The most important lesson I've learned from this beta is that some parts of Darkness can be confusing for players that haven't played Gloom before:
1) The Engineer's build system needs improvement: Players can't tell that the structures they build need to be repaired before they become functional. They're surprised when newly created structures self-destruct shortly after being constructed----I think I'll add more feedback to the game so that Engineers can see that new structures need to be repaired, maybe some kind of sprite above newly created structures?
2) Breeder item eating isn't obvious: You hold primary fire for a few seconds and the breeder makes some eating noises--Maybe this was a mis-step. Maybe primary fire should chomp down right away on whatever is in front of the Breeder (players, structures, etc...) and just have digestion take longer for more significant items (eggs, grunts, etc).
3) Humans are more fun for new players because their weapons are more familiar to the average player: All you have to do is point and shoot, and you can kill spiders. But for the bugs, everything is new: grappling hooks, automatic on-contact melee attacks, sticky spike grenades, etc. I'm not really sure how to solve this problem, but I know the spider weapons need better feedback. I hesitate to solve these kinds of problems with on-screen text, but a little HUD-hinting never hurt anyone in a new game...
On top of that, I think some of the weapons need improvement:
1) The guardian/stalker grenades don't work well. I think they each fire about 12 spikes each time they explode, but the chances of hitting a nearby player are still too low. I'll probably have add some kind of radius damage and increase the number of spikes.
2) The breeder can eat humans, which is not easy, considering that you have to get right up next to a well-armed human in order to do it. Maybe there should be some kind of reward for the breeder each time she eats a human... Any ideas? Perhaps the breeder could fill up with intestinal gas each time she eats a player and then release it, producing a jet-pack effect? Might be a good way to deal with not having a flying Wraith class for now, not to mention the fact that the Engy can fly a little with the Engy Destroy Gun...
With all of these improvements and fixes on the table, I'll be busy for the next few weeks. Thank you all for playing, I appreciate your help :)
By the way--If anyone's good at making demo videos, I could really use your help!
