As of playing the game the past few days, I have noticed a few dire - and not so dire - areas that could do with improvement which I have attempted to break down as below, with explanations and examples where appropriate. I'm not discussing stratums because that topic is already rather 'healthy' and lengthily discussed in other threads elsewhere.

UI:
- HEALTH: The health bar needs a numerical presence: I find myself staring at my 'party' health bar more than the one at the bottom as it is easier to read than the shrinking/enlarging main bar, this becomes especially annoying when you're looking at 20+ health and you can't quite be sure how much damage you can take before dropping dead.

- SHIELD: Like a health bar, I believe a shield bar would also be quite useful - when you play games for a long time you tend to want more specific numbers rather than a 'gut feeling' in regards to survival.

Economy/Trading:
- AUCTIONING: An auction house or a trading board much like the energy exchange where people can offer to sell or buy specific items, which such an emphasis on crafting to improve in this game I am shocked that no such provision was in place from the get go.

- TRADE & CRAFT: The trade system needs to allow to trade crafting mats for a complete item using those mats, example:

I open trade with someone and place the materials for a wolvar coat in the trade window, the recipient should be able to use those mats out the window and drop the product back in the trade window so at no point is there a period of time where the items are 'out of my hand' - this is less a case of trust and more a lead into this:

Allow this system to use heated items/requisite items I own in other peoples crafts. Example:

I use a wolvar coat, I want a dusker coat, the current system means either two things happen;

1) I have the recipe for the dusker coat and I make it myself.
2) I don't have the recipe and my wolvar coat is used/bound to me, I find someone to make the dusker coat with an EXTRA wolvar coat I had to make for the craft.

The current system due to the random nature of recipe finds (especially at 4* and above items) means there is a massive resource sink in duplicating items when you get others to make things. This is especially bad when the items need to be heated (4/5* items) which generally means they are only used by the crafter - no one wants to run around and heat items for trading usually, except to sell on for profit.

General Gameplay:
- SHIELD: How shields work, I loved it the past few days when shields would take damage without the annoying knockback, the reason for this is positioning is so important that minor knockbacks can cause death inducing damage, I shouldn't be punished for avoiding damage with more damage!

As a potential improvement on this though and to balance it - the obvious reason for this change was to stop shield running through spikes - is to increase the damage shields take from spike and to add an audio cue when the shield takes damage rather than do it silently.

- WEAPON CHARGING: A weapon charge once gained shouldn't be lost on damage - the lead up to it is already lengthy enough pre-charge speed items (which were nerfed anyway) that once damage is taken post charge it is lost. This is especially crucial for short range swords (non Avengers, basically) and bombs where their tactical use in larger fights is all based on charging.

Monsters:
- TURRETS/GUN PUPPIES: Alright, corridors of turrets, you get where this is going. The corridors of turrets are fine, the concept is fine, the damage isn't. Depending on the layout (I'm looking at you Axis zone - spikes, turrets, yay) it can be a nightmare to handle as the turrets not only out range you but destroy your shield if you try to block. For the basic turrets (non elemental ones, since they are sporadic) I suggest not lowering their damage to health but at least to shields. I lose more health trying to fit through these narrow areas than to swarms of monsters.

Status Effects:
- DIMINISHING RETURNS & RESISTANCES: Or more specifically, why everyone hates fire (and thus hates the current situation with stratum's). All status effects should have a period of time after being affected by the effect where you are immune to it - also after using a blue pill. This is primarily to stop people being crushed under the damage dealt by continuous fire ailments, or constant shock effects immediately after they end or are removed.

As of the most recent notes I have read, resistances seem to reduce durations now which is bad in several ways - specifically frost as the damage applies at the end of the effect (shorter duration = faster damage and less time to be freed) - in which with a shorter duration you still take the effect and damage. Resistances should reduce the chance of application or damage taken where applicable, unavoidable damage no matter how short isn't a smart game mechanic - especially when shields dont always block ailments.

To reiterate, unavoidable damage isn't fun, mm'k?

General:
- APPEARANCE: We have an appearance option for helms and armours, why not shields?