I’ll probably check out the PDF for review purposes and will cross my fingers that the game is something I want to play.
It would have been doable to tweak the rules between the playtest.
Removing magic items from the math is a big one. Letting magic items be a bonus. As would pulling back the assumed crafting and prevelance of magic item shops, so people have an excuse to keep rate items and non-standard rewards (like keeps and boats). And so the game doesn’t have to invent new currencies and minigames to handle the maintinence of those.
Pulling back the bonuses should be easy. Rather than adding your level to checks it could be 1/2 level, or even 1/4 of your level. Adding 1/4 of your level plus training and ability scores still gives a nice difference between low and high level. But doesn’t quite get to the ridiculousness of 1d20+20 to checks at mid levels.
And you don’t get the silliness of a level 5 barbarian being “smarter” than a level 1 wizard.
I’d like to see assumed builds. Basically assumed default paths for characters. So people who dislike character building (aka homework before playing) can just sit down and roll dice. But with options that you can swap out for different options.
But hopefully still less than what Pathfinder 1 could have with archetypes and feats and talents. Because that level of option creep just shatters balance.
Even if each option only alters your character’s balance by +/-0.25%, if there is a choice each level then by level 10 an optimized character is 2% more powerful than the baseline, and 5% more powerful than an inoptimal character.
(I had a player in my PF1 game who could solo encounters. That’s just problematic for everyone. In the final module of that AP I had to have the final three encounters pretty much go off all at the same time to challenge the party.)
Some focus on story manipulation and plot points would be lovely as well. Most modern games with systems created this decade have some roleplaying mechanic. 5e’s inspiration, Star Trek’s Momentum, FATE’s Fate Points, Star Wars’ Force Points, Doctor Who’s plot points, etc. Heck, arguably Resolve in Strafinder could be houserules to work in that capacity. Plus the drama of aspects in 13th Age and Duty/Obligation in Star Wars.
Some way of letting the players tweak the plot or play with the odds. And potentially a reward for roleplaying.