My impressions and feedback

First I have to say that this was a polishing release indeed. Everything was much more polished and felt better.

Now for some feedback.

Graphics: Look way better! Vertas Pass is amazing and some of the overhauled areas like the roads look so much better.
Still I hope that at one point we will get better water and a better looking sky as those are the two elements I think look the worst right now. I also hope that an option to add depth of field will be included.

Overland Map: Much better! It looks better with different trees. And being able to see and control my Avatar is amazing. Can't wait to see how it elvoves further!
Yet I think it is odd that we can jump on the overland map (not that much of an issue) and I didn't quite get why I could walk over some mountains and not over others.... I also think it would be good to have a mouse click option for walking and not just WASD. I think it makes much more sense to mouse click for walking from an isometric perspective. Also I was missing the slowing down in forests and hills...
Also I think that the icons to indicate that something is happening in a scene (like the PvP icon) look really out of place. It would look much better if there was an animation showing what is going on. For example some people battling each other as an indication for a PvP scene...

Combat: I still think that an active combat system would be better. Maybe a combination of active combat and deck combat. Blocking and a standard attack as an active option to use when you want and special attacks/spells as the deck system. Yet I am glad we don't have WoW combat

Magic system: Right now one of my biggest complaints. Magic should be something special and powerful. Right now it feels like we are firing from guns like in Quake. It would be better if we would have to prepare spells according to the reagents we have. And we should find spells for the spellbook and find mages to teach us new spells. If you do not have a spell in the spellbook then you won't be able to use it. Also if you do not have a spell prepared with the reagents you also cannot use it. This would make magic interesting and unique and more tactical.

Other skills: I have to admit that I am disappointed that we do not have skills like perception, stealth, lockpicking, bartering, persuasion etc. Something to add more to the RPG of the game. Right now the focus of SotA seems to be on combat and crafting. I played Wasteland 2 and it is so much fun picking locks or finding secrets with my perception skill or trying to persuade others to give out vital information etc. This part of roleplaying is missing from SotA, which is a pity.

Overall I am very pleased with how the game is shaping up. Now if we could get a better conversation interface *cough*

Oh and the snow covered trees in Vertas Pass do look really ugly...

 

I have to say you picked a bad goatee

 

Yep, completely agree here. I really do hope they add these skills at some point, perhaps Ep2 as there's no way in heck I see them squeezing that in.

And yeah, those doesn't look like snow covered trees...more like snow glazed...with sugar.