The Planet Crafter....

'Lore & Automation' the latest update to the game is one I've been waiting for with some anticipation since they said the date for a content update release; Never mind see what it contained. Content that I've fully consumed in one sitting. Worth it, yeap. I'm biased, sitting on as late game save filled with assets and resources coming out of my ears. It was great to see areas I've been in change and have additions. Great to see the lore expanded. Great to see new devices, machines, rockets etc...etc....

Starting off I was a bit 'challenged' by a large mushroom taking up 50% of my shroom river 'base'. So some adjustments were needed.

The area itself has some changes that work well.

The lore starts with a message to you. But for me I was already in the area. A new door right beside my little house there. 

A door with a lock; And an icon to collect a key.

That is key beside the main large mushroom tree of the area.

The lore and the exploration goes on from there. Open a door get some lore. And a new key...

But where to use another key..... Maybe the large doors that players have been wondering about since the start.

One thing leads onto another, one discovery was very interesting and maybe a way to 'escape'.

As much as I can spoil things with screenshots I'm leaving a lot out, more than the trailer anyway.

Again one thing leads to another and the next you know its a three key lock and a new location and a five key lock to a new biome. It's a pity that the new biome area doesn't have some sort of birdsong with it. It's an idyllic area. Both the new locations and biome area have an aesthetic that's a cross between India and Egypt. Familiar but otherly.

That said Planet Crafters music is perfect for the new areas as well as the old. I wish there was more of it but even when repeat I don't find it in any way annoying.

Starting off in the new content I was surprised to see that I no longer needed o2 to survive in the open. A strange feeling but a good one. One of the first things I tried was to go underwater.... It still stayed with unlimited o2.... A minor thing and the game is still in development.

The new butterfly farm T2 is a great addition for twice the larva at the cost of some fabric.

The new butterflies from the new biome 'reward' loot are interesting. As are the new T2 mutagen created larva for +1000% and +1200%. Great additions.

The new Tier5 heat and pressure devices/machines are humongous. A true planet crafting size of device. 

The new auto creation device is a massive improvement, saving a player from running around lockers. The number of postit notes I've had with lists of materials.... Fun in it's own right in retrospect; But a device that automatically takes form lockers and creates your chosen item. Time saver supreme. 

The new Bee hives are again great. Five times the honeycomb and a chance to create bee larva. Epic!

As is the new bee insect rocket.

It may need a patch to actually get it off the ground, in animation at least, but regardless it works.

One device I don't really need given I've breathable atmosphere on planet is the air filter.... Then again maybe in the future I'll need it for 'areas'. That said I created it anyway as it was new.

So overall my gameplay from here on in will still be gather resources, create the new and upgrade the old. Noting wrong with that.

Next stop fish and then amphibians.

The only new item I have a problem with is the T3 extractor. 

An extractor that can 'drill' any ore in any area. It's a magic drill and I find it game-breaking as well as immersion breaking. I'd rather build a teleporter to an area where I have to use a T2 drill in a specific area for a specific ore and bring that ore back myself. Like I do now. This new drill rubs me up the worng way so much. There's a suspension of disbelief that goes to far for me to believe this drill. The drill automation done this way as 'magic';  Feels off, feels wrong. 

It's not the same 'feel' of believable as a teleporter; It might have been had you needed a teleporter to make it or make it work.... The only way a magic drill like this new one would work for me, was if it was an automated 'robot' that went and got the ore from specific drills and brings it back to a main depot. A depot you can place. Like a proper automation center. 

With so much good in the patch I do realize I'm a 'little bit' over the top about this last item so won't drone on. Yes the game is early access..... It's all to play for. Big changes have happened before and big changes have been reverted before so who knows.

Looking back at the official twitter page for Planet Crafters devs; They retweeted a review video that's worth a reshare here; As it explains why so much of the game gets a pass and why so many love it for what it is.

Bricky