Progression system and other problems

[gadul]

So, I`m enjoying the game so far but there are some objections. THIS IS MY OPINION.
I do get that the game is more focused on PvP(vE), but whats the point of losing equipment every time you die? And there is no point to PvP at the moment other than "kill so you dont lose all your progress". I don't mind losing the items in the bag, that's completely fine, but when I saw I lost my equips AND my big bag, I just got so fcking frustrated and angry that I saw no objective on keep playing.
Why hold progression back so much? Equipment are not easy to get (at least on the beginning), playing feels pointless and super punishing for no reason. Start > Gather > Extract > Craft/Buy > Equip > Die > Lose everything > Repeat. So many steps to just die and have to do must of the same things, AGAIN. Not new things, the same things. For me, that's a big NO NO and it IS a system I do not look forward to on a game. Games that are this hardcore are not for me, I'll pass and not recommend.
I already have a job in real life, I want a game to challenge me not on repetitive chores, but on fun combat/skill, a cool progressive system that rewards bit by bit, even if takes some time. I would appreciate much more if: equipment were harder to obtain/craft but persistent, you die, you keep the equips, lose the gathered items. Or maybe give an option to recover what you lost (with some small challenge or something).
The time for extraction system is fine but limits the amount of exploration you can do, forcing to have a small objective to get out. I like it, makes the game dynamic. The HUD in between is a cool concept, chill, have the preparation, go to city buy/sell/craft and then go to action. I think it's fine at best, can be improved in some way, the UI have bad formatting when looking into items on vendors making really hard to see everything.
Other thing that needs a bit more love is the combat, feel unbalanced (hunter is OP), clunky, soapy and extended, what I mean by that is that animations are slow and unnatural, specially with the warrior, hit boxes are wierd, hits feels strange, some stagger the mobs (like every arrow from the hunter) but not all hits from a two-handed axe(?), every hit from mobs stagger which makes extremely frustrating combat when figthing +2 mobs as melee. The game needs heavy optimization, lots of stutters and is reliant on Upscalers (DSLL, FSR, etc) to run ok.
The art style of the game is awesome, I really like it, the mobs, the lightning, the environment looks fantastic. I do smell a WoW feel to it (which I appreciate a lot).
To end, I'll say that the progression system is a killer mechanic to me. As much I love this game by far, I'll not play if it is keept like this. And that's fine, some people do like this way. The rest, just needs some work to be really good.
TL;DR - BAD progression system with death-lose-all-things, inconsistent combat animations/stagger system, unbalanced. Really good art direction.

[Musax]

I agree on your Points of the Combat feel, fighting doesn't feel good.

Losing gear on death is a core feature of this genre though, the bigger issue imo (as Always in These Games) is the matchmaking. If you we're fighting similarly gerade people it wouldn't feel so bad. But when i go in with a level1 new character, suicide and spectate Most of the time there were no other people that weren't already geared.


The Game feels much better than a few months back but doesn't feel ready for early acces