NYRTHOS preAlpha DEMO Testing

I apologize for one fu*king big post, I tried to be most efficient and sum it all up in an understandable way. Hope it worked.

Playtime: 4 playthrough sessions, 21.-23.2.2013

SUM-UP:
Main issue with game mechanics - for me - was double-click to run, sometimes a pathfinding breaks and jumpy yellow object underlight. The main positive was a BG feel I got during the first story animation - a calming breeze of excellent story and Irenicus, a sound of promise and quality. I also liked the night and a pond >.<.


BUGS:
01 [enemy spawn] Skeleton spawn under a sprite, it happens sometimes near a rock. Lightning skeletons spawn in a form of a bone pile - maybe design choice.
02 [game mechanic] [player control] With right click player can charge up the attack and then I can switch bomb and “dust” - player can make a decision at the last second - intended game mechanic?
03 [pathfinding] Exhibit A: stuck behind a tree - see picture http://s11.postimage.org/8kihmo05v/S01_pathfinding_stuck_behind_a_tree.jpg
04 [graphic] [UX] Yellow object underlight is “jumpy”. When you click to go somewhere and than hoover over an object with a mouse, yellow object underlight jumps from nearby place to the object. It is a detail, but the player thinks that there are more items on the ground.
05 [GUI] [graphic] Window scaling laggs - when it gets full screen in looks pixelated, too small windows and not everything is visible.
06 [sound] [GUI] Mute button does not mute rain ambient.
07 [GUI] [respawn] At the end of a demo map, after death of a player the minimap disappear - see picture http://s11.postimage.org/pg27zev9v/S03_graphic_after_respawn_no_map.jpg.

Preorder page - change the release date from Q4 2012 to Q1 2013 (which is on the web HP) [http://nyrthos.com/preorder_game.html]

DESIGN:
08 [game mechanic] [player control] SPACEBAR RUN? how about shift or R or something... spacebar is counterintuitive for me.
09 [game mechanic] [UX] Double click - implicitly when killing monsters I double click even though I don’t want to run - it is a click fest after all - I end up with no stamina (blue substance), important for end killing spree - few head throwers and I am dead as a parrot...
10 [game mechanic] You can't hit with fists.
11 [graphic] Red health numbers in red bar are not that visible.
12 [GUI] [player information] Mini map - item or health could be visible.
13 [GUI] Pop-Up Infos on buttons - few times, I tried to wait for the pop up info on some icons (near health bar and such).
14 [GUI] Quest button looks clickable - functionality in later stage of development?
15 [GUI] No quit button, no inventory - functionality in later stage of development.
16 [GUI] sometimes when you are at the bottom of the map, you are “stuck” behind health bar and weapon selection. Can’t click away or on an item.
17 [graphic] [GUI] Kill count for killing spree quest is not implemented.
18 [animation] [UX] Faster camera with story events would be nice (just the first move to the centre of the action (apparent with bomb-throwing-guy at the end of the demo)).
19 [animation] [aesthetic] Main character animation - looks like a primate, a bit dishonesting. The main sprite (not moving) is “in between steps”.
20 [graphic] [animation] Pulsating tree - alone it looks weird but with player moving around it is ok.
21 [animation] [aesthetic] Animations of nature effects and little skeleton looks hyperreal because of scaling? The difference between little pixelated trees and character and sharp candle fire or little skeleton should not be that big I think.
22 [graphic] [UX - immersion] Health - cross - breaking immersion, different object set into a world setting would be nice.

FUN STUFF and POSITIVE FEEDBACK
23 [UX] You are dead - press “yes” 
24 [UX] [animation] Tutorial animation ok, but a bit longer than I would appreciate.
25 [graphic] [UX] Damage overlay - blood and veins - ok.
26 [sound] Music - is quite adventurous and epic - reminder of BG2.
27 [sound] Rain ambient is really nice.
28 [sound] [UX] Sound of money drops and enemy hit is satisfying.
29 [aesthetic feel / holistic] [sound] BG2 feel - Irenicus and torture - sfx/dabbing in plan?
30 [aesthetic] [UX] Night is immersive and during killing spree quests heart pounding.
31 [user play style] Speedrun of demo took three minutes - 13.59-14.02 - running around like a crazy gazelle...

EMAIL SUGGESTION SUM-UP - removed redundancies
1) PERFORMANCE
performance - It did lag when scaling, otherwise it was smooth. 
FPS - 29-61
Night and rain - The change is noticeable, rain and fog is good.
Load time - Chrome a minute. FireFox a minute and a half.

2) ART – GRAPHICS, ANIMATIONS, SOUND, MUSIC
landscape - 6 out of 10
character - 2 out of 10
skill fx anim - 7 out of 10
night darkness - 9 out of 10
atmosphere - 7 out of 10 (promising)
music - 6 out of 10
sound - 7 out of 10
no sound action - lightning
graphic overall - in context with global game market is is old school, for me it is a bonus, for some it will be a handicap.
assets - wolf and triffids... (  it is too soon to tell...)

3) GAMEPLAY
tutorials - I read them, but normally I would not read them. On next sessions I skipped them.
gameplay - click fest with story, I liked the companion (but he was at the end a tankish tool), I am looking forward for UO participatory promises (house, building... and such) and a stonger story element.
Movement - the avatar feels sluggish and monkey like
Combat - at the end of a demo it was challenging and fast, good performance overall.

Overall good job guys behind the Nyrthos!

SPEC: Processor: i5-760 2.80Ghz; RAM: DDR3 4GB Kingston 667MHz; GPU: NVidia GeForce GTX 460 1GB; OS: Win7 (6.1) Ultimate 64b, SP1, DX11 Chrome: 25.0.1364.97 m; FireFox: 16.0.2; IE9: 9.0.8112.16421 64bit / 9.0.13 KB2792100

P.S.: At the end of a last session I decided to make a challenge for myself "GO BACK TO THE START" - at first I fought with enemies one by one, than I just RAN. See the tears of joy on picture here - look at the minimap.