How Mortal Kombat 11's Custom Variations Will Work In Competitive Play

[MikeBreezy92]

1. They might not have them ready yet.
2. If they start balancing things out, creating new variations on switching moves between variations you would call it false advertisment as well.

I don't think you understand why people are upset.....

 

[burnthismfdown]

We have at least 2 former NRS tournament players helping to create the meat of this game giving zero information regarding tournament / ranked play until now when we see that no custom variations are allowed while at the same time experiencing completely underwhelming standard variations during the beta.

This is fair cause for concern. It is also easy to believe given information provided (none) that they still simply do not know. This is cause for even greater concern.

 

[Fatal1ty_93_RUS]

So much for spending development time creating all those custom moves (which there will be dozens of in mk11) only to basically lock them out for the majority of the playerbase, and it looks like the official MK11 esports circuit (there will be one, right?) will also follow suit.

Either introduce a simple UI to quickly select them right after you pick your character and the costume (e.g. Marvel 3's assist select), or include all of them into standard movelist spread across pre-made variations

 

[_CHINOCUDEIRO_]

If they don´t allow kustom variations....at least I hope NRS will make defaut ones that covers all kustom moves
I mean , if they are 9 kustom moves in a char, make 3 variations with 3 different kustom moves each.
The fact of making a kustom move without introducing it in kompetitive play is STUPID

 

[TrulyAmiracle]

Has anyone from NRS replied to all the people saying they want custom variations instead?
Personally my hype for the game went down to almost non-existent with this so I'm really hoping they change this.

 

[rubmytaco]

it's an old build. Chances are things have changed dramatically since then, in terms of movesets and properties.



Exactly.

It's easy to say make move X 3 slots if it's OP, but what if it's only OP in tandem with move Y? Or move Y & Z together? Do you nerf move X which may affect it's viability when it's used with moves A, B, C, D, effectively making it a one variation only move anyway? Do you disable them from being selected together artificially forcing a variation anyway? Do you change it's properties based on what other moves are selected?

I understand why people want Kustom variations, but i'm with NRS on this and think this is the best way around it.

This x100000000. People asking for custom variations don't even know what they're asking for. You really expect NRS to balance 25 jigsaw puzzles when they struggled balancing 3 variations in MKX? In the end it would come down to artificially forced variations, like @theotherguy said. Your creativity would be extremely limited by balance anyway, so the dream is a lie, quite frankly.

 

[VFELLHN]

The custom variation is great addition to the game and the biggest gimmick for the game. This feature make the game more creative.. I dont know how they gonna make it work.. During the beta i custom only, how i could play scorpion without misery blade and demon dash, i tried all of combinations and i found the most fitting and most balance variation for my way to play.. Better for NRS to reconsider this or to find a way to make variations enough balanced , because some of the presets variations were weak or whatever!!

 

[IceNine]

I don't think you understand why people are upset.....

I think you may've misinterpreted his post (it was a bit hard to read). I'm pretty sure he's saying: "The kompetitive konfigurations have very likely been in flux throughout development, much like the rest of this game's balance (there're already a bunch of observed changes from various builds). If in this process of balance, a character's presets at launch changed from what we saw on the Kombat Kast, you'd still call false advertising, anyway."

I may have played fast and loose with his phrasing and embellished his points a bit to make it more clear, but... y'know. He echoed some sentiments I had so it seemed like a thing to do. I don't think this really demonstrates any lack of understanding as to what's upsetting people.

 

[Crow]

ITS NOT THAT FUCKING HARD! All you had to do was set a time limit for each person to choose their moves. Its only 3? Then if you choose to counter pick, you have that exact same time to change your variation/character. And CLEARLY the other person can see your moves too. Whats difficult about that?

It's not that simple. Let's imagine two skills. Let's say they are prefectly fine separately, but when combined, they are overpowered and broken. What NRS can do about them? Nerf one? Both? Neither? And if they nerf one or both, it may actually make them too weak and useless on their own (when not combined). So what in that situation NRS should do? Balance every possible combination of skills as sets, aside from balancing them separately? Do you see where it's going?

Listen, I am also a little disappointed about their decision, but I can clearly see their reasons, and must admit, they are solid.

 

[Asov]

It's not that simple. Let's imagine two skills. Let's say they are prefectly fine separately, but when combined, they are overpowered and broken. What NRS can do about them? Nerf one? Both? Neither? And if they nerf one or both, it may actually make them too weak and useless on their own (when not combined). So what in that situation NRS should do? Balance every possible combination of skills as sets, aside from balancing them separately? Do you see where it's going?

Listen, I am also a little disappointed about their decision, but I can clearly see their reasons, and must admit, they are solid.

Option 1: Can't equip both abilities, they already have abilities that conflict with another.
Option 2: Make both abilities cost 2 slots.

 

[kantboy-2]

The tournament variations better give me a sense of pride and accomplishment when I use them.

 

[ShepherdOfFire]

The tournament standard at the beginning will be pre set variations. But nothing can prevent NRS from changing the rules in a few months if they think they reached a good balance and added the needed UI, then maybe they'll change the rules.

I think it's better for the game's health to start with a reliable tournament standard and then maybe starting to try new rules a few months after the release in online tournaments.

 

[Vslayer]

I am not down with this, I really wanted to enter some competitions with this game and now I don't really want to. None of Cassie's preset variations that we saw had something I really wanted to play or looked exciting to pick up. The ability to mix and match makes this way more interesting. I'm not sure if all locals will have those rules, but even if ranked is like that, I'm gonna be playing single player a lot.

 

[magandi]

So much for spending development time creating all those custom moves (which there will be dozens of in mk11) only to basically lock them out for the majority of the playerbase, and it looks like the official MK11 esports circuit (there will be one, right?) will also follow suit.

they won't be locked. all of them will be in at least one preset.

I am not down with this, I really wanted to enter some competitions with this game and now I don't really want to.

sure

 

[Circus]

People who are asking/hoping for all the kustom moves divided up between 3-4 preset variations don't know what they are wishing for.

Some of these moves have absolutely no synergy with each other, at all.
Some are just flat out not very good.

If you were forced to have only one variation with a 1slot move that you felt was needed for a character to be good, then you basically are dumbed down to only use that one variation with other abilities that you had no say in picking that aren't even "overpowered" at all.

If there is pre-set variations, I'd much prefer if they double-up on some of the best 1slot moves if they feel like they are very necessary to a certain direction they want with that pre-set.

This x100000000. People asking for custom variations don't even know what they're asking for. You really expect NRS to balance 25 jigsaw puzzles when they struggled balancing 3 variations in MKX? In the end it would come down to artificially forced variations, like @theotherguy said. Your creativity would be extremely limited by balance anyway, so the dream is a lie, quite frankly.

This is right and wrong.

Yes, putting harsh limitations on really good moves so they can't be paired with a whole mess of other moves would give the illusion of kustomization, but in reality it's basically just a variation.
You're absolutely right.

BUT, this is just a very specific example with a very great move.

AND like I've mentioned before....

"If a move is so powerful that it creates a huge problem, then just HIGHLY limit that one ability, not the WHOLE GAME:

Limiting EVERYTHING just because of a few things is burning the house down to kill the spider."

===================================

I love how this thread's defense for this variation system has, as a whole, changed from "this will take too long" to "move combinations too powerful" after the first defense was squashed.

In the end it is literally just a decision that NRS made.
There are solutions for all the tiny problems that could arise from Kustom Variations, but the point is that they made the decision, it's done, and we have to live with it now.

 

[Afumba]

no one should be surprised by this as it was stated months ago they were leaning on preset variations for tourny and ranked.

you can play around in casual mode. the stat boost wont happen unless both players agree to turn it on so that's not an issue either.

even if it was allowed players will just find 1 or 2 customs that are actually viable and you wont see 90% of the slots anyways. you have a right to be disappointed but it wouldn't change much at the end of day.

I disagree somewhat here. It changes for everybody that doesnt just pick the best things but the things they like. So everybody that wants to take the game semi competitive, especially online, will be screwed. They are force to play a garbage version of their characters (garbage=they dont like the presets) or play a different character.

Also with customs players have the chance to counterpick with moves. With the preset you are forced to counterpick with a different character and I dont see how this is a good thing.

 

[IamBatface]

Everyone freaking out over the Kombat Kast and Beta variations can calm down. They are OBVIOUSLY not the variations we will get in the full game and are just variations 16Bit threw together, as explained in the Kombat Kast’s. That’s why they all had silly names.

 

[fr stack]

I guess the question becomes do u want a broke as fuck game out the box . Or do u want a neutral heavy game with improvements to characters with patching etc who struggle in the system. Cause we know nrs games have flawless balance every time right guys?
Also i would be on board with customs if it had the ui to go with it like many have said but it doesnt so ...

 

[Vslayer]

"If a move is so powerful that it creates a huge problem, then just HIGHLY limit that one ability, not the WHOLE GAME:

Limiting EVERYTHING just because of a few things is burning the house down to kill the spider."

This, x1000.

 

[Afumba]

Of course they will man. Do you really think in the full game that they will have variations that don’t use all the move slots?

The build for beta was from September I read. The beta wasn’t about balance or competitive play. Relax my guy.

And, you guys are all being so doom and gloom. If they had allowed custom variations I would’ve been ok with that, but the preset variation system in mkx was great. They’ve said repeatedly that they’ll adjust variations and balance moves, adding and removing them as needed and said that their goal is to have every move represented in a variation. Let’s see what they cook up before the whole thing is written off.

For one thing, the overwhelming majority of people who buy mk will never not one time play competitively, either in an offline or online tournament. Even people here on this site and on Reddit say things like, “I don’t play people online at all....I have maybe played 10 games total online between mk9, mkx, and injustice 2”.

Single player modes are a major, major draw for people. It’s totally ok that NRS adds features and includes modes, options, moves, etc. that are intended to be enjoyed outside of the competitive setting. Single player content, story mode, customization/gear grind, living towers etc. are hugely popular and are one of the aspect so of NRS games that make them stand out and appeal to such a wide audience.

Offline tournaments are considered HUGE (not including EVO) when they have 300-400 entrants. Think about that. This game will sell millions of copies. People say things like, “why include all these cool moves when no one will ever see or use them?!”. And no one realizes that these moves are used constantly.

I think it’s interesting how all of a sudden everyone is clamoring for custom variations in competitive play when just recently it seemed people wanted the opposite.

I understand your logic but i still think its the wrong way. They could have simple created for both options.... The online and offline community, could than have made up their own mind how they want to play. Especially for online it should have been there. It would have been simple to. They just had to make an UI for the char select.

Modes would be
-VS mode customs (with option to turn augments on)
-VS mode presets only
-Online casual (everything goes)
-Online ranked presets only
-Online ranked customs (augments banned)

Easy stuff and everyone is happy. And the "spliting community into several branches" argument is a void argument.

Only reason to do it the way they did is because they dont want to deal with the possibility that its harder to balance. Which i honestly dont think would be a bigger issue. And that is simply lazy.

 

[trufenix]

It is often truly incredible the things this community thinks it would be "simple" to do in game development.

 

[Vslayer]

sure

Assumptions makes an ass out of you and - nah, only you.

 

[magandi]

Assumptions makes an ass out of you and - nah, only you.

you are right but come on. if this minor thing changes your mind about the game, then competitive mk wasn't your thing to begin with.

 

[magandi]

It is often truly incredible the things this community thinks it would be "simple" to do in game development.

this often blows my mind. too many people have no idea how complex game developing is. the game comes out in a few weeks. there is no way the ui will change.

 

[JBeezYBabY]

you are right but come on. if this minor thing changes your mind about the game, then competitive mk wasn't your thing to begin with.

Its not minor though. This was their selling point. CUSTOMIZATION! Honestly feel the same way too cuz I am gonna travel and compete this year, but the hype has been destroyed. I know we will not know 100% until the game comes out on what the variations will be, but this decision has shown NRS is going backwards. That's very concerning.