Lokheit Wrote:Gillbob316 Wrote:
I'm really thinking this is just going to be more akin to Deception's Konquest mode, wherein virtually every character gets a cameo, and some not on the roster are even fightable, but still not themselves fully fleshed out and fully realized playable characters.
Frankly the challenge tower in MK9 was also similar. It had more than a handful of unique models, that weren't "full" characters.
It'll likely be somewhere between the two.
THAT said, I'm not even convinced the Tarkatan in the picture IS Baraka, let alone that he'll be playable.
We've been flat out TOLD by reviewers and NRS that there will be a heavy amount of NPC appearance and activity in this game. One pic of character is not enough to confirm them playable at this stage.
The difference here is that the ones you could fight but not play as in Deception were playable in Deadly Alliance which shared the exact same syste with Deception and Armageddon so it wasn't a problem putting them if they already had their DA versions.
MKX is different from MK9 in multiple aspects so you can't just recycle MK9 characters. You can recycle their models with better textures for the cinematics, but if you put the gameplay, then you're expending a lot of resources and it's better to optimize it by making the character playable.
Which is exactly why I made it a point to also bring up the challenge tower "characters" in MK9.
These guys:
http://mortalkombat.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Exclusive_Challenge_Tower_Characters They completely prove that NRS is more than capable of making less than totally fleshed out characters from existing assets. The characters in these games are SPECIFICALLY MADE to be compatible model-swaps that all work around the same bipedal rig, That's why they can all be ripped apart the same way for Fatalities. That's why the same Klassic Skin model can work on 7 different ninjas with seven different movesets without skipping a beat.
Making an NPC fight is just a matter of creating a new model and piecing together a moveset for it. Just as Tremor was pieced together with a Klassic Skin and moves borrowed from Jax, Fujin could be pieced together with Kitana's wind moves. Rain could pieced together with things from Raiden (and his super kick wouldn't even need new assets). Noob could function on Cage's Stuntman set. Jade could function on Kitana's Mournful moves. Stryker could be built off Cassie. The possibilities are there, frankly, and quite extensive. Of course they wouldn't have full movesets, but the wouldn't need to, because they'd essentially just be bonus fights. Not fully playable characters w/ 3 variations of their own.
I'm by no means saying they could recycle the MK9 models as is, but that doesn't mean they couldn't make a new Rain model. A new Noob model. A new Jade, Baraka or Fujin model, and setup a simple character around it. And if you're saying, "They wouldn't waste time making a new model for an NPC" well... who's to say exactly? If they wasted time making Stuntman and Director, they could easily push the envelope even further this time around, and it would probably go over much better than Stuntman or Director did.
