I agree with everything you have said but what I really want out of MKXI is the return of Noob F@@@@@g Saibot! How he was left out of MKX was just so wrong on so many levels!

Also I would like to see stage transitions ( they are epic in injustice 2) and would be awesome in the new MK.

Basically if they do what they did with MKX but with a better roster, better story and few extra modes it will be awesome!

Wish list:

- No character variation (go back to MK9 style)
- No more than ONE guest character
- All MK4, and 3D era characters (especially Reiko)
- No Goro (sick of him)
- Motaro, and Moloch as sub-bosses
- Two fatalities, one anamality per character
- Two X-rays per character

More so then anything else i want them to focus hard on the story mode. I want them to make it as epic as possible.

I feel MK's greatest thing was its lore, you really had a sense for the characters, and their motivations to some degree at least.

other then that my wishes are really i guess selfish ones:

I really want Sub-Zero to resemble John Turk as much as possible, like whenever i imagine the character its always JT's face that comes to mind.

in general i want them to stick to a 'Look" for characters rather then consistently changing them, other then that i'd love to See Frost, and other 3d Era characters get a fair shake.

Motaro! 3D Motaro, with four legs for gods sake! All with x-rays, fatalities, etc.
Glump of varieties of combos can be created for four legs and a tail, come ooon NRS don't be lazy this time please!

1) A round up of what the hell are all of the non playable characters doing? This was infuriating in the old days and NRS never really seem to confirm what "Character X" is doing in the events of MK Infinity. Basically. I want to know what my favourite characters are doing if they arent in the roster. Nothing too expansive just a paragraph to let everyone know that they are possibly coming back. A Cock tease if you will.

2) Sheeva, Sindel and Skarlet. Hell its my wish list.

3) Motaro boss. I know centaurs are notoriously hard to MoKap NRS but you can do it. You have WB money now!

4) I dont want Injustice 2's gear in. But shaders would be cool. Also, start experimenting more with alternate costumes for the "Ninjas" so many variations of the V suit.. Maybe some more customisation on top of shaders.

I want variations. But if they are going to have them, completely change up the play style of each one. Don't just give one character a slightly different projectile across three variations. And don't spread characters like Sub-Zero so damn thin.

1) 3D in which you can dodge attacks, sidestep and such with a optional close camera (like the cinematic trailer for MKX). This would really bring out the best graphics

2) Focus on the fantasy, asian mythology, spiritual and martial arts world instead of this futuristic stuff w/ all kinds of weapons and gadgets. Please no more drones and guns!

3) Revamp the fighting mechanics, focus on true fighting styles and make it a martial arts game again.

4) Make big characters and bosses actually big like SF5 and Dragon Ball Fighterz have done with Abigail and Broly.

5) Choose a new direction with the story and stick with it, no more bringing back Shao Kahn, Blaze or any other former boss as well as no more old farts like Jax, Johhny Cage, Sonya since you introduced new disciples.

6) Make Shang Tsung one of the main characters and give him his old look again. The wise old wizard who had a big sub-boss would really make me happy, like a revived Baraka - from the flesh pits - and Tsung having the ability to fly, have quicker dashes and teleport moves as well as turn into any character he wants.

7) Have the MK dragon actually in the game somehow, part of the story and maybe even the Dragon King (Onaga). If he appears as a regular man with wings again I will stop believing in NRS' capabilities to be creative. They've lost their touch already it seems with MKX

8) Bring back brutalities in their original form, with quick combos going into a finishing blow.

9) Less focus on fatalities, it seems that's where they put most of their energy even though it was all just about gore as if there's no other ways to finish someone off.

10) Stages with several parts, e.g. getting kicked off of a bridge / roof.

11) Time for Havik, Kai (African warrior), Li Mei & Fujin to shine.

^ I concur with a lot of this post.

Since the game is already well under way, I'm assuming they have most of the core gameplay structured and planned out, which includes the assorted modes and basic fighting mechanics. That being said, here's my list:

1) NO GUEST CHARACTERS - I know it's not gonna happen, so then try to keep it to no more than 2.

2) Tighter DLC schedule - MK is part of my very soul, and I love it so very much...but even I will get tired of it over the course of 16 months. If we're going to have "Kombat Packs" and DLC, then instead of spacing them out from each other 4 - 6 weeks, bring them closer in together - 2 to 3 weeks. Or release characters in pairs of 2 so there's more content with each piece of DLC.

3) Character Customization Options - MK is woefully behind the times in terms of character customization. I have always loved NRS' designs for their characters, so with customization, I'd like to see the Injustice "slots" ported over to MK to allow us the opportunity to save a few customized looks made from assorted gear parts that we get. Allows us to continue using the characters with their original NRS designs, but gives us options to use our own too. COSMETIC ONLY - NO STATS! Leave that to Injustice.

4) Improved Brutalities - I loved Brutalities in MKX, and admittedly used them probably more than Fatalities. However, I'd like to see them become easier to use. Additionally, I'd like to see them become a bit more gruesome and less silly - lots of them were a bit too goofy to take seriously.

5) More in-game unlockables - so sick of extra outfits being locked as DLC. Allow them to be earned in-game either by finding them in the Krypt, purchasing with currency (also earned through gameplay), fulfilling objectives, beating arcade ladder, rewards for towers, etc.

6) Improved Krypt - it seems like they put stuff in the Krypt just to make it a pain in the ass to get things that should be available from the start (namely Brutalities). It ultimately feels like a waste, and eliminates the sense of discovery in the community (we should be able to discover Brutalities, not have to unlock them). Fill the Krypt with extra outfits, gear customization parts, stage variants or modifiers, and other interactive things - every item opened in the krypt should contain something that can be used in the game to any capacity.

7) Tag Match - bring it back. 'nuff said.

8) Return of Secret and Unlockable Characters - what's that? I just fought a brand new secret character because of the requirements I fulfilled in that last match? AND I CAN UNLOCK HIM FOR PLAY SOMEHOW? Yes, please. Enough with locking characters behind DLC. Yes, I know DLC = money, but respect the fan base that has remained loyal to you for 25 years, and throw us a bone with secret unlockables.

9) Bring back Reiko, Noob Saibot, Havik, Li Mei and Nitara - Noob absolutely should NOT have been missing from MKX with the Netherrealm involved. And since the comic was such convoluted crap that completely contradicted the game's story, I don't really accept anything that happened there as canon. Reiko and Havik need to make a return. The interesting but underdeveloped characters of the 3D era should have their time.

10) Keep Fatalities Gruesome - MKX crossed new boundaries in terms of the violence. i sincerely hope they keep with that. None of the silly bullshit anymore (I'm looking at YOU, MK9 Shang Tsung with the dancing f'ing clown)..

11) Stage Fatalities available from the start - Releasing MKX with NO stage fatalities was an absolute sin. Much like Deadly Alliance before it, that move really irked me. Stage Fatalities are as much a part of MK's identity as a standard fatality. A 1/3 ration is always good. 15 Stages? Then 5 should have stage fatals. Not including Stage Brutalities. Oh, and bring back the ORIGINAL pit...from MK1. It had a more palatial look to it, as if it fit the glorious Chinese palace motif of Shang Tsung's island, with the hidden carnage below. Not the mixed up Pit I/Pit II from MK9/MKX. Pit 1 was, and always will be, the best.

12) MORE STAGES - MKX felt lacking...most were uninteresting (fighting in front of a chain link fence and a military truck? That's it?) Have at least 15, with multiple variants of each. Make sure the variants always work into the rotation of arcade ladder.

13) Factions- either ditch or re-work. They served no real purpose in MKX, and it was always heavily one-sided.

14) More Gameplay Diversity - take a page from Injustice - add lots of different available towers. NO MINI GAMES - focus on the core aspect of the game, but throw in some extra fighting-based modes as well. Wouldn't mind seeing a "gauntlet survival" style where you have to hold your own against waves of increasingly strong enemies.



In the long run, mine are nitpicky improvements.



.

Great list, Detox! I'm going to follow your format here.


Gameplay-

1) Slow the game speed down slightly, or extend animations / expand hit boxes a bit so that moves, jumping, connections, etc don't feel quite as awkward. I'd like everything to feel a bit smoother, if possible.

2) Less 50/50's and plus on block moves across the board. Agree 100% there. While it might encourage people to rely on fewer moves, my hope is that it'd make fighting a slightly more deliberative affair with people playing more defense instead of just constantly rushing forward to nail their bread and butter combo.

3) Maybe it's all my time with Killer Instinct, but it should be far easier to break combos, and offensive players should be able to counter break those combo breaks. Yeah, I know that's KI's combo system in a nutshell, but there has to be risk and reward on both sides. If you keep using the same combo over and over again, the defending player should be able to create a disincentive for that DURING the combo.

Similarly, as an attacker, you should be able strategize and try and anticipate what your defending opponent might do, so maybe you press a button or two in anticipation of them breaking and that allows you to continue your combo.

However, instead of simply having combo breaks and counter breaks, I'd also like to see them introduce combo escapes, where both parties return to neutral (with a better animation that what we've seen int he past), as well as catch counters, parries, reversals into combos, etc.

In other words, I want there to be FAR more give and take, where players must be on their toes at all times, as opposed to the current "open player up and get your reward" gameplay that we have right now.

4) Variations. Yeah, I'd also reduce them from 3 down to 2. However, I'd want the variations to be completely different form one another. Sure, have them share most of the normals, though not all, but special moves should be exceedingly different. I'd also want the characters to look exceedingly different, either due to storyline reasons (like revenant versus human, low powered versus high powered, or whatever) or simply due to who they are and what they can do.

I'd also like to see some hidden 3rd variations that are completely different characters, like let's say Kano's not on the main roster, but maybe he's a hidden variation of his son's. Obviously, I don't mean Kano's son has Kano's move set, I'm saying it's literally Kano. I think this could be a fun way to have some hidden characters in the game, especially those that might appear in the story as cameos like Rain and Sindel did in MKX.

5) Honestly, I hate the run mechanic, and I'd do away with it entirely. Few things look more bizarre than knocking a character up in the air, then exploding in to a jogging animation, only to stop after a few feet and going right back in to fighting animations. I'd rather they just instead structure characters' movements in the air and combos so that juggling looks and feels more natural than adding this unneeded mechanic in to it for no other reason than to make combos slightly more difficult to do or look better (I guess?).

6) Also agree with the gear system. DO. NOT. WANT. Random loot drops are the worst, especially when you can just give us more skins, more colors, more outfits and more classic outfits in the game as loot and also charge us for them as DLC.

I don't want to grind through a mode, earn a box, then open a box and find "Stryker's Gun Set #8" (which I already have) and nothing else. Barf. No thank you. How did anyone think this sounds fun?

Sure, I know the krypt functions in largely the same way, but I'd also want to change that somehow. I wish I had a better answer here, but it'd be great if they could find a way to make grinding to unlock skins, outfits, accessories, create a character items... Whatever, more fun to both grind for and unlock than using ten currencies, eight of which I can pay real money for in order to open a chest or a mother loot box or whatever.


Art Direction-

1) Similar to Detox, I'm also in favor of a larger color palette. I love MKX's backgrounds, but there's an insane amount of browns and grays going on. It kinda seemed like they went away from this in MK9, but now they're back to it again.

2) I'd like to see more battle damage, but I'd also want it to look more realistic given what actually happens in the fight. If Reptile spits acid on you, maybe you have a burn mark and some green goo on your shoulder. If you get roundhoused in the face, maybe you have a bruised cheek or lose a tooth.

If you get thrown on the ground and the ground you're on is dirt, then maybe you have a dirt stain on your back. Or if you're in water, maybe your clothes look damp. Stuff like that. I want to see characters look like they've been in a battle with the character they're fighting in the place they're fighting in.

3) Personally, I'd also like to see the more eastern influences return. Yes, I like the darker, more haunted looking places as well, but I'd want those to be more melded together, and less demonic, evil looking places. Sure, have a netherealm level, but make it something like Liu Kang and Kitana's throne room and have it be how THEY'D make it look.

I miss the darker, eastern mystical aspects of MK and while it was there in some levels, it kinda felt like they were trying to have so many places in the last MK that the art style was all over the place. Don't get me wrong, I like how they did the backgrounds in MKX and how relevant they were to places and plot points in the story, but it kinda felt like there was a trade off here and we lost a bit of the charm that we used to get.


Characters-

1) I'm also of a similar mind to Detox on the 3D characters. I think that NRS does a wonderful job of creating new characters now, so I'd love to see them go back and resurrect some of those more failed 3D era experiments or even just characters that didn't quite hit the mark and take another pass at them.

I mean, if they can remake Tremor and do such a great job, I have every confidence that they can do that with Sareena, Mavado, Drahmin, Nitara, Kai, Fujin, Li Mei, Reiko, Havik, Hotaru, Kira, etc.

I have this image of two fighting styles for Sareena; one where she's a human, female assassin and another where she's a human that can turn in to a demon with a completely separate move set and I REALLY want to see that happen!

I think a good character tends to have a cool look, a compelling background and a great move set. I think that many of the characters above have one or two of these things, and I believe that NRS can give them the third, even if they have to build it up from scratch (like Kira's move set, for example).

Personally, I think it'd be great to bring back several 3D era characters and let a few of the trilogy characters either take a game off or move to DLC, like Jax, Sonya, Cage, Kano, Reptile, Mileena, Baraka, etc and let people really miss these characters a bit, plus also give other characters time to shine, from the kombat kids to these 3D era characters that deserve another shot.

2) More new characters would also be nice, though maybe try and tone down the comedy. I actually liked all of the new characters introduced in MKX, though there were a few flaws here and there, like Jaqui's move set, Cassie having her dad's obnoxiousness (even though it made sense from a story perspective), the approach to Kung Jin's sexuality feeling slightly too after school special (though I think it was great that it was talked about).

Either way, NRS has done a fantastic job introducing new characters and I'd like to see some more. I'd like to see Kano's son, Jade's mysterious woman, perhaps a new Tarkatan as well as some other cool ideas. Just try and aim for cooler personalities as opposed to finding the best one liners and what not.

3) My ideal roster would be a nice balance of old and new:

Liu Kang, Sub Zero, Scorpion, Raiden, and Shang Tsung from MK1
Kitana, Jade and Noob from MK2
Kabal from MK3
Kai, Fujin, and Reiko from MK4
Li Mei, Bo Rai Cho, Mavado, and Nitara from MKDA
Kira from MKD
Sareena from MKA
Skarlett from MK9
Erron Black, Kotal Khan, Cassie, Takeda, Kung Jin, and D'Vorah from MKX

So that's 25. Nine trilogy characters, nine 3D era characters, and seven new era characters. I'd also want five new characters, giving us a total of 30. This also leaves some GREAT characters for DLC.

DLC

1) As Detox said above, guest characters are here to stay, and I'd also limit them to one per pack.

2) I'd personally want four 3-character packs doled out over a longer life span, and I'd want this indicated UP FRONT. No more hoping for a 3rd pack that never arrives.

3) Also agree with Shao khan as the preorder bonus! Man, so much agreement here with Detox lol. Dude knows what he's talkin about! Also love the Sam and Dean picks as DLC. Man would that be cool, and that was totally unexpected too. Maybe give one of them a Bobby Singer assist

But my four picks would be The Crow, since another movie's on the horizon, Spawn, since he was heavily rumored for MKX, Blade, and Mad Max. Fury Road did really well, so you know another one's coming from that series, and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if WB wanted to test the waters on rebooting Blade (via New Line Cinema).

4) Like Tremor, I'd want to see a more obscure character brought back as a new MK DLC character. I always loved the floating monks in MK2's background and I'd really like to be able to play as one.

5) So my list of 12 DLC characters would have:

Group 1: Ermac, Havik, Blade

Group 2: Reptile, Frost, Spawn

Group 3: Kung Lao, Floating Monk, The Crow

Group 4: Kenshi, The Dragon King, Mad Max

4) I know that stages are expensive, but unlike MKX which I believe only had The Pit as a DLC stage, I'd like them to bring in a new stage or returning stage in each DLC pack.

Story/Story Mode

1) My guess is that this will start out as a sort of reverse tournament, with Earthrealm invading Outworld.

If I were to get what I wanted out of a roster, that would mean on one side, you'd have Dark Raiden and his new champion Cassie, Sub Zero, Scorpion, Kung Jin, Takeda, Fujin, Kai, Kenshi, Mavado Frost, and Kira against Kotal Khan, Reptile, Ermac, Erron Black, Li Mei, Bo Rai Cho, Reiko, Skarlett, and Nitara.

2) During the story, Fujin would split off from Dark Raiden and take Kai, Sub Zero, Kung Jin, and Takeda with him. Fujin thinks that Raiden has been corrupted and the people he takes with him agree. This pits them against Raiden and his forces as well as Kotal Khan and his forces. Shang Tsung, Floating monk also join his side.

3) While this is going on, Liu Kang, along with Kitana, Havik, Kung Lao, Noob, Jade, D'vorah and Kabal invade Outworld. So the main factions are Earth, Dark Earth, Netherealm and Outworld.

4) High emphasis would be placed on how tenuous these alliances and divisions are. Throughout the story, characters switch sides, characters are revealed to be spies, characters individual motivations are revealed, etc.

5) Another important aspect here. EVERY character gets a chapter and their perspective is emphasized as much as possible. This isn't good guys versus bad guys. Raiden has valid reasons for doing what he's doing, just as Fujin has valid reasons for disagreeing with him. Outworld is obviously valid in depending upon themselves and Liu Kang is valid for wanting revenge on Raiden and for leaving the Netherealm. I think they can really play up the fallen chosen one angle here.

6) I'd also have Shang Tsung and the floating monk character be their own faction with separate motivations. Shang Tsung is trying to gain power back that he lost. He won't fit in to any group, as he was part of the prior regime in Outworld and he's despised by everyone in Earthrealm.

Finally, he fits in with Fujin's faction when it's revealed that he, not Cassie or Kai is the new chosen one for Earthrealm. He'll be the one to defeat Kotal Khan, only to turn then and defeat Cassie, thereby ending the invasion and then Liu Kang, thereby ending the Netherealm invasion as well.

But just when people think he's been reborn as good and he remembers his Earthrealm roots and all of that, he reveals his real partner, the one that was disguised as a faceless, floating monk the whole time... The Dragon King. Too weak to fully enter Earthrealm due to Shujinko's death, Shang Tsung knows who he is and the two strike a bargain.

Shang Tsung found the Kamidogu with the Dragon King's help and together, they located he dragon egg. With Shang Tsung's help, the Dragon King is revived using Shinnok's still living, soulless body as a host and the egg to incubate him in to existence. With the power the Dragon King gives Shang Tsung, he creates a new soulnado to revive the Dragon King's army.

MKXI ends with the Dragon King and Shang Tsung using the undefeatable army to march across all three realms.

This is the kind of story I'd like to see. All of these factions at war with one another and no one's really right or wrong, good or evil, only to upended at the final moment by a reveal of the ultimate evil and the worst possible ending, leaving people to wonder what can possibly happen in the next game now that Earth, Outworld and the Netherealm have all fallen.

Oh and HEY! Raiden and Scorpion actually aren't the idiots here. Go figure lol.

Big roster, which includes Johnny Cage, Reiko, and Rain

no guest character

Tag team

3D

MK Chess and/or other fun modes that arn't just pure fighting modes

Long story mode, (preferably adventure/rpg type)

DLC to be real DLC, not something they purposely left out of the finished project at release