I think your assessment is right about some things and wrong about others.

Meterless launchers/extenders still exist, especially in a corner. You can still do pretty much anything you want to do with a stunned or juggled opponent. It still takes skillful execution to pull off a longer juggle. There do seem to be fewer options, particularly since they changed it to where you don't get a starter out of both sides of a mix-up. And combos aren't so long that you can basically shut the other player out of playing the game for several seconds.

There is room for creativity, but it's more of a practical level of creativity -- we maybe won't be seeing any more 40 minute-long videos of long combos you can do with one character, awesome as they are to watch. When you think about it though, even the most creative combos you see in those videos rely on the same small set of moves to keep them going, just in a different order... and you don't see anyone doing most of that stuff in a real, serious match anyway. It's fun for the lab nerds to see how far you can push the system to get a huge combo out, and in how many ways, but realistically a lot of that creativity is spent putting out maximum effort for not-so-much reward. People who are actually playing the game competitively tend to rely on a small set of practical options rather than a wide range of creative ones.

Yeagh i saw sonya doing a combo string, idk how it will be for other characters. it looks like only a few have that so far.

NRS said to tone down the combo's in MK11. With that said they problably will do something so you cant juggle your opponent like we used to do. Something will prevent the player to do so. I guess increased weight to the characters, or more recovery on the moves etc. NRS said it so they sure are doing something to prevent the longer combos. And now it looks like amplifiers reset the opponnents weight or do somth to extend the combo's.

Aslong as Mk doesnt have combos as long as MvsC3 im ok. just hope the "amplify to extend combo's" isnt getting repetetive at a long term. And that regular specials are more than combo enders.

It's my only concern in this game so far. I'm a day one since MK1 '92 Scorpion Main and I'm very unhappy about the nerf to his spear but not giving him any METERLESS options to replace it. His combos in videos look sweet and I can't wait to try them myself but they all required 2 full bars. That was however only with a few hours to practice. I reserve final judgement until people really get to lab this game hardcore. I just couldn't get into the Injustice games, not even Scorpion (again because I couldn't stand the spear in that game), because I have a really hard time getting any good momentum. I'm an aggressive rushdown/mind games player who likes flashy combos for heavy damage. Always have been. Seeing that IJ spear in MK11 made me despair quite heavily but I give NRS the chance to prove my ass wrong and surprise me.

On a side note I've never understood the appeal of the stupid long Kitana fan cancel/corner three bar combos etc that are flashy but only do like what 25% damage (for two to three bars!)? I can easily do a zero to 1 bar combo in MKX with her that's way shorter, still flashy as hell, but does somewhere between 25-33% damage depending on ender. I love long Killer Instinct style combos but only if the damage is also worth it, lol.