A real Mortal Kombat game with no hold- backs. That sparks controversy, must rated M for mature to begin with.

With the some how advanced game systems we got now, I imagine they can program great cinematics & cutscreens for character stories. Even with how great a Mortal Kombat game can be on a X360 or Ps3, I know guys that don't like mortal kombat anymore like we do. Like the people who never payed any mind to Armageddon at all. They think it's the same game over and over and over again. In some ways their right. They recognize Scorpion and Sub in any game with same moves that made them famous from the damn 90s'. Same levels except in modern design. It's a problem, specially if we don't truly do something new and let go some of the past, like Ign claimed.

The Fatality part of Mortal Kombat better come back stronger than ever, specially with the T rating we have to endure in MK vs DC. That's just cheesy how you put a limit on how brutal you kill a video game fighter, and cut things short. I dont think Mortal Kombat was never ment for that. That's why I bought MK vs DC, even though I knew the fatality factor would suck. The gameplay and special moves are hot. I like the game, but these fighters are getting off easy by death.

Alright, I'll post some thoughts up on 2 of the things I mentioned in the starter post.

Story

Theme - A modern MK games' story theme to me, is designed like the "Ironman"(2008), "The Incredible Hulk"(2008), or "Batman Begins"(2005) movie. Mainly because it seems that they like to center the game around one character, or at least maintain a leading hero(protagonist)...at first.

Now, for the simple fact that we have all these characters in the game right now, the next reference would be to that of a story structured something like "Curse of the Golden Flower"(2006). I'd even dedicate a large part of the way this story works out to how I'd handle Edenia//Kitana, and all the things going on with her.

Also, considering that we have characters in the game that are supposed to be symbols of "badass", I'd probably blanket the story element of Mortal Kombat, with elements from some of the best old, and best new scary movies. Go with

1. Stephen King, pick a period in time when his stuff was best. He's got a humongous list, and really new stuff is like "The Mist"(2007). I like how sophisticated in simplicity his stuff gets.

2. M. Night Shamylan, pick up from his style of suspense and thrillers. Mainly though, I like how mysterious he likes to keep himself, and his stuff.

3. Rob Zombie, he's not a bad director, but I'd like to see the MkTeam pick up on how violence plays a part in the action in his films. I also really like how he recreates nostalgia through new fear and aggressiveness.

This is where the appeal comes from that attracts folks, and that adds a purpose to the controversial content in the game for the story element. You can probably start to see that alot of my references bleed over into any and all other elements of MK's potential that they haven't been capitalizing on.

Last reference for the story concept is from "Jet Li's Unleashed"(2005). Reason for this one, is because I liked how they constructed their contest. It was a great sort of back drop to more important issues in the movie. I liked how Danny(Jet Li) seemed tied to the contest no matter what he went through in the movie.

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Now, using references like these, you can probably feel how "dark and gritty" the mere story element should be. This is not even an issue of "colors". It's an issue of tone, or mood that we should get a sense of just by hearing little tid-bits about the games story.

Another way to think about the theme of Mortal Kombat, is by way of actually giving a central theme to future games. Says that MK9 could be a game centered around "Terror". Mk10 could be centered around "Intense Action". MK11 around "Drama and Suspense"...ect ect.

I'm not saying "only do one thing per game", because I do think every game deserves to have these multiple layers going on in each of them. But I do think MK could benefit from giving us more of one theme than another per given game. Makes it more of a toss up everytime a new game comes out. Because you would never know what "kind" of information you would be receiving for that game. You'd Just Have To Go Buy It.

Overall Game Story - A "real Mortal Kombat" game now days is driven by the story. I feel like this cannot be compromised in order to make the whole game be sensible. That's just what people want now, and I feel that the MkTeam can't get away with scattered story telling, and cliffhangers any longer. Story drives the contest, it drives the characters overall and individually, it drives purpose for mini-games and modes. It drives everything.

However, this does not have to be complicated for it to be good, most good stories aren't "complicated". But I do believe that it should have at least a couple of layers to the reasons why the game is happening in the first place. We should know some very interesting things to start. But they should absolutely lead to a definite "somewhere" within that game. They need to stop playing this game with people that strings people along through a game, and never ends anywhere.

I also believe that every-single-character deserves a few layers too. These things cannot be compromised in a "modern day Mortal Kombat" game because people like to care about the characters after all the punching and kicking gets old.

A real, modern day Mortal Kombat game story to me, is an open and closed book, with a real possibility of continuation. This "new" MK game sees the story integrated, and infused throughout all the other elements of the game, because it doesn't make sense without it. It answers "why" for everything, and lets us play through, and figure out alot of the "how, who, what, when, and where". But they have to put it there to find.

I'd say, "Just give us information sometimes, but mainly make a game out of finding the rest of the different types of information." Mortal Kombats story element needs to sorta mimic the appeal and functionality of the internet. No, I don't mean the method the internet uses (...like using a damn search bar.) That'd be stupid unless it applied directly to something that Sonya or Jax was doing.

Point here is, we should be able to find story stuff littered throughout the game, AND intermingled within game play. Sky's the limit for an inventive soul here. They should be using every-little-thing in the game, and about the characters to deliver story stuff.

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Graphics

Theme - A modern MK games' graphic theme to me, should be extremely impressive photo-realism by now. I mean, consider where MK started with the digitized green screen captures far as the characters?? At times I'm tempted to say that the graphics almost looked better then, than they do even now. At times.

Right now we like alot of texture in our games, and functionality associated with that texture. So mainly, so long as there are impressive FMV movies, and a bit of function to textures while in actual game play (1 on 1 and those in-engine cut-scenes like in mkvsdc) it'd be fine. I haven't found much appeal to things breaking off of characters in MK. Even though I think that those things are subtleties that intensify fights visually. I think it's one area where they should do (and do well), but that they shouldn't spend an over abundance of energy creating. Doesn't contribute greatly to anything besides "Ooh! Look at Sonyas boobz!". That's not doing anything, and it really only comes into effect when we get a close up on the characters.

A specific problem here though, is that once we get that close up, (like after Scorpion pulls the camera in with his spear during his victory pose), the character isn't doing anything to constitute the beating he took. I mean, shouldn't he be holding his eye, or rib...or shouldn't he give the sense that he is tired by putting his hands on his knees or something?

Don't get me wrong though, skin damage is nice to have, I just don't give it as much importance to anything. I like the facial animation much more than the physical damage.

SC4's limb damage was interesting though. Tying something like that to an aesthetic, gives it real meaningful purpose. There is no real purpose or function to visual damage in Mortal Kombat.

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Far as individual character themes, their theme should reflect how specific that character pandering has gotten. Mortal Kombat doesn't really need to "match" a theme overall besides maybe how textured certain garments are. I'd say that characters mainly need to represent their background stories, alignment, maybe nationality or race more than anything. Then you'd just draw from the character concept.

Mortal Kombat takes all comers so, "matching a color pallete or theme shouldn't really see much emphasis. Look at Mortal Kombat Trilogy's roster. Color and theme was every which way for that game. And in doing so, "your favorite" character stuck out much more than they did in MKA's roster.

Themes reflected in the characters should be like Heaven vs Hell sometimes. To where if we pick Scorpion, we really feel like we dug around in Hell to find this guy. And on the opposite, gods need the same type of treatment. I mean, you wouldn't see alot of grainy, rough textures on Raiden right? He'd have some textured going on, but it should give a relaxing, sort of "safe" feel to his character.

I wanted to say that they got a lot right in MkvsDc, but intimately pandering to the characters was one area that they fudged on. Alot of the characters sported the same materials...which is wrong big time. Heaven and Hell don't have the same taylor. lol

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But yea, a graphics theme for Mortal Kombat should really celebrate how realistic things are, and how specifically catered characters designs are. Add the fact that things should be really crisp as far as the environments go and there you have it.

I'd like to see them really employ not sharing much at all from arena to arena, and from character to character. Colors help here, so let me touch on that.

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The way they use colors in the future should really be suggestive to a theme, that panders to the environment that we're in, or character that we're using. It would play to a mythos if on one hand,

- Edenia is this sort of mystical Fantasy Utopia. We should want to "stay in Edenia". Cool hues of royal colors and blues, fresh earth-tones, and coupled with clean cut structural designs would be good. Spa-like mood treatments, and beautiful island scenery should be in Edenia. Hell, throw "a magical fountain" area in there somewhere and let us destroy that during a fight. lol Angel fountains and a waterfall, haha...the works.

Tell you the truth for Edenia, this is where I'd really draw from some of our best modern day fantasy painters. Go Boris Vallejo & Jullie Bell. Alot of the fantasty games out have this type of theme down to a science, so I think it'd be fun to finally destroy that ideology in Mortal Kombat. Especially if they did the fatality screen right, and "withered away" things in the environment while the screen darkens.

- Hell on the other hand, should be this extremely nightmare-themed, terror and horror, torture and despair,....petrified place. Something that gives the impression that you don't wanna be there in the first place, and if you stay there too long, you will be stuck there forever. We should probably see "people trying to get away from something but being caught anyway" in the backgrounds. Really scary creatures (a pitch black silhouette that is actually a creature with like, whited out eyes....*maybe that's what Scorpion looked like at one point?*). Disturbing things happening to "other people" in the background of this arena. An executioner, a guillotine, ect.... One of these "things" being very close to where we actually fight at, should suggest that there's a very real chance that we could be the victim of one of those circumstances.

Colors in hell should be really lifeless....really just blacks and greys....browns and reds. Blood, Dirt, and Slime. But with an undertone of heat colors. I don't want to see lava anymore, I'd like to imagine that if I fall off one more level of this arena...I'm going to fall into some bottomless pit of hell fire. Like, the idea of falling into a volcano. The old MK2 camera perspective would be great right here too.

- EarthRealm would be a medium. Like a beautiful sunset over the Grand Canyon or something, but that is dusty and dirty at the same time. Or 100's of years old architecture....or an old, somewhat organized cemetery at night. Equilibrium regardless of the theme.

In an Earth environment, I wouldn't carry alot of either color extreme. But I'd mix it up according to what's appropriate. So, if we're in a city, or around some industrial area, it really doesn't make sense to have alot of bright, flourishing colors. Probably have more tough greys and browns. Whereas somewhere somewhere like a forest would have lush greens, a desert, or that Grand Canyon idea would have a red//orange//brown pallet.

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Bottom line is no more of this "the more black the better", and no more of this "sharing" stuff. It's not making the games feel darker...it's making the games flat, bland, and most disturbing, it's making the games harder to see.

Character Design -

Seemingly simple. Pander to the character as much as possible, and then open up the "potential box" of goodies for them. They did a really good job with Sub-Zero in MkvsDc....but then again, when haven't they done well with Sub-Zero?

Also wanna say that everything about a character is a chance to deliver more of a great story. Even what they wear and how they are designed. Answer "why".......alot and there you go.

Environmental Design -

Hm...environmentally, I wager that it would depend on the realm we were in at the time. And in that case, I'd really like to see them totally re-invent the appeal to every realm. So just to list a couple of them and a comparison, here's something like what I'd want to see in the future:

1. EartheRealm - I like these latest Call of Duty games for "Earth Realm". I'm talking about the way they did buildings and stuff like Forests. Night-time, most of the time, but impressively crisp graphics no matter night or day. I'd love to see how they'd deal with a daylight land scape for earth. Maybe over the Grand Canyon or something that has some relevance to a character on the roster. Sunset or Daybreak over one of the "7 wonders of the world", or something like that.

I'd like to see them take us different places in some of these arenas. For instance, there was a great appeal to the desert arena in MK3-T. It seemed randomly placed, but it was a creative venture that I appreciated.

Way I figure, Earth is huge in reality, and there are all sorts of things that they could be putting in the games instead of the same specific spins, on the same exact arenas every game.

2. Edenia - I'd like to see a good mix of what was going on in Samurai Shodown back in the day, Soul Calibur 4, and that CoD4 crispness happening. Edenia should be one of the only times we see really beautiful color schemes, and so on. The perk though, would be "killing that scenery through the "Fatality scene".

3. Hell//NetherRealm - Hm...they need to just recreate their idea of what hell should look like. All those oranges and reds and everything is annoying right now. I'd like to see specific parts of the Nether be pitch black sometimes (like, with a light only on you. lol), really spooky sound wise during these parts. And then other times, I'd like the realm to expose us to absolute terror. Hellraiser movies come to mind for this. And I mean, really wet, nasty, grotesque things going on in the environment. If they could do a modernized hellatious Hellraiser in that realm it'd be great. I'd want to see alot more terror and bizarre creatures and stuff come from that realm, rather than the emphasis on lava.

God of War added a Purgatory element to their Hell, I would love to see a MK version of something like that. All those bodies mulling over each other trying to get at you. There's just something really dooming about it if it's done really well. God of War did it fine, but I think there's alot more of a nightmare element there to exploit before the idea is dead.

eh...

I think all the fighting should take place on Earth and Outworld, which is built up as a mysterious world, Hell is a spiritual place and it makes no sense for fighters to do combat there. I'd probably give the characters more realistic back stories and round them out accordingly with more logical and realistic names such as Xia Ling as a substitute for Sub-Zero (translated from Chinese), Sasori for Scorpion (Japanese translation) amongst others. The fighting system would be a bit more realistic but overall just a mixture of all types of martial arts. Sorcery would be used by characters like Sub-Zero and Shang Tsung as a logical way for them to have their powers. Scorpion would be a real man scarred by revenge instead of a "spectre", Kano would don an eye-patch and be handy with small throwing knives and I would push for 3D digitized actors. A fresh restart of the story would be in order, beginning with a remake of the first tournament, Goro would be billed as an unstoppable, powerful superbeast and all of the fighting would take place on Shang Tsung's island which was created by the Sorceror to be used as a gateway to Outworld and to hold the tournament on grounds which would be deemed as favourable for the Emperor and his minions.

I like all the ideas I've seen so far, but what the heck, I'll add my 2 cents:

Story: Can a fighting game have a real, impactful storyline? I think it's possible, but only if the characters are believable. It's time to do away with the stereotypes and give the characters emotions and depth. You can accomplish though cut scenes as well as voice overs in mid fight here and there.

Shock the player a little though. Maybe in the story mode, some characters don't even make it to the final boss because in their story, the character is killed by an assassin, or incapacitated, or some event happens that draws them away from the fight etc.

If it's a story mode, than you should be playing through it to experience the story. If you don't want all of this stuff, than great, play the arcade mode or any other number of modes. But this is an area of the game that will explore the characters; what motivates them, what has drawn them to the tournament, what they hope to accomplish, what makes them flawed and/or human etc. There should be themes of love, betrayal, regret, triumph, pity etc.

This game shouldn't just be "the bad guys are the final bosses and they are pure evil." How about a boss that you could partially sympathize with for a change?

I dunno, I might be coming out of left field here, but the medium of video games grew in complexity for years, yet it has somehow stopped at the "kinda dumb 15 year old" market and has just remained there for years now. Show me several RPGs that are more complex in terms of story than Final Fantasy VII. You've got a few Bethesda games and what, Lost Odyssey? FFVII came out over ten years ago.

My point here is that I believe that MK can tell a good story, but it needs to leave the methods of storytelling and the types of stories that are told back in the 16 bit era where MK began. Alot of the fans that have been around then have since grown up and don't want to play through a story that's as ludicrous and painfully simple as storylines from MKvsDC (I'd go to other genre's and look at Gears of War 2 as other examples today).

Either way, I'd start with a story of rebuilding the MK tournament. The intro would explain that most of the former MK characters died in armageddon. With all of those important characters' deaths, Earth is left without a Supreme Champion. Therefore, the tournament is going back to its' roots and allowing the worlds best to compete for the title of worlds best, supreme protector etc.

I'll come back with more later...

I agree with most of that....but I disagree with the whole, nothing but monotone blacks and grays

I like to see color myself...I liked how MK2 had all of the vibrant colors, but maintained it's dark feel.

I wanna see a lot of greens, purples, and blues, rather than the grays and blacks, browns.

Very interesting Post Predator.

When reading your ideas it sparked some imagination, I love your concept for the hell design and I imagined the dark colors and your idea of purgatory. In terms of the slimey wet elements for that hell stage I would imagine having that be the corpses of hell. Imagine decaying corpses that are piled on top of each other surrounding the area where you do battle. It sounds fucked up saying this but imagine squirming on top of each other and moaning and screaming and just aching for your character to join them. It would make for a terrifying stage fatality if you get knocked into the swarm of corpses a la the Mummy Returns and have undead hellish freaks knawing at your flesh. You mentioned the facial expressions, just imagine the shock and horror expressed on your characters face as they realize they will be doomed for an eternity. I think that would be an interesting stage that many players just want to beat their opponent so they can just get the fuck out of there. The stage music I can imagine would be violins frantically going back and forth creating a high sense of tension and suspense. If you want Terror that embodies it right there in my opinion.
The song would sound something like this but imagine screaming involved too... Shit this is spooky
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XfeWp2y1Lk

Outworld I would have go in the direction of a decaying rome mixed with elements of modern day iraq, only surrounded by mountains and volcanoes. The volcanoes can create cloudy skies and there really would never be a day time in Outworld, just orangy skies clouded with gray smoke. The best visualization that I had ever had of Outworld was the image of Shang Tsung kneeling before Shao Kahn. I'd have it be a real harsh enviornment that is scattered with abandoned battle grounds with dead warriors scattered in the wastelands and the Empire located in the center in Kahn's tower that overlooks a colleseum, that is where Kahn hosts his Mortal Kombat tournament. I'd imagine dead warriors heads on pikes. And dried up blood stains on a sand covered arena. I would imagine the them song for this arena to sound something like this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMzVps2JYzw

I like your idea about the different realms too, you believe in the theme of contrast amongst the stage and I envision your view of Edenia to be like that of world class paintings of eden. I imagine Edenia to be a perfect harmony between all the elements and night time in edenia would look like Van Goa's Starry Night. Bright and vivid colors during day.


I love the direction that you would like to go in story. I agree each character should have many elements to them and most of all, a purpose as to why these characters are fighting in the tournament. The story should focus on a main individual and we should have the boss be someone that we can understand why they decide to do evil and that we could sympathize with them.

I would love the story to show each perspective of the character and rather than doing something like MK vs DC in terms of portraying the story I would like you to physically choose your character and the entire focus is on their journey. Of course there would be only one winner of the Mortal Kombat tournament, but each individual should have their very own individual plot unfold and each story I would like to be compelling. If need be I would have a playable roster of lets say 20 characters so that each story should be developed and fleshed out appropriatley. I miss the days where you can personally relate to a character in fighting games and put yourself in their shoes. That is an element that has been taken out of the Mortal Kombat days a long time ago. Voice acting should be top notch and make you feel the emotions the characters feel.

Imagine a scenario like this in a specific character's storyline I'll go with a character let's say Kung Lao....

Now Kung Lao let's assume does not win the Mortal Kombat tournament let's just say he endures a hellish fight and nearly dies. So instead of Kung Lao facing off against Shao Kahn to become "The Supreme Champion of Mortal Kombat" Kung Lao's final challenge would be a series of endurance rounds but it is set up like a survival situation and it would be in the location of that Outworld stage I described before.

Kung Lao would fight lets say Baraka and Reptile whatever health you have at the end of the fight you carry to the next round and in the cutscene Kung Lao get's knawed in his shoulder by Reptile but beats him down and fends off Baraka. You see that your favorite character is merely mortal and that you have no idea if will live or die. You feel Kung Lao's pain and I feel that music would play a very crucial part in depicting the story. Kung Lao fights another endurance round untill he goes toe to toe with Goro and at this point as the player you are shitting a brick because Kung Lao has been beaten to a bloody pulp and you have about a quater of your health left. When you defeat Goro you see Kung Lao's ending as he delivers mighty blows back and forth to Goro. And in his ending Kung Lao kills Goro and falls to the ground. Imagine Russell Crow at the end of Gladiator. You feel Kung Lao's pain and if he's your favorite character your ass is ready to tear because as you play through his story you know his motives, you know his struggle and you see hims emotional journey and you don't want him to die but in the end he succumbs to his wounds and passes away.... or does he?

You must beat the game with all the characters to figure out the fates of each character. I think that would be an incentive for you to play through the story with each character. If I were to see Kung Lao's ending like that, you bet your ass my next play through would be with Liu Kang to see what happens to Kung Lao.

I also miss the cultural references to the old school martial arts movies. Johnny Cage was a character that resembled Jean Claude Van Damne in Blood Sport, Liu Kang to Bruce Lee, and the first Mortal Kombat made you feel like you were reliving Enter the Dragon that meets Little China Town. If the Earthrealm stages can recapture that old school feel it would be sweet.

This is a really cool thread, and everyones ideas are very interesting.

That's probably the most logically refreshing thing I've read//heard about Mk's arenas//wolds in a while.

I think it's alright that we're able to have fights in the NetherRealm. A reason for not having full exposier to a hell realm could be that: "There could just be parts of that realm that are less inhabitable than others".

I realize that sounds pretty silly but, it's a way for them to let us into the terrors of that realm within the reasonable fantasy element that the game does have. And at the same time, have a reasonable excuse for letting us have Hell as an arena to fight in.

I see your point though.

You know what could be interesting about alowing us to fight there regardless of it being a spiritual place? Different effects on special moves. This could apply to the Chaos Realm as well. To where, when your in that arena, different rules are applied to fighting. Maybe you can't use projectiles at all because they desolve or something like that? Maybe since hell is all about "eternal torment" and all that jazz, when you use certain moves, they take your life away instead of your opponents. It'd serve as an arena that makes people use basic moves more than usual, and overall, sort of "make people" use more of the other moves on a characters move list, outside all the "save moves" that we see online.

It'd be interesting I think, but again, I see your point.

Having all the fighting on just a couple realms would force them to become more creative within those couple realms. Which I think would be really cool because we'd get to see more of Earthrealm and Outworld. It'd let us see outside of just the Street or Bank arena, and outside just the Wastelands. ect...

Either way would work really well I'd say. I think my thoughts would require them to do more to make things make sense.



I could see this happening in moderation. Mainly for new characters though, because I think doing that would bring in more of that "refreshing" feel to things. Characters with more realistic names is certainly a good thing though.

However I don't think that they should be so realistically named that they negate a central "Mortal Kombat theme". For this, I'd just say, make sure that most of the characters' names have a sort of "ring" to them. Scorpion and Johnny Cage for example.

Overall I think just applying a meaning to fictitiously named characters is the way to go. And for the more realistic names on the roster, just need a bit of logic.



That sorta makes sense, but Cryomancy is not a form of magic or sorcery (although it is a false "mancy" in the first place) . It's a form of chi. A form of "will"//meditation//practice perfected. Mancy, as a suffix means, "the art of".

Cryo = freezing
Mancy = art of

Cryomany = the art of freezing.

Sub-Zero would be a Grandmaster of the art of freezing.

It's a perfected skill or talent, not a "magic". You can be taught to use magic (like people who use PhotoShop to manipulate existing pictures together), you can't be taught a talent (you can't be taught to be talented[ Aculeus, JAX007 are naturally talented]).

MkvsDC fucked that up so bad for more than a few MK characters and I really do wish they'd straighten some of this stuff out.

Necromancy is a art of speaking to, and or commanding the dead. It also encompass being able to teleport, or having access to portals. Mostly attributed to Voodoo. That's a magic because it's associated with Witchcraft, and Dark Arts.

Shang Tsung is a master in the art of the dead because he uses supernatural powers, through the assistance of spirits..ect.



: Mmm....I wouldn't make Scorpion human again. Not unless it pertains to his backstory and his human form, Hanzo. That's just what I think about it though. I think he's a much more interesting character dead than he would be alive. He couldn't get away with as much as a human character I feel.

: I've been wondering about what would happen if they went back to the Digitized Actors. I've got nothing on that front though, because That could get really frickin' realistic if they go that route, which is not something I'm sure I'd want to see happen. Most people aren't good actors, and I kinda fear for a story mode if they'd use the actual digitized actors for that part.

Now, if they were to do the digitized fighters again, and maybe texture them so that they are not unbelievably realistic, then I might jump on board with this. But I'm old enough to remember some of those Neo-Geo games....

Wasn't pretty. Couple of those games seemed just like soap operas that you play through, and that was too terrible for words.

I'd be fine with MK's take on actual photo-realism. Way I figure is if they can get close to what the old games' characters looked like, and can make that work out better than the old games for the 1 one, AND the story mode stuff. I'd be good.

Way I'm looking at it, it should capture the effect we all thought MK4 was gonna have. "Really ealistic like MK1-T, but next gen".
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That's what I'm talking about. I think that what was happening back in the day was a sort of prestige about MK that kinda said; "This game is not for kids".

Could've been all the hype, no doubt. But at the same time, the appeal to the game was partially that it was inaccessible to certain audiences.

This wraps right into the story now days for alot of players. We like alot a relativity, and logic in our games now, as well as a compassion for the characters that we're playing with. Something that I'm not hesitant to say that Mortal Kombat helped usher into the gaming scene. My question to them would be; "Why digress when you initiate the concept//theme?"

Are they the catalyst to be forever penalized? That could happen, you know? I've noticed that in modern games, we can get away with murder. However there are catches to the art that use Mortal Kombat as a model.

For instance, we commonly see "things", or "human-like" things being killed. And therefor there remains a disconnection to the characters on screen, and the actual players playing the games.

MK sorta can't do that unless we're talking about a MKSM type game with the tarkatans running around.

Another loop is that, when killing human characters on screen, they might have to be masked some kind of way...explaining alot of these war games - Halo, and others for example. But at the same time, my cousin is playing these Call of Duty games and I get a little confused when a head-shot is delivered...or a limb gets blown to bits by a discretely placed proximity mine.

Really makes me wonder what the hell is going on. Maybe it's that they can't do person to person executions? idk. Regardless though, the games need to mature in a big way through and through. Story, gameplay, the aesthetics....ect

And it's not just that they need to mature, the need also stems to the fact that innovative thinking and logic need to shine through these games again. I was playing Mirrors Edge the other day and if it was nothing else, it was refreshing and new. I tell ya what though, innovative//logical thinking is not a place they need to "inherit" anything from any other game. All they'd really have to do is find new and clever ways to use all that's in Mortal Kombat, based on what other games are doing right now. Add to that an effort put forth to try and exceed what the market is currently doing, and we should have a winner. Ah....that's rant stuff.

Anyway, I like how Prototype is handling their game's set up. I think a prime example for how Mortal Kombat's story mode should look, and perform right now, is something along those lines. That game's not even out yet, but it looks just like a perfect progression from MKD's Konquest mode with Shujiko.

Way I figure it, is if they took that model, took away the dedicated character and let us pick who we want for that thing. Then, let us take him//her through that whole mode having say a character story being almost auto built for us as we go through building our characters moves up, collecting things, and eventually becoming a participant in the Mortal Kombat contest...it'd be fantastic. Especially if the character that we were able to take through that mode was our own created character. More on that in a sec though.



I'm mostly with that....because it leaves alot to be discovered and to get involved with while playing the game. Right off the bat I'd assume that everyone who is now not there, was killed in MKA. But wait.....

lol
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Arena specific. I think that using this method when it's appropriate would be greatly appreciated.
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Great post.

First, when you mention the corpses and so on, I like to think of functionality right off. I think that if they were to have this sort of thing, that when we fight in the arena, have one of the challenges be staying away from the edges of the arena. Reason being, is because if you get close to them in this sort of setting, they can and will grab you.

Y'know...grab a foot, jump on you....something might land on your head, or upper body and crawl all over you. That sort of thing.

BUT, listen to this.....to get these things off of you, all you'd have to do is hit a kick or punch button, and it would fling the thing off. The cool thing about this whole idea, is that it's not supposed to take away from an ongoing fight. It's only objective is to make fighting tougher for one of the players.

As well, say for instance one of these things in the Hell//Purgatory//Graveyard arenas grabbed your foot, k? Well, I don't believe that your upper body functions should be hindered. I think that if you got something on your foot....you kick. Simple. Same as if it's on your upper body somewhere, except...you punch. To get the thing off of you, AND still be able to block your opponent and whatnot.

Because the thought is, that the opponent gets an advantage.....like Sub-Zeros' freeze move. The challenge, is maneuvering your opponent into a situation that lets them get caught by some-"thing" that would normally "just be a background" aesthetic.

A demon squirrel falls out of a tree in the Living Forrest and lands on your head (you press any punch button)....a corpse raises up out of a grave in the graveyard and grabs your foot (you press any kick button)....ect.

Used Sparingly Though I don't wanna see some continuum happening. Because it's supposed to be a surprise that intensifies the fight, and that challenges how diverse the players strategy is. And all the while, you can block attacks from your opponent....but depending on where the "thing" is on you, you just can't use your respective limb. So, if it's on your leg, you can block with your upper body...but you can't use your legs until you get the "thing" off (lol)


EDIT: To continue...

Your stage and music idea is excellent. I like the tone that the track sets alot. What also appeals to me about that track, is that it's really quiet track. There's no real ambiance and so on going on in the background which is perfect for a Hell arena. It signifies "dead" and or "torture" in a very "curious apprehensive" sort of way. Kinda makes you step back at first, but with a little time, it makes you really wanna hear what's going on in the track. Sounds like potential for something to jump out at you, and I think if they went this way with it, capitalizing on that kind of attribute of the music in the arena somehow would be great.

What I'd probably change is, maybe alternate away from the water//bubbly sound or change it to flesh sounds. I'd probably use the cords a little more . I like the rattle and the other little sound effects, but I might change the voices so that they resemble tortured souls, or the idea of purgatory more often than we hear them kind of "just making sounds".

I really like the tone of that track, so even though that particular one doesn't do it completely for me...that concept is right on spot.

To complete it, when a fatality is being performed, make those voices slowly raise(screaming moaning ect) , maybe add some randomly sounding drum beats in there. Then, when those voices climax, and the drum beats start getting aggressive, the fatality is actually performed, and the voices and everything kinda drop off//drain away.

Excellent idea though, I'm all for it.

I have more to add to this thread in regards to characterization and a few more stage concepts for the new Mortal Kombat game.

I would like to reinvent the Mortal Kombat franchise again and re-establish the classic characters.

With Sub-Zero being my favorite character I am getting bored of his status in Mortal Kombat, with Sub-Zero being the grand master it makes him appear to be too predictable and having much to loose. I would love for Sub-Zero to return to his roots, as a hired assassin who does out deeds for the highest bidder and putting himself at the disposal of his clan. In this Mortal Kombat game Sub-Zero would be a very complicated character. He would be the ultimate anti-hero in the Mortal Kombat franchise.

And I would like to add some Irony in the story too, even though Sub-Zero is a cold blooded killer he still has a heart and I would like Sub-Zero to make a transition in his story to being stubborn and withdrawn to towards the end of his story showing signs of mercy and becoming an individual rather than blindly following his clan. I would love to add a hint of conspiracy behind the Lin Kuei clan. It would be really cool for Sub-Zero to believe he is in the tournament to kill the host of the tournament (It could be a rehash of the first Mortal Kombat) but as the plot develops he suspects that his clan has become corrupted and that he has been set up by a group that works similar to an illuminati whose purpose is to reform the Lin Kuei by killing all of its old members. Sub-Zero would be reluctant to band up with the heroes of the game but he must do so in order to survive and carry out his task.

That involves Scorpion who instead of holding a grudge on Sub-Zero for killing him, he can be Sub-Zero's hellish nightmare who works like the Terminator and is persistent in killing him. I would love Scorpion to this time in a Mortal Kombat game have his own agenda rather than him just blindly seeking vengeance, and yes Scorpion would be a villain who is a mad dog whos soul purpose is to see everything around him burn. Also with Sub-Zero lets add a sense of mystery to him, by hinting about his background but not really knowing much about him. Plus in this game I would not explore his headquarters. If you want to have a well established story it should be centralized in one specific area. MK1, 2, and 3 was good in the sense that you knew where the characters were then in MK4 you would jump from area to area and there would be no explanation.
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In terms of stages I feel that a stage design that resembles Northern China would be very cool, I would like a stage set up for pure combat, no interference just pure spiritual combat. Here's an image as to what I am thinking.

http://www.proairticket.com/images/imagini-mari/beijing-big.jpg

This would also be a very interesting stage concept that could be located in Earthrealm.

http://aoliver.files.wordpress.com/2007/05/img_8759.jpg

story wise - i'd like to see it just on earthrealm and outworld for a fresh new tournament.

characters - i'd like to see an entire new breed of characters with scary realism brought to mk.

visual wise - i'd like to see mk branch it's feel and look to the horror genre.

arena's - must be massive and outworldly big. think of the size of far cry.
have multiple stage fatality's hidden throughout the arena's. have every part of the stage breakable and interactive to keep the player entertained.

fatality's - make the fatality's 15 -20 sec long. give 2 fatality's per character.
lots of realistic blood during the fatalitys sequence.

bosses - must make them powerful but hard to get to. not like previous games mkda,mkd,mka.

gameplay - lose styles, weapons, mini games and extra modes.

have the endings be like how god of war is when you beat arcade mode with a character.

have special moves play a big role on the enviorment.

make the music and sound effects dark and gritty.

lose the krypt or vault.

have unlockables like win with a certain character 25 times and you unlock a character or stage. win with a flawless victory and you receive an alternate attire. do a certain special a certain amount of times and unlock extra music. beat the game on hard and you unlock replays.

what you think.

I think that idea is simply awesome I would love to play Mortal Kombat to unlock those achievements

this is just some random brainstorming....

STORY: This is an area of MK that needs improvement. Storylines for me, are probably one of the most best / crucial parts of a game and it's been kind of lacking.

RANDOM: If Kung Lao is to be in the next game, I always thought it would be cool for his weapon to be his hat like in Shaolin Monks.

FIGHTING: I agree that the fighting styles should be taken out, although I DO like having a weapon. I'd also like for everyone to kind of have their OWN victory poses. What happened to Sonya's salute and arm cross? Liu Kang bowing with his hands together?

ENDINGS: Now THIS is the area that needs some MAJOR help. I would like to see longer endings and have them be videos rather than stills.

Again, random brainstorming. I'll think of more later.

That's excellent too. And I love the music choice through and through for that arena. I think This arena is probably as close as they have gotten. But I still think it's quite a ways off. That picture doesn't really do the idea justice either because it's shrouded in pixel damnation, but I think if they cleaned it up, gave it Call of Duty twist in how crisp it should be, it'd be fantastic.

With addition of some depth, the mountains//volcanoes that you mentioned, along with that decaying Rome feel that you're talking about would yield a much more dramatic "war ridden realm" feel that I think needs to be in a place like that. All the while, touches of a modern day Iraq throughout would really set that arena off for sure.
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Something interesting for that arena, would be the inference that Reptile is somewhere in the arena with you. What would be cool is to have a very subtle transparent being moving around on the walls as a part of the backgrounds A.I. (remember MK1, the movie? Where Kang found Reptile? yea).

Hell, what if that's how you found, and fought Reptile? I'm sure it would be a rumored secret. Add an in engine cinematic real quick that goes right into the bout, and there you go!

Could also work in the Living Forest too.



Yea. Look at this painting here.

On the right side of the picture, is what I kind of imagine the realm looking like consistently. Maybe let in more of those lush earth tones (greens, friut colors, very clean stone architecture...ect) And on the left side of the picture, is what I think beautiful Edenia should turn into during a fatality screen.

Another couple "before" pictures with a little bit of a Japanese feel to it, here and here, here, here...aaand really like this one here.

After?

VERY Luis Royo. Just look around at his stuff for what I'd imagine would happen to Edenia when a fatality is being performed.

This effect should happen on every arena during the "fatality screen". I just point it out concerning Edenia because it should have the most dramatic effect on things.

Luis Royo's stuff is very "next gen fatality". Very..."dark and gritty".



Yes, and incentive for beating the game with all of its characters is necessary. I mean, they could at least be alluding to it like they did back in the day. Back in MK...ahh what was it? MK3-T? There was a code thing after you beat the game that gave you an opportunity to get something else.

Well, I think a good modern interpretation of that could quite possibly be a really good FMV movie. Maybe 5min, that shows and explains who the canon winner of that contest is.

It would also be a chance for them to close that chapter, and let characters that are not the winners, go in their own directions for that MK game.
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I really like how you were able to apply the endurance mode into that situation. I think it's absolutely worth looking into.



I gotta disagree on this one. I was one of those kids that didn't make alot of the conections outside of Liu Kang = Bruce Lee. The thing is though, that reference turned me off of the character because it was so blatant and obvious.

However, I can see the value in it, and think that if they're gonna do things like this in the future, that they should finde much better ways to mask that type of quality about the characters in MK. For instance, I liked MKvsDC's Liu Kang over most all of the past ones because he was the most unique in this game.

I just feel like if they're going to need to pander to the character as much as possible, they'd need to let go of the stereotypes, and deliberate references to people places or things in other media.

So, I really like Jackie Chan as a vehicle for the gameplay of some possible new character. But at the same time, I don't want a character in Mortal Kombat that absolutely mirrors him.


Others that I've thought about are:

Jackie Chan
Tony Jaa
Jason Statham
Jet Li
Zhang Ziyi
Donnie Yen
Chow Yun Fat
Lucy Lu
Michael Jai White
and others

I basically believe that if they're going to make references to these types of personalities...that it should only be that. Just a Reference point that maybe pivots around the idea of a character like these real people.

I hate deliberate knockoffs though. It's one of the main reasons why I hated Raiden's "Thor" alternate in MkDa-A. I'd love it if they always separated the character from the reference enough to where it's not exactly identifiable.


To be continued...

That is my sentiments exactly, What you have mentioned has already been done with Kano. He was inspired by the Terminator movies but he is by no shape or form a killing robot.

I agree with the idea of letting go of stereotypes, I fully encourage every character to be unique and individualized but there has to be an inspirational core to each character. For example Kintaro is the breed of half man half tiger and his concept was simply awsome.

With the world today there is so many references ranging from Egyptian Mythology, Greek Mythology, Biblical References, Hinduism.

You can also branch off to media Icons.

Ripley from Aliens
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
A huge variety of Graphic Novels to choose from
Anime (Not the actual style just basic concepts of unique characters)
And so forth.

You do cover a few good points.

1.) Wipe the Slate Clean:

To me that really just means alot of revitalization, and reinvention of alot of the things that they were doing right in the past.

Delivering alot of what made the franchise a hit is a great idea, but in doing so, expansion on those things is very important. Just as important too, is catering those things to the current audiences interests. For instance, when they had Tobias on one of those Mkasts, and when he was talking about Kitana, some of the things that he was talking about didn't make sense for where she started, as opposed to where she is now. So, while I absolutely respect the motivation for the character that he explained....right now, some of the things he explained, and some of the ways he explained her seem wrong. Regardless of the facts, and even though it's their creation.

I think that not only has that character changed over the years, but the way people perceive that character "going back to her roots" has changed as well. That result would seem different and refreshed, but in essence remain the same.

I think that in cases like these, they'd need to probe the base to see what the general census is on particular portions of the game or character. So if I can continue to use Kitana for another example here....

Her story would have to retain stuff that we obviously know as a fanbase about her (mother and father killed, kahn adopted her, former assassin..ect) , AND then, they'd have to....mmm...in a sense consult with some of her hardest core fans to be able to know what "little things" in her story to hold on to.

Same with her design, and moves and so on....they need to know what we think of her to a more intimate degree so that they can know how to handle her as pertaining to this modern fanbase of hers.

And so....they'd need to re-find out how people interpret specific aspects of the whole game so that they can capitalize on that potential, and supersede everyone's expectations about all of those aspects. Once you do this, you're able to tell where to endulge, where to take liberties, and where you might be able to fudge, or create completely new aspects of the game or characters.

Gives way to an easy nostalgic feel, but also alot of fresh new material that way. Meh, it sounds complicated but, you get a feel for these things really easy.

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So anyway, I'd love to see them "wipe the slate clean" too, but I just think that means different things to different people too much. And so, I think the easiest way to deal with wiping things clean for this franchise, is to re-imagine, and exploit things that they were limited on in the earlier games. More of a refresh than a complete disregard for things that make this game good.

Change is good alot of the time, but Mortal Kombat's problem isn't in changing things. It's in stamping down the brand properly each time they change things. That's what I see disappointing alot of us. They made the brand "Mortal Kombat" so vague and wide that it's hard to say that many of the things they do with the franchise each time isn't Mortal Kombat.

That's wrong because you need a more obvious identity in all that MK encompasses. NOW.

2.) Repeating Themselves

I think that they pay waaay too much attention to when people say this, and it backfires on them as a consequence because......hmm, because they end up changing the wrong things in the wrong ways.

Being too adamant about changing things makes them turtle on the things they should be changing. Story gets points knocked off of this everytime because they wanna change the way the game looks, and not what motivates the game.

You see, if the story element was more....excellent, change would be inevitable for the rest of the game. The fantasy element would change, the moves the characters do would change...ect. Just as a mere consequence of the story moving Mortal Kombat in different directions.

So, we end up getting a game that looks different, but reads and plays the same everytime. Or we get a game with a bunch of distractions to the fact that it is quite the same game once again. Fascinating really, because it shows the temperament of the people on the team. It shows where they might be limited. And as alot of us has stated over time, it looks like they're limited in the way of ideas.

I've learned to appreciate limiting some of my crazy ideas through school, so I'm sure it's not ideas for the MkTeam. I think it's more of a limitation the way of new concepts that motivate a new game. Or, in other words, "the direction" is lacking. To where it looks like they don't know that the story is supposed to be dictating alot of the things these new games are doing. They don't really know that the story should give little hints as to the types of modes and things that we might see in a coming game. They don't seem to understand that a central concept that is written very well, is an endless pool to pull from.

Characters can do just about whatever from there. Modes can be just about anything from there. Fantasy can be manipulated, costumes, and any other aesthetics or extras can go in whatever way they need them to go from there. So long as it makes sense to be those ways for a specific game. The story element can even tell you what the graphics, or what the fighting concepts in game-play are supposed to look like...ect

So anyway, I agree that the repetition needs to stop. But to be more specific than that, I'd say that they have to reformat how they're putting the games together. Since Mortal Kombat has a huge story element in it, with the potential to move around every other aspect of the game, I think coming up with a well thought out story concept first is the way to go.

Then do game-engine stuff. Then graphics, then extras. Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the story element for MkvsDc came later in production. This is wrong wrong wrong for a modern audience that wants everything in a game to be fun, have importance, be intriguing, or really just have an emotional or intellectual stimuli associated with it.

Mk needs to grow up, in a sense or two. Fans are now very real potential successors to members on the MkTeam. Information travels alot faster now, and schools get to the point of the degree faster.

Aheh, so if you think about it, a freshmen in HS might have 8 (HS=4yrs College= 4yrs typically) or so yrs til he's//she's ready to apply at Mortal Kombat. And in that time Mk will have only released what? 2-3 games? They gotta step it up, and I think the best place to start is on Story.

3.) Reappearances

To your "A.)": I agree with you again on this. But I wanted to add that consequence needs importance again. If some character dies in their story, leave them dead in their story. Doesn't mean that they can't come back in some non-canon compilation type game, but if the general reception of a character is negative? Get rid of the dead weight within that games' proximity.

I also like the idea of characters just....going away from Mortal Kombat for whatever reason. All the characters that don't win the contest don't have to die, y'know? They could get old, become crippled (mentally//physically), rank out, complete the goal that they were after (some of them could have a single target like, I wanna kill so and so...then go away from mortal kombat after that), some could just quit, or be left behind....ect ect.

There's a million reasons out there why a character could get involved, or leave MK.

- Also, I think that if a character dies, and is somehow allowed to come back, that there should be some real difference in the characters story, behavior, strengths and weaknesses...ect. I don't know too many people that would just brush off...Going to Heaven or Hell and coming back. Dig? That stuff is life altering...literally.

-Last on this is, I wouldn't really mind alternate identities if it played into a continuing theme or plot of some sort for one of the characters. Like, espionage could see one of these ninja types seemingly disappear all the time and come back as "someone else". Infiltration could see a character change pallets a few times until the plot is exhausted...never know. The main thing here though, is that the shit would have to be completely coherent and sensible. Logical at the end of the thing.

To your "B.)": Side games are always a great avenue to flesh out characters, and compliment the main Mortal Kombat game. I'd love to see these things come out with the intent of doing so.



Quality over Quantity overall for me.

There's alot to choose from so, I think that the few females that we do have in the games, need to be taken much more serious a look at. Instead of just being male fodder, they could be more potent than they are in a variety of ways.




: I like the idea of the worlds and arenas having a story attached to them, but mainly I think that those things should be as they have been at different times in the past. Which is just as a representation of a characters origin or struggle or whatever.

: No go on the Create-a-Level. MkTeam, do not do that with MK. Please.

However, I wouldn't mind seeing attributes of something like that in a story mode, online map for teams and such....or something really character specific. Don't want to see this littered all over the place though. Have it be like ONE puzzle in the game somewhere and that's it.

I understand the impulse, but overall I do not see any reason for them to add an element like that to Mortal Kombat, when there's still an overabundance to work with and create from right now. Mk alone is still extremely well off without these things. If insistent though, only infer.

: I loved Kreate-a- Kharacter. I want it to come back improved and as a central part of how we play through story mode offline.

Start off young, maybe around age 15-17, and by the end of the thing we should be between 20 & 50 (we dictate how fast or slow we age somehow), and we become one of those "other" contestants in the Mortal Kombat contest. We would be the "nobodies" that also came to participate in the contest.

Also, give us modes for our kreated kharacter online that pertain to a story, AND or open world exploration themes. Take a note from the Call of Duty online experience...that would be pure crack. Teams and whatnot?...wow.

: No go on the Khreate-a-Fatatlity thing. Looks like it'd take too much to make every single thing character specific anyway so...I'm not on board for this.

EDIT



I like this inference alot. But I think it's another thing that emphasises on what the gravity of the story element in Mortal Kombat should be by now.

A great story mode gives us sensible control over everything, and delivers the story through collecting things, triggers in the thing, or the A.I..

Sensible control over collecting things could be such as:

a.) weapons, currency (trade), clothing, ect. Giving good purpose to why we want the thing that we pick up. If we want to tote around some weapon, it could help us against an enemy, or some other obstacle. Trade is an obvious tool in a game of competition, and money could allow you access to certian weaponry or clothing. Clothing(armor and whatnot) could give us information, AND more or less power for our character.

Sensible control over triggers could be such as:

b.) "If you want to go here...what happens?"

Sensible control over A.I. (artificial intelligence) could be such as:

c.) The best scenario I can imagine right now that seems easily feasible, would be to have someone in the A.I. tell you a story about something. Yourself, Mortal Kombat history..ect. The way to give players control of that, is to let us pay the A.I. something, and let us choose the story we want to hear//know about. Like the Dragon in MKA telling Taven about his past. Well, in a new Mortal Kombat, I'd imagine that being an old man//woman in the village that you are also from. Someone that's easily accessible, and to a large extent, he/she would be stationary.

- From the other end of that, I don't think that the old tactic of "the bad guys laying out their plot for you" throughout the game is good enough. And in fact, I'd prefer that those entities(NPC - non-playable characters) not give too much information at all. They should probably be telling you what you can't do, or ordering you around until you figure out how to get out from under their thumb. They might threaten you so long as you are an obstacle for a plan that they are in line for accomplishing. They might try to trick you...ect

Why this way? Because in real life, you never get that much info from someone with their own agenda. In real life, you really only get "help" from people who know you...and like you. You usually find flaws in an enemies grand sheme and find ways out of dealing with them.

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Other thing is how you mentioned splitting the story in two. I like the idea of being able to influence your character towards an alignment, like you said. But I think there should be a limited amount of decisions to make in a story mode setting. Maybe 11-21 decisions with one of them being the decision that breaks left(bad) or right(good). Neutral alignment would be as a consequence of a consistent back and forth pattern in decision making...or that is dictated by only making selfish decisions.

Needless to say there's alot of math, and so on to consider by way of the decision mechanic in the game. I think they could do it though. And still have a healthy fighting mechanic, as well as a really good online experience.

Bottom line is, I think we need to have a created character as our main story mode character. As well as have things we can take them through online. I'd admit that there are some MMO inferences there, but it's what's needed iMo to make MK a "Real MK" game. Gives alot more purpose to thing if they're allowing "Me" to create "Me" and involve "Me" in my favorite game. I think it'd be really dope.



Oh the possibilities are pretty much endless if they were to get to that point. I mean, you could go really deep into it too.

Things that shift you left or right could range

1.) from helping or hurting people,

2.) rebelling against your teachers and leaders, instead of doing everything the MkTeam designs a "right way" to do things.

3.) Stealing and Espionage, as opposed to working and paying for things,and becoming liked.

Yea, it could get really sensitive. Stats could be a core piece of the equation here too. Because everytime you do something, the game records it. I'd imagine that if it's that deep, you'd have to play the game a few times to get a character that is as pure at heart as Liu Kang out of the game. Cuz you know, it's much easier to be bad than it is to be good.



You know actually, I think all the sound stuff in MkvsDc was done extremely well. I think the only thing really missing would have been the sounds of blood splattering. But that's just because they toned the stuff down so much in this game. Overall though I love the sound coming from this game.

For specific tracks though, I'd like a good mix of "big" tracks, with all the ambiance, choir, and so on, to tracks that are very hollow, and suggestive.

My only real "problem" with MkvsDc's sound would be the script. That needs to be more natural than it was. It needs to be hell, smarter, for lack of a better word. I'd erge them to just record each other talking to each other like normal. And you know, consider the different dialects that exist in the world too. In just the U.S. some people talk slower than others, some people have alot to say, some people interject more than others...some people are argumentative...ect.

I guess what I'm saying is that I'd appreciate a feel of "improvisation//on the fly" type of speech patterns from the script for the characters. Things strictly written, and "sounding scripted" at all is just terrible for this franchise by now. I think that whenever it starts to sound cheesy, and anything other than "every day" normal conversing, it should break toward "as natural as possible" from here on out.

======Side Note=====

Why can't the announcers voice change? That needs to change to be more natural too. I mean, just hire someone with a cool voice that fits the character. Maybe manipulate his voice a little bit from there.
===================

Anyway, sound effects and the music is great right now, just diversify more based on the realm that we're in, or arena that we're in.



Yea, if there was anything I really disagreed with you on, it's this. While I do like the idea of it, I don't like that there's no other real function of it than being aesthetic. I mean yea, that's what games are made of, but I really don't need to see bones sticking out of anything during a match.

That said, during a fatality, bones, guts, and what not do need to be there. I think if the fatalities were more aesthetically pleasing, then they would be used more, and for a longer period of time after the game is released. One of the things that they mentioned is memory, and I think that if there was ever a place in the game to spend a bunch of time making things look the best they possibly could...it's on the fatality screen and on the fatality.

Lastly, I think we should just....give them props on finally getting the ripped clothes and all that in MkvsDc. It's something that's been asked for-- for a very long time, and each time they've wanted to do it, they couldn't for whatever reason. I think that accomplishing this for this generation of consoles is enough for how ever many games they release on these consoles.

Way I'm looking at, it is that now that they have it there, it should stay. But now they should be moving past that. Now that it's there, only adjust it for new games...don't reinvent that wheel. Put that energy into making the story mode better, or the arcade mechanics better....or the fantasy element better. And just adjust everything so that it fits together aesthetically.


Great post Ice...

Great posts Predator, and everyone else for that matter. The main part of these ideas that got me thinking was the idea of revitalization of MK and how to expand on what has been done well in the past.

To me, as I said before, MK needs to grow into the next generation of gaming and beyond. I'm painting with a broad brush there, but let me explain:

1) The story: As I said before... The story needs to be more complex. Maybe not Christopher Nolan complex in terms of plot, but that's a direction that video games could really stand to go in. The first real generation of gamers has grown up, yet most games take their ideas or story models from games that were around when this grown up generation were still kids.

Does that make sense to anyone?

Why not try and create a game with storytelling depth. I'm not asking for a convoluted homage to Enter the Dragon or anything like that, but a story with real depth. Take a concept:

Armageddon has killed nealy all of Earth's powerful warriors. Earth Realm is without a champion; a protector. The portals to all other realms have been closed in the three years since Armageddon, but just as the threat of Shao Khan has dissipated, the world must now rally around the Shaolin Tournament and prepare for whatever battles lie upon the horizon.

It's a simple idea, but when you dig deeper, you can find a world that is still gripped by panic. You juxtapose a secret tournament that is striving to protect the world from evil with outside actors that seek to ensure their own survival. I'm talking about secret government initiatives, the media, etc.

And that's just one small part of a much bigger picture. I mean, that's just the main story's beginning. Characters can be ruled by completely different ideas and beliefs.

2) The characters: Here's another area where I'd like to see depth in terms of the character design. If all of the purely good characters are gone, then what does that leave in terms of Characters that get into this tournament?

Sure, you'll have characters that are for the most part bad (for more human reasons than, well, they wear black hats and twirl moustaches), but get into the tournament because their skills are without equal.

You'll have characters that want to be good, but are gullible or misguided in their beliefs. You'll have characters that get side tracked along the way.

In other words, you need to have characters that are flawed, not just black and white, good vs evil. Take themes from books, cinema etc and really search out a way to make these characters real to the player.

Give them a progression. How does fighting in a tournament where you could easily die affect a character? How does losing in this tournament affect a character? What does it mean to strive to take on the burdon of supreme champion?

I know that I'm throwing out a ton of stuff here, but again, it's just ideas. As I said, the game playing audience has grown up, and whether it be by cut scenes, characters talking in the fights or even having cut scenes in the fights (story mode only obviously)... Tell me a story.

Tell me who these characters are, what their motivations are, what outside actors are affecting them and how this tournament is growing these characters in terms of depth and knowledge etc.

Here's an idea, have a town. We'll say, something akin to the Forbidden City. A mixture of old culture, but it's a town made up solely of the Shaolin. It's still recovering after the temples were nearly destroyed by Khan's invading forces.

The town is trying to rebuild, but they're poor and while the Shaolin see this tournament as a source of pride and sacred duty, the Tournament has fallen on hard times. It's a monument to the past in MK (shrines of past MK heroes and champions etc) while trying to be it's present and future as well.

Still, you use this city to get around. There is no tree that you move up. You have a map in the lower part of a screen; a scroll that indicates where you are and where your next fight is. You can mark points of interest and the map tells you where at by name (ie the lower gardens, the town square, the waterfalls, the sunken dome etc).

But you can move around town, talking to people, learning about the tournament's past, your opponents, rumors about the leaders of the tournament, where to find items for create a character mode, go to shops to buy and edit your character, dojos to learn moves. The list goes on.

The only way it would be contextual (not like MK:D, stand at A-2 in Chaosrealm at 12:18am) is that different characters can unlock different things. So if you explore, you'll find what that character needs to know about themself, the story, unlockable moves, items etc.

There are tons of ways to tell a story in games. Rewarding players for their participation in the story is only one method among many.

3) The fighting system: I still want to see a day where the block button is eliminated from fighting games, but how about this: How about blocking can only be done right before your character is about to get hit? You know, like in a real fight?

Give characters a way to escape from any move, counter any move or simply block an attack. Three buttons, each dedicated to escape, counter and block. This way, you work up a whole system of fighting where the matches flow like a fight scene from, say, a jackie chan movie. There is no
holding down and block and becoming magically immune to everything.

Obviously you have the assortment of punches, kicks, special attacks (ie moves that are unique to each character but aren't otherworldly...double jump kicks, flip kicks etc) special moves (teleports, projectiles etc).

I like MK vs DC's idea of altering special moves. I'd take it step further and have multiple alterations for special moves. All of these moves would tie to the characters fighting style and weapon of choice.

I won't go too deeply into the ideas here, but my point is that the MK team needs to find a way to make fighting games "new" again. Not just some gimmick like the aggressor meter, but a new way of fighting that's open to everyone yet provides a ton of depth for those that would seek it out.

Everyone knows that the best way for MK to grow up is to grow the fighting system into something that's fun to play and accessible for all ages. No, I don't expect my grandma to want to play MK. That's not what I'm talking about at all here. But I am talking about making a game in a typically hardcore genre that can be hardcore but also open to new players as well.

To me, you can accomplish this by having punch, kick, throw, block, counter and escape. Yes, the special moves are still toward toward punch etc, but a player should be able to do well enough without even knowing special moves.

Think about the new prince of persia game. People say that it practically plays itself, but the acrabitics and moves etc look gorgeous. If MK can acheive that kind of beauty in fighting, where it really looks like a real battle is taking place between two skilled individuals, while at the same time giving depth where it's saught, that type of fighting game, to me, is on a whole different level than what's currently out there.

4) Fatalities: Another area where MK can stand to grow up. I've said it before, but, remember when MK actually shocked people? It seems like the MK team has simply run out of ways to shock people.

To me, the MK team should do everything in it's power to push the M rating as far as it'll go. I'm talking milimeters from the AO rating. Fatalities should not just be brutal or gory or whatever, but they should be visceral.

Show the player that these characters are desperate to survive, and in doing so, there is a force brought out in them, an instinct makes them go further outside of themselves, yet into a place that is within the deepest, darkest reaches of their soul.

This is where cinematography comes in. The camera needs to pan in and show the terror on the victim's face as they realize that they're about to die. You see the point of a blade piercing skin, you hear the sound it makes when the skin breaks, the bones are sliced, the brain matter is pierced.

You hear the blood choked gurgles of death pouring from the victim's throat as they attempt so scream. This isn't an explosion where 25 rib cages fly out of one body. This is personal, up close, etc. You are watching a character murder another character.

See? It sounds a whole lot uglier when you say it this way. When the fatality is almost movie quality and shot that way. It's raw, it's up close and it's gruesome. You feel for the victim when playing in story mode. Maybe because it's a character that you've learned alot about. Maybe that character fell in love with another character. Maybe it's a woman and she looks so defenseless when she's being finished off by some hulking guy that you've learned is not what he seems.

Take this as an example: Scorpion approaches his opponent, the opponent has fallen to his knees. Scorpion takes out his harpoon spear. The victim looks up, eyes wide with fear. Scorpion takes the spear and jams it into the side of the characters neck. You hear the blood leak out of the wound as the opponent chokes out the words "please...no..."

Scorpion pulls out his sword and splits the opponents head in half. Blood trickles from the sword wound, pouring from the chin. Scorpion puts his hands on the top of the opponents head and pulls the two (now) halves apart. You can hear the bones and cartilage breaking. The matter inside slowly leaks out onto the ground. The opponent slumps to the side as brain parts spill out onto the ground with a mushy thud.

To me, that would be rather shocking. I've never been huge into fatalities, but it would be interesting if they could serve some other purpose besides just shock value. Maybe they could be used as a way to sort of show the progression of some characters, a sort of deevolution to survival instincts, or an anger that comes from revenge etc. Well, at least in terms of the story.

5) The graphics/arenas: To me, the theme of the next MK game should be ressurection. A rebirth not only of the MK franchise (sorry, but doing a versus game to me is like admitting that your product, as a stand alone game has become stale), but of the actual Mortal Kombat Tournament. The tournament started by the Shaolin to crown a supremem champion and protector of Earthrealm.

But because the Temples were nearly destroyed by Khan's invading armies while Liu Kang and Kung Lao were in Outworld for MK2, the Temples are still in ruins. There is rebuilding taking place, but it won't be uncommon to fight within ruined temples, near destroyed monuments or arenas that are simply unfinished or somewhat primative in their construction.

Think of the arena in Jet Li's movie "Fearless" where he's fighting on a vaulted arena that looks to be somewhat crudely designed. The theme should be ruined beauty mixed with nature at night.

Other arenas could include a large bridge over a waterfall. The moonlight shining down, parts of the bridge falling off as the battle rages on.

I would have multiple arenas that connect to one another, so that characters could theoretically begin in one part of a stage and end up fighting through several stages. Perhaps even interupting other fights that are taking place.

A forest stage at night. A shrine to previous MK champions. A newly constructed (though still old looking) arena called the Great Hall where the judges of the tournament look down upon the proceedings. A series of pagoda rooftops where you can fall to lower roofs and get thrown to higher points and back up to other roofs etc.

As for the graphics engine here, I'd be looking at something that's gritty and realistic, using muted tones to create a contrast to the beauty in the games world.

The town should be dark and wet with dark stone buildings and rock pathways that shimmer in the night sky. The Forest could have bright green grass and bright cherry blossoms, all the while showing a large ruined statue with a large statue head in the background. Again, I'm aiming for contrast.

The beauty comes from vibrant colors that some of the women might wear, or the faded colors on the pagodas, etc. In short, I'd want a graphics engine that could convey the cracks in rocks as well as the creases on the faces of the downtrodden elderly passers by in the city. A ton of detail and realsim here.

There should be a pain that eminates from the town, while at the same time a hope that comes from the beauty of renewed purpose, a beauty that comes from blue flowers or the expressions on a warrior's face that is perceived to be good or champion material.
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All in all, MK needs to slim down in some ways, while getting much bigger in others. As Predator said, expand upon what the series does well. To me, this means getting rid of minigames, sideshows, distractions, gimmicks etc.

As a fighting game fan and more specifically, an MK fan, I don't need or want modes in my fighting game that don't pertain to, well, FIGHTING. Yes, a create ac character mode is great, it gives players items to collect and thus rewards them for repeated playing. I'm fine with that. But kart racing? No thank you.

I might be crazy, but I don't see MK's story or characters being taken seriously when there are big head versions fo them playing a puzzle fighter rip off in a different mode of the game.

I mean, take the more serious stories in video games... Ico, Prince of Persia perhaps... These were story driven games that didn't rely on cheap gimmicks or silly extra modes to make the "full experience" of the game more "complete." You don't have to shove extra modes into the game to justify the price tag. Make a great fighting game with a great story and characters that are interesting and people will buy it.

Okay, maybe this sounded angrier than I intended. I didn't mean it to sound that way at all. I just wish that the MK team's vision of my favorite game could grow with the fans that have been there since the beginning.

Predator's right, there was difference between MK and other games out back in the early 90's. There was the feeling of mystery and intrigue surrounding characters, from Shang Tsung on down the line. The tournament had an almost ethereal or mystical quality to it. You get it in flashes now (like in the House of Pekara stage in MK:DA), but the characters and the story simply haven't been able to recapture that original feeling that I had when playing MK.

If the MK team could somehow grow the series through a new fighting engine that emphasize accessability AND depth, a high quality story (without "what if" endings) and characters that have realistic personalities and layers, characters that change as their story unfolds, and a theme in the graphics and arenas that gives off more than "this is the hell stage" or "this is the temple stage" than I think that MK could get that rebirth that I think alot fans believe the series could use right about now.

Anyways, I went in to give 2 cents and probably left about a buck fifty. Sorry about that! I hope you like at least a few of my ideas. Sorry if this was too long!

Excellent points again man.

Personally, I'm a fan of naturalizing the way a contest comes to be. So, if we were to start from the results pending of MKA, I'd immediately go in the direction of explaining the absence of characters. I'd use the inference Shang Tsung made of Shao Kahn. And it was that those who had pledged themselves to Shao Kahn, would only be freed of their obligation to him, through Shao Kahns death.

a.) So for starters, I'd kill Shao Kahn, and work through those who had pledged themselves to him with an open end. Leaving certain specific characters' absence to be explained through existing characters, or for purpose of "yet to be seen" scenarios.

b.) I'd also use Raiden and Zombie Liu Kang to kill off other characters since that's what he wants to be doing anyway. *slash* A big chunk of the problems are gone right off the bat, and we get to see some cool CG video that truly finally embodies MK's nature. Sets the tone...ect.

- By this point, you got the main big bad guy gone, and the two biggest good guys "out of the way" for this new story to come through.

I think Shao Kahn has the potential of taking something like 21 characters with him to the grave if he dies. And Raiden and Liu Kang have the potential to take out left over Evil figure heads, or even clans the way Raiden is talking//acting right now.

Should be quite dramatic if they were to play it this way. So, what do we do with the remaining, mostly good guys at this point?

c.) Anything and everything. BUT, they go away from Mortal Kombat after MKA. Some of them die in battle, some of them survive battle but retire, go home, go back into training, go to jail, whatever....The point in this though, is that not everyone knows about a new contest that gonna take place because they are no longer within the loop. Therefor they cannot be expected to know anything about the precedings of EarthRealm taking measures to protect itself.

"Naturally."

The only ones that would know, would be Earth natives who are real potential participants that lived through Armageddon. Ones that are vested like Kung Lao, maybe Kai, Sub-Zero, and like Kenshi. Which btw, is another chance to get rid of a couple more characters. Because not everyone is gonna want to go right back into that environment.

A couple characters would just...say no. "I don't want to be apart of this anymore. I got what I wanted from being around Mortal Kombat, now I'm done"...ect

d.) So now we're at bare bones for pre-existing characters. I'd figure that it should feel really empty on the roster at this point.

e.) Enter the new contest held by the Order of Light or the Shaolin Monks. Goal of the contest is to try and fill the void left by the absence of Liu Kang, and hopefully build a team of "the best of the new". However, there's one evil that gets in the contest. Doesn't really matter "who" it is, just needs to be a corruption within the contest that sees the potential in an EarthRealm without a champion fighter, or an organized team of "good guys".

"EarthRealm is weak, someone wants to pounce on the opportunity".

But who? Right? Well, you could play:

: Shinnok
: Shinnok through a new character
: New Character with his//her own, totally new motivations

Mention Shinnok because as I understand it, Onaga just wanted revenge on Shao Kahn, and his seat back on the throne in Outworld. Quan Chi should probably be dead by a new contest. That is, if I understand his, and Scoprions fans right. Shang Tsung would go if Shao Kahn dies. And then, all the clans should either be dead, dieing off in this new game, or fighting for reign over the vacancies left by the bigger boss characters in their own respective realms or whatever.

I figure it forces a re-focus on what EarthRealm is doing. Shinnok is the only one left that could survive Armageddon, and still have any kind of interest in Earth. It's that, or a completely new evil altogether.

Shinnoks only real threat in this case, is dark Raiden & Zombie Liu. But they could still be busy killing off other threats to Earth elsewhere in the universe so, it sorta opens up an opportunity for Shinnok should he wish to try and take advantage. I figure, he'd send some perpetrator, or he'd infiltrate a new Mortal Kombat contest himself. More likely is the ladder.
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SO, after reading all that, don't you get a vibe like the contest is taking a back seat to the things that are happening with the characters that are in the contest?

It's to where, we know the purpose of the contest, and we know THAT goal must be met by someone. But can anyone reach the goal with all this other "stuff" going on?

Personally, I'd be more interested for instance: in seeing if Scorpion can gain a badge of honor (so to speak) through winning this contest. But what if he has trouble with accomplishing that, because idk, maybe in my grand scheme here, Shinnok seeks to employ him as an infiltrator to sabotage this contest for him? And what if Scorpion refuses? Does he speak to anyone about an impending evil plot?

I think it would drive Scorpion up the wall if he's on a supposed "new found path of redemption".

Simple objectives, complicated circumstances.

"Natural."
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On another note here, too much good attracts evil, and vice versa.

So say that with this new, purely "good intentions" motivated contest, there isn't supposed to be any killing. All they're trying to do is find the next "ones". Right?

Well, somebody// some evil HAS to violate that rule for it to be a true Mortal Kombat game. Imagine seeing that teaser...."Somebody's killing the participants, but we don't know who or what it is! W-T-F?!?"

Start things off with an interesting little dynamic I'd think.



Agree totally on the character stuff.

I'd say, read great books.... watch some of the better films that are out there right now. Hell, idk, get a great writer, or something funny like a shrink (psychologist) to come through there, and explain some of the complexities in personality that real individuals have. And put it in the game for a character that it suits. Then pander as much as possible to that character specific personality. (EX: "Oh, Boon is a perfectionist, sounds alot like a personality trait that ______ should have in the game.")

Put that in the game. Little personality traits, little habits, ticks, pet peeves, preferences, "red buttons", and "lines that shouldn't be crossed". Maybe you know someone who is extremely suggestive? I'd imagine Shinnok being suggestive so that he never really has to fight anyone for anything. And as a god//ex-god, he should probably reign supreme over the art of suggestion. Haha...actually, that's alot like Jedi. accidental coincidence, trust me. I'm not a Star Wars fan

Anyway, the characters remain hollow without these things.

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Something relative to consider here too. Is that once the personality, behavior, and attitudes of a character are realized, it should make it virtually impossible to except lame vocal talent or scripting.

You can't carry yourself like a mature, professional scholar, but speak with the intelligence level of a 2yr old. Not in a meticulously prepared and processed video game. And not unless that was on purpose, to suit a characters m.o.

Inflection needs to be right, intellect for the age of the character needs to reflect right, conversation and speech patterns need to be right, emotional placement and or displacement needs to be right.

Scripting and Vocal talent should be an entertainment factor all it's own. Just like a movie.



Awesome. But I'm not at all sure of the schematics of it, cuz it's not my form of expertise in understanding. However, your idea seems like it would intensify combat, by allowing a "back and forth" for really good players. Just like the movies get to looking like sometimes between two (or more) fighters.

Many know now that I'm a pretty big cheerleader for Mk's fighting system having a theme that screams "movie choreographed fight scenes". I think it's a fantastic idea, but I don't know how they'd program something so intimate. Haven't gotten exposure to it in college yet, nor do I see a way through the little bit of programming understanding that I do have now.

The way I'm thinking about it right now, it would seem that they'd have to figure out how to violate a frame, or multi-lap pixles for purposes of functionality. See? idk what the hell I'm talking about yet. lol!

Although, what I'm thinking is that it would allow characters on screen to perform say, an uppercut underneath an incoming jab. Missing with the jab from character 1, but connecting with the uppercut from character 2.

Or, uppercut someone guarding their face with both forearms, to pop their head up out of a standing still block type situation. Alot like a boxing match in this case.


gotta come back later....

Yeah Predator, I think that you and I are on the same page about a lot of things here.

For one, I definitely would want to start off by explaining Armageddon and how it wiped out so many of the MK characters. You could start with something that's similar to the intro of Armageddon, at least in terms of the characters all fighting one another, only make it more epic in scope.

Have SEVERAL characters die off this way, but make their death's matter. For example, if Kobra is killed by Hsu Hao, you get a reaction out of Kira. I would have this culminate in a battle between Blaze, Sub Zero and Scorpion. At first, the three are fighting for themselves, but just as Sub Zero is about to be killed by Blaze, Scorpion steps in, protects his once hated rival, and defeats Blaze. When Scorpion wins, the world changes.

The elder Gods's appear before him and begin shooting beams of light at him. When you see Scorpion again, he is human, and one of the God's calls him Hanzo.

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Maybe the new evil at the revived tournament stems from the results of Armageddon. Perhaps the Kamidogu were all destroyed. Perhaps they were "living" beings that were sent to the spiritrealm upon their destruction. Maybe there's a fallen Elder God that rules over the Spiritrealm who uses these spirit kamidogu to return to Earth. He disguises himself as this force sent by the Gods to help create the new Mortal Kombat Tournament.

You can create these new MK games with the idea that the story won't be resolved in one or two games. Sure, you have definite endings for some characters in the sense that they die, but you know going into the next game (MK10) what happened to the characters in MK9. Obvoiusly there will be cliffhangers and what not, but it's not a "after Sektor won the tournament, he created a whole race of cyborg ninjas to rule the blah blah blah..."

You create maybe a 3 game arc. Say this spirit God infiltrates Earthrealm because it's a medium or crossroads between all realms. He kills the champion of MK9 and opens a gateway to hell, he then disappears. You don't know why until the end of MK10. There, you find out that the force from hell that is allowed to enter Earthrealm is the other half of the fallen spirit God. He is the "flesh and blood" part of the spirit God.

They are reunited as the final boss of MK11. Here, the MK kombatants are forced to face off against the God's themselves, as you find out that many of the events that have transpired as early as the arrival of the Dragon King were set in place to get the Spirit God released and back into earthrealm.

With all of the power abusing MK characters from the past coupled with the more flawed/shade of gray characters from MK9 and 10, the Gods themselves see Earthrealm as a lost cause, a place that's no longer worth protecting from the many other realms.

This is where you'll see Rayden, Fujin and other Gods return. You'll also have maybe a surprise or two. How about a warrior pulled from the spirit realm who was supposed to be an MK champion until his soul was corrupted by Shao Khan thousands of years ago? Maybe you find out that Shang Tsung was born on Earth to be the defender of Earthrealm, and with his old master long dead and time to see his own afterlife in the spirit realm, he realizes that he has a different destiny?

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Okay, so I know that this isn't A list material here. But I'm just trying to illustrate the fact that you can bring back old characters, but just do it in a new and interesting way. Change the looks of characters, but make it coincide with NEW story arcs.

Maybe Sub Zero is murdered and his son, who actually turns out to be the son of Noob and Sareena tries to avenge his death, thinking that that the Shinrai Ryu are responsible? Maybe this son has a dark side due to his lineage and he kills the other members of the Lin Kuei in a homicidal rage from losing who he thought was his father (blaming other for not protecting him), only find that his best friend, another Lin Kuei ninja, managed to survive and now sides with the Shinrai Ryu and wan's this son dead?

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Either way, there has to be some sort of depth in the story telling. Something that's complicated enough to be taken seriously (thus making you care about the characters more and what happens to them, thus making you eager to see what happens to them in the next game).

To me, it seems like the MK team relies to heavily on portals and sorcery etc as plot devices for explaining why things happen. Oh, Cage was ressurected because the worlds shifted? Oh okay, umm... hat's logical? Wait, why is Liu Kang a zombie? I thought he was killed in one of the best swerves in the MK's story to date. No? Umm, okay.

Oh, and as for the voice acting Predator, oh man you couldn't be more on with that assessment. The writing has to be there, but the voice acting has to butress that writing by delivering it in a believable way AT LEAST in terms of the world within the story.

In other words, the Legacy of Kain games would've been an absolute joke of the voice acting hadn't been as fantastic as it was (arguably some of the best voice acting I've seen in a series). Still, if those lines were read by the "voice actors" the MK team has employed the last several years, the LoK franchise would've been the butt end of every bad video game joke for years.

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On a side note, as far as the whole fighting system is concerned, I think that you can make a system that's friendly for gamers without having a turtle button.

I think that it all comes down to timing. Think about it this way:

Countering: Any standard attack can be countered, and counters do damage to the opponent, but they're also the hardest to pull off. You have to have pinpoint accuracy in terms of timing. Missing a counter is guaranteed to leave you open to attack.

Parrying: Any standard attack can be parried. For example, a punch comes in and your character deflects it. No damage is done, but the opponent is left open for a brief moment. The timing is slightly less constrained than counters. Missing a parry is guaranteed to leave you open to attack.

Side Stepping/Dodging: Obviously a staple for 3D fighters. This is just as it sounds in terms of what you do or how you do it. I wouldn't change this mechanic too much from previous MK games. MAYBE you add some type of mechanic where you can use a dodge function to lean back or to the sides, but mainly I'm just thinking of this as moving to the side to give you an advantage. The timing has to be pretty accurate in terms of moving out of the way of an incoming attack.

Escaping: Any standard move, as well as any special move that is not a projectile can be escaped from. This does no damage and does not leave the opponent open for attack. It is simply used as a method of getting away from an attacking opponent. Once you escape, you and your opponent are still on the same footing, no one has the advantage. The timing is fairly open, but you still have to pay attention to when the character attacks.

Blocking: Any standard move or special move can be blocked by timing your cover with the attack. You take a slight bit of damage, and your opponent's momentum is not halted. So if you've blocked punch 1 of a 4 punch combo, you still have to hit block 3 more times at the right time. Blocking is no longer high/low sensitive. In other words, if someone goes to kick you low, you left your leg up and block it with your shin. Blocking has the most open amount of time with which to use it for an incoming attack, but it cannot be held down as was the case in the past.


That's more of what I was looking for. You mix these five options up as you fight. Do you want to go on offense? Then you'd be looking to counter or parry. Do you want simply play defense and plan your next mode of attack? Then you're looking to escape or dodge. If you're overwhelmed, then you can block.

But you mix those five things with punch/kick combos, unique punches and kicks, throws, special moves, projectiles etc and to me, that's the makings of a fun and deep fighter.

Maybe you have a new person that can't get the timing for the counters down. They can still play the game though because escaping is fairly easy. To me, it's sort of a progression where you have blocking as a more basic function, and you can work your way up to escaping moves, evading attacks and eventually parrying/counter attacks.

Depending on what type of advantage you want, you might prefer parrying, or maybe you just want to escape because you're in a cycle of countering. Yes, I'd have it so that counters and parries could be countered and parried if the timing is even more precise. That's at the top of the learning curve. You could see a fight where a counter get's countered, and that counter get's countered etc.

You try to make it look like a real fight, where blocking is strictly for an overwhelmed player to minimize damage, because in the end you want people to be on offense as much as possible.

I know this sounds relatively simple and not overly new in terms of what other fighting games do out there, but if everyone can counter, not just a few characters, I think that it doesn't allow for some characters to be tooooo overpowered.

Anyways, more to come later...

Well for the story the thing that originally got me in love with mortal kombat was the on going battle with outworld and earthrealm; the story just intrigued me and in parts even made me intimidated. And I think that is what mortal kombat has been lacking for the past few games...Fear.

Now I think if MK makes their games scary...I mean condemned scary then I think it would have a more tainted and intriging feel to it.

And a must have is more gore, obviously it's a thing that made MK famous but it's something I though has been lacking in the past few games (Even excluding MK vs DC) I mean sure there has been a lot of blood but there was no creativity to it, they need to make the character look the part in the fatality's. For example Kano to look manic and diabolical when killing someone, and Shao Kahn showing no remoarse.

As for the gameplay I personally think there is no more that they can do for it, I think the Kombat is as good as it gets.

For mini games I definately want them to bring chess kombat back, but make it a bit more advanced opposed to the simple design of the last one. And maybe...just maybe a more gory less cartoony Mortal Kombat racing.

As for characters in the next game I'd just like them to bring back characters that have a presence like Quan-Chi...Sub-Zero and the likes. And I hope they new characters they produce will not remenisce characters from Soul Caliber or Tekken or even Street Fighter. I hope they just make more well done marketable characters that they can call their own.




That's it really.