Choose Your Destiny: Variations vs More Characters

Mortal Kombat X

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posted03/21/2015 03:51 PM (UTC)by

Jarhead

@Jarhead

Member Since

08/12/2014 09:54 AM (UTC)

Now that we more or less know the roster, I'm asking myself how I feel about the idea of variations. On one hand, they're a pretty cool idea that looks like will provide balance to each character. But, there's no doubt in my mind that creating three variations for each character was rather time consuming. As a whole, the different specials that characters get in different variations could've very well been pooled together to allow for a larger roster with no variations.

I could be wrong, but it feels like there's a general consensus that MKX is lacking in the department of MKDA & Deception personalities and I can't help but wonder of variations are the root of this shortcoming.

With that being said, which do you prefer? Current roster with variations or no variations and the likes of Fujin, Havik, Reiko, Li Mei etc...

I personally love the variation idea & can't wait to tinker with different variations for a few of my favorite characters. However, I feel like I'll only really use one variation and the other two will sit idle. If this is true for most, then unfortunately many of us are sacrificing characters we would like to see make the cut for variations of characters we won't use.

sharefrock

@sharefrock

•03/21/2015 01:59 PM (UTC) •

Jarhead Wrote:
Now that we more or less know the roster, I'm asking myself how I feel about the idea of variations. On one hand, they're a pretty cool idea that looks like will provide balance to each character. But, there's no doubt in my mind that creating three variations for each character was rather time consuming. As a whole, the different specials that characters get in different variations could've very well been pooled together to allow for a larger roster with no variations.

I could be wrong, but it feels like there's a general consensus that MKX is lacking in the department of MKDA & Deception personalities and I can't help but wonder of variations are the root of this shortcoming.

With that being said, which do you prefer? Current roster with variations or no variations and the likes of Fujin, Havik, Reiko, Li Mei etc...

I personally love the variation idea & can't wait to tinker with different variations for a few of my favorite characters. However, I feel like I'll only really use one variation and the other two will sit idle. If this is true for most, then unfortunately many of us are sacrificing characters we would like to see make the cut for variations of characters we won't use.

jpetrunak

@jpetrunak

•03/21/2015 02:03 PM (UTC) •

Super weird dude .... I was literally just going to make this exact topic.

Honestly I think I would have went with more characters. While some characters like Kung Jin seem to really change with variations, other like Reptile just seem kind of shoe horned in.

Denizen

@Denizen

About Me

•03/21/2015 02:10 PM (UTC) •

The variation gimmick might be one of the reasons behind a slight smaller roster than MK9, but that has nothing to do with the roster selection, the pattern is pretty clear at this point. The weird thing is that 3 or 4 characters more, given they would be comprised of MK3 and 3D era, would have made a world of difference in the eyes of the fans. I doubt NRS doesn't know that. Maybe there is one final surprise around the corner.

Jarhead

@Jarhead

•03/21/2015 02:24 PM (UTC) •

You're right, those extra 2-4 3D era characters would make all the difference. Especially when we have Jax/Jacqui & Johnny/Sonya/Cassie in lieu of other favorites.

I'm hoping for some pleasant surprises as well.

Jarhead

@Jarhead

•03/21/2015 02:30 PM (UTC) •

jpetrunak Wrote:
Super weird dude .... I was literally just going to make this exact topic.

Honestly I think I would have went with more characters. While some characters like Kung Jin seem to really change with variations, other like Reptile just seem kind of shoe horned in.

Kung Jin is a prime example of how a variation can really change the gameplay of a character. Maybe also a prime example of someone that could've been two different characters. For example, keep Kung Jin as bow master and remake Fujin to use power of wind in conjunction with Bojutsu.

Lokheit

@Lokheit

•03/21/2015 02:31 PM (UTC) •

I don't think that problem is related to variations at all, most of them are just a couple of tricks added to a whole character, it's not like each character counts like making 3 on development resources.

Demon_0

@Demon_0

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Avatar is part of fanart created by Esau13

•03/21/2015 02:32 PM (UTC) •

I take variations over more characters. Say what you will about the roster, but I'm perfectly fine with that number for balancing reasons. Honestly, the variation system is the best thing that happened to MKX.

I'm sure we will get another 2 to 4 DLC characters, making it a total of about 32 MK characters. People just need to be more patient. I wouldn't even put it past NRS to release an Ultimate Edition down the road with another 10-12 characters which I'll gladly support.

Jarhead

@Jarhead

•03/21/2015 02:55 PM (UTC) •

Lokheit Wrote:
I don't think that problem is related to variations at all, most of them are just a couple of tricks added to a whole character, it's not like each character counts like making 3 on development resources.

No, but let's just say every 10 variations could've been an extra character. With 25 characters, there's 75 variations. That's an extra 50 variations which could've been another 5 characters. I'm being arbitrary on the 10 variations = 1 character as far as resources goes. Just giving an example.

DG1OA

@DG1OA

•03/21/2015 03:20 PM (UTC) •

I believe not everyone needs three variants.

Kitana was likely given a Jade variant because they didn't want to come up with three variants for Jade herself, nor a third unique one for Kitana. If the inability to come up with three variants for Baraka is one of the reasons he might not make the cut, then they only should have given him one.

Variations are not the fighting styles and weapons from the 3D games. Characters can't switch variants in the middle of the fight. So some characters could have gotten away with no variations.

One thing the fighting styles, weapons and variants show is that NRS shouldn't try a "one size fits all" gameplay approach with the characters.

moneyguy

@moneyguy

•03/21/2015 03:20 PM (UTC) •

I think variations could have been implemented differently. I like the idea of giving players access to a slightly different change, however I generally feel like this idea will fall flat after a while.

It will be fun to explore and see what you can pull off with one variation versus another, but I mean really how often are you going to switch variations? What about during arcade mode? I have 3 variations but I have to go all the way back to player select if I want to have access to other facets of the same character.

If no variations meant that there would be no doubt in my mind right now that Rain, Fujin, Reiko, and Tanya made the initial roster I wouldn't give sacrificing variations a second thought.

Jarhead

@Jarhead

•03/21/2015 03:33 PM (UTC) •

DG1OA Wrote:
I believe not everyone needs three variants.

Kitana was likely given a Jade variant because they didn't want to come up with three variants for Jade herself, nor a third unique one for Kitana. If the inability to come up with three variants for Baraka is one of the reasons might not make it the cut, then they only should have given him one.

Variations are not the fighting styles and weapons from the 3D games. Characters can't switch variants in the middle of the fight. So some characters could have gotten away with no variations.

One thing the fighting styles, weapons and variants show is that NRS shouldn't try a "one size fits all" gameplay approach with the characters.

I think variations are all or nothing. Either everyone has them, or no one does. I personally see myself trying all variations for my mains, deciding on the one I like best, ditching the other two variations & wishing the roster was bigger.

moneyguy

@moneyguy

•03/21/2015 03:41 PM (UTC) •

DG1OA Wrote:
One thing the fighting styles, weapons and variants show is that NRS shouldn't try a "one size fits all" gameplay approach with the characters.

That is perfectly said. While I don't think it would've worked if some characters had 3 variations and others had none, I think NRS should've realized that they definitely don't love all of the characters the same..... and it shows.
I think scaling it back to two variations may have worked better?

Zebron

@Zebron

About Me

"Not the first to say it in this thread, but when Bo Rai Cho is the high point of the new character selection, they did something really wrong." -Gillbob316

•03/21/2015 03:51 PM (UTC) •

I would have chosen more characters for sure. It doesn't sit well with me that MKX has a smaller roster than the game that preceded it, though getting Tanya as DLC has mitigated my disappointment about that.

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