would MKX be a different game if….

[lariat]

The ps3 and 360 versions where never planned to begin with? I know it's old news that WB pulled the plug on the 360/ps3 versions of the game a few months back but I can't help but wonder…Would NRS still have used their MK9 modded Unreal engine 3 or would they tried something different? I know NRS didn't have anything to do with the last gen ports but they had to have made the game with the limitations of the old consoles in mind. Both Tekken 7 and Street fighter 5 are currently running on Unreal Engine 4 and nether of these games are coming to ps3 or 360. It makes me wonder... Would we still be playing the same game we are now if NRS followed suit? I'm not just talking about better graphics but gameplay, online infrastructure, modes, and characters. Do you think that NRS made the game they wanted to make or do you think that they were held back?

 

[RADEC]

MKX looks and plays amazing. I cannot see it having better graphics than it already has. But i too have wondered the same thing. I remember saying how last gen possibly holds it back but members on this site disagreed.

 

[Misucra]

The ps3 and 360 versions where never planned to begin with? I know it's old news that WB pulled the plug on the 360/ps3 versions of the game a few months back but I can't help but wonder…Would NRS still have used their MK9 modded Unreal engine 3 or would they tried something different? I know NRS didn't have anything to do with the last gen ports but they had to have made the game with the limitations of the old consoles in mind. Both Tekken 7 and Street fighter 5 are currently running on Unreal Engine 4 and nether of these games are coming to ps3 or 360. It makes me wonder... Would we still be playing the same game we are now if NRS followed suit? I'm not just talking about better graphics but gameplay, online infrastructure, modes, and characters. Do you think that NRS made the game they wanted to make or do you think that they were held back?

Well online wouldn't have improved. That's for sure. Graphics and gameplay? Yes. To be honest I had a strong feeling they made the game with previous gen in mind, but due change of plans, didn't go all the way with previous gen port. And if that is true... that is depressing. As with UE4 they would have made game look even more amazing.

 

[kadell]

Netherealm was never working on the last Gen port so nothing would've really improved from what we got tbh.

 

[Misucra]

Netherealm was never working on the last Gen port so nothing would've really improved from what we got tbh.

We are not talking about if they were working on it. We are talking about if they made a game with previous gen in mind.

They might have made sure not to go too crazy on game, just in case they needed to make previous gen.

 

[lariat]

Well online wouldn't have improved. That's for sure.

I can definitely understand why you feel this way but one thing I keep hearing from people here and from TYM is the netcode is ''hardcoded'' in the engine that NRS used for MKX. This (supposedly) means the netcode can not be changed or patched due to the way UE3 is designed. If this rumour is true than that means using a modern engine like UE4 we might have seen a improved online experience (its NRS so I doubt it) not that any of this matters now but it makes me salty when I see other fighting games like Tekken 7, Street fighter 5 getting the full next gen treatment (beta testing the online for example ) and MKX getting the shaft. Thanks WB.

 

[Misucra]

I can definitely understand why you feel this way but one thing I keep hearing from people here and from TYM is the netcode is ''hardcoded'' in the engine that NRS used for MKX. This (supposedly) means the netcode can not be changed or patched due to the way UE3 is designed. If this rumour is true than that means using a modern engine like UE4 we might have seen a improved online experience (its NRS so I doubt it) not that any of this matters now but it makes me salty when I see other fighting games like Tekken 7, Street fighter 5 getting the full next gen treatment (beta testing the online for example ) and MKX getting the shaft. Thanks WB.

First time I here something like that, and I worked with UE3 for years before going to UE4. Never heard of a netcode which would be so coded that you couldn't code it again. Also if that was in any way true, then I am surprised how they managed to change the code then they were getting new servers for MK9 (which used Gamespy servers at first) and you don't simply just unplug old servers and plug new ones. Settings have to be changed, code has to be adjusted and netcode did significantly improve for MK9 after that change. Also MKX is using the same engine. So no. At least from my personal knowledge as game dev, there is no such netcode, as it would be very unpractical as well.

We are talking about who have great ideas but do them in a half assed way. I mean look at the launch of the game. Let's for a second forget that catastrophic PC port management and remember how Netherrealm even messed up with XBOX version of MKX. While the issues weren't as bad as PC, people also had some game performance issues and god awful online. Playstation version was the most stable one (that's why they mostly (if not only) showed only Playstation version during Streams.

I know WB are money grabbing jerks and cause a lot of those problems with their pressure and rush, but Netherrealm aren't saints as well. In short they could have improved netcode, they could have improved game and they still can do that, but most likely they won't do that.

Based on what I saw this year, I pretty much made a picture of what happened with MKX.

WB wanted to milk MKX as much as they can, so there were some plans for previous gen as well. WB most likely instructed Netherrealm to work with that in mind. So Netherrealm concentrated more on game features and gameplay mechanics rather than graphics or story mode. Even so after game release and facing tons of complaints about terrible PC port or issues with XBOX version, WB/Netherrealm had to invest extra resources in fixing that. I don't think all that mess cost them a lot, but it must have been enough to decide that previous gen ports weren't worth the resources. Not to mention knowing that Previous gen is dying and WB ain't no passionate gamer paradise. If stuff won't bring them massive profit, they ain't gonna do it.

 

[lariat]

Thay are rumours but unless we work as a programmer for NRS we'll never know for sure. It does baffle me how they still manage to show no care toward the online community but expect us no shell out more money for the kombo pack 2 after spending money for the game and kombat pack 1 (total 90 US dollars) . This industry pisses me off so much sometimes.

 

[Misucra]

Thay are rumours but unless we work as a programmer for NRS we'll never know for sure. It does baffle me how they still manage to show no care toward the online community but expect us no shell out more money for the kombo pack 2 after spending money for the game and kombat pack 1 (total 90 US dollars) . This industry pisses me off so much sometimes.

When I said I didn't hear about code like this, I meant no code like that exists (unless you don't have access to it). Netherrealm literally made their own version of UE3 which required some serious programming. So that means they have 100% control over game codes. Netcode included. So it comes to what you said: They show no care for online community. As long as it works for ESL, it's fine for them.

WB is basically the successor of EA.

 

[Commander]

We are not talking about if they were working on it. We are talking about if they made a game with previous gen in mind.

They might have made sure not to go too crazy on game, just in case they needed to make previous gen.

Agreed.
It seems (to me) that the games that don't have the previous-gen in mind (in general) are the ones that are more polished and better, overall............

Uncharted
Halo
Super Mario 3D World
Killzone: Shadow Fall
Dead Rising 3
inFamous: Second Son
Sunset Overdrive
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
DriveClub
Forza Motorsport 5
Mario Kart 8
The Order: 1886
Fable Legends
Wii Party U
Bloodborne

Meanwhile, MGSV's story and online are a hot mess, MKX's story could have been better and other games that have last-gen in mind also seem to suffer various issues.
Developing for the PS3 was especially a pain in the ass to develop for, according to what developers who developed for last gen have said.
I can't imagine the 360 users getting a port and the PS3 players getting screwed over, so I imagine that that may have also had something to do with it.
Developing for PS4 and X1 have both been reportedly easier for them to develop for, and I'd rather developers focus more on the current gen if it means that we'll be getting a better quality product at the end.

Part of me also wonders (even though NRS planned to hand over the ports to someone else) how MKX would have turned out if they developed solely for PC, PS4 and X1, without the last console generation in mind.

 

[FlawlessVictor]

The game might be little more polished overall, but otherwise I think the game will be fundamentally the same. Story falls to writers, and having access to new technology is not going to save them in that department. In terms of gameplay, just about everything has been already been done in a fighting game to a certain degree 15+ years ago.

 

[Misucra]

The game might be little more polished overall, but otherwise I think the game will be fundamentally the same. Story falls to writers, and having access to new technology is not going to save them in that department. In terms of gameplay, just about everything has been already been done in fighting game to a certain degree 15+ years ago.

While story is written by writers, writers get influenced by a lot of things. One of the main reasons: Lack of time = shorter and more simple story. I mean let's compare MK9 story and MKX. They did a complete 180 on it. From epic scale war with many twists and deaths, it became into Teenage Special Forces Adventures: Johnny Cage Family Edition.
I mean even that retarded forced romance between Takeda and Jacqui. MK9 had Liu Kang and Kitana, but theirs was more subtle and not so forced. Also didn't try to take spotlight.
Also no good characters died. Shinnok took Johnny Cage for the ride, instead of killing the guy who kicked his ass last time. He should have made a call to Sindel to ask if that was a good idea. I bet she would have told to kill all the guys in that base.

Anyway Lack of time does that. Then we have WB watching over their shoulder and making sure that story is accessible to as many people as possible. Which means more "Family friendly". Yeah Mileena, Baraka or Quan Chi scenes weren't really family friendly, but hey. They are the bad guys.

I believe that if game was made with next gen in mind only, they would have taken more time and story writers would have had more time and quality would have increased. But in the end it was rushed, pushed out as a mess and with no set plans. MKX tried to be everything (for all gens), and in the end just got hurt because of that.

 

[FlawlessVictor]

I didn't think M9's story was any better. The way the multiple deaths were handled was one of the sore points of the story and didn't raise any tension like it should have. Kung Lao's death was so bad, it was almost funny.

 

[Misucra]

I didn't think M9's story was any better. The way the multiple deaths were handled was one of the sore points of the story and didn't raise any tension like it should have. Kung Lao's death was so bad, it was almost funny.

MK9 story had it's fault of course. Hell it was kinda colorful to be honest (compared with the tone of MKX), but it was about Mortal Kombat. Not teenagers adventures or family issues. Hell apart Raiden's evil speech, we basically got the happy ending of the TV show about family daily life.

Daughter with Mother issues, Father/Husband who is divorced and is in shaky relationship with Wife/Mother, Daughter finally reuniting her Father and Mother by killing Corrupted super powered elder god and then everyone gets a hug and start planning for the family vacation.

And you know... while some deaths in MK9 were kinda... strange. At least they didn't have stuff like. 4 teenagers fighting off entire Kotal Kahn army, or INJURED Takeda and Jacqui fighting off Kung Lao, Smoke, Kitana and Sindel. Normally they would have been ripped apart. Especially then Sindel took down 2/3 of Earthrealm forces by herself.

In short. MKX had less Mortal Kombat, more family time.

 

[Bruzzrad]

I didn't think M9's story was any better. The way the multiple deaths were handled was one of the sore points of the story and didn't raise any tension like it should have. Kung Lao's death was so bad, it was almost funny.

NRS really needs to hire the writers of the comics....

 

[Commander]

I didn't think M9's story was any better. The way the multiple deaths were handled was one of the sore points of the story and didn't raise any tension like it should have. Kung Lao's death was so bad, it was almost funny.

I thought the MK9 story was much better.
Despite that the massive "death by Sindel" scene could have been handled better or been told better throughout the course of the story, every character (minus Noob Saibot) had their story told (minuscule as some characters parts were) and there were MUCH less plot-holes and unexplained stuff than in MKX.

In MKX, Noob Saibot, Cyrax, Sheeva and Skarlet have no explanation for what happened to them.
Nothing.
Maybe they're all dead?
Maybe they're all alive?
Maybe some of them became nomads who went to live off in the distant Himalayas in search of the Yeti?
Maybe Sheeva became ruler of Australia?
Who knows?
The game assumes that everyone read the comics, or are otherwise left to wonder how Sub-Zero became human again, unless you luckily got that 1 fight intro between Johnny and Sub-Zero.
Fujin is gone from the game after chapter 1, with little to no explanation.
Erron Black and Ferra / Torr. Who are they? Oh, that's right read the comics.
Well, even after reading the comics I'm still not familiar with Ferra / Torr, and Erron Black you have to assume that his MKX ending is true, which it may or may not be for MKX.

Sorry, but while the story for MKX wasn't terrible, it also didn't surpass MK9's story.
Scorpion and Sub-Zero aside, the MKX story left me with more questions than answers to previous questions.
It felt like NRS depended too much on the comics, and the game's story mode reflects that.
The blood dagers?
Not even a mention of them until Raiden briefly mentions 1 line about it to Bo Rai Cho (Reiko accords), which is forgettable.
The Kamidogu daggers in the comics don't even have anything to do with the game's story mode, AT ALL.
The blood daggers, where are they?
The blood demon, where is it?
Where is Reiko during all of MKX story mode?
Where is Havik during all of MKX story mode?

 

[Nasty_Freak]

I thought the MK9 story was much better.
Despite that the massive "death by Sindel" scene could have been handled better or been told better throughout the course of the story, every character (minus Noob Saibot) had their story told (minuscule as some characters parts were) and there were MUCH less plot-holes and unexplained stuff than in MKX.

In MKX, Noob Saibot, Cyrax, Sheeva and Skarlet have no explanation for what happened to them.
Nothing.
Maybe they're all dead?
Maybe they're all alive?
Maybe some of them became nomads who went to live off in the distant Himalayas in search of the Yeti?
Maybe Sheeva became ruler of Australia?
Who knows?
The game assumes that everyone read the comics, or are otherwise left to wonder how Sub-Zero became human again, unless you luckily got that 1 fight intro between Johnny and Sub-Zero.
Fujin is gone from the game after chapter 1, with little to no explanation.
Erron Black and Ferra / Torr. Who are they? Oh, that's right read the comics.
Well, even after reading the comics I'm still not familiar with Ferra / Torr, and Erron Black you have to assume that his MKX ending is true, which it may or may not be for MKX.

Sorry, but while the story for MKX wasn't terrible, it also didn't surpass MK9's story.
Scorpion and Sub-Zero aside, the MKX story left me with more questions than answers to previous questions.

Not to mention, I want to know what happened to Jade!

 

[Mr. Ice]

In short... No. Don't really feel like writing right now.

 

[kadell]

I know it's late to point out, but even the Comics chapter 32 was better than the ending in MKX. That shouldn't happen. Havik seemed way more danger than Shinnok is in the game. They should've switched the stories around.

 

[Misucra]

I know it's late to point out, but even the Comics chapter 32 was better than the ending in MKX. That shouldn't happen. Havik seemed way more danger than Shinnok is in the game. They should've switched the stories around.

Shinnok's plan was way more dangerous. Havik wanted chaos and there is no chaos if everyone is dead, Shinnok on other hand wanted to bring back the One Being and eradicate all life in all realms. Even so, Havik's story was executed way better. You had ups and downs, You had twists and surprise alliances. Fighters had some graspable power levels. You could kinda tell who is stronger and more experienced and characters played around that.
Shinnok's story? Predictability over 9000, hell the only thing that surprised me, was D'vorrah being traitor. Other than that it was rushed, oversimplified story, where Johnny's family got most screen time and main focus was on Johnny trying to get Sonya to call him "Johnny" and Cassie wanting some mama love. Power levels were a mess too. 4 original super powerful fighters in revenant form with killing intent having trouble against two injured youngsters.
They really should have hired comic story writers.