What is there to say except that I am fairly impressed.
The entire perk/crafting magazine system I feel is amazing.
It provides a nice sense of progression and just the flavor of weighted randomness.
The perk/crafting magazine reward system is very nice but some of the perk/crafting trees feel to clumped.
I think that is more due to those trees could be expanded upon. Need that mmorpg unlocking addictive feeling.
Even though the traders do have a specific skillbook bias, I do think the quest system could using tweaking to a system more akin to
"Weighted randomness" choosing reward path with multiple choices.
Choosing these specific type of mission more likely to get ?paper resources?/craft books/weapon books/perk books
Choose these missions to get better chance of resources/weapon parts/weapons
These to get resources/?building parts?/work benches
I like the randomness but being able to "direct" the path forward.
It allows for the "oh darn" and "wowee amazing" moments when working in and against your favor.
Some of the quests don't feel that "localized" like the trader would be the one knowing about the job
when you literally sent you into other trader "territory" I get the idea is to expand on utility of vehicles but maybe traders are to close?
Bad luck with gen?
Performance is feeling amazing.. chunking feels very very smooth.
Skill trees , for most part feeling nicer.
Perception tree feels more viable choices with spears getting much needed love in direct and in direct ways.
Directly with buffs stats and indirectly with hitboxes on things like doors. Though I personally did not feel the impact
of the slow debuff from the power attack.
Strength tree always been popular and solid tree, does what it says on can, brute force with utility.
What is more fun than saying hello with buckshot to the face.
Fortitude good tree fists still feel like a "hump" skill where starts off bad... till gets good and feels tanky
Wish tree felt more tanky from get go,Speaking of tanky with automatic guns a "brute damage" weapon that feel should be
in another tree replaced with explosives, automatic guns merged into sniper much like smg with pistols.
Explosives feels like more "I damage you while damaging self" tank skill. Bit odd for perception to have 2 range weapon trees as well.
Which maybe can open up some type of new explosive weapon as well such as flame thrower? Flame thrower sounds and *feels* like a tanks weapon.
Agility feeling bit weaker more so cause of world design than the skills themselves. No matter the amount of sneaking
when you are forced not to sneak it feels bad. Maybe skyrim has spoiled us with this? lol
Otherwise utility is strong and weapons are good even though it is less popular tree the weapon skills work.
I think some type of speed buff to make up for not always being able to sneak would help tree.
Intelligence aww the red headed step child. To strong , to weak, to doesn't know what it wants to be.
Engineering has always been a *invest just now and respec later* skill giving very little benefit from having points in it long term where you could invest
those points into harvesting more resources faster instead. Once you have the magazines using the weight system no need for points here.
The baton on paper works the damage scales , with a lacking tier 3 "progression" and only melee weapon needing 4 (argue 5 with gut for nerd candy) skill investment you are left
feeling no progression and huge investment to achieve what can be achieved with many many less points.
The robotics still feels bad for exploring, which again many hoped a "following" turret (drone) with gun would have fixed giving intelligence POI range tree.
But since they are not going that direction robotics is left in a semi useful category mostly for hordes where it shines or alternative to 5 wood and making drop box.
Its utility is strong with trader skill line. Than a odd team buff skill out of nowhere which is actually strong, but feels like another tree skill (charisma? lol)
not intelligence.
So overall the new perk/skill magazine system is fun and feels rewarding , skill tree wise perception feels much better overall , agility and intelligence feel like
suffer from the same issues they have for a while.