Whats the point?

[bobbybell36]

In less than a week of playing, usually by Year 3 or 4, everything is automated at this point with your village and easily bringing in 10k+ gold per season without doing anything. They all make their own tools and food/water. I literally have nothing to do with my player himself. All this without changing any settings in my favor. I am sure it is just as easy for others. Where is the end game or something you need to work for and earn?

[Goldi_Toplitz]

Sometimes money isn't everything. How is your in-game family doing? What does your village look like?

[Morri]

You can play it perfectly as a sandbox and RP in the world for as long as you like.

For me personally, I make it harder for myself with these settings and self-imposed rules as described in the 3rd post in this topic:
https://steamcommunity.com/app/1129580/discussions/0/3775742652431287464/

I'm currently in year 7, have only 2 other families living in my village, only just unlocked the tavern, not unlocked the mine yet. I never run out of things to do - help with the harvest, help with cooking, cleaning out stables, decorating the houses and work buildings, crafting things and travelling to the villages to sell them, hunting, mining, exploring the river banks for much desired saplings, ...

[bobbybell36]

It has nothing to do with money, I greatly enjoyed the game, you just quickly come to a point where there isn't much to do. For example, gaining experience for your own personal skills seems like its not needed. The villagers literally can cover every aspect of anything you would need. Weapons currently have nearly zero use in the game besides the first couple hours for hunting. You sometimes "can be hours between" run into a few bandits but you can kill them with your fists in a matter of seconds. Not talking down on the game, just yearning for something to make you want to keep playing for longer. Something to make it challenging.

[bobbybell36]

The most talked about topic of this game seems to be people always starting over, which makes sense. You start over because you have to work for everything again.

[invivo4u]

It's up to you to make the game exciting...the devs give you the tools...

[Blue_Bug]

Originally posted by bobbybell36:

The most talked about topic of this game seems to be people always starting over, which makes sense. You start over because you have to work for everything again.

"Always" seems to me a litle to harsh. I did start over 3 times. The first time, I did almost everything wrong I could do (imo). The 2nd time was because there were so much in game changes that I wanted to play it acoording those changes from the beginning. The last time was after an idea from Morri, With self-imposed Rules. I'm now in year 15 of that game.

But I agree with no self-imposed Rules, you can run out of things to do quite quickly especialy if you don't like to decorate your village.

[pdoan8]

I'm the one that doesn't like to decorate the village (low creativity, near zero artistic appreciation). I build the village for my convenient (where I have my storage buildings
and some production buildings). My village doesn't look good in many ways, because I figure out that NPCs don't care about all that (except the decor in their houses), and I normally don't like to create useless work for myself (I'm lazy).

Currently, I'm only in my 8th year. The village is fully developed (all buildings). Population is 87 (60 adults all pair up, 17 children including my boy). Most of my villager have skill level at least 6 in their main job. Many are at level 10 in their main job. My main job now is looking out the window and wait for the day to end (5 days season seems too long now). This is considered to be a (very rush) test run so I can learn the game.

Up to this point, three things that disappoint me the most:
- NPCs don't need clothing: this would be the biggest disappointment. Smaller disappointment: NPCs also don't need anything the tavern produce.
- The wife response: just like any other stranger. I guess, my son would do the same.
- Lack of side quest variety.

I hope these three would get some care from the Devs in the future.

How to make the game less boring: as suggested above, play with some self-imposed rule so that you will have something to do very season. Playing default or shorter season (less than 10 days) would also help. In my opinion, the game should progress like this:
- Find a place to settle.
- Build up some wealth.
- Find a girl and marry her.
- Wife give quest every year/season that reward you with good (high level) people.
- Build up a village.

You can play the bottom two as progression. Invite one or a pair very season/year. See them as sort of building unlock/tech unlock as if you invite them to bring some new skill/product to your village. Live within your means. You need to trade for thing that you don't produce. Don't do all the jobs yourself.

[Blue_Bug]

Originally posted by pdoan8:

I'm the one that doesn't like to decorate the village (low creativity, near zero artistic appreciation). I build the village for my convenient (where I have my storage buildings
and some production buildings). My village doesn't look good in many ways, because I figure out that NPCs don't care about all that (except the decor in their houses), and I normally don't like to create useless work for myself (I'm lazy).

Currently, I'm only in my 8th year. The village is fully developed (all buildings). Population is 87 (60 adults all pair up, 17 children including my boy). Most of my villager have skill level at least 6 in their main job. Many are at level 10 in their main job. My main job now is looking out the window and wait for the day to end (5 days season seems too long now). This is considered to be a (very rush) test run so I can learn the game.

Up to this point, three things that disappoint me the most:
- NPCs don't need clothing: this would be the biggest disappointment. Smaller disappointment: NPCs also don't need anything the tavern produce.
- The wife response: just like any other stranger. I guess, my son would do the same.
- Lack of side quest variety.

I hope these three would get some care from the Devs in the future.

How to make the game less boring: as suggested above, play with some self-imposed rule so that you will have something to do very season. Playing default or shorter season (less than 10 days) would also help. In my opinion, the game should progress like this:
- Find a place to settle.
- Build up some wealth.
- Find a girl and marry her.
- Wife give quest every year/season that reward you with good (high level) people.
- Build up a village.

You can play the bottom two as progression. Invite one or a pair very season/year. See them as sort of building unlock/tech unlock as if you invite them to bring some new skill/product to your village. Live within your means. You need to trade for thing that you don't produce. Don't do all the jobs yourself.

You know that you can customize your game midgame to have fewer days. I believe the minimum is 3 days. Also you can skip the rest of the season after day 3 by slepping to the next season.

[barbaraclubb]

Minimum is one day, but you can mess yourself up with quests that have "talk to next day". So I made it two days.

[hubbemattsson]

Originally posted by barbaraclubb:

Minimum is one day, but you can mess yourself up with quests that have "talk to next day". So I made it two days.

Those are not available on 1 day seasons, and those that still are, works into next season.

[pdoan8]

Originally posted by Blue_Bug:

You know that you can customize your game midgame to have fewer days. I believe the minimum is 3 days. Also you can skip the rest of the season after day 3 by slepping to the next season.

Yes. I use 10 days at start then drop to 5. My farmers need at least 3 days to finish all the fields/orchard. I need at least 2 days to go to all other villages to say "hi".

Question: if I sleep in the first day to skip to the next season, will my farmers still finish all their work?

[Morri]

Originally posted by pdoan8:

Question: if I sleep in the first day to skip to the next season, will my farmers still finish all their work?

No, they won't. During the timeskip nothing will happen. But you can't skip on the first day if I remember correctly. Only after 3 days.

[pdoan8]

Originally posted by Morri:

Originally posted by pdoan8:

Question: if I sleep in the first day to skip to the next season, will my farmers still finish all their work?

No, they won't. During the timeskip nothing will happen. But you can't skip on the first day if I remember correctly. Only after 3 days.

Thanks. 5 days season will be fine for me. My eyes need resting sometimes.

[Deranged_Donkey]

well son you just too good for any thing,,

[gkrands]

Suggestions for improving long term playability -

1. Random events that have direct impact on your village
- bandits attack / kidnap villagers (generate side quest to rescue or pay ransom)
- natural disaster (forest fire, flood, drought, plague). Something to requires an active response from the player

2. Market forces / dynamic markets - I shouldn't be able to run a village with an economy based on spoons. Apply the law of diminishing returns when I sell my 1,000th spoon to the same settlement. Make me diversify my production.

3. Royal mandate - the King (?) of the region demands a levy of items to support war with neighbouring nation. I have to produce (#) of (x) within (y) seasons or there is a penalty of some kind (conscription of my villagers?)

4. Inter-settlement conflict - everyone plays nice = boring.
Didn't you hear that so-and-so's wife from settlement A ran off with the farmer from settlement B? Now they're demanding compensation or they'll burn our fields.
Introduce settlement diplomacy / conflict / relations

5. Environmental damage - I've cut down every tree within 10 kms of my settlement and deploy 50 traps a season in the nearby river..... No problem, have some more trees and never-ending fish stocks. Maybe resources dry up / become contaminated over time, forcing diversification of activities.

6. Civilisation Diversity - aka Free the Serfs. Village A is a big fan of feudal serfdom, but Village B believes every man is free. What makes my settlement different from the next? Maybe introduce aspects like judicial systems, governance (meritocracy vs monarchy), economic beliefs (capitalism vs socialism), or other civic settings.

7. Diversity - not particularly inclusive atm. No racial diversity or same-sex options? Is this a historical simulation or sandbox? (I'm honestly ignorant about this)

8. Religion. Because conflict is interesting.

Fin :-D