I feel like this is the real start for Darktide. I just hope that Fatshark, moving forward, can get back the momentum that was lost. The game has so much potential, and I love it. Now I know you guys read these from time to time, so I’ll sneak in my wish list 
-
I think branching out from nurgle would be neat. Specifically, I think you could, with a little reskinning, and voice line changes make a Khorne cult pop up. Ragers would fit right into the enemy ranks. It would be a specific mission instead of intermingling with the nurgle forces, could flavor it as the cult of Khorne has taken over a small portion of the hive. You could center the mission around multiple captain bosses done in stages, or maybe, just maybe, you could do a single World Eater as a boss. The level, or levels, should belong to the Khorne forces soley.
-
A Ratling Sniper character would be fun as heck. I think his ultimate could literally be his sniper, the sniper can be taken out at any time, but its charge denotes how many shots it has, i would think four at max, and they one shot anything not monstrosity, or boss.
-
I would love to see the psyker get an “Abjurator” staff. Primary fire shoots out a close range shock wave that is more for knocking people over than damage, and the secondary creates a dome that pushes enemies away, and stops ranged fire from entering it. The dome would build peril quite quickly, meaning you would mostly use it to travel from cover to cover rather than as a fortification. I would say 10 seconds maximum, and 5 minimum. Putting up the shield for a quick few seconds to revive a downed teammate, or allow your squad to clear a horde for a few brief moments. You could go the route of the shield increasing peril based on damage taken, but I think it just existing should be the peril generation, your decision though.
-
I loved the patrol mechanic of vermin tide, the shouting giving that early warning, and on higher difficulties they were best avoided at all costs. I think it would be amazing to get that back in the form of Plague Bearers. The air turns green, filling with a miasma that limits your vision, and the sound of flies becomes prominent. This is the first warning. The last warning is the bell and the droning chant (think of the chants used in “The Mummy”). They extol hymns of decay as they slowly march in dual single file line, their leader holding a staff of rotten wood. The staff holds a bell at the top that tolls with each step the patrol takes. This would provide a GREAT feeling of dread, hearing the bell and the droning voices of the daemons in the miasma, and using the sounds to try and steer clear of the fight. They should be REALLY tough, with lots of health, slow in both movement and attacks, and deal a decent hit, but one that applies a damage over time that stacks until the patrol is destroyed. I imagine the leader plants the bell staff in the ground similar to how the beast men did, and it imparts regeneration to the Plague Bearers in an area around it. Destroying it would stop that regeneration obviously.
-
I would love a new enemy type, Caller ( I noticed you like to keep the names to two syllables). This guy would look alot like the fat nurgle sorcerers from vermintide, but instead of a swirly storm of wind, they send out homing balls of biting flies. The flies move slowly, and can be destroyed with a single hit from any weapon, but when they hit, they temporarily stun (I think 4 seconds would be fine, and deal about 15 damage a second, the stunned character can be hit by another with a melee attack to clear the flies. Their AI would tell them to avoid melee combat, but no teleporting.
-
The game has started to lag recently when the horde attacks. it didn’t do that before. Just thought I’d bring it up.
-
Similar to the idea earlier, I would love to see a single Death Guard, scythe in hand of course, as a boss. The idea is that he is fought at multiple points during a mission, (3 times to be precise) And each fight he teleports away, letting his minions finish us off while he does his work (maybe brewing a special plague).
-
I would love to see more missions with unique objectives, Vermintide was really good at that. A level where we destroy a beast of nurgle hatchery, and fight two or three beasts of nurgle at the same time at the end, a mission to escort a train carrying important supplies between command centers, where the train is boarded by nurgle forces. A level where we need to stop the summoning of a great unclean one. Etc. etc. You have so much to play with, and I hope you will make future missions less generic, NOT THAT I HAVENT ENJOYED WHAT YOU PUT OUT. I just would love to see the game embrace the unique story lines it allows you to create.
-
I think it would be interesting to move the story along with some DLC at some point involving Aeldari. Maybe a single cruiser of theirs shows up out of the blue and its warlock would offer assistance. Rannick accepts albeit distastefully. The Aeldari character could be a howling banshee, warp spider, dark reaper, so many choices for subclass. And if the characters are already working with psykers and abhuman ogryns, it is not an impossible stretch that they would work with these xenos if the xenos voice lines remain “respectful”. You could color it as an extension of the help the Aeldari offered Guilliman, the tentative alliance they have with the Imperium.
-
I would love to see new secondary objectives besides books. Perhaps a summoning is located somewhere in the level, a green circle with infected worshiping around it. If you approach the circle lights up and summons a powerful boss (either an empowered generic one, or a unique one). Defeat it to achieve the secondary. Another idea for secondary objectives is “Champions of the Imperium” You start the level and there is a big banner with the Aquila on it. It can be picked up, and only allows the wielder to push. The banner has health, and can be attacked by enemies when placed on the ground which you can do by simply swapping to one of your other weapons. I suggest giving it a fair amount of health. It slows the carrier (by about 25%) as well. If you can leave the mission with someone carrying the banner then the secondary objective is complete.
-
Finally the conditions for Darktide need some love. I know you have had some technical difficulties working in some of them, but the constant selection of high intensity and low intensity with only occasional, rare, down right near non-existent other conditions is not where most of us would like it to be. My suggestions for new conditions are
+Sniper Nest: 3 teams of 3 snipers haunts the map, they are programmed to take a shots and then immediately relocated, and to be as far away as possible, maybe not even reachable by melee.
+Miasma: The level is covered in toxic fumes that deal 1 point of damage a second (does not go through toughness) Medicae stations give you 1 minute immunity to the toxins. The miasma also colors the map green, and increases contrast slightly to give it an edgy atmosphere.
+Drought: Cut the amount of Medicae stations in half, and lower the spawn rate of ammo, grenades, and other such loot by half as well.