Oh I see. the title's a little mis-leading. It looks like another fantasy character thread. But yea, maybe I'll post that Raiden thing I wrote up in here.



Raiden

New Look
JAX007 Concepts
About a new Look for Raiden. I'd like to see what he looked like a few hundred years ago. Maybe an even more retro-combatic look is in order?..? Futhermore, what would he look like wearing more current attire? Raiden has only had like three significant changes this series...So I think the right hand example JAX007 gives - either modernizes him and or dates his current look effectlively.

Along with all that, the hat? I don't think he could be right without the hat...He would have to at least have it as an alt costume...If they were to take his hat away from him, they'd have to faze it out somehow..Make it is third alt or something.. And even so, his new primary would have to be so fuckin perfect anyway... So keep the hat Midway. The updates to the hat are quite good anyway I think.
=====ALT Costume---sorta:
Making Raiden look more "Godly" to our current generation of players is the toughy. Especially with all the people who don't believe in any God, religion wise now-days. "Mysticlly old" is a way I propose, almost as though he's out of place somewhat amongst the other players. Robes, Tunics, Rags, or even more "Animal" influenced clothing could be explained to us as sacrifices over the years to him. Kinda giving us a subtle insight as to sacrifices like: That's one of the things Gods do with the animals. He might even sport something that has an electic eel enscribed or stiched with-in a peice of his clothing or armor.

Now, don't get me wrong here, I still think Raiden should look very majestic and mystical, but the clothes he wears could have more purpose is all I'm sayin'.. I think alot of the reason some people don't like his Dark Raiden look is becuase of the fact that he "looks" more militant// too much like somthing an actual man might wear. He's a God, but he doesn't nessassarily look "Spiritual". He has on Armor....which is o.k., but I just think his clothing could be less human-typical. The whole Chess plate, shoulder pads ect...can go. There are other ways, he could look more aggressive than his normal state.

Ex:
1. Dark circles around his eyes,
2. black or burned fingertips: symbolizing the hostillity of the element he rules over..
3. The red lightning could be a nice "touch" for that--it should even circle around his body like the lightning did back in Mk1/2.
4. They could also make him obviously more pale. Just trying to provok a more pissed off God..Y'know?

6. A cool little effect I was just thinking about kinda resembles that of Ares in The God Of War. Speaking about his hair...Instead of a full head of firey hair like Ares had, Raidens hair could show in his alt costume, and slowly singe or burn-- of the red lightning during battle. BUT, since he is a god, it would "heal" (so to speak) itself as it singes, giving that cool white hair//red lightning contrast and making apearent that "I'm pissed off" vibe even while he stands still. Not the "Bun-and-Mullet" like his alt kinda makes him look. I hated the beads and the half robe, the whole thing only pissed me off...lol

7. One thing to toy with is maybe face paint or a tattoo of some sort. Maybe as he becomes more and more ruthless, or does more ungod-like things, a symbol of his taint can become more apparent. Some kind of ancient insigna relavant to the birth or death of a true God. Just a thought..

Move Ideas(new and or improved)

1. Lightning Shield- From the MkDa Opening vid- It should look virtually similar, and have the same effect. I think part of the rave about any character, is being able to use the things you see they are cabable of in animation or in film. It was a fantastic idea and we should be able to have fun using it..

2a. Lighting Blast- I feel like Raidens' lightning had the best overall effect between Mk1&2. It should return to that, just updated using the latest technology and 3D platforms.

Or

2b. He could throw the bolt differently. One way could be quick, kind of like Jaxs' wave blast back in Mk2. Instead, a bolt of lightning from the sky quickly blasts the opponent. A Pop-up or a simple shock to the opponent.

Or

2c. As I know I've expressed before, give Raiden that pop-up that either Rain or Nightwolf had...It used to erk me eveytime I saw that from them and not Raiden.

3. Teleport- I always wondered why Raidens teleport couldn't have an attack tied to it. Why not have his teleport shock the opponent breifly? The catch would be...well catching your opponent standing still. Otherwise it would simply perform as a teleport.

4. Body Shock- Simply put, it should remain his throw. An improvement on it could be a one handed shocker-and-throw that embodies his Mk1 and MkD throws.

Fatalities


1. "Shocking"- I like what they did with this fatality in the last 2 games. I think the only way to make them better or change them significantly would be to make them more realistic. More..."actual"-looking

2. "The Rath of God"- In this new fatality, Raiden performs a type of mini kata cinema summoning lighting through a kind of full armed -- circular manuver around himself. These look alot like what I mean...just different1:20 and 1:28 into the vid 1:06 into this vid

3. Puppet Master- Could show us the fatality Raiden performed on Shujinko in his MkDa ending. To where Raiden uses bolts of lighning to violently raise his opponent into the air...not to high, maybe 10-20ft from the ground..
In this cinema, you'll focus on what's happening to the "looser". Lots of crackling and popping...small peices of burned blood and flesh escape the body..ect.. Away from the focal point, but still clearly viewable, you see Raiden doing his thing to not only kill the opponent, but also keep the body suspended in the air...."Puppet Master".. This could be one of the only fatalities that explodes the opponent to end it, OR, he could slam the corpse into peices when he's done.== The ending angle not nessasarily on Raiden in his vicory pose, but from the ground towards Raiden, looking at the skeletal skull. Maybe even still bleeding from the eye(s)--other skeleton peices skattered about the immediate floor.


Fighting Style
Nan Chuan
- I don't know martial arts styles well enough to sufficiently change this about him. But I didn't like alot about the style itself to tell the truth. It looked o.k. I guess, but I think Raiden should absolutely reek of "Mastery". Maybe his in-game fighting stance would teeder between a Nan Chuan type stance(Mk1-T essentially), to standing "Straight up" as to hint that "I've Mastered all...circles and straights"....The effect the two stances provok. Pai Mei:50sec is an example of the Straight up stance.

Raidens' style should be "sensibly odd", having a base, but not so definate in any one style. You should be able to tell "he made it up"....His stances should really only signify where/how he's comfortable standing to tell the truth.

I also don't think the stances should be so "stiff" or "strickened to" if that makes sense. I mean, at the beginning of a round there should be a "Ready Stance", but while you're playing and in motion, the stance(s) you recoup to should depend on the last hit delt or taken.... teedering between a "confident" stance, and a stance that sorts says "anticipate".

Weapon

I am one who, when weapons were introduced to Mk, didn't like Raidens at--all. I figured that, being the God of an element as destructive as Thunder and Lightning....wtf do you need any "weapon" for? Anyway, if he must have any weapon, it could be one of the following:

1. Staff of the Gods- It should be a particular staff, designed specificlly for Raiden. Maybe even an ensignia or special design on the staff...Not just a regular old, plain jane, wooden staff. Not "stylish", maybe just a staff forged of the steel of the Elder Gods' temple or something, a present to Raiden "long ago"....

More Staffs and such:

a. 3-sectional-staff
b. Wushu Double Headed Spear or something...It would make sense.

c. Wushu Red Tasseled Waxwood Spear". Same influence as #1 on the weapon..

Here's a couple short vids to show how I think he could look using some of the weapons I listed:
1. Staff vs Spear...
2. Three sectional Staff vs Nunchucku

Get-Up Animation
1. I did like the improvement that they made on this part of Raiden actually... The thing is...It was too much, and it was too "rapid". Instead, he could "manifest" up. Maybe it could hint to his victory pose but just so that it's not so dramatic in the future.

Victory Pose
1. His victory pose should resemble the #2 fatality I mentioned earlier. Just not punishing anybody. Maybe from the front angle and probably ending in the same fasion as he would have in all previous games... One, or both hands up to the sky, as though to be paying homage to a "higher" God than he. While the lightning struggles to remain in his control...we hear a very violent buzzing sound. In the end, one big *boom*. Somewhat symbolizing Thunder & Lighning....Perfect.

2. Why not this: 9sec Test

3. To add more to number 2 here: That 9 sec test but shorter, sharper, and with a more profound feeling to it. Probably 3sec long, it should have the violent crackle of thunder and lightning whenever he points his fingers and lightning is let shot out. But in the end...none other than his pose on the side of the Mk2 Arcade Machine and then he disapates in some cool lightning effect... Probably influenced by his early teleport effects(see sprite above), but I know there's better ways to show what I mean.."1(points and we hear crackle and thunder) - 2 (again, in a differnt direction) - 3 (again, but this ends the small kata and he dissapears from the screen) 1--2--3". There's enough time there and it's not too long.

4. Another victory "pose" could be that he does a little aggressive swirl of the hands/arms with a little step forwad, throw a little lightning to the ground, and then "jump" as if he's assending to heaven off screen.


Arena: "The House Of Raiden"
Comic Illustration 1

Comic Illustration 2

It could even feature the two "would-be abandoned servants of Raiden:
Wynd & Rayne. Maybe dipicted and named uniquely considering those elements are taken in Mk already. I have ideas for these two characters, just haven't gotten around to typing them out yet.


Storyline
1. Raiden should have more of(not nessasarily all of) his "Long Ago" instances exposed, exploited, and taken care of over the course of this next game or so. Along with his Probable confrontations with Fujin//The Elder Gods//Liu Kang(which might even make him evil for sure mind you, considering what he did to animate Liu...)//Shinnok//What affect he may have had on the Deadly Alliance(Shang Tsung and Quan Chi [are they dead because of the sacrifice? ect..] and vice versa.... "How they may have effected Raiden to make him act out of character for these last couple games")

And I feel, he should return to the side of good....at least eventually. Because the more experience one has about things of this nature happening to others in the future...the better a God//person you are further down the line. I think that's very important in anybodies stories actually. "Comprehension"//"What did you learn"; and having no problem sharing that information with the less experienced....future "champs and so on...So that we can see at least one of the cycles Raiden has endured to be respected as a God. I think it would cut out the rest of the disconcern for this character as well because his purpose becomes relatably evident as far as the kind of "work" he does to maintain that god status....
"This is what I go through...This is why I'm am a God...

More of what could happen with his story is that he could coincedentally become fond of the "Earths' New Champion". He could even "guide" the new character because that's just his nature...even in his discruntled state right now. It would be irony, but within the "realm" of his job description....~nice~

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

I am now going to discuss my favourite character Rain...


Story:

I for one have never been completely impressed with the edenian betrayal story ideas and it has occurred to me that Rain has had a chance to have much more storyline potential after his appearance in mortal kombat Armageddon because if Taven makes it through to next generation games we have major feud potential and even if Taven doesn't make it through to next gen Rain I think could have a really cocky arrogant and self centred character almost like mortal kombats answer to Vegeta.Maybe if both Taven and Daegon make it through (which I doubt) there could be a faction triple threat with Daegons red dragon clan maybe taven could form a gold dragon clan...I'm not so sure what Rains clan could be and I don't think purple dragon could really cut it.



Looks:


In armageddon he had that pathetic cape which made him look like a hero which he is not I liked his alternative pallette better which looked as if it didn't have to much effort put into it.



Moves and poses:


I'd like to change the fighting style from armageddon to a one he'd suit much more...Monkey.








and I'd like his victory pose to be as it were in mortal kombat triogy







I'd like to see Rain with a collection of more high kicks.








I'd like to see his mind control orb.






-owen-