Alright, so I know that World Games don't tend to have the broader appeal that the traditional JRPG Story Games do. Even amongst the core Digimon fandom, they can be divisive. So I can understand that they don't crop up as often. However, it got me thinking, what would my ideal version of a World style game be. This is what I came up with (and I'd be interested if anyone else had any thoughts):
1. Keep the Tamer System from Next 0rder.
Old versions of this system were a bit harsh. If you slipped up, you could even end up going back a level. This skill tree system of Ne0 makes it feel like even as your Digimon reincarnates, you are making permanent progress. I do think it should be tweaked.
The ability to call on specific attack certainly shouldn't be available until much later. And the Order Points system should be kept, but slightly nerfed (or at least start out weaker). The ability to cheer on your Digimon, and then spend though points to make them definitely do something is a good feature to keep combat interesting, but in Ne0 it often felt like you were just controlling them directly, rather than you directing a creature.
2. You only raise one Digimon this time, and he's not so big.
You play as either Mameo, or an OC character that you can build in a creator, and have one Digimon to raise. (Perhaps reuse the 3 lives system as well.)
There's a few reasons why I think raising one Digimon is better in the grand scheme than two, but my trade off for this is a new feature, where you can buddy up with any Digimon from the town to travel with you. And, if they're the same level, you can still use the EXE feature. (This would have some requirements e.g: once per day, perhaps needing some item, or affinity with the Digimon, but I'm not getting that specific.) (Digi-memories also make a return, and can be used for permanent Jogress.)
So as you recruit more Digimon, you get stronger allies that you can venture out with to take the edge off, especially when your Digimon reincarnates.
Also, Digimon don't get too big in this game. More Reigitize scale. While having giant Megas accompany you through the land is pretty cool, ultimately I think it has a negative affect on the level design, since everything has to be extra spaced out a lot for larger Digimon partners. It also causes the battle arenas to become very cramped.
3. Raising mostly works like Next 0rder.
While I love the original Digimon World, the raising system was just too complex and obscure. It's better in Reigitize, but I think Next 0rder's gradual feed of stats had a good balance between unpredictability, while still giving you some guidance. Plus, it splits the requirements into individual Key Points, rather than grouping stats like DW or Re
, which is generally more accessible.
I do think it should be tweaked. It should never reveal who the identity of the Digimon before you change into it to maintain the surprise. The stat feed should be more gradual, however, you shouldn't have to keep leaving the building to get them.
It should also include use the mini games from Re, as these did a lot to make the training really fun. (Just standing statically in a room with no training animations, and doing the same slot challenge for every stat was a real downgrade in Ne0.)
Going out and finding better training grounds was something I missed in Next 0rder too. You can really build on this concept: Have Digimon out there with their own dojos, recuit others that improve you facilities and introduce different mini-games. Maybe even have the ability to do multiple reps in one go, using more time, and upping the risk of failure, but also the chance of a higher yield.
Also Battles should use up 15 minutes like in Re, as apposed to no time in Ne0. I like the idea that you can find hot spots to gain good stats in Ne0, but they should just up the stats and reduce the amount of battles you have to do. Much too grindy.
Side Note: No recolours in the roster. Recolours are used for rogue enemies and non-recruitable NPCs like DW. I think it works better visually.
4. No Quick-Saves.
Like DW, you can only save at Terminals, or when your partner sleeps. Being able to save at any time guts a lot of the tension in exploring, battling, and training.
Instead, as you explore the island, you can establish relay bases through the different zones, that are manned by local Digimon you've recruited. These function a bit like the tents in Ne0. You can rest, cook (which can be improved with the Tamer Tree to do more complex dishes, is available from the get go), save, purchase a small selection of items, and swap out travel buddies.
Gradually, some of these bases can attain Digimon World 3 style short cuts (like with Digmon/Submarimon), but this would be limited and mostly later game to encourage analogue travel.
5. Use a mixture of pose-able and fixed camera-angles. (And no maps.)
The fixted camera work in DW made for some memorable environments. And the nature of this camera work made the exploration more interesting an tense. In most situations, it was an over-head view, meaning there was a direct link between movement and sight, ie: a direct link between exploration, and potentially putting yourself in danger of a fight.
While some areas should have pose-able cameras, like large open vistas, fixed camera angles should be greatly utilised. They make the environment more dynamic, and can be used for story-telling an tension.
(As an example, the large spinal chord and rib cage in body resort is kinda meh. But in ancient Dino-region, it's an eerie long distant shot, emphasising how dead the land is, filling you with a bit of dread at this ancient dying land that's killing your Digimon, AND, it's a perspective trick as-well.)
The way the enemies react to you would have to be closer to DW or Re, where they have a small territory that you have to wing in and out of, the difficulty of which can vary on how they move and how aggro they are (maybe integrating line of sight too). Which I prefer to Ne0's approach, where you end up running in a straight line with a conga line of enemies in pursuit while alarm music plays.
Also, no mini maps. It guts too much of the mystery of exploring the environment, especially when it signposts new recruits. MAYBE have them unlocked like in Re, but I think it works best to just have the cartoon map that slowly fills out, and rely of familiarity with the environment to navigate yourself (which should be easier with the fixed camera angles, since they make the environment more memorable).
6. Stray Notes.
Assuming this is a sequel to be a sequel to Next 0rder, Floatia has set sail to a new continent, hearing news of a new threat. On the way you're attack, and the city crashes off the coast, while you and several allies arrive inland. Your main goals are to build up your resources, gain Intel, and hopefully regain contact with Floatia off-shore.
From there you build up the city from scratch. Like Re, you start off with multiple directions you can head, and a small skeleton staff of allies and facilities. (The multiple directions is important, as I think it helps orient you, and make the city feel situated in the world: Ne0's Floation always felt a bit cut off for obvious reasons.) Progression is closer to DW, where you add new buildings to a plot of land and it has a slap-dash junk-shiek look. (Ne0 got the build up and development right, but the City ended up looking a bit sterile for my tastes.)
As stated, you can establish small bases out in the wilderness. The material gathering and development is mostly redirected to developing these outposts as apposed to the main city. The world design is larger and modular like DW, but more intersecting like Re, with the odd large open space like in Ne0.
Most of the Digimon you recuit are new-comers, but some are also residents of the old city that landed inland after the attack.
The Colosseum section, which is a zone in this game, function closer to Re, where you can use stored data of your previous Digimon to participate in some cups.
Keep Botamon as the gossip guide that can point you in the direction of up to 3 Digimon.
And generally have more varied methods of recruitment, and interesting contributions to the town. Sometimes recruitment in Ne0 felt a bit too arbitrary, like you'd get 3 members for fight, whereas DW had more unique and mysterious ways of bringing people to town, like passing out in Freezeland, finding Nanimon, or beating Penguinmon in curling for the price of a fish. Even Ne0 had this cool logic puzzle with the Gotsumon, but it didn't even lead to a recruitment.
And the cool stuff they add to the town, like aforementioned curling, or Gomamon's fishing, or the theatre viewing or card restoration. Something like yakuza style Karaoke mini games would be cool; like maybe if you do well in them, you can increase your Digimon's stats or Happiness.
That's about it.
