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Explanation of Option Selects in MKX by UltraDavid

Hey all, here's a vid I just put up explaining three different but related types of option selects:


The types are cancel into special move on hit but do nothing on block, cancel into special move on hit but do a chain on block, and do nothing on hit but cancel into a special move on block.

There are two main things working behind the scenes here to make this stuff tick. The first I show is that you can do a move and tell the game to special cancel it, but then undo that special move order by sending the game additional inputs before the cancel happens. The second is that the window to cancel is a bit later if your move is blocked than if your move hits. These 3 option selects are all slightly different takes on using these two principles.

This really changes the game imo because it can give characters safer ways to play footsies and to open opponents up. Like in other games, I figure that eventually you'll just about need to make good use of option selects like these to compete at the highest level.

Let me know if you have any other ideas or if you'd like to talk about this! I'd love to see other videos or read other ideas about cool uses of these for other characters.
 
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Krackatoa

BEES? BEES!
#jankgame

This is mostly because NRS is still using a fairly simplistic way of reading/parsing player inputs and handling cancel windows. These kinds of option-selects don't really happen to this extent in other fighters, because once you buffer your special in any other game, you're getting that special no matter what.

Why would they (NRS) have set different windows for cancelling on block/hit do you think?
Blockstop gives blocked hits a chunky feeling.
 

ETC AdmiralAugustus

Grabble Frazzled
@UltraDavid

Cool stuff! I was wondering for Cybernetics Kano, would the input to do B2(orB1), 3, 1+3 or laser be:

B+2, 3, D, B, D, 1+3?

Or am I missing something? Cool stuff on the tick throws with Kommando!

Edit: I want to be able to blockstring into the +1 grab if they block and cancel into laser if it hits.

Double Edit: So I was trying this in training mode, specifically with the Kotal example you showed, and I noticed if you block the F1, but let the B2 hit the buzzsaw comes out. Am I inputting this wrong or is this how it works?
 
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@UltraDavid

Cool stuff! I was wondering for Cybernetics Kano, would the input to do B2(orB1), 3, 1+3 or laser be:

B+2, 3, D, B, D, 1+3?

Or am I missing something? Cool stuff on the tick throws with Kommando!

Edit: I want to be able to blockstring into the +1 grab if they block and cancel into laser if it hits.

Double Edit: So I was trying this in training mode, specifically with the Kotal example you showed, and I noticed if you block the F1, but let the B2 hit the buzzsaw comes out. Am I inputting this wrong or is this how it works?

That string is a bit problematic and honestly shouldn't work to OS into laser on hit. But it does :).

First I'll explain why it shouldn't work and maybe clarify a bit what ultradavid said.

The idea behind the special on hit or continue string on block is that the special needs to "use" the button (in this case 1, in davids example 3) which continues the string: b2, 3, 1+3 in ultradavids example.
Well, you might say: Hey, db1 uses 1 which is in 1+3, so it should work.
Yeah that's true, but the problem is if you input b2, 3, db1+3 you get the up eye beam instead of the regular one, cause the button priority messes with you (seems like in this string db3 has priority over db1)
It's still possible.
You basically need to "piano" 1,3.

As of now your input should be this:
b2, 3, db1~3 whereas I use ~ to indicate that the buttons need to be pressed in rapid succession.

This will sadly only leave you with the eye beam on both block and hit.
Now you add the "cancel input", telling MKX to forget prior buffered directional inputs, a down input is enough but more is also ok.
b2, 3, [db]1~3, [d]
with the brackets I am trying to visualize what's happening, basically the later bracket input makes MKX forget about the input in the first one.

The trick is to 1~3 fast enough so the game recognizes it as 1+3 on block, and to time the down input at the end so that it hits the extended block cancel window but not the hit cancel window.



I kinda wrote a big entry, not solely to answer the question, but to maybe clarify stuff for ppl who needed it. So if you don't need all this info read the TLDR and be happy :p
If something's wrong tell me and I'll correct it.


TLDR:
b2, 3, db1~3 (in quick succession) , d


Video cause why not



On the side: I bet some peoples input problems are related to MKX forgetting buffered directional inputs if other directions follow. I noticed that myself when trying to cancel into moves like Kotals sun ray close or far range.
 
There is more to it.
Just now discovered that you can basically OS into any special and still continue your string on hit.

That's done by pressing both, the button used for your special and the button which continues the string.
Problem is if motions overlap and the priority is not in your favor, meaning you get the wrong move.

But there is a solution even for that:
Piano those buttons.

Here my Kenshi example:
4,2 db4~1, d if you press both simultaneously you get db1 instead of db4, so you gotta piano. Obviously this example isn't the best but it's just there to convey information.

And here a quick clip on that shit in action:
 
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Actually, you can get a special move on hit, and a chain on block, even if the chain uses a totally different button input.

Pick erron black for example.

If you do F13 into sand you're unsafe on block. But if you do F13 only you're still pretty unsafe.

So you need to do F132 on block to be a lot safer.

All you need to do is to input F13 xx sand, 2, and press a direction in the right moment. If the opponent blocks, you remove the sand from the buffer and the game goes to the next input, which is the 2, and finishes the string.

 

ETC AdmiralAugustus

Grabble Frazzled
helpful information
Thanks for the info! Also, what about my double edit? How, when I was doing the option select example used in the video with Kotal Kahn, was I getting buzzsaw if I blocked F1, but did not block B2? Is it because at that point the cancel windows change due to hitting the B2?
 

qspec

Noob
Yo honestly I kind of hate this
Agreed.

OS are dumb. You are either doing them (correct), or you don't know about them (incorrect).

They don't often represent skill so much as an artificial burden of knowledge that pushes out new players and more casual players while providing no meaningful gameplay for those of us willing to put in the time to get good.
 

VenomX-90

"On your Knees!"
So its basically sqaying that put your inputs right, b/c the game will forget what you told it and dont button mash unless told to do so.
 

qspec

Noob
It's more obtuse than that.

It's basically saying that you should be doing extra (but still accurate, yes) inputs so you can get two different paths depending on external variables (block/hit) for the same input sequence.