What I want in future:
1. Gameplay other than combat and conversation, never thought i'd have to ask for this but nowadays these are usually the only two options, and one usually leads to t'other.
2. Environmental interactivity, like we had in games twenty plus years ago, and we have almost fuck all of now.
3. Basic features, Poe implements a shitload o weapons wi a $4m budget, DA:I restricts player in what he uses, D:OS can't manage the day/night cycle that shitloads of games have had for decades, NPC schedules that we haven't seen in hardly any games.
4. Coherent and internally consistent gameworld, no shortcuts, no illogical features handwaved away, everything should strive to make sense, no limitless invisible backpacks or stats that don't make sense.
5. Fantastic elements, dragons and other fantasy creatures, magic and all the stuff that serves to reinforce the mundanity of the ordinary world should be treated like it is special not as just another part of the world. Unless it's become commonplace and relatable, and even then it should be dangerous and tricky in confinement.
6. Get away from the fucking stupid idea that players should always approach any fight in optimum condition, get some severe side effects and consequences going, if you've trawled through Moria you should be a fucking wreck, physically, mentally and spiritually when you come out other side, and some o these wounds shouldn't go away.
7. Gameplay systems that scale, except enemy level of course, for instance inventory: At 1st level you can fill your arms wi stuff if your packs full, but risk being attacked while encumbered and unable to grab common items. At mid levels you can hire mules and henchmen to carry for you or use any of a number of spells, though there are dangers as usual. Then at later levels where you have spells that trivialise this aspect, you can have bags of holding, dimensional caches and such that finally get rid of this element almost entirely, but some risk should remain.
8. Use something else other than fucking healing potions, show some fucking imagination you dimwitted cunts and dare to step away from the tropes just a little bit.
9. See features as an opportunity to add roleplaying elements, not just as busywork to fill up your game, you've got a food and drink system then making poisoning and needing to acquire food a feature, stop at wells and chat wi locals, beg a cup of water from a busy housewife and hear the local gossip, clutch your stomach in agony as you realise that the sneering innkeeper has more than a passing dislike for you. There should be a roleplaying opportunity in almost anything, don't just stick to combat and conversation in a dull and predictable, linear progression.
10. Smart antagonists, they should react and act, you choose to go to one location then they should have already been there, instead gone to the other location you were considering or have skipped all this and stolen a march on you.
11. You have to prove yourself as a party leader, you're not just accepted as such but have to seize, bully, bribe or persuade your way into power, and it takes fucking time. Or even accept another as party leader and work as the power behind the throne, influencing rather than commanding.
12. Smart companions, not just the usual unmotivated, incompetent slaves who follow you around wi'out complaint or pay but self interested mercenaries who want money and more in exchange for putting their fucking lives on the line, and who aren't gonna settle for whatever scrap you choose to chuck them from the pile of loot that they fought equally to acquire.
13. Landscapes should reflect the unusual influences they've been subjected to, lets see some fucking weird Roger Dean like settings, something other than the usual stuff we see in western fantasy. And the normal stuff we do have, give it a twist and exaggerate it a bit more.
14. Failure states, you've fannied around dragging shit from a dungeon to the local town for days at a time, not even attempting to hide your presence and guess what? The big bad has fucked off! You've lost out on the treasure or chance to off an enemy because of your own stupidity and laziness, and they might eventually pop up again, being used by others or become far more deadly but for the moment you've lost.
15. Magic systems that are fun, useful and have some inherent dangers, kinda like wild magic but a bit more reliable. Gives us tools and makes you think of possibilities just from reading the spell lists, rather than a dry recitation of damage, range and similar shit that makes the magical so mundane.
16. Running away should be a viable and sensible option in almost all scenarios, and standing your ground dangerous as fuck against a smart enemy.
Fuck me I do go on.
devs to exist and experiment with many different concepts without being reliant on crowdfunding for anything more than a microbudget. Stuff like Fig will probably help certain bigger studios reach higher production values without compromising the integrity of the game.
