Feedback Quest 5 - Feedback by hythrain


Hythrain gifted  a  lot of valuable impressions, feedback, observations and ideas via the Jam pages comments section.

Link to the Stream recording: Time for Longplays | Feedback Quest 5

I compiled all of that in the following three groups.

Feedback by Hythrain

  • Make time passing more slowly when you're not performing actions.
  • Right now, once I've beaten the game there's nothing for me to play again.
  • One thing I had been feeling when I played it is that the world should be "bigger". This, in turn, would spread enemies and obstacles out.
  • It's not like the map changes or locations of hordes and enemies change.
  • There should be more info to explain to the player what the crafted items are for. I don't want to waste items on a campfire if I don't know how it'll benefit me.
  • A bit of explanation of how combat works (specifically what the numbers mean) would also be good.
  • I found infuriating while playing was the high chance for luring away to fail.
  • I loved the option for points where you can easily recover water. Thanks to these, I don't feel like the speed in which water drains is a problem. However, I do feel the speed for food is.
  • Maintaining health should be a bigger deal. The amount gained [by sleeping] felt way too big to me. make those gains much smaller, but in exchange make enemies a bit weaker. This would then allow for more strategy.
  • The player should always have a non-card option for combat though with a drawback.
  • The card stack isn't fixed. Put some 200 items in your inventory and you should see what I mean.

Collection of my thoughts based on the above feedback

  • Looking at the gameplay of my reference games like Project Zomboid, DayZ or The Long Dark, I think keeping the worlds layout "designed"  and non-procedural is still something I want to keep as it is. The variaty should come from random loot (random per type of building, maybe also random  based on certain areas in the future), changing character and enemie stats. I also have the idea of spawning and moving Hordes towards the player in mind (like in "The Survivalist").   
  • More thoughts on replayability: An evolving story, introduction of new maps and objectives once the initial 9 Dayz challenge ist mastered by players (even on the current map, there is a whole small town still waiting for being populated and integrated into the game play, there  are also off-side locations like Billibalds Farm and the Old Mansion that could be targets for certain follow-up tasks). And of cause the coming character selection will add variaty to the gameplay as well.
  • More information for each item and option in form of an in-game Almanac is coming soon. Working on this one right now.
  • A sophisticated combat tutorial is still needed. Maybe I should always  trigger the existing Combat Tutorial before the first fight starts, not only in tutorial mode.
  • The desperate need for finding and preparing enough food,  water and energy to me feels like a crucial, existential part of the experience. When I balance all of this towards a "don't worry" and "feel good" state, there won't be any challenge left. I really don't want that.  Constantly being on the edge of starving is something that triggers all the experiences I want  my game to have: desperation, anger, hopelessness at some times. But also relieve, confidense and happiness  in situations of good luck and rich loot.
  • The non-card option was mentioned before by another player. He was referring to a "fumble" move in Pokemon. Another related feature I am thinking about: Randomly including the surrounding building cards into the battle - providing cover and passive protection. And along that line, giving players an option to prepare for bigger fights, by crafting barricades upfront (from logs and sharp sticks and tape), which then also become part of the battle (dealing passive damage  to attacking zeds and protection for the player).

Issues

  • The Card stack issue isn't clear  to me atm. Maybe he is coming back to this, so later it might become clear what I can do.
  • Regaining too much health from resting and sleeping.

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