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Discussions Rules and Guidelines
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PRO
+ Visuals
+ Cinematics
+ Weapon and armor customization/systems
+ Combat
+ Maps/exploration/secrets
+ Enemies/Bosses
+ Sound
+ World
CONS
- Quest System
- Design Choices
- Story delivery
At the time of this writing , only .5% of 1.0 purchasers had completed the game, unfortunately. Hopefully that will go up, but some of the issues below might be hindering that.
The big issue seems to be the Quest System. Unlike souls games which have no quest log and no quests driving your character's progress - Sands is purely quest driven with side quests. Sadly, the quest system is quite challenging. Some quests break, some have hidden parameters and some can be fatal.
Some design elements also just seem to conflict with the game play and flow.
- No way to easily identify NPC names (put over heads? on minimap)
- NPCs in town way apart - running constantly between stations
- Hard to understand what to do to progress armor/weapons (having to find crafters, having to then find more 'tools'?) None of this is really explained. Vague finding out what to do without forum help.
- Crafting hard caps? Why tools needed to stop you if you have glint/mats?
- Many items vague. Too many say 'maybe someone at X will find useful'. Some consumables only give hint/non obvious use.
- Many quests vague.
When I was in action mode (fighting, exploring, upgrading) - I had great fun.
When I was in thinking mode (reading story, quests, items, puzzles, deciding next steps) - I felt bogged down.
The first part was souls like. But so was the 2nd part , unfortunately. with too much vagueness on quests, items, puzzles, what to do. Souls lets you do what you want, you are only stopped by your own skill - so it can be vague. Sands you have to progress through specific quests - not as much fun if too vague - stopping you regardless of skill.
Some good, solid and fair feedback! thank you again for playing and for your detailed feedback! we are going to have a good postmortem and this feedback will help us identify our short comings!
As a 2nd opinion, I don't really see much of an issue with being quest-oriented. In some ways, it provides MORE direction than, say, Dark Souls because you at least get some idea of what to do, or where you could go, next. In Dark Souls, you just kinda wander around until you find something, or more likely, die horribly to some troll encounter FROM added for lols
That said, I have beaten DS and you do get used to it, but I also play a lot of RPG's. Either system works, IMO, they both have advantages and disadvantages. Some people prefer the free-form exploration (feels more rewarding overall when you discover something) and some like the semi-guided quest system where it's easier to feel consistent progress rather than being "stuck"
I can imagine a game with no quests at all quite easily - and it being fantastic. You could have put the story out (a much more simplified story of just re-igniting the portals) through the great cinematics and cutscenes with dialogue in them. The goal could have simply been to get something from each of the bosses (some items) to bring back to starspire unlocking the portals. There could still have been side quests like in souls where the NPC mentions something - but without a quest log - on there being "tools" on islands for the smiths and so on. Lore easily could have been incorporated through the guy who talked on ship in the sand and through loading screens on bottom. Lots of ways I could imagine that would have made the game about exploration at your own pace, while still developing lore, wherever you wanted to go, with a large goal of getting all the portals fired up or something.
Still - I enjoyed your game a lot - but your help in the forums probably was a factor for me not putting it down at times
The story is dense and absorbing, something that really invites you to stay and learn more about this universe.
At the same time that you follow the story, nothing prevents you from investigating other places and that is what I have done, the exploration feels pleasantly rewarded since you discover places, islands that are totally optional and where there is always something of great value at the end that rewards, even more, exploration, although the fact of discovering a completely new little 'world' is something more than gratifying.
I think the names on the map are not necessary since normally you have to explore the city to find someone, there should not be a point on the map to guide you. I like how this has developed.
Although I do think it would have been useful to have a character library with information. Something like it is done in the missions, but with a photo of the character and a short description about it. This way, if, for example, they tell me to go see Galina, if I don't remember what character she is because, for example, I've only seen her once and I don't remember her, I can always look it up in the information provided to me in my character library. Otherwise I have to talk to all the characters to find out who she is, when really our hero is supposed to know all the inhabitants of the island and you should know this information.
I have not played Dark Souls, I think the closest games I have played has been Blade: The Edge of Darkness and Deathtrap Dungeon and specifically in the latter there are no level ups, it all depends on your skill and knowing how to use the correct weapon in the right time. For this part I think Sands of Aura feels easier since if you find it difficult you can improve your equipment and the runes you socket to make your path easier.
In everything I think your game is excellent. I hope you bring us a new game soon. :)
Any clues to getting the good ending? :P
Edit: Wow... looking at the game statistics, I see that I am in the minority that has killed Aura :'(
I really didn't want to do it.
Ehh you are not alone, I had to cause I didnt understand to go kill the other eldergod.and I messed up around with quests. Now i am taking the occasion to get all achievements. I belive you have to kill the second god first, go on the small island and I dont know.
I think at least, cause I see I am missing all optional aura moments achievement too, so maybe that matters.
The only thing is to interact with her in all of her locations. it gets a little tricky at the end. gotta pay attention to what mentes says if he presents himself to you after Tupi goes into the tower of entropy.
In my next game I will be more careful with this to get the good ending.
Thanks both for the help :)