rjshae

Yep. I'm expecting they'll start off with a list of ideas, perhaps including many of those proposed here, then the list will get whitted down to a workable total. They obviously can't possibly satisfy everybody's wishes. One possibility is that they will implement a set of goals with the first episode, then add more as new episodes are developed. They may even back-port the additions to the older releases (depending on the financial success of the release). But still, it's interesting to read about everybody's varying preferences in a CRPG.

The wound system from DA worked pretty well, I think. Not enough of a consequence to make a game restore worthwhile, but enough so that it eventually needs to be dealt with.

To say the least.

Yes, obnoxious environments can be fun. But they are not implemented very realistically. Seriously, have you ever tried running through mud the way you could jaunt through the swamps in Witcher? That was almost laughable.

Roman coins had a weight of about 3.5g. That's around 386 coins per kg, or 130 per pound. If they use realistic coin masses then it should only start to matter when the total reaches 1,000s of coins. The weight will provide a motivation to spend some loot on magical bags of holding, but otherwise it's a nit except at high levels. For simplicity, there could just be a cap on the total coins the party can lug around. Or the game could apply a penalty to overland movement rates based on total coinage. In the case of treasure like huge dragon hoards, the game could switch to using gold bars that have significant weight.

Good points. A simple damage and healing system is usually best (although I do rather like how it is split into hit point damage and injuries in the DA series). One idea I've toyed with for table-top gaming is to make magical healing somehow less thorough than natural healing. The healing magic basically provides a scaffolding that allows the body to keep functioning, but it's really just a type of surgical glue. As more and more damage gets patched back together with magic, the overall bodily health becomes increasingly fragile. After a while the PC just has to go somewhere and rest for some number of weeks. You could model that process as just a cumulative count of the magical healing applied. That counter then needs a cool down period in a safe, cozy environment, such as the player's house. The higher the count becomes without suitable rest, the less the character is able to recover from poison, disease, and critical hits. It functions like 'exposure' does in the real world; after a long trip in the wilds, the body needs some time to recover its full stamina. This effect is also not something you could ignore by using a game restore because it gradually accumulates over time; you'd go on a long adventure, take your hits, then you'd have to rest up afterward. At that point, good food, healing herbs, a comfortable environment, and TLC help speed up the process.

*makes note of the name 'merat' in his little black book of doom* Now that's funny.

You don't? I mean hopefully we get situations like "You encountered a goblindirewolf!" and you get these choices: 4) Romance. That way you don't have to combat. No doggie treat found; romance option failed. The goblindirewolf is gnawing at your ankle. What would you like to do?

If it introduces a larger audience into the genre, that seems like a good thing. Hmm, rather than "easy mode", they could call it something like "Story mode" or "Casual gamer mode".

If you're story driven, then you might like the ability to turn off the clues about internal mechanics, such as how much rank in a particular social skill you need to succeed or by how much you failed a particular check. Instead you'll have to rely on other clues.

Yes, morale is a nice touch of realism, but it got a little frustrating when the enemy broke and started fleeing all over the map. It made a mess of the party discipline. Then, of course, there's the good old, "Better part of valor! Better part of valor!"

Surely you mean Don Hugh d'Heffner, the nefarious 14th century courtier and philanderer? Why good sir, such splendid robes and pointed hats have been worn with aplomb since the very dawn of fashion. Surely you are aware of such sensibilities?

Sweet! Of those I'd probably enjoy Expert Mode the most.

But what if existence incorporates every conceivable purpose? Is there any difference between that and existence serving no purpose? Wouldn't anything you do then serve its purpose?

Yep, a hearty well done! They're blowing the door off any expectations.

Can you please define? Well, for example, human races that mixed with others during ancient times, leaving them with some legacy of their original powers. Perhaps a longer lived, handsome strain that shows unusual resiliance against poison or disease; they are particularly artistic in nature. Or an elven-like strain with a unique penchant for certain magical arts. A tall strain, descended from half-giants, that is well endowed with physical stamina and strength. Mayhap even a fork-tongued clan of itinerant peoples who can inflict a burning toxic bite and possess the ability to see warmth. How about a changeling race that dwell among the humans in disguise, but have a beast-like natural form? &c. &c. There can still be dwarves and elves, but they can be made reclusive and the subject of much distrust. Mediaeval humans are bigoted creatures who hold little trust for foreign humans; never mind other races entirely.

Personally I'd be fine with a mix of unique human variants, which isn't represented in the poll.

I'm not sure how well it would work, but possibly they could do an inverse of the voice acting in Mass Effect 2: a short voice over insert combined with a longer text explanation. A set of brief voice overs could be used to express the emotive state while the text gives the full information. Maybe they could use an animated graphic to show a facial expression. Shrug.

Agreed. It should also be possible to write the targeting interface in such a manner that it informs you when friendly fire is a possibility. (Maybe by having the targeting area change color when an ally or neutral is in the area.) That situation may change during the delay needed to cast the spell, but at least you wouldn't have unknowingly targeted a non-foe.

Death by a Thousand Opinions...

Plausible ecologies. Implausible ones should be purely magical or supernatural in origin.

Map notes are useful for cities and overland maps where there is a lot of detail. But I do enjoy the look of an artistically hand-drawn map, rather than a technological marvel. So I could probably live without automatic notes.

I think the developers should decide the nature of the gods and their pantheon, based on the cultural setting they develop.

Yes, being able to cast a fireball anywhere without worrying about the consequences is really cheezy. It's okay for an arcade-style game, but not for one with mature themes. Then again I don't like twitch games where you can accidently whack a friendly; it should be the skill of the protagonist that matters, not your skill with the mouse.

Yes, tutorials are welcome the first time through. But an opt-out for subsequent replays is a must. Thanks.