So I decided to try STW, and so far so good.
Install was easy (though instead of following the normal instructions, I used Game Launcher so that I can still play Vanilla Terraria when I want to -- you should include instructions on how to do that for those who don't know), and everything seems to work reasonably (though there's this weird jittery mouse cursor while changing worlds but meh).
I will, however, provide some feedback:
What's up with the total lack of knockback on anything? Seriously. First, you start us out with absolutely nothing but a copper broadsword, then you nerf our innate health regen to zero, then you make ingredients for potions super-hard to get (I see very few mushrooms growing anywhere), and THEN to top all that off... you put super-fast enemies that are almost immune to knockback. Oh, and quests only give you +5 HP here, +5 HP there which... does jack all to help you stay alive.
I slogged through the mines to get Mining Lv20 and made myself a Gold Pickaxe, Silver Armor, Gold Sword, Gold Bow... and now it looks like the game wants to send me to a fortress in the Crimson Desert. I get a quest there to burn some bodies and destroy a ghoul nest...
Haha, yeah right. First two ghouls that appear just absolutely rip me to shreds, becuase...
1). My HP is only 120.
2). Even though I'm wearing Silver Armor (Gold is what, 2 defense better? lawl), I get ripped to shreds in record time.
3). My weapons don't do very much damage to them at all.
What's up with this? This seems a bit unbalanced IMO. Yeah yeah I know everybody worships Expert Mode, but you know what? Not all of us do.
And don't EVEN get me started on some of the stuff in that pyramid... ugggh. Insta-kill traps FTL. Or the scads of darts/spikes with zero health regen and no potions (because there are no freaking mushrooms anywhere beyond the few I first harvested and long since used up by now)... oi.
So, my feedback:
1). Potions need to be easier to get if you're going to nerf health regen to zero.
2). Nerf mobs' KB resistance some; having ghouls crawling on you while you're running backwards is ridiculous.
3). I think the ghouls need a speed and perhaps a health/defense nerf too.
4). Mana regen is way too slow. It makes magic weapons worthless when you need 5 Mage Levelups to get a whopping +5 maximum mana and it takes 60 seconds+ to regen any mana.