KI is one of the best, if not the best fighting game ever made, but what is with this horribly made Shadow Lords mode? Shadow Lords has become one of the most brainless and unthought modes in a fighting game that I’ve ever played. Who in the world thought that placing Input Reading A.I. in this mode was a good idea because it is mind numbingly frustrating and ridiculous, and what’s up with being punished for answering a question that really doesn’t have an actual wrong answer? I was asked a question I ended up getting poisoned and a Mimic Hisako appeared while going against Orchid and this was on Very Hard difficulty with me being only allowed to use just 1 character. Which is insane because the A.I. had increased damage buffs and increased defense buffs on top of the A.I. completely reading my button inputs countering everything I could possibly throw at it along with the Aria glitches that reverses your directional inputs. This mode is just broken from all angles and needs to be completely revamped, and don’t even get me started with the evil MicroTransactions after all the support/money some of us have been giving you all since Day 1. This is a slap in the face $39.99 Really???
While I disagree with your overall sentiment I do agree with the AI.
I was playing against an Aganos mimic with Glacius and he was reading my inputs like a champ, every time I did shatter without fail he jumped before I could even get the move out. It was insane.
I don’t understand how the AI (which has always been iffy) and a bug make Shadow Lords a “brainless and unthought” mode. Inconviniently-generated stages and ambiguous consequences from the choices you make are a staple of rogue-likes which is totally fine, plus it’s totally possible to mitigate the risks so you mostly get rewards.
SL is quite an interesting and innovative mode for a Fighter if you ask me. I’m not a fan of microtransactions either, but they’re not that bad here and it’s still fun and not too difficult to earn things normally.
Yeah, it feels really luck-based. I feel like I’m just as likely to get an opening out of a full-screen Wind Kick as a long mix-up that I work really hard for.
What?
You know in this game that is completely optional. You can get a significant amount of astral gems in SL for packs without spending a dime. Yes the game is a bit more grindy without dropping the cash, but in no way does anyone have to further pay out after they’ve purchased the full seasons.
And on top of that any money spent on colors/costumes is really pointless aside from the mimic skins as you have to grind through them to get to color 9 on each character. So yeah, microtransactions there, but completely unnecessary. Hell, I’ve been in the game since S1 and I think I’ve only spent maybe $10 on microtransactions, and that was just for double xp bonuses.
What I’m saying is that this modes A.I. feels as though it was purposely made broken to push some into buying the MicroTransactions, in which some people actually did buy them to beat Gargos for the Astral Plane stage.
Have you even looked at the artifacts, consumables and guardians you can equip? You can become more broken the AI if you wanted to.
Well honestly, that’s on them. I’ve played the game several times through and have amassed enough astral gems to get tons of packs already, probably all total close to 60, 000 gems, and I’ve only played through it a handful of times so far, and got about 5 or 6 killer guardians. Yeah, the AI has issues, but aside from boss Gargos’s new tricks the AI hasn’t changed from pre-SL KI. They didn’t break the AI, they just didn’t fix the quirks it already had.
So yeah, the whole “they intentionally broke the AI to make more money” is a matter of corelation doesn’t equal causation.
It’s fine, they just need to the shadows from shadow lab instead of regualre AI’s. Those are great!
The very nature of KI’s combo system simply does not work with AI’s. The only way to handle it is to have the AI break at random intervals, otherwise it would be abuseable. Same goes for blocking and throw techs in all fighting game AI’s but KI’s combo system just makes it more apparent.
Having a massive pool of AI’s each with unique patterns just fixes that. it’s a resource no other fighter has and it’s just sitting there. I suppose because it would be VERY hard to rate the dificulty and make sure you aren’t fighting weak faulty AI’s (like my Fulgore shadow that wont stop jumping back) on hard mode and very strong AI’s on easy mode. Still adding a totally random “shadow difficulty” would be more fun for some people who can’t stand fighting AI’s.
you might want to add how free they are, he probably thinks all the items have to be bought or something
Since when doesn’t fighting game A.I. exhibit this behavior? This part has me unsure as to whether or not the rest of the post is trolling or serious.
This is another “not sure if trolling…” phrase. Are you unfamiliar with rogue-likes and text-based RPG’s? There is always a wrong answer, and it is often contextually based on the character to whom the question is presented - the right answer for one may not be the right answer for another.
Again, unsure if troll or just had zero idea of what to expect before loading the mode. If the 3.4 update was the first time you’d heard of SL, and hadn’t read anything about it before playing, I guess okay, but I’m pretty sure there are in-game prompts and a tutorial that let you know what’s up.
This is a very unfortunate bug that affects more than just ARIA and we all sincerely hope gets fixed very very soon, because it’s bunk. In this, you have a point. It is, however, unrelated to SL (which makes it worse).
Totally optional, and totally unnecessary. You are choosing to overreact to a percieved wrong-doing, where there is no wrong-doing. There is no evil or foul play at hand. And, at $40, it is cheaper than it’s competition, with the added benefit of NOT installing a bloody rootkit onto your PC, which is a pretty sick deal from what I understand.
(you haven’t, but the bold part is just in case you wanted to compare it to SFV in some way, as is common practice 'round these parts).
My $.02, anyway. Cheers!
Indeed. They’re so free it’s like they’re practically giving them away.
*some assembly may be required
I’ve literally spent ZERO money and ZERO of the KI gold that was giving with season 3 ultra edition. Yes, there’s micro transactions, but they’re not that bad, you can play and win without them.
■■■■ you go cheap. You should pay more.
Yeah, that saying really hasn’t stayed caught up with inflation. It’d probably be more like $.50 by now.
FTFY, buddy-pal-friend-guy. 
Conversely, by your analogy, if I were to pay more, certainly nobody would read it. I’m sure more than half of my $.02 replies go unread by their OP’s as it is. Compulsively long-winded, I am.
Ain’t that the truth. Closer to $1.50 on the coasts, I’d bet.
Even with buffs the AI can be overwhelming, there’s no consumable to give you clairvoyance to read your opponent’s inputs. 
And this is why I work for UT. I get good pay, good benefits. Can’t go wrong. I’m actually worth something there. 
Good morning @FengShuiEnergy this is the Ultratech inspection service to check everything is to your liking.
We hope you have been enjoying our complimentary female robot companion/massage chair.
Lets say thanks now to our fearless leader, will you join me in the prayer…
Aria guide us. Aria teach us. Aria protect us. In your light we thrive. In your mercy we are sheltered. In your wisdom we are humbled. We live only to serve. Our lives are yours.
Thank you for your compliance, have a nice day!
Whoa whoa now hold on. I’m all for working for UT. But I don’t do prayers. I’m not the religious type. Just call me a loyal employee is all.