lol exactly!

There are two things I would like to see more often in most video games:
- the ability to pause during cutscenes, gameplay, whatever.
- preset controls for both wasd keys and arrow keys players, I've only seen this in Fable - The Lost Chapters.

Simply being able to play as a female character is a significant factor for me.

(I actually remember noticing that back when Bard's Tale 3 came out. The game, unlike the first 2 games in the trilogy, asks you if the new character is male or female, and then uses the appropriate pronoun to refer to the character. That game also has a few enemies that are treated as female.)

Also, the ability to recruit monsters in RPGs that are not monster training RPGs. (By "monster training RPGs" (can't think of a better term) I am referring to games like Pokemon and Shin Megami Tensei were recruited monsters are a core part of the gameplay.)

Another thing I forgot after seeing the previous post:

- Having the option to play non-humans like an animal, an alien, a being from another dimension, a mutated result of some experiment, a zombie/revenant/undead, etc...

I rarely play a human if I don't have to.

It's especially nice if said non-humans play by different rules, making the gameplay experience different.

It's one of the things I like about SaGa 1 and 2 and SaGa Frontier. (SaGa 2 DS with 2 Robots and 2 Monsters was a fun playthrough that didn't require much in the way of what some people call "grinding".)

The often decried as useleff fluff. The little details that breath live to the game. Be it NPCs reacting to Outfits (or lack there of) your char wears like in Morrowind or Fallout when ppl don't know who you are because Power Armor; be it spontanous sing-alongs from your char when listening to the in-game radio. Or just stuff to do unrelated to any kind of a games progression just because I can.

And yes, Boobs of course are very important.

You should really check out Notrium if you don't already have.
It's an old but nicely done freeware game from the maker of Driftmoon and I've finished an older version a couple of times.
By now you can choose a human, an android, an alien, a psionic and it changes the gameplay significantly since food, warmth, energy etc... are core elements of the gameplay.

Wooden legs full of gold.

I appreciate the tiny graphical art added in out of the way areas not usually gone into by your character. Tucked in secret corners I have found some wonderful animations and art that you know someone did as a work of love when they had time from their deadline locked major orders for the rest of the game. Lord of the Rings Online is full of those moments, hidden animations, easter eggs and mood settings in far away places. Elder Scrolls Online had them as well, an artists easel perched on a hidden cliff overlooking the sea, picnic areas etc. Alot of point and click games have them as well, the back ground art is amazing.

lol

Satisfying interface sounds and animations.
*click*

There are 10,000 tiny things that push a game out of the realm of "very good" to "amazing, excellent, classic" but I think something that I ALWAYS notice and fits with the spirit of this thread is...

Just being able to hit "Enter" to save a game.

Did you ever click save, type out a save name, smack enter and have it do NOTHING? Because you have to click "Save" instead of just pushing the enter key? Yeah, that bugs me. I'm not a lazy person, but it always feels so unintuitive to me to type out a save name, hit enter and then realize that's not going to work - time to mouse over and click!

Ahh another one.

I got it!! Its the background art hand drawn by the artist.

Anti grinding measures, like throwing the max number of enemies in every encounter at you if you are overleveled.

Being rewarded with a better score the less in-game time you use to complete the game. I wish more games than Might&Magic and Heroes of Might&Magic did this.

The little skeletons left behind by your fallen enemies in The Settlers games. :D