Top 5 things you dislike about MK11

[OPS_soldier]

So I'm going to start with a premise. I'm not the best player in the world. These are all my opinions after 2000 hours into the game. I began MK11 as my first attempt to be serious in a fg and streaming career and I want to say that when I started, all these lack of knowledge of these issues made me grind over hundreds of hours, but these are things that ultimately made me decide to hang it up (at least until a promising patch). After spending countless hours in the lab, I love what MK11 tried to be, but these things just CANNOT be ignored once you put so many hours into the game and want to improve. (These are not in order)

1. Fatal Blow.
The amount of games ive lost because I finally pick up momentum, and the player is playing Jacqui or I respect their wakeup too much causes me to die to Fatal Blow after once slight mistake that grants them a hit confirm. In previous MK games, when you got hit for death, you were given an out in breaker. In this game, many times youll have the health lead, get them to FB territory, and theyll kill you for getting the lifelead. It encourages you to go for the kill, and really makes you hate yourself when you get them to chip territory. Theres been times where i purposefully get people off fatal round 1, and possibly lose round 1, JUST BECAUSE I dont want to be cheesed out by a Fatal Blow by the end of the game. Im looking at you Erron and Kabal. THATs how much i hate this free mechanic.

2 Breakaway Punishes.
I tried as hard as I could to get around breakaway, Ive ultimately determined its just a horrible mechanic overall. The top tier characters dont have to worry about breakaway at all. Jacqui, Cetrion and Geras have crazy unbreakable damage. But then you have MILEENA, who gets NO damage at all from breakaway. Some people will tell you that you get oki. But who cares? they can choose their break points. Oki has been established by many characters that you can break at the right point and make the person who comboed you minus, and that's the dumbest thing ever. This is rarely talked about too, but whats up with breakaway punishes always punishing anti airs? If you AA with some characters, theres a specific break point that someone can choose to punish you. So you have to modify your anti air. The reason why this is SO FRUSTRATING for me is because its a scrub teacher. Ive played people new to fgs that know how to breakaway punish but not how to block on wakeup, or play a grounded game. What is NRS teaching players?

3. Lack of good AA/ Jump ins carrying the game and players to neutralless wins.
This. Is one of the biggest problems in the game. This game imo has taught new players that jumping is okay to start offense at all times. Some players want jump ins to come back as a mixup along with hard to anti air jump kicks. The reason why this is, is simply because they dont want to to play neutral lol. Neutral requires you to respect your opponent will anti air, and jumping all the time is something that has just been convinced as acceptable in MK11. (This does not mean I want mix ups like jump in dive kick, jump in teleport, jump in projectile or jump in float to go away. Those have been around forever and they should be here to stay as they are heavy punishable on a read. The jump ins themselves should not be a mixup as that adds almost 3-4 total options along with the jump in specials. Although I think diagonal projectiles should be looked into and possibly made less safe. jump in specials should either be unsafe or safe via a bar of burned meter as they are very strong and defy neutral)

4. D2 KB
I simply hate d2 kbed because i think that d2 kbs make throws no only not worth it but highly risky. That along with all the osing, D2 kbs become the most powerful kbs in the game, NOT to MENTION ITS UNIVERSAL. But every time i get d2 kbed i just dont feel like it was a read. People already mash when they are slightly minus in this game, and fishing for d2 kbs reward them for it. I just feel like a lot of players would be getting hit by highs and throws more once the next installment removes D2 kbs.

5. The amped punish guessing game
This is something that isnt talked about much actually. And I dont know why. It was mentioned when Scorpion had the mid teleport. But I kinda get tired of neutral defying moves like Jades nitrokick or Kitanas low fan ex hitting me because i read the regular one. Or I miss my punish because they do the regular one when i expected the amp. Its just a little thing I'm not a big fan of because it adds to that "slippery" mindset in this game that we see in the wakeup system where you have so many options as the peson just doing shit, that you dont have to commit and you can kinda slip your way out.

Honorable mentions: Oki, lack of "fair" defensive armor in a offense filled game, Jacqui Briggs existing, Cetrion existing, flawless block on hit, neutral defying moves that are safe/have a guessing game, regenerating meter carrying players that dont meter manage, easy kbs a five year old could do.
Oki/the wakeup system is another BIG one but I'm at 5 and i just back away at this point so ill talk about it some other time. Same with meter


I want to end this with: players, if you like the game, like the game. These are all my opinions and I'm not the best player in the world but these did lead to me moving on.

 

[MURK]

1. Flawless block on hit stun

2. Throw kbs- throws are already a 50/50 so imo I shouldn't be eating 30 percent just for guessing the wrong throw direction. Scrubby and mad corny

3. The many wake up options

4. The character designs created from customs. Imo each character should be it's own archetype so example, if you play a command grab character, make his moves revolve around just that. Same goes for rushdown, keepaway, etc. I hate seeing a character like liu (my main) have a teleport and command grab. I want mkx/mk9 liu design. I hate seeing kano have plus frames along with 50/50s and a command grab...just examples.

5. Lack of ice clone

 

[Juxtapose]

In previous MK games, when you got hit for death, you were given an out in breaker.

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding what you mean here, but the Fatal Blow is comparable to X-Ray's from the previous two games, and X-Ray's were unbreakable. Hit confirming into X-Ray was a safe way to close out a match.

The difference isn't the move, it's that in the previous games, X-Ray's were tied to your Super Metre, and most players were using/managing their Super Metre primarily for EX Special Moves or Breakers and while it happened, it certainly wasn't every match that you had full Super Metre to close out a match safely with an X-Ray.

 

[Zer0_h0ur]

Fatal blow
Discrepancy in viable KBs
Discrepancy in viability of base kit moves
Want a larger throw tech window
Throws don't eat pokes

 

[OPS_soldier]

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding what you mean here, but the Fatal Blow is comparable to X-Ray's from the previous two games, and X-Ray's were unbreakable. Hit confirming into X-Ray was a safe way to close out a match.

The difference isn't the move, it's that in the previous games, X-Ray's were tied to your Super Metre, and most players were using/managing their Super Metre primarily for EX Special Moves or Breakers and while it happened, it certainly wasn't every match that you had full Super Metre to close out a match safely with an X-Ray.

The thing is, altough i agree with you, I feel like your point is nuanced. It still puts you in the same situation as I mentioned above. My point isnt that fatal blow is unbreakable. My point is it rewards you for doing nothing in the game and forces playing around it for someone losing. Xray, does not. In MKX and MK9, people werent supering you for game because they couldnt if they were smart and used it to save them from dying, and allowing them to take more risks (breaker). Fatal is just given to you for being bad. Xray or three bars of meter, is not. That was the point I was making. No one is going to try to get you off X ray. They are trying to get you off meter(breaker), which in turn gets you off xray.

 

[Juxtapose]

The thing is, altough i agree with you, I feel like your point is nuanced. It still puts you in the same situation as I mentioned above. My point isnt that fatal blow is unbreakable. My point is it rewards you for doing nothing in the game and forces playing around it for someone losing. Xray, does not. In MKX and MK9, people werent supering you for game because they couldnt if they were smart and used it to save them from dying, and allowing them to take more risks (breaker). Fatal is just given to you for being bad. Xray or three bars of meter, is not. That was the point I was making. No one is going to try to get you off X ray. They are trying to get you off meter(breaker), which in turn gets you off xray.

Fair enough. What they did in Mortal Kombat 11 was to make Fatal Blows actually useful though, and they set them up as a comeback mechanic. X-Ray attacks were rare, since Super Metre was often better used elsewhere, like on enhanced Special Moves, as you could kombo for higher damage than an X-Ray could do in those games.

I personally don't have an issue with Fatal Blows, however I know a lot of people do, and the common thing I see people say is they should be a one-shot. You use it, hit, whiff, or block, and that's it, it's gone. I don't understand that as that will return it to a poor move.

Everyone always says X-Ray attacks were fine because they were tied to your Super Metre, so if Fatal Blows are adjusted, why not make it so they're also dependant on Guage? You reach 33% health and you can use your Fatal Blow provided you have, say both bars of Defensive Gauge, or perhaps one of both Defensive and Offensive? You whiff or it's blocked, it doesn't go on cooldown, but rather you need to appropriate amount of Gauge to use it again.

 

[Lex Luthor II]

1. Fatal Blow.
The amount of games ive lost because I finally pick up momentum, and the player is playing Jacqui or I respect their wakeup too much causes me to die to Fatal Blow after once slight mistake that grants them a hit confirm. In previous MK games, when you got hit for death, you were given an out in breaker. In this game, many times youll have the health lead, get them to FB territory, and theyll kill you for getting the lifelead. It encourages you to go for the kill, and really makes you hate yourself when you get them to chip territory. Theres been times where i purposefully get people off fatal round 1, and possibly lose round 1, JUST BECAUSE I dont want to be cheesed out by a Fatal Blow by the end of the game. Im looking at you Erron and Kabal. THATs how much i hate this free mechanic.

As a Kabal main, I agree. I feel dirty every time I cheese someone out with a FB to end the round. I just back up, wait for them to jump or push a button then from full screen I use my Superman Super Kabal Fatal blow and BAM free win.

 

[Ramichaura1]

5x the fact the Jacqui is not nerfed

 

[OPS_soldier]

As a Kabal main, I agree. I feel dirty every time I cheese someone out with a FB to end the round. I just back up, wait for them to jump or push a button then from full screen I use my Superman Super Kabal Fatal blow and BAM free win.

I like how you mention that as I am known as a Kitana player. So many times people think I'm asking for changes through a Kitana players eyes (ive vocally advocated upping the standing defense in the game, checking fullscreen pressure like Jacqui.) But the truth is, ive tried to be as unbiased as possible. Having also mained Kabal and Frost and I can say that Fatal blows are just unfair for certain char regardless of who my main was.

I like that as a Kabal main you understand why it feels unfair. Please though still use it as the game has given you the ability to do so lol, but I really respect the self awareness. Because that what this community needs more of imo. A lot of people seem biased to me and it really hinders the ability to get the game improved over time.

Everyone always says X-Ray attacks were fine because they were tied to your Super Metre, so if Fatal Blows are adjusted, why not make it so they're also dependant on Guage? You reach 33% health and you can use your Fatal Blow provided you have, say both bars of Defensive Gauge, or perhaps one of both Defensive and Offensive? You whiff or it's blocked, it doesn't go on cooldown, but rather you need to appropriate amount of Gauge to use it again.

I don't mind Fatal Blows being around if they are tied to a resource. Right now, the problem is its a free very powerful damaging move, that you cannot prepare for, that has armor.
One of my biggest complaints of the "easymode" that was given to new players is that it seems like many of them pick characters that allow you to just throw out amp special moves and not give a damn (Kabal, Kitana, Jade, Sub Zero, Noob to an extent.) And they stray away from the meter managing characters (Scorpion, Mileena, Frost) notice how the meter hungry char are generally more bottom tier? Theres a reason for that.

Original meter build required managed meter except for zoners which made that a problem too. So they either need to slow down the meter build or change how fast some people build meter. Or even, they could make it to where projectiles dont build meter since I'm already being rewarded by getting space as a zoner. Then fatal could be tied to meter. The possibilities are endless.

 

[lordlosh]

1 - FB - why anyone actually think it's a good idea to reward you for getting your *** kicked? It's also lowering the skill ceiling, which by itself is a bad move. They need to completely be gone in MK12.
Also me being at 40% hp, and he being at less than 30% means he had a great advantage over me, which is a complete joke.
2 - Ultimate, not a fan of it. I think the damage and the game was way better before the custom.
3 - Liu Kang - while i like that we have all kind of different style and characters, this one in particular is all in one. He is the best anti-zoner, the best anti-air, top 2 best zoning ING, top 3 pressure character ING, Absolutely best KB ING, and also have top 3 FB ING, as well as having HIGH regular damage outside of his KB. And the other thing that i hate about him, is he is all safe, all the time, stealing and stealing, and he is The best character from day 1, till this day.
4 - their balancing way. Garbage. Look above. Cassie was perfectly fine, she was strong but fair, but they decide to totally kill her early, because the best player in NRS history was owning with it, yeah this is a good way to balancing stuff - garbage. Yet character like Liu Kang, who completely owning her, because of his broken asf Flying Dragon Kick, and low Fireball, and insane FB(at that time) and KB, get a nerf way later in terms of 9mid frame to 11 mid frame, from a broken, to still one of the best MID in the game, if that is not a joke i don't know what is it. They totally kill some character, and let other completely OP for so so long. And they never ever really fix the main problem with certain character, like Liu multiple super easy to get and viable KBs, as well as his counter all Flying Dragon Kick, and his low Fireball, and all of his Fireball AMP.
5 - Throws - i think 12% damage was good for throws, and should be a normal thing in every game. KBs throws is a garbage and need to go. Maybe reward the player that guess right on teching a throw a bit more.
6 - KBs - they are good addition, but requirement between the cast should be way better. Some have very easy to get KBs, and are already super strong, like Kang, and some like Johnny have none viable.

 

[Komatose]

1: Walk speed/no dash cancels

2: Stale combos/unappealing combos. Also very short, mostly.

3: Brutality combo potential is absolute dog ish. A lot of brutalities you can’t even do in a combo which I ask myself: what’s the point? In MKX at least you could restand with a MB throw to get a brutality if you had to, or just end the combo with a brutality. MK11 brutalities are just short and watered down fatalities in my opinion which is lame and lackluster, just like the combos... Remember in UMK3? When a brutality would be a million hit combo into the opponent exploding into pieces? I remember. Sounds awesome compared to “do this special to the opponent and their heart comes out and they fall down.” Like... That’s boring. UMK3 and MKX did it better...

4: Set meter. Trash idea is trash. No other competitive fighting game has a set meter... And they are arguably more popular... Go figure....

5: Guest characters continue... Instead of Terminator, could have had Reiko... Instead of Rambo, could have had Sareena... Can’t forget Joker... Could have had Li Mei....


The fact that characters literally no one asked for over fan favorites everyone has been wanting to see in an MK game since MK9 is an F U to the face of the REAL player base... Us...

Other than that, love the game. I just don’t take it seriously...