Here are some of my suggestions, some of which I submitted with the Suggestions link in the game:
-- Loop or Repeat option for the mp3 player. Would be useful for setting up a few ambient music tracks to play until you stop them. Yes, other mp3 players outside the game can do this, but most take a decent amount of system resources away from the game.
-- Adjust ambient sound levels. Doors don't seem to make any noise. Heavy rain sounds fine, but lighter rain is almost completely silent. There's no wind noise of which to speak. There are no footstep sounds that I've ever heard. Now, before you go off about my sound card, or speakers. First, it's an Audigy Platinum, latest drivers. Second, I am using a rather expensive full surround speaker system. Third, I've checked the sounds on other computers on my network, and it's always the same. And, yes, I have the buffer turned off. I'll note that sounds which originate from a specific source, like a player digging, or emoting, or the creatures making sounds, sound fine.
-- I'd like to second, and third (for my fiance) the suggestion of being able to allow other players into your apartment. My fiance and I play together, and it would be nice to be able to share an apartment.
-- The seasons are great. And I like the idea of herds migrating (though I have yet to see that happen to any great extent in my experience). But, can't some of the more naked NPCs put something warmer on in the winter?
-- A Z axis for character movement. I really miss being able to jump or crouch. Or, for instance, not being able to walk under things that you can walk over, even if there is enough space to do so. Would be nice for swimming also, but if swimming underwater is enabled, there needs to be some addition to the way water is done right now. EDIT: I now see that there are multi-level buildings where one level does indeed go over another walkable level. Still doesn't explain why we can't walk up the roots in the Matis newbie island, though.
-- Water. Surface looks great, even though the fake reflection doesn't always match the sky.
But when moving the camera underwater, or if the above suggestions of allowing swimming underwater become reality, it just doesn't look right. Things underwater are rendered the same as above. Just have that water plane there. Need some sort of difference in the way things are rendered when underwater. I could go off about shaders at this point, but I haven't a clue what this engine really supports.
-- Fix swimming animations for Tryker. Their heads are never above the water, they ought to be drowning!
-- If it's not already set up, it would be nice to see seasonal movement of animals. Though, I have no idea how hard this would be under the current setup.
To end my message, I'd like to state that I understand that many of the features I've suggested are low priority, and not likely to be even considered, in the face of bugs to squash, and other, more important features that were already planned. But it'd be nice if they're at least considered, and someone tells me I'm asking too much.
I have a small inkling of experience of what it's like to be on the developer's side of the curtain. I understand it isn't easy, and that some things the community wants just can't be done.
-Faileas
