Free Step Dodge

it makes it hype when you actually get those 40% combos, but the requirements to do so make it such a hassle it's easy to be like "fuck it" and go back to nickle and diming away with strings that do 10% damage

Guess it depends on the character. Jacqui has clean ass setups for a couple of hers. Her optimal finish for most mid-screen juggles is f44 xx bf2 because the f44 spaces them perfectly to catch the max range KB for her bionic rush. I'm sure other characters have setups too the game is not even a full week old the tech will settle in.

it is very much character dependent, because some character have very practical requirements for krushing blow, and others do not. like with Kitana i have 2x Krushing blow combos that do up to 45%, but the requirement to even reach the first one is kinda ridiculous, you have to hit the opponent with mileena's sai 3 times, a move that's better used for lock down than actually hitting the opponents with raw

and if you can't get the requirement for the first krushing blow, good luck accessing her second krushing blow which to use her df2 after getting 8 hits in a combo, something which is nigh impossible to do in that variation w/o the first krushing blow

Oh wow holy shit... That's rough as fuck. Yeah I agree with you that's damage potential jailed out from your routine use behind arbitrary requirements... I guess I chose the right character.