PETITION: Remove all "slot" restrictions from "casual" game modes

DeBane

New member
In light of the confirmation (or revelation -- depending on how up-to-date one was on MK11's goings-on) that the game's oft-touted "customisation" will be locked out of MK11's so-called "competitive" modes -- that is, modes [officially] used in e-sports tournaments and in online "ranked" / leaderboard play -- and relegated to only "casual" (offline versus + versus CPU) modes, I would like to proffer the following suggestion:

ALL "SLOT" RESTRICTIONS PLACED ON EQUIPPABLE SPECIAL ABILITIES (*NOT AUGMENTS) BE REMOVED; SUCH THAT, ONLY THE SPECIAL ABILITIES THAT CLASH DIRECTLY WITH ONE ANOTHER (E.G., JACQUI BRIGG'S ROCKETS AND BLUE ENERGY PROJECTILES) ARE RESTRICTED FROM BEING USED SIMULTANEOUSLY BY A SINGLE CHARACTER 'LOAD-OUT'.

My reasoning behind this (albeit, kind of self-explanatory) is as follows (...in point form, for simplicity):

• no need for "slots", now that they will not be affecting game modes were "balance" matters

• the "slots" were directly implied to be the balancing tools for non-default abilities (why else have them?) -- all but redundant now, in light of the MKX style, developer-locked "variations" being forced on players [in competitive modes]

• Ed Boon promised, verbatim, that the evolution of the "customisation" seen in Injustice 2 (preceded by MKX's "variations") was done in order to "allow players to play their favourite characters the way THEY want to" (see: MK11 reveal from January, 2019)

• with all competitive play now restricted to "variations", players of these modes will invariably gravitate to char. load-outs that are the most effective (as is their 'play to win' prerogative), just as they did in MKX -- meaning, people will hardly see the game's key selling point: its customisation mechanic; thus, they should be allowed as much freedom as possible in the remaining game modes

• the game's "Augments" (said to be damage buffs to certain moves, XP multipliers etc.) are set to 'ON' by default, in the non-competitive modes that they are permitted in (e.g., online / casual) -- rendering any remaining "balance" arguments, all but null and void (*it is so far unclear as to whether both players must 'accept' "Augmentations" prior to the commencement of a bout, or whether they will be applied irrespective / unless both participants refuse)

• the slot restrictions, as shown so far, are too restrictive to how chars. can be customised by players; with some chars. essentially requiring certain abilities be present to be even remotely viable, in any sense -- e.g., Scorpion's "Death Spin" + "Death Spear" -- taking up most, if not all their available ability "slots" and killing customisation

• with MK11's gameplay mechanics being consciously less 'combo-centric' (confirmed by both developers and hands-on time by players) and its overall design more homogenised (e.g., unique "Amplify" input schemes dumped; every char. receiving their "Fatal Blow" at the same HP threshold; most FB's and "Krushing Blows" having similar damage output; universal inputs and abilities aplenty...), it should be even more of an imperative to allow for as much freedom, in terms of char. ability customisation, as possible--in the modes where it is possible


• "pros" and competitive-minded players do not care what "the casuals" are doing, and said "casuals" want only to experience the game in the fullest way as possible -- win, lose or draw -- so, to allow for as much freedom as possible (via customisation) hurts no one; yet, could make the MK11 experience exponentially better: an unequivocal win-win scenario

What say you? Are the few ability "slots" provided enough to have fun with the game's central selling point -- its customisation? Or have NRS, again, over-promised in order to over-hype, only to under-deliver and disappoint :?:

--EDIT--

Seems even the competitive scene might not be so happy about the 'customisation Nazism' of NRS...

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"I think this is pretty lame. No customization ruins a lot of creativity IMO :("

"Its just really disappointing to me that as a competitively player I have to completely ignore the one thing I was looking forward to in the game’s release. Please reconsider making UI for tourny play in the future. Yall already got an attribute menu in play."

"I just dont want devs to dictate tourny rules again for the second game in a row rather let us explore our options but, their money their rules. ughh"
SonicFox [MENTION=13681]SonicFox5000[/MENTION]
 
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Re: PETITION: Remove all "slot" restrictions from "casual" game modes

Or add more slots for each character.
 
Re: PETITION: Remove all "slot" restrictions from "casual" game modes

Or add more slots for each character.
Yes... Obviously.

However, if their implied claim for having a "slot" restriction in the first place, was for "balance" -- now borne out as either a blatant lie, or a back-pedal that came after the realisation that system did not work as intended (vis., bringing back developer-locked variations) -- then why, in light of the so-called "customisation" being limited to "casual" mode/s, are they needed at all...? :hmmmm2:

They need to clearly separate the "competitive" and "casual" incarnations using a distinct boundary. If they do not, they will invariably deliver an underwhelming product, because of the near-impossibility of catering to both casual and competitive demographics that fighting game development has long proven to be.

The simple solution for this is to remove all ability usage limitations in casual mode/s (*aside from abilities that clash directly). That way, casuals can have fun (why else even play, if not for fun?), and the e-sport$ can bask in their precious rote BnB spammy "balance" -- win-win.
(NB: Obviously, SonicFox is a arguing for the current "slot" system to be open for competitive play... However, that would take longer to balance than a mere three weeks. Instead, by giving non-competitive players carte blanche with the game's customisation potential, they will not only leave competitive play unaffected, but, it will also allow players to actually TEST what abilities really do break balance -- in turn, making the tweaking of a potential "slot-based" system that much quicker and for SF's request to become a reality.).

The "balance" argument, with respect to "slots" and non-competitive modes, is dead in the water, now that the customisation (such that it is) no longer affects e-$port$ or lagline ranked. Why leave some remnant of a fun-killing "balancing tool" in the game when it's no longer needed...?
 
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