My contribution of ideas and tips

[ebgrisi]

 

Hi guys, what a great game and concept you guys made! Keep it up! I wanted to give you guys feedback based on what I think you guys are going for, trying to respect the overall shape of the game. Since I’m not native english speaker I’m going to make this long (sorry) so I can elaborate on my explanations and hopefully help out.

Feedback based on build: CL#207683, 23/Feb/2017

 

Control

Priority and queueing

I feel like the priority feature gets in the way more than it helps, because it’s not clear what they will do and in what sequence and why, so I tried to think on an improvement for that. One of the things that could be done is to show the queue of activities the duplicant is working on like it used to be on the old The Sims game, where you could one-click cancel the orders, but in this case we should be able to one-click +1 priority and -1 priority.

The number keys are assigned to the structure groups, but they are not practical, because not only they are out of hand for a short cut, but also after you pressed the number key, you must take the cursor roughly to the same place the structure group you pressed the number for, to select the structure itself. And most of the time, we like to see what are the options that we have, before placing it down and plan away, sort of like when we open the refrigerator to look for food, and just look at it, then give up because broccoli isn’t pudding.

Instead I think we should be able to create control groups of duplicants with the number keys and assign different groups to different jobs and priorities and even have a “Walk Here” button for the group and use the number keys for selecting the group.

 

So let’s think how it would work:

1. Press 1, group window pops up;

2. Sort of like when you press F1 and you can select gases instead of structures, this kind of overlay should happen so we can select people to add to the group and jobs to queue;

3. Assign the duplicants to the group, by clicking or via menu;

4. Hold Shift, click structure to add a job - if Microbe Musher, adds cooking - with the highest priority, click another structure to add a job with the second highest priority, etc. Release Shift;

5. A queue was formed and the priority is set for the duplicants on the group, from the group menu you would be able to see the faces of who’s doing what, what they’re going to do next and +1 or -1 the priorities according to what you want and see

 

Each Job should have an icon displayed over the structures it uses when in the overlay view to make it easier;

Group Jobs and priorities would be set and controlled together, so you could assign a team for cooking and research and another to generate oxygen and energy, another to dig, deliver, mop and build, etc.

 

Priority GUI

When we see the priority overlay, the priority number aren’t centered on the square, they are offset downwards for some reason. If it’s for visibility, it beats the purpose of an overlay, and it confuses me when trying to align the tiles or digging to make the base expand exactly where I want. I rather have the number aligned on the center instead.

 

Camera controls

If you zoom in the camera, it should have a slower moving pace when pressed WASD, if you zoom out, it should go faster, maybe add how much of that in the settings menu.

 

Easier priority setting

Another idea is that if you select a tool or structure to build, it should show the priority set to it on the mock up version of the structure to be placed, and once selected, the scroll up should increase the priority, and the scroll down should decrease it, before you place it down. Right-click cancels the tool, and then you can zoom in/out again.

 

Orders

The deconstruct tool can be tricky, cancelling a massive amounts of Mop orders is very difficult, maybe as an append to the priority setting on the mouse scroll mentioned before, if you scroll down below priority 1, it could use it as a cancel order for that specific tool or structure you selected.

That could be used as a deconstruct as well, if you:

1. Select the build Tile tool;

2. Scroll down to “priority 0”;

   1. Click on an already built Tile and drag to deconstruct;

   2. Click anywhere else and drag to cancel Tile construct orders;

Edit: Just figured out C

Also, if you place a structure build order on top of a previous build order, it should cancel the previous, and build the new one with the priority that you set on the new one. Makes things easier while setting priorities and easier if you misplace a large structure build order like a bed, which is 2x2, you could move the order simply by clicking 1 tile to the side.

 

Gameplay

From here on I’ll try and keep it more simple, with quick tips or specific issues.

 

Stress relief should be a basic need like Oxygen and Eating, so the use of the Massage Table should be automated, unassigned and unable to change priority.

 

Vomit and piss form a layer of contaminated water over the gas permeable tile, blocking the passage of gas, I'm not sure that’s intended, but I lost 5 souls because one guy made a mess all over the bedroom and the Algae Deoxydizers were on the floor below it. I couldn’t understand what was going on.

 

Gas permeable tile blocks the passage of gas if stacked, as far as I understand it. I don’t think it should.

 

Ctrl+Z is the digital form of toilet paper. We need it.

 

Water is not renewable, but it’s incredible useful and necessary. Make it so that it is renewable or give us alternative food sources that don’t use water. And make it more dense, I mean make it so that we can do more, with less water.

 

Outhouses should take other materials like sand and clay, maybe change the product to contaminated water and dirt depending on it, or dirt that emits more gases.

 

Cleaning the outhouse should give you contaminated water bottle as well.

 

There should be a better way of manipulating liquids and gases: destroying a Gas Filter makes it so that a contaminated air bottle pops up, and we can’t just take it and release it out somewhere, the same happens when you mop the floor out of contaminated water. We should be able to designate a spot to release these.

 

Research Stations should always select its research. That little menu is annoying and pointless, at least for now. Instead of clicking it, then queueing it, (Like the Microbe Musher) make it a menu that you can just click on what you should develop out of the options you guys are planning.

 

The Stations structures menu button should be called Research instead.

 

Research Menu (R) should be accessible before you put down the station. Releases the burden of knowledge, allows better layout planning.

 

Pneumatic doors should block 1 tile of liquid, most of us are placing an extra tile under the opening (where a door would go) just to avoid spillage to the next floor, the base ends up looking weird and non-functional with walls on the way. This would give the pneumatic door a better purpose. So just, make it so that the lower part of the door is not a net.

 

Mechanical doors should be a tier one research, so we can focus our oxygen production only where the duplicants live and work.

 

Gas filters should also be a tier one research, as it is relatively cheap and important for earlier stages of the game.

 

Air pipes should be able to be built inside rocks so we could poke a gas pocket and pump the air out with a valve.

 

Ladders should be reachable if 2 squares high, it would be the same height as 2 tiles, really.

 

Algae Terrarium should stop producing Oxygen and produce Algae or Slime if not watered (disabled) and fed carbon dioxide.

 

Pipe-bridges should be able to be constructed inside tiles.

 

Tile is a generic term and can be confusing (as I’ve seen on the forum) maybe it should be named something else, like Block, it’s still generic but feels more man-made and less prone to confuse us when you are talking about the one we make or the natural ones.

 

Stress destructor people shouldn’t go directly to Tiny batteries, Manual generators and Algae Deoxydizers, that’s more like Stress terrorist. Who does that?! I think they should damage everything around them, like Taz from Taz-Mania, just go out on a rampage hitting other duplicants, damaging every structure around them, maybe even rocks and tiles that might be enclosing liquids and cause problems, but the damage should be distributed around, not to be so dooming, but something that would stack up over time. Small damage everywhere.

 

I think Algae Deoxydizers should write Algae Deoxidizers (according to Google Docs, Google got me triggered here).

 

Flatulent people should create contaminated oxygen after a fart, I’m not sure if it happens or if it just annoys the hell out of the other duplicants.

 

Power switch and automated doors should be operable by the player, and not having to wait for the duplicant to come and use it.

 

If a duplicant is idle, and can’t find its way back to its own bed (or ration box or printing pod if it has no bed), it should be considered lost and a warning should be made so you know it can’t reach places it should, sometimes I take too long to realise they can’t come back from where they went and I end up losing them or just getting a warning about food, stress or oxygen.

Suggestion:

Maybe it should trigger agoraphobia, which would be funny since it is roughly the opposite of claustrophobia, which is the phobia you would expect to happen in such underground scenario, but agoraphobia is the fear to be in situations where the environment is unsafe and there’s no easy way to get away, like the middle of the desert.
“Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder involving anxiety and intense fear of any situation where escape may be difficult, or where help may not be available. It often involves a fear of crowds, bridges or of being outside alone.” by James McIntosh for medicalnewstoday.com

 

Art

 

I had this idea that I think you guys would like, its to use different bed covering according to the duplicant that sleeps on it, the sheets could change, but also that curtain might have some photos hanging and stuff, and a scientist would be different from an artist and etc. Just a suggestion. =)

That's it for now, good luck! I'm a big fan of you guys!

Link for google docs for comments (is this a good idea  i hope so):
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FHsyZT9pE-4m5ni1iwi4rGxkQeWBWsjb_jgRo4a9PWQ/edit?usp=sharing