I'm new to the RP server scene, so forgive me. One of the best gaming experiences of my life was on an action/rp-lite server, where builds were everything. Monsters were notoriously overtuned and required parties to defeat, but also builds were enhanced by a special crafting system that could really maximize a build's potential. It burned down in a RL house fire a few years ago, but nonetheless, I came to Ravenloft looking for a similar experience.
What I've encountered so far is actually more comparable than you might think. RP was definitely in the forefront of the other server, but not mandatory like it is here. I think the RP thing going on here is actually pretty great, although I'm not very good at it.
My biggest gripe though is that it is very hard to do anything for half of the time playing. Night lasts a full 12 hours, during which people mainly just stay in the temple and chat. The sewers also don't seem to allow xp gain if a level 2 is near a level 3 player. They are also laiden with wererats which can only be killed by players who acquire very expensive rare weapons, or cast spells the barovs forbid. I've turned to crafting as a means to be able to actually do something in the game, but there are a lot of miners sometimes, and not many deposits.
Additionally, I'm not sure what the gates to valliki being locked at night is supposed to accomplish. Is it to keep the danger out or in? Or do were wolves and rats not get along? No formal wishes on that, just a musing.
Here are my "wishes"
Reduce night to 10 hours. 8pm to 6am.
Maybe make night even more dangerous from around midnight to 4am, if it isn't already. (the "witching hour", ooOooOo)
Make outdoor regions more rewarding in terms of resources during the times when it's most dangerous.
Expand xp radius in sewers - many times rats are accidentally killed in 1-shot before the party can get close enough to share xp.
Slightly increase xp in valiki sewers so level 3s can benefit. (it's dangerous to go alone, but no one will help you unless you're already dead).
Introduce some minor way for players to protect themselves against one-off sewer wererats, similar to, but not as strong as the temple undead blessing.
Allow additional new mining deposits, herbs, and non-hostile wildlife, to be "discovered" (spawned) by adequate [Spot] checks (and [Listen] checks for wildlife).
Consider allowing crafting to give player xp (with limits of course - maybe diminish down to 0 xp when the player is already halfway to their next player level?).
Reduce the cost of resurrecting a low-level familiar. 200gp is more than I usually own at level 2.
(These last two hinted at in another suggestions thread, sorry for crosspost.)
Create a smithing tool without a martial weapon proficiency requirement.
IF there are classes that can't use daggers - create a hide curing tool that can be used by those classes.