The Zoning Academy (Mortal Kombat X Edition)

[ShaolinGunFu]

Dont bother running away, im already behind you

 

[ShaolinGunFu]

I wish there was a run away button instead of backdashing

 

[Groove Heaven]

If Cassie's instant-airs are good, I will probably be doing that

 

[MrProfDrPepper]

i am not particularly a zoner but im not rushdown, im a mix of everything i guess since i dont like to limit myself to one playstyle, i do not fit here, but i respect this academy and i will certainly learn from it, just indirectly. learning how to zone and take down zoners.

 

[Barrogh]

I will make it my mission to frustrate, discourage, and defeat this organization until my dying breath

Who's with me!?

I think this organization will appreciate your contribution to it via supplying invaluable MU experience and reason to uphold fighting spirit. In fact, I think they should enlist you right now for that reason

I wish there was a run away button instead of backdashing

I wish there was a run button instead of flip stance button, but eh.

 

[pherleece]

i would like to sign up for the zoning academy newsletter please

 

[ShaolinGunFu]

I wish there was a run button instead of flip stance button, but eh.

if sticks had more buttons, we could have R3 and L3 have functions too, shit itd be even cooler if the two joysticks had functions like if L could be used to aim exactly where you want the angle of a projectile to go, so its not cookie cutter angles that are just rotated in braindead algorithms

 

[sub_on_dubs]

I used to zone people with Cage in Mk 9 ranked. Accept me.

 

[M2Dave]

I used to zone people with Cage in Mk 9 ranked. Accept me.

Cage? No.

Anyway, my zoning brothers and sisters, based on tonight's exhibition matches, Mortal Kombat X seems to have no zoning whatsoever. In fact, Mortal Kombat X, to be officially referred to as "Run up and 50/50 Kombat", appears to be a game made for players who found Injustice's 50/50 mix ups too unsafe, strategically demanding, and execution heavy. Besides, Sonic Fox winning a tournament is usually not a very good sign for the fighting game's core mechanics. Regardless, some of the community's most successful fighting game players (i.e., 16 Bit, Cowboy, P2W, Pig of the Hut, Theo, Tom, etc.) are defensive and zoning minded players, so there may be some hope left.

 

[ShaolinGunFu]

Full Auto Jaq Briggs has insane long range options/proj absorb and is also good upclose if they do get in, just main her

 

[SaltShaker]

Cage? No.

Anyway, my zoning brothers and sisters, based on tonight's exhibition matches, Mortal Kombat X seems to have no zoning whatsoever. In fact, Mortal Kombat X, to be officially referred to as "Run up and 50/50 Kombat", appears to be a game made for players who found Injustice's 50/50 mix ups too unsafe, strategically demanding, and execution heavy. Besides, Sonic Fox winning a tournament is usually not a very good sign for the fighting game's core mechanics. Regardless, some of the community's most successful fighting game players (i.e., 16 Bit, Cowboy, P2W, Pig of the Hut, Theo, Tom, etc.) are defensive and zoning minded players, so there may be some hope left.

I have to agree with this.

As much as it was hype to finally see the game played at a higher level, it was also clear that this game will be incredibly aggressive and reward that type of play more than anything else. I expect the "it didn't come out yet comments", but I've owned and played the game for days already, and was hoping that this exhibition would relieve some of my concerns. Instead, it all but solidified them. Even if a zoner wins a match, it will always be an uphill battle in comparison to the opposite.

This will probably be the most rushdown oriented game yet. I'll have to see someone zone their way to a tourney final before I believe it's possible.

 

[MagicMan357]

Sign me up ive always been a heavy zoner

 

[BlackJackSnack]

I wonder whose projectile zoning is going to be the best? Does anyone have picks for who seems like a great projectile zoner?

 

[SaltShaker]

I wonder whose projectile zoning is going to be the best? Does anyone have picks for who seems like a great projectile zoner?

In this game? I'm going to go out on a limb and say projectile zoning is dead. Hoping for a DLC character to change this at best.

 

[BlackJackSnack]

In this game? I'm going to go out on a limb and say projectile zoning is dead. Hoping for a DLC character to change this at best.

Really?? I was really looking forward to someone stepping up and bringing it to mkx

 

[Vilén]

Sign me right the fuck up.

 

[SaltShaker]

Really?? I was really looking forward to someone stepping up and bringing it to mkx

So was I buddy, so was I...

 

[beep_ima_sheep]

I know I'm probably not the only one who had to change their damn Hero Card just so people would accept their challenges because they didn't even want to fight Slade. And then he comes out and they quit anyway ...

Hah, so true. ~just Deathstroke things~

 

[M2Dave]

I have to agree with this.

As much as it was hype to finally see the game played at a higher level, it was also clear that this game will be incredibly aggressive and reward that type of play more than anything else. I expect the "it didn't come out yet comments", but I've owned and played the game for days already, and was hoping that this exhibition would relieve some of my concerns. Instead, it all but solidified them. Even if a zoner wins a match, it will always be an uphill battle in comparison to the opposite.

This will probably be the most rushdown oriented game yet. I'll have to see someone zone their way to a tourney final before I believe it's possible.

I agree.

From what I have seen, Mortal Kombat X is similar to Injustice except in the following ways.

1. You can run and apply 50/50 mix ups very quickly. (Why some 50/50 mix ups are safe is beyond my comprehension).
2. Defensive options have deteriorated.
3. Lack of "space control" characters like Aquaman, Sinestro, and Zod.

As a result, you have a fighting in which all players do is run and do 50/50 mix ups, which is how Sonic Fox won tonight.

I wonder whose projectile zoning is going to be the best? Does anyone have picks for who seems like a great projectile zoner?

Kano's Cybernetic variation lists the knife toss as having 11 frames of start up, -10 recovery frames on block (at point blank range), and +10 on hit (at point blank range). It also hits mid. EX version hits three times, starts up in 8 frames, and provides a +6 block advantage (at point blank range). In terms of frame data, the knife toss (in Cybernetic) has to be the best projectile in the game. It is kind of like a fear blast that hits mid.

Kenshi, Liu Kang, Quan Chi, and Shinnok have potential too, but I do not have access to the game yet, so I have not explored them.

 

[haketh]

In this game? I'm going to go out on a limb and say projectile zoning is dead. Hoping for a DLC character to change this at best.

It is literally not even Day One

 

[ghostwriteous]

Is it possible for the Mortal Kombat series to ever be a zoner dominant fighting game with projectiles not colliding?

 

[CrimsonShadow]

3. Lack of "space control" characters like Aquaman, Sinestro, and Zod.

So basically what you're saying is, you want some kind of construct that you can hold or put outside of your hurtbox, that's not punishable, and lets you keep people at a distance while you do chip and build trait/meter.

If Kenshi doesn't fit that definition, I don't know who does.

 

[ShaolinGunFu]

Most of the players from today were never zoners to begin with, some of the variations in mkx have zoning, its just not as braindead as injustice/some of mk9.

 

[SaltShaker]

It is literally not even Day One

It doesn't have to be Day One to see SF5 won't play like MvC.

No difference here. We'll be having this same discussion Day -3 or Day 300. Whether you like the direction MKX has taken is debatable, whether they have went in a direction is not.

 

[Shark Tank]

Buff da projectiles.