Starting from the top... This will be a TL DR for most of you...
General
- Add in a stamina gauge - link normal attacks, defending, and running to it
- Include the option to run, default move speed feels sluggish, especially when returning to areas
- Drop rates - For the love of god, be the first game to ever use an intelligent RNG + system.
First time its 1/100 odds to drop something, if that doesn't happen, next time is 1/50 odds, if it still doesn't happen 3/100 odds... So that each subsequent monster kill makes it more likely that they will drop the item (card or whatever). When that item drops it resets to the default
So if a monster had 3 drops
1/5 Carrot
1/100 Rabbit foot
1/250 Card
You would never go more than 5 kills without having a carrot drop, never more than 100 without a rabbits foot, and never more than 250 without the card dropping... Realistically you would hit a point where the odds would tip into your favour. Still lots of grinding? Yup... Even with terrible base odds at least you feel that you are achieving something with every kill, instead of rolling a die every time.
Amazes me that no such system has been put into any game (TTBOMK) yet...
- Include a mini-map option on the screen
- Include a multiplayer / summon off screen indicator (a circle with an arrow or something) to give a general indication of where your friend wandered off too
Specifics
Spells and Skills
- biggest thing is to reflect what kind of an increase is actually given... instead of +damage give the actual damage caused by the spell and an indication of the increase, or a % increase
Combat - I Can't comment as I was playing a mage / summoner exclusively, I will only comment on those skills I used.
The best thing that any RPG game was adding customization to skills, either gems or other skills that modify them... Multi shot, altering effects, etc.
Support
- Protect - Helps a bit
- Haste - The casting time vs the duration time makes this useless
Suggestions - Swap them from an activated to a passive that has a reserved cost
Frosty Fiend - Probably a staple for most people, needs to show you if he falls off screen, starts off quite powerful hitting for as much damage as you do, and then trails off mid game, to becoming nothing more than a one hit meat shield late game. Needs reworking in his role... is he supposed to be damage, tank, or what?
Summon Plant - Cute, but utterly useless. Needs to be reworked in terms of its damage / range or make it a turret skill that fires - Think hydra from diablo
Insect swarm - Very, very powerful, easily better than any other spell my brother or I tried... I hear that the fire cone one is even better yet but didn't try it myself.
Chain lightning - Very, very weak, clearly needs a buff
Cloud strike - Added damage from above, seems to be about right for what it is
Treasure Maps
- I like the concept, but tell me why are the check marks for finding them different colours, why do they not go in order of 1-8, why don't they give a general location before the specific one
Enemies
- I like them, very secret of mana-esq
- Would be nice if you could make boss enemies occur when you kill X number of regular ones, on top of just randomly happening (which I assume isn't in the non-arcade part)
Cards and Drop rates
- Like I mentioned in general - PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY use an intelligent RNG + system
Otherwise, the cards is a neat feature, probably will need tooling balance wise as it goes
World Map
Probably a beta thing, but judging from how much is so far uncovered, it feels like the world is going to be very very small
- Should include information like - active quests, treasures not found, chests not opened, etc when you hover over an area, how many treasure maps can be found on it
Inventory
The system works for me, clear enough to understand
Fishing
Very little reward to this, but then it is very simple... You should make it so that you have a fishing exp level, at certain levels you just automatically catch certain fish.
Archery
The house, basically you need a perfect run for the first 10-12 shots to be able to win it, not saying it was hard, just saying that the way its done requires that
Puzzles
I like them, would be nice to get more variety but I assume that is a beta thing
Crafting
Pretty simple to do, would be nice if you added a mini-game to it as well, one that didn't destroy the items if you fail to do it of course, but that would make you do something to get the item
Healing
Is it just me or did I completely miss having any option to heal aside from returning to town and the red blood orbs slain enemies drop?
This may be intentional, or may just not have the items included yet
Potions
Basically nullify the need to not spam spells, or use haste / protect at all
Pets
Cute, I don't mind the minigame - but the attack and the defend keys need to be differentiated from the rest, right now they are not distinct enough. Later monsters with faster speeds etc will make that even worse... I suggest making attack RED and defend BLUE or something along that line
Otherwise, feeding my pets, it takes a ton of food to get it to increase by one level, but seems like it didn't take any more to get the following level or the one after it...
Each type of pet should have a specific levelable general buff - EX:
Rabbits - Attack and Cast faster for yourself and allies
Pumpkin - Increase the physical attack of yourself and allies
Finally pets should have a visible / invisible option
Arcade Mode
Seems cute, but it would be nice if you retained 1/4th of the exp you got from the previous run
So
First run = Start at Level 1, reached level 10
Second run = Start at level 4, reached level 16
Third run = Start at level 7, reached level 9
Fourth run = Start at level 3, killed right away
Fifth run = Start at level 1
So only the previous run directly benefits you, and one terrible run ends it
Or maybe spend statues to start at increased levels
1 statue for each starting level should be enough of a slowdown on it
I probably can think of more but I'm done typing for now
MY top three
#1 RGN + system
#2 Skill buffs - Multi-shot, type change, etc
#3 Mini map and World map info
General
- Add in a stamina gauge - link normal attacks, defending, and running to it
- Include the option to run, default move speed feels sluggish, especially when returning to areas
- Drop rates - For the love of god, be the first game to ever use an intelligent RNG + system.
First time its 1/100 odds to drop something, if that doesn't happen, next time is 1/50 odds, if it still doesn't happen 3/100 odds... So that each subsequent monster kill makes it more likely that they will drop the item (card or whatever). When that item drops it resets to the default
So if a monster had 3 drops
1/5 Carrot
1/100 Rabbit foot
1/250 Card
You would never go more than 5 kills without having a carrot drop, never more than 100 without a rabbits foot, and never more than 250 without the card dropping... Realistically you would hit a point where the odds would tip into your favour. Still lots of grinding? Yup... Even with terrible base odds at least you feel that you are achieving something with every kill, instead of rolling a die every time.
Amazes me that no such system has been put into any game (TTBOMK) yet...
- Include a mini-map option on the screen
- Include a multiplayer / summon off screen indicator (a circle with an arrow or something) to give a general indication of where your friend wandered off too
Specifics
Spells and Skills
- biggest thing is to reflect what kind of an increase is actually given... instead of +damage give the actual damage caused by the spell and an indication of the increase, or a % increase
Combat - I Can't comment as I was playing a mage / summoner exclusively, I will only comment on those skills I used.
The best thing that any RPG game was adding customization to skills, either gems or other skills that modify them... Multi shot, altering effects, etc.
Support
- Protect - Helps a bit
- Haste - The casting time vs the duration time makes this useless
Suggestions - Swap them from an activated to a passive that has a reserved cost
Frosty Fiend - Probably a staple for most people, needs to show you if he falls off screen, starts off quite powerful hitting for as much damage as you do, and then trails off mid game, to becoming nothing more than a one hit meat shield late game. Needs reworking in his role... is he supposed to be damage, tank, or what?
Summon Plant - Cute, but utterly useless. Needs to be reworked in terms of its damage / range or make it a turret skill that fires - Think hydra from diablo
Insect swarm - Very, very powerful, easily better than any other spell my brother or I tried... I hear that the fire cone one is even better yet but didn't try it myself.
Chain lightning - Very, very weak, clearly needs a buff
Cloud strike - Added damage from above, seems to be about right for what it is
Treasure Maps
- I like the concept, but tell me why are the check marks for finding them different colours, why do they not go in order of 1-8, why don't they give a general location before the specific one
Enemies
- I like them, very secret of mana-esq
- Would be nice if you could make boss enemies occur when you kill X number of regular ones, on top of just randomly happening (which I assume isn't in the non-arcade part)
Cards and Drop rates
- Like I mentioned in general - PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY use an intelligent RNG + system
Otherwise, the cards is a neat feature, probably will need tooling balance wise as it goes
World Map
Probably a beta thing, but judging from how much is so far uncovered, it feels like the world is going to be very very small
- Should include information like - active quests, treasures not found, chests not opened, etc when you hover over an area, how many treasure maps can be found on it
Inventory
The system works for me, clear enough to understand
Fishing
Very little reward to this, but then it is very simple... You should make it so that you have a fishing exp level, at certain levels you just automatically catch certain fish.
Archery
The house, basically you need a perfect run for the first 10-12 shots to be able to win it, not saying it was hard, just saying that the way its done requires that
Puzzles
I like them, would be nice to get more variety but I assume that is a beta thing
Crafting
Pretty simple to do, would be nice if you added a mini-game to it as well, one that didn't destroy the items if you fail to do it of course, but that would make you do something to get the item
Healing
Is it just me or did I completely miss having any option to heal aside from returning to town and the red blood orbs slain enemies drop?
This may be intentional, or may just not have the items included yet
Potions
Basically nullify the need to not spam spells, or use haste / protect at all
Pets
Cute, I don't mind the minigame - but the attack and the defend keys need to be differentiated from the rest, right now they are not distinct enough. Later monsters with faster speeds etc will make that even worse... I suggest making attack RED and defend BLUE or something along that line
Otherwise, feeding my pets, it takes a ton of food to get it to increase by one level, but seems like it didn't take any more to get the following level or the one after it...
Each type of pet should have a specific levelable general buff - EX:
Rabbits - Attack and Cast faster for yourself and allies
Pumpkin - Increase the physical attack of yourself and allies
Finally pets should have a visible / invisible option
Arcade Mode
Seems cute, but it would be nice if you retained 1/4th of the exp you got from the previous run
So
First run = Start at Level 1, reached level 10
Second run = Start at level 4, reached level 16
Third run = Start at level 7, reached level 9
Fourth run = Start at level 3, killed right away
Fifth run = Start at level 1
So only the previous run directly benefits you, and one terrible run ends it
Or maybe spend statues to start at increased levels
1 statue for each starting level should be enough of a slowdown on it
I probably can think of more but I'm done typing for now
MY top three
#1 RGN + system
#2 Skill buffs - Multi-shot, type change, etc
#3 Mini map and World map info