I am about 40 hours into this game and am totally hooked, but there are a few things that I haven't seen as of yet that I think would add more dimension to the play. The villagers themselves need more personality.

While the early days are rightly all about survival, I want to see more personalized individuals evolve as village life, as a whole, becomes more stable. Where are the prophets (they would hand around the temple) and poets (always found by the garden - just looking at, but they never get their hands dirty helping maintain it, they just witness) ,or the musicians and artists? I haven't got to the cave yet, but there should be some type of cave drawings. Or maybe a village mural? It's a waste to have that drum only be used to summon the little ones to school.

Where are the relationships between the villagers? We see villagers 'going inside'- somebody should form some types of attachments. What about some subtle displays of love and affection for a particular villager, or jealousy and possessiveness? It doesn't have to be over the top, maybe a villager just has a certain smile for particular villager only, or holds their nose in the air at another.

I am always amused when one of the villagers runs away to avoid the embrace of another. This is about the strongest 'emotion' I have seen. And after all the effort it takes to water that garden, you'd think somebody would lay a bouquet of flowers at somebody's feet.

I know this is considered a family game (and do not suggest that this should change), but there should be a dark side as well. By this, I mean where are the alcoholics (or the alcohol, for that matter)? Where is the peace pipe? All civilizations utilize these substances, at the very least in a cerimonial manner.

And before anybody starts yelling at me, keep in mind that these villagers live with the morbid skeletons of their predecessors scattered all about before the player learns how to bury them.


Oh, and the children should get into a few fights, now and then. Over who found the mushroom first, winner take all!

- justeyez