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

[JBeezYBabY]

You say we're not babies, but you live in a dreamland of fantasies. It won't work.

That's a bullshit mentality that lead this community to have games die every 2 years, sir. I'm trying to come up with solutions to people think is an issue. And I REEEEEALLY don't see this as being difficult at all.

 

[Mizar]

idk, they could've taken the risk and allowed custom variations in all modes, or stick to MKX style and allow no customization at all beyond cosmetics. It just feels like using custom variations in towers/casual matches is going to be a waste if you're learning a character to use in ranked.

 

[OnlineSkunk]

All they had to do was make abilities contradict with each other, change slot requirements and make certain moves require other moves more, the too many combinations to balance wasn't that big of a deal honestly.

I'll take this on the bright side though, my brain isn't really good at remembering, having to learn only two variations per character and not having to worry about like six of its special moves that would not be tournament legal it's a win for me.

 

[dribirut]

We need to stop using excuses for this in this community. I'm going to stand on a soapboax on this, because it's time we stopped using these silly excuses for every single game.

In case you haven't realized it, when NRS fixes something, you guys then just switch to something else as being the supposed reason why the game is dead. Examples:

• MK9 died because there wasn't a last patch. One more patch and it'd have been perfect. Oh and NRS doesn't support us with money.
• So in IGAU, they patched it a ton, and then people say the game is dying because there are too many patches. Oh and interactibles are too strong, the game is broken because it's too defensive and people are running away throwing things. Oh an the netcode is bad. But really it's just that NRS didn't support us with money and esports.
• MKX comes out and NRS supports the tournament scene to the tune of 100's of thousands of dollars. Literally money everywhere. Oh but it's going to die because it's too rushdown and 50/50 heavy. NRS patches and takes out a ton of the 50/50s, easy armored launchers, etc. The netcode is bad.. NRS fixes the netcode. With 6 figures in tournament support, special events, tons of promotion, rollback netcode, and a 'last patch' that fixes a ton of stuff, the game dies immediately afterward anyway. Because 'unbalanced?' or 'no footsies' or something.
• Injusitice 2 comes out, the most broken stuff is patched out within a few months, the game is neatral-heavy, lots of footsies and patient play. There's a whole tournament circuit again. And War of the Gods for the online people. And the balance is decent. Lots of close matches and display of fundamentals. Oh but with the footsies it's too slow and there's not enough rushdown and zoning is a thing so the game dies. And oh gear moves, they should have let characters use their unbalanced crazy moves in tournament and then the game wouldn't have died..
• Now we're on to MK11..

Do you see the pattern? No matter what NRS does, as soon as they fix whatever you guys say killed the last game, you pick a completely new reason that the new game supposedly died. So I'm going to say it right now:

*The reason NRS games 'die' is that a new game comes out every 2 years and the community is not big enough to sustain multiple sub-communities, with a full crew of top players and monsters for each game. Period.

It's not balance, it's not patches, not netcode, not zoning, rushdown, extra moves, tournament money, or anything of the sort. It's just people not admitting that we're not big enough to play two games, and it's 90% the same group of top tournament players for both franchises. Let's end the false narratives and just be honest.

Lol its not even an opinion. Injustice 2 died much more rapidly than any other of the recent NRS games... Not an opinion.. fact

 

[gitblame]

Yeah, you can quote me in June when you will be crying around all players use the same builds in casual modes.

 

[IceNine]

All they had to do was make abilities contradict with each other, change slot requirements and make certain moves require other moves more, the too many combinations to balance wasn't that big of a deal honestly.

I'll take this on the bright side though, my brain isn't really good at remembering, having to learn only two variations per character and not having to worry about like six of its special moves that would not be tournament legal it's a for me.

Two's the bare minimum, there might be characters you have to learn 4+ variations for, just so you're clear on what's goin' on here.

 

[pure.Wasted]

Yeah, you can quote me in June when you will be crying around all players use the same builds in casual modes.

That doesnt even make sense, why would anyone care what moves people are using in casual matches? No one's going to cry either way.

 

[JBeezYBabY]

If this is the final direction NRS takes with competitive play....then I hope...I PRAY they have more than 3 variations for each character. 5 at the most because there's still moves that was not put in each variation in the beta. And with only 3 variations, there will still be un-used moves and thats dumb as fuck.

 

[Agilaz]

Very unfortunate decision.

Having said that, I can't wait some of the people in this thread who have been pushing for this method, to actually go to tournaments and win for once. You have no excuses now, bitches.

 

[STB Sgt Reed]

I honestly wouldn't have even spent half the time (around 400 matches) in the beta if I couldn't fuck with the variations.

I really hope they change the "set" variations that had in the beta. Most of those were ass.

 

[JBeezYBabY]

I'm happy to have my pre-set variations. This is what I wanted and yet... I see all the complaints and I'm asking myself if it was the good decision. I guess it would have been a good idea to at least give it a try.
I don't know.

My thing is TRY IT before you knock it? How would we have known if customs did not work in competitive play if we didn't even give it a chance?

 

[MikeBreezy92]

Just to keep it real, no TO is going to set up or buy a timer for every station at tournaments for our games. We're lucky if we get correct settings and/or a decent spot on finals day.. Extra equipment is not going to happen.

You can have an in-game timer. Its not like fighting games have never had those.....

 

[podizzler3000]

really sucks. I refuse to believe there isnt a quick solution. Off the top of my head I would say Select the moves at character select screen and have it be locked in unless you want to switch characters completely. so the only way you could switch moves would be if you switched characters twice. this would prevent people from just switching moves between matches. This is competitive play people are going to be able to select their moves in literally 2 seconds.

 

[Swindle]

This is false though, if NRS doesn't design some sort of UI to pick your moves on the character select screen it is entirely impractical to have customs at tourneys, no matter how much we want it.

This is false. There are many examples of successful games with unusual character/options select screens being accommodated for tourney play. Not to mention modern tourney players wasting so much time fiddling with their sticks & headphones, removing/putting on clothing, water breaks, mugging for the crowd/camera and ridiculous “button checks”.
Point being, if it is wanted, the community could accommodate. Don’t pretend otherwise.

 

[LeoMK29]

Oic. Kinda think they should have stuck with the variation types like in MKX then.

 

[imMORTAL KOMBATant]

I was at least hoping we could use the custom variations in ranked! I get not having them in a tournament setting, but having them in ranked doesn’t seem so bad.

I wanted the same. I mean Injustice 2 had two different Player Match options with Regular Player Match and Competitive Player Match so I was hoping for something similar that we'll have Tournament Ranked with tournament legal variations and another Ranked mode for Kustom Variations.

I fully understand the disappointment. I really do.

BUT

There's a move that is the Timer Scam move of Geras. That is the reason I can't blame NRS. And I am looking forward to play Geras, just not with that move. The game is about footsies, neutral, reads, skill. But this move is outrageously cheap AF. And it is something I never want to see in kompetitive play. Everyone, literally everyone can make 2 good reads in a game. Your opponent lands a hard knockdown, a Krushing Blow maybe or just cancels a kombo in an appropriate moment into Timer Scam and takes 30 seconds away. Then another 30. Then he turtles for the final 10 seconds aaand you're dead.

Yes, it would be an orgasmic satisfaction to hit someone with a Krushing Blow and take it away from him in the last second. But if you play godlike footsies, make good reads and have an excellent execution and you're chasing a mofo in Ranked Set for 5 games when he does nothing else just sits back and Timer Scams whenever it is possible and you lose 2-3, that would be maddening. Everyone told that MK11 is awesome because there are no fraudulent wins anymore but this thing would be exactly that. I read some opinions after the beta that people were complaining about how finding early Krushing Blows then sitting back was a typical tactic - Timer Scam would be the same.

So be careful what you wish for!

 

[Circus]

If a certain combination of moves is the problem, they could just make it so the moves conflict with each other and you can't use them.

This in combination with the slot count give the ILLUSION of a ton of different variations but in general, yes there will be optimal ones.

BUT the point of kustom variations is that against a certain matchup a slight change would convince you to stay with the same character instead of changing to a different character all together!

If you want a command grab character that has a good projectile, you could pick Baraka, but if you see that Spine Bursts is useless in a certain matchup you could stay with command grab Baraka and just slightly change to Flag Bash to cover the mid range where he is weak in a certain matchup.

You wouldn't have to completely change to another character this way, but now with fixed presets, you only have one variation with a command grab. You HAVE TO change to another character if you want to maintain the same strategy but with slightly different tools or you'd pick the same character but have their strategy change to something completely different with another variation.

I'm trying to be optimistic because I understand why they made the fearful decision, but it's just so upsetting thinking of the possibilities.

 

[Gamer68]

Casual play using Augments scares me.

What if I don't want to play Ranked and just want to have a long Casual set? Now I'm going to have to deal with Sonya's projectile doing 15.8% more damage than usual, or some shit?

Augments should be single player only, and that's FINAL. No one likes this Injustice-like stats bullshit. EVERYONE complained about the stats last game, even a lot of the casual players. Why they would re-introduce them is beyond me. I'm kinda disappointed, to be honest.

 

[JBeezYBabY]

I wanted the same. I mean Injustice 2 had two different Player Match options with Regular Player Match and Competitive Player Match so I was hoping for something similar that we'll have Tournament Ranked with tournament legal variations and another Ranked mode for Kustom Variations.

I fully understand the disappointment. I really do.

BUT

There's a move that is the Timer Scam move of Geras. That is the reason I can't blame NRS. And I am looking forward to play Geras, just not with that move. The game is about footsies, neutral, reads, skill. But this move is outrageously cheap AF. And it is something I never want to see in kompetitive play. Everyone, literally everyone can make 2 good reads in a game. Your opponent lands a hard knockdown, a Krushing Blow maybe or just cancels a kombo in an appropriate moment into Timer Scam and takes 30 seconds away. Then another 30. Then he turtles for the final 10 seconds aaand you're dead.

Yes, it would be an orgasmic satisfaction to hit someone with a Krushing Blow and take it away from him in the last second. But if you play godlike footsies, make good reads and have an excellent execution and you're chasing a mofo in Ranked Set for 5 games when he does nothing else just sits back and Timer Scams whenever it is possible and you lose 2-3, that would be maddening. Everyone told that MK11 is awesome because there are no fraudulent wins anymore but this thing would be exactly that. I read some opinions after the beta that people were complaining about how finding early Krushing Blows then sitting back was a typical tactic - Timer Scam would be the same.

So be careful what you wish for!

Thats a MOVE not a variation. How do you know that wouldn't be part of his preset variations? ANSWER: You don't. We need to stop equating custom variations to one or two moves people dislike.

 

[MikeBreezy92]

Casual play using Augments scares me.

What if I don't want to play Ranked and just want to have a long Casual set? Now I'm going to have to deal with Sonya's projectile doing 15.8% more damage than usual, or some shit?

Augments should be single player only, and that's FINAL. No one likes this Injustice-like stats bullshit. EVERYONE complained about the stats last game, even a lot of the casual players. Why they would re-introduce them is beyond me. I'm kinda disappointed, to be honest.

That's not how they work though....they're just moves added to the character...

 

[Swindle]

That's a bullshit mentality that lead this community to have games die every 2 years, sir. I'm trying to come up with solutions to people think is an issue. And I REEEEEALLY don't see this as being difficult at all.

You are correct. The fact this community is already acting defeated is really telling. There are solutions if you all are solution-minded. Or, this community can keep being lead around life like children expecting others to make their life easy.

 

[Gamer68]

That's not how they work though....they're just moves added to the character...

I'm talking about Augments, not Moves.

Augments are stat buffs that can be attached to the Gear you have on your character. For an example: It might be possible to apply a buff on Scorpion's katana that gives him 15% more damage on block, or something.

EDIT: Everyone thought these were single-player only, but as it turns out it will be available in Casual sets which I find to be very annoying.

 

[ArcticTabasco]

I'm kinda disappointed, but I get the logic. Overall balancing is more manageable and at least with the beta's UI the customization just wouldn't be logistically viable in a tourney setting. Could've had the options at the character select screen, yes... but balancing is still more manageable in any case. And having that level playing field is important for competition, be it tourneys or online.

Plus, I can't fault NRS for pushing the customization aspect in their marketing and not having it in competition at the same time. The hardcore guys are gonna get the game anyway, marketing is meant to sell the game to people who don't know if they want it or not, the more casual crowd. I (and I'm betting most of this forum) was gonna get the game anyway. Character variations or not.

Still, I can't deny having looked forward to what kinds of move sets the pros would've come up with. There's always the possibility for custom character invitationals though, that's totally manageable. Then again, would allowing customs in competition have boiled each character down to just one "optimal" build? There's a big chance of that having happened too.

Most of all though, I reeeeaaaally hope they cook up good variations of the characters.

 

[Xelz]

Why trim out the part where I said I felt it did not throw off the balance? Misery Blade didn't make him OP it made him feel complete.

This. So this. Many of the pro and content creator streamers expressed the same concern about Scorpion. Unless NRS rebalances the rest of his move set by launch, we're going to see one variation of Scorpion in competitive play: misery blade + whatever one slot move NRS chooses.

 

[B. Shazzy]

ahahaha where’s all the nrs shills at now lul wait i already the lines

“just play party mode guise you can still kustomize there” or how about “ guise vote with your wallet dont buy the game if you dont liek it stop complaining ever”