I'd be up for another game where the plot revolved around a tournament, but MK's always been about realm-on-realm interdimensional war. Even MK1 was retconned to be that way. There's really no reason to even hold a Mortal Kombat tournament otherwise.
I'm also ready for a roster of mostly new faces too. There's maybe only a dozen characters I would like to see return, and most of them are from AFTER MK3.

"There's really no reason to even hold a Mortal Kombat tournament otherwise."


MK1 to 3 were more about saving Earthrealm from Shang Tsung and Shao Kahn. One through the tournament, and two and three through EVIL plots and a fake tournament.

MK4 started the more universy thing with Shinnok threatening everything. Then, in MKD we had the whole one being business and Onaga was basically going to annihilate all the realms by waking the one being.
Then, Armageddon, was basically about... Armageddon, and how the power of the kombatants would "shatter the realms" or some moronic shit like that. Even the "non-cannon" MK vs DC is basically about total multiverse annihilation!

I HATE the way that divides everyone into crappy saturday morning cartoon good-guy and bad-guy teams. I feel it was the movie that really teamed up Cage, Sonya, and Liu Kang, not the MK1 game.

Let's go back to "I must fight in Mortal Kombat to save my realm, the realm of Earth.", and you know what I think would be cool and would be a great way to introduce new characters and put it back in a tournament setting?
Turning back the clock. Have a Mortal Kombat game based way before MK1, maybe even in the time of The Great Kung Lao. What's ironic is that all of the Mortal Kombat games save the first take place after the Mortal Kombat Tournament has been broken.

Great Kung Lao's era was boring. The only way the TV show could make that place interesting was by introducing a bunch of characters from the games who shouldn't have existed yet like Scorpion and Sub-Zero. Let's not ever go back there.

All you need to do is have a realm want to take over Earth and challenge them to Mortal Kombat. The official tournament doesn't actually HAVE to be fifty years from MK1, because Shao Kahn's original challenge is over and now whoever rules Outworld would have to make a new one if they want to try again.
Hell, it doesn't even have to be Outworld issuing the challenge. Seido, Chaosrealm, and even Edenia if Rain or Daegon were to take over, have plenty of reason.

Great Kung Lao's era was boring? We know nothing about it! The show did a poor depiction of it and had a crappy Great Kung Lao (yet, I'll admit the TV series was awesomely entertaining, but from a conceptual point of view...)

That's exactly my point. If we don't know much about it, there must not be much to know, because Tobias and Vogel went and elaborated on the past a LOT in other areas, but never really bothered to say anything more about that one.
Besides, there's no sequel potential. We already know the story ends with GKL getting killed by Goro, and Goro's not really an interesting or scary antagonist anymore, so basically, the events of that era feel weak in comparison to the epically powerful characters we've seen fight since then.

For the next game, maybe for the next few games, I would like to see them scale the story down a bit. You obviously can keep the "good vs. evil" shit, but I think they should give the "realms are on the brink of total destruction" thing a rest for a while and do some smaller scaled stories. A return to the tournament format would be nice.

As for cast, I would ditch a large portion of the current roster. Only keep a very small handful of pre-MK3 sacred cows and some of the more recent characters who've only just started. Beyond that, all new characters.

Yes! lets please get back to basics. MK franchise needs a new
Tournament. That way they can introduce new fighters that will
be representatives of their respective realms. All this saving
world stuff is so played out. The franchise hasn't been about
a tournament since MK2, Boon! You really need to reevaluate
the direction in which this story is going. No more big bad ass
former rulers of another realm coming into the picture.

I'm all for another tournament. They can happen for any reason anyway.

I'm with you token, this "teh w0rldz iz m3rg1n!" shit has gotten way out of hand. Since Liu Kang fended Earth off in MK1, we have 10 tournaments to go through. I think we got one or two of them, but what happens if the champ is defeated for a game or two?

Hell, someone has to win 10 in a row to take Earth. Liu Kang's dead. Gimme a new "champ" and let his/her ass loose. lol!

Wft do you do then? haha..

Loose a few times even. So we can go through a few champs and put this realm back in real danger logically.

And btw, what says Earth can't take a realm? eh? EH?!

The fact that Earth isn't a united territory with a single ruler?

I dunno, I guess Raiden could challenge another realm to Mortal Kombat on Earth's behalf, thinking "If all the realms are part of Earth, then I'll never have to worry about saving it from invasion again"...
Come to think of it, that'd be a damned compelling story and it fits perfectly with the direction they're taking him in.

There you go. I could see him deceiving everybody into thinking that they're fighting in defense of Earth. That'd make him "evil" for sure then too.

i think they should skip the MK stroy line up a few tournements. make it so they've lost say 7 or 8 tournaments and lets see them really struggle. I personally think that Nitara's vampire realm should attack. they could say something like we need more sacrifice or something.

Also, another thing that has been played out is massive bosses (who all use the same animation as Onaga). They really aren't as imposing as the MK team likes to think, and they're clunky as shit to fight.

I want to see an evil badass martial artist as the boss. Remember Streets of Rage 2? The 2nd to last boss fighter was a badass long haired fighter with fire moves called Shiva. He doesn't even have a story, but I think he's one of the coolest looking opponents in fighting game history. He was more ominous than the final boss, Mr.X.
That guy would fit right into MK, but that's just an example. You don't have to have a giant dumbass monster as a boss all the time. Just have someone who exudes evil and power, like Akuma, but obviously original.

well said token. best thread in awhile.

Too bad they already used the "Deception" title...

I think this is a great idea. A good way to turn the good guys into the bad guys and vice versa for a bit. Personally, I was thinking more along the lines of something like a rebirth of what already happend. Shang Tsung is weak, about to die, gets the aid of someone who only he can help in return, so that he can set up another tournament like the first one and invite new characters. But, I think I like your idea better.

I'm rather a fan of this. Naturally, I have to assume that it will not be turned into a true Mortal Kombat game, but if we're lucky enough to have someone notice this idea and pick it up, I know I'll have you to thank.

This is a good way to make Raiden more evil and a good way to introduce a new cast of characters.

No more stupid tournament !
Just why do you want a simple story instead or a wider and deeper one ?
I think that the story was doing OK until MK:A which can be turned good if a hard job was done .

The whole "the rules have been broken and realms are just openly attacking one another" thing has clearly gotten out of control.

No two realms are ever supposed to be at war without holding Mortal Kombat first. Getting back to that, putting some reins on the craziness, would make the story feel more solid and cohesive.

I would love to see a lot of new characters

they would have more chances for one of them being a very popular character.

Ever since MK 4 the only new characters i liked were Kenshi, Li Mei, Movado, Havik in his alternate costume, Kira, Ashra, Nitara, and Bo rai cho

Bring back Kreate a Fighter!!