Feedback from first playthrough
sneakeyboard
lost koosh forest Join Date: 2016-03-16 Member: 214319Members
lost koosh forest Join Date: 2016-03-16 Member: 214319Members
Guess I'll write my long feedback list here 
First and foremost, amazing job with the game and with being so open minded with your players/cstumers. It's rare to see. I'd also like to note that I currently have pretty much hit end-game without
..anyways:
These are just things that I have noticed during my first 20+ hours of playing (currently have bases everywhere except the most southern areas).
-Renewable resources like the inside plants should require water and sunlight, even if this is to simply be another 2-3 titanium and/or glass pieces. They also spawn fruits too quick, specially the "mango" looking one (it also recovers fast). I'm aware this is recent, but just giving feedback. Also the sunlight could be a craftable "light". I liked the upcoming O2 limitations and tanks.
-Don't remember seeing this on the updates in trello, so disregard if it's in there. Discovering should give you knowledge of the area with your PDA/scanner, and allow you to "write up" your own map on it. That or add map fragments and split them between the wrecks of the Aurora's bridge parts. Currently I'm using beacons for every location, but adding the option to make your own map seems immersive to me (and kazoo fun lol). While I talk about beacons, could you add ranges to these? maybe by installing or updating the antenna on your seamoth...?
-Since you guy will be adding rechargeable batteries, I feel the end-game batteries should be the ones found on the escape pod which are self-rechargeable (maybe via an upgrade version of your scanner, then scanning those). This would also synergize well with other end-game contents. These parts should also be spread through as fragments. I don't know how it will be implemented.
-Risk for rewards: Everything I gathered so far was fairly easy, and while there should be a learning curve, the end-game gear/vehicles should involve going near the dangerous areas. I'm aware that there's much to add, and that currently there is no late game content. However, there areas are empty, and I'm just hoping there are plans for it to change, that's all.
-Crafting: Currently there is no loss of materials when decomposing already crafted materials. I think that, even as far as the technology may be in the game's current time, there should be both and option to break down components and a chance of you not getting those materials back (at least not 100% of your investment).
My opinion on what to see:
-Intro/Story/Tutorial: I think there's still wok to do here, mainly because the player gets introduced to the game from here. Maybe by adding a little bit of gameplay prior to the crash could lead us to understand a little more. Say for example, just add the chain of events that lead to its crash, and made the ship re-route to the planet you're on. Or the ship was the one carrying the reaper... idk, just a thought.
-An upgrade for seamoth (not modules, but actual physical upgrade): I think its a great size, but if there are going to be limitations to its oxygen/batteries/depth, there should be an upgrade for it to increase its potential uses, but not too big to where it won't fit the cyclops. While I'm onto this, add the option to use consumable items inside it please. Also was considering this upgrade to make it a fast vehicle on the surface (I have to hold spacebar). Maybe the exobot thing is what will come in its place for deeper water areas.
-Glowing suit and or head lantern: It's a bit scary to go deep and attempt to scan an object in the middle of the dark.
-Bigger sub: I'd prefer this to come way later with the addition of co-op/multiplayer if it's ever implemented, else it'd have no purpose for one person only.
-Guns/weapons: Though not promoting us to being planet killers, there should be a way to defend ourselves other than the heavily defensive weapons we currently have. Not to the point where we're shooting everything that moves either. But I haven't experimented too much with harpoons yet, so I'll give it a go with Mr. reaper.
-More of Aurora: I'd like to have to get to a wreck, find an area that's above ground (with functional power) and have to go back to the crash spot to laser cut my way into one of the staff member's quarters to get their "access" card for this new area. It would be a bit of a headache to travel back and forth, but it may be something worth the trips.
Don't wanna fill this one with too many things, but I'm open to other player's thoughts. Also didn't read previous posts, but hopefully we agree on some things.
First and foremost, amazing job with the game and with being so open minded with your players/cstumers. It's rare to see. I'd also like to note that I currently have pretty much hit end-game without
..anyways:
These are just things that I have noticed during my first 20+ hours of playing (currently have bases everywhere except the most southern areas).
-Renewable resources like the inside plants should require water and sunlight, even if this is to simply be another 2-3 titanium and/or glass pieces. They also spawn fruits too quick, specially the "mango" looking one (it also recovers fast). I'm aware this is recent, but just giving feedback. Also the sunlight could be a craftable "light". I liked the upcoming O2 limitations and tanks.
-Don't remember seeing this on the updates in trello, so disregard if it's in there. Discovering should give you knowledge of the area with your PDA/scanner, and allow you to "write up" your own map on it. That or add map fragments and split them between the wrecks of the Aurora's bridge parts. Currently I'm using beacons for every location, but adding the option to make your own map seems immersive to me (and kazoo fun lol). While I talk about beacons, could you add ranges to these? maybe by installing or updating the antenna on your seamoth...?
-Since you guy will be adding rechargeable batteries, I feel the end-game batteries should be the ones found on the escape pod which are self-rechargeable (maybe via an upgrade version of your scanner, then scanning those). This would also synergize well with other end-game contents. These parts should also be spread through as fragments. I don't know how it will be implemented.
-Risk for rewards: Everything I gathered so far was fairly easy, and while there should be a learning curve, the end-game gear/vehicles should involve going near the dangerous areas. I'm aware that there's much to add, and that currently there is no late game content. However, there areas are empty, and I'm just hoping there are plans for it to change, that's all.
-Crafting: Currently there is no loss of materials when decomposing already crafted materials. I think that, even as far as the technology may be in the game's current time, there should be both and option to break down components and a chance of you not getting those materials back (at least not 100% of your investment).
My opinion on what to see:
-Intro/Story/Tutorial: I think there's still wok to do here, mainly because the player gets introduced to the game from here. Maybe by adding a little bit of gameplay prior to the crash could lead us to understand a little more. Say for example, just add the chain of events that lead to its crash, and made the ship re-route to the planet you're on. Or the ship was the one carrying the reaper... idk, just a thought.
-An upgrade for seamoth (not modules, but actual physical upgrade): I think its a great size, but if there are going to be limitations to its oxygen/batteries/depth, there should be an upgrade for it to increase its potential uses, but not too big to where it won't fit the cyclops. While I'm onto this, add the option to use consumable items inside it please. Also was considering this upgrade to make it a fast vehicle on the surface (I have to hold spacebar). Maybe the exobot thing is what will come in its place for deeper water areas.
-Glowing suit and or head lantern: It's a bit scary to go deep and attempt to scan an object in the middle of the dark.
-Bigger sub: I'd prefer this to come way later with the addition of co-op/multiplayer if it's ever implemented, else it'd have no purpose for one person only.
-Guns/weapons: Though not promoting us to being planet killers, there should be a way to defend ourselves other than the heavily defensive weapons we currently have. Not to the point where we're shooting everything that moves either. But I haven't experimented too much with harpoons yet, so I'll give it a go with Mr. reaper.
-More of Aurora: I'd like to have to get to a wreck, find an area that's above ground (with functional power) and have to go back to the crash spot to laser cut my way into one of the staff member's quarters to get their "access" card for this new area. It would be a bit of a headache to travel back and forth, but it may be something worth the trips.
Don't wanna fill this one with too many things, but I'm open to other player's thoughts. Also didn't read previous posts, but hopefully we agree on some things.
Comments
I like the game very much. Love the graphics and many other features.
I picture my character as the last cook in the line of cooks in the Aurora, who survived by pure luck. So, this character is NOT brave or excessively adventurous, and finding extremely aggressive creatures in most biomes dampens my joy of exploring and locating fragments and building stuff.
I do not want to kill those creatures, I just want that there is a mode (maybe Freedom, or a new one) in which creatures are not so aggressive, and let me explore in peace. I know that there is Creative mode to freely build whatever, but that is not what I want. The thrill of exploring the underwater world is amazing, and finding stuff and fragments makes me very happy. In having to find the materials to build things I find purpose for each building task, but I hate that most medium to large-or huge-size creatures can take a bite and just kill me right away.
I hope there is any possibility to have such a mode; it would be great, in my opinion.
Thanks
Don't get me wrong, this won't make me refund, but that's the whole definition of survival in my mind.
To build upon what RedMalie posted, suppose that by default the game AI worked as it does now, but in the game's Options there was a checkbox for something like "Only defensive AI, not aggressive"?
Think of it as basically a finer-grained version of the "invisible" cheat. Creatures would not actively search out and attack the player, but would defend themselves if the player provoked them.
I think the Crash plant is a great example. It only becomes a threat if the player comes too close, and the game provides excellent clues to the player (the sounds) to alert them that something is about to happen. After one bad experience, the player learns to avoid Crash plants -- unless of course they really, really need that powder. Then they accept the risk, prepare as best as possible, and deal with the consequences. Great game design.
Applying this to swimming creatures like the Stalker is a little more difficult. Perhaps their AI package could be changed so that if they are within a certain distance of the player, they will tend to swim away and avoid him/her. If the player persists and swims closer to the stalker, invading its "personal space" so it feels threatened, then it responds in an aggressive manner to defend itself.
The difference between the "avoid player" distance and the "personal space" distance should be tweaked so there will never be a situation where the player is innocently doing something and gets attacked unexpectedly. E.g. while chipping away at a rock in the Kelp Forest, a stalker's AI should not let it swim up close enough behind the player that it hits the "personal space" threshold. Instead it should always hit the "avoid player" threshold first and change direction.
Remember, this would only be a game option. The player would have to deliberately decide that they wanted to play a "safer" game and select the checkbox. Players who prefer a riskier survival experience would just leave it at the default setting.
Klinn's suggestion expresses very well my hope for a less aggressive fauna game option. I think that this game has a lot to offer to a wide variety of players, so why not allow the "peaceful" explorer to wander around in a Safe Mode?