These are the really important features, without them the game simply isn’t complete:
Settlements:
Healer. Provides fast healing in exchange for gold, also dispelling powerful magic effects and removing curses.
Description (Look) should indicate the state of the settlement (depending on how many raids it’s gone through). First rumors that are told to the player in a Tavern should be about the village itself (if anyone is raiding it).
Player should be awarded for rescuing settlements (either on the spot or by destroying the raiders elsewhere). This award could be in xp, reputation, even gold, or lower prices in the shop, healer, inn.
Rescuing a settlement should have a positive effect on disposition of any NPCs who have a home in that settlement.
Faction reputation. Certain quests should only affect the player’s reputation within a faction. Faction reputation should be used in diplomacy calculations (npc disposition changes).
Scribe magic effect - turning the map into strategic display with npc locations and similar.
Vision magic effect - locate NPC, NPC seeker, summon NPC
Teleport spell
Detection magic effect
Astral follow spell effect
Fortresses & settlement - finalize army grow & max
Wind/bird tongue magic effect - Sometimes the wind or birds can be heard as the player travels around. If anyone in the party posesses this gift or an adequate item, a high level rumor should be selected and reported as ‘translated’.
Special class-based character abilities:
Steal (for thieves, maybe bards): ability to search a place (hidden) even with neutral or foul npcs present.
Shelter (for hunters, maybe elves): no weather damage while resting.
Scout (for hunters, maybe elves): ability to peek at surrounding locations and see what or who is there, later on increasing probability of detecting an ambush (similar to glow/detect foul magic effect).
Hunt (hunters only): mostly in a forest - can accelerate healing and mana replenishment.
Scout, hunting (and some other?): may also be done while camping but only when the character is at full health. In that case it is done automatically by the character.
Being present/searching inside building with foul armies: should generate ambush consisting of the troops as long as troops are present, after that the building should be marked as claimed/purified.
Stealing (searching inside buildings of your potential allies who are neutral or displeased). Requires party members with the ‘Steal’ ability. If caught, reputation will drop and disposition of any present NPC set to displeased.
Loyal NPCs / party member information in NPC database view.
The ability to summon any loyal NPC (spell, item?)
Characters who are displeased should interact with the party when present, but according with their class:
Stealing (gold, maybe lesser items, thieves, bards but not wizards or knights)
Hitting (giants and barbarians)
Confiscating items (similar to stealing only more dignified characters can do it too hehe)
Buildings & settlement graphics:
The player should be allowed to take items from non-original party members, but at a cost of their loyalty (it either turns them back to friendly or neutral).
Semi-automatic ai for battles:
charge (all attack picking their own targets until the battle is off)
ai (cast spells as well but don’t expect them to be too smart
auto (as long as the character’s last command was to attack someone, keep attacking and selecting new targets until told otherwise, anything else play as normal).
Monsters that run away from you.
Shields/NPC markers on the big map.
Buildings should give a tactical advantage to the side that is controlling them.
AI:
Keymakers: permanent NPCs who make magical master keys (for a hefty price). Keys that may be bought are level 1 - 6(7,8?), price increasing (exponentially?). A level N key will always open a level X lock when X ⇐ N. If X = N the key is destroyed. If not the key becomes level N-X key.
The player should be able to read their reputation. The initial message when visiting a Tavern or a Bar could indicate that, is the party ignored, cheered, or something in between?
A larger names database.
These are the features that’d be really cool to have but not sure that I’ll be able to find time for them.
Curses:
High level Foul characters may curse the character who smites them.
Curses so far (not sure how to name them yet): inability to use skills & spells, inability to use any items.
Some items might curse anyone trying to use them (but only for the first time).
Some doors (either found while searching inside buildings, or when broken into) might also release a curse.
A curse may only be healed by a healer, or by drinking from one specific lake in Midgard that needs to be found.
Generate NPC relationships: friend, arch-enemy. Influence on diplomacy.
Interaction between party members.
Trigger party members rumors based on current location or proximity.
Drinking from certain lakes should cause magical effects (positive, negative, curse or remove curse). Information about this should become part of the rumors database.
Shrines/wells/fountains that may only be found once (and used) or lost forever. Only one person may drink from the source, increasing one of the traits by 1 permanently. If anyone in the party has high enough lore they may speculate about the magical effect of the place.
Generate bard stories based on actual events in the game (???). Should influence disposition of any present npcs, in a similar way that Boast does.
Extra powerful enemies should have a weakness that the player may find about. This is either a specific NPC, a specific weapon or a material.