[b]K) Classes:[/b] 1) In some sense, having different classes in Destiny feels a bit pointless. In heavily class-based games like, oh say, TF2, each class feels remarkably distinct, and ends up playing a very different role in combat through unique attributes, weapons and skills. In Destiny, only one of those three (skills) is retained, and since every class has multiple Foci (I like the sound of that better than “subclass”), even that is highly variable. Now the “everyone can use any weapon” I like, but the class attributes seem way too flexible, to the point where the stats of any class may resemble that of any other class. So I think less flexibility there would be good, that is, if you pick a titan you’re not strictly going to be the tank, but you’re class choice should have some actual meaning. Other than that, I just hope the variation in foci for each class are noticeably, role-changingly different. 2) So the Hunter’s super is really good. Almost too good. On paper, Golden Gun is not any worse than Fist of Havoc or Nova Bomb; it’s got a max of three kills while the other two can hit a lot more, but all that damage can be directed at a single foe if need be unlike the other two. In Story mode, that’s fine. There are a few big-huge enemies, and lots of little guys. But in Crucible, Golden Gun feels too good. The odds of there being more two or three people standing in one spot at the same time is rather slim, which gives the longer lasting Golden Gun a much better chance of making more than one kill. Not sure how this could be fixed though… 3) Warlock and Titan melee weapons please? When you said every class would have a unique melee, I was imagining a unique melee weapon. Hunters can keep their cool hunting knives, but Titans should have a big combat knife or something (maybe with brass knuckles?), and warlocks could have some kind of, I dunno, wrist-mounted blade? 4) Titan’s have a lot of health. Now I know that’s the idea, they’re supposed to require a bit more oomph to take down, but I wonder what incentives players have to choose the other classes, lest Crucible descend into an all-out all Titan brawl. Do Warlocks and Hunters move that much faster, or recover health that much more quickly to compensate? 5) I know above I said that I liked the fact each class can wield every weapon. But in an effort to make our class choice mean something, I feel that having a particular class-only weapon type might not be such a bad thing. Give each class just one type of unique weapon, like their unique armor piece, and that might just be enough. Don’t know what these unique weapons would be or even what slot they’d be in though, maybe special? …I was thinking of some kind of staff/gun weapon for Warlocks… 6) Just FYI, the Warlock’s solar “focus” (I think that sounds better than “subclass”), had better have a flamethrower type ability like in that one piece of concept art. Or I’m gonna be mad. You promised space “magic,” Bungie. You’d better deliver… [b]L) Enemies:[/b] 1) When Captains/Wizards die, they’re minions should be affected. Like in Halo, when an elite is slain the grunts scatter, or go berserk. Actually, Acolytes in particular feel pretty bland in terms of AI behavior. 2) Expanding on the above point, my major issue with enemies in Destiny is the AI. Simply put, it’s too simple. Enemies just stand around waiting for the inevitable headshot, and since headshots are so easy to make in this game, it provides a lot less challenge that I was expecting. Now I notice that level plays a large role in the challenge of Destiny, higher level guys have a LOT of health, but that’s not challenging, it’s just monotonous. Enemies need to be fun to fight, they need to move around, flank the player, use their abilities tactically, etc. This was one of the more disappointing things I noticed in the game, and given how much Destiny revolves around shooting aliens, I feel that more intelligent enemies, and a greater variety of enemy AI routines (making each enemy type fight in a unique way), will be need for the game to meet expectations. 3) I feel that Fallen Ketches should be more modular in their design. That is, these guys are space pirates, right? Their ships should be unique creations, each one built on the same principals but in slightly different ways. One has a bump here; one has two bumps, or an extra engine pod, etc. They should look like they’ve been remolded/retrofitted over time. [b]M) Graphics/Visuals:[/b] 1) The “Darkness Zone” limited respawn animation is too long, it hides enemies from view and caused a few unnecessary deaths. This is also true in general (I’m thinking of the level up animations which are cool they just need to be a little shorter/less intrusive) 2) The Direction of fire indicators (the orange onscreen arrows) are confusing and unhelpful. Please make it more clear which direction incoming fire is coming from. 3) I think the name for purple items (Legendary) should be changed. I know it’s cool and sounds like Halo but it makes them sound better than Exotic weapons. Wait, are they better? 4) Walking/movement animation (esp. when running) for the female awoken titan is a bit jerky. May not be limited to that race either… 5) While the diffuse green glow of the Hellmouth is cool, I think it would be a lot more imposing/intimidating/frightening if it was just a yawning, pitch-black pit (more like in the original artwork). 6) The ability to customize our ships color and elements/add-on bits/modifications would be nice… Not just buying them as a single “package.” 7) Shaders should definitely have a preview option. 8) There’s no visual difference between your team’s grenades and the enemy’s… It’s kind of annoying. I suppose it could be intentional on your part, but it would be nice to be able to tell if a grenade’s AoE ability will kill me or not… 9) Is it just me, or do the clouds look kind of goofy? The graphics in this game are excellent (as per usual Bungie standards), but the moving clouds that encircle the player’s locale seems a bit more cartoonish than everything else in the game, they look like 2D cut-outs. Could you soften the edges a bit so they blend in more with the skybox? 10) The HUD icons and the aesthetic of player/enemy identifiers, the radar circle etc. clash (rather garishly I think) with the overall aesthetic of the game. Your maps are like ancient treasure maps of the stars, your achievements and banners take inspiration from medieval heraldry, but the HUD icons are minimalist and bland. I know they have to be visible and clean (I’d hate to see curly gothic fonts and overly-ornate filigree making it a pain to read what level an enemy is or what a friend’s name is), but there’s got to be a compromise in the middle somewhere… [b]N) Map Layout/Design:[/b] 1) Signs indicating which direction different areas are would be nice to see, esp. in the tight, ruined corridors of Old Russia. Maybe colored lines along the walls for different sections? 2) For an “open world” game, the Old Russia area seems very linear. Is this because we’re in the Beta or is this how it will ship? When I see a hill or a building or a column of rock in the sea (I’m thinking of one in particular near the ruined boats) in an open world game, my first instinct is to climb on it. In Destiny this usually just ends up with me sliding down an invisible wall or results in a “misadventure” death. (Which while funny at other times is in this instance almost insulting). I know the map has to have bounds, but the current world seems artificially narrow. Pushing back the invisible boundary walls so that we can at least climb up on a cliff or high building but then go no farther would be nice to see. Far Cry 3 was a good example of what I was expecting: Everything you can see (minus the skybox) you can go to, climb up, and explore, maybe even find some loot. 3) I love the vertical movement modes, and many of the multiplayer maps make great use of these. It would be nice to see the same level of commitment in the other parts of the game though, esp. during boss fights that only had one or two levels. Adding high places to snipe from, flank from, and take cover in would be very welcome. 4) More loot in caves/out-of-the-way places would encourage more exploration. As it is, I feel like exploring the corners of the map is mostly fruitless. And why so many empty caves/room? 5) The exit from Circle of Bones in the Hellmouth (back to the Gatehouse) is too hard to find; I got lost in there for like twenty minutes… (Which was ok because I accidentally found a Shrieker and another Ogre to shoot in the face but still…). Overall I love the feel of the Hellmouth and I know it’s supposed to be like a maze but that particular doorway needs to be more prominent/noticeable. A map might help… Think like the Zelda games, only done in an old, star-map style like the maps you’ve already got. That would be nice! 6) Beautiful skyboxes are a staple in Bungie games, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. But the “game” part of this video game doesn’t happen in the sky (at least not yet…), it happens on the ground. Now some areas (particularly ones we didn’t have access to in the Beta, e.g. The Black Garden), seems to have a very interesting/unique layout on the ground. But others, most notably the facilities of Old Russia, are just rooms full of boxes. Sure, some are alien boxes, and some are ancient human boxes, but their just boxes. It leaves me with the same impression of cover-based shooters, the systematic (and boring) placement of chest-high-walls, which I don’t like. I prefer more organic spaces (in the artistic not the biological sense), more tiered spaces, spaces with moving/changing elements, etc. Part of what makes a game interesting is the spaces you play the game in, and (at least as far as Old Russia goes), the spaces so far seems less interesting, both artistically and functionally, than they could be.