Too scary for a 7-year-old -- mods or cheats to help?

[Incendiary Snail]

I've been playing this game both by myself and with my 7-year-old copilot, who sits beside me and helps. He loved the game from the moment the intro sequence began, and he finds it very satisfying to help take ships apart and send each bit into the right place.

The problem is when things go wrong. From an adult perspective Shipbreaker is fantastic, because the consequences of an error are so real. The first time I smashed my faceplate I had a great time trying (and failing) to get back to the console while watching my poor clone breathe his last into vacuum.

But it's scary for a child. He gets very nervous whenever we do anything around fuel pipes. Class I reactors are terrifying, even when we have a good plan and an open piece of hull to get it out. We've just unlocked Class II reactors and it's going to be too much for him.

It may be hard to change that part of the game at all. The best option may just be to remove personal death, a sort of God mode, but I haven't found any way of doing that. Nor have I found a mod to do anything similar. It would make the game less fun from an adult perspective but would help my little guy enjoy it. We'd still have the other consequences of a mistake -- like an explosion blowing up most of the ship we're working on -- but it could be worth a try.

Does anyone know a way to achieve this? The answer may be no, but it's worth asking because of how much fun he's had with the game.

[Lord Admiral Revol]

It is a Pegi 12 rated game, and Common Sense Media rates it for age 13. Look, you need to get age appropriate media to your kids.

Not to mention the writing, that alone would make me rate this 25+, because no impressionable people should be exposed to this nonsense, and that's when the frontal lobe finalizes. Roughly.

[SympliKrazi]

Real fuel containers can do real damage when a cutting torch is applied to them.

Good thing Shipbreaker is a scifi sim.

Maybe it's time to learn the difference between real and vitual.

Also, the reason this game was developed is that the devs have respect for the actual shipbreakers who work on decommissioned water vessels and how dangerous and hazardous the job is, and how under compensated and unprotected the workers can be, especially in third world countries.

[Wiawyr]

Originally posted by SympliKrazi:

Also, the reason this game was developed is that the devs have respect for the actual shipbreakers who work on decommissioned water vessels and how dangerous and hazardous the job is, and how under compensated and unprotected the workers can be, especially in third world countries.

Slight correction: the 4-day work week devs use this as an excuse to deflect criticism since The Story shows they know absolutely nothing first- or second-hand about hard manual labor and labor unions and have no respect for them. The Story is actually age-appropriate for the OP's co-pilot since that's the maturity level it's written with, but as noted this should not be shown to anyone at an impressionable age as it is completely divorced from real world methods, experiences, and organizations.

[Lord Admiral Revol]

Okay, I thought about this for a little bit more, and I got something for you:

Ship Graveyard Simulator 2

It's real life ships being taken apart in India. No suffocation, no burning, you can play in coop, it's great. Nuclear powered vessels have some radiation, but all it does is boots you back to the starting point, and some flammable gas system do exist, but all it does is make a big explosion if you cut it before draining the gas, so it's not scary at all.

And, best of all, no ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ socialist propaganda. It really grinds my eastern european gears that westerners still glorify that pile of nonsense, but hey, they have a right to be stupid, I just wish they wouldn't abuse that right.

[H8M4Ch1N3]

Originally posted by Lord Admiral Revol:

And, best of all, no ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ socialist propaganda. It really grinds my eastern european gears that westerners still glorify that pile of nonsense, but hey, they have a right to be stupid, I just wish they wouldn't abuse that right.

Man, get it together. Unions are *not* ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ socialist propaganda. If you really are eastern-european maybe you should learn what broke the iron curtain away and put an end to USSR. Tip: IT WAS A UNION.

[PegasusJF]

Originally posted by H8M4Ch1N3:

Originally posted by Lord Admiral Revol:

And, best of all, no ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ socialist propaganda. It really grinds my eastern european gears that westerners still glorify that pile of nonsense, but hey, they have a right to be stupid, I just wish they wouldn't abuse that right.

Man, get it together. Unions are *not* ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ socialist propaganda. If you really are eastern-european maybe you should learn what broke the iron curtain away and put an end to USSR. Tip: IT WAS A UNION.

I have to confirm, unions are not necessary socialist. However, I think some unions have become arrogant. Thinking more about themselves than the people they serve.

[H8M4Ch1N3]

Originally posted by PegasusJF:

Originally posted by H8M4Ch1N3:

Man, get it together. Unions are *not* ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ socialist propaganda. If you really are eastern-european maybe you should learn what broke the iron curtain away and put an end to USSR. Tip: IT WAS A UNION.

I have to confirm, unions are not necessary socialist. However, I think some unions have become arrogant. Thinking more about themselves than the people they serve.

Absolutely true. This is not the case in the US, however, and the game is American. Also, ♥♥♥♥♥♥ unions are still better than no unions, which is visible in the US workplace dynamic. The same company in the EU is normal, while in the US it's draining people's souls away.

[Lord Admiral Revol]

Originally posted by H8M4Ch1N3:

Originally posted by Lord Admiral Revol:

And, best of all, no ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ socialist propaganda. It really grinds my eastern european gears that westerners still glorify that pile of nonsense, but hey, they have a right to be stupid, I just wish they wouldn't abuse that right.

Man, get it together. Unions are *not* ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ socialist propaganda. If you really are eastern-european maybe you should learn what broke the iron curtain away and put an end to USSR. Tip: IT WAS A UNION.

Indeed unions are not socialist propaganda you strawmanning meanie. This pile of garbage writing *points at Hardspace* on the other hand, is in fact, nothing but socialist propaganda. How do I recognize socialist propaganda? Easy, I live in a post-soviet country, we recognize this crap from miles.

[H8M4Ch1N3]

Originally posted by Lord Admiral Revol:

Originally posted by H8M4Ch1N3:

Man, get it together. Unions are *not* ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ socialist propaganda. If you really are eastern-european maybe you should learn what broke the iron curtain away and put an end to USSR. Tip: IT WAS A UNION.

Indeed unions are not socialist propaganda you strawmanning meanie. This pile of garbage writing *points at Hardspace* on the other hand, is in fact, nothing but socialist propaganda. How do I recognize socialist propaganda? Easy, I live in a post-soviet country, we recognize this crap from miles.

1) This game is union propaganda. Not socialist propaganda. There is nothing socialist about it, except for worker's solidarity, which is hardly exclusive to socialism
2) You're not entitled to be all-knowing and always right about socialism because you live in a post-soviet country. So do I, and we clearly disagree. For me, this is exactly how I know this game has nothing to do with soviet countries, cause I don't see a dictator anywhere around, unless you consider a company to be a person.

[Wiawyr]

Originally posted by H8M4Ch1N3:

Originally posted by Lord Admiral Revol:

Indeed unions are not socialist propaganda you strawmanning meanie. This pile of garbage writing *points at Hardspace* on the other hand, is in fact, nothing but socialist propaganda. How do I recognize socialist propaganda? Easy, I live in a post-soviet country, we recognize this crap from miles.

1) This game is union propaganda. Not socialist propaganda. There is nothing socialist about it, except for worker's solidarity, which is hardly exclusive to socialism
2) You're not entitled to be all-knowing and always right about socialism because you live in a post-soviet country. So do I, and we clearly disagree. For me, this is exactly how I know this game has nothing to do with soviet countries, cause I don't see a dictator anywhere around, unless you consider a company to be a person.

Do you think that Kaito is contributing his fair share, or is he being supported entirely on the backs of actually-productive workers?

[H8M4Ch1N3]

Originally posted by Wiawyr:

Originally posted by H8M4Ch1N3:

1) This game is union propaganda. Not socialist propaganda. There is nothing socialist about it, except for worker's solidarity, which is hardly exclusive to socialism
2) You're not entitled to be all-knowing and always right about socialism because you live in a post-soviet country. So do I, and we clearly disagree. For me, this is exactly how I know this game has nothing to do with soviet countries, cause I don't see a dictator anywhere around, unless you consider a company to be a person.

Do you think that Kaito is contributing his fair share, or is he being supported entirely on the backs of actually-productive workers?

He is, cause he is actually trying, he is not slacking off. He just sucks at the job and should find another one, but with the way the job market is structured there, he cannot back out anymore. It's not like he is making mistakes that he does not suffer from, he suffers both physically and mentally through, yk, DYING, and financially because whatever he messes up goes out of his pocket.

With all that being said, I truly do not know how this matters to the conversation at hand.

[Lord Admiral Revol]

Originally posted by H8M4Ch1N3:

Originally posted by Lord Admiral Revol:

Indeed unions are not socialist propaganda you strawmanning meanie. This pile of garbage writing *points at Hardspace* on the other hand, is in fact, nothing but socialist propaganda. How do I recognize socialist propaganda? Easy, I live in a post-soviet country, we recognize this crap from miles.

1) This game is union propaganda. Not socialist propaganda. There is nothing socialist about it, except for worker's solidarity, which is hardly exclusive to socialism
2) You're not entitled to be all-knowing and always right about socialism because you live in a post-soviet country. So do I, and we clearly disagree. For me, this is exactly how I know this game has nothing to do with soviet countries, cause I don't see a dictator anywhere around, unless you consider a company to be a person.

1) Not mutually exclusive. This is both.
2) Granted, I'm not entitled to be omniscient. Neither do I have to be. This is just transparent, like all ideologically radical propaganda. And I find your lack of understanding of post-soviet countries disturbing if you truly live among us.
The metaphor the game hamfists is not that the company is a communist dictatorship, is that Lou, the main antagonist (I don't care, she is evil) is a communist revolutionary. Like most propaganda pieces of that period, she cannot do wrong, she is always vindicated, and always fight cardboard cutouts of actual ideological opponents. I half expected that the game ends in a Triumph of Will style ceremony award. (Before you say, yes, I know that was national socialist propaganda, but socialism is socialism, regardless of window dressing.)

[McPaulCommander]

Yo guys, this is a chat about making the game more approachable for a child. No idea how this steam discussion became a reddit comment section.

[Jtn7]

For a 7 year old, Id recommend one of the Trucker or car games,
Super Smash brothers type games. Farming sims .
or Tiny Glade, where you just build little houses and stuff.

I think as simple as this game is, Space-breakers is too involved for 7 years old.

RoadCraft is so so.
American Truck Simulator maybe the best option.

[Johnathon Fortnite]

Did you ever try playing a game designed for children? That'd probably help.