Mr. Santa, bring me a dream…
I’d like to see…
…a KO system like in the game ‘GOTHIC II’ (Piranha Bytes, 2002), where (in certain situations) you can win a fight by knocking an opponent out without killing them – the opponent would then lie unconscious on the ground for some time, and you could take their weapons (thus render them harmless), kill them by impaling them with the sword, wait until they wake up (or kick them awake) and start/continue dialogue with new options, or simply walk away;
…that killing has (negative) consequences on the character’s psyche (after all, you’re not killing monstrous orcs) – a Morale system, which should affect both combat effectiveness and Charisma, and thus dialogue options (confession to a priest could give a boost to morale);
…an additional chivalry/vainglory (reputation) system, separate from the Morale system, which would again affect dialogue options (thus, for example, a thief could still have a good reputation and win other people’s favor);
…friendly arena/tournament fights (fencing, jousting) and archery/hunting competitions;
…training fights (if they’re not already planned);
…an armor/health/strength/damage system similar to that employed in the game ‘THE BANNER SAGA’ (Stoic Studio, 2013):
"To Stoic's great credit, this isn't the kind of game that allows you to rush in and win. It largely achieves this effect by slapping units with one value for armor and another for health and strength combined, which means you'll have to whittle down the armor of the most beastly Dredge before you can make any notable dent in their health. It seems a little too gamey at times – one of the best tactics for success is to leave enemies with one point of health and strength, thus effectively converting their resulting weak strikes into a wasted turn. Alas, it's a strategy that works both ways. Consequently, if you haven't nibbled away a strong unit's armor and you're near death, you might as well be battling with baguettes.
"But all hope isn't lost. Stoic wisely accommodated for such scenarios with its idiosyncratic Willpower stat. Although limited, Willpower lets characters exert themselves more, such as by moving up an extra grid on the map or adding more force to standard attacks or special abilities. It adds the necessary element of calculated chance to battles." (IGN)
…lootable but unequipable armor, because not everyone wears the same size (there are always other ways of obtaining better equipment: earning, buying, crafting);
…a “Czenglish” accent for the character voices, like those of the producers when they’re speaking in English.
[Update]
I’d also like to see…
…pseudo-mythological quests where, for example, you hear rumors about a “werewolf” being sighted, and it turns out that it’s just a rabid wolf – or a tongue-in-cheek “easter egg” quest about there being a dragon somewhere;
…hirable squires that carry your weapons and stuff around and also aid you in combat;
…a damage/first aid/healing/eating system similar to that in ‘METAL GEAR SOLID 3: SNAKE EATER’ (Konami, 2004):
"There are two other new systems as well and these are the Cure system and the eating. Both of these affect the game's depth in a similar way as the camouflage and both of them are just as smoothly integrated so that there's more of a feeling of realism without straying too far away from the fact that this is meant to be a videogame and a fun one at that. The health bar regenerates here as long as the stamina is kept up with a steady diet of critters and running around with wounds will prevent Snake from achieving full health.
"Even more than health, the stamina affects Snake's running speed and the ability to aim as well as his lung capacity for swimming and his grip strength for holding onto ledges. In one fell swoop 'MGS3:SE' has integrated several different parts of the game into one system and making it come alive and avoids the trap of making this 'Metal Gear Tamagotchi'. There is the occasional syringe of Life Recovery that is discovered for a quick health boost, but the game is really about staying healthy and stealthy." (IGN)
Additional details from the game’s Wikipedia article:
"While previous games used only a simple life bar, 'Snake Eater' also keeps track of injuries over the entire body. For example, a long fall could fracture Snake's leg, slowing him down until the injury is properly treated with a splint and bandage. Unless these injuries are treated, Snake will not be able to fully recover his health for some time.
"The location brings in the need to rely upon native flora and fauna to survive. This is manifested in a Stamina gauge, which constantly depletes during gameplay. Failure to restore the gauge by eating has detrimental effects on gameplay, such as decreasing Snake's ability to aim his weapon and being heard by the enemy due to Snake's loud stomach grumbles. Food can be stored in the backpack until it is needed. However, some types of food rot over time, and consuming rotten foods may result in Snake developing a stomach ache, causing the stamina gauge to deplete faster."
It’s all theoretical/hypothetical in video games.
"New media are new languages, their grammar and syntax yet unknown." –Marshall McLuhan (1911–1980)
