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How do you rate the patches, the hotfixes, and the balance changes?

How do you rate the patches, the hotfixes, and the balance changes?


  • Total voters
    84

Eddy Wang

Skarlet scientist
I can get behind that -- but the way I see it, the Reveal event was the beginning of an unprecedented level of transparency from the devs. I mean, they even told us about gameplay features that they weren't sure would make the final game yet. That's something pretty new for NRS.

And the reaction was that they got blown up, people held them to things which they clearly said might not be around or might be different in the final game, etc. And since then, they basically said "F it".

The community burned this specific bridge by being immature. So now, here we are.
Your product will always sell better if you communicate with the customers who buys it, NRS tucking themselves into a corner talking AT us abd hope we get everything won't help them sell their products better, this game might have sold a lot, but i'm honestly skeptical about purchasing future franchises from NRS, and i didn't felt this way since MKA to MKvsDC. One made me not even bother with the other, and only when paulo and apathy sit their asses in front of a cam with hecterrific its what made me buy mk9, i was hearing from the perspective of who develops the game, what their vision was, answering community concerns about the game. Today we have made up stories on lore, we don't hear feed from devs and their vision, community management that doesn't interact or just talk at the community, it became very shallow, bland no actual information, even the Kombat kast became boring as you already know all segments of it.

This made realize Hec was the man, we didn't know what we lost when he left.
 

CrimsonShadow

Administrator and Community Engineer
Administrator
Your product will always sell better if you communicate with the customers who buys it, NRS tucking themselves into a corner talking AT us abd hope we get everything won't help them sell their products better, this game might have sold a lot, but i'm honestly skeptical about purchasing future franchises from NRS, and i didn't felt this way since MKA to MKvsDC. One made me not even bother with the other, and only when paulo and apathy sit their asses in front of a cam with hecterrific its what made me buy mk9, i was hearing from the perspective of who develops the game, what their vision was, answering community concerns about the game. Today we have made up stories on lore, we don't hear feed from devs and their vision, community management that doesn't interact or just talk at the community, it became very shallow, bland no actual information, even the Kombat kast became boring as you already know all segments of it.

This made realize Hec was the man, we didn't know what we lost when he left.
I honestly think the last thing NRS is worried about is sales. They're selling more than any fighting game developer (outside of Smash/Nintendo).

If anything the communication would be for love for the competitive community -- but that's a two way street. If people can't handle it, WB is likely to conclude that it's not worth the dev team's time.

The reveal event was an obvious showering of love, and getting everyone together for a special event like that was a really nice gesture.. And it's hard to blow them up for communication at that point when they even communicated things that they weren't even sure would make the final game. But if the response from the community is "FU", then we're going to end up at an obvious impasse.
 

M2Dave

Zoning Master
we don't hear feed from devs and their vision...
Paolo (and 16 Bit to a lesser extent) has usually elaborated on "visions" for characters before releasing massive balance changes.

I am certain there is a sense of professional pride among the developers (as there is with any career). They do not owe the community an explanation for every change that they implement.
 

Eddy Wang

Skarlet scientist
Paolo (and 16 Bit to a lesser extent) has usually elaborated on "visions" for characters before releasing massive balance changes.

I am certain there is a sense of professional pride among the developers (as there is with any career). They do not owe the community an explanation for every change that they implement.
No they don't, but we use what they design, what i'm trying to say is, maybe because the game sells so well and as long as ppl continue to give optimistic support that tomorrow nrs will do better, yeah then they don't owe me anything, my opinion doesn't matter because what matter is that this game is selling. Could be just me, or could be more who have purchased premium and regreted, i know some are, everywhere i go there is at least 1 person who feels the same.

Never before a nrs game had so many ppl speaking against its developers, this what worries me.
 
Nrs just needs to stop doing too much. Give us one variation only, find a system mk9, mkx, mk11 whatever and keep it throughout your games and just keep fine tuning it. It’s way too hard to continually create a brand new game for each title and have multiple variations while trying to balance your new game. I can’t think of any game really that changes so drastically between games, nor can I think of one that does it successfully.
 
To be fair im not impress with their balancing team and how they handle things.
I will talk about the highest possible level, cause this is where balance should take place.

What they do is inconsistent. For certain characters, that was really good, not broken or OP, they totally smash them and give them "special" treatment, and others who was OP since day 1, the treatment was to tune down a completely broken move with 2 frames, and thats it all.

After some time, it became obvious, that the most important things are fast mids, KBs, FBs, and we can add zoning/anti zoning tools.

I was happy at the beginnings with how KBs/FBs looks and work, and i was happy that there was such diversity, rushdown characters, let said it range characters and zoning characters.
The first thing that comes to mind is that there will be great diversity in matches and different styles will clash and there will be a lot of room for countering certain type of character with other.
On paper everything is good.
But then we have a rushdown character, that also best KBs in game, one of the best FB, that kills the neutral game, and the so call rushdown also have one of the best zoning and anti-zoning ING, there is a big problem.

So how can i be happy with their balance team, when certain characters have zero viable KBs, their FB suck**, and they get nerfed to the ground, because a solid player use them, but character with 7, 5 of them with stupid easy to get KBs, one of the best FB ing, best mid, best zoning anti-zoning and so on just get away with just a +2f to a move, that should have been worst from the start.

At the begining i was happy that there will be big diversity, but thats not paper. I have no problem with strong characters, but when this characters have weak spots.
Examples:
Cassie Cage, she was strong but fair, her FB sucked, she also lacked KBs, still have bad matches and you need to use both of her variation, depends of the MU.
And what they did, they almost erased her from the game, when she was perfectly alright. No one at PRO level have any real success with her. Semij is using her, but his results are so so and he constantly look for a new main.
Erron Black, he was strong, but he was over nerfed.
Geras is getting constantly nerfing from the start of the game, im okay with that.
Sonya was extra strong and get deserved nerf, im okay with that.

Jacqui Briggs was strong and its still strong, but at least she is fair, she is completely lacking at zoning department, her FB is bad, and her KB are lacking.
Upgraded was dumb from the beginning, and makes you wonder how they decide to put her in that state. Yeah they nerfed her straight away, but why not balanced her, before even released her variation ? You just make more work, because you are again working on the same character after that.

And here comes my problem from the beginning - Liu Kang. Ultra OP/Broken from the beginning, its like he is made from other game. So far we were talking about strong characters, but fair, they lack in certain compartment, yet Kang have it all.
You dont even need to switch to his other variation to counter, you have it all in Luohan Quan variation.
The only character ING that you cant dodge his zoning. His amplified low fireball makes you take a damage.
So he is a rushdown character with insane pressure, and for a bonus you give him 2KBs on his throw, and 5 more, 3 of them laughable easy requirement, and the fun to continue with his FB that kills the neutral, and its not ending here, his zoning is insane. And he outzone zoners, because of his Flying Dragon Kick, that counters everything and its a full screen, and you can even amplify it and there is KB on it as well.

And everything you do is to give +2f to the best move ingame, and still make F4 the best move ING ....
And the fun not end here. This character totally erase getup options, because of his KB parry. And of course its not ending here, this is not only the stupiest character, but also its the easiest, you can learn it for a few hours. There is nothing hard about it.
You will guess that if they make some character super strong, at least the character will require some insane skill, but no, they make it also super easy.

And what really got me was the last patch. They decide to nerf Joker throw KBs requirment, a character that is hard to masterAce of Knaves and was totally fair, and his KBs requirement was perfectly okay.
Answer me, why touch Joker KBs requirment, but not Liu Kang ones that are stupid easy ? His requirment on his KBs to both throw are laughable i mean you are punished for teching a throw .... And what was the point to make only use one throw Krushing Blow per match if you have 2x KBs on throws with escape fail requirement. Why not just remove one of the KBs throw ? At least then you will have to choose to tech the throw that have KBs and eat less damage if failure.
But no NRS logic.
Im not happy with their balancing team and im not happy with having a character that is all in one and its kinda the best in every aspect.
Not happy with letting a character that is all in one goes away with just +2f nerf, and in the same time you are nerfing other characters to the ground, that was good, but was lacking in certain departments, aka Cassie in KBs and FB.

Not happy with certain characters, that have like 2 moves and are super boring to play, and have zero options.
Not happy with some characters, that are bad from the begining of the game and they cant fix them to this day, aka Kotal Khan, Shao Khan, Kano, Raiden, Kitana(maybe she will be okay now), Kollector and DVorah for example.
 

M2Dave

Zoning Master
Never before a nrs game had so many ppl speaking against its developers, this what worries me.
I have been around since Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance, and people have been speaking out against NRS developers for decades. The only thing that has changed is that people have more platforms (i.e., social media websites and streams) to express their criticism.

Not happy with some characters, that are bad from the begining of the game and they cant fix them to this day, aka Kotal Khan, Shao Khan, Kano, Raiden, Kitana(maybe she will be okay now), Kollector and DVorah for example.
  • Emperor Turkey placed top 8 with Ascension Kotal Kahn in Mr. Aquaman's Kolloseum tournament on Sunday.
  • BioHazard placed second with Ripper Kano in one of the online tournaments.
  • Honey Bee has won an online tournament with Arachnophobia D'Vorah.
  • Deadly Rebel uses two of Kollector's variations and performs well.
  • Sonic Fox has proven that Raijin Raiden is good.
  • VideoGamezYo does all right with Shao Kahn.
Are any of these characters "bad"? No, they are likely low and mid tier characters except Highborn Kitana. Could they use a couple of buffs, especially Shao Kahn and Raiden? Absolutely, and I am certain that eventually they will receive them.

In previous NRS games, placing top 8 was extremely difficult because of multiple 7:3 match ups. In Mortal Kombat 11, mid tier characters constantly place top 8 in offline as well as online tournaments.

Most criticism involving the balance of this game is bogus.
 

Blewdew

PSN: MaxKayX3
well it would have to be punishable by flawless block u2/u3. you have to come off your resources to punish their resources
I may be wrong because I can‘t check atm but isn‘t cassies amp glow kick punishable by just flawlessblocking even without doing a u2 reversal?
 
  • Emperor Turkey placed top 8 with Ascension Kotal Kahn in Mr. Aquaman's Kolloseum tournament on Sunday.
  • BioHazard placed second with Ripper Kano in one of the online tournaments.
  • Honey Bee has won an online tournament with Arachnophobia D'Vorah.
  • Deadly Rebel uses two of Kollector's variations and performs well.
  • Sonic Fox has proven that Raijin Raiden is good.
  • VideoGamezYo does all right with Shao Kahn.
Sonicfox prove that he is a stand alone player. He can win with any character, but thats not because the character is good enough, but that SonicFox level is beyond comparable at this point.
Only ninjakilla can be compare to him in terms of skills.

Yeah when there is probably 50+ tournaments per year of course some character will place in it top 8. At the end of the day many factors play a role, not just the character.

But just look at the tour you gave, not a single major tournament. The tournaments you mention, most of the top player wasn`t competing in them.
Except SonicFox who use all kind of character, because of his level, there is usual suspects that place in top 8-16 constantly.

At the end of the day this is my point. I think like that, whether im wrong or right. Its my opinion.
Im not happy with NRS balancing team and for me they are doing a lot of senseless things.
Dont want to lose time on debates and making people believe my points, but explain me what is the sense to change the KB requirement of a newly added character, that should be balanced, because you make him, and make it harder, and yet not touching easy as* throw KBs as escape fail on Kang for example.
With what Joker deserve a nerf to his KB, yet the character that is way better and have best KBs ING, and 2 on his throw, are not touched ?
So far so good. SonicFox played Cassie - they nerfed her. Socifox play Johnny Cage, they nerf him. The history repeat with the Joker ....
 

Second Saint

A man with too many names.
I've never liked this choked, overly restrained patching method with zero communication. Say what you will about MK X, but I at least knew they were trying to improve mechanics and characters in that game. Made some monsters, gutted a few afterwards, but the general trend was improvement and it happened often for everyone.

I2 felt stagnant and this games no different, except in changes to universal mechanics for MK11. They're due credit for that, but I think that's why it seems character and hitbox issues go seemingly under addressed. Every time a major mechanic is changed, they wait to see the effect on balance before addressing other issues that have been around since day 1. No clue why hitbox adjustments aren't more prominent, though.

They've done some things right, but not enough and too infrequently to keep me playing the game.
 
BTW, tho i complain about a lot of stuff, MK11 is the best MK game so far. MKX/XL was a 50/50 mess with totally overpowered and broken characters.
At least in the MK11 there is just 1 problematic character, unlike MKX/XL.
 

Baconlord

Proud follower of the church of Cetrion
I like it so far. They've been very cautious and haven't gutted any top tiers with nerfs or over bloated low tiers with to much. And the small changes they have made have been pretty impactful.
Not happy with some characters, that are bad from the begining of the game and they cant fix them to this day, aka Kotal Khan, Shao Khan, Kano, Raiden, Kitana(maybe she will be okay now), Kollector and DVorah for example.
You're kind of behind the meta right now my guy. Kotal, kitana, kollector, and d'vorah are all mad good.
 

ChatterBox

Searching for an alt.
I think NRS are getting better at patching every single game so far, and release a more stable game with tiers being less wild every game so far. MK11 is no exception. The patching schedule has been less erratic and less of a crazy long list every time as well.

I also think NRS could go back to explaining the changes they make to each character (they did this on stream in MKX), and starting to communicate when the patches are coming. They really do need to fix the hitbox issues going forward, they become more tiresome the more the years drag on.
 

Scoot Magee

But I didn't want to dash
My only real request would be to lower the input lag in low ping matches. Theres no reason a match from ny to ny needs to feel the same as ny to Colorado. This would improve the online dramatically. People will be able to better realize the offline meta vs the online meta.
 

Edmund

Kitana & Skarlet
Do you guys remember when they made Injustice a brand new game every patch I remember the down 2 being changed for everyone that shifted the Meta