The variations only add small stuff(like spike on Kung Lao's helmet, Dragon Medaillon on Sub-Zero) to whatever costume you're wearing. You're acting like there's a completely different costume for each variation. Calm the hell down.



See, that's where most people are wrong. There's more than just different special moves. Some variations change some of your basic moves and give you additional combos.

Etherreal Mileena might only give Mileena the ability to teleport, but Piercing changes a few of your basic moves with Sai strikes and change like 7 combos to use Sais, one of them that ends like her MK2 fatality (that you can use for a brutality.)

Ninjutsu Scorpion is like that too. He keeps the regular special moves but some of his basic attacks and combos are changed to include swords attack.

Kano has a variation with grapples, a variation with knives that gives him the knife uppercut from MK3 aswell as knife basic attacks and combos and one with laser attacks, a different knife throw and some of his combos are changed to end with either a laser blast to the face or pushing the opponent away with a grenade.

Variations are so much more than just different special moves. It pays to go into training mode and really look at your movelist beyond the highlights of the pause menu.

I prefer variations over big roster. Never been a big fan of Mileena but I love her Piercing variation. I wouldn't use Takeda if he had only one moveset like Shirai Ryu or Ronin, but I absolutely love Lasher. I'd rather have 29 characters with 3 variations and use half of them than 35 guys and use only 5.

Besides, 29 characters is a lot. I think some people clamoring for a bigger roster just aren't happy with the roster. If Fujin, Reiko and Havik had made it instead of any other 3, I bet some people would have said variations.

Yeah but you're not mentioning the likes of Ermac and Reptile. Or how Raiden only has a teleport in one variation.

There are some characters who made out well with the variations, but in the end I don't think the system works out well for all of the characters. Mileena definitely got shafted.

Definitely a bigger roster with more movesets. To not have at least the same amount of kharacters as mk9 is disappointing. They need to add at least another kombat pack

Okay, let's talk variations:

Jason -
Unstoppable provides regeneration buffs and a resurrecting passive, grappling specials
SLASHER provides a completely different combo set list with far more combination potentials in this variation at the cost of not having Jason's buffs, completely different specials all over could've been a different character entirely
Relentless brings a teleport, but the same grapples of Unstoppable and a new activate which reverses opponent controls, game changer
Jason Overall - works quite well with three variations, however I could've seen more changes in Relentless and Unstoppable combo wise, using the teleports or maybe even the chain. If not, could've mixed the two variations so one was a combo focused variation (Slasher) and the other a buff, grapple, teleport ability trigger variation.

Jax -
Wrestler is not too bad, could probably have given more grapples, especially EX ones that juggled the opponent rather then just more damaged. Jax is still forced to play tough defensive.
Heavy Weapons is pretty meh, I guess the zoning is useful but who wants to zone with it when you get dish with
PUMPED UP, the pick for Jax. Gives you the enhanced Gotcha Grab (I really felt that should've been on Wrestler) and provides Jax with the ground slams. Should really focus this variation to be honest
Jax Overall - still really has one variation that dominates the others, but the potential is most certainly available. Just needs more expansions both combination wise and stylistic wise to his variations. Not enough Heavy weapons focused or wrestling focus on their respective variations.

Kung Lao -
Hat Trick has some clever mechanics but overall Lao has a tough time with combinations,cal this variation is mostly looked over
Tempest is much the same, for more defensive Kung Lao's but still all and all nothing screaming pick me out of this one
BUZZ SAW absolutely brilliant, fantastic combo potential being able to scare opponents to blocking you or the hat (a 50/50 they'll always fail) AND his hat can keep opponents in air time allowing you to continue your juggle
Kung Lao Overall -unfortunately Lao was hit by the short end of the stick. Two of his variations handicap the players ability in game. Even when combined I feel there's no reason to pick the over Buzz Saw. This is coming from someone who played Kung Lao a lot in MK9 (yeah yeah I know he was easy)



This gives you a rough idea I believe of variations in a nut shell. One character might have brilliant unique variations where they stick to the context behind the characters lore whilst providing with a new play style to a character we are familiar with. Another might have one that works well and the rest whilst sticking to the context falls short in functioning.
This is because NRS is likely avoiding having two characters distinctively similar unless they have to be.
Takeda for example, has what I've donned the Scorpion Generation 2 Variant
There are a few characters admittedly who do relate too similarly to others, but they make sense context wise like Takeda and Scorpion
- Jax and Jacqui (Jacqui is still pretty different)
- Sonya, Johnny and their daughter Cassie

I think variations is an excellent idea, but this time around the execution wasn't performed to best ability.cit felt lazy in some areas, and in others pointless. Though that's not to say A+ to trying. I wouldn't mind two variations a character, (offensive, defensive, or weapon and non-weapon, ability focused grapple focused quick combo focused ETC) but I believe that a lot of these variations could've been expanded upon AND turned into other characters.
Look at Johnny Cage. If you mix Fisticuffs, and A-List we get our classic love him Johnny Cage.
If we take Stunt Double and expand on it for another character BOOM! Hello Noob Saibot.

It's a damn shame for characters like Reptile and Ermac for variations however. More Reptile then anyone I feel.

Variations is perfect NRS! But only when you make it so, if you cannot? Expand your roster and divide the styles.

Does anyone else feel that if your character doesn't have all his moves he feels incomplete? I mean the fact that you know they are there makes it worst. This used to annoy me with SF3 as opposed to SFA2.
I even get annoyed when moves go missing as well from previous games, like the Grond ice move.

Since there are a few characters with useless or unpopular variations, maybe only 2 variations would be a better way to go for the next game. If it meant a bigger roster I think many people would agree.

2 variatitions with a 25% bigger roster will do.

Bigger roster for sure. Really only pick like, one variation consistently. They could've made the story mode bigger/longer too...

Bigger roster, but not too much (Don' t exceed 35).

The important is to have a lot of moves at our disposal.
Variations looked fun gimmick at first, but in the long run, a traditional fighting game with characters having their whole movelist is better.

Bigger roster, didin ́t dig the variation system, I found it a little annoying cause no matter what variation you pick, I feel like my character LACKS something

A slightly bigger roster is fine, BUT if they ditch the variation system Ninjutsu Scorpion should become the standard lol

The variations aren't done to there full potential, but this is their first attempt at them. I would rather they keep working at the variations because it does add a lot more depth to the characters. A bigger roster is always good for the options, and we won't have to deal with the whole "why is ____ not playable. NRS must hate them." However, I would rather have a variation that I don't use over a whole character I don't use.

Besides, I don't think dropping the variations would raise the roster count significantly.

We could have 45 characters on the MKX roster and people STILL will complain that so-and-so was left out.

I'm going with variations.

....both?

Variations aren't too different than multiple fighting stances in the 3D games.

Switch variations with the press of a button, which changes available combos and specials. This would allow more interesting combat dynamics, such as mid fight strategy switchups and re-thinking plans.

Throw in a few extra characters and a few more alts as time goes by.

Solutions.

Don't like the variations it looks too much close to Deadly Alliance or Deception except in MKX you can only have one of your three fighting styles or variations as they are called. Don't like the idea of the variations.

This. If they took variations a step further and allowed switching mid match I'd think a lot differently of it. As it stands now? Nah.

Switching mid-match might be too much. It wouldn't be that much different than giving every character all of the moves except with an extra step added in to switch the styles. Maybe, if switching mid-match had an animation that left you open for a bit so it could be punishable, or maybe the opposite where switching was a meter burning attack you had to land like the x-ray.

I do wish you could change your variation in between rounds.

I'm not opposed to a penalty either to reduce spam, but honestly if you took away unique variation costumes it would be the exact same thing executed differently. Hell, it may even free up memory.

I would agree with a penalty, although I don't understand what switching mid-match would change. It isn't changing anything match-ups wise. I think in order to switch mid-match you should have to have meter at the end of the round, and it should cost you that (maybe two bars).

I definitely don't see how being able to switch mid-match would break gameplay in anyway. I think the idea of the variations system was to give people a chance "to switch things up"

I'm really enjoying the variations, and frankly many of the characters they added feel a little underdeveloped. Though part of me feels the next few installments will focus on the future, and letting older characters just drop off and make room for a new generation.

Takeda and Frost can take up the mantles of Scorpion and Sub-Zero.
The revenants will stick around, keeping the hellfire themed abilities, especially Liu Kang.
I don't see Outworld even being relevant in the next game.

Surprisingly, I welcome the idea of removing the old ninjas.
It is high time SZ made way for the new generation; SZ has become a glorified cameo. His future inclusion will no doubt cause important events to happen off-screen as he is always far away from the action; sure he may kill an important character once in a while but if MKX is an indicator of what is to come, SZ will just calmly talk about his off-screen exploits without a well timed flashback. I cannot bear SZ anymore, he is inconsequential to the story. I would settle for a weaker female version of SZ if she has potential and relevance to the story.

Takeda should replace Kenshi but I suppose he can simultaneously replace Scorpion too.

Wasn't mk9 26 characters at launch

^ you guys are seriously dreaming if you really think that Scorpion and Sub-Zero are ever going anywhere. It's just never gonna fly.

The story has reached a fork in the road at this point meaning that they can go one of two ways. Either continue with the story as is and develop the new characters while the classics sort of just linger or die off, or start telling a bunch of flashback type stories that take place somewhere in the begining or middle of the timeline.

You see, having a fighting game with a story that is actually worth while comes with the cost of having to eventually give up iconic characters for the sake of story completion or giving up the story all together for the sake of keeping said characters playable for fans.

27 w/o kratos

SZ are going no where, but I don't think that means MK lore is going nowhere either. Everyone is trying to make a 'one or the other' argument about gameplay and story. I don't see it. Plenty of other fighters keep their staple characters while adding on to the story.

The problem I see is that NRS has no continuity. They go back on way too much shit, when something happens and they don't know what to do next.