Seriously... Something needs to be done about the pokes

[Bruno-NeoSpace]

I can't believe it's been like almost 1 year and pokes in this game are still messed up.

A lot of pokes in this game are like -3 -4 -5 on block with a very little blockstun, on hit not plus enough and some of them low profiles. This make pokes extremely hard to hit confirm leading to the ugly things that we are seeing in this game - poke into poke, poke into jump, poke into backdash, poke straight up into string, poke into specials... The counter poke in this game is very ugly

"Ohhh but this only works on scrubs" "ohhh but this only works at online"

BULLSHIT

Last month I played the Liga Latina and I made top 5 in Brazil and the other day top 5 in Latin America and pokes were being scrubby EXACTLY like on online. Even I was using pokes in the scrubby way and guess what... It was working lmaaoo i was doing a lot poke into string and not even hit confirming it if it hit my opponent or block cause untill you try to hit confirm it you already lost some precious hit adv frames to jail your stuffs and they're so little negative on block with very little blockstun that my opponents a lot of time couldn't react that they blocked my pokes.

Here's what I propose to fix pokes in this game:

1 - more negative frames on block. Make ALL pokes at least -7 on block

2 - more positive frames on hit. Make ALL pokes at least +15 on hit.

3 - no more pokes into specials EXCEPT command grabs/tick throws

4 - reduce the pushback on pokes on block so it will prevent pokes into backdash

 

[CrimsonShadow]

Pokes into specials are an integral part of the MK meta. 95% of them are highly unsafe.. And in this game, they don’t actually combo. You can interrupt some of them by poking back, and most of the others you can just block and full punish.

And now, since the patch, if you flawless block the poke then the special won’t even come out.

There are plenty of options for dealing with these.. And it’s been a thing since MK9 or before, so this is one particular complaint I don’t understand.

 

[DragonofDadashov24]

Like NRS gives a fuck

 

[Zviko]

Only number 2 is enough. Basically make every D1 like Joker's.

 

[Bruno-NeoSpace]

Pokes into specials are an integral part of the MK meta. 95% of them are highly unsafe.. And in this game, they don’t actually combo. You can interrupt some of them by poking back, and most of the others you can just block and full punish.

And now, since the patch, if you flawless block the poke then the special won’t even come out.

There are plenty of options for dealing with these.. And it’s been a thing since MK9 or before, so this is one particular complaint I don’t understand.

So what it's the meta? This meta is not a good one. You being forced to play a coin flip game in a poke is dumb. This is not how counter poke should work.

Flawless block pokes?? Who is doing that on intention? Seriously 99% of the times that I flawless blocked a poke was pure luck.

 

[Bruno-NeoSpace]

Like NRS gives a fuck

They actually are kinda seeing that pokes are super dumb in this game because on the first patch they made some pokes 1 frame more negative on block (although they made some other pokes less negative on block lmaaoo) and now on the last patch they made when pokes are flawless blocked you can't cancel them into specials.

The problem is that it looks like they see how things are messed up but they don't know exactly what to do.

 

[Zviko]

Flawless block pokes?? Who is doing that on intention? Seriously 99% of the times that I flawless blocked a poke was pure luck.

99% of the pros and many high level players do it all the time.

 

[Bruno-NeoSpace]

99% of the pros and many high level players do it all the time.

Nope. They don't. I don't want to sound arrogant or something like that but here in Latin America there are A LOT of pros/high level players (killer xinok, heygeorge, shadow dash/euphoring, konqueror, kcd, etc) and none of us were flawless blocking pokes on intention. Didn't u watch the liga latina?

 

[Zviko]

Nope. They don't. I don't want to sound arrogant or something like that but here in Latin America there are A LOT of pros/high level players (killer xinok, heygeorge, shadow dash/euphoring, konqueror, kcd, etc) and none of us were flawless blocking pokes on intention. Didn't u watch the liga latina?

Then why do they follow up with U2/U3?

 

[MadPropz101]

Every d1 should be at least -7 on block, and +14 on hit, problem solved.

 

[Zer0_h0ur]

Nope. They don't. I don't want to sound arrogant or something like that but here in Latin America there are A LOT of pros/high level players (killer xinok, heygeorge, shadow dash/euphoring, konqueror, kcd, etc) and none of us were flawless blocking pokes on intention. Didn't u watch the liga latina?

So it's actually confirmed that Shadow Dash Was Euphoring????

 

[Wigy]

99% of the pros and many high level players do it all the time.

Off flawless block setups.

 

[ZATA]

for me, this is why I hate the game, i can deal with fatals, hitboxes, zoning, floaty jumps, but if someone hit me after conecting a D1, my eyeballs explode, my blood boils, i want to destroy something, especially if a D2KB hit me, , pokes SUCKS in this game

 

[Iconic Horror]

Flawless block pokes?? Who is doing that on intention? Seriously 99% of the times that I flawless blocked a poke was pure luck.

People flawless block pokes all the time. You do it when you think the opponent is going to try and take their turn back like for example after performing a safe string. It's a read on a poke.

 

[Zviko]

Off flawless block setups.

Setups just make it easier.

 

[Gaxkang]

People flawless block pokes all the time. You do it when you think the opponent is going to try and take their turn back like for example after performing a safe string. It's a read on a poke.

Read/guess

 

[Hellbringer]

Ppl are flawless blocking pokes as reversal, they dont just randomly flawless block pokes.

 

[Marlow]

I've seen this issue raised a number of times, and I'm a little unclear what the exact issue is. Is it that it's too difficult to punish pokes, so people just mash away with pokes?

 

[Bruno-NeoSpace]

Then why do they follow up with U2/U3?

People flawless block pokes all the time. You do it when you think the opponent is going to try and take their turn back like for example after performing a safe string. It's a read on a poke.

Bro you don't get it. You are talking about the O.S flawless block. That's NOT done especially to flawless block pokes. That's done purely to try to still get your turn when you're negative and you guess your opponent will try to start his turn with a fast move.

I'm talking about flawless blocking pokes against mashing, as a read, as a counter poke.

NO ONE is doing that. That's is totally impractical. As I said. 99% of the times I flawless blocked pokes were pure luck.

 

[Bruno-NeoSpace]

So it's actually confirmed that Shadow Dash Was Euphoring????

Yeah. I talked to him on Liga Latina. He's a very cool and talented kid (16 years old).

 

[LMNYHappyDaze]

That’s honestly my main issue with the game and why the meta is in such a shaky spot. The strength of pokes in this game promotes mashing and scrubby play. You’ll see ppl do all kinds of negative strings and then mash D1/D3 after. And the messed up thing is that a lot of times your only 2 options are flawless block (good luck in lag) or to try and poke back and see if u can jail your string off the hit adv. If you miss the timing you’ll just eat another poke and it’s their turn again. It’s such an easy fix and honestly would change the whole meta of the game. Throws wouldn’t be as strong because you wouldn’t be holding block all the time and you’ll see ppl have to actually play neutral instead of sitting in each other’s faces having a poke war

 

[Metin]

No one use that much pokes against me at my online matches with my psn friends. @ShepherdOfFire @Error404 @Braindead @MeSoFoolish... What kind of game are you playing folks?of course We are using some d4ord1+special to end someone's pressure. But the entire game is not all about that. i can say Braindead's patiance is hard to deal with, Error404's corner game is insane, ShepredofFire's zoning game with Skarlet gives me serious troubles, MesoFoolish's Baraka brokes my up2 flawless block almost everytime, it is really annoying. But i cannot say someone pokes me hard or i have lost cos of his pokes. i am not playing that kind of matches.

 

[Zviko]

I'm talking about flawless blocking pokes against mashing, as a read, as a counter poke.

NO ONE is doing that. That's is totally impractical. As I said. 99% of the times I flawless blocked pokes were pure luck.

Well no one has to do that because on block it's your turn. The problem is many characters don't have fast enough mids and jailing with 3f window might be too hard especially online. That's why I suggested your option number 2 which imo would fix this completely for every charcter without other changes.

Joker is the proof. D1 mashers get blown up by D1 jailing into his best string, very easily. If every character had that people would start to respect down pokes and maybe even start blocking. Then all the other mix ups your characters have in store would maybe even be possible, not just D1s and throws.

 

[Metzos]

Pokes in MK11 are a joke. Back in MK9 you wouldnt DARE throw a second down poke after the opponent blocked the first one. They seriously need to take another approach regarding the poking game.

Pokes in MK9 used to have meaning on hit and on block. In MK11 that meaning is almost non-existent. OP has a strong point.

Meter building in this game is also a big negative factor imo. Again, back in MK9 and MKX, meter had to be EARNED. There were even certain strings which could earn you extra meter during combos or blockstrings.

FB's are going in the right direction increasing their armor active frames. But still, i believe if your opponent blocks or avoids your FB, its gg, you lost it. You re not getting it back. A mechanic they could apply would be to use all of your bars for a second chance for a FB, but seeing as to how the meter regenerates in this game, that would be broken.

These three reasons alone are a step backwards in MK11, compared to their older counterparts.

Pokes into specials are an integral part of the MK meta. 95% of them are highly unsafe.. And in this game, they don’t actually combo. You can interrupt some of them by poking back, and most of the others you can just block and full punish.

And now, since the patch, if you flawless block the poke then the special won’t even come out.

There are plenty of options for dealing with these.. And it’s been a thing since MK9 or before, so this is one particular complaint I don’t understand.

Regarding interrupting, there arent many special moves that are canceled from down pokes that can be interrupted. Most of the just get traded. There are many factors there, regarding cancel adv, range the poke got blocked etc.

I m gonna pretend i didnt see what you wrote regarding fblking down pokes. Its pure luck to do that, you cant do it on reaction, which means, its inconsistent. Its based on a read.

No, there arent plenty of options for dealing with these things. Its pure randomness from the attacking player's aspect deciding if he is going to cancel or not.

I really dont know why you keep defending the mechanics of a game that many have issues with and many more are beginning to address to as well.

MK11 is a good game but it has many flaws and that shows in tournament numbers. I hope it works out for NRS but tbh they really need to lvl up their attidute regarding game mechanics. Last patch notes, except the flawless block improvements and FB armor active frames, were a joke. Not to even talk about balancing the already top tiers characters (looking at you Upgraded Jacqui and Outtake Johnny Cage).

Bottom line, top tiers are still top tier and bottom tiers are still bottom tier.

P.S: Variations suck and need to be removed or totally be revamped.

Post edited.

 

[Error404]

@Metin thank you for the kind words , but OP is correct imo. Pokes are poorly designed and the lack of mids exposes this issue , for all to see.