Mortal Kombat 11

Agree 100%. I get that they always want to have some new “thing” in their games that spices up the combat, but for some characters, the changes between variations were pretty weak (stares daggers at Reptile) or there were cool things in each individual variation that, when combined, would’ve made a really fun character, but separated out, weren’t quite as fun.

Then, of course, trying to remember what each variation for each character is capable of when playing against them felt like a logistical nightmare. You go in to the match trying to remember… “Okay, Voodoo Pigeon Mileena… She has this move and this move that carry across variations, but then she can also do this, this and… Aww butt poops, she’s already peckin mah face off.”

The whole variation system honestly just left me wanting a character that could either do all the stuff from all variations or, assuming that’d be horribly unbalanced, or simply had a full assortment of moves, skills, stances, etc that were balanced against the rest of the cast.

I mean, if they HAD to bring this back, then I’d say limit it to two variations, but have NONE of the special moves overlap. Two is at least easier to keep track of as opposed to three, and with no overlap, it’s a bit easier to remember which version has which moves. Not a lot easier, but a little. Over time it wouldn’t be nearly as annoying.

If they’re going to do different stuff with the gameplay, I’d suggest:

  • Drop variations from 3 to 2
  • Bring back stage transitions, but have them feel more organic
  • Give every character a reversal or a parry
  • Change meter from 3 bars to 4
  • Allow players to reverse combos into combos of their own using two bars of meter
  • Allow players to escape combos using one bar of meter, but make the animation more fluid looking
  • For the love of all things, take out the weird directional presses like (d, b, f) for things like throws and what not. Just make them d/f throw button or t,t throw button. Also, give grapplers more combo throws.
  • In addition to (shorter) X-Ray moves that still use 3 bars, give each character a small super (2 bars) and a full super (4 bars) and have them be more flashy.
  • Support bar / support moves: Upon selecting a character or a beast before the match, you can call them in during the match, using one bar makes them drop in and use a special move, like a fireball or some rough equivalent, two bars brings them in to absorb damage you’re taking (even during a combo) for a brief period of time, three bars is a short combination attack that does medium damage if it lands and four bars is a combo super move.

Obviously, I’m not saying that every one of these should be enacted. But I do think that it should be easier for characters to play defense in MK games. I also think that meter could be used for more, and while support moves and supers and what not aren’t necessarily new ideas, I think they’d just give people more to look at, but they could also have certain properties that might lend themselves to being more useful in certain situations.

I know, these ideas aren’t overly well thought out, but again, I’m just trying to throw some ideas in there that could make the next MK feel different, since they seem to want that in each game. I’d also add loosening up the timing a little bit, perhaps making cross ups a bit easier and smoothing out certain animations that seem to come and go a bit too quickly as well. But that’s just me.

I just hope they don’t try to bring over Injustice 2’s gear system. It sucked, and i’d Rather they leave it dead and barried

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Yeah I definitely don’t want that in MK. I’m also curious to see if WB is going to look at what happened with EA and Battlefront 2 and think “maybe we don’t want loot boxes and gross over-monetization in all of our games.” I mean, I’m sure they’ll find a way to get paid, but I’d like it to at least be fun for the players. Maybe others enjoyed the gear system, but I personally didn’t. I honestly hated the idea of outfits / looks you put your characters in giving you more moves and more armor and what not. It’s not a bad idea in theory, I just don’t think it was nearly the draw (for me) as it could’ve been.

That said, I do like the idea of giving characters more outfit options, color options, etc. I’m sure they’ll find a way to put some sort of kurrency in the game and if that’s the case, then fine, let me play matches, earn that, and buy outfits for a REASONABLE price. No SFV garbage where you might as well go ahead and pay real money.

As for real money, I’m hoping they’ll just keep that limited to purchasing characters and stages. I know they won’t do it and maybe they’d catch hell for it, but I’d also pay real money for additional story chapters depending on how long they are. Maybe as DLC characters enter the fray, there can even be a sort of story epilogue that both sets up the next game and also gives the newbies something to do.

Which MKX characters should return? And if you reduced variations from 3 to 2 which to remove?

And I would picture Sonya turned into a revenant. I can see her in her MK1 & MK3 outfit (the one with the headband)

I certainty want Reptile to be in every game they make.

Also to any Mileena fans concerned watch this vid

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I wouldn’t mind a modified version, say a krypt item that gives you 1/9 gear pieces to choose from ONLY two alternate outfits, not 1,000 gear pieces

edit: I also think a couple different heads rather than 50 outfits make a huge difference, as in the sub zero alternates in mkx

Characters that seem like a must from a plotline standpoint: Kotal Khan and Cassie Cage

Secondary characters that should return: Erron Black, Jacqui Briggs, Takeda, Kung Jin

Characters that don’t have much to do plotwise but could return: D’Vorah (now that Quan Chi is dead)

Who probably won’t return: Ferra Torr

To be clear… I like all of these character designs. I’d be happy with any of them returning, but obviously there have to be some cuts here and there to make room for new and returning characters. At this point, I think it’d be weird to remove any of the kombat kids, given how odd it’d be to try and explain their absence or change to NPC, unless you’re just going to kill one or two of them off-screen, which to me seems like kind of a crappy way to treat brand new characters.

But even then, I think people were kinda lukewarm on Kung Jin (though why I don’t know, I thought he was a really fun character to use), so if any of them get cut, I’d say him first, then Jacqui, then Takeda, with Cassie seeming like the least likely to get left off the roster.

Ferra Torr’s a fun idea / reference with some interesting moves, but there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot to their story, so they just feel like either a one off character, or perhaps one that might return in a new form in the next few games, but probably not this one.

I could see them leaving out Erron Black or D’Vorah given that neither are super integral to the plot, especially with D’Vorah’s real master getting killed in MKX. But would they really let these awesome character designs sit out the very next game they appear in? I’m thinking no.

So yeah, my guess is if it’s one character, it’s Ferra Torr, after that they start picking off the kombat kids, but I think they stop with Kung Jin. Maaaaaybe Jacqui. Probably not though. After that, I have a really hard time thinking they’ll leave anyone else out.

I don’t think it’s a matter of choosing one of the already existing three to remove. I’d personally want them to do away with all of the current variations and rebuild two new ones for each character from scratch, and have each of those two variations play completely different, as opposed to adding a few special moves here and removing a few there.

Even then, for me, it feels like a compromise. I’d really rather they do away with variations all together, but if they have to keep them, this is how I’d want them brought back.

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I just love these videos. Same goes for the “leak” videos. I dunno, I’m just in a place where I love seeing stuff about a Mortal Kombat sequel. All (or most) possibilities are still on the table for who could return and what the story might be, and while nothing’s set in stone, it certainly feels like we’re only a few months away from that first teaser video and possible E3 reveal. Can’t wait!

Not just the new characters of MKX, but the original ones too. Even Tremor.

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I have confidence that they can make Jade and Noob Saibot return for MK11

I’m not sure what you mean. Could you elaborate?

Returning characters man! Returning characters.

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Gotcha.

99% Likely to return: Kotal Khan, Cassie Cage, Sub Zero, Scorpion, Liu Kang, Kitana, Raiden,

75% Likely to return:: Erron Black, Jacqui Briggs, Takeda, Kung Jin, Bo Rai Cho, Ermac

50% Likely to return: D’Vorah, Tanya, Johnny Cage, Sonya, Reptile, Kano, Kenshi, Kung Lao, Jax

<5% Likely to return: Ferra Torr, Tremor, Mileena, Goro, Quan Chi, Shinnok

Obviously this isn’t overly specific. Technically, any character “could” return. Those are just the characters from MKX that are about 50/50 to me. Many of them could be left out from a plot standpoint, or reduced to NPC status, but that was the case in the last game as well. Kung Lao, for example, had absolutely nothing to do in the story, but he was still there. Other characters, like Ermac, Jax, Reptile, etc are great support characters, but again, that kinda puts them in a 50/50 position because they could just as easily be replaced by other support characters or brand new ones.

So if I had to actually guess at what I think the roster will be, I’d say:

Kotal Khan
Cassie Cage
Scorpion
Sub Zero
Raiden
Liu Kang
Kitana
Erron Black
Jacqui Briggs
Takeda
Ermac
D’Vorah
Kano
Reptile
Kung Lao
Shang Tsung
Fujin
Sareena
Noob
Jade
Daegon
Onaga (pre-order bonus)

I think we’ll have six new characters at launch, including Kano’s son, the woman from Jade’s MK9 ending, a new monster sub boss that’s playable, a new main villain that’s playable and then two others that are complete wild cards; like a new support character for Kotal or Liu Kang or the new villain, perhaps either a new race or a new character in an existing race, like a new tarkatan or shokan. Bringing the total to 28 characters at launch.

I personally think Reptile has a high chance of returning being a fan-favorite and all.

He’s definitely a fan favorite, but even those characters take a game off every once in a while. I believe Sub Zero is the only character that’s never missed a game. I probably have him too low though in the 50% group. It’s hard to say.

What I would wish for at one or a few characters who are acolytes of the One Being.

I just hope for Kano’s son to be really rumored to be a member of the Red Dragon. Give him a machete and different types of weaponry.

A Romeo & Juliet type story could fit in MK somehow.

Plus for new characters:

  • New Kytinn (a male one based on a spider)
  • New Tarkatan (but with new abilities: shoot bone-like spikes like Marvel’s Marrow & Spyke)

Reptile took a game off with MK vs DC and MK Deception as it is.

Also I don’t think you can get Sub-Zero out. He and Scorpion are practically a Yin and Yang at this point. Scorpion without Sub-Zero is like Goku without Vegeta.

Yeah, but that was because Onaga took over his body.
In the new timeline, at least according to the comics, it is heavily hinted that Goro will be the new body for Onaga. So Reptile definitely has a chance. ^^

Honestly I didn’t care much for the deadly Allience-Armmaggeddon characters, but I Onaga was one f the exceptions and not just because Reptile became Onaga, but I did like his design.

Whats funny is I had a dream once where Reptile and Onaga Foought and that came true in MK armaggeddon.

I wonder what the interactions between Reptile and Onaga will be?