thanks for playing!
1. yes I struggle with figuring out how to slowly ramp up difficulty while avoiding too much repetition. I feel like the core gameplay will be somewhat repetitive no matter what. I'm just trying to make the repetitive things somewhat satisfying and the levels short enough that you can play in small bursts. it's a tough one to solve
2. originally I had the weapon drops happen between levels and it would give you some background info on what you're getting. the issue was that if you died you would lose those weapons and then you couldn't get more weapons until completing the level you died in. people seemed to find this too punishing and wanted to be able to pick up the weapons mid game. one possibility is having a new type of weapon available as a level starts which encourages you to experiment with it. if you die then the weapon is still there for pick up. what do you think?
3. not sure how far you got but in the later stages I think the enemies do provide pretty unique challenges.
4. he draws the bow but it is subtle. I can put an exclamation above him to highlight an oncoming attack.. or maybe make his bow draw longer.