Initial like & dislikes (version 0.1a *alpha*)
RE: Initial like & dislikes (version 0.1a *alpha*)
How would you feel for a more involved games, while other games do this, is it something you don't mind, or wish there was something for you to do in the meantime, or are you more than happy to go off doing stuff while you gather resources etc? I personally like more involved games where my actions (or lack of) have a direct impact on the game. It gives me more of the feeling that "this is my creation" rather than the game just moving along with or without me. I also really like the idea of short- and long-term goals to guide the player along. Without those, some players might get lost, and worse, bored without any kind of objective other than to build, build, build. The original moonbase game that made me invest in your kickstarter was memorable to me because of 3 reasons: Buildings - each building had a reason for being and had an impact on where you were headed (success or collapse). For instance, you had to make sure everything was in proper balance with power generation/consumption, colonists happiness/stress, exploration and mining, etc. This kept you constantly watching your game to make sure that balance was achieved... it was very engaging. I especially liked building the LOX miners that went out on an automated path in search of resources to mine. Infrastructure - Although it had a much lighter impact on the overall game, you could build roads, landing pads (you needed at least one for incoming colonists and imported resources), water pipes and electrical lines... as long as everything was connected, it worked fine. This kept you not just placing hundreds of buildings down at once, but thinking about layout: "do I have enough space around the building to connect it to the main power grid?", "where's the closest water source?", etc. It made the game more fun because you had to use your brain to problem-solve, especially as your base got larger. It was hard! - I must have tried a hundred times to build the perfect moonbase, only to realize that I didn't invest enough in a certain area, then realize it was already too late... running out of the limited income from selling resources back to Earth and coming to a financial collapse. Your game already has made good progress in these areas. Just make sure you get the right balance here so someone who really wants to play the game doesn't get bored placing buildings and everything just works automatically... make them use their neurons and you'll get people really excited to play and play again.
RE: Initial like & dislikes (version 0.1a *alpha*)
In my day job, I am a customer service manager. A lot of what I do is supervisory and oversight. I do very little to make the day to day operation happen, instead I am there to iron out the kinks and plan forward. For me, I spend a large part of my day doing 3 or 4 things at once, so when I get home and boot up a game, I usually do the same with them. I like City Builders because they build on a skill set I already have. I like other "occasional attention" or "occasional activity" games such as flight sim. I also like more involved games that require constant involvement. So for me, I'm indifferent. If you build this game to be constantly requiring my attention, then it needs to be paced so I feel like I'm getting something in the game for my attention. On the other hand, having it be an "afk" capable game would mean that a slower pace can be provided.