First - I just pushed out a build to the Beta Branch that fixes some bugs, especially Wolf battles always being just 1 wolf pup.
As relayed last week, the Events feature update is stuck in beta because some of the changes aren’t well received.
I want to understand what’s wrong, so I collected feedback from a variety of sources. This Steam Thread is a good focal point: https://steamcommunity.com/app/506480/discussions/0/591775773438818323/
Time for some cooperative design.
To participate you’ll want to check out the Beta branch of the game.
The Problem
Players are reporting a loss of agency in the new way tracks and resource searching is done. Two quotes will summarize what I’ve collected:
“entering a tile and finding if it has resources and rolling for tracks was one of my favourite parts of this game”
“not being able to explore the tiles and just grind resource hunting/harvesting is a deal breaker.“
Sorry, the Hex view isn't coming back. This needed to go away to allow for new features that are coming. The Hex view was actually getting in the way. I have a lot of reasons I can’t type out just now because I have to hurry off to a wedding!
There will be a menu pop-up for taking actions at a hex. A scalable menu popup is part of the new UI.
If loss of agency in collecting resources and following tracks is the problem, how to solve it?
A. What if you did an Action or cast a spell to Search Area within X hexes, sort of like a sonar ping?
- You will see Points of Interest (POI)
- Based on factors (dice roll, skill, buffs) you can tell details on none, some, or all of them.
- They stay on screen until you get a certain distance from them (vs timing out)
- You move, say, 8 hexes, then do it again and it reveals POI within X hexes again
This is an idea we had but ultimately didn't follow up on.
Does this introduce Agency back in?
B. It seems you want resource producers not pickups?
Another question I'm wrestling with the resources.
I remember a discussion a while back where it was said they'd rather pick a spot, build a mine/quarry/lumber camp, and Invest in it through magic and money (and workers, etc.)
So you aren't getting wood or stone or roses all over the place, but from specific places over and over.
The old system was permanent producers.
If you found a strawberry field, you could pick it. Then wait until the next growth season and it would be back again.
This created a balance between returning to old spots and need to find new ones when those were exhausted.
So if a quest wants blacksand - finding a spot rich in it is really hard. But once you find it, you can keep going back to it. Blacksand doesn't renew like vegetables, but maybe it is like gold in 1840’s california - it was just lying on the surface. But once that easy stuff is gone, you needed to go to the 'next level' and dig a shaft, and you got more gold again. But that middle tier stuff would run out, and now you need to go even deeper/wider to get the next batch.
I previously mentioned a player saying “I want to be a mage not a lumberjack!” but another player responded “What makes this game great is I can be a lumberjack if I want to!”
The new UI menu pop-up could allow you to build a mine, grab resources from a mine, or expand production further.
Does this address the resource issue?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, or the original thread .
I will be checking both frequently as I try to solve this problem and get Events out to the main branch!
Thanks for your help and participation.