Please give us characters we care about.
Apart from the other excellent suggestions, i'd like to add to that list, characters that breathe life into their existence. What i'm trying to say, though i may not put it as eloquently as i could, is that: please bring back the "role-playing" in rpg.
Some of the best and most memorable moments i've had were not found in the combat mechanices and in the biggest and baddest equipment i've found from killing monsters. They were found in the various adventures i've had in fleshing out the story of the game and in the companions i've had in the journeys.
baldur's gate games made me feel that way. off the top of my head, neverwinter nights ii (not the first) also, likewise its excellent expansion "mask of the betrayer", and dragon age: origins. khelgar and grobnar's dialogues were downright funny. motb, in my opinion, contained some of the best writing i've experienced in playing an rpg. it had one of the most unique companions in "one-of-many"; and how can i forget about gann? i really did not understand why he acted the way he did initially, not until i slowly began to peel layer after layer of his background story that i truly understood him. my original feelings of contempt towards him gradually turned to pity as we travelled together. now, that is one unforgettable experience.
dragon age: origins brought me similar moments also. the characters, both companions and sometimes adversaries, in that game evoked diverse feelings that are hard to shake long after i've finished playing. in the dlc "return to ostagar", i felt a certain tinge of sadness when i gazed upon the body of the king.
there's a truly heart-breaking scene in there.
quite a long wishlist now...
