Now that crafting / itemization has finally been vastly improved and is no longer bogging down the game’s progression and ability to derive replay value from experimenting with weapon builds, I wanted to step back and think about future areas of work for the game.
IMPROVEMENTS TO CORE GAME SYSTEMS
Lots of interest right now about reworking the premium cosmetic shop to make the full catalog of items available for purchase at any time. The current shop style can be used to bundle items or serve as a rotating set of items that are “discounted” (i.e. on a time limited sale).
The mod “Character Cosmetics View Improved” gives a perfect example of the interface style that could be used for browsing the full catalog and making purchases. An equivalent page could be added to the premium cosmetic store with the purchase options.
Coincident with the no more FOMO-shop effort, reworking the cosmetic system and premium shop is a hot topic now that crafting has been addressed. Broadly, the desire is to deepen the cosmetic system in a manner that allows players to separately select the “model” for a cosmetic and then apply various “textures/patterns” to it similar to the For The Drip mod. Imagine that, custom painting your character in a Warhammer 40k game!? What heresy is this?
But seriously, having all cosmetics (premium or otherwise) provide a base model and textures would be huge for customization and would help drive sales (maybe you don’t care for the model but it comes with some sweet textures?). The system could be retroactive to give people textures/patterns from their previously acquired/purchased cosmetics - potentially issuing credits to cover overlaps.
#GiveUsGadgets
Following from the above, seeing elements from the Weapon Customization mod make their way into the base game would be tremendous. At the base level, being able to change the sights/optics on weapons would GREATLY extend player’s ability to customize weapons to match their playstyle and preferences. Beyond sights, being able to adjust the gadgets that are used (flashlight, bayonet, etc) would be great.
Ideally, this system works much like the #LetUsPaint recommendations in that acquiring/purchasing new weapon cosmetics gives you the “parts” you can then use to customize the look and feel of the weapon and make something more unique looking. Ability to apply textures separate from the models would be great.
THIS THREAD extensively document many, many, quality of life changes that would be great to see in the game. For those on PC and/or able to mod, many of these QoL needs are already addressed by mods - but it would still be good to get the majority of these implemented in the game by default so everyone can benefit from an improved experience.
Manual Mission Selection
While also covered in the quality of life improvements, it’s important to emphasize the desire for player’s to be able to select a map from the list and any associated modifiers. Potentially, and similar to Payday 2, players could pay some minor amount of dockets to start a “custom” mission to keep players from spamming it too much.
EXPANDING DARKTIDE’S CONTENT
I think we’re all hungry for just more content as well. I’ll highlight key areas and ideas:
Story Mode + Narrative Improvements
One criticism of the game is that the sense of story doesn’t come across for many players. The random nature of the missions doesn’t really provide a coherent story for the players to track and follow. Some sort of “story mode” interface in the mission selector that allows players to work through a fixed sequence of missions (maybe unlocking them in the manual mission selector thereafter) and provides some additional narrative information and context would be really great.
THIS REDDIT POST was one person’s interpretation of the order of events and missions. Some way of stitching the sequence of missions together in a coherent way that provides a better sense of story to the game would be great. This story mode could also be tied to certain achievements. I’d love to see a “story challenge” where the goal is to play through all the missions in their narrative order without failing a run 
You’d get rewards cosmetics for each further stage you get to.
New Environments + Maps
People are hungry for different settings and environments. As amazing as so many of DT’s environments are, more visually distinctive places would be welcome (more open sky areas, bio-habitat areas, etc.).
New Weapons
So many more weapons to draw on. Melta guns, plasma pistols, needle pistols/rifles, volley guns, two-handed force weapons, more force staves (with different primary attacks!), grenade launcher, suppression shield, power fist… the list goes on. Want to see it all!
New Enemies (Faction!?)
More enemies to mix up encounters is always welcome. In terms of easier lifts, I’d love to see some lightly armored horde-type enemy added to the mix to make hordes more varied and tougher. Some lower-level Nurgle demons would be great. Beyond that… Genestealer Cult when?
New Playable Class
Would of course really love to see a 5th class added to the game - some sort of Tech Adept or Servitor that leans into the Mechanicus seems like the obvious fit for something new and different. Hopefully happens sooner than later.
More Frequent Events and Mission Challenges that Reward Cosmetics
Last, I think to inject more replayability into the game, encourage players to keep coming back, and give people something to look forward to at a regular cadence, I really think Darktide needs to establish a clear cycle of events and rewards. The current event system is a start, but it should tie into an expanded range of in-mission challenges to take on (new secondary objectives for example) and associated mission mutators. The event progress track should have more unique rewards than “more resources.” Ideally each stage of the reward would grant an event theme-appropriate cosmetic item. If you really wanted to drive playtime, have the final event reward be a small pile of aquilas I’d love to see a set of “seasonal / event” penances added that refresh each event cycle, but reward cosmetics as well. Give player’s something fun and tangible to work towards, and the player base will start growing.
