So before we start with lists of things we want changed in the new game system let me add this; lets just post on this thread additions of systems the game has, if you want a complete overhaul to a system for example resonance, that should probably have its own thread. The assumption we'll use in this thread is that the basic concepts of the game will remain the same, we're just adjusting the system to do better. Alright so let's get started then:
First off I think we should make stealth work like perception, every adventure should be at least trained in stealth. Now hear me out, the reason for this is 3 fold; 1) Every adventurer will at one point come up to a situation where stealth is the answer to the situation, especially at low levels, 2) Every character should be able to at least somewhat competently try to stealth if the situation demands it, 3) Stealth is the 2nd most common form of initiative from perception, it only makes sense that most characters should be able to, without being too penalised, have the option of rolling stealth for initiative. Obviously rogues will be better trained and start of as experts and so on, but no adventurer should be completely untrained in stealth.
Second point lets rejig how skills and signature skills work. I say we should keep signature skills but divide them like so, each character has 3 signature skills, one from their ancestry, one from their background and one from their class. Signature skills start at expert and then upgrade to master and legendary when appropriate. Simple and makes characters have at least a baseline of what that character is good at.
With that said lets beef up what it means to be trained, expert, master and legendary. This fix would eat the most word count but I think it would go a long way to making people more excited to play. Basically each level of training above trained should give you additional benefits in feats, class abilities, weapon properties and even weapon attacks and spells. For example each level above trained in a weapon should add your strength modifier (or dex for finesse weapons) to your damage rolls in a crit. This would mean that a legendary sword fighter compared to just someone trained with a sword is mechanically superior in and above just being more likely to crit. Weapon properties should scale the more trained with the weapon you are.
If we implement this, untrained should hurt more, two ways to do it would either be 1) to add additional penalties for being untrained (say adding the possibility of hitting yourself on a critical failure with a chained weapon) and 2) the rate of scaling bonus be lessened to half level rounded down or maybe even quarter level rounded down
Moving away from skills, a big disappointment in the system is how little rules exist for outside of combat and the lack of incentive to be anything but a murder hobo. To remedy this I propose a few additions to the game. First we should return the NPC boon and woe mechanics, giving the players an incentive to keep NPCs alive and also invest in them. But we should also expand this system to items of renown, since people will treat you differently if they see you caring the sword of the Baron that just died or the legendary Mcguffin of Doom. Bandits are less likely to attack someone in full plate adamantine armour for example.
Secondly an introducing a contact mechanic, in which each of ancestry, background and class would provide the character with a contact be it their parents or siblings, work/profession contacts or just their friends; because no person goes around the world completely alone; to give players something to do in downtime and to give GMs a way to introduce plot hooks, give the solution to a problem the PCs can't solve and just more options. As the Characters progress through the story they'll obviously gain more contacts, though I don't know if that should be story based or by level.
Finally we should also introduce a fame/infamy/honour/status system because as the PCs do deeds that go out and affect the world, people will start to react to them differently. I'm not entirely sure how many of these subsystems should exist, but there should be differences between circles. The champion of a gladiator ring is obviously going to have a lot of clout in the arena, but probably will be treated no different in the king's court or by the wizard's academy than any other person.
Those are the ideas I have in my head at the moment, and will probably post more here as they appear as the playtest goes on. So What fixes or addons would you implement?