As a first feedback with about 10 hours played with a new game and version 1.0.6:
- Sneaking is now much more easy to succeed hence it becomes more clear and the result, is there's concrete applications in many combats, one trick to succeed better is move with crouch (or eventually prone but it's very slow), remind check mercenaries with higher stealth and apply more caution and distance for those with a low Stealth. This adds a new layer to combats, and it's cool for a replay.
- Sneaking is a lot more clear now that it is easier and the bugs has been fixed. But it's still a bit too abstruse. In my opinion it is missing a better player feedback that a mercenary hes been heard/seen. For sure with a turn based system with each party playing fully before the other, it's not easy. The effects are during player turn but it seems unfair to show it during the turn. I don't have a solution but I think it's a point that worth be improved. Perhaps a read hear above an enemy that have heard something when he start act, and a red eye when he has seen something. And the same icon on the mercenaries that triggered it. The point of this mechanism is to make more clear the sneaking and to favorize the learning curve and players that won't play the game more than few time, ie the majority.
- XP mechanism and Sneaking skill increase has changed. The skill increase very fast even just by moving crouch, and it brings a significant amount of XP. Eventually it's too much because it makes the level up very fast (level up to 3 at third combat and with team of 5 and spread attacks for the last two). It's definitely a good mechanism inclusing to get XP from skills increase, but perhaps it need be tune down a bit. Moreover other skills increase should have a more visible effect, eventually Medicin and Repair. Right now Marksman and Stealth are too dominant.
- Enemy AI change, I didn't quote anything obviosu in Impossible difficulty. I'm curious to also try Hard difficulty because I prerefed it a little bit, I felt the Impossible difficulty more cautious AI isn't very efficient, I think the AI need manage groups or micro groups or do it better. And for caution to multiply cautious scouting, typically half AP to scout, back at end of turn if something detected and not enough close support. Or guard is something detected. AI use guard but it could use it more. It would reflect better the supposed change fo enemies moving less when nothing detected.
- New shops, at first I get them during the final of a replay, and I found the change quite irritating. But when I started a new play, I felt it was a good game changing. Another element that makes a replay more fun. The new interface is clearly better, but the items are a lot too big, it looks weird and it's pointless. And tabs for items category not empty in shop would be much better for the main shops. Could be weapons/ammo/armors/misc. It's cool to be able sell stuff and the ability to buy back an item sold by error is cool too.
- New shops gameplay, it's not only a UI change it's also a huge gameplay design change. No more shops with infinite and garanteed items. There's a large random and a scarcity. So after same hours I appreciate a lot this change. At least during first parts it adds management of ammo, and items in a more interesting way and it setup a random diversity improving the replay value. I have to see yet for the full play, but it seems a quite good design change.
Overall the shops and the stealth change many elements of gameplay and made this new replay quite interesting with new stuff to explore and experiement. I'd say that the gmaeplay change is more significant than it was for the 1.0.5 even if in 1.0.5 the much better containers and drops management was really cool, as few new quests. About containers and drops, the common areas should benefit too of this enhancement.
EDIT: About a change that seems quick and could perhaps be in a next version, it's to add a bit more static enemy squad in more common area. The idea is to makes the player discover combats in more or those areas, at least one combat. I mean like in area north to first mine.
