First, let me just say where I'm coming from - I'm an inveterate rpg game player. I've played so many different rpg's on the mac that it would be far easier to list what I haven't played than what I have played. Same for the SNES, Playstation, and a couple of other platforms. In fact, due to sheer desperation, I've played through the entire Final Fantasy and Dragonquest series in Japanese. (Locational difficulties)
Now, I am having fun with PoG, really. It's just that, like everybody, I'd like it to be perfect, or close to it. : )
So on with it.
Treasure chests: If possible, have more feedback between your level and what the chests/pits/stones dislodge. It may be great as a first level character to luck out on a dexterity potion, but it's downright annoying when you discover a treasure spot in the middle of hordes of Cyclops and it disgorges 3 gold. Or you find the super secret treasure location after many tasks and trevails, and along with the one special item, with come away with a grand total of a cheese, some grapes, and 12gp.
Monster experience points: It's wildly off. Simply put, in most cases, the difficulty of the monster has nothing to do with the amount of experience gained. Since the whole point of experience has to do with how difficult the battle was, it annoys. I do take note that it probably wasn't supposed to be possible to defeat a Sea Giant, for example - but if so, they should have simply been made undefeatable. And the minatours giving you 1500exp vs. Liliths giving out 1000exp is just wrong, minatours are push-overs in comparison, especially since they don't gang up on you.
Costume changes: It's a minor bit of work on the graphic department end, but having a bit more variety than the page/squire/knight graphic would help. As in, having different weapon graphics than just sword or bow. Never mind it not registering when you do and don't have a shield. Yes, it takes a bit of work, but trust me, some players absolutely live for finding a black sword that's about 9ft long just to spice up the look of the battles.
It's a Sexist World: Really, I'm a traditionalist at heart myself, but in the theme of costume changes, it would probably be attractive to more gamers if you had a choice of being the best female warrior in the world also.
Das Map: Now, come on. Can't you have the kingdom map show you where you are at on it? Having to note where you are on paper is not only passe, it's annoying when you are playing at work and you don't want to have this paper on your desk with a big grid showing your co-workers where you are in the world.
Dialogue: It's already been hashed out.
RPG: It would feel a bit more like a RPG (I know, it's an action game, really) if your spoken dialogue actually affected events a bit farther than the simple paths taken in the game. It would extend replay value if you could pursue 2, 3, or more overall objectives within the main objective. "Moving" the bed was the closest, and best, example of the character having, well, character.
Action: For an RPG that's more Zelda than anything, there's very little into the combat. Block, swing. Block, swing. A little more variety and moves would hold interest longer. And the blocking, in some ways, is a little too effective. And like Zelda, since it's a action-oriented world, it would help if there were a few more interactions with the world. Cutting down trees to explore forests, or climbing tools. The possibilities are endless, and no, it's not that hard to implement.
Secrets: More please. Reward those people that go through every square of the maps and try everything. It doesn't need to be central to the game, it just make the feeling more positive to the hardcore.
That's it for now - it's lunchtime. : )
Paul Hansen
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