My honest thoughts on all these threads and posts calling MK9 unbalanced..

[NRF CharlieMurphy]

Too many viable characters

Not enough Viable players for them

No... I think all the viable characters are spoken for.

 

[SaJa]

As long as I don't see as many strykers as kunglao or kabal in tourney, I'll still think tier list does matter in such a game.

We should just get every char wins tournament stats since mk9 has been released to check out my point.

Kano players can be outplayed against sonya players just because they are weaker. But it doesn't mean the matchup is fair (especially at same level play).

Sure, there'll be always good and bad char. However, the purpose of doing patches is to make the chasm smaller between those, and for now, it is too big on mk9 (the first 4 need to be nerfed, and the last 4 need to be buffed and it will be more or less balanced to me). Imo.

I'm not against any patches (except if NRS takes bad decision as hey did for sz).
Cyrax' resets ? I don't need it.

 

[Qwark28]

Too many viable characters

Not enough Viable players for them

i love you

 

[Qwark28]

everyones viable with the correct player to rep them, im so used to 6-4/7-3 matchups against me i smh everytime people make out these matchups as impossible to win.

 

[WayoftheFist]

Out of curiosity, where would everyone draw the line of viable and not viable? We have some obvious ones at the bottom of the cast but I think the line gets blurred after that.

 

[Zoidberg747]

Out of curiosity, where would everyone draw the line of viable and not viable? We have some obvious ones at the bottom of the cast but I think the line gets blurred after that.

Everyone is viable if your opponent knows nothing of the character. If people know the character...I say anything below B Tier on REOs list is not truly viable if everyone would learn the matchups, but that factor makes almost everyone viable(hell Jeremiah still kicks ass with Sheeva).

 

[coolwhip]

Kabal, Kung Lao, Kenshi, Freddy, Sonya, Cyrax, Smoke, Reptile, Johnny Cage, Jax, Kitana...

The above characters are REALLY good and are more than capable of winning tournaments.

Moreover, you have characters like Sektor, Raiden, Skarlet, and Liu Kang that, if understood correctly, also have immense potential.

Does that mean the game is balanced? No. But it's hardly as unbalanced as people make it out to be. And guess what, this is pretty common in fighting games. Not all the characters can be top tier. Most of them have tools, it's just that some have better tools than others. Yeah, there are some that are absolutely awful, but for the most part, even the likes of Scorpion, Ermac, Sub-Zero, Shang Tsung can ruin your day in the hands of a good player, and if you want evidence, look at Slips, Big D, Tom/Denzel, and Detroit.

 

[Chongo]

Too many viable characters

Not enough Viable players for them

 

[Wemfs]

Scorpion is downplayed. Other than crappy pokes and unsafe mixups(which are your choice), he, in the right hands, is a complete beast.

I agree, but isn't any character a beast in the "right" hands? Or somewhat close to a beast.

 

[BillStickers]

Here's another example: In all the time it's taken for the Sub Zero community to bitch about how terrible their character is, Tom Brady and Denzel were busy single-handedly leveling up the entire character's game. Sub Zero has gone from one of the most shit-on characters in this game to a solid mid-tier fighter.

• If you hate the game, stop playing.
• If you think your favorite character sucks, stop playing.
• If you think this game is horribly balanced, stop playing.

The important point of every case: NO ONE GIVES A SHIT. I'm so tired of crybabies around here hoping for a patch that will NEVER EVER come, and insist on derailing every productive thread by complaining about nonsense. Just leave the forums if you hate this game so much. Obviously there are enough people here who are enthusiastic enough to keep this game alive, so please, stop trolling the forums worrying about those who still support this game 110%.

 

[STRYKIE]

Here's another example: In all the time it's taken for the Sub Zero community to bitch about how terrible their character is, Tom Brady and Denzel were busy single-handedly leveling up the entire character's game. Sub Zero has gone from one of the most shit-on characters in this game to a solid mid-tier fighter.

• If you hate the game, stop playing.
• If you think your favorite character sucks, stop playing.
• If you think this game is horribly balanced, stop playing.

The important point of every case: NO ONE GIVES A SHIT. I'm so tired of crybabies around here hoping for a patch that will NEVER EVER come, and insist on derailing every productive thread by complaining about nonsense. Just leave the forums if you hate this game so much. Obviously there are enough people here who are enthusiastic enough to keep this game alive, so please, stop trolling the forums worrying about those who still support this game 110%.

This, I work with who I feel most comfortable with first and foremost, and do everything to make matchups as close to 5-5 and up as I possibly can, if there's nobody in my arsenal that can do that, then it is what it is. If you take the time to learn a character with even the slightest intention of counterpicking, then LBSH, you've already lost.

 

[Gruntypants]

you've been playing for that long yet you write like you're four...

in all seriousness though i dont see what the big deal is about balance. yeah, so kenshi is broken, so what it's still fun to play against him and takes skill to beat good players with him (while rereading i notice this seems ambiguous. what i meant was that if you play him you still have to be good to win, but it is also true that you must be skillful to beat a good player who uses him). yeah kabal is OP, but have you tried playing him? i know i cant even play him against a casual sheeva without having a hard time (and no, i'm not terrible at the game). how many other "broken" characters are there? Smoke and cyrax have obscene amounts of damage, but we all know how that damage starts and what to do to avoid it, so if you get caught that's on you. plus this game balances such things with its meter. taking damage builds meter, 2 bars is a breaker. meter management in this game is probably more important than matchups because good use of meter vs bad use of meter is what can take a 5-5 and make it 6-4 in one direction or the other.
if you want a balanced game go play divekick

Divekick balanced? Heeeeeeeeeeell no!

Wolverine and Mr. N are BY FAR the best characters in the game. Kung Pow, Dive, and Kick don't even compare.

 

[Axel_Redd]

BTW, MIT saving his new tech for Kabal was smart. JIP into Mix up is a great mind-fuck. The reaction was also priceless. lol

for which character? o-0

 

[Lumpymoomilk]

The thing about balance in this game is some characters have options that cover so many bases at once while others have options that you basically have to be a god at reading the opponent or you die.

example kung lao spin, yes it can be blocked and punished, but does any other counter move in the game CSZ and Liu Kang parry, Baraka spin can all be beaten by a low poke, so where's Kung's spin weakness? Your only option against it is to block the spin or armor.
Kabal enhanced dash beats out pokes, jumps (except crossovers because they go past him), projectiles on wake up. Combine it with being able to cancel it and you have almost non stop pressure.

While some crap tiers have to guess are they going high low jumping ect just to hit their opponent let alone get a combo.

 

[Smoke_Of_Finland]

everyones viable with the correct player to rep them, im so used to 6-4/7-3 matchups against me i smh everytime people make out these matchups as impossible to win.

Losing most of the time, but still, beating Shadow's and Suomipoika's Kabal every now and then using Kano is the most fun I ever had playing this game. Suomi just laughed, but I think Shadow got a bit salty

 

[LEGEND]

I never realized how good Sindel was, she seems like my playstyle. Very surprised people think she sucks.

same with Baraka for me

hes got really good wiff poke setups that lead to 30%+ damage and/or a reset
Deadly corner game
Great at building meter
Solid and reliable AAs in 4xxBlade spark and Spin
Top notch footsie tools
pretty much impossible to cross over jump
Hardly anything can punish a well spaced blade rush
Chip damage. Chip Damage. Chip damage
plus he has frame traps out the ass that can be used in conjunction with his 50/50 game


What exactly makes him bad?

 

[LEGEND]

and i'll state this point again (something i've said many times) :

aside from the top 4-6 characters in this game, MK9 is extremely balanced

 

[Relaxedstate]

I like MK and will play it as long as other people play it with me

Edit: Now I read it lol. good post I agree.

I think my favorite part of playing Kabal is his supposed 0 bad matchups. I really think he is the best too.
So when I lose with him. I was outplayed. When I lose I have no one to blame but myself.
I look to what I can improve in myself and don't get hung up on matchups.
I am a better player for it.

 

[Qwark28]

Losing most of the time, but still, beating Shadow's and Suomipoika's Kabal every now and then using Kano is the most fun I ever had playing this game. Suomi just laughed, but I think Shadow got a bit salty

LOL i know, it happens.

i really liked our matches, connection was better than average and i dont have many players with fundamentals in my friends list

 

[InFlames]

for which character? o-0

Scorpion.

I agree, but isn't any character a beast in the "right" hands? Or somewhat close to a beast.

Damn you just shut me down, good game sir.

 

[STRYKIE]

The thing about balance in this game is some characters have options that cover so many bases at once while others have options that you basically have to be a god at reading the opponent or you die.

example kung lao spin, yes it can be blocked and punished, but does any other counter move in the game CSZ and Liu Kang parry, Baraka spin can all be beaten by a low poke, so where's Kung's spin weakness? Your only option against it is to block the spin or armor.
Kabal enhanced dash beats out pokes, jumps (except crossovers because they go past him), projectiles on wake up. Combine it with being able to cancel it and you have almost non stop pressure.

While some crap tiers have to guess are they going high low jumping ect just to hit their opponent let alone get a combo.

While I'm referring to overall character viability, why are people still under the impression that Kung's spin is unfair? it's always had a head-to-toe hurtbox, good luck punishing it in MK2 for that matter.

And most meterless wake-ups will stuff projectiles with zero risk, which I have mixed feelings about but Kabal takes way too much undue flack for that.

 

[MagicMan357]

still want a patch

 

[x18x2xwildx]

I'll agree with this when character's didn't get unnecessary damage nerfs, armor on things that don't need it that were already safe on block, or viable tools taken away from them for seemingly no reason while others have had their tools left in check.

 

[Zoidberg747]

same with Baraka for me

hes got really good wiff poke setups that lead to 30%+ damage and/or a reset
Deadly corner game
Great at building meter
Solid and reliable AAs in 4xxBlade spark and Spin
Top notch footsie tools
pretty much impossible to cross over jump
Hardly anything can punish a well spaced blade rush
Chip damage. Chip Damage. Chip damage
plus he has frame traps out the ass that can be used in conjunction with his 50/50 game


What exactly makes him bad?

The fact that he doesnt have any moves faster than 12 frames
The fact that he doesnt have launchers less than 17 frames
The fact that most of the things you describe do very little damage
The fact that armor can blow through any way he can get damage
The fact that it is humanly impossible to space blade charge perfectly everytime

A couple of others but speed of his moves is the main one.

 

[NRF CharlieMurphy]

Here's another example: In all the time it's taken for the Sub Zero community to bitch about how terrible their character is, Tom Brady and Denzel were busy single-handedly leveling up the entire character's game. Sub Zero has gone from one of the most shit-on characters in this game to a solid mid-tier fighter.

• If you hate the game, stop playing.
• If you think your favorite character sucks, stop playing.
• If you think this game is horribly balanced, stop playing.

fun fact.

any character that has 2 unwinnable matchups shouldn't be mid tier. ..... and the best guy agrees that Kenshi and Kabal (and smoke almost) are unwinnable.

The problem is that not everyone accepts it... BECAUSE they don't all the characters. So please.... step DOWN from that high horse.

Tom and Denzell win those matches..... not SZ. No one seems to really grasp that fact. If SZ won the matches... then those two wouldn't be successful playing with other characters.