Elements of a Good Game

What are the elements of a game which I really like?

• Simplicity in the beginning (easy to get started), and added more depth as we progress (expose more features as player level up).
• Play at your own pace (allow continuous hours of game play, or a few times a day, or once a week, or stop for a month and pick up again) without imposing penalty by not logging in frequently.
• We don't like heavy penalty upon death (loss of precious equipment), but light penalty is required (a pinch or effort set-backs is important to foster risk and reward trade-off, but not a stab with irreversible painful consequences).
• Avoid specialization in the beginning (e.g. select fraction or race), but it's a progressive selection along the way which shape our characteristic and advantage (good or evil deeds, permanent transformation at later stage, etc).
• Simplicity of resources (we don't need 10 types of common redundant resources such as metal, wood, stone, marble, diamond, etc), each with a different purpose and rarity. E.g. Gold as currency, Wood as general material, Precious Stones as material with greater rarity (for higher level stuff), Rune Stone for Material Crafting.
• Collection: we like to collect rare artifacts, great generals, precious stones, etc. Other type of collection include Pokemon collection of monsters, Final Fantasy collection of new spell (learn from monster).
• Enhancement: Increase Stat, Skill Point Distribution
• Recognition and Reward: Leveling & Title (unlock reward or ability)
• Harvesting and Craft: finding materials to craft something special
• Long Term Relationship Building with Tribe/NPC
• Encounter new races (with their own uniqueness) and allow further unique interaction with these races (attack them for instant reward, or build relationship for long term prosperity)
• Only drop Meaningful/Useful/Quality Items (we don't need 1000+ low grade items/equipment's which we probably would not use it, and end up selling them for gold only).
• Quality Material Construction/Crafting (we don't need 1000+ crafting recipe which creates lousy equipment) using special material (the material list should be a simple and meaningful eco-system, so that we don't end up keeping tons of different materials which we won't use, or don't know how to use).
• Special Stones and Socket-ed Item (add special ability to our equipment: enhance power, cold effect, etc).
• NPC/Drone Development (allow us to hire and develop side-kicks or mystic creatures, or a team of Captain, Navigator, Gunner, Pilot, etc.). There should be some experience and stats, but not as complex as the main character.
• Mini Games like those in Final Fantasy could be quite entertaining at times
• Economy Ecosystem: As an alternative way to get resource in a quick manner, or make a profit. Should not involve complex price checking, or location-based pricing, transporting goods, or need to member and write down pricing, etc. A powerful search and trend observation (chart) mechanism perhaps.
• Special Artifact (Unique Item): get them through rare boss drop, treasure hunting quest, high level relationships with certain tribes, championship, increase luck or scouting capability
• Quest: Shouldn't have too many similar or no-brainer core quests until I don't bother to read them (causing me to click on as many quests as possible, and just hack and slash until all the quests are magically completed). 1000+ similar quest for more gold or more experience doesn't sound very fun. Time filler or hunting quests are acceptable (clear separation from core quest).
• Physical Map and Travelling: Travelling shouldn't cost too much of annoyance (or too time consuming). Allow fun transportation like Bus/Hovercraft/Flying Fortress or Horse/Ostrich/Dragon.
• Skill Tree or Tech Tree should not be too complex with too many branches (distinction between passive low effect and active high impact). Need to solve problem of saving precious skill point for higher-level skill, thus scarifying the current firepower (some low level skill must not be overridden by higher level skill).
• Special Enemy: Mysterious Ghost Ship, 1 Million HP Gigantic Robot, Space Kraken in Wormhole (hostile environment)
• Time Filler Activity: Kill for Experience, Treasure Hunting, Harvest for Crafting, Mini Games, Questing for Relation Building with Tribe/NPC
• High Level Stuff: Clan or Castle Building, City Development, Massive War

A lot of features are fun, but try to avoid over complexity by including everything (you can't be both Strategy and RPG, there need to be a major and minor for hybrid). For example, Spore changes the gameplay drastically as you progress, thus broken the continuity (some might not like the different gameplay/genre at the next level).

BIG NO NO

• Doesn't involve too much brainless repetitive clicking (e.g. click to harvest or water each of your 1000+ plants)
• Doesn't involve asking me to invite my friends in order to get certain rewards
• In-game payment (Real Money) should only offer convenience (or cosmetic), and does not upset the balance or offer too much competitive advantage (and should not hinder progress)