I would just give a small feedback how this game feels for me.
In general and until now i would rate this game 4/10 stars.
Why?
There are some important things for a game in 2022:
Graphics:
This one is super insane and great job! Nothing to say here against.
Deepnes:
This part of the game is for me the most important one. There is no real “deepness” into this game. What do I mean: Playing this game 1-2 times fullfils already my interest into this game, because its always the same. It feels static and you have to build everything the same way. At the end game it becomes always a compost emptying simulator with 5000 fire wood makers. So there is no real “End-Game” target. If we are talking about a city builder: There is no real free placing of buildings (even rotation is not possible) - so this is not a city builder (like city skylines) - if we look to be a banished 2.0 this could be it and thats it. Than I am asking me why I should play this game instead of banished?
There is no real trading possibilty where I can focus on “important” stuff in the end-game instead of buyng wood, and stone year for year. I can not do expeditions/discoverys or whatever and have every new game a new outcome, possibilty or similar. There is no military system as raiders dont have a central spot which you could attack in late end game…
So in general this is just a simple game where you dont really have a target, motivation, and a kick to play it more. It will become a 1 time playing game per year and thats it. Of course if something will change later than I would be happy. But I dont really see where this game will go.
Specially after having a look into “Manor Lords” where you have a lot of the described possibilites.
This is the excellent summary for the developer to pay attention to. The main structure of the game is there, now it is time to stretch to the next level.
Seems like you’re really saying “I don’t like it; it’s not finished.” I think you’re correct… it is after all, early access and still at a good 5-6 months from release most likely.
Interesting comment on the Cities:Skylines thing: you can’t free place anything in C:S other than some park props/facilities, without mods that is. This game has a grid placement system very similar except that you don’t need a road/suitable network to place a building on, but you don’t get to make the grid for placing buildings bend to a road spline. Two different implementations of a pretty similar idea. (You can rotate buildings in FF using TAB but maybe that’s not quite what you meant)
Not sure what they will add in the comming 6 monhts which will be so amazaing to enhance this game and the deepness (There is even an “big” issue to add bridges…). I also do not see any direction in which they have build any base to enhance on later. The only thing which I can see is just more production chains, thats it. But yes lets see where it will be in 1-2 years. But until now i am not really flashed by this game. As I said I can play it once and thats it. Its just my feedback. This game is everything (city builder, seetlers, anno, …) and at the end nothing becaue there is no deepness.
Ok sorry for giving a bad example City Skylines, look at foundations there you can build as you like.
While I agree that the game becomes a snooze after you overcome the initial problems with Resources, Map Type, Raiders, and Predators, it also has a solid basis for further development of the End or Late Game:
Right now, Level 4 is pretty bare: add more Luxury Production, perhaps a new ‘level’ of Raiders, perhaps some Hierarchial play (City Hall? ‘Aristocratic’ Luxuries and houses?)
They’ve hinted at a Level 5. That gives room for a whole new range of additions, of which my choice would be to add a form of Monumental Constuction: a Castle, a Keep, a Palace (“Residence”), Guild Halls, specialized Markets, etc. Something requiring major concentration of Gold and Resources that you’ve (presumably) piled up in the earlier 100+ hours of playing - which would also give a focus and meaning to all that prior play.
The game is completely open-ended right now, with no limits on where the future can take it.
More, and different types of buildings can be added forever.
Endgame play right now consists of two aspects, repelling raids/dealing with tribute demands, and/or terraforming the terrain for elevated locations to develop.
It doesn’t stop them from developing full-blown castles, tower-mounted ballista or catapult, bridges/boats, Mongol invasion, or anything else Crate or the community can think of.
I don’t care what they could do in time, they have stated that the game is pretty much content complete and right now the content is lame once you reach tier 4. And it don’t take me from 400 population to 1000 to perfect my city. Waste of time to sit around waiting for nothing to ultimately happen but raid from time to time.
The few things they have implemented are the basic necessities for a game of this type. Many of the things added should have been here from the start. I hope they tell us something more then tier 5 housing is coming. Look at the game Manor Lords. Its not out yet but there are videos of gameplay. You’ll see that FF is behind the curve on features
Its my feedback for the current state. Just to make them aware of it.
But exactly as you mentioned “Terraforming”, on what are you relying on? To terraform 60x times the same area until I have the wished result. This is also something which is totaly unfinished. I would wish more possibilities there.
And of course if they add new stuff I am more than happy. But for now there is no late game and deepness.
Yes, we are just saying that Manor Lord has potential and this potential can be reviewed and maybe also done in FF. Because im Manor Lords I can see that everything can be enhanced. Production Chains, War, Level of Detail and interaction as player (first person view), trading routes between seperate regions, and so on and so on… And dont get me wrong FF is not a bad game, its just boring at the late game and yes it can be strechted by Level 5 and 6, if this will bring better results I don’t know.
Regarding Terraforming: It would be absolut great if you can select the area which you want to terra-form, after this you can grab the grid (each corner of indiviual grid) put it up and down, at the and say construct, and the people will do it (if complex it will take longer), for now its just guessing, trying and frustrating. This blocks a player to build nice, he is blocked by the static 4-direction rotation, so the game is giving a lot of limits by it self to the user, also how to build markets, theaters etc. it has always this ranges which are limiting the user to build free.
Who is talking if manor lords will be finished or not?
I just said ME AS PLAYER can see more potential without having knowledge where and how Manor Lords is impelmented than FF.
I dont see what FF will bring in in Released Version which is mindblowing. Its a 0815 builder game not more not less and super booring at late game. I just gave a feedback to provide a diffrent view to the devs. If they understand it, respect or will take out something is completly at them.
