MK9 - still feels like dial in combos (except dial in juggles)

Leprekaun

I know that Ed Boon was saying that they wanted to create a sort of custom combo system for MK9 but something that I've realised is that while there can be variants of juggles, you often stick with one or two different combos with characters (identify which combos have good start up and good damage). I'm still a huge MK fan and before MK9, my favourite MK was the MK3 series. I just loved the fast paced gameplay and reasonable strategies but even though you don't have 7-hit dial combos now, once you go intro training mode for a while, you eventually learn that x combo does x amount of damage and I find you just stick with it when you have the opportunity to do it.

For example, with Scorpion (without any meter), you can do BP, FP, Spear, B+BP, dash forward, FP, FP, Teleport Punch, dash forward, FP, FP, Teleport Punch (or if you have meter, use ES Spear after BP, FP and then end the combo with ES Teleport Punch). I don't know the damage off the top of my head (I think in the range of 30%+) but I just find that when I have the opportunity to combo, I just do that one all the time. It has good startup and good damage so it still feels like dial in combos (or dial in juggles now) so it doesn't feel that custom if you know what I mean. You just experiment with different inputs to compare damage and then when you find one that works, you just stick with it. That said, I haven't played online yet so there may be different strategies I should be employing.

To a certain extent, I apply similar logic in SFIV when using FADCs. When using Ryu, Tatsumaki is more damaging than Shoryuken so I finish a FADC combo (e.g.: cr. MK, Hadouken -> FADC) with a cr. MK, Tatsumaki for a knockdown so I don't know, maybe I'm being too harsh on NRS about MK9 because they've come a long way since MK Armageddon (or the last proper MK, MK Deception). Although with SFIV, I know that you can do different variants when you're looking for different results (e.g.: use a Shoryuken FADC into Ultra or just FADC into a regular combo). With MK9, you just don't have those kind of options. You're just looking to set up the ONE combo and nothing else so I don't really see how there is a custom combo system.

I get that with certain characters like Liu Kang, one of his combos starts off low (B+FK, FP, BP (I think BP anyway) so there is potential for good mixup and that increases strategy rather than the combos always being high hitting all the time so thats a good thing. I just think it could've been a more complex fighting system if they focused on it more. I won't give any final judgement on it because I've only been playing it for a month now and I haven't played much offline Vs. or online so I don't know how other players play. I suppose there might be some interest for MK9 around this time for casuals so I'll bring it down with me to one of the casuals. So what do you think? Is MK still dial in combos but just juggles now or do you think there is more to it than that?

chopperbyrne

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056211722

Did this really require its own thread?

Dreddybajs

Leprekaun wrote: »

To a certain extent, I apply similar logic in SFIV when using FADCs. When using Ryu, Tatsumaki is more damaging than Shoryuken

Bit off topic but no it's not (unless the SRK is only getting one hit at that range).