Sorry for the late reply, guys!
Are you thinking along the lines of Diablo, having interesting build challenges and random drops? Or more Baldurs gate, powering with character profiles and story base?
I would have to say more along the lines of Baldur's Gate. Despite how much I love the first two Diablo games, I am still not that big of a fan of random drops. And I prefer it when the main character actually feels like a main character, and not just a "doll" that you play around with and configure as you wish. I don't want the character to be defined by its stats, but rather by how he is perceived as a "silent protagonist" รก la the Zelda and King's Field games, for example. Hope that makes sense. :)
And I'll check out Veil of Darkness, thanks! :D
I also think it lends itself to artistic stylizing a bit more than 3D.
Quite. That's certainly one of the pros about 2D graphics. :)
What engine are you using?
This is just programmed directly in Java, with nothing else.
Controls are the most important things in the world in my book.
And you're not alone about that. Controls are the base for the gameplay, so if those aren't good, the gameplay in general won't be good either. And bad gameplay leads to players putting the game down. It doesn't matter if you've got a great storyline, interesting characters, or fantastic graphics if the gameplay sucks. And that means you need good controls. And as you also mention yourself, better controls can make it an even more immersive experience.
If the controls feels as natural as possible, then you will think less about what you're doing with your hands, and more about what you're doing in the game. :)
