What approach should NRS take to balancing their next game?

[Kiss the Missile]

They played it way too safe with MK11. Even when they did try to make big waves, it ended up being so restricted. I was so happy to see them add Armor Breakers during that Kombat Kast, only to then find out that my main didn't fucking get one. They added a new universal mechanic that some characters missed out on. Then we get custom variations, but half of the moves are either banned or useless.

I think its like dude above said, its too hard to balance a game when it barely has a lifecycle. By the time the second Mortal Kombat patch comes out, they're trying to figure out how to balance the next Injustice game.

 

[BSJeebus]

I was trying to find something insightful to write, but, fuck it. Just make the next game MvC2 levels of broken and let everyone go hog wild.

 

[Swindle]

Cool, good talk.

Same, bro.
Saaaaaaame.

 

[Wigy]

If they wanna do lots of little patches and see how it plays out im fine with that but its really shit having patches once every 6 months that do barely anything.

Theres 0 excuse for not fixing bad hitboxes. This was sheer laziness.

Its a balancing act- cant go too slow and end up with festering boredom and same characters dominating for the whole game like mk11. Mkx had its litany of stupidity but id rather that as if its shit its at least changing so keeps you engaged.

Lots of little patches are difficult to clear through than infequent big ones on the development side from what i've seen.

I predict next mk game will be patched slightly better but still breadcrumbs

TL/DR- id rather daft yolo patching that the sahara desert of patching that was mk11

 

[Eddy Wang]

Balance is an illusion, games will never be balance, the goal should be designing the game to be fun, not frustrating and boring.

Everytime a new MK game comes out, it only feels fresh on the surface, but they seem to be running out of ideas.

 

[Swindle]

Balance is an illusion, games will never be balance, the goal should be designing the game to be fun, not frustrating and boring.

Everytime a new MK game comes out, it only feels fresh on the surface, but they seem to be running out of ideas.

See, Mr. Wang gets it.
Don’t know what’s up with the rest of you r*tards…

 

[Arqwart]

See, Mr. Wang gets it.
Don’t know what’s up with the rest of you r*tards…

My main concern of waiting an entire year for Patch 1 is that some things are just so blatantly, obviously, egregiously overtuned that they need fixing quickly. See: release MKX Raiden and Quan Chi.

 

[Vhozite]

Balance is an illusion, games will never

This isn’t incorrect, but it also isn’t really a helpful statement. It’s like saying car engines can never be 100% fuel efficient so manufacturers shouldn’t bother trying to make vehicles with better gas mileage. Perfect balance doesn’t need to be the goal to make a more balanced roster worth building. That said, as far as FGs go MK11 is pretty well balanced.

A much bigger issue in future games will be giving individual characters a defined niche that makes them unique and worth playing. I care much less about balance when various characters have different game plans or unique ways they go about their strategy. For example I feel like in MK11 like 80% of the roster is running the same stagger based offense and also a bunch of the special moves are extremely similar.

Like I’ve been playing Guilty Gear Strive and that game has much better character diversity despite having a roster less than half the size.

 

[Swindle]

My main concern of waiting an entire year for Patch 1 is that some things are just so blatantly, obviously, egregiously overtuned that they need fixing quickly. See: release MKX Raiden and Quan Chi.

Let.
It.
Rock.
Hudson.
Rock.
Yeah.