I could probably go on for pages if I took the time to really think about things and write it all down, but just on the top of my head:
- A day/night cycle and some hint of NPC scheduling. I want to see AT LEAST an attempt to have a degree of world simulation.
- A progression system that doesn't lean heavily on stat BLOAT. Keep things lean. I want a system where the character starts the game at 40 HP and ends the game at 100 and a lot better at avoiding and dealing damage, rather than one where level 1 characters have 20 HP and endgame ones have 9999 (please note that this is just an example of the general concept I would go for, the reference numbers I'm throwing here are entirely made-up and would need to be fine tuned after extensive testing depending on the general rules of the game).
- Unique and hand-placed items need to be the backbone and main pillar of the itemization. And their scaling needs to be limited to few distinct tiers of quality that are valid in absolute terms. Fuck that noisy bullshit of common, rare, epic, legendary, etc... that ALSO scale with specific level requirements. That type of itemization is ALWAYS GARBAGE, has no redeeming quality and I'll die on that hill.
- I wish for companions that feel like amazing friends and allies (or at least that grow into becoming so), characters I can even grow to admire and respect, toward which I can feel a sense of solidarity and camaraderie. Not a gallery of annoying petulant sex pests that basically give me option to interact only if we want to have an orgy. Unless I'm deliberately pursuing a romance, I don't want to talk to my party members and feel like we are constantly flirting and I'm about to be sexually molested at every dialogue pick that isn't openly hostile toward them.
- Speaking of which, I would also appreciate companions that introduce themselves as maybe "promising fledgling", only relatively competent in their role, but that GROW into becoming "heroes of the realm" over time. Not ones that are immediately introduced under the pretense of being already "super big shots" at level 1 (and then hilarity ensues).
- An engine update that can deal with true, genuine 3D verticality. Flying creatures who can actually fly and stay mid-air. not just make big jumps. More Solasta 1 and less BG3, to give a frame of reference.
- I'm going to be so sad if we don't get something similar to a reaction/interrupt system AT LEAST for a few abilities where it makes sense.
- The game world being "seamless and continuous" is not really an added value when the side effect is having the "diorama effect" when everything seems to be a model in scale and there's no sense of scale whatsoever. A series of separate areas connected through a world map would be 100% better than the "bonsai world" effect of BG3 where the goblins couldn't find the "super hidden" druid grove 150 meters down the road.
- The most controversial for last, I guess. I know everyone and their grandma praised the idea of DOS 2 of letting the players decide even the basic class of every companion joining their party. Well, I'm going to say it: I think it's SHIT. Companions need to have strongly defined identities and ideally even something unique about them that the player can't replicate (i.e. special talents, perks and maybe even pieces of equipment that are unique to their background). Hell, I think if it was up to me I'd even move away from the idea of choosing abilities at level up for story companions and I would make them a fixed, pre-established build, take or leave. Of course, under these conditions I would put an effort into making them good and a desirable addition to the party. Not underwhelming and poorly built.
Last edited by Tuco; 04/01/26 06:48 PM.
