I am really sorry, but, the fixed start is, to me, a real let down. A game breaker. It completely removes the challenge of finding a suitable start position. I was really looking forward to this version but decided that rather than testing it by continuing with my previous game I would start again. I am glad that I did because otherwise I would have been unaware of this change.
Please, consider giving players a choice of starting options. This fixed position style is really not for me. I do not want to start a game of this genre with a part build building which I do not like, in a position I do not find acceptable with a companion I do not want yet. I will go back to my previous game (if it will still work) and test out the other features.
I am really sorry. I was enjoying this game and I still feel it has great potential, but, if I had just downloaded the demo with no prior knowledge of the game, I would not be interested.
not sure if you know, but you don’t have to help that person or accept them into your village at all. You can let them be, or even destroy their building if you don’t like it.
The only thing that’s fixed is the traveler camp. I know players would like the ability to move it, that’s just a question of dev priorities, when we get to it.
Yes, I realised that I could destroy the barn, that is really not a good way to start though and that still leaves the message.. I have been trying to go back to a previous early game start, but I keep being told to find the “Confused Builder”! So, it seems that I cannot even go back to a free start which I have already saved. I am sorry, but, the free start is not working, because of the demand to find the “builder”, who I cannot find, to carry on testing the other new features. It is not possible to “Ignore” with that prominent fixed message in the top left corner of the screen.
I could try a much more progressed game, but, that would not give me a complete picture.
BTW, I also found that the club does not move the beehives - is that intentional?
I really do feel that this new start method does not work for me and it leaves me nowhere to go with testing the other new features. Sorry. I am really disappointed because I really loved what you are doing.
Is it really not possible to have an option for a variable start? That awful barn and the builder being an in game entity rather than a voice guide does not, imo, do your beautiful game justice. Sorry.
Hm, so first let me reassure you that I’m all for player freedom and want to accommodate choices where possible, we just need to find the right solution.
The tip to find the house builder only exists on day 1. Is that too long?
There is also nothing stopping you from doing your own thing, going anywhere, building, researching, etc. Nothing is actually locked. You just need to ignore that person, they’ll even leave after a couple of days by themselves.
Let’s figure out how to improve this. But I’m not sure what the problem is, I know you don’t like to be tied to a starting location, but as far as I can tell you are not. Anything else you don’t like about it?
“Figure it out” type of players are likely quite a significant proportion of potential customers if all the other “figurer it out” kind of games are anything to go by. Any chance you could eventually make that a menu option?
(Oh, and the move the camp option is important, even more so with the fixed start. I had to save-start-over several times to get a reasonable position, in relation to the camp. Even with faster walking on roads it is not really an option to have the camp and the town on opposite sides of the island or the town and copper ore on opposite sides.) Either way, I hate building, even just a basic village knowing that I am going to rip the whole thing down in order to build my town in a nice flat spot.)
Just a thought, I have one game (Timberborn) where you start in a fixed spot, but, it is always the same spot and it is also a very good spot on the map, but, you can earn the option to have a free start. This is really useful as it allows to tweak the starting spot, so, not just a good position, but, the ideal for the player’s personal style.
I can understand how someone who has played the game from the first Alpha release, might be disappointed by the new start. But most people that spend money to buy the game will be seeing it for the first time. Without the option to play a tutorial, they might become frustrated, give up, or post a bad review.
The Temple is a great addition to the game, and the new roof corners allow for more interesting buildings.
My remark was specifically that the Fixed Start is a backward step because it limits player options early game. There was a tutorial, it needed polish, so attention being paid to this aspect was needed. It still is in my opinion. There is also an acknowledged need to make the Camp moveable, even more so with the fixed start.
A Tutorial is, of course, absolutely essential. Once again - I never said it was not needed. What is needed is to have the option to free start for those players who do not need to have their hand held. However, I do not see why a free start and a tutorial are mutually exclusive, by the way. The fixed start can be extremely frustrating, and it is limiting if the start is poor. Potentially, a poor start, and I was landed with three in a row will, tutorial not withstanding, put off a proportion of new players.
You also need at least enough Copper to make a few packlings and do some level 2 research not too far distant.
A start with little flat land, and no, or almost no, copper is not a good look for any new player. There are always enough trees and enough stone, but building on hilly land, early and new to the game is not an asset and having to traverse the map for your first copper is off putting for even an experienced player which is why the fixed start, as currently designed is not a good idea. It could be made so, but that I suspect would be more problematic than tweaking the already coded tutorial for a flexible start because pure random placement does not ensure at least a minimally acceptable start, ergo, it does not work as intended.
The simple fact, for me, is: I am very experienced with this game, and I was enjoying it immensely. I was telling people how well it was coming along, and I was sincerely recommending it. Since the fixed start, I am really not enjoying it at all. I have restarted, more than once, and it just is not working for me. Either copper is always too distant or the camp is too distant to be fun.
So, I have now, regretfully, shelved it, much as I would like to continue to help with the testing, until the next major update when I will definitely look again.
I found the new start to be not too bad, now knowing it can be ignored or you can help the builder then move on is fine by me. I do not think it is a game breaker.
