Another interesting read by Kalax triaD: original blog posted at:
http://www.shoryuken.com/entry.php?b=644
My Mortal Kombat Reboot
This is an old blog on the matter of improving Mortal Kombat with a few ideas I think will elevate the old dog into a truly competitive fighter. I posted a small part of it in the forums and someone thought it was a good idea to drop the whole thing. So let's begin.
That's Not Normal:
Let's start with basics, the normal attacks of every character. They mean nothing. They don't seem to be treated as tools to use in a fight. Most have the same properties as far as I see with the exception knock up/knock back/sweep attacks. There needs to be new properties introduced to normal attacks. Stuns, displacements, and maybe even critical strikes. Something to offer me more options 'sweep or uppercut'. How about some rising attacks from crouch? That's a whole new package of normals! Tech crouch, tech hop, tech steps? Work with me here! Make normals interesting! More on properties later...
3D vs 2D:
One of the biggest issues with Midway is their straddling the fence when it comes to what they want MK to be. I think they have problems upgrading the engine while not wanting to let go of classic MK konventions. For instance, right now you could duck a fireball (classic MK), sidestep it (recent MK), or block it. In 2D, blocking or ducking was your options (and jumping). But with 3D in the mix, you were able to sidestep. This ruined one of MK's stables: the projectile. What's MK if you can't toss something, right? In this manner you can see how Midway threatens their own engine when they try adding elements without subtracting elements that would hinder them.
My answer to this is to add a uniform multi-directional option for all projectiles for all characters. Now Scorpion's start-up animation for his spear will insight a response from his opponent, but will they know if the spear's going upper-right or lower-left...? What we have now is an interesting event where both players have viable options that also makes use of 3D movement. And how about this; ducking a projectile is etched in MK gameplay, and you may want move upward while still wanting to defend against Scorpion's spear... To this I give the Kombat Roll, a way of moving in 8 directions while, essentially, ducking. The actual ducking property frames would last an instant so timing would be stressed, and the recovery animation would leave you in base ducking position before you can rise. This adds a risk-reward factor that I personally believe makes a good game experience.
And just like that I made MK's older konventions relevant to 3D.
Updated Attacks:
Scorpion and some other character having the same kick or punch is illegal. Stop it Midway, I'm serious. Every character needs their own standards, with new properties to go with them. This includes Counter Hit properties. Every fighting game and their mothers have CH properties. A CH status usually changes move properties and increases damage. So how about Sub-Zero's freeze-ball catches you while you're just standing there and you could break out after an instant. All Subby did was buy him some tactical movement time at best, right? But when his freeze-ball catches you on CH, you stay frozen longer and he has some deadly options for ya.
And do you really wanna just pull people with Scorp's spear? MK vs DC introduced the welcome element of Pro-Moves, where savvy players can unleash EX-like versions of special moves. Maybe I should have the option of just throwing the spear at you and being done with it, or maybe yank you halfway... This could be used to set up spacing and tactical movement, especially if Midway wants to keep the (actually fun) element of interactive stages.
Jump, Magic Jump:
Aw yes, jumping. Jumping in fighting games are approached two ways; the 2D leap that clears 16ft easily, and the more conservative 3D hop. MK is caught in a cross roads about what to do with jumping. MKDA and Deception had the hop, while MKA and vsDC returned with the leap. Personally, since I want MK to embrace 3D movement, I think the hop should return... with some updated properties of course.
Now this idea may incite some rage, but I think jumping should be assigned to a button, preferably the R-Trigger (while the Ducking/Kombat Rolling should be on the L-Trigger). Why? Well it goes back to the importance of 3D movement and gets into intuitive control design. You see... I hate... having to use a button to sidestep. That shit is archaic, lame, and overall counter-intuitive. If I wanna move up or down, dammit I should simply move the stick in said directions. So moving down on the stick would have your character walk into the foreground. But I have ducking on the L-Trigger, so am I a hypocrite? Here me out before you answer.
The new properties I want for jumping is for it to be an inverse of ducking; you can jump clear over projectiles and low attacks while you can duck projectiles and high attacks. To further make the point of the actions being conceptual opposites of each other, I placed them on either triggers. Also you can jump in place or in 8 directions just as you can duck in place or Kombat Roll in 8 directions. This adds options, and the fight will just plain look cooler with all the vying for position taking place on screen. With your opponent possibly hopping all over the place, I propose a tracking property for certain attacks, normal and special. It may take the edge off.
Button Set-Up:
Aside from the aforementioned trigger set-up, I think some changes will need to apply to the face buttons. I'm thinking Punch, Kick, Heavy, and Double. I understand if I need to explain the latter two...
Heavy will either be a kick or punch with lots of damage at the cost of speed. They're not turtle slow or anything, I'm imagining something having slightly more frames than the normal attacks. This attack could be used to finish juggles, and all heavies can be canceled early in. Like the normals, you will have different heavy attacks depending on directions held.
Doubles would uphold MK's tradition of gratifying, fun combat at your finger tips. A double is a uniform two-hit melee attack, both hits with their own properties and range. A double could be used to start a combo or add onto one (yes, dial-a-combos must remain for tradition's sake). Special moves that uses the double button will of course have two hits or some other form of consecutive function.
Finish Him!:
Big changes here. MK's biggest feature is the ability to finish your opponent at the end of a match. Over the years this element has become bogged with childish moves and archaic methods for input. You deliver the final hit and your enemy stands there all dizzy. You input some command and there you go. *YAWN* My ideas to update Fatalities actually stem from past MK's of all things. I present a more interactive mode for finishing your opponents, and they're not so helpless either...
When you deplete the, well... let's call it 'Active Life', of your opponent - the screen will darken and you will be in Fatality mode. In this mode you must input commands for what will be an at least 'two-step' Fatality. This means a command for removing Scorpion's mask, and another for blowing fire, for instance. This technically changes little on the giver's side of things, save for a more interactive, visceral feel to finishing your opponent (you prefer it to 'Up, Up, Block', right?). You may remember Sub-Zero having a two step fatality in MK2. We'll talk more about giver options in a few.
What about the receiver? Well, you will no longer be a dizzy sap just standing there, that's for sure. You see once your Active Life is gone you will become a sluggish defeated warrior barely holding your own weight. Your movements will be slow in all directions and you can no longer jump or duck. You're hanging on a thread of life, pathetically moving about. This is similar to crawling around in Gears of War, you know you're gonna die but you try to crawl to safety anyway. However, you do have one attack, a sluggish punch with a slow start-up and punishing recovery. It's next to useless! But if you connect... Connecting with this last ditch effort of an attack will knock your careless opponent silly, give you some Active Life back, and leave your opponent dizzy enough for you to follow up big time. Due to the nature of the desperation punch, this will be about as rare an event as it can get, but you still have a chance. In my Mortal Kombat, the fight never ends!
Now back to the guy in the advantage. Aside from interactive Fatalities, you could just wail on the your defeated opponent. One hit will end the fight since the guy has nothing left, but if you continue a combo on the fallen kombatant you will be awarded more opportunity to continue the beating. This will go on until you've committed a Brutality, which will be announced after you completed enough hits. Its not unlike MK3's Brutality mechanic, except its much more interactive and not a canned combo. And it's just a brutal, thrilling way to win.
Another returning feature is offering Mercy. In a game where death is dealt normally, I think a bigger deal should be made when you offer Mercy to an opponent. Once activated, your opponent will receive half of your Active Life to continue the battle. In the past you simply allowed the other guy to receive some energy (for free), but it meant very little. Now offering Mercy is basically sacrificing some of your life to your opponent, and the fight continues in a fair yet limited contest. This will keep things exciting. After the extended battle, there will be no more Fatality Mode, as the fight may go on forever (we have online matchmaking to consider)!
Thanks for reading.
