Storyline wise - Its Taven Vs Daegon Vs Blaze on top of the pyramid. But just before on of them seems to win a freeze frame happens and Raiden, Fujin and Shinnok are now wandering around the battlefield.

You've got Kitana and Mileena about to deal each other the final blow, Liu Kang and Shang Tsung, Sheeva and Motaro, Shao Kahn and Onaga, Sonya and Kano, Kabal and Mavado, Nitara with the Kriss in her chest draining Ashrah of her blood, lots and lots of destined battles taking place.

Argus appears at the top of the pyramid as the three gods approach him. (It also turns out Shinnok is the God of the Netherrealm replacing Lucifer) Argus explains that Blaze will not perform the act perfectly thanks to Onaga's followers. A new plan is needed and seeing as Argus started this problem he will take the advice of the 3 Gods.

Shinnok mocks Argus and suggests killing Taven, Blaze and Daegon now while teleporting all of the combatants away from here and starting a new MK tournament. Fujin protests while Raiden agrees. Argus sheds a tear as a comet wipes out the pyramid killing Taven, Blaze and Dageon instantly.

Meanwhile everyone else has been teleported to their places of alignment, Earth, Edenia, Outworld and the Netherrealm and are informed of a new MK tournament. Some decide to take part some decide to walk away and find a different way to change their futures. To change their DESTINY!

DUN! DUN! DUN!

Forward.

Stop trying to recreate MK2 because it's not going to happen, no matter how many times they recycle the same damn characters over and over again.

i'd have the tournament take place 2000 years aftter armageddon with only 4 characters returning scorpion, reptile, noob saibot, and raiden.

(how the 4 characters survived arageddon.)

scorpion survived armageddon because he is undead.

reptile survived armageddon because he adapted to the burning heat in the morning and afternoon and the freezing cold at night.

noob saibot survived armageddon because he stayed in the shadows to survive the tremendous heat and ate what he could to survive.

raiden survived armageddon because he is a god and also after the events of armageddon raiden gave up his imortality to save what is left of earthrealm.

(gameplay)

it would be an updated version of 2d mk games. there would only be one style for each character. weapons would return but only as a stage weapon. this mk would feature 3-5 unique moves that would be unblockable including throws. each character would have 4 throws. a back, front, left, and a right.

(15 new fighters and 3 hidden characters)

a king vampire along with his queen vampire. (no not natara.)
a spider character.
a alien character.
a rat character.
a manipulation god as the main villian.
a young female teenager tarkata.
a earth god. (hidden character)
a fire god. (hidden character)
a ice god. (hidden character)
a female cyborg.
a cop. (not stryker but a relative of stryker that uses futuristic guns.)
a teenage indian boy related to nightwolf.
a young female monk related to liu kang.
a dream god.

(arena's)

earthrealm dead or destroyed.
space realm.
graveyard.
desert.
falling cliffs. (hidden stage)
swamp.
cave.
spaceship/netthership.

(modes)

arcade, versus, 2on2 single, 2on2 versus, time attack, create a character, edit color,combo mode which is similar to horse but spells out fatality.

(plot/story)

(this is raiden speaking)
after the events of mka the world of mortal kombat was shaken to the very fabric of the realms. in so of all this destruction i made a choice to save what is left of earthrealm. it has worked but i have aged. it has been 2000 years and we have seen amazing things but now mortal kombat is about to change with a new set of fighters who may some day take my rightful place as protector of what is left of earth realm.

(raiden speaking)
the 3 remaing fighters reptile, scorpion, noob, and myself must meet at 12:00 at the pyamid of argus where it all began.

(scorpion noob and reptile speaking)
why should we. you are a god and why should we trust you thunder god.

(raiden speaking)
there is a futuristic ship that will be there to take you and me to where the tournament will take place. if you win the tournament i will grant you 3 question of your liking. there will be plenty of new and unique fighters to face so it will be a challenge.

(noob, scorpion, and reptile speaking)
we will be there.

(raiden speaking)
so be it. i will win to get back my imortality. the fight has just begun. mmmoooorrrrttall kombat!!!!!!!!!!!!

Short answer? I'd keep it movin' on forward man. I wouldn't go backwards for at least two games. No "retros"...none of that.



Felt like a stoner for a second after reading that. haha..

Longer answer though, my vision for future MK games is scary as hell. Really.
"Your worst nightmare...with fighting in it as the focal point."

It'd have to meet certain criteria for me to be "satisfied" I guess. Which is kinda anal considering...but anyway.

:: Mature - Almost everything, Languange, Situations, Suggestions, ect. The only thing I do not ever want from MK, is "digi-porn". I wish developers would cut it out, trying to blur that line.

:: Thematic - Although I want every character explicitly unique from one another, there needs to be a theme established in the overall way the players fight. I think that theme should look like martial arts movie choreography. It should really look like we're playing one of these martial arts movies.

So, since I'd also want the characters to be explicitly unique, as well as have an overall theme for the games fighting mechanic, it should look like we're being granted the opportunity to pit saaay Neo (Keanu Reeves) from the Matrix vs Chen Zhen (Jet Li) from Fist of Legend.
Or Wong Fei-hung (Jackie Chan) from the Legend of the Drunken Master vs Kham (Tony Jaa) from The Protector .

*awesome*

lol

:: Scary//Terrifying - Modern day Scary stuff. Phobias re-realized, displays of Agony and Pain..that sort of thing. Fights aren't "pretty", so what the hell? I think that by trying to make them "pretty" games, they take away from the dark humor that is associated with a brutal fight too.

:: Dark Humor - A punch in the nuts during a real fight is funny, a punch in the nuts during a cartoon is funny too. But a punch in the nuts during a fight that supposed to be realistic, but is cartoon-like, is not funny.

Just as well, a series of punches and kicks dealt to an opponent while they are frantically trying to defend themselves, is entertaining. Gimme that?

Fantasy // "Realistic" - Who cares for actual real life in a video game? Not me. However, CARE is the key word. So in a game that started out real-like, or realistic, why should I care for anything less than what I appreciated before? Who cares about a cartoon-stylized gag in MK? Not me.

On the other end of that, if a cartoon gag is real-like, or realized, well then we got something there now don't we? Because it stops being something silly, and starts being something you ponder that might actually work if it was possible.

Balance? Make sure things are not possible (lol), and there lies Mortal Kombats fantasy element. Mortal Kombats fantasy element is, or should go back to being these instances that are based in reality somewhere. Like Edenia//Garden of Eden, NetherRealm//Hell, ect ect

:: Blood & Gore - Needs to be used more carefully...more...artistically. If we think about it, aside from the fatalities, blood and gore really only highlights the punch or kick. So, let it do just that +1. Because it is a video game, and it is acceptable to have a "wow" factor like that in this game.



Not a fan of resetting the story completely. I'd like to see them explain MKA, and move forward from there. Start out right after Taven wins and leaves the pyramid.

Whoever's dead is just now dead and still laying all over the grounds. Whoever got a way, just got away and is still kinda near the pyramid site. I could see doing this with the opening video. Not having all the "Wham!'s", "Bam!'s" and "Pow!'s" of our recent games' openers. Instead I'd like them to explain what happened, tell us at least a few of the characters that did or didn't survive, and then progress into the new story. Close MKA's chapter up first though.
===

::: Lately, I'm starting to feel more strongly about the next game not being an "official" contest. But more of a reconstruction sort of contest (how appropriate is that, considering Midways situation, eh?). One that indicates a real fresh start on all levels, even though older characters should still be around.

Go back to the contest format, but do it in such a way that suggests it hinges on bringing "new" into the game. New characters, new situations, new build up to a coming "official" Mortal Kombat contest. "The doom before the final hour" kind of scenario should be brewing in Mk9.

One element for sure that I'd like to see, is that this game start off with the contestants assuming there is no real harm that is going to be done to them by participating in this interim // unofficial MK contest. They should all pretty much be under the presumption that this contest is about finding Earths next champion, and that's it. But then, the game undergoes some really sinister twist, and takes a turn for "the worst thing that could ever happen". I'm talking merciless, chalice, and most unyielding turn for the worst that Mortal Kombat has ever seen.

Something like what happened in MKSM's cutscene going in to the WuShi Academy (3min) level would be in order. But just...far worse. Something or someone who emanates pure death and evil. None of that "Im gonna kill you sucka" jargen....it just kills unwarranted. It doesn't run, doesn't fear, it just shits on everything for its own gains no matter what the cost.

(*Light Bulb"):: How about something we can't actually "fight" until we get to the source? Like a more visual interpretation of a disease, or an invasive pandemic of Earth during this interim contest?

And what if, in order to play through the arcade ladder, you'd have to go fight through the story mode first in order to figure out who the boss and the sub boss at the top was? There'd have to be enough fighting going on in the Konquest mode, as well as an extremely well put together storyline that we'd play though.....and I think it'd have to be long enough (comparable to MKD's Konquest mode at least). But I think something like this could actually work.

Here, have Shinnok call on some portion of the conciseness of the One Being to harness that "unstoppable power". He could do it. He's pissed off at Earth and Heaven already...and I don't think he's enjoying any particular portion of the NetherRealm anyway. On top of that, what if his plan surrounding MKA went a rye yet again? Shouldn't he be pissed off to no end?.....and Doesn't he know stuff about "how the universe works", AND the particulars about the One Being?

Say Shinnok wants to punish the Elder Gods, Raiden, Fujin, "the balance"; Earth, and all the universes inhabitants all at once. Shinnok wants to screw around with the fabric of existence because he feels like the events that have transpired lately are worse to him, than when he was under the consumptive thumb of the One Being himself. He's in a position, and he's also of the intellectual and wisdom capacity to actually pull something like that off. He's not doing anything else right now is he?

Yea, why not? I'll go with that for a story. Turn Shinnok in to the darkest, most angry, most bitter, and spiteful Elder God our imaginations can comprehend (because usually he's very calm, calculated and intellectual).....and showcase the effect of that in MK9. The contrast to what Shinnok's doing, comes in the form of everybody else in every other realm is just trying to get back to some type of normalcy.

Place it maybe...5-10yrs after MKA just because "that's how long it takes for one Elder God to pull something like that off". No fancy artifacts, no magic belt buckle, he doesn't "traverse the realms to find" anything. He just needs the time to build up his strength for an event like that. Or whatever..

Make him look different, give him a different name to disguise his true identity because "the name Shinnok is not worthy of the power he has acquired"...the whole nine.

Yea...



Mmm...

Well, if not right at the beginning of this game, certainly during it, I'd kill Shao Kahn. If what is insinuated is true, he's gonna take alot of the explaining for the greater half of 20 of these characters and throw it out the window for me. Makes is easier to concentrate on the new stuff coming in. There's also those characters that just need to go away for a story like mine to exist. So, I'd use all feasible, plausible avenues to get rid of some of these characters first. In here I explain some of this stuff in more depth.

Which leaves these folks to consider. I'll just explain from them what they'd be doing for my "Supreme Elder God Shinnok" story above:

1. Scorpion - Gotta have him. So coming into this story, we find out that Scorpion successfully kills Quan Chi and wanders the realms for about 3yrs (I'd try to be more specific). While wandering Earth though, he wounds up watching this family that poses a striking resemblance to his own past family. He sticks around this family long enough to get into an altercation with them, and ends up killing the father for not reacting "correctly" to an altercation that the father gets into with some intruder.

When he realizes that he had caused the mother and the son great pain, he leaves and thinks hard about what he wants to do with himself for the rest of eternity. He figures out that he really only wanted revenge against the person who killed his family and clan, and since that's done, he should be able to return to some kind of respectable being. So...

For this interim contest to figure out who the next champ will be, Scorpion will be set on a path of redemption. He feels he deserves to rest in peace, but when this Shinnok situation arises, he gets pissed off at Shinnok for interrupting what he believes is a sure-shot path to total redemption. And vows now to protect Earth, and destroy Shinnok. Maybe that will gain him the respect he desires.....(?)

2. Sub-Zero - Gotta have him. So coming into this story we find out that Sub-Zero dodges the beef with Scorpion during the MKA fight, because Scorpion saw, and really only sought out Quan Chi. Apparently when Sub-Zero is bumped over by Raiden in the MKA into vid, Scorpion gets up and runs off in the direction of the Sareena vs Quan Chi fight that was going on after the Jax scene. Naturally, Sub-Zero follows Scorpion, but comes to the aid of a batted down Sareena. He finds that the human aspect of her personality has been over-ruled by the demon she is, during the fight with her former master. So when Sub-Zero lends her a hand, she swipes at him as though she's never seen him before. She gets up frustrated and runs off, knocking Mokap into Shujinkos imitation plasma blast that was meant for Onaga, killing him. (lol)

From there, Sub-Zero sees Frost fighting, and then also sees Noob Saibot fighting as well. But he lets them both be, figuring that the wiser choice would be to allow things to calm down a bit before he confronts either one of them. They will be near, so he will get his chance.

Coming into MK9, we will find out that Sub-Zero confronted both Frost and Noob Saibot. Sub-Zero dismisses Frost as a temporarily lost cause, but ends up fighting Noob Saibot. He didn't win this fight, but neither did Noob Saibot, indicating that he is now his brothers equal parallel. He leaves this confrontation with more information about his brother current state, and actually accomplished effectively telling Noob that they are brothers.

Sub-Zero leaves wounded after this fight, which is why I think we should see a silhouette of "a wounded ninja" in the intro, leaving the pyramid scene somewhere in some woods. After he recovers from his wounds, assumes his role as Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei, and this interim tournament becomes relavant, we see Sub-Zero as a tangible asset to the council of said contest.
He's too busy to sit in, but he can now help determine who has the potential to be the next champ.

Sub-Zero doesn't want to participate in this contest, so he elects one of his strongest Lin Kuei warriors to step forward and participate. This pupil is not a cryomancer, and no-one but Sub-Zero knows yet what his strength and power is....

However, when this whole Shinnok situation arises, Sub-Zero finds himself tangled in again. Who knows when, where, why or how......(?)


3. Noob Saibot - I'll pass on him for now..
4. Smoke - I'll pass on him for now..

5. Sektor - Coming to MK9, we find out that Sektor has little to no concern about the events that happened at the pyramid. His programming allowed him a simple calculation of the odds that weighed against him too much to risk the failing of a plan he's already had in the works. His plan to take out Sub-Zero still does exist, but has since taken a backseat to a more pressing issue....

A new, more immediate problem has arisen concerning the law enforcement of Earth. Since the Special Forces are a much bigger force to be reckoned with than the Lin Kuei, he feels his plans may be threatened by them. They have access to resources that just about parallel Sektors own technology. When Sektors Tekunin warship was taken down and Jax was captured, we learn that Sektor saw an opportunity like no other. He sent only a few sentinel robots forward to give Jax's SF team the allusion of resistance surrounding the fallen ship. But when the time was right, they struck a devastating blow to Jax's team, and a goldmine in capturing Jax.

He held substantial information about Sektors new enemy that could only be accessed through manipulating the brains neurological patterns. In order to do that, we learn that converting Jax over into a cyborg the same way Sektor was, and essentially plugging the now, fleshy cyborg Jax into a mainframe was inevitable.

The method took days but was extremely effective, and in the process it broke the will and spirit of Jax. However, once the Tekunin had discovered the vital information about the SF that they needed from the corpse, Sektor felt no need to be wasteful. After all, Jax was an extremely powerful asset to the SF to begin with. Sektor calculates the leverage he might gain as a result of using this new found force against his old army. From here on forward, "Jax" is dead.

Completely assimilated as a cybernetic force, he is now the leader of Unit LK-1SF, and is known to the Tekunin as ____ (fill in the blank with some powerful tech-y name).

In MK9, Sektor will use the apprehension of the Special Forces advancements to their advantage. Utilizing the time to fix and improve their ship, further fortify their manpower, and then proceed to calculate a counter strike on Earth's law enforcements. Will they meet any resistance? And from who? Part of the information that Jax's brain was able to divulge, allows Sektor to know that Sonya is due for a promotion out of field work....

6. Dairou - I'll pass on him for now..

7. Fujin - Coming from MKA, we can absolutely conclude that Fujin was not successful in stopping either of the brothers Taven or Daegon from completing their missions. Instead, Fujin has been multi-tasking, dealing with the Raiden and Zombie Liu Kang situation, Liu Kang's spirit, the Elder Gods' wishes, and maintaining some survivors from the train reck of a battle that MKA was. Out of the 11 he chose to look after, he was only able to make sure that 6 of them stayed alive: Kitana, Kung Lao, Jade, Kenshi, Sonya, and Kai. The other 5 won their battles on their own, or he has just not heard back from them since: Sub-Zero, Johnny Cage, Cyrax, Nightwolf, and Stryker.

Directly following MKA we learn that some of these issues are resolved. For instance, Fujin has ushered Liu Kangs soul to the Heavens and lifted that burden from Kitana and Nightwolf. Even though the corpse is still running loose and under Raidens command. We also find out that Raiden has not been seen, but deaths of particular mortals throughout the realms are consistent with Raidens shift in behavior, and the looming corpses effectiveness.

We also find out from Fujin that the Elder Gods are just as indifferent as ever, giving the inhabitants of earth the same exact time as always to find a new champion, or risk loosing the next official mortal kombat contest. We find that it is their advise that guides this interim contest in MK9, the same as it has been for all realms in the past.

Coming forward, Fujins duties consist of maintaining his presence as the force of wind on Earth. He is also to oversee this interim contest as Earth tries to find its new champion. Fujin also is delegated with the duty of getting to the bottom of the Raiden situation, but warns the Elder Gods of the possibility of a conflict between he and Raiden. Lastly, Fujin is in left in charge, as the only responsible god of Earth, to bring things back to normal. He has to learn some hard lessons being the only god left. Not even Raiden has been left for so long alone in such a situation.

Once the Shinnok situation rears its ugly head, Fujin finds himself up against unimaginable odds. Right when the sky is blotched out by some oddly ensuing force however, Fujin sees what looks like Liu Kangs corpse. A few moments later, Raiden shows up to help defend Earth. What will happen next, I wonder.......(?)

8. Hotaru - I'll pass on him for now..

9. Nightwolf - From MKA, Nightwolf is now free of Liu Kangs soul. But when he finds out that Onaga's soul did not stay anchored in the NetherRealm where he put it , oddly, Nightwolf gets pretty pissed off. Now, Nightwolf is a strong leader of his tribe, and a respected, and fully accepted member of the forces that protect earth. But since his venture to the NetherRealm over binding Onaga, Nightwolf bows out.

He doesn't quit however, what we find out is that he considers the strain that his own soul has bared lately, and wisely takes a needed break from all the stress he has endured during MKA. Instead, he remembers a duo he met at one point in his travels to the East.

Teenagers some 12 or so years ago, it would have been out of the question to involve them in a fighting contest, even as friendly as this interim one is supposed to be. Nightwolf contacts and old friend, the martial arts master of Sing and Sang (haha!). To ask if his duo would be willing to participate in order to see if "they" are the next "chosen one".

Nightwolf remembers that when he last saw them, there was no one near them that was equal to their combined might, and wonders if this is still in effect. The master explains that Sing and Sang had been preparing for this event since Nightworlf saw them last, and are already in route to the contests location. He also explains that they had made some significant improvements since then as well. Speaking of them becoming capable enough now, to combine their physical selves into one before a match. Before the conversation between Nightwolf and the Master ended, he told Nightwolf that when they arrive, that they have not been addressed individually as Sing and Sang for some 7 yrs, and dubbed them "Siang".

With Nightwolf bowing out, but introducing Siang, what now is his role? How could Nightwolf help such a powerful ally, when he himself needs to finish cleansing himself of the remaining taint that was necessary to get into the Nether? And who exactly are Siang? (Chi masters of some sort obviously.) Will they be the next chosen one? And how will they behave during a crisis like the impending Shinnok situation?

10. Kai - Coming from MKA, we learn for a fact that Kai wasn't the one who beat Blaze and obtained his powers. However, Kai was affected by Blaze and the pyramid battle. Apparently, all of those aggressive energies mixing together in one location, both positive and negative triggers an intuitive ability that dwell within Kai from birth.

The thing that we don't know about Kai that we find out early in MK9, is that his people are of the decent of the long forgotten voodoo practice. And in his lineages' naturally selective tradition, the strongest, and eldest male of every third generation is blessed with the capabilities in the dark arts, voodoo. They have no choice in this matter. However, the will to tap in to this capability, and the manner in which this spiritual type magic is used, is up to the wielder themselves. So, with the practices of voodoo long forgotten amongst his people, Kai was//is still unaware that he might even be eligible for such potential.

So what happens during the MKA battle, is Kai engages in a fight with ___ (doesn't matter, fill in the blank), and each time he either landed a blow, or was hit, he got flashes from the past, present, or future (he can't distinguish this, he just knows something's up). Making it through that fight, and MKA successfully, he leaves the area following the direction he saw Kung Lao head in, and takes a rest. It is then that a longer vision invades his mind, and he gets his first real sample of his pasts' lineage. (they show or detail the dream for us)

From this dream, he gathers that he is supposed to fulfill a role more purposeful than being a mere pupil to Kung Lao, and the fallen Liu Kang. But at the same time, he still can't make sense of the figures within the dream he had. Even though he recognizes one man in it as a Voodoo doctor. The most peculiar thing about the man, was that he wore ____ (some other type of animal) on his skin as a symbol of natural power, just as Kai himself does.

Could the voodoo doctor in his dream be Kai somewhere in the future? Could it be someone in his past? Could it be symbolic of the role he should fulfill? Kai is only sure of one thing since that dream. That is, that he needs to ready himself to enter this interim contest to see if Liu Kangs place is the role he must fulfill.

Going forward into MK9, we find out that the clash of so many different forces of energy triggers terrifyingly vivid dreams for Kai. Some are really good dreams, and some are extremely bad. All of which are amazingly realistic..
As more an more of these dreams persist, Kai is able to piece some of these things together finally, and eventually comes to understand that he is not to fulfill Liu Kangs former role as the chosen one. Kai is "a chosen one", but not "thee chosen one" specifically meant for Mortal Kombat purposes.

As the Shinnok scenario comes into play, we should start to understand his real role in all this. Which is that he needed to identify with his past, in order to handle what is happening in the present, and to be able to use that information and his new found abilities to restore balance and help defeat Shinnok for good.

By the end of the game, we should know that Kai has been selected as an avatar for the fallen elemental gods. A sort of surrogate that helps usher in their reemergence in the struggle to restore balance to Earth. We should also be able to conclude for a fact that Kai won this interim contest to find earth a new chosen one.

Which should confuse things intentionally because, Kai's purpose is not actually supposed to be to fulfill that role. I think we should still be left in limbo here, because come MK10 (or whatever) it makes the threat to earth more intense, and establishes a sense of urgency on behalf of earth realm to get their leaders in order, before the "official" Mortal Kombat contest comes back around. "Kai is the winner of the Chosen One contest, but he's preoccupied by another cause just as great as the chosen one's role. He's going through this transformation about his lineage, and at the same time trying to help....get help....when he has proven that he is the help. Therefor essentially, the chosen one role is still up for grabs at the end of MK9.

{{[#1.]Fujin needs help immediately>>
[#2.] MKA's clash of positive and negative energies presented the perfect circumstance//opportunity for them to send a message to someone>>
[#3.]and Kai is the right choice, and has all the equipment to receive their cry for resurrection lying dormant within him (they're dead, and voodoo is an art form of necromancy. ie: communication with, or command of the dead).
[#4.]Now that they have Kai's attention, all he has to do is learn his past, seize his present, perfect his natural craft, and resurrect the fallen elemental gods}}

11. Kenshi - Didn't Kenshi die in the MKA intro? Or was that just another fluke? Don't know what to do with him if he isn't dead.

12. Kung Lao - During MK9, we learn that Kung Lao kills Baraka (finally) during MKA, and realizes that he must move on with his life in some way. When he leaves the pyramid site, he makes his way back to Earth. On the way however, he finds that he has a trailer. Someone able to keep up pace with his awesome speed and agility somehow. Taking his pursuer through some woods, Kung Lao sets up for an ambush, but eventually comes to realize that it's just Kai (makes sense, he helped teach Kai).

When they meet finally, Kai tells him of the dreams he's been having, and Kung Lao recommends something that they both have been through before. Soul searching. He tells Kai that it sounds like he is getting a calling for something, and that his dreams seem to be symbolic in some way. He encourages Kai to look within himself, and identify with whatever the problem may be. After they get back to Earth, they part ways with the understanding that they will see each other again, and that Kai will participate in some sort of unofficial contest that now must take place since the death of Liu Kang.

Kung Lao feels he doesn't need to participate in the contest himself, but that he will probably be old enough by that time to be apart of the active council that oversees the contest.

Eight or so years later, coming closer to the actual contest, and now within the realm of MK9, we see that Kung Lao has reserved himself to the point of seclusion. By now Kung Lao is a legend for having survived MKA, and a rumor circulates that he commonly breaks the will of a man through his teaching methods.

Because he is still a Shaolin Monk, a master by any definition right now, he will in fact be one of the council for the contest. No mortal could beat him outside of when Liu Kang was still alive. So in his past time, has been putting some of the worlds best up and comers though hell. He has no star pupil, and feels none worthy enough to be called such, exists.

Inside a year before the contest takes place, Nightwolf contacts Kung Lao, and tells him that his most promising challenge as a Sensei is headed his way. He tells him that they are monks as he is, and with great confidence that they may very well pass any test he has to dish out.

"Kung Lao: I respect your word Nightwolf, old friend...But we will see about that....."

13. Quan Chi - Scorpion FINALLY Kills Quan Chi.

14. Shinnok - As stated, Shinnoks "master plan" in MKA fails miserably. And this angers him to no limit. The spite he feels first drove him back to the NetherRealm to think. But the more he thought about any kind of strategy could yeild a sucessful outcome, the more he was just driven crazy. He just couldn't win anything, and at the same time, he could not stand to be this universes new Lucifer.

Which is where the idea spawns from. I really don't know how to explain this part (hard to believe, I know) other than to say that Shinnok is supposed to be supreme in many ways already. If he's now the "god of despair" like Vogel describes him, then what was he before he was banished?
And if he was the same as now, why in the hell would the other Elder Gods wait for a climax like the war on the Heavens to boot him out of Heavens pantheon?

For the sake of the point here, let's just say that he's simply less powerful (as if there's an obvious measure to judge by), but yet still pretty capable of massive disruption to the universe. That is, he still knows everything that he did before he was banished, but he doesn't have anywhere near the easiest ability to cause a "big boom" like he would have if he were still and full on Elder. Knowledge is power though, and Shinnok is supposed to be this very "Darkseid", almost "Brainiac" type of character as far as intellect is concerned. He's supposed to know absolutely everything. It's assumed amongst a larg population of the MK fan base, that he helped create the universe in some way, shape, or form. Add to that assumption another one, the assumption that he knows critical information about the One Being.

So, Shinnok finally breaks, and determines that "starting all over" is the best way to handle his current debacle. As a sophisticated psychopath, he concludes somehow that he can reshape this universe into his own vision if he can:

a.) Get rid of any other god in existence. Although imprisonment or suffering an eternity under his thumb would be the greatest accomplishment for the remaining Elders and each division of Realm Gods.
b.) Use his knowledge of the One being to harness greater power than he had even as an Elder God.
c.) Do it in a way that is relatively quick and unstoppable.

He seems most satisfied when he contemplates a plague on the realms. However, for such a massive plague to take place, and actually be effective to any sort of degree, it needs to be potent and invasive. It needs to blanket a realm, and overtake anything is comes in contact with -- with death.

So he does some experimenting with different types of plagues on a small scale for about two yrs after MKA. The problem with this, is that he was only able to cause mediorce death to mortals that he would abduct from other realms. Nothing seemed to be very effective. Until he thought of something ingenious. If he could kill the spirit of a denizen of hell, then he could surely consume any realm full of mortals, and ghost.

The concoction he wanted would target the spirit of a being, disintegrates its essences, and eradicate the flesh. But it was incomplete. You see, Shinnok was stripped of these sorts of powers when he was banished from the Heavens. He no longer had the ability to handle spirits or cosmic essences. He can not tap into the source of such things as the EtherRealm, or Purgatory. He no longer has the innate tools to manhandle matter, and nor did he have the capability to tolerate this sort of concoction had he currently produced it. He could only master mortal talents like magic or chi easily, only influence other beings, make magic tricks (like his hand moves), produce weak necromantic illusions. He needed his Elder God status back, and more...

The first thing Shinnok does, is set up the mainframe for this plague. Everything aside from spiritual and cosmic essences were added to this plagues mainframe. It was already invasive, and he could already blanket a realm in it. But he wanted to make sure that even if a god like Raiden came in contact with it, that they would suffer from it as well. Shinnok wants to perform the most heinous, more forbidden ritual even by angry ex-elder god standards. A single-being séance to awaken one tenth of the consciousness of the One Being.
He also needed to create the antidote, in the case that he might actually be susceptible to it. All he needed was time to gather up sacrifices. Time to gather up his strength. Time to prepare for the greatest séance the universe has ever fallen victim to.

(PS: No funky artifacts, no stupid magic belt buckle, no dumb "thing" he has to go "find" for whatever reason....he simply has to have the time to do it)

15. Raiden - There have been sightings of a corpse moping around specific locations where your typical bad guy would also be seen hanging about, and a fight between them and the corpse would ensue. Shortly after and in every one of these instances, an amazing display of tremendous light, electricity, and thunder would happen, and then the instance would end. The peculiar part about every instance though, is that it was never raining when any of this happened. It has happened several times across any rage of all the realms, and each time afterwards, those typical bad guys were found beaten and chard to a crispy dry skeleton of their former selves.

From MKA, we find that Raiden has been quite a busy bee. His entertainment of Shinnok has fallen short, and he no longer has the bind to that agreement. However, he is still playing in the dirt with some of the bad guys. He once confronted a Kamidogu-less Onaga on Outworld. They fought again, but this time, without his precious kamidogu, Onaga was beaten amazingly quick. The shock that coursed through his body from Raiden almost killed him for the third time (long ago by Shao Kahn, then by Shujinko in MKD).

Seemingly powerless to Raidens wrath, Onaga offers up something worth a bit more than his death to Raiden. He knows the whereabouts of three whole clans and their leaders, and then some information about Shinnok.

Raiden was keen on the clans and their leaders, but he really honed in on the Shinnok information. Onaga, laying there panting for every succeeding breathe, told Raiden that Shinnok has been abducting beings from all over every realm, taking them to the NetherRealm by force, and subjecting them to a series of plagues. He says that Shinnok has been indiscriminate, taking any species. Even one self proclaimed demi-god and killing him through these plague tests.

Of course, Raiden does not trust anything Onaga has to say, so he threatens to shocks him again, in remembrance of his sacrifice that proved usless against Onaga once before. And besides, Raiden knew he was lying about still wanting to kill Shao Kahn because he saw him abduct Shao Kahn and kill him once before.

Nonetheless, Onaga gave up this information to Raiden in exchange for being allowed to kill, and make sure Shao Kahn is dead. Onaga's last wish to Raiden was to be able to choke the life out of Shao Kahn, tear the body to shreds, and end his tyrannic reign over what he felt was his rightful domain. So, Raiden grants the wish, leaving him with an obscure chance to survive their meeting. He warned Onaga that if he recoups, and Shao Kahn is not confirmed dead within one week, that he would finish them both for good.

From there, Raiden planned to oust those clans that Onaga mentioned, and find out more about Shinnok. When that process had been exhausted, he planned to find Onaga again and finish him off anyway.

Fast forward to inside one year of the contests happening, some nine years later. Almost all Raidens targets have been x'ed off the list on way or another. Onaga did finish off Shao Kahn, but has since been extremely elusive. We find out that since MKA, Raiden had been using Z.Liu Kangs corpse as a sort of probing sentinel, that sniffs out the enemie, and exposes their location by getting into fights with them. Raiden then shows up, kills the target, and retreats back into anonymity.

So in true fashion, he sends an extremely rigor mortis beaten Zombie Liu Kang back out in to the universe to sniff out Onaga. What he didn't know though, is that it was the last time he'd ever see Liu Kangs body again. Over the past 9yrs rigor had terminated the copes multiple times, but Raiden would just keep repairing the corpse with dark magic and sending it back out into the world. Each fight meant less that Raiden could repair, and this time, the body would nor be repairable, or even found. Flesh literally fell of the bones of the corpse as it made its last trip through a portal and into Outworld. The stink attracted numerous parasites, and flesh eaters from that world as they tore the body to bits. Liu Kang...or Zombie Liu Kang is no more.

While Raiden waits to strike against Onaga, his second to last target, he thought he'd peak back in on Earth to see that the contest was preceding without a hitch. By the time he got there, all the contestants had pretty much been present and readying themselves for their first fights. He spends a few weeks there, watching underneath anyones radar when one sunset fell on them like no other.

It was right at that moment that Fujin and Kung Lao had spotted Raiden and aimed to confront him for his last 10yrs of odd behavior. They intended to seize him, and have Fujin take Raiden before the Elder Gods to be judged. But before they could speak, a dark cloud-like entity blotched out the sky. It moved slowly, but like a body of snakes pushing over a slippery surface. They all put the issue at hand aside and faced the threat.

Raiden however, knew what this was and informed everyone not to come in contact with the darkness. For it was the plague, a force that physical fighting could not stand a chance against. Raiden informed Fujin that they should both snatch up as many of the known warriors as they could and meet at the Nexus. The medium between all realms that Raiden knew Shinnok had not thought to over take.

Once there amonst a group of only 10 known warriors, a discussion begins. the others that Raiden and Fujin were able to get a hold of, were taken to a cave deep underneath Earths surface, and told to stand-by for instruction. What-the-hell does Raiden reveal? and who exactly did Fujin see before he saw Raiden, if Z. Liu Kangs body fell apart from deterioration more than a year ago......(?)

16. Kabal - I'll pass on him for now..
17. Ashrah - I'll pass on her for now..
18. Frost - I'll pass on her for now..
19. Nitara - I'll pass on her for now..
20. Sareena - I'll pass on her for now..
21. Havik - I'll pass on him for now..

22. Drahmin - Is Shinnoks henchmen in MK9. He was promised amnesty in return for his service to Shinnok. Drahmin is the only help aquired of by Shinnok. His job is to gather up mortals for sacrifices for Shinnoks experimentation's, prepare for the séance, and release the plague once the formula was complete.

23. Onaga - Assumed his rightful place on the thrown in Outworld after killing Shao Kahn and any of his doppelgangers. However in MK9, Onaga is currently on the run from Raiden and the corpse. Or is he? He's been missing for almost 9yrs of story continuity by the time Shinnoks wrath begins.



1a.) "Feels like I'm being watched....I AM!" Super secrets that are attainable though real time gameplay. *You trigger and instance where Reptile (or whoever) jumps out of the background, and now this is an endurance round.* You win the match with a fatality, "he is now selectable".

1b.) Labyrinth Puzzles that lead to something or someone

1c.) "Sense of Emergency or Else" secrets. Hurry up to get to it, or die trying and loose a bunch of stuff you just got.

1d.) The "Face your Fear" scene from Batman Begins.

2.) Yes, I would use codes. Blood code or "Punch//Kick-Dust", "Gore Overload" is another one I thought about.

3.) No Krypt, that area could've//should've been an arena, or a level of the Konquest mode. I'd just have a content section for holding, and organizing all my stuff. Downloads, stuff in the game I found like characters, clothes, money, weapons, any videos or pictures. Bios//Profiles//Endings...all that stuff.

4.) 3-ish hidden characters. None found in the same manner...ever. One from the arcade mode, one from the Konquest mode, one from online....and maybe one from somewhere completely unexpected. Like the Practice mode (the sensei) or something.

5.) I never really fully appreciated the endurance mode of the early games, but I liked the one in MKSM a lot though. So I'd have to hide that somewhere in the Konquest mode I guess.

Other than that though, nah, nothin' else hidden. Anything else that might be hidden is for the "programmer MK fan" to find.



:: I like the MKvsDC system, but I wouldn't be afraid to change it so that it had the theme I'm currently a fan of seeing come true in Mortal Kombat. It needs to look and feel more movie choreographed.

:: No character has the same anything. Not even the look of a single jab should look the same unless the styles relate somehow.

:: No strict adherence to a "real-life" style either. We don't need it and it plays to the fantasy element in MK if we don't have that. All of the characters styles should seem made up. Fantastical, as if they came up with the specifics of their styles themselves.

:: Definitely need some of the benchmarks of a 3D fighting game to become more apparent if this is to work at all. True ground game, true parry's, more reversals..frame sensitive stuff...ect.

:: I liked the 2.5D gameplay from MkvsDc in particular, so I'd probably try to keep something similar around.



:: Hell no. No weapons unless they strictly aesthetically charged. Like MK3 Scorpion or early Nightwolf..ect. It would have to be a part of a combo, which I am a huge fan of doing more of. To the point of doing that sort of thing with characters' special moves. MkvsDc didn't get it right.

It needs to seem more like an aesthetic reward for performing a hard-to-do combo, rather than "more work I have to do in order to see a special move happen during a combo sequence".

:: No dropping weapons and picking them up, no pulling out weapons and having to work around that whole system, just nonstop fighting.

:: Just one, well thought out hand to hand style where aesthetics make appearances as a sort of reward system within real time gameplay.

:: I-would-not-go-for-the-laun-dry-list-of-pain-stak-ing-ly-sim-ple-moves-for ev-er-y-sing-le-move-ment-a-char-act-er-makes. I feel silly even typing that out like that.

There needs to be a medium where they do not skimp on the specifics, include critical elements to the mechanic in order for a fight to happen in any situation, and that doesn't deteriorate into a "everything does something different everytime" type of situation.

I do like memorizing certain things, that's part of how I am able to form some of the strategies that I employ. But that doesn't mean I wanna be trapped inside a box of super repetitive dial-a-combos. So yea, there's an equilibrium to be captured here that to this day, has never existed for fighting games in general. If you notice, there's always hardcore mechanics, or...not.



:: For single player, I gotta have at least 2 on 2 back. It was too fun back in the day. I'd have stuff like Tournament mode, 1vs3 Online, 2vs2, 3vs3 max. I need it online now.

:: MKSM styled Endurance mode in the Konquest. (as previously stated)

:: I would have some team stuff for playing online. Scavenger Hunts, Seek and Destroy, No Mercy.

::Character specific mini-games that are strictly downloadable. Take a survey or something first though. Send it to everybody's LIVE or PSN in-boxes and create them based on the most popular characters votes.

:: Kreate-a-Kharacter needs to come back in my opinion. I need that so I can go through Konquest mode and actually care about what's going on. I don't want a pre-made character. I want to make my own, and be a contestant in the actual contest that finds the story out that way.

Start me out at about age 17, and let me grow, and build my own story from there. Let me enter the contest, and figure out what's going on from running into official roster characters. Making friends//enemies ect.

Have it simple, but choice based so that when I get to the end, data has been compiling throughout my play time that spits me out:

1.) a profile that I can keep, based on what I gave my character at the start.
2.) a bio that I adapts to what I do if I take the same character file back through the Konquest mode with all my stuff still on me. (got weaker//stronger, changed from good to neutral//evil, changed clans...whatever)
3.) and 1 of 5 possible endings each time I actually finish the mode:

:: "You're a good guy, so you win"
:: "You're a bad guy, but you won"
:: "You're a good guy, but you lost"
:: "You're a bad guy, so you loose"
:: "You're a neutral guy so you just go home//you disappeared//fell into a never ending pit//whatever"

++ Btw, an open ended Konquest mode is the only way to go right now, with the popularity of all these sandbox//open world games. When MKD's Konquest, and MKSM were left open ended, it allows the game to breathe, and let me feel like I was getting more for my money. That, combined with side missions, secrets, time//place sensitive secrets (appreciated, but not exactly "fun" to live through. Make something more immediately gratifying out of this sort of thing, or put the energy into something else.), and interaction with the A.I. makes the game feel like alot more.

:: Different types of Test Your Might games wouldn't be a bad idea to put online. Two online players fighting each other in this kind of little mini-game sounds fun to me. Have us fighting over the power bar to break the wood. Ha! The winner gets...some small, but worth it reward for it each time.

You could also use this to determine a draw, or placements in the tournament mode online. The winner wins, or gets the higher slot on the board respectively.



All of this post in one game (haha...)

Seriously though. Probably a "Bar Fight" scenario. One arena where fighting can go anywhere in the arena, even into interacting with onlookers. Don't know how feasible that is, but I can understand the difficulties of trying to give traditionally inaffective figures in the background affective purpose. That's never been done in any game to any exceptional degree.

Stuff like grabbing a secret character out of the background like Liu Kang did Reptile in the movie, that kind of thing is still pretty much out of the question too. But I still wanna have that experience come from MK.

//Absurdly long post.

Design - Like Deception. Plus realistic violence.

Gameplay - Like mkvsdc plus with new features.

Story - a fresh start, like Deadly Alliance. New, but with classic characters.

it should be either 1000 yr before 1st mk or sometime after MKA

the first idea:

Onaga still rule, he conquers all except earthrealm, and earthrealm sent it's champion---(possibly the then- good Shang Tsung) to free earth, while Shao Kahn also plotting his overthrow of the emperor and many other character like the founder of Shrai-ryu and last member of cryomancer fought(they will be the ancient scorpion and sub zero also bearing the name, Scorpion hired by earth while sub zero fought for outworld, but then they both switch, and yes, they are still rivals back then) . it end with Shang Tsung defeat the champion(turnout to be baraka's father/goro's father) and Onaga killed by kahn, we got to see young Kitana(who just got captured from onaga's conquest of Edenia and begged to be spared, and Shang Tsung mindwashed her and give her to kahn) and several other character as bbies(babality!) and that setting give oppertunity for many new ppl. ideas: A tarkatan advisor to onaga(devious type)----Hedioura A brute that Onaga used to his will--------Donc Queen of Onaga(later killed by Shang Tsung's own hand)----Imalia an elder advisor of Kahn who persuaded Tsung(later got killed by Tsung as well)-----Soo Chow A young Lin Kuei member caught in all mess----Leid King Jerrod A princes of Edenia( complete a twin with Rain)----Aevos

second idea:

ten years after the score is settled, with many indiviaduals dead and realm back to reative peace, Shinnok called upon an army of darkness(include scorpion, noob,moloch and others) in thirst of taking earthrealm. Shao Kahn joined Shinnok,(but Shang Tsung, mileena refused), as well as raiden(who brought the reunited liu kang). good and evil do get a overturn in this situation, with Shang Tsung leading good(mileena, sub zero, sereena, and several new fighters) and liu kang leading evil(Raiden, Shaokahn, and shinnok's army) this brought a twist into story that allow add of characters , but remove who as well as adding who is still not deciesive, ill say remove most of ppl, leaving only the few standing classic an intresting ppl, and add new characters( dont get into chicken man/ police/kano craps) Characters: an European agent investigate the things-, silent and cool with many technology-----Albert "murderer"Schmidt an twisted, mangled, almost serpent like Oni ------Barotul A crude outworld resistance fighter/warlord(not kahn)---Chin Sho Kow A woman in sevice of Shang Tsung(one of the two naked ones on his MK vs. DCU endinglol)----linthia gameplay largely move forward in direction Teken had shave damage: most hit cause no damage when blocked, but some contains shave damage, others and temporarely break the block grapple: can be used to get through blocking opponent, some may result in QTE, graples and be broken when victim catch the QTE before attacker Air combat: most character have levitation move, and if performed right moment and got opponent in air, a air style may be performed. counters: counters can be used on every move on aspecific time. supermoves: both single and combo, they typically have QTE after statin, and can be broken easily, a failed supermove will result in being stunned fatality: it can be performed by press the QTE when opponent's health is low and when they are in a stunned state, if oponent got the QTE before you do, the fatality does not do anything, and the attacker may get stunned Stage interaction: multi level and death traps, some stage based operation(such as throwing weapons or operate stage mounted traps like wall mounted gun and elevator), low wall can be broken both of them are made more realistic, with more beutiful characters and better animation that is NEW, in the end, it should look something like tekken, but much better

I'll talk about characters first. While this is going to be far from the most popular decision to make, from a pure business stand-point, I think it is better to bring the "iconic" characters back. Not all of them, of course, but a good handful.

Sub-Zero, Scorpion, Kitana, Sonya, Shao Kahn (as a playable contestant in a normal installment for the first time ever), Noob Saibot and maybe Kenshi from the newer games. For returning unlockable characters, I'd have Liu Kang hiding in them somewhere, with a more distant storyline (no longer is he Earth's first line of defense), and Havik, who is just trying to cause mischief. That's seven returning characters for the main cast, and then two hidden fighters, taking it up to a square nine returning. That leaves roughly 15 slots for new characters? They don't need to fill all those slots, of course, and can instead focus on character depth, or something.

The main villain, I'd make a sorceress. I think that it's time for a female boss in MK. I'd make her character design walk the line between sexy and regal, with her fighting style being far more magic-based than any fighter in MK history. I wouldn't make her entirely evil, either. More a young, naive type of evil. She is grooming the realms for the arrival of an entity that has brought the end to many universes in the past.

Longest. Post. Ever


I'd do a Star Trek style reboot. Basically, Armageddon destroyed everything, creating a time warp and only one character, or a handful of characters are returned to before MK1 with a vague memory of what happened in the future. From there, MK history is rewritten.

LOL I'm not sure Pred knows how to do short posts. He reminds me of myself before my passion for writing started to fade.

Me, I have to go against the grain not only with how I usually feel about these things, but with most of the community on here. I would do a complete remake of each game, but keep them all 2D.
For instance, for MK1, have all the original characters, but add new ones that were around, but not seen in or playable in the game (Ermac, Reptile, some new fighters maybe), throw in new playing mechanics (super combos, power meters, etc), speed it up, add new levels, and a Konquest mode. And bring back the digitized actors.
Retell the story more consistantly for each game. It has gotten very garbled now, it is hard to see what is what, what happened and what didn't, and so on. At least for me. Or maybe I am just old.

Which is odd for me, because normally, I DESPISE remakes of ANYTHING. But, in this case, maybe it is not such a bad idea.

Haha...sorry guys. Rapper-in-limbo+Composition classes

I've been twitter-ing lately, so does that count for shor

A good direction

I think the mk team have to go to the same direction they did wite deadly Alliance:
-new fighters
-new sotryline
-mini games
-unlockble kontent


-

I'd move the story forward as others have said. It's the only sensible option, imo.

Kung Lao's MKA ending would allow for this to happen. For me, it was the only ending I eventually liked as it would allow for us to go back in time and introduce different characters and send those who still existed on different paths and completely ignore those who were never really needed. It'd be a means of pushing the story forward by going backwards.

Focus on the gameplay. Keep it balanced so that MK is no longer the laughing stock of the fighting community. Hire people to test the game that are actually, ya know, good at fighting games. 24 characters, about 10 returning, 14 new, and we're good.