Thucydides
Recruit

1. A dagger slot in the equipment set--you carry a quiver and your arms/shield (probably) on your back, but even a full-sized dagger is a backup weapon and can be carried in sheaths adapted to almost any part of your armor (chest/leg/belt/etc.).
2. Poisoned arrows--each one, over the course of, say, two minutes of combat, does a set amount of extra damage. It may end up being an annoyance, but if it turns out to work, it may also add a lot to the game. Only certain types of brigands might have them, adding to the flavor of being ambushed by "forest bandits", and there's no doubt that playing a solo archer would be a bit more fun with them.
3. An arena "circuit". I was thinking of suggesting just a few other arenas in the Swadian and Vaegir capital cities, but then thought "why not go all out?" and had the idea of a few more even than three arenas. There could be tiered ranking systems and increasingly difficult battles with better rewards, all culminating in some sort of absurd You v. The World battle for a godlike weapon. Xenogears and FFVII are good models, but I assume everyone knows what I'm talking about with this one.
4. Open recruitment of ecclectic troop types--that is, when you become a bandit (in later versions), you'll obviously be able recruit bandits, but I think that there should be some nearly-hidden areas of the map available, in which you can recruit unique or interesting troops (i.e., Sea Raiders, Black Khergit, Dark Raiders [who upgrade to Dark Warriors/Hunters/Knights]). These could be made very difficult to reach, so when the locations get out into the community, it'll still be some work to find them.
2. Poisoned arrows--each one, over the course of, say, two minutes of combat, does a set amount of extra damage. It may end up being an annoyance, but if it turns out to work, it may also add a lot to the game. Only certain types of brigands might have them, adding to the flavor of being ambushed by "forest bandits", and there's no doubt that playing a solo archer would be a bit more fun with them.
3. An arena "circuit". I was thinking of suggesting just a few other arenas in the Swadian and Vaegir capital cities, but then thought "why not go all out?" and had the idea of a few more even than three arenas. There could be tiered ranking systems and increasingly difficult battles with better rewards, all culminating in some sort of absurd You v. The World battle for a godlike weapon. Xenogears and FFVII are good models, but I assume everyone knows what I'm talking about with this one.
4. Open recruitment of ecclectic troop types--that is, when you become a bandit (in later versions), you'll obviously be able recruit bandits, but I think that there should be some nearly-hidden areas of the map available, in which you can recruit unique or interesting troops (i.e., Sea Raiders, Black Khergit, Dark Raiders [who upgrade to Dark Warriors/Hunters/Knights]). These could be made very difficult to reach, so when the locations get out into the community, it'll still be some work to find them.