I don't know about this one. Back in the day characters like Kabal, Jade or Nightwolf clearly made use of weapons. Those guys kind of seem obvious that they should be brought back with their weapons. Kenshi for instance, no offence but his sword and the way he uses it in MK9 kind of makes the character.

For the others, wonder why you mention that thing "Not considering MK4-MKD characters" since you are talking about MK10 and not the present game. So i would like to see weapon based fight one day but it is not necessary. If chars are brought back with weapons, something not too different from their usual weapons or the ones they had in their MKDA-MKA attire would work. I just wonder why Raiden's staff is sort of the one and first weapon we think about when we think of Raiden?

Other than that, i would have to think about new ideas first.

oh Lord NO!

I think characters should just use weapons in combos.

I never ever EVER want to return to the multiple fighting styles and weapons.

Not a big fan of weapon kombat...
I'll tell you what should come back...
Level Branching!!!

I don't mind weapons in MK, but I don't think that they should be their own stance. If MK9 showed me anything, it was that alot of characters could have weapon based moves integrated flawlessly in to their fighting style without having to press a button to switch to all weapon based moves.

I just don't see the need to have one group of regular combos then another group of weapon base combos. It makes things mroe complicated than they need to be.

I think the characters who are known to use a certain weapon (many mentioned above, though I disagree with Reptile) should include it into their combos/fatalities. There shouldn't be the return of style-changing combos, but I'm not against have 'stances' for weapon-based characters.
Perhaps a higher offense-lower defense stance (like weapon styles were in MK:DA-MK:A), or vice versa.

Many characters, however, like Sonya, Johnny, Nitara, Sheeva, Quan Chi, et al, should not be using weapons. Ever.

I'm just having trouble what future lies ahead for the characters of MK4-MKD.

Since the fighting styles are no longer on the game since Midway's MK.... I'm kinda concern of what they are to the fighters now in the 2011 version.

Like what's Skarlet's martial art.... ninjutsu?

I get your point Immortal Kanji. I don't know what the future lies ahead either. But with all the recent deaths of MK9? I highly doubt a 20 years old franchise will get rid of 30 characters and more only for they were introduced in times where there was a different type of gameplay and the weapons for everyone.

I mean Kenshi was introduced in 9. I know is an easy char to portrait in this type of gameplay.

In fact all the characters now have a MK9 own fighting style with various advantages and disadvantages, as aspectros side as speed, agility, among other damage, as a struggle tactic or not, near or far and still a fighting style well defined , making the gameplay of all the characters and only ones, not counting special moves, graps, x-rays, combos, creepers and other movements that emphasize differentiated even more diversity and balance, making the game experience with each character unique.

That said, more than one style of fighting in a 2D game is not feasible, but the weapons and special artifices to increase the damage by not given time, provided it has a cost equivalent to that of X-Rays. And serve to further differentiate the characters besides giving more strategic options for each character.

This obviously should not take the current use of weapons in special moves and combos.

If we where going to have weapon combat again i think that would be a big mistake on WB's part.,i certainly did not like it but if we where to have the weapon combat again the combat would have to be alot better then in Deadly Alliance,and Deception,and they would have to make fatalities for each weapon.

I think double figthing styles should not return because it was just too confusing. However weapons should return, but not as styles. It should stay logical too. I mean cutting someone with an axe 100 times and not having them sliced to bits? Perhapse it could be like a breaker system; 3 hits allowed per round. Everyone should have a weapon so it's fair.

For the next game, I think Liu Kang should use a chain whip. When he had nunchucks in MKD and MKA, it didn't make sense to me. They are Japanese while Liu Kang is a Chinese Shaolin.

I wish every warrior had a signature weapon. Maybe in a new trilogy MK game with a fresh start later on.

But I bet it'll never happen.