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

[IamBatface]

Probably if that's enabled. All I've seen them say is that you can turn off augments in unranked. Did they also say you could turn off custom variations in unranked? Remember, custom moves aren't tied to gear like they were in I2.

And if everyone turns off custom variations, really what a waste of effort on NRS's part. This gets back to my original concern that NRS should've gone all-in on a polished system for custom variations or fixed variations rather than settle on a halfway built system for each. MKX's presets at least had thematic and strategic cohesion; MK11's so far haven't hit that bar.

I think the whole reason they separated the moves from gear/augments is you can choose not to play with the stat boosts but still use the moves so I would be very surprised if that was the case.

 

[Xelz]

I think the whole reason they separated the moves from gear/augments is you can choose not to play with the stat boosts but still use the moves so I would be very surprised if that was the case.

That was my impression, too. So can both augments and custom variations be forced off in unranked? Or will ranked be the only way to force presets in online matchmaking?

 

[IamBatface]

That was my impression, too. So can both augments and custom variations be forced off in unranked? Or will ranked be the only way to force presets in online matchmaking?

I think you can only switch off augments and custom variations will be available to be selected like the beta. I'm not 100% sure though but I've heard nothing about switching off custom variations but as I say I think the abilities to switch off stat boosts is there so you don't have to ditch your custom variation.

 

[NothingPersonal]

I'd rather force custom variation without augments in casual matches. I'm pretty sure this is how most people will play. I smell the fall of ranked matches in MK11. But we'll how it turns out.

 

[Sage Leviathan]

The "illusion of choice" argument is also invalid. Believe it or not, people don't always want to play what is accepted as optimal or the best option. It's the very basis for character variety. Smoke was top tier in MKX, but I didn't want to play him. And if I did want to play Triborg, I had much more fun playing Cyber Sub since he accommodated my style. This off-meta pick also made the game, I think, more interesting for my friends; CSZ offers a unique matchup (as opposed to the trite 50/50 armor meta so endemic to the top tier).

What illusion am I under? Is "fun" not as subjective as I thought it was?

 

[Sage Leviathan]

I really dont't understand all the complaints.

people are acting as though you wont be able to use custom moves.

all you have to do is turn off competitive mode and then you can. Judging by the amount of complaints, finding people to play shouldnt be an issue

Let me help you out.

-Most players won't be able to use custom moves because they will be playing ranked/competitive matches, which would force preset variations.

-Those who play unranked/kasual matches will have to endure their opponent's augments, which will grossly upset balance.

-If you play with a friend (or manage to find someone) willing to disable augments, they will discover the meta as balanced as it was in the beta, which begs the question... why not allow them for competitive play?

-If on the microscopic chance a certain custom loadout is overpowered and it's plain as day to see so, balancing it is incredibly simple. There are lots of numbers to change about a move, from damage to whiff recovery to block adv. to even how many slots it takes to equip, or making it incompatible with other moves.

 

[Trustful_Whale]

Augments in player matches will be opt-in, I thought we already corrected this detail.

 

[theotherguy]

-Those who play unranked/kasual matches will have to endure their opponent's augments, which will grossly upset balance.

Maybe I understood it wrong but I thought that any "augments" are only for for single player, towers etc. Any other mode online or otherwise, any customisation is only cosmetic.

You will never play against another player with a stat boost option enabled. The only lack of balance will be custom variations which will only be playable in online/offline Kasual matches, and it's not because of stat boosts.

 

[Phased]

Let me help you out.

-Most players won't be able to use custom moves because they will be playing ranked/competitive matches, which would force preset variations.

-Those who play unranked/kasual matches will have to endure their opponent's augments, which will grossly upset balance.

-If you play with a friend (or manage to find someone) willing to disable augments, they will discover the meta as balanced as it was in the beta, which begs the question... why not allow them for competitive play?

-If on the microscopic chance a certain custom loadout is overpowered and it's plain as day to see so, balancing it is incredibly simple. There are lots of numbers to change about a move, from damage to whiff recovery to block adv. to even how many slots it takes to equip, or making it incompatible with other moves.

I mean I think you won't have trouble finding people willing to disable augments.

And how would you know what anyone will find as balanced as it was in the beta? you nor nobody has the full game except for the creators, and they seem to think it isn't balanced at all. hence the decision to take it out of competitive play. I also dont think it was balanced in the beta, that is a complete blanket statement.


I think what they did was fair. Anyone is capable turning off competitive mode and playing the game they want to play it.

 

[Sage Leviathan]

I mean I think you won't have trouble finding people willing to disable augments.

And how would you know what anyone will find as balanced as it was in the beta? you nor nobody has the full game except for the creators, and they seem to think it isn't balanced at all. hence the decision to take it out of competitive play. I also dont think it was balanced in the beta, that is a complete blanket statement.

To address some things:
Have you played I2 casual matches? All players used were busted gear moves, which were all locked behind RNG multiverses and intentionally unbalanced for competitive play.

How would I know what the game's balance will be like? Well, I wouldn't. I'm not a psychic. But we were given a sample size of 20%, and every custom variation you could think of was balanced, if not underpowered, with the exception of Kabal's hook grab. You could say that's just my opinion too, but it's an educated opinion. If you want my analysis of that move and why it was silly, I can explain.

"Except for the creators." The same creators who thought amplified inputs should be tied to a specific button? The same creators who thought dashes were fine as they were? It was our community that gave them a response influential enough to change their decisions.

 

[Sage Leviathan]

If this is true, then thank you for the correction. I'll rescind my second point.

 

[NothingPersonal]

Read who are interested. Then averybody cried words. Now everybody cries tears XD
https://testyourmight.com/threads/petition-to-let-custom-variation-in-competitive-play-mk11.67856/

 

[Murderation76]

Like most of you, I'm severely disappointed at this announcement. After having played the stress test and beta extensively, I can honestly say I'm in love with this game. I look at MK11 as NRS's magnum opus. I don't want this decision to mar a masterpiece.

It would seem that a lot of care and attention has already been given to balancing custom variations. Why else would we have multiple slot values and moves that are hard locked from being paired together already? If CVs were just for messing about in towers and casual, why would they have these restrictions in place? Perhaps NRS was planning on allowing customs into competitive but got crunched for time or resources and having hard-locked variations was a contingency.

Given the backlash, I think it's plausible that NRS will release the game with these hard-locked variations for ranked and let it play out through the first MK11 pro tour season. During this time they would continue to strive for balance in custom variations and ready a UI for quick selections in tournament mode and launch full customs for the season 2 pro tour.

NRS has done crazier shit. Like building brand-new (godlike) netcode from ground up due to player demand.

 

[Skcorpion86]

Why put a a feature in the game no one uses? As a competative player I will never use custom variations because of this decision and that was the BEST thing about the beta. No one had overpowered loadouts. It wasn't about choosing over powered moves, it was about choosing exactly what I wanted to use to fit my playstyle. You're taking away one of the best features of the game for competative play for no reason. It was pretty balanced as is by limiting the custom variations to 3 points and assigning some moves to use more than one point and not allowed to use with other moves / replacing base moves. I think custom variations should be in competitive, just make it where you know what moves your opponent has taken during the match by providing a small symbol for each move by the players name under the health bar. Make a "create custom variation" from character select. It doesn't take very long to pick 3 moves.

 

[TaserFace007]

I really dont't understand all the complaints.

people are acting as though you wont be able to use custom moves.

all you have to do is turn off competitive mode and then you can. Judging by the amount of complaints, finding people to play shouldnt be an issue

I really dont't understand all the complaints.

people are acting as though you wont be able to use custom moves.

all you have to do is turn off competitive mode and then you can. Judging by the amount of complaints, finding people to play shouldnt be an issue

Yes, but some of us played Injustice 2, so we know this isn't the case.

 

[Xelz]

Read who are interested. Then averybody cried words. Now everybody cries tears XD
https://testyourmight.com/threads/petition-to-let-custom-variation-in-competitive-play-mk11.67856/

Yep, I remember that thread. And I was initially against custom variations because I wrongly assumed the custom moves would resemble the broken stuff from I2. The beta proved me wrong and NRS really built something special here.

They also made lackluster preset variations. So hands on experience gave me more faith in custom variations and less faith in presets.

 

[NothingPersonal]

Yep, I remember that thread. And I was initially against custom variations because I wrongly assumed the custom moves would resemble the broken stuff from I2. The beta proved me wrong and NRS really built something special here.

They also made lackluster preset variations. So hands on experience gave me more faith in custom variations and less faith in presets.

It was all just about giving customs a chance to try out in tournament play. NRS stripped us of that. It's a shame.

 

[Invincible Salads]

That sux tbh, but then its also up to the tournament organizers isnt it? Tbh with custum variation i wonder how good my main is actually gonna be, what a shame nrs.....welp, back to injustice 2 i go :V

 

[Orochi]

Lol give up kids, NRS is not going to go back they already balanced around presets I wouldn't want them to throw that out of the window weeks before launch and allow for some unbalanced broken custom sets that will have to be patched every week.

We played casual in the beta and it will still be there when the game comes out you're welcome to keep playing it.

 

[trufenix]

Please stop spreading misinformation. This is what Ed Boon said "Day 1," and I'm quoting directly:


January 17

So yeah, you are dreaming if you think what you said is facts.

You're right. He did say that completely unrelated statement, however he much more specifically said on the same date:

Ed Boon Talks Mortal Kombat 11's Variations, Changes, And Roster

Netherrealm's creative director guides us through everyone new and old on the studio's latest fighter.

www.gameinformer.com

Game Informer: I’m a big fan of the custom variations in Mortal Kombat 11. My concern about it was that with Injustice 2's gear, it was very customizable, but the competitive crowd didn’t take to it.

Ed Boon: Yeah. And we knew that. From before we even announced it, we knew that the competitive guys? They want regulation. They want, "These are your tools to work with, and there’s no changing them." So we knew this was more of a feature that the mass market would certainly love. But the competitive guys, they want a regulation pool table, a regulation basketball court.

Not a lick of that statement indicates the possibility of using custom variations in competition. Sorry charlie.

 

[BongMan]

My apologies if this has already been brought up as I have not read ALL of the posts.

As for balancing the custom variations, NRS has already implemented an awesome and easy way of balancing. If two moves together are overpowered, just make them cost 2 each to equip. There, problem solved. No need to nerf the moves or anything. Just add more to the cost.

The other point I want to make is that on the "wait an see" approach. Let's wait and try the stock variations first. I have seen this in practice as well as a lot of you. What I remember from this wait and see approach, is that what ever format the tournaments start with, that is just how it sticks. If we start without using custom variations in tournaments, I don't think we ever will.

 

[BurdaA]

You're right. He did say that completely unrelated statement, however he much more specifically said on the same date:

Ed Boon Talks Mortal Kombat 11's Variations, Changes, And Roster

Netherrealm's creative director guides us through everyone new and old on the studio's latest fighter.

www.gameinformer.com

Not a lick of that statement indicates the possibility of using custom variations in competition. Sorry charlie.

I knew I’d read that later bit somewhere though, where he says the 3 variations will include everything a character can do. It reeks of blurt tho imo, and doesn’t make sense really... chars had way more than 9 optional moves right?

 

[Xelz]

I knew I’d read that later bit somewhere though, where he says the 3 variations will include everything a character can do. It reeks of blurt tho imo, and doesn’t make sense really... chars had way more than 9 optional moves right?

And some of the moves cost two slots. That's why it's felt like NRS's decisions have been in flux since the reveal, which is completely understandable since that was pre-beta. So maybe 3 presets won't do it, so maybe the characters will each get 4-5? But Edwards said some may only have 2?

Also, NRS hasn't revealed any official presets yet. My guess - and it's just speculation - is that they're letting the latest build, including faster dashes, rock in QA before finalizing presets, which would be the smart thing to do. But there might not be enough time to design and test builds that cover every move for every character by launch.

 

[aldazo]

Read who are interested. Then averybody cried words. Now everybody cries tears XD
https://testyourmight.com/threads/petition-to-let-custom-variation-in-competitive-play-mk11.67856/

The saddest thing is to see the third post got 38 likes.

 

[Invincible Salads]

Ultimately it's up to tournament runners, if they want custom variations then they can have it