A tremendously good game weighed down by a few glaring issues. If your only here for my issues with the game, scroll to the bottom. Overview: ANEURISM IV is an amazing game that builds upon RP mechanics popularized by DARK-RP from G-MOD. It does it in a way that make the entire game like it's own Ecosystem. There are very few menus and selections to be made in ANEURISM IV, you pick a server and you're in. Instead of what would be an F4 job menu becomes walking throughout a dystopian city as a ghost until you "possess" a role. ANEURISM IV is amazing at flipping common tropes on their heads. An example is buying an item in a shop doesn't immediately end up in your inventory, you must travel to a secure location/dead drop and acquire it there. Additionally, you cannot just buy a weapon. All weapons cost different materials, and the harder to make/earn weapons are the strongest, but also the worst to lose upon death. This creates the Ecosystem, you have P.V.P combat interlinked with others attempting to just get their 9-5 over with. Combat is challenging and unforgiving, encouraging cooperation. A death of an Officer becomes a chance for a lowly Worker to make a quick buck selling the contraband drugs on their corpse. A Worker walking in the wrong part of town becomes a chance for the Rebel faction to multiply. A poorly positioned Rebel becomes extra lives for the Officers, and a long task for the Rebels. It all flows into each other. You'll notice this flow throughout the entire game. Gameplay Loop: When you start your forced to become a Prole. Proles are apart of the citizenry of ANEURISM IV, they mainly work to become other roles. However, in that simplicity they are actually one of the better roles in the game due to not needing any Anamnecytes to become a Prole. Essentially you have unlimited chances to make it in ANEURISM IV as a Prole. With nothing to lose, you can also take silly risks. One of the flows that a Prole can get into is working at different job sites. There are currently five, but most of the time you'll be doing two, Metalworks and Laundry. Do enough of either, and you can "flow" into a new job, in some cases in the same life. For example, earning three Anamnecytes means you can become a Dealer. Earn an additional three and you can become a Banker. I should mention that killing a Neutral/Cortex fate as a Prole punishes you with an Anamnecyte deduction. As stated, working in ANEURISM IV gains you Anamnecytes and Credits. Anamnecytes are the "spiritual" currency of ANEURISM IV, and the more important of the two(unless your a Banker ;3). Anamnecytes earn you new jobs. There are currently 12 buyable fates in ANEURISM IV, along with two secret ones: The Slave & The Vomit Coffin. These roles interact with each other in different ways. For example, Cortex & SCUM fates are encouraged to fight each other. Both factions have different rules to their combat as well, Cortex protects the Neutral roles while SCUM can go full scorched earth. This as mentioned, continues the "flow". You can become a neutral doctor, a Corpseman. Then upgrade your fate into a Malpractioner, a SCUM doctor. On the contrary, you could become a neutral janitor, a Liquidator. Then upgrade that fate into a Sanitar, a Cortex janitor. This way, you can enjoy certain roles with different varying skill ceilings. Not good at PVP? Stick to Corpseman or Liquidator. Want more Anamnecytes whilst playing the same role? Take the plunge into the faction war, and earn them. Want to be hunted down by all roles? Play Banker. Remember, it's only a penalty to your Anamnecytes if you kill unprompted, if you have the Anamnecytes you can kill anyone you'd like. Taking out business rivals is essential in ANEURISM IV, this perpetuates the Ecosystem even more. Just be wary not to into the negatives. This is the meat of the game. Earn Anamnecytes whilst progressing up the class totem, slowly becoming stronger with each upgrade. Being wary of the greater and greater fall that will occur upon death. Nothing stops you from playing Prole until you can become a Limitator(the most expensive class). As long as you're aware that if you then die, it's back to Prole. Neutral roles cannot escape this either due to SCUM needing human corpses to begin Darkness. During a Darkness event, the Cortex can turn on the citizenry of ANEURISM IV with no penalty, making you kick yourself for not buying that apartment. In addition, Neutral fates can kill all other roles with no penalty either. It's a free-for-all, and you're in the middle. The flow continues, and the war keeps heating up until the server begins to Rot. Rotting a server is done through SCUM gaining control of the surface, and smashing everything with at least 20 players on. Destroying the large Neuro-Stabilizers will need to be done with I.E.D's but grant huge bonuses to this. Whilst to fight back, Cortex can earn a powerful shotgun and Combat Drugs through repeated promotions. If the Rot level becomes 100% for too long, the server is wiped, and the Ecosystem begins again. Only now, everyone is back at the bottom of the food chain. Issues: ANEURISM IV, unfortunately has multiple glaring issues that seemingly keep getting overlooked or full-on ignored. #1: Thievery is far too easy, unpunished, and lucrative. Due to work in ANEURISM IV taking so long, Thievery between players is very lucrative. Stealing a Steel Ingot at Metalworks can save you upwards of 5-10 minutes. Additionally, players that are the victim of thieves are penalized for defending their property with Anamnecyte reductions. This is wrong, it harms the flow, and it slaughters the player retention of the game. A new player who just had 30 minutes stolen from him because he failed to watch a metalworks guide video, doesn't invite new players. Make it more obvious how to counter thieves, add an actual system around it, or get rid of it entirely. Something must be done or the game will continue to have low new player retention. #2: Horrific server issues. Every time I have played on a high-pop server(40-60 players). My game consistently crashes me out of the server. This is not to be confused with the D.D.O.S attacks that happen from time-to-time. It is constant, and it happens to multiple of my friends during our sessions. Every 15 mins or so, it's back to the main menu to re-join. This could be due to the Misery launch, but it's happened in the past to a lesser extent. These must be fixed. Keep in mind, during these crashes I am at a stable 60-70 Ping according to the game. #3: Balancing: This has actually been improved since the Misery update! Kevlar is now only usable by Neutral fates, and SCUM now have more ways of exiting their base! However, SCUM need a better way to regain sanity instead of getting addicted to cigarettes, and Controllers need a stronger weapon earlier in their promotion path. The SCUM issue could literally be done by just making SCUM have higher tolerances or just immunity to addiction entirely. They're SCUM, they're probably already addicted to 20 other things. Anyways, good job Vellocet! #4: Lack of end-game content: For players that play the game a-lot, there needs to be some rewards for long-term play. Skins are a start, however they are not nearly enough, and happen very slowly(as they should). Maybe a prestige system for Cortex would be cool if they make it to top rank? SCUM kill-streaks? Badges or Playercards for more customization? Or, classes that cost MORE than 25 Anamnecytes? Maybe a Dictator/President fate? Regardless, it should be focused on so people have something to work towards between updates. Final Note: I love this game. It's fire, it reminds me of HL2:RP which was basically my childhood. I want it to succeed really badly, maybe even ANEURISM V? The fact that these servers run with no game-master is an achievement in itself, and one of it's many strengths. Thank you!