So I've seen a lot of people with threads pointing out flaws but nothing with an actual format with the goal of trying to give actual critique about the game.

Before I start, a bit of background on me. I found Onigiri while flicking around for new MMOs to dabble into. I have not played the Alpha, and I've been around since the beginning of the CBT. This is not my first time in a beta setting, and most certainly not my first time playing an MMO.

Aesthetics (Visuals, System Settings, Character Customization, Sound)
At this moment, I am willing to forgive the quality of the graphics because I trust that there will be better quality once the full game is released to the public, and I can still get a feel for how things are. I am also willing to forgive the lack of other system settings (more specifically window sizes) for the same reason. That and I use a 1366x768 screen computer and I have gotten used to playing MMOs that don't have window sizes to accommodate for this.

There are, however, some things I'm not too happy about. When moving from Onigashima to Kikaigahara, a large swathe of land at the entrance of Kikaigahara is completely gone. I can see other graphics (like ground decor, PC models, monster models) perfectly fine. They only appear to be standing in empty space. Loading characters when talking to them also causes their clothes and hair to move as if they had just dropped down from the sky, which makes no sense because they are standing right there in front of me and made no actual bodily movements. As well, I would like to see a choice for text speed; being a fast reader, I for one am far too impatient to let the letters type themselves out at their current frame rate.

I'm very pleased with the character customization. Despite the lack of suitable graphics, I enjoy the ability to choose my body type and choose whether I want a set or make my own outfit, and there is a decent range in colour and choice for eyes and hair. One thing I would like to suggest is perhaps the ability to choose skin colour as well, as I know of several people who would be immensely pleased if they could run about with darker skin tones instead of being fair-skinned. The clothing designs are all well made as well.

I think one of the best things about the sounds in this game is the fact that they kept the Japanese voice acting. Call me a weeaboo, but I find that having the Japanese voices gives authenticity to the frankly Japanese mythos setting of the game, and also flavours the characters differently. It's not to say I dislike English voice acting; I have nothing against those. But often times there are things in the Japanese culture and speech that would otherwise be lost in translation if not for the voices. Granted that I am vaguely versed in Japanese and therefore can understand some of the voice acting, and I acknowledge that there are people who do not have that, but I quite like this aspect.

Sound effects are a little... jarring. While the sounds themselves are believable and corresponds well to the action, I've been having moments where I'll be hearing someone else's sound effects when they're a respectable distance from me (i.e. they are running around up next to the temple and I'm about two storeys down on the ramp leading up, or I'm at the portal and they're a little speck on my screen killing monsters). I believe that a sound effect distance fade will be required, but that is really only my singular grievance with the sound.

UI & Controls
As a person who as played TERA Rising, I am used to this format of movement and therefore have no grievances with the overall movement controls apart from that latency in running. It seems that every player has a huge gap between the time they let go of the movement key and the model's actual stop. This will need to be fixed, because it's far too large a latency to forgive and it's very inefficient when in combat.

The UI is reasonable: everything has its place and it's easy to see what is where and how much of it is there. However, I am sorely disappointed with the lack of a hotkey and hotkey options. It's very frustrating to have to manually click in and out of menu mode every time I want to check my inventory or allocate my stat points or change my equipment. And even the singular hotkey I've found (M for map) doesn't leave menu mode when you close the map. Weapon equipping is manually tedious and can't be click-and-dragged for slot swap. Overall, the entire menu interface is very clumsy and needs severe improvement.

Combat
Again, as a TERA player, this sort of combat style is nothing new for me. My concern lies with Onigiri's specifics.

First and foremost, the boss monster skills. In my fights with every single one, my one biggest dislike is the fact that they simply go trigger happy and spam their skillsets over and over and over again with no cooldown time. This is particularly frustrating with the running latency, because trying to dodge and run around to the part of them that ISN'T trying to kill you dead gets clumsy and by the time I've stopped running an extra two spaces and can attack them the boss is on me again with yet ANOTHER multi-hit skill that I have to do the same thing for.

Next, the pitiful EXP gain. I am going into a level 4 dungeon at level 2; a level 7 dungeon at level 3. The amount of quests that are offered are not nearly enough to help close the gap and keep pace with the level jumps in the dungeons and monsters they are sending you off to kill. Grinding monsters and dungeons at level 5 is frankly a horrible way to start a game.

Then, there's the inability to use healing items while moving is a HUGE sore point. Not only do I have that running latency coming back to bite me in the ass again, but there is also that much shorter delay between the key activation of the item and the actual effect activating in game. Combining those two together, especially when there is a boss monster whaling on me, has killed me more times than I care to remember.

Miscellaneous
Speaking of items, I am greatly disappointed in the lack of stores through which to stock up with before you are introduced to Miroku. You'd think a town that sells sushi (HP item!) and has a tea shop (SP item!) would let you buy wares from them too. But no, they only give you a quest. And then ignore you after that. There's no sense to it.

That's all I have for now, but rest assured as I play further, I'll have more feedback. For now, here's to a hope for development and change.

They better listen to us. Everything that you said I can look past, except the EXP. This is ridiculous. A level 7 going to a level 18 dungeon. That's a whopping nope. I got destroyed in that place. Some guy even said that we "have to learn enemy movements" like in Dark Souls. Hey, news flash! This game has bad hitboxes! We get hit even if we dodge! But I am sure they will fix it. I just hope soon.

I totally agree with everything you have said. I am also a TERA player, and I find some parts of Onigiri at the moment to be displeasing. Even though it's in the closed beta, I would think it would have better interface, such as a trade system or more shops. I think they should also add guilds, and yes the movement delay is very annoying. Otherwise, I enjoy the game. I do agree that a darker tone option for skin would be better.

I played TERA b4 too, but compared to TERA I think their reticule (sp) system is a bit more accurate than TERA's because you aiming seeming more important than in TERA's game. In TERA you don't have to aim all the way while in there you have to be accurate like in FPS games which I like because that's how crosshairs should be like.

And yeah their dodge system is terrible. I've seen better in Guild Wars 2.

Also I wish they could extend the summon time of the partners while they are in combat just a bit. Then they are getting hurt by bosses, it's like they aren't on the field for barely long.

What is this, a TERA reunion?

I'd like to agree with many of the points raised by the original poster, particularly as regards the hotkeys. Even the movement lag I could work with for a while, but the ability to map hotkeys is a dealbreaker, followed closely by the healing/moving thing (especially when you hit it apparently too close to stopping movement, where you've fully stopped but it still doesn't heal you BUT does go on cooldown!).

But overall I've been having fun with the game and I'm very interested in seeing it have a good run over here. I've seen much worse in games, and none of these problems are beyond the scope of competent developers to handle in reasonably short order.