As someone who loves the game and has been a dedicated Early Access player for several months, I’ve noticed a few shortcomings. I’d like to share a (non-exhaustive) list of improvements regarding aspects that, in my opinion, are either underdeveloped at the moment or a little too casual for a demanding game like No Rest for the Wicked.
I. Make Platforming More Demanding
The current platforming feels too easy.
- Add some randomness to jumps and platform layouts. Right now, it’s too easy to memorize routes.
- Remove some of the barriers and guardrails that protect players from falling, forcing them to react more carefully to the level design.
- Introduce disappearing platforms and remove the ability to grab ledges, encouraging more precise jumps.
- Bring back the need to choose a route through Marin Woods as before. Exploration is currently too straightforward, which makes the area feel less engaging.
- Climbing ladders and stairs should consume stamina in order to standardize all traversal obstacles. It’s strange that swimming and climbing ivy consume stamina while ladders and stairs do not.
II. Encourage Players to Care More About Their Gear
- Prevent broken items from being repaired. It doesn’t make much sense to restore equipment that is completely unusable.
- Make repairs more demanding. For example, significantly increase repair costs and add repair timers. At the moment, repairs only serve as a gold sink, which isn’t enough. Adding an additional Ember cost could be an interesting solution.
- Require mastery of all weapons within a category before allowing players to modify their runes or socket them. It doesn’t make sense for a Cerim to become a master craftsman the moment they loot a new weapon. We may be warriors, but we’re certainly not gods of war. A little progression in this area would be welcome.
- The new class system should combine elements of the current stat-based system and the one currently in development. It doesn’t make sense that a Cerim who has dedicated their life to mastering magic wands could become proficient with a dagger in just a few hours. In real life, mastering a martial discipline takes years of training.
III. Bring Back Meaningful Choices in Town Development
- Construction timers are missing. Having to make choices based solely on resources isn’t restrictive enough, and from a role-playing perspective, it doesn’t make sense for a building project to finish in 20 seconds. Bringing back 24-hour construction timers, as we had before, feels necessary.
- Players should not be able to upgrade the entire town to the maximum tier. Sacrament is supposed to be a struggling city; it doesn’t make sense to turn it into a wealthy district after only twenty hours of gameplay.
- Limit the number of recipes each player can unlock in order to encourage cooperation. Excessive self-sufficiency pushes players to play independently rather than work together. Encouraging specialization would be a great idea.
- NPCs should close their shops at night and during meal times. This would strongly encourage players to build and maintain their own crafting and refining stations.
IV. Make Cooperation More Challenging and Less Overpowered
- Increase friendly-fire damage. A simple juggle and a bit of damage barely punish careless play.
- Experience rewards should be divided among the players who participate in killing a monster. It feels more immersive and would help limit player power creep.
- Traded items should not be sellable. Reselling a gift is generally considered poor etiquette in real life, and I don’t see why Sacrament should be any different.
V. Make PvE More Hardcore
- Monsters and bosses should gain experience and levels when they kill players. This would encourage players to properly prepare for expeditions and exploit enemy weaknesses instead of brute-forcing encounters.
- Some monsters should have randomized spawn locations. Right now, it’s too easy to memorize where enemies will appear. After a few hours, the surprise and sense of danger disappear and are replaced by routine.
VI. Bonus
- Add hunger and satiety mechanics. A Cerim should need to eat regularly to avoid starvation, while also being careful not to overeat and suffer indigestion. For example, overeating could apply an encumbrance penalty, since people are generally less effective when they’ve eaten too much. It’s a shame to limit food consumption to 5–10 items per fight when overconsumption could instead be discouraged through meaningful penalties.
Thank you for reading. Feel free to share your thoughts and feedback.
Best regards.