If they're not going to go with a more fluid combat system then so be it.
As many characters as the story permits. MKA has spoiled us so I would say at least 40 characters. However, I'm curious to see where they could take the Armageddon 'story' so it would be good if they took the story somewhere new by using new characters - some would return. Sub Zero, Scorpion and maybe a Shokan could take on a new invasion force. The stories for MK are never terriffic, so at least having a new set of bad guys would be interesting.
Multi tiered levels, but also uneven levels a la Tekken 4. The levels themselves should be something to explore during the match - you should be able to move around the arena finding things to use to your advantage. Jump up into trees, pick up items to use as weapons - and characters should not be able to walk through breakable objects (like the pillars in the subway level). Getting punched through a wall should really hurt.

Death traps that the opponent can fight his way out of - similar to a test your might challenge - example - character gets kicked on to the conveyor belt and has to tap x and circle to run fast enough to get off it, and so on.

At least four hidden characters - they don't have to be big characters, but there has to be some kind of challenge more than a price in the krypt.

A story that makes sense and advances the story of the overall game.

They can keep the one style and one weapon, but they have to make more and longer combos for the styles.

No Motor Kombat. That's just silly. I mean really, does anyone actually like it?

Kreate a fatality returns with character specific finishers, and the codes work this time. if the character has a weapons she/he can use it!

Character bits:
Reptile can attack with his tail
Kang can use his chains.
Characters have differences - i.e. Getting hit by Jax does more damage than getting hit by Li Mei, but she punches faster. Some characters should be more agile than others, jump higher, move faster. Other characters have other strengths and weaknesses.
New types of weapons: whips, balls and chains etc.
Weapon combat - you can't block a sword with your forearm - your character has to drawn his/her weapon to block yours.

That's my bit Edit: This is more a critique on MKA, but if they're going to make a game strictly for playing (i.e crap story etc.) make the play time longer - longer combat ladders, more characters to defeat before making it to the end boss. Decide the fate of 60+ characters with an eight level tournament? Lame. Even MK1 had 12 fights to win the tournament

Good thinking.

My fantasy mortal kombat would be with about 30 characters after killing off some of the less popular characters along with many of the boss characters (Shao Kahn, Goro, Motaro, etc.) and create a brand boss character who looks like something spawned out of hell. He would have horns, wings, claws, could turn invisible. I would also change the character designs for many of the characters, like change Smoke back to the way he looked in Mortal Kombat Annihilation rather than now where no one can even agree if he's human, a demon, or a cyborg. The fatalities would be as violent as they were on MK2 (those were my personal favorites) and the story would involve the creatures from hell coming out into all of the realms turning everyone into demons. They could create a new hero but still keep the old favorite characters like Noob, Sub Zero, Scorpion, etc. They could allow you to run up walls and jump kick people or jump behind them. You could also steal the other persons weapon from them (in Baraka's case you could rip his arm off and fight him with his own arm) and there could be up to four people in a fight at once, with teams of 2 (Kind of like Power Stone, I love that game). Some characters could swing from things in the environments such as hang onto the ceiling.

Is Noob a fan favourite? I didn't think much of him in the last few games. Monkey style? Seems silly that someone who used to be Sub Zero would fight like a monkey.

mka

MKA(bios x real endings)-Troll Hammer= Perfect MKA.

Ooooo Perfect MK game. (something tells me this might get moved, maybe future games discussion)

I haven't played MK: Armageddon yet, But my perfect MK game would have:
* Soul Calibur style presentation. What I mean is, Everyone has a character profile. When they enter the character profile, they have the character standing there in a bad arse pose in a unique stage. Then they have a little menu on the side:
Character History: A basic story of what happened to the character in past MK games.
Bio: A description of the character's personality and why they are in the game. (Basically story)
Character Ending: Does what it says on the tin.
Free Camera: You know you want to zoom in on the character. Now you can.
Stage Description: Bascially the story behind the stage. Eg. Goro's Lair: This was Goro's place of residence for the first MK Tournament. etc.

Basic Roster: 20-25 Characters plus one boss character.

Whatever happened to... Basically this fills in the gaps of missing characters. Eg: Mileena: Presumed imprisoned under Kitana's palace.

THE perfect mk game: MK II

The perfect MK game would be a MK game based on Kung Lao's time of day.

CHARACTERS:
Sub-Zero
Scorpion
Kung Lao
Kitana
Mileena
Bo' Rai Cho
Sindel
Quan Chi
Shang Tsung
Goro
Raiden
Jakaata
Kia
Sareena
Reptile
Khameleon
Shao Kahn
New Character #1
New Character #2
New Character #3
New Character #4

ARENAS:
The Pit
The Dead Pool
The Nethership
The Nethership Interior
The Living Forest
Wastelands
The Courtyard
Reptile's Lair
Goro's Lair
Netherrealm Plains (New)
Edenia Palace (New)
Edenian Temple (New)


Well, this is all I've got for now.

UMK3 with more characters and MK2's fatalities.

my perfect mk game would be MKT remix for the DS, man thats a hell of alot of text and NO ONE posted on my thread :(. if I had some suggestions/comments then I would continue it, until then..maybe.
http://www.mortalkombatonline.com/content/forum/showmessage.cds?id=93030

i doubt all of this stuff would fit in a ps2 disc, but i think it will definately fit in a ps3 or 360 disc.


80 characters
3 fatalities for each person
long great graphics video endings
3 alternate costumes for each person
kreate a character to have atleast 10 characters be made for one profile
15 profile spaces
very good graphics
no styles(for example kapkido)
playable versions of mk t,mk sf, and mkm:sz
co-op konquest, and ko-op conquest can be online enabled
bring back test your sight, and might. and test your kite(joke,lol)
1 new mode(for example: mka's news mode was motor kombat)


there is no way a ps2 disc can fit this stuff

but i think all of this would push the limits of the ps3 disc, but would fit in

MORTAL KOMBAT: UNIVERSE what i mean is, like armageddon in a PC online version where you can customize your character with triple the options given in armaggedon itself, and have HUGE explorable realms like in deception except WAY bigger. to learn techniques you would have to travel to various temples and learn from teachers there. And you could join up with clans and such affiliations to gain higher status or rank. There would be only tournament style fighting though(this way both players have to agree to fight). There would also be contests held inside the towns of each realm like Test Your Sight or Test Your Might or maybe just plain fighting tournaments. Of course there will be prizes and stuff (koins,weapons,rare items and what-not). So yea thats my basic idea for the perfect MK game.

like 20-30 characters

stages like in DOA4 / MKD / MKA / Tekken 4/ Tekken Tag.

Game play would be more like DOA4 / Tekken 5 / Soul Calibur 3

Keep the air combat, but make it work more like in the old MK's.

I'd keep aerial combos only for characters that it makes sense for = Fujin, Ermac, Rayden = Characters that can fly.

I'd also limit air combos from 2-3 hits and the characters must be moving through the air, not freese up there like in MKA, so it looks more believable.

I'd have fireballs and other special be easier to use in combos.

I might add a power meter to control the usability of special attacks and other techniques.
Examples:

*Powered up attacks
*Extra special moves
*Increased combo chain abilities Pertains to strikes and special moves.
*Early Kills
*Regain life

Mortal Kombat Armageddon with REAl endings that don't suck, more secrets, and stuff, Motor Kombat with all the characters, and everthing that Mario Kart had, Chess Kombat, and each ending is canon.

Heres my idea of a 'perfect mk' within reason.

Roughly 20 well balanced characters with unique movesets and specials.

New combat system that lends more to strategy. Ditch the multi-style BS (perhaps weapons could be drawn/picked up however). Either Tekken-esque or perhaps something new (Fight Night 3-esque?, where you fatigue, slow down, have no lifebar, ect.)

Tekken/Soul Calibur style intro (EVERY character is breifly shown doing something related to their plot)

Character Bios (art accompanied by text)

Character History (art accompanied by text, detail origin, rivalries, ect)

Character Endings (FMV)

And you can have it, Scorpio. All 100% of that fetid shit.

Personally, my perfect MK would also be MKA, but MKA done RIGHT, the way that we were PROMISED it would be:

1. If every character is in it, then they MUST all have their own unique fighting styles, moves, and animations. All the teleportations are different, different weapons for each of them (and a VARIETY of weapons, not just a bunch of swords and axes), their own throws and 'stand up' animations, AND their own air kombat animations. AND, if Kreate-a-Fatality MUST come back, make at least a good quarter of the moves unique to each character.

2. ALL of the arenas, redone in sweet 3D. Not saying they ALL should be interactive, but it WOULD be nice to have a few of them with some unique death traps and multi-tiered areas. Hell, let's transition BETWEEN levels, like in MK3; slam the opponent against the roof enough times in a certain area in say...the Subway, and they'll get thrown into the Street arena. Shouldn't be THAT hard to do.

3. A comprehensive KAK mode, with EVERY fighting move, special move, weapon, and clothing and appearance item from all the characters in the game, plus the generic options. Break the parts up into character races: Shokan, Ninja, Oni, etc.. Also give us the option to change the color of our character's blood and projectiles, the names of our fighting moves and kombos, and a more comprehensive bio and ending for our character, including allies, enemies, and alignment.

4. Ditch Motor Kombat, and bring back Chess and Puzzle Kombat. They were cool, Motor Kombat sucks.

5. Keep the new Konquest mode, but expand it a bit more. Make it a bit longer, with more areas to explore.

6. Finally, keep the krypt the size it was in DA or Deception, but aside from the normal stuff, fill those extra koffins with unlockables for Chess and Puzzle Kombat and KAK, so there's more replay to the game, and we're not just given everything from the get-go.

ive been wondering if armageddon is goin to be da last Mk game ever is dat true cuz dat would really suk

My perfect MK game:

1. Characters should have unique in depth hand-to-hand and weapon styles. Plus I would like to see their powers incorporated into their fighting styles like Scorpion punching his opponent multiple times with fire coming out of his fists and the final hit engulfs his opponent in flames(launching him into the air). All 3 aspects should be balanced out.

2. Returning characters should be:
-Frost
-Scorpion
-Sub-zero
-Sareena
-Sonya
-Johnny Cage(with the nut punch for goodness sake!)
-Mileena
-Kitana
-Jade
-Taven

3. The roster should start with 20 and max 30 characters all with unique styles... No character should feel the same!

4. Fatalities: Character specific fatalities should return. If there is to be custom fatalities then it should be unique to each character. For example Sub-zero freezes his opponent then can choose to shatter his arms or legs or smash him all at once.

5. Storyline should get back on track. There should be
-Bios- rotating 3D model on side with story of the character on the left.
-Intro -> SC3 style showing most of the character's activities
-Story mode -> in game interactive cutscenes before/after matches like SC3
-Endings -> FMV or SC3 style endings.

6. Costumes - Characters should have more costumes. Preferably costumes can be ripped or taken off as well. For example Sonya can maybe take off her jacket and fight. Something like in game accessorising / deaccessorising.

7. Effects -> When it rains characters should look wet and their clothes should be wet too.

I have tooooooo much to say here so I'll say:

1. Movie martial arts with similar graphics to match. Not so strict, very fluid yet sparatic martial arts

2. 20-30 characters is good.

3. 30-40 arenas

4. 30hr conquest type mode MkSm style

5. Overly extensive KaFighter

6. Bangin story line complete with comic book style renders and backstory with the combatic potential of all of the characters. Powers ect

7. KaFatality complete with signature fatalities.

among other things

The PERFECT MK game for me would one of total creation.

CHARACTERS:
- Start off with 16 of the greatest of MK characters, and you can create 20 more.
- Like in MKArmageddon, you can clothe your character in many ways, customize his/her face, and create fighting styles for that character. Only this time, you can customize the character's entire body, from the length of the arms and legs to the look of his/her abdomen.
- You can create the fighting styles complete from scratch, creating complete combos of any length in any way possible.
- Customize the charcter's winning pose from every aspect of the body.
- Centaurs and Shokans can be created!
- Allow the narrator to say the character's name, with the all new SPEECH system (or something like that).

ARENAS:
- Start off with 10 all new arenas, and you can create 15 more.
- You can select from over 100 different arena backgrounds, all coming from different arenas, Zattera included.
- Add breakable glass and huge stairways, creating more areas for the arena.
- Customize your deathtraps! Create and test them, or select from over 250 default traps.

STORY:
- Write bios and endings for not only your created characters, but for the starting characters as well, determine the fates of everyone in the game!

EXTRA:
- Edit any of the character's (old or new) appearances whenever you want.
- Select from 5 different default appearances for each character.
- Record and save your fights, even in ARCADE MODE.

Well, what do you think?

Well Riyakou you have good ideas but you'l have to wait 10 - 20 years to see that.

MKA with:
- Bios
- Real endings
- The normal, old fatalities
- Chess Kombat (no Puzzle or Motor Kombat)
- Onlt the original 7 MK1 characters unlocked from the beginning
- No shit in the Krypt (but make it MKDA sized)
- MKDA's Konquest (I'd rather just learn the characters this way, it was better to figure out what moves were safe and it would help you unlock stuff)
-Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection's "Command Attack" mode in Practice, in which you have to do 10 moves as fast as you can (for this game, make it the entire movelist), including a 10-hit combo.
- A final FMV

The PERFECT Mortal Kombat game for me wouldn't include any silly mini-games to take up disk space, Nor would it feature a Konquest mode... it would be a.... FIGHTING GAME! *gasp* (Scandalous!)

It would feature eight old characters and eight well thought out new ones. Each character would have two unique fighting styles, and no weapons.

The arenas would be huge, multi-tiered, and highly interactive. You will be able to run in any direction, jump or fall to new areas, and use a large number of objects in each level to your advantage.

Gone are the days when you punch someone and a gallon of blood spills out of their face. But fear not! This game will be every bit as gory as it's predecessors, just in a new way. Mortal Kombat 8 will bring a different kind of brutality to the franchise... bones can (and will) be broken. Blood will ebb and flow from your woulds, staining your clothes and the ground in the process. If the fight goes on long enough, and you were unmerciful to your oppenent he/she will be an ugly, disfigured, bloody, unrecognizable shell of the combatant that stood before you at the begining of the match.

The fatalities wouldn't be as over the top as before, but they would definately be ...memorable. (In a sickening kind of way.)

My MK8 would be ...satisfying to say the least.

Basically my vision for the next generation of Mortal Kombat would be big on quality fighting and shockingly brutal.

I may catch a little heat for my ideas because Mortal Kombat has ALWAYS been about over the top action, but personally I would love to see the franchise grow up just a little bit. (...but not too much. )