So, I’m really enjoying the game but I just want to bring one thing up - a lot of RPGs with leveling systems hit the same problem where they just keep giving you more “points” to put into things, whether that’s skill points, XP, stat upgrades, etc. and one way a lot of them make this leveling up more interesting than just number upgrades is through “horizontal progression”.
This is something like Fallout 1, 2 and NV’s Feat systems (3’s is okay but it’s kinda just number upgrades nothing really interesting). In these systems, every few levels, or when you find a special item in the area you get some permanent bonus other than skill points. Maybe this is an upgrade that gives some type of weapon a new effect. Enemies taking fire damage now explode when they die, or you get some interesting interaction with an enemy type, or something along these lines. They can be scripted where you get specific ones at specific points, or they can be choice based where you’re given a full list of all the ones you can get and they just have certain skill point pre-requesites.
Games like Deus Ex even combine the two with their Aug Canisters where when you find one, you’re given a choice between two predetermined upgrades in the canister and you can only choose one. For instance, do you want to run fast or do you want to run silently, such a compelling choice but given so simply.
This is just an idea but I really think NRFTW could use some more ways to make your character unique outside of your weapon choice, and this is a great way to do it. By the end of Deus Ex, or Fallout NV, everyone’s character was a little bit different in how they played.