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...we should at least get some manual control over the vertical of the camera's focal point, to be able to look at higher stories than the one the party is on.

+1 this happens all the time, and allowing the user to control the verticality would help a lot.


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(5) It's a bit annoying that characters will often reach the end of a ladder...then immediately turn around and go back the way they came. This applies even to the controlled character.

Agreed, the pathing should indicate if the user is going up a ladder, it makes sense for the companions to try to stay up a ladder, when there is not enough space the companions should say something and stay at the bottom of the stairs.