I'm totally satisfied with FFXIII in the mean time, but just for the hell of it where would you like to see the series taken in the next numbered installment of the series.

I'm only going to really talk about combat for this board.

There are two ways they could do it I think, evolve FFXIII's battles by possibly limiting the number of ATB parts from 5 to 3 and incorporating MP into the system. The other way is by going back to old-school ATB as opposed to new school ATB.

Which ever way Square-Enix chooses, I think it would be interesting to see either a form of the Job system (even though FFXIII kind of did this) or a junction-esque system come back (even though I wasn't a huge fan of how it was handled in VIII, primarily due to drawing.)

Ready, set go!    

I want a ridiculous weapon that is way more impracticable and ludicrous then the Buster Sword and Gun Blade combined.

I want to see something like the battle system in FFX. I really liked that one.

Honestly I have no idea.
 
Every FF is so different that to try to get out ahead of Square is a fool's errand. I used to think this was the series' strength, and i still do, but I'm beginning to wonder if it's also a weakness in that they often abandon systems instead of building on them.

" Honestly I have no idea.  Every FF is so different that to try to get out ahead of Square is a fool's errand. I used to think this was the series' strength, and i still do, but I'm beginning to wonder if it's also a weakness in that they often abandon systems instead of building on them. "

Strictly turn-based combat^^

Towns.

a good game

less suck for the buck

FFXV is make or break for the company in my opinion. the series is no where near what it once was, which saddens me to say. i expect less j-pop crap from the game characters, a game that isnt 20 hours of introduction to how to play / introduction to jpop characters with annoying voices and some actual focus on good game play and not just good graphics. it goes without saying that it cant be an online game. its horrendous they keep putting a main series title on the online installments. anyways, i would love another experience like ffx, where the character didn't understand the world, and so you learned as he learned. also i would prefer for them to keep the theme song from the japanese version for the english region's release.

I'd like them to do "turn based, with timed inputs for attacking and dodging" because I've always greatly enjoyed the Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi games. 
 
Still haven't unwrapped my copy of FFXIII. 
 
Edit: Actually, the more I think about it, the more I LOVE my idea. Definetly the best way to do turn based combat in this day and age.

" Honestly I have no idea.  Every FF is so different that to try to get out ahead of Square is a fool's errand. I used to think this was the series' strength, and i still do, but I'm beginning to wonder if it's also a weakness in that they often abandon systems instead of building on them. "

" Towns. "

Maps that aren't a straight line.

" @Cornman89 said:

" Honestly I have no idea.  Every FF is so different that to try to get out ahead of Square is a fool's errand. I used to think this was the series' strength, and i still do, but I'm beginning to wonder if it's also a weakness in that they often abandon systems instead of building on them. "

All I want out of FFXV is a solid game with a good story and characters and a fanbase that doesn't freak the fuck out when they don't get the game that they personally wanted and feel betrayed by a developer that doesn't owe them anything on a personal level. "

Towns, world map, TBC, a story, multiple paths just like Dragon Age did and no more spiky hair. Oh a return to the fantasy setting would be great. If not I'll just play FF9 again.

World Map would be awesome!
 
Great characters and a great story...

The ability to level up and have it mean something because they didn't include a system where the enemies level up with you. Towns and a world map would be awesome as well.  Actually, I would enjoy it if they took a look at FF8, 10, and 13 then took every opposite direction in design, because those were the worst titles in the  series.

They should make it as much like Final Fantasy VI or IX as they can. Those games are great. 

" I'd like them to do "turn based, with timed inputs for attacking and dodging" because I've always greatly enjoyed the Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi games.  Still haven't unwrapped my copy of FFXIII.  Edit: Actually, the more I think about it, the more I LOVE my idea. Definetly the best way to do turn based combat in this day and age. "

Maybe some revamped turn based strategy ala Tactics??
(with lots of job classes, of course. Calculator!!!!)

I want it to be made by Squaresoft....

I want it to play like a modern version of Secret of Mana set in the world of Final Fantasy VI with a graphical style akin to Street Fighter 4's ink shading.

Something new, perhaps a bit more dark in fantasy and lore.

• World map, more exploration.
  
• more original characters, instead of the typical FF role call. 
• less convoluted plot, stop trying to make it artificially complex by introducing nonsense.  Simple is sometimes better.
• A decent battle system, either keep it traditional like FFX or go all out and make it a proper action game.  In-between just doesn't work.

Something that doesn't take it's ridiculous fiction so seriously would be nice.

Id like a new iteration of the FFX battle system, but make the combat look more action orientated like FFXIII's was.

I want a 5 player battle system,  using 2 rows
characters that have specific classes that you can't change so that the feel different,  
abilities that level up by using them, 
a non linear story, that feels like an adventure,
"hidden" or "optional" secondary characters, 
old school summoning, 
dungeons AND a world field, 
simple timing mechanic (similar to Mario & Luigi, or Lost Odyssey) to make physical attacks either more powerful or be more accurate,  
towns with stores, 
some kind of card game that has small variants depending on which region you are in, 
 moogles & chocobos, 
  
character design that doesn't look like Hentai when my girlfriend is watching me play !!!!!!!!!

full Japanese voice overs for English versions of the game. Less draggy storyline more airships and epic battles. They could also take a cue from western RPGS and implement choice systems.

If I had to make a list, it's going to be very similar to others. I would love to see the return of FFX's battle system, simply because FFX had some of the more innovative boss fights in the series (think Yunalesca, Seymour Omnis, Spectral Keeper, etc). The RPG genre isn't meant to be very fast-paced unless the game is more action-oriented (think Kingdom Hearts as a baseline here). Also, there's one point I would just love to get across:
 
STOP MAKING THESE DAMN SPIN-OFF GAMES
 
I can't be more serious when I talk about how disappointed I was with X-2, Dirge of Cerberus, Crisis Core, etc. I don't play Final Fantasy so I can learn more about some other game, I play them because they all have far different stories and worlds. Companies need to realize that fans want original content, not just rehashed games. For all we know, FFXIII could have been the best game in the series if they weren't so focused on making the other two games to go with it.

Just more towns, more female characters from that nomura guy, more belts and more great hair and cosplay style clothing. Maybe make the world a bit more open, it was like walking on a string. Maybe let us control more than one character.

" World Map would be awesome! "

" a good game "

More black characters because I love black characters in Final Fantasy games. 
 
Edit: Except Sazh, he can go S a D.

I'd like to see an old-school fantasy setting. Or the real world, but Versus seems to be going that direction already. FFXIII filled my neon Japanese future world quota for the decade.