New player's .. issues, opinions, criticisms and suggestions
Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2012 10:27 pm
Hello everyone,
at first please accept my appologies for my english, it's my third language and I can't say I'm good.
Well, about me... I'm 1Fh yo indie developer/manager/tester of games/apps and I love to test "new and fresh" ... and THIS (FTL) is something what really is. I've spent some time with help on development of Unepic and SPAZ games btw, minor help on many other indie (and quite well known) games.
So, now I've found FTL. And ... I love it. It's what I've thinking about for last few years, maybe with little more features (below). I have played it for last three days. So, at first .. bugs:
B1) Zoltan shield still works when sold. Until game is reloaded from save. Also, I got very often message 'intruders got through shield' (don't know how it is exactly) which is not installed quite long.
B2) Zoltans (Zoltanians? O_o) always powers first weapons slot even when it's not used. E.g. when I need to use slot 2 and 3 with 4 energy each, I can't because 1 power is always locked on first weapon.
B3) Augmentation for invisible weapons? If I get it well, it would allow me to shoot when invisible and not cancel my invisibility. But .. that is what can I do without it either?
Tweaks and/or minor issues / suggestions / ideas:
T1) When nebula trader (unknown weapon for 65 scrap) surrenders in fight, he offers everything on board. Where the hell is my 65 scrap pack? He always offers something like 30.
T2) There should be possibility to power off subsystems. E.g. when testing, I've discovered that upgrading doors and/or piloting is like "noob trap" because of forever wasted energy. Also, Zoltans don't power up subsystems.
T3) How invisibility works. At first, there is no need of pilot or engines. Just cloak and evade bonus will solve it all. Don't sum bonuses, multiply them! At second, what the hell is with my weapons when enemy cloaks? Well, ok, they've lost their target, but I can charge without locking on some room. This whole invisiblity concept/design is weird.
T4) Saving?! I know that it should be oldtime hardcore gameplay, but even old games doesn't work with random worlds this way. I can say that this game will cause epic number of ragequits many times more that any other game. And still. I can anytime quit and backup save for later use.
T5) Map with displayed lines between beacons even not discovered. Too often it's pixel war and I've died few times only because thought that range 'will be ok'.
T6) Mouse only controls? Well, you know, for lazy guys playing from bed? I'll love space bar (pause) on middle button or at least in game button for un/pause. Same for menu (esc).
T7) Better stores balancing. It's quite usual that stores have almost same items and it's not about skill to get to later sectors, but more BIG luck. Same with low weapons and/or unavailibility of crew members.
T8) What about price tweaking? If I get well, in some sectors, there are different items (regarded to race). What about changing prices for different technologies for different races? One could have really cheap missiles but expensive lasers, ...
T9) Sandbox? Well, game is quite short for me. I like SPAZ, because I can play one game for 200 hours. It's like being crew member and live on ship. But there, I can barely remember whom I have on board and/or train him to cap. There could be many ways how to achieve this, e.g. changing (offer more) galaxy maps, disabling rebels (supereasy mode?). Then also you can add more levels to crew, special abilities when they hit level cap and much more.
T10) More differencies in ship designs. What about AI ships (at least in sandbox)? Cap on some energy fields (now same for all designs)? Evasion bonus for smaller ship (which will e,g, not allow to install new component rooms)? Rooms with two consoles (two crew bonuses)? Ship with more energy slots? Augmentation for allowing more energy upgrades (or better like 5 bay energy generator)?
T11) XP for playing for which you can buy starting bonuses? Like more starting scrap, more crew members, better weapons, or later custom ship design? What about player experiencing with common attributes like bonuses to dmg/reload of certain weapon types, upgrade prices, ... Right now, it's only about playing, trying and unlocking new ships. Give me some fun, not frustration. I have enough of it thanks to Diablo3.
Well, I think that's all. Maybe I'll remember something later so I'll add more notes then.
Well, I've mention my game design which I was thinking about. Here are some ideas, maybe you can use them (but in most of them, I can't say how)...
- Karma, e.g. for killing without reason (in FTL, it could be like shooting at ship which already surrendered). With bad karma, good traders will not offer goods, good races will not give quests. With bad karma, you'll get access to black market, help pirates attacking space prisons and fill hunter/killer missions.
- Crew members with starting specializations. Well, just give them some skills. Right now, all of them are noobs and you need to train them by yourself.
- Emergency escape engine. It was my idea to give alternate of save/load. Short range jump drive with independent power supply and shielding (undestructible), which allows player to escape from any situation into safety.
- Item combinations. E.g. three (rare) technologies which are totally worthelss until they are combined together. Thanks to randomizer, these should have always different name/skin/behaviour, to be sure that there will not be any guides how to get these ultimates (which are what I hate on most of games).
- Backup power generators. For limited one time (per mission) only. Can be designed as batteries which will be charged on each jump / finished fight.
- More generator types with different fuel types. Goal was to get as much power supply types as possible, because some fuel would not be available in some part of universe. FTL could offer unavailable missiles and drone parts.
- Aliances with races. When finish enough missions, player will get 'accepted' status. Race's ships will help attack, shares maps, offers better prices, free emergency repairs and refuelling.
... (well, many more, but I'm too tired to write about them, maybe later, if there will be someone interested)
at first please accept my appologies for my english, it's my third language and I can't say I'm good.
Well, about me... I'm 1Fh yo indie developer/manager/tester of games/apps and I love to test "new and fresh" ... and THIS (FTL) is something what really is. I've spent some time with help on development of Unepic and SPAZ games btw, minor help on many other indie (and quite well known) games.
So, now I've found FTL. And ... I love it. It's what I've thinking about for last few years, maybe with little more features (below). I have played it for last three days. So, at first .. bugs:
B1) Zoltan shield still works when sold. Until game is reloaded from save. Also, I got very often message 'intruders got through shield' (don't know how it is exactly) which is not installed quite long.
B2) Zoltans (Zoltanians? O_o) always powers first weapons slot even when it's not used. E.g. when I need to use slot 2 and 3 with 4 energy each, I can't because 1 power is always locked on first weapon.
B3) Augmentation for invisible weapons? If I get it well, it would allow me to shoot when invisible and not cancel my invisibility. But .. that is what can I do without it either?
Tweaks and/or minor issues / suggestions / ideas:
T1) When nebula trader (unknown weapon for 65 scrap) surrenders in fight, he offers everything on board. Where the hell is my 65 scrap pack? He always offers something like 30.
T2) There should be possibility to power off subsystems. E.g. when testing, I've discovered that upgrading doors and/or piloting is like "noob trap" because of forever wasted energy. Also, Zoltans don't power up subsystems.
T3) How invisibility works. At first, there is no need of pilot or engines. Just cloak and evade bonus will solve it all. Don't sum bonuses, multiply them! At second, what the hell is with my weapons when enemy cloaks? Well, ok, they've lost their target, but I can charge without locking on some room. This whole invisiblity concept/design is weird.
T4) Saving?! I know that it should be oldtime hardcore gameplay, but even old games doesn't work with random worlds this way. I can say that this game will cause epic number of ragequits many times more that any other game. And still. I can anytime quit and backup save for later use.
T5) Map with displayed lines between beacons even not discovered. Too often it's pixel war and I've died few times only because thought that range 'will be ok'.
T6) Mouse only controls? Well, you know, for lazy guys playing from bed? I'll love space bar (pause) on middle button or at least in game button for un/pause. Same for menu (esc).
T7) Better stores balancing. It's quite usual that stores have almost same items and it's not about skill to get to later sectors, but more BIG luck. Same with low weapons and/or unavailibility of crew members.
T8) What about price tweaking? If I get well, in some sectors, there are different items (regarded to race). What about changing prices for different technologies for different races? One could have really cheap missiles but expensive lasers, ...
T9) Sandbox? Well, game is quite short for me. I like SPAZ, because I can play one game for 200 hours. It's like being crew member and live on ship. But there, I can barely remember whom I have on board and/or train him to cap. There could be many ways how to achieve this, e.g. changing (offer more) galaxy maps, disabling rebels (supereasy mode?). Then also you can add more levels to crew, special abilities when they hit level cap and much more.
T10) More differencies in ship designs. What about AI ships (at least in sandbox)? Cap on some energy fields (now same for all designs)? Evasion bonus for smaller ship (which will e,g, not allow to install new component rooms)? Rooms with two consoles (two crew bonuses)? Ship with more energy slots? Augmentation for allowing more energy upgrades (or better like 5 bay energy generator)?
T11) XP for playing for which you can buy starting bonuses? Like more starting scrap, more crew members, better weapons, or later custom ship design? What about player experiencing with common attributes like bonuses to dmg/reload of certain weapon types, upgrade prices, ... Right now, it's only about playing, trying and unlocking new ships. Give me some fun, not frustration. I have enough of it thanks to Diablo3.
Well, I think that's all. Maybe I'll remember something later so I'll add more notes then.
Well, I've mention my game design which I was thinking about. Here are some ideas, maybe you can use them (but in most of them, I can't say how)...
- Karma, e.g. for killing without reason (in FTL, it could be like shooting at ship which already surrendered). With bad karma, good traders will not offer goods, good races will not give quests. With bad karma, you'll get access to black market, help pirates attacking space prisons and fill hunter/killer missions.
- Crew members with starting specializations. Well, just give them some skills. Right now, all of them are noobs and you need to train them by yourself.
- Emergency escape engine. It was my idea to give alternate of save/load. Short range jump drive with independent power supply and shielding (undestructible), which allows player to escape from any situation into safety.
- Item combinations. E.g. three (rare) technologies which are totally worthelss until they are combined together. Thanks to randomizer, these should have always different name/skin/behaviour, to be sure that there will not be any guides how to get these ultimates (which are what I hate on most of games).
- Backup power generators. For limited one time (per mission) only. Can be designed as batteries which will be charged on each jump / finished fight.
- More generator types with different fuel types. Goal was to get as much power supply types as possible, because some fuel would not be available in some part of universe. FTL could offer unavailable missiles and drone parts.
- Aliances with races. When finish enough missions, player will get 'accepted' status. Race's ships will help attack, shares maps, offers better prices, free emergency repairs and refuelling.
... (well, many more, but I'm too tired to write about them, maybe later, if there will be someone interested)
