The Variation System

[WaywardStranger]

I like the variations , but i would have preferred single character with all the moves of their variations.

NRS games for the most part are quite easy to learn, as the characters don't have many moves or inputs that you need to memorize.
Games like Tekken on the other hand and each of its characters can have over 100 moves, some almost 200. I'd like to see MK become like this at some point. The in game depth would increase drastically. MKX has depth, no doubt, but its depth lies in its character variations. MK9 actually has more depth than MKX because it had a tag mode. MK9 tag mode was crazy good, it was such a shame not many people took it seriously. I realize it wasn't perfect , but god damn it was fun.

MKX single character with all their variation moves plus tag mode would have been WAY better then what we have now, but i'm not complaining. I do like MKX as is.

I couldn't agree more. I wish they'd fit each variation into one character.

I'm a combo junkie and can't help but feel that most characters in MKX and Injustice lack depth insofar as combo potential. After MK9, NRS' games seem to reflect the general culture at GGA, etc of lame, low-damage BnB combos. I've heard those guys talk shit on stream about high-damage yet very high-difficulty combos, as though NRS should adopt a SF model by severely limiting combo potential across the board. IMO, they should be emulating Mahval.

Regardless, I'm still a huge fan of both MKX and IGAU. Cross your fingers that their next game will be a tag team game.

 

[CrimsonShadow]

Also people who say erron black or quan chi has only one useful variation...wut

To be fair though, you picked two of the best examples in the game. There are a lot of characters that would kill to have variations as good as those.

Patching could change all this in the future, though. But it's a tricky/delicate task.

 

[YOSHI-MITSU]

Variations are a nice touch to the game, and it certainly looks like the replay value is significantly higher than for previous entries. Perhaps it's too late to add this to the OP, but I'm surprised there isn't a poll for this yet. Just my two cents.

 

[KYJellyDonut]

There is always going to be a "most useful or top tier" for every game variations or not. I like the fact that individual chars can be played in various ways. Love it.

 

[Scrotie79]

I think that the variation system adds a bit of depth to the game that previous MK games were lacking. It is quite interesting figuring out which characters/variations suit my play style the best then exploring all the possibilities within that variation. So in short, yes I am happy with the variation system.

There is always going to be a "most useful or top tier" for every game variations or not. I like the fact that individual chars can be played in various ways. Love it.

I was about to say something similar to that, haha.

 

[BoromiRofGeo]

im not impressed so far by variations, and the reason of this is because out of 3 variations of Ermac, only one is viable. Same situation applies for half of the cast, if not more.

 

[esc1]

I like my variations about as much as a different flavor of Mtndew or Coke.. and that's not much at all, if any.

 

[Braindead]

Wow it looks like I'm pretty lucky because all the characters I picked have 3 very different variations that can all be used. Sub-Zero, Shinnok, and Ferra/Torr.

But is it really luck, though?

 

[Methysan]

Don't really care for them. A lot of them seem useless right now. Granted, the game is still new and as top characters and variations emerge, perhaps some of the less used variations will end up becoming useful as counters. Look at Marvel 3, it took 2ish years for Morrigan/Doom to be discovered and used to its full potential.

Still, I'd rather a smaller cast of more complex characters, but since that won't happen in MKX, I'd like to see the variations made more unique so they actually feel different. A lot of them feel like it's the same character with 1 different special move/combo ender.

 

[Braindead]

The concept was very ambitious, but as I feared, in most cases people are only using one variation and other 2 seem somewhat useless.

Sub Zero - Grandmaster

You have no idea how wildly mistaken you are with this sentence.

 

[VenomX-90]

50/50 opens up more options for the characters though.

 

[Drew Grimey]

Sometimes variations feels like it they intentionally leave the character incomplete in order to make another variation with the remaining moves,. For example, Raiden's teleport that he had since MK1 is only usable in one variation, that wouldn't have be the case if they didn't have a variation system. I'd much rather they take out the variation system next game and just focus on making the character complete instead of three stripped down versions of the same character. This will also give them more resources to have more characters on the roster

 

[Afro_physicist]

Later down the line I see variations becoming more crucial at a competitive level. Lao mains complained on the lack of ability in tempest and now that's his most damaging variation. So now we can choose between low damage rush down mixup or patient punishing damage.

Other characters should be getting similar improvements later on

 

[John Grizzly]

You have no idea how wildly mistaken you are with this sentence.

OK man, that's fine. Just show me the people winning big tournies with Cryomancer or Unbreakable, or using them period in tournament. The only one I've seen is BattleBear (I think that's the name) at the Break. He uses Cryomancer.

I think Sub Zero is one of the most complete characters NRS designed in this game and I'd love to see the other two variations used more, so I really hope I'm wrong about Cryomancer and Unbreakable not being used ever. You can't deny that 90% of the time people aren't using Grandmaster, though....and that's my point.

 

[Braindead]

OK man, that's fine. Just show me the people winning big tournies with Cryomancer or Unbreakable, or using them period in tournament. The only one I've seen is BattleBear (I think that's the name) at the Break. He uses Cryomancer.

I think Sub Zero is one of the most complete characters NRS designed in this game and I'd love to see the other two variations used more, so I really hope I'm wrong about Cryomancer and Unbreakable not being used ever. You can't deny that 90% of the time people aren't using Grandmaster, though....and that's my point.

I understand. But I think the sole reason you only see one variation used so far is because people didn't really learn the other 2 variations and went to other characters instead.

Grandmaster is just the "easiest" to use and the clone gravitates people the most, probably because he feels more like his old versions.

The game has only been out for 1 month and we're just entering the tournament season. In a few months we'll start seeing all other variations, and not just with Sub-Zero.

 

[looktotheluna]

OK man, that's fine. Just show me the people winning big tournies with Cryomancer or Unbreakable, or using them period in tournament. The only one I've seen is BattleBear (I think that's the name) at the Break. He uses Cryomancer.

I think Sub Zero is one of the most complete characters NRS designed in this game and I'd love to see the other two variations used more, so I really hope I'm wrong about Cryomancer and Unbreakable not being used ever. You can't deny that 90% of the time people aren't using Grandmaster, though....and that's my point.

Only time will tell, as this game is only over month old in the hands of the community. It will take further months, even a year to dissect and debug the characters and variations to their fullest. Not to mention further nerfs and buffs that are bound to happen sooner or later.

People are playing what works in their favour and what is winning the matches, as it's each to their own right now. Personally, I main SZ GM and some "Cryomancer" every know and again, yet haven't used "Unbreakable" at all in any match since release. Again, personally preference but "Unbreakable"may out do both "GM" and "Cryomancer" later down the line. Who knows?

 

[WakeUp DP]

I disagree. I think variations got a lot more depth to it than what it seems right now.

I'm sure in about a year we will be seeing less popular variations win tournaments.

This game reminds me of UMK3 in a way. Very fast phased and constant offense.

 

[Dizzy]

To be fair though, you picked two of the best examples in the game. There are a lot of characters that would kill to have variations as good as those.

Patching could change all this in the future, though. But it's a tricky/delicate task.

My point was people just state that the most straightforward or easiest to play is the best variation often times. Chris G got 2nd at a major using a variation people claim there is no reason to use.

Maybe variations that are overall weaker can be situationally useful, that havent been explored yet, is all I am saying. It will take months and true character specialists to bring these to light.

P.S. yo i been talkin about kitanas max range EX assassin dash

 

[Sami]

In terms of the idea of variations I love it. In terms of how some of the actual variations turned out... not so much. Still, the latter can be fixed with patches.

 

[Tertian]

while trying to respect others opinions, i think the fact that this is still up for debate is pure idiocy.

Understanding some variations still need work to be on par (as will almost always be the case), variations are win/win.

What good is a larger roster of characters, when you'll probably only play a few of them anyways.
What good is a character with 100s of moves when you'll only use a handful of "optimal" moves.

A variation system increases the chances you find something you like about each and every character.

 

[CrimsonShadow]

My point was people just state that the most straightforward or easiest to play is the best variation often times. Chris G got 2nd at a major using a variation people claim there is no reason to use.

Maybe variations that are overall weaker can be situationally useful, that havent been explored yet, is all I am saying. It will take months and true character specialists to bring these to light.

P.S. yo i been talkin about kitanas max range EX assassin dash

This can be true. The thing is, watching Chris, and the low damage he was getting from confirms, I have a strong feeling he may have won the tournament if he was playing Bojitsu. While there are always situational uses for certain things, I couldn't escape the feeling that he was actually shooting himself in the foot.

And LOL about the Assassin Dash

 

[Youphemism]

Wow it looks like I'm pretty lucky because all the characters I picked have 3 very different variations that can all be used. Sub-Zero, Shinnok, and Ferra/Torr.

But is it really luck, though?

Are you high?

 

[Braindead]

Are you high?

I said they can all be used.
I didn't say they are all powerful.

 

[MikeDigs]

No I am not happy with it.

1. I'd rather not have the tool sets divided
2. Unless the divided tool sets include enough additional features to balance it, which they currently don't.

Was a valiant first attempt at it, and I see potential. Perhaps the variations need more thought put into them.

 

[Youphemism]

I said they can all be used.
I didn't say they are all powerful.

That's the vaguest statement you could make though, you can use every variation in the game... It's not like they're locked away.