Well, d3 is the literal embodiment of "footsies" - specifically the kind that 3 year olds play under the table.
In all seriousness though, I don't think anyone is under any illusions of this Kitana being even vaguely similar to the old one. Hell, I basically think of this Kitana as a
completely new character that happens to have been mildly inspired by the old one.
I can honestly say that Kitana, especially in Assassin variation, is the most incomplete-feeling character I've played in a fighting game since TTT2's Angel (which was basically the
only gameplay aspect of TTT2 that I disliked). So many moves are like 'Hey, this is almost good... almost'.
b1 would be great... if it was a few frames faster and had a little more range.
f2 would be a great poke... if it was safe. Alternatively, a great mix-up tool... if it hit overhead.
d1 would be a decent interrupter... if it was safe.
Alternatively, they should have included a much wider set of universal tools to use as a variation-less template to build upon. There's no reason why her Square Boost shouldn't be a universal tool, for instance - imagine how much more interesting Mournful would be with that extra move alone. Parry could work as a universal move too.
As it stands, it's like choosing to play as a variation-less character... without going variation-less.
Despite all this, I'm going to keep playing her, largely because I absolutely
love her personality shift since the last game. Normally I never put non-gameplay reasons as a primary reason for using a character, but this is very much an exception.