I'll need to give this new version a playthrough and see how the Forsaken are implemented, but after skimming through your potential update options, I'd feel stupid not to weigh in early on what I'd love to see. Here's my top picks...
Alternative Corruption Paths - This feels pretty important to me and potentially tied into the other options that I'm most interested in seeing added. I feel like the early game suffers from the INJU/ANTI+HATE combo dominating how you corrupt the Chosen, and perhaps having a gameplay path where Chosen are explicitly tempted with just pleasure or deception to become Forsaken would naturally lead into more diverse and interestingly written scenarios. Perhaps create hidden bonuses or scene triggers which develop at certain early thresholds? Maybe have certain triggers which give alternative Trauma bonuses or that change the game in more fundamental ways so that a new "optimal" is necessary? I think maybe this could be used to explore other fetishes as well. Perhaps a mechanic to give the Chosen certain fetishes? Just spitballing a bit, I haven't considered the implications of actual implementation, but the idea itself gets me hard.
Special Battle Conditions - The idea of locations or scenarios having a specific impact on battles sounds f*cking awesome. Perhaps a forest battle leaves them open to Fear because of surprise attacks? What about a battle in a sexually explicit pocket dimension? Maybe they need to protect a loved one, who can function as a one-off, non-combative Chosen who gives massive Trauma multipliers to the Chosen whom they have a relationship with when attacked? Oh, oh, what about a demon tournament system where Chosen face off in sequence against your Commanders 1v1 each day -- like a DBZ or Yu Yu Hakusho throwback? I love this idea so much.
Special Chosen - I see this as a potential reward for using alternative corruption paths or using special battle conditions to their fullest. Lab battles that transforms Chosen into androids? Forest battle to create witches? Interweaving these ideas in a fulfilling manner seems complicated to me without some forethought and planning, but I think it could be massively rewarding for players who want certain kinds of Forsaken. Which also ties into...
Expanded Forsaken Abilities - Giving special Forsaken their own unique modifiers in battle or functions that change the traditional battle loop, such as influencing how attacks influence Trauma in unique ways, would in itself be an expansion of Forsaken abilities. Add to that the customization options, and I feel like this would open up the gameplay substantially.
In any case, what excites me most is the idea of contextual or scenario changes and a potential reshuffling of how impactful certain attacks and Trauma multipliers might be based on those changes. I think that there should be situations where the traditional balance and meta gets completely thrown sideways in order to allow for more unique situations and corruptions.
Alternative Corruption Paths - This feels pretty important to me and potentially tied into the other options that I'm most interested in seeing added. I feel like the early game suffers from the INJU/ANTI+HATE combo dominating how you corrupt the Chosen, and perhaps having a gameplay path where Chosen are explicitly tempted with just pleasure or deception to become Forsaken would naturally lead into more diverse and interestingly written scenarios. Perhaps create hidden bonuses or scene triggers which develop at certain early thresholds? Maybe have certain triggers which give alternative Trauma bonuses or that change the game in more fundamental ways so that a new "optimal" is necessary? I think maybe this could be used to explore other fetishes as well. Perhaps a mechanic to give the Chosen certain fetishes? Just spitballing a bit, I haven't considered the implications of actual implementation, but the idea itself gets me hard.
Special Battle Conditions - The idea of locations or scenarios having a specific impact on battles sounds f*cking awesome. Perhaps a forest battle leaves them open to Fear because of surprise attacks? What about a battle in a sexually explicit pocket dimension? Maybe they need to protect a loved one, who can function as a one-off, non-combative Chosen who gives massive Trauma multipliers to the Chosen whom they have a relationship with when attacked? Oh, oh, what about a demon tournament system where Chosen face off in sequence against your Commanders 1v1 each day -- like a DBZ or Yu Yu Hakusho throwback? I love this idea so much.
Special Chosen - I see this as a potential reward for using alternative corruption paths or using special battle conditions to their fullest. Lab battles that transforms Chosen into androids? Forest battle to create witches? Interweaving these ideas in a fulfilling manner seems complicated to me without some forethought and planning, but I think it could be massively rewarding for players who want certain kinds of Forsaken. Which also ties into...
Expanded Forsaken Abilities - Giving special Forsaken their own unique modifiers in battle or functions that change the traditional battle loop, such as influencing how attacks influence Trauma in unique ways, would in itself be an expansion of Forsaken abilities. Add to that the customization options, and I feel like this would open up the gameplay substantially.
In any case, what excites me most is the idea of contextual or scenario changes and a potential reshuffling of how impactful certain attacks and Trauma multipliers might be based on those changes. I think that there should be situations where the traditional balance and meta gets completely thrown sideways in order to allow for more unique situations and corruptions.