interesting (or even good enough to get used in the first place). He's looked awesome in both mk1 and mk11, animations are on point, sound effects are incredible, but he gets the most bare bones gameplay of any character.

Give him a flag set up that grants a grapple or a new move,normal, let him call in a tarkatan homie, anything really. Let ex blade spark be cancelable?? He just needs sauce desperately.

 

[CrimsonShadow]

What are you talking about? LOL.

I up play Kung Lao. I was arguably the first person on TYM who told Kung Lao players to stop asking for buffs and begin emulating Cale's game plan.

I also have nuanced conversations about Sektor. I never said that she could not zone. I also never discredited Sooneo.

I just ran into Bandinoz in Kombat League last night! He is a phenomenal player, but Rain being a "premier zoning character" remains a meme.

Anyway, the irony is that you are the one who is cherry picking and attacking a straw man.

You used to have some credibility, even when I vehemently disagreed with you.

Absolutely none of that has to do with setplay supposedly dominating everythying.

There are a number of players who are doing well and/or winning things, without relying on setplay-heavy teams or gameplans. When I bring up that fact, you deflect to talking about 5 other things.

 

[Jynks]

I think it is absolutely true that you can't really judge how things work on a mechanical level by looking at pro-players. Pro-player by definition are extremely good players. Sonic can make anyone int he cast look borked. Honeybee made 0-patch reptile look broken in mk1. There is a diffidence between pros and the game as it is designed for everyone else. Also pros, like say speedrunners are about exploits. Simply put, to speed up this post, pros do not play the way the game is designed to be played for everyone else. Now sure, pros are important and what they do is "part" of the scene, but for the 5 million other people like me that just pick up the game and have fun... most of the stuff people claim makes so much different actually makes zero difference.

 

[Roy Arkon]

Narr.. Defence is boring. MK is best when everyone had broken offence and it's a my turn your turn thing.

Nope, both are as equally as amazing. And MK is never just one way or another. Original MK1, MK2, MKDA, MKD, MKA and MK11 are all defense-based games. MK3, MK Vs. DC and MKX are all offense-based games. MK4, MK9 and current MK1 are in the middle.

MKX is my overall favorite MK off of the second timeline era, but if you wanna talk about gameplay alone, MK11 is my favorite, and if Reptile was playable in MK11, chances are I would've prefer MK11 overall over MKX.

Buff:

• Kung Lao
• Reptile
• Tanya
• Takeda

Adress/Change:

• Cyrax please. She has way too much going on without needing to spend bar/kameo meter.

Nope, no buffs for Reptile, top 10.

 

[Roy Arkon]

@CrimsonShadow @M2Dave

Just finished watching the Middle East Regional Finals. First set of the stream was Faysal Kombat beating Inverse Ghost with his Shang Tsung 3-0 by using Zoning and Keepaway.

Oh and @ticklebandit! Tekken Master took the whole thing using Baraka. He doesn't need any buffs.

EDIT: Also going through the Oceanic Finals, both Packzon Packz and Clockwerk winning their sets with Zoning (Kitana and Sektor respectively) and the stream is still going live as of this writing.

 

[LEGEND]

@CrimsonShadow @M2Dave

Just finished watching the Middle East Regional Finals. First set of the stream was Faysal Kombat beating Inverse Ghost with his Shang Tsung 3-0 by using Zoning and Keepaway.

Oh and @ticklebandit! Tekken Master took the whole thing using Baraka. He doesn't need any buffs.

Collusion will always be incredibly lame to me

 

[John_NX]

I know a lot of people will laugh with this, but Kitana also needs more help. She's way too honest of a character.

Most people say that she's dumb af, but they keep getting caught mid air and by her mid. That doesn't make her broken. All of her strings have gaps, and if you're patient you can simply outplay her.

As the game has aged, she hasn't received buffs to her kit, only some minor changes to her combo routes, and new abilities.

I do think that she'd benefit from a better B1 and B3 strings, along with possibly her old flutter. I wouldn't mind the gaps and the non existent mixups (don't even care about them), but I do think that she needs to be good at what she does, and is just meh.

If Kitana was this broken as people say she is, we'd see her in tournaments, yet we see more and more of "low tier omg pls buff" sub zero, who is in every tournament, and "omg he's trash now" T-1000's than ever.

I know tournament representation isn't always indicative, but the fact that we so rarely see her says something. With kitana, you simply have to outsmart the opponent which in itself isn't viable longterm, and good against top tiers.

I also don't want to hear arguments saying that she got one million buffs each game that she's been in, which is true, but have people ever thought that she launched in a bad state in almost every game she is in? Lol

 

[superbn0va]

Cale is the primary reason.

That’s not a legitimate nor a good reason to judge a character.

Tools, normals, mids, footsies, mixups, resets, zoning, bar/meter management etc. Should be considered when judging a characters tier.

And it that regard, except for zoning and footsies, Kung Lao is definitely lacking.

No reset, no meter-less launcher (except for his unsafe string), lacking a good mid, bad poke, no strings that end in an overhead/ low mixup (that can be followed up), nothing that starts with a low.. etc.

Dive-kick and a good projectile do not compensate for what he is lacking.

All these options should be considered when judging a character, especially when compared to other characters that have these options without being depended on kameos or bar. And there are many that are..

I support buffs for Kung Lao, but the buffs must be minor.

I feel like a significant portion of the Kung Lao fanbase requests better approach tools and offense, which I firmly oppose.

That’s what I’m saying, give Lao a good mid, meter-less launcher and something with his EX-projectiles. As of now, spending bar on his EX projectiles is a waste of bar.