Gatekeeping the game

Farthest Frontier Ideas and Feedback
1

‘… and X makes doing Y so hard…’
‘… why does Z have to happen when I can’t even make it past D…’

etc.

What’s the point of creating such a beautiful palate if you’re only going to let a certain genre of hardcore gamers use it?

Every time someone mentions how difficult ‘X, Y or Z’ is, someone comes along, looking down their nose at them, and smugly insists ‘It’s a feature, not a bug!’, or ‘I enjoy the challenge!’

Okay.

Maybe it is a feature, or you see it as some kind of fun addition to your game.

But you have to admit-

  1. It’s a Feature for very advanced players.

  2. Making it the limiting or exclusionary standard for all players significantly reduces the number of those who would wish to enjoy the tools and opportunities the game can provide but cannot or will not deal with the utter nuisance and aggravation that these ‘features’ provide.

The option to play either way only increases the customer base.

You can gatekeep this game to oblivion by making it the hardest mofo of all time.

The only people you’ll sell it to are the uninitiated, 99% of whom will never trust your franchises again, and a core group of fanatics who can crush stats, but don’t know silly from sublime.

Stop hording your polygons.

Let the art flow.

2

Not really sure what you’re talking about here. The fact that a T2 windmill needs heavy tools which can only be made by T3 buildings or by trading for them? Something else? Lack of resources on maps?

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3

Not sure what you mean. The game doesn’t feel like it’s designed for hardcore players in the slightest.

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4

Yeah.
I love playing Chess with just one pawn, against grandmasters, because I love a challenge! :roll_eyes:

5

Not all games will suit all people. In spite of the fact I am finding the game challenging to say the least, it’s a very well designed game at its basis. They have already said some things will change, for example having proper forestry management, and that alone will enable me to grow my population a bit more before losing my grip on my town. If every software studio made games that everyone could play easily, we’d all be bored.

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6

May typical game year… prepping for trade, trading, prepping for trade, waiting… with a little bit of management thrown in. And I am definitely not a great gamer.

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7

That analogy falls short in this game. Especially since you have a difficulty setting (one they will provide more customizable options for), and even Vanquisher cannot be described as, “playing Chess with just one pawn, against grandmasters.”

8

I do find it challenging that it’s very hard indeed to get to Tier 3 (in order to access foundries and blacksmiths to make heavy tools, tools, and weapons) without losing villagers and getting oodles of messages about no weapons. I’m struggling mightily at Tier 2 and I don’t even have soldiers yet. One issue this creates is that it’s impossible for a settlement to be completely self-reliant–you HAVE to trade for the heavy tools to build the foundry and blacksmith so you can MAKE heavy tools! I wanted to do a no-trade challenge, but for that reason I realized it’s impossible.

This is off the OP topic, though, so I will address that really quick. I am by no means a grandmaster at chess, literally or figuratively. But one of the things I like best is the challenge this game presents. It’s not always intuitive (tutorials need some work) and can be discouraging at times, but it’s not meant to be easy. If you want easy, play pacifist Pioneer on Idyllic Valley. It’s a management game, not primarily a “design your dream town” game. If you want easy and mindless, play something like Township.

I know the OP doesn’t like to hear people talk about how they like the challenge. My response is that if you don’t want even the challenge level of pacifist Pioneer, then this isn’t the best game for you. That’s okay.

You can’t please all the people all the time.

For the love of Pete, don’t encourage the developers to dumb down the game. Improve AI, definitely; expand the game, make it slightly more intuitive but DO NOT DUMB IT DOWN. For once I’ve found a game that’s all of exciting, challenging, relaxing, and interesting.

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9

Yeah I’m not sure what the issue is. You can play the game on peaceful mode if all you want is a city builder. There are multiple choices of maps to increase or decrease the availability of resources. There’s also lots of options to make the game harder as well as the ability to impose your own rules on yourself if you’d wish. I think “FOR AN EARLY ACCESS GAME” it’s quite accessible.

10

I love all of those who come to suggest the easy mode on the easy map.

Like, gosh!

Why didn’t I think of that?!?!?!

ahem…

Buildings still burn and fall to ruin unless access to expensive building materials is constant.

People still starve, freeze and succumb to illnesses.

Crops still go to waste from heat, frost, disease, rot and lazy, idiot, wandering farmers.

Clothing, shoes, and kit are all subject to wear and need replacement.

Besides, some folks are not looking at the bigger picture.

Colony building games have long been a source of astounding artworks created by brilliant gamer/artists.

This one has as many or more polygons & cool game mechanics (the ability to shape terrain, regenerating forests etc.) and pushes that envelope further down the road.

The artworks created by brilliant gamer/artists that have nothing to do with the ‘gameplay’ and everything to do with the palette they were given and how they chose to interpret it to the screen in spite of having to deal with the game’s requirements.

Sandbox mode is not a crime and should be an option.

Not the only option.

The advanced player mechanics are already there, let them play at a level they enjoy.

Maybe I’m looking too far ahead for some to see what I do.

But I see this game as a huge leap forward for the art & artists, and can hardly wait to see what they come up with.

Some of you already have done amazingly well.

11

So basically you want to have an option that changes the game to something it isn’t. Everything available, no problems to deal with at all.

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12

Every post of yours comes off as someone that doesn’t know how to play, can’t even accept any help or criticism from others on how to improve, and just wants the game made so stupidly easy with no penalties or downsides that it would make it a completely different game.

The game clearly isn’t for you.

And this ridiculous argument that “making the game easier widens the audience” is nonsense. GGG has proven that with Path of Exile. They refuse to make it watered down and easier, and it has proven to be the right move as it’s even more popular because of that. Every game I’ve ever played that went the path of watering it down for those that weren’t good enough to play ended up falling apart as the people that loved the game for what it was ended up leaving after it was watered down to complete trash.

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13

Totally agree, just look at ESO, a AAA game that just watered itself down to placate the “easy mode” whiners… players are leaving in droves.

14

Is this a serious comment? Of course the OP wants to change the game - that is why they are posting!

And I for one think the game should have a sand box mode. If it won’t ship with one, it will certainly be modded pronto. Look at City Skylines - it succeeds precisely because modders change the game - for the better. Does the fact it comes native with an infinite money mode somehow diminish it? Absolutely not.

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15

Some people are just whiny. this game is hardly “hardcore”

16

You may want to double check that. GGG has a massive player rebellion on their hands because the weight of all those dumb decisions is finally crashing down around them

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17

“to something it isn’t,” is perfectly valid context that you’re ignoring.

18

I am surprised by this request to simplify the game.

Admittedly, it’s not easy to handle (I’m not a hard core gamer) but I’m stubborn. If I don’t succeed well I wonder what I did wrong and I try again. Because a game is designed for the players to get by so I have to be able to do that too.
When I started, there was no Idilic valley. When this map was in play, I tried it and found it boring: too easy, everything is available in abundance. I made the arid map and I found it amusing because I had to review my way of developing my city with rather narrow buildable land, very little fertile land, etc.

Rather than claiming more ease, it is necessary to analyze the reasons for our failures in order to no longer suffer from them.

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19

I think essentially that unless the devs see fit to release a sandbox version, you’re out of luck. Sorry (or not, since it’s not my problem). :smiley:

“You can please some of the people most of the time, most of the people some of the time, but never all of the people all of the time.”

20

I think the issue is you’re playing the wrong game. This is a survival city builder. There are other games that will better suit your needs. I’d recommend WorldBox for the complete sandbox experience.

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