Chapter I: Gameplay

Don't you hate going into a chatroom, and having people say how much Tekken owns MK, and you can't say shit about it because it’s true? I remember the days of playing MK2 on the genesis in my uncle in law's basement with my cousin. Barely being able to freeze and smiling with joy when I swept somebody over and over for the win. Such are the things that have made me as well as many fans of MK, but it seems that that they've forgotten what makes a fighting game a "fighting game." Everyone's moved on....Tekken, Soul Calibur, DoA. But MK hasn't, and for MK7 to be a truly successful game, one of the things it needs most is legitimate gameplay. No, not recycling an already flawed engine, but throwing away the old and coming out with the new.

a. The Basics

1. Frames – I know you guys are sick of hearing about this, but I don’t know if people really understand how important this is. Frame Advantage is lacking in MK. Frame Disadvantage is basically recovery time. For example, if a move is -13 on block, any move that is 1-13 frames will hit the opponent and there’s nothing you can do about it. Frame Advantage is the opposite. When someone says a move is “safeâ€?, it is normally because it has very little frame disadvantage(-1 or -2) or it has frame advantage. Frame advantage is the amount of advantage you have when a move is blocked or hits. Let’s say Sub-Zero’s shotokan 1 attack is +2 on block and is 8 frames while Scorpion’s 2 in Hapkido is 8 frames. If Sub-Zero does another 1 and Scorpion goes for Hapkido: 2 Sub-Zero will beat him out every time since Sub-Zero has +2 frame advantage. Hard concept to understand, but frame advantage will add depth to the system and balance as well and is a necessity in this day and age of fighting games.

2. Strings Rather Than Combos – Combos is when the first hit connects in a series of moves the rest of the moves is guaranteed to hit. Big time combos are something that, for the most part, only happens on a counter hit. Small combos are a big thing in fighters, but no combo should gives you 50% damage on hit. That is ludicrous. Strings are used either to keep pressure, force the opponent to change the way they are blocking to avoid lows/mids or both. They are never guaranteed on hit outside of the first hit and maybe the second hit. This will help balance the game since a character won’t lose 50% of their health off of a simple poke. However, where will the damage come from? Simple….

3. Counter Hit – Counter hitting is when you hit someone and they hit you at the same time, but because of speed, frame advantage or a combination of both, yours or the opponent’s attack wins out. If a move hits on counter it normally gets new properties. Let us look at Sub-Zero’s 1,2,b+2 combo in Shotokan. With frame advantage, CHing and a string system implemented this move would work completely different when compared to it’s MKDA/MKD counter part. Lets say I do 1 and it’s +3 and 8 frames like I said before. Now they try to interrupt with a slower move and you anticipate this and 1,2,b+2. The 1 hit on counter hit, so the 2,b+2 part will be guaranteed, launching them into the air and giving you the damage that you actually earned through mind games and timing. Normally if you do 1,2,b+2 and it’s not on CH the 1,2 might be guaranteed(just assuming) but the b+2(the meaty part of the combo since it pops them into the air for more damage) should not be under any circumstance EXCEPT counter hit or wall stun(more on that later).

4. Throws – First I would just like to say thanks big time to Midway for making throws unblockable. It needed to be done. However, now each character needs to have multiple throws, and most importantly, throws need to be ESCPAPEABLE. Escapeable throws will rid this game of the many infinite it has. For most fighters the basic thing is that if the character throws with their right arm then the throw is escaped by pressing triangle(2) and if they throw with their left arm the escape is square(1). However, both arms is escaped by pressing 1 and 2 at the same time. Now, you can forget the whole “arm shows right escapeâ€? format and just make it a pure guessing game. Either way is fine, but obviously the arm system is better since it adds more skill and quick thinking to the table. Now, each character should have 2 basic throws and then more depending on their style of play. Obviously Jax should have more grapples and throws than Li Mei, and Sub-Zero and Scorpion’s throws should be more athletic and stylish than Kano or Drahmin’s. Another addition that I feel is just aching to be included is weapon throws. The advantage to weapon throws should be that it has a longer range as far as the initial throw itself goes. They should also do much more damage and have a smaller escape window(escape window is the amount of frames you have to break out of the throw. The smaller the window of escape is the better the throw is normally). The weakness of weapon throws could be perhaps that everyone only has one weapon throw, meaning if you know the escape for it then it’s a matter of breaking out before the escape window is up and not a matter of frantically looking to see which arm they throw with.

5. Wake Up/Ground Game – If there is one thing that will help MK7 outside of frame advantage, this is it. Ground game would work especially well in MK7 because of the special moves, but anyway, basically Midway, characters need to be able to stay on the ground when they are knocked down. No automatically getting up. The ability to lay on the ground adds another layer of depth because now you have more control of your destiny. Vs Smoke if he knocked you down once the match was over(infinite), and the same thing with lots of other characters. The character on the ground can have different options once they hit the ground. They could tech roll(just like in MKDA/D) by tapping up,down,back,left, Quick Rise(was actually in MKD but was a glitch) would be hitting the ground and springing back up. The weakness to quick rise could be perhaps that you cannot block for 2 seconds after the quick rise. Another option would be low kick/mid kick to add a mix up to you getting up. Both should be -13 or more on block, making them fully punishable and risky. Another option could be that every character has a special way of getting up(not just for cosmetics mind you, but to actually help them strategically). For example, scorpion can be layed on the ground and quickly spear part of the ground and it clinches onto the tile and retracts him back, giving him space. Johnny Cage could kick the opponent in the groin and on hit it could give him +5 frame advantage, more than enough for him to safely get up. The necessity for options would obviously to allow the character to stay on the ground. This gets rid of infinites that only work because they are forced to rise up, which is most of the infinites in MKD, anyway. Of course, they can’t lie on the ground forever since characters should be well supplied with moves that hit grounded opponents. For example, Scorpion’s Hapkido sweeps could all hit grounded opponents, as could Sub-Zero’s Kori Blade sweep from Deadly Alliance. Not to mention specials. Sub-Zero ground ice AND slide, Scorpion’s hellfire, Jax’s ground pound and Mileena’s roll could ALL hit grounded opponent who are foolish to stay on the ground for too long. This HAS to happen. There’s no reason it shouldn’t, and it has the potential to work beautifully in the MK realm due to the specials that other fighters lack.

6. Properties – Moves need properties in fighting games..simple as that. Too many moves in MKDA/D are run of the mill attacks that have very little distinction when compared to others. First off Midway, you guys should give each character plenty of moves that either go under high attacks or over low attacks. In case you don’t know, a high attack is a move that can be ducked, and a low attack is a move that you have to block low. Mids are the ones you cant duck. A perfect example of a move that should have properties is Quan Chi’s rising star attack from MKDA. That move SHOULD go under high attacks and mid attacks during it’s animation, causing a counter hit as well. Sub-Zero’s cold shoulder should go under attacks as he obviously crouches during the animation. Kano/Kira’s cannonball actually went over low attacks, but I’m sure that was a flaw in the design, but a good flaw nonetheless. You guys sort of already have move properties, but it just needs to be more of an official gameplay element rather than something that just happens with some moves. And it should NOT just be for specials. The simplest of attacks can have evasive properties. For example, Shujinko’s u+4(up and circle) in Mantis should go over low attacks since both feet are off the ground when he does I t. Outside of evasive properties some moves should have invincibility properties. For example Sub-Zero’s Kori Blade: back and triangle(b+2) could be invincible to all mid attacks meaning if an opponent does a mid attack and you do b+2, the b+2 eliminates the mid animation. No move should be invincible to all moves unless it’s completely unsafe(big time frame disadvantage). For example, Mileena’s teleport kick could be invincible to all moves because its so unsafe if blocked that it automatically balances the move and prevents the game from becoming broken/unfair/unbalanced. Outside of evasive properties and invincible properties the game should also have properties such as auto stepping within the move animation. You already have this, kinda, with Sub-Zero’s b+4(back and circle) in Dragon stance and u+3(up and x) in Kobra’s first stance. They take a step to the side and avoid the attack completely. More moves should be like this. These side stepping attacks would be more effective if the universal tracking glitch(holding up while doing an attack to make it unsidesteppable) was removed from the game. Please address that. However, obviously to avoid making the game a complete side step frenzy, there needs to be plenty of moves that track(hit even if they side step). I believe most jabs and pokes should track, as should some other attacks. This eliminates constant side stepping due to the priority of the pokes and jabs. To counter making jabs too unfair(since they will have great frame advantage and track), you should make 90% of all jabs hit high so they can be ducked.

7. Walls – Walls need to be given back their properties from MKDA except that rolling out of the way needs to be more difficult to pull off. In MKD, walls have no properties outside of not giving the person against the wall any space if they are hit. This lead to infinites. For example, with Smoke if I do low punch, throw, low punch, throw against the wall the fight is over. You cannot get out of that. The d+1 causes a knock back stun, and since they cant be knocked back since they are against a wall, a free throw is guaranteed, and so is the d+1 after that. I believe walls should add +5 damage onto attacks, and cause them to kind of splat onto the wall like in MKDA. To escape the wall(animation could be they dodge out of the way or they grab the opponent and shove them), the player who is pinned would have to time pressing square and triangle at the same time to match the attack that is incoming(with some system leniency). I believe to make walls a more dominant part of the game character should have a wall push similar to Tekken 4’s. Pushing the opponent against the wall would work like a throw in that it’s escapeable and does very little damage but initiates body and wall contact.

8. Specials – I personally think you guys did a great job with specials for the most part, but a few simply are not fair. The tombstone drop for dairou is ridiculously powerful AND unblockable. That needs to be toned down or removed completely in the next game. The puke is also kind of crazy. I believe you should only be able to do it once per match. Otherwise, very good job on specials..keep up the good work, and just make sure that things are stable and fair. For example, if smoke can do his cloud up close how come Sub-Zero can’t do his ice clone up close? I don’t understand that. It looks as if you were trying to make Sub-Zero fair but totally forgot about making the cloud fair. Make both have the same weakness or make them both have the same strengths..that’s how I see it. Also, make sure specials have properties like I said in part 7.

9. Defensive Options(Reversals and Parries) – Breakers will not be a necessity anymore with a fixed system and strings, but parries and reversals are. I believe only some chars should have reversals(ninjas,sorcerers,special forces,etc). Reversals first and foremost should be punishable if they are fucked up and not timed right right. A reversal should be universal to highs and mids, but very few reversals should work for low attacks. That would be for characters who are true defensive specialists. Parries, however, I believe everyone should I have. A parry works like a reversal, but instead of automatically doing a move once you reverse them, you basically knock their hand/leg/whatever out of the way and you get frame advantange(different depending on the character your using, but anywhere from 13 frames to 20 frames). This breaks up offensive pressure, and balances the game for characters who don’t have as many effective offensive tools as others.

10. Delays/Cancels – Another thing that would add depth and balance to MK is delays and parries. Delays would be holding the button for a move so it comes out slower and with different properties. For example, raiden’s forward and square in MKD(f+1) when delayed could cause +10 frame advantage and guard crush. However, doing forward and square and hitting block right afterwards will make Raiden cancel his move into a block. This would bait out people who are trying to reverse and parry, leaving them open for attack.

11. Movement – First off, Midway, can we please have a forward dash? Come on! Anyway, I believe certain stances would have other movement options outside of the norm. For example, Kung Lao could have a movement called the Hover Step that can only be activated when he’s in his mantis stance. When he’s using the hover step his foot speed increasing and he goes under high attacks. He also automatically low parries any low attack. However the step is only a dash long(the time it takes for a full stash which I would assume would be about 1 second). However, he can cancel the step into any of his moves or into a block. Sub-Zero could have a movement called Dragon’s Rest which isn’t a movement at all, but rather Sub-Zero half way crouched with his palms outward. While in this movement Sub-Zero cannot move, but he auto reversals and mid(don’t have time to type out what the animation would look like, but something cool and dragon like), and a low parry that gives him +17. He can cancel any of his dragon techniques out of the Dragon’s Rest, but he cannot block(why would he need to? He reverses mids,parries lows and goes under high attacks). He can only stay in this for 2 second max, however, and he has -10 recover time if he is not attacked before fully recovering back to normal dragon stance. Giving the characters movement and mini stances help add depth and get rid of the genericness of characters.

b. Innovation

1. Interactivity – I like what you guys were doing with MKD. Keep it up guys. Make death traps less sensitive. I swear sometimes you can actually do a simple punch and they’re sent flying through one. Also, more flying through brick walls and shit. I just thought that shit was cool for MKD.

2. Weapon Selection – It would be pretty neat if every character had variations to their weapon. Nothing drastic, just different properties for each one. For example Sub-Zero could have 3 versions of Kori Blade. The regular version, Kori Scythe(faster with more ranger, but less power and you can’t throw while in this stance), Kori Extended Blade(much more range, more power, but Sub moves noticeably slower when compared to the other stances and he lacks his b+2 attack). Stuff like that would be really cool. Each char could have 3-5 weapon alternatives.



c. Themes

Just a few suggestions for characters………………

1. Scorpion – I think Scorpion has that “in your face ima fuck you upâ€? attitude, and it should be represented in his style of play. Not with brute force, but speed, precisions and balance on the offensive end. He should have solid pokes and throws and great move properties. His specials are fine the way they are, and the hell fire will automatically be toned down with wake up. His backflip kick could go over low attacks. Where Scorpion should lack, however, is on the defensive end. He should have a parry like every one else, but he should lack any defensive movement or anything like that. This is how I envision scorpion. Lots of cancels,delays and powerful throws. A monstrosity on the offensive end, and, well, a monstrosity(in a bad way) on the defensive end. He should also have some of the best, if not THE best, offensive movement options in the game. A super fast dash with properties(you decide Ed) and all that fancy shit.

2. Sub-Zero – He should be the opposite of Scorpion, just like he’s always been. Sub-Zero defeats his opponent my making them do things they want to do, through trickery and precision. He should have very strong throws to make them scared to block high, which would strengthen his mid game. He shouldn’t be as fast as Scorpion or have as raw as power, but he should have a superior counter hit game and equivlant speed. The clone obviously needs to make a return, but also the slide so that it goes under high attacks(move properties) and a new move..artic wind. It would work just like the hell fire, but instead of setting them ablaze, it freezes them. Instead of coming from the ground, Sub could look like he’s praising the skies(lift his hands up quickly and bring them down) and the opponent is showered with ice. With his Dragon’s Rest stance, Shotokan strength and raw Power of Kori Blade, Sub should be a difficult to learn, but EXTREMELY effective character in the right hands.

3. Liu Kang – He should be the epitome of basic.Well rounded on the defensive end and well rounded on the offensive end. Of course his trademark moves should return, but this time, how about some new moves? I’m sure you guys can think of something. He should do above average damage and should have above average reversals and a decent parry, but nothing super great. Obviously he should be one of the fastest characters in the game. I can only imagine how bad ass his throws will be. All Bruce Lee like..lol.

4. Johnny Cage – Johnny cage is where a lot of the innovation would come from. I believe at his core he should be a character of balance. Not quite as fast as Liu Kang, but stronger. I believe that his stances would come in a weird flavor, kinda like props. For example in his Karate stance he could have a movement called Self Confidence. When you activate it Cage gives out a random phrase “Is that it wimp?, My mom used to hit me harder!, C’mon baby ima movie star!(for girls)â€?, but more importantly he has a little hop in his step. When in this movement(faster, hops around like bruce lee) he auto parries all mids and does 5% more damage. However, the weakness would be he has to sacrifice 10% of his life each time he does it(and it only lasts 6 seconds). In Jeet Kune Do he could have a movement called The Cool Factor, in which he puts on his shades. When he has his shades on he takes less damage and some of his moves gain invincible properties. This is all a gimmick though, for like I said, at the core Cage is a standard character with damage strings, decent throws and above average defensive options.

5. Ermac – Ermac should similar to Sub-Zero in that he wins not with brute force, but with trickery and deception(no pun intended). His teleslam is perfect and should have no changes. I believe he needs more options out of his mystic float besides just two moves. He should be able to move for about 5 seconds, and he should have a throw out of it. I believe he needs more telekinetic abilities. To me it just doesn’t make sense that he’s Kenshi’s teacher, yet Kenshi has WAY more tele moves than he does. Beef him up more in that regard. His movement could be his mystic float but with more options. I believe a cool thing with Ermac would be that he could have a projectile reversal with his telekinetic powers. However, outside of specials and such ermac should have solid poking strikes and good defensive movement to set up for the teleslam.

d. Appearances

1. Characters – Essentials would be Sub-Zero, Scorpion,Raiden,etc. You know who the fans like, and if you don’t then you haven’t been paying enough attention guys. I’d also suggest putting more into your new characters. Darrius, Dairou and Kobra were all shitty additions. I really wish you guys would try harder in that regard. I’m sure fans would want to see some unexpected chars like Sektor and Rain as well.

2. Costumes – I think for the most part you did a good job on the costumes. I just think you should have a different format. One new costume, 1 alternate, 1 retro and 1 custom. The new costume and alternate could be like how it’s been since MK4, but the retro costume could be a throw back. Like for example, Noob Smoke’s costume could be Noob Saibot wearing his original Sub-Zero costume and Smoke in human form. Doesn’t really have to make sense story wise..just coolness factor. Cage could have his MK1 costume with the shorts and Reptile could have his MK4 alternate costume. Custom would be what we make them look like.

3. Arenas – I love the arenas in MKD(minus the annoying easy to set up death traps). I love how you guys included some old school stages(the nostalgia rush was great), and I hope you guys continue the trend(subway stage maybe? lol). I love what Tony Goskie has done and Mike Teran. Keep up the good job.

Modes

a. Returning Modes

This is another area where I feel MK needs drastic improvement. Here I’ll post suggestions to help improve the modes already given and some new ideas.

1. Arcade/Story – I feel this mode needs some big time improvement. I believe the arcade mode should be different for each character. We all know Johnny Cage would not face the main boss in the true storyline, so don’t even make it a boss for him. Give him someone else. I think 25% through the tower there should be a story battle with a sketch board or fmv or whatever explaining the story further. Basically, I’m trying to say MK’s story is awesome, and 4 small paragraphs(2 in for the bios and 2 for the endings) just don’t do these characters justice.

2. Versus – I’m perfectly fine with VS mode.

3. Practice – What a horrible job on your part Midway. Practice needs to be..well….PRACTICE! Not just the opponent not being able to move. What kind of half assed shit is that? First off, the option to make the dummy duck,stand,block,break throws,fight you and be human all should be an option. It’s just mandatory..period. Also, make practice mode online compatible.

4. Konquest – I love Konquest mode personally. I loved how the story was fleshed out from a different perspective(shujinko’s) and how it all worked well when put side to side with the rest of the story. I don’t know if the mode will be coming back, but I hope it does. Anyway, I think it would be very cool if you guys had a conquest for each character. An adventure like Shujinko’s starting from the beginning of that character’s story all the way to the current game. Throughout the game things could be explained like why that character was MIA in a certain game and such. Obviously Johnny Cages Konquest could be short(like 40 minutes) while Scorpion’s would be very long (possibly 2 hours) considering how much deeper his story is an his relevance. This might be too difficult/takes too long to do I would assume. So to be more realistic, simply making it less linear and giving the player more options as to how to go about completing missions. I also would like even MORE secrets! MORE MORE MORE!

5. Puzzle Kombat – Loved it, and I know a lot of people did. It’s very addicting, and though I’m not very good at it, I even enjoy watching people kick my ass. Maybe add some more characters and balance it out more. Also, give characters multiple specials.

6. Chess Kombat – Chess Kombat is fun. I personally enjoyed it even more than Puzzle Kombat. I think the spells need more depth to them and there should be more options such as more traps.

7. Krypt – The Krypt was great. I’d really like to see more concept art. I loved how with some sketches and pictures you gave little tidbits to the story. For example, for Li Mei’s alternate you guys put how it signifies how her spirit has been tainted from being in the dragon king soldier’s body. I suppose that MK7 could go back to MKDA’s AA-ZZ format since I assume it’s going to have more costumes and more secrets.

8. Online – Online mode was great. However, I feel you guys need to punish those who disconnect to save their record. You also need to go down harder on gamesharkers. The rank system is alright, but I feel it needs more work. People should be able to find out more about their opponent. Who their favorite character is(most used), win percentages with each character,etc.The ability to watch fights is just itching to happen. Why not? I know for sure it’s possible…make it happen. This would be especially awesome during tournaments. The ability to talk on the mic would be even cooler. Up to 5 people can be in one room. 2 playing and 3 watching.



b. New Modes


1. Endurance – Ok, so it’s not new, but it really needs to come back! Endurance kicked ass! I had such great memories picking my 3(or 5) best characters and duking it out with my friends. Whenever you kill your opponent’s character they could blow up like in the old games, and a cut scene could happen and the next character walks in, or the screen could just go dark and the next fighter in line begins to fight the opponent’s character who just won. Their health would stay same. Making this online compatible would be awesome too.
2. Team Battle – The ability to team up with your boy and fight again 2 other people would kick ass…period. It would work similar to Tekken Tag or Marvel vs Capcom. There are two bars stacked on top of each other, one for your healtn and one for your partner’s health. When you take damage your bar turns from green to red, with a little blue remaining. The blue part is the amount of health you will gain back after a certain amount of time when you are tagged out and your teammate is fighting. This mode could be 1 player(you control both chars vs 2 CPU), 2 players , 3 players or 4. The combo possibilities are ENDLESS. Dream teams such as Scorpion/Sub-Zero, Reiko/Shao Kahn, Johnny Cage/Sonya and even twisted teams such as Jax/Rain,Ermac/Shang Tsung and Drahmin/Kitana would have so many combo possibilities it’s scary. The tag would be quick and swift, similar to how you guys have it with Noob-Smoke, but even faster so insane juggles would be possible. While the character comes out, the player takes control and can continue the combo/fight. I love this idea and I really hope it will happen.

3. Blood Loss – A new mode that was inspired from a few missions in MKDA’s Konquest mode. Basically every move has a set amount of blood it takes away. At the character select screen you can select the amount of blood that needs to be loss to gain the victory.

4. King Of The Hill – A cool idea I thought up. Basically this mode can have anywhere from 3-6 players. The King starts off as the person who started the mode. All the players are taken to a lobby with medium sized box(fight window) showing the fight. Each time the king wins a fight he gains points depending how badly he defeated the opponent and how good their opponent is(rank wise). The next in line gets a stab at the king of the hill until he is defeated, at which point the person who defeated him becomes the king of the hill. The system needs to be done with care. For example,. When someone beats somebody who’s really bad and they are really good they shouldn’t get much points, but if someone who’s terrible defeats a top level player they should be rewarded with tons. I see this as being a fun mode where players chill out at watch fights and try to “get theresâ€?.

5. Kombat Trivia – Simple mode..extreme fun for the hardcore MK fans. This mode can have up to 4 contestants. You can pick whatever character, but they’re essentially just a prop. A question appears on the screen and the contestants have 3 seconds to press the A button and answer the question(multiple choice..you have 4 choices). Depending on the difficulty of the question, you get a certain amount of points. The rounds can be set, and so can the difficulty of the questions. There’s so much you can ask about MK’s storyline, characters, rumors, costumes, etc that you literally fit over 500 questions in there with little effort.

All right, so that's all I have. I'm not a game designer, I'm a fan and I know my place. I do, however, have enough experience as a fan of the fighting game genre to tell say that MK is lacking on the gameplay front, and whether you’d like to admit it or not, Midway, gameplay is what matters most.

I’m not asking for a perfect game, but fans(and apparently some of you guys at Midway, too) need to understand these are not massive requests. These are actually THE BASICS to gameplay. Frame Advantage, Wake Up, Throw Escapes and Move Properties have become NECCESSITIES in the fighting game world.

A lot of fighting games already incorporate these ideas (i.e. DoA, Tekken, SC, VF4, KoF, etc) Come on, Midway, you guys have great characters, a nice story and a feel that no other fighter can match, but it’s time to reclaim your throne as the king of fighters! Make it happen Ed!

Thanks for your time, and note that this is also directed to any forum members that care to read.

Note, this list wouldn't have been possible without the contribution of many unmentioned diehard MK fans. Such prominent members being Yoza, Grimm, Sub_Zero_7th, mkflegend, and yours truly.

Preach on my brother.

Fantastic. You deserve every dragon point you recieved. I have some Ideas of my own though...

Stage Interactivity: stage weapons

- Alright, I've had this idea floating around my head for a long while. Wouldn't it be cool if you were playing in the living forest and could break of a branch and use it as a weapon? Or in a temple (or maybe even a re-made version of "The Armory" from MK2) and you could pick up any weapon laying around? And to make it even better, every character would use each weapon differently. For example, if Sub-Zero got a branch he'd freeze it into a homemade ice staff, and if Scorpion got one he'd set it on fire. But since it's a branch it would eventually break/burn to ashes. Every character would have their own movelist for each of the weapons. I know this would probably be crazy hard to do, but it's just a thought...


I put these ideas into various sections...

Stuff that can be thrown:

A rock - Most likely found on a "wasteland" kind of level. Just an average rock. Maybe certain characters can "enhance" it before they throw it (Scorpion could set it on fire. Johnny could throw it like a baseball, since he seems to be an "all american" type of character. Drahmin could toss it up and hit it with his club like a bat. Bo rai cho would stumble as he threw it since he's drunk. Reptile could put it in his mouth and spit it out. etc...)

A coconut - Found on a beach type level, with palm trees and coconut trees. I think it should go like this. An opponent knocks you into a tree. A coconut falls on your head and gives you extra damage. The coconut fall conveniently in front of you. From here, you can get your revenge by punting it into your opponents face. The animations would be different for each character though. (Bo rai cho would stumble as he kicked it. Johnny could show-off by tossing it in the air with his foot and then kicking it, soccer style. Scorpion kicks it crazy hard, setting it on fire. etc...)

Ninja stars - Would likely be found in a ninja temple kind of level or a "Armory" remake level. They could be hanging on a wall of laying on the ground. Your character would just pick them up and toss them. I don't think indivudual animations would be necessary though, since there aren't too many ways to throw a ninja star...

Handful of sand - If you get knocked (face down) to the ground, I think it would be sweet if you could grab a handful of sand/dirt/mud and chuck it into your opponents face, causing them to stumble and giving you a free hit if they don't manage to black/dodge it. But like I said about the ninja stars, I don't think there needs to be unique, character specific animations for each character, since there are only so many ways a person can throw dirt. (this was Bleed's idea first though, so props go to him)


Crappy ordinary stuff:

Tree branch - Found in the "Living Forest" level (maybe others too though) Your character would just turn towrds a tree and rip of a branch. Branches would come in different shapes and sizes. The biggest ones would cause the most damage and be the most durable (although all of them would break eventually, hence the word "crappy" in the section name) The branches will break faster if you choose to "modify" them (Scorpion could set it on fire, Bo Rai Cho could douse it in alcohol and also set it on fire, Sub Zero could freeze it. Other characters without out "super special" powers, like Sonya, Johnny Cage, Jax, etc, would just go into a "martial arts mode" where they move faster and stuff. All of the modifications would make the weapon stronger though...)

I can't think of any other things that could fit this catagory right now, so I'll probably update it later...


Wooden weapons:

Mallet - This would be found in "The Armory" along with a bunch of other weapons. Just a regular wooden hammer...

Staffs - Would be found in a "Dojo" level. Probably resting against a wall or something...

Wooden practice sword - This would also be found in a Dojo type level. It could be hang on a wall of on a stand. Maybe if the stand is right in the middle of the level, you'd have to knock your opponent against it to loosen the weapon, alowing you to get it...


On a side note, you can't modify any of these since they'd break/burn/shatter/etc. It was okay for the branch since it was crappy, but since these are real weapons, I don't think modification would be in order...


Metal weapons:

(Samurai/Ninja) Sword - Just an average sword. Found in the Armory, dojo, or "ninja temple" type places...

Axe - A double sided axe found in the Armory...

Mace - A spiked ball on a chain attatched to a stick. Found in the Armory...

Scythe - It would have a wooden handle, but a metal blade. It would be found in the Armory, but maybe it could be found in Noob Saibot's "Brotherhood of the Shadow" temple place too...

Spear - Wooden staff with a metal spear at the tip. Found in the Armory and possibly the Living Forest (left over from some guy who was dumb enough to venture into the forest...)

Daggers - Mini daggers, like the ones Frost had in MK:DA except made of metal. Found in the Armory...

Mini-axes - Just like the bigger double-sided axe, except smaller, and you would hold two at once. In the Armory...

"Kama" - Nitara had these in MK:DA. They're just sticks (about 1- 1.5 feet long) with sharp, curved peices of metal coming out of the side of the end. You'd hold two at a time and they'd be found in the Armory...


Special weapons (These weapons would have actual backstories to them and would be unique from every other weapon...):

Legendery Lin Kuei Ice Staff - It would just be Sub Zero's primary weapon in MK:4, except revamped, with a better design and bigger movelist. This weapon can only be found in th Lin Kuei temple...


(And just so you know, all of the stage weapons can be thrown and picked up, like in MK:4...)

I'll post more ideas later...

Yeah, thanx, but most of what was posted was a compilation of multiple opinions, rather than my own. I had A LOT of help, including the above mentioned.

I like your background ideas, seems like you favor arena interaction. As do I. I liked being able to throw things in MK4 (including weapons), and that would be a rather significant improvement.

I also like the concept of the "Metal Weapons". Do you prefer better stage weapons or better character weapons?

And I like where you went with the *Legendary Lin Kuei Super Deluxe Combo Ultra Mega 9000.......Lmao, just gave me an idea. I think each character should have up to three weapons. The weapon you start off with, then an upgraded version of it, and then the "legendary" weapon of the character, sort of like SC2.

For example, with Sub-Zero you would start off with Ice Daggers, and then it might be upgraded to Kori Daggers (a bigger, sharper version) and then the Kori Blade.

And then you could have a super-unlockable, his legendary. Maybe that Ice Wand.

Yeah, I like the concept of 3 (or maybe even more) character specific weapons for each fighter. I think Sub-Zero should have his Kori Blade as his primary weapon and it should be his most well balanced weapon. Then, he could have one weapon that is faster, but weaker. Then another that is stronger, but slower. And another that is his strongest and fastest (but it should be hard to get. Like maybe you have to beat Arcade mode on "Very Hard" to get it). This weapon should have a huge backstory to it. Like maybe it was passed down from generations of cryomancers or something....

That should be the model for every character's weapons...

- Primary (most balanced)
-2nd (Faster but weaker attacks)
-3rd (Stronger attacks but Slower)
-Legendary (the overall best)
-and maybe even a "joke" weapon like the ones in Soul Calibur 2

And it would be different for individual characters too. For example, some characters' weapons would have a longer range, but weaker defense. And others could be short range with higher defense...

I can start making ideas for characters as examples...

Scorpion

Primary - Ninja sword (well balanced)

2nd -His Axe from UMK3 (Short range and weaker attacks, but it's faster and has a stronger defense)

3rd - His own spear (long range and stronger attacks, but it's slower and has a weaker defense)

Legendary - The sacred Shirai Ryu Ninja sword (It'd have the works. Fast, strong attacks, strong defense, etc...)

Joke - A giant meat fork, since he had a picture in MK:DA where he sells charcoal for grilling meat (it'd be his worst weapon, but funny to use on friends)


I'll try to think of weapons for other MK characters too...

That sounds much like the stuff from SC2 which is actually a good idea. Not sure about the Kori Scythe, but hey, it could be good.

The thread is awesome and Ed and co really need to pay attention to important things like these.

*clap clap clap*...couldn't of said it better myself bro. great shit. Midway really needs to look at this topic, and this NEEDS to be stickied. There is no way mods should let this topic be overshadowed by "isn't it time for scorpion to skip a game?" and all the other moronic topics.

A+ Kaziua,Yoza and others.

yeah, this does need to be stickied

Yeah, that's what I was going for.





Exactly what I meant. Partially taken from SC and others, but made to fit MK's style. I like the 'joke' weapon concept too

Every match should begin with a weapon, and the weapon is automatically part of the fighting style. It makes more sense than having it appear out of thin air. Or there could be options, such as weapon and non-weapon kombat.

I'm going to post the my weapon ideas for Sub-Zero and Frost since they both have the same powers and some people might get confused with them...


Frost

Primary - Kori Daggers (balanced)

2nd -Spiky Ice Guantlets (Short range and weaker defense, but it's faster and has a stronger attacks. And for a description, they'd be like ice gloves and they'd have spikes popping out of the knuckle part)

3rd - Big Ice Scythe (it's slower and has a weaker defense, but it has long range and stronger attacks)

Legendary - Hmmmm, I can't think of one right now. I'll probably edit this later though, when I can think of one...

Joke - Double popsicle stick daggers! (just some little popsicles that she'd use as weapons)



Sub-Zero

Primary - Kori Blade (balanced)

2nd - Kori Hammer (slow and short range, but it would have very powerful attacks and a strong defense)

3rd -Double-Sided Kori Thingy (I made a shitty drawing of what I was talking about. The handle is in the middle. Anyways, this weapon would be fast and it would have a long range, but it would have a weak defense and average attacks )

Legendary - His Ice Wand from MK:4 (his best weapon)

Joke - A giant popsicle (not the little skinny cylinder-type ones that Frost has. This would be just one huge, thick popsicle. 5 feet big and he'd have to hold it with both hands)

=========================================================

I'll post some more ideas later...

lol, cute drawing, but interesting ideas. I can see where you are coming from with that weapon you drew.

The popsicle ideas kind of put my mind in the gutter, but um...ahem...

how about some kind of stalagmite or stalagtite thingy?

Characters will have more than 3 fatalities

need to bring back classic games death traps like pit I, Pit II, Pit III.

need new death traps like armory death trap. The character will throw the opponent into the lava.

Portal- Throwing the opponent to the portal hole. The opponent will be shocked to death.

need better graphics.

need to be more detailed on the opponent graphic. On MKDA when Sub-Zero doing his fatality on Reptile, a human skeleton come out instead of a lizard skeleton. Midway need to be more detailed about those stuff because they are important.

Midway need to check the glitches and fix them before releasing the game.
Just like Smoke MKD glitch when you are too close to the cell you do his teleport move and you will see him in the cell (Prison stage).

I think Sub-Zero shouldn't have that fatality any more as it can be kind of orgasmic to them....*looks around* Well..it does.

but um...this is more of a gameplay type topic though...but yes, I would like to see more and BETTER fatalities though they did improve on that overall in MKD...

Are you kidding me? MORE fatalities? Everyone has two man! 23 chars plus goro and kahn is 25 = 50 fatalities. Add the Hara Kirir and that's 75 finishing moves in all. Get real man.

I am NOT looking to shut down ANYBODY'S opinion, but I'm giving you mine, and to me it's obsurd to ask for me considering the condition of the engine right now. Considering the fact that there's gonna be more characters, and assuming that each will have two fatalities, you're gonna end up with more finishers regardless.

Somebody may be asking "well gee if the person can let go of block whenever since MK has the old style press and holf block button how will frames work?" Welll, that's easy. They simply will not be able to attack for the set amount of frame advantage the opponen'ts move had on block. For example...

If I do dragon: 1 on sub-zero and it's +2 on block. If you let go of block right after I do the move, you still cannot attack for 2 frames.

Thread got stickied, wonderful. Kudos to whoever decided to.





The legendaries are rather nice. Sub-Zero's MK4 Ice Wand would make for a very nice legendary, if given the proper revamp. And it should still have the freezing capabilites, if you hit your opponent a certain amount of times.

Not too sure about Frost, I'm not sure whether she was a favorite. But her legendary could be a double-ended Kori Sword, made of flash-frozen ice.

If you want to see what I'm thinking about, take the concept of Darth Maul's saber, except with swords on each end, and made of ice.

lol, I don't mean more per character. Just relax my friend. I'm more concerned about the gameplay anyways and you know it.

I think 2 is more than enough fatalities per character. Not that they couldn't do it, but that would mean over 70 fatalities to come up with. Would probably take away from the originality.

With the Portal, I could imagine them being torn apart by the energies, but not electrocuted. And there's no game that doesn't need better graphics. Otherwise, progression wouldn't exist, Lmao.

WOW, Awesome posts!

Hopefully someone that can make a difference has read this and understands it.

Yeah.

The title says "CC: Midway" meaning that this topic is for anyone to read, but aimed especially for Midway (MK Team). According to one of the "Developer Diaries", Shaun Himmerick said that he looks at the forums on occasion, which is what provided us the final incentive to make this.

I have my own ideas for Ermac:

Primary Weapon: Axe. Well-balanced weapon for him, with good defensive capabilities, but slightly more offensive. Attack leaves the user vulnerable.

Next upgrade: Cleaver. Higher overall capabilities than the Axe, but with stronger defense. Enhances user's agility.

3rd upgrade: Two-Sided Axe. Even greater offensive capabilities than the others, but lacks on the defensive side. Can be charged using his energy, and throw projectiles occasionally. Use of this weapon makes the user more susceptible to attacks, however.

Legendary: Hado Scythe. A weapon purely made out of his essence, Hado energy. By far his most powerful weapon, some say he becomes near-invincible. Ermac's ultimate in offense and defense, it shoots projectiles and greatly enhances users strength. However, the weapon being made of his essence, it also drains at his health.

The idea of weapon upgrades kicks ass.

Scorpion could actually use both of the katana blades on his back and his legendary could be all out fire powered katana blades.