A game I've had on my wish-list for a long time. I've seen Starmancer's dev's post on twitter with info/graphics to peek the interest. A demo of the game peeked mine.
I've noticed a lot of games have been putting out demos recently! Between demos and playing the full games via gamepass ultimate for xbox on PC; I've both crossed off games from my want list as well as played full games to the end with no need to actually buy. Seems strange at times.
Starmancer as a Demo was a pleasant surprise to me. A limited 1 hour, unlimited repeat demo with some extra unlocked options/cash to make it more of a draw and a 'messabout'. An Alpha version but a good indication of it's gameplay.
In a lot of way's as a demo it has an 'old skool' demo feel than I've not seen in a long long time. Just reminds me so much of shareware in the 90's.
The game from a 2 person team definitely shows a lot of hard work, lots of love care and attention. This demo barely scratches the surface of what the full game offers.
After repeating the Demo numerous I've never gotten so far as to be booted from it at the end of the hour. I have a somewhat love/hate relationship with this Alpha Demo. Yet it meets all my expectations, wants and needs of a game of this type. I do want to play more of it. Just not the Alpha build. I'll be keeping it on my wish-list and see what happens.
I really like the art, style, humour and music of the game; All in an understated kind of way.
From the demo, the game is a bit harsh with it's RNG(imho). When things go wrong they go wrong from the start. The more I played the more I could see that the likes of random traits your clones have at the start are key to how things will play out. Clones always seem to be traits your not going to want, in the best of a bad lot kind of way. Gotta work with the clones your given. Some are worse than others.
One clone had the aggressive trait, another colonist got on her 'bad side' for no apparent reason and things got aggressive. I was surprised when she beat his head in. So I was down a colonist in a second.
If I'd had security upgrades I don't know that would then deter those aggressive acts or if they are just for intruders....
On a side note the 3rd colonist seemed a bit to happy to scoop up her dead friend and drop him into the recycling. Either way I was left with regrowing another clone. The new clone met the old killer and as if they had never met before began the same relationship which turned sour like last time. I ended that run there and then. No point in trying to get a skilled up clone if he's going to get his head beaten in again.
I've since left the clone with the aggression trait till last in all the following play thoughts, if I grew them at all.
Research also needs to be more streamlined. Given the randomness and chaotic clones that ensue once you 'get going'. It's often the case your researching things that don't matter or that you don't need just for the sake of it. Researching furniture when you really need that power generator is annoying.
Research Radar Dish it says....
Yet I can't even research in the same branch that the dish is in... I'll go research a bed so...
I just found that what I needed to research was blocked by other more unnecessary items. Even between research branches. Most annoying of all is that to research items you need a clone to reach an unrelated level. A level 3 laborer to get a tech dish etc..... Make more sense to change research to a placeable machine that 'computes' research points instead.... That's a whole other gripe. Suffice to say that you start the game being able to research(you know as a super computer does) without needing clones about.
Once you get fuel for your ship it's worth keeping an eye out on whats floating past you in space. I do like the missions to mine or salvage. The UI in general and for missions in particular is intuitive and good to use. Yet I've seen some comments on steam that's it's not for everyone. Some have 'rage quit' the game due to it's UI. Each to their own. I really don't see that problem.
I wish I could assign a specialty/role to new clones(Engineer) once they are 'grown'. Like an imbedded knowledge.
Demo's usually cover all the bases of things that could go wrong; So as a promotional thing for the game there's noting out of the ordinary or surprising to deter a potential customer. As an Alpha Demo is not a demonstration of a full product.... So must be taken with a massive grain(bucket... ocean) of salt. Something that's not always said when a 'Demo' is itself is promoted.
Alpha demo is Alpha. But another incident for me was where I had a colonist get stuck walking through a bed. I removed the bed, created a new one and resetup the owners but she was still tuck in the same place. Walking on the spot, she got bored, hungry and then died. Then the game crashed. Alpha is Alpha indeed. It's ok to experience it in an Alpha Demo where such happenings are considered 'quirky'; But another thing altogether in a paid for game.
For all the good things in this game it's the RNG/game mechanic 1% chance, back luck elements that, at least for me, screw up the game. That's the only thing I see hamper my longterm play if this was a full version.
I wish that when you get a popup, the game would pause automatically. It's annoying to get a popup and yet you've game zooms on in the background at max speed while you 'deal' with the information in a popup(usually 2 or 3 together), click ok and then get back to the main screen to see where your things are. It's a really small thing but it's a disruption to the flow of the game. You have to manually click the pause icon on the top menu. It's disruptive. This is a game where, at least for me, I need to be on top of everything. Missing out on something as the game runs at max speed then you get a popup.... not good. I wish the space-bar would allow that pause function, it would solve this annoyance if there was no automatic pause.
I'll be keeping it on my wish-list. For it's faults, for the Alpha being buggy as expected, for the small annoyances; It's a game really worth playing. I look forward to the game getting updated and releasing a newer demo and a full release SoonT.M. It's Star(road) Map shows that there is a lot of work still to do, which now makes all my complaining in this post feel harsh.
No comments:
Post a Comment