Trying to like the game but struggling

[Inconmon]

I bought the game few months back. Played first tutorial, then started started second tutorial map and saved after a minute. Next time I played the update made the save incompatible and weird things happened. So apologies if I might miss some game basics.

I've since then played like 3 or 4 maps and won all of them. However, they always felt the same and not in a good way. With weeks or months between games I forget some details as well and generally don't continue saves because updates kill them.

1. I end up having to produce something like trade goods but don't ever see the building that let's me do that. Some other basics I also will miss the buildings for. Every single game.

2. Because I can't do all orders, it ends up a rush for various glades to gain points there. Every single game. It never feels like a problem either. Yea some short debuff before I get stuff, whatever.

3. I generally run out of food because I lack whatever building is required for most of the big resources on the map and all maps have the modifier of no fertile soil and thus no farms. So I just trade whatever I got for food with traders towards the end.

4. There's so many things the various races want and really difficult to keep track of (UI presentation?). I mostly ignore it just doing whatever and it works anyhow because it's so much. It feels like the system is needlessly complex.

5. The actual optimisation puzzle of a city builder isn't really there. Every game is vaguely the same and I don't feel like I'm making meaningful decisions at any points. Just do the obvious thing and wait.

The rogue lite city builder is such a clever idea, but doesn't come together. Everything is about tiny details and nuances instead of big meaningful differences. This is the main problem of the game. Each building produces several things that overlap with other buildings so there's no clear roles and production paths. Multiple races with every race requiring stuff means everything kind of helps instead of each map having a clear focus.

Like this map requires you to focus on meat production to make your carnivore population happy, while this map over hear food isn't a thing but your population is unhappy being out of hearth range for any amount of time, and then this map there's high production demands. Few very clear modifiers instead of tons of nuances and numbers muddled together into same-ish soup every time.

[tsbasilisk]

i agree

[Nordil(Hun)]

I think you are playing on lower difficulties and did not unlock many things yet.
The game has different difficulty settings, and the lower difficulties are actually VERY forgiving. What you describe as rushing for the glades to get the point is a valid strategy, however on higher levels, simply the cost of opening glades, and trying to get that one point might not be sustainable. You get more hostility, more impatient points when your folks leave(so if they starve, or feel unhappy you might get as high as 0.5 impatient point) so you can loes a game much much more easily.
That is where you need to start planning ahead with what you got.

However even with forgiving lower levels you lack a lot of the choices you have with higher levels. (I mean unlocked buildings and cornerstones.)

Just as an example: I am a returning player and i thought i knew the game. Many things changed of course and i utterly failed on prestige 1 on the very first normal map. Later on i failed on a few maps as well, beause i forgot about a few things, i did not want to sacrifice resources and so on. Currently i am playing on prestige 12. I just had a map where i did not get any food producing building blueprints for....well like the last 2 points i can achieve. Which is terrible because your folks leave or starve and you gain ("only") 0.3 impatience points. However with some cornerstones i was able to counter it. On prestige 12 you have only 2(!) blueprint options to choose from and a reroll costs as a base 10 gold and each time it raises by 5 points. I had a ton of fertile land, drizzle water geysers, but i could not use them as i had nothing to use it for beside the field kitchen. Which you unlock on a higher level (same with the house buildings!).
I the following starting blueprints: smithy, tinkerer and toolshop. (Because all the others were even worse.) With this it took me 4 years to finally get my first order completed and get that one extra blueprint. Which was....a provisioner.
I had my folks near starvation already, when i got lucky and via trade i managed to amass enough money to buy a blueprint from a trader, however not until year 6 did one bring something useful. And even that was a Herbalist camp. So now i could gather all the berries from the 4 large noes nearby. I could finish an order that gave +1 to berries, then i got the cornerstone option to have my camp boost production by 100%. This way that one camp was now producing 4 berries per pick. (Considering a large node is usually around 50+ charges, that is 200 berries, PER node.) Around year 9 i finally got a bakery, so i could make pies and biscuits, and this meant that shadilda (+10 jerky for every 10 pie) finally came into play. And from here on out it was smooth sailing because now you could increase happiness of your folks to the level where they will produce points for you. I had trade hub, which gives you +1 point for every 60 amber worth of stuff sold, but because for a long while i could not produce anything, and traders pay half price for everything i could not really use it till a long while. So i managed to win the game with population happiness production points, trade giving me a few points, and i got from orders, and a few from chests+loyalty completion of large glade. But from year 6 i basicly could not even accept new settlers, or my hostilty would have gotten out of hand.
Most folks would have abandoned this map as it would have taken too long to complete:)

[Mmm]

Yeah, aside from "not for you" it is a difficulty problem. Games below viceroy are the same because you can do everything, ignore needs and open glades freely.

Originally posted by Inconmon:

4. There's so many things the various races want and really difficult to keep track of (UI presentation?). I mostly ignore it just doing whatever and it works anyhow because it's so much. It feels like the system is needlessly complex.

UI presentation = hit T (unlocked after several maps).

I am not sure you like colony builders at all, having a lot of items/system/needs to keep track of is very normal here. Nothing crazy is in AtS, it has some unique systems which is big plus for those who like builders but got tired of their similarity.


I'd say play some more or take a break, try higher difficulties and read some info/posts/guides to decide whether you like it. It can be that you are missing some key elements that makes game enjoyable. Also it is very unique, no game like this. It is definitely a niche genre, it is ok to not like it.

[vindicar]

Everyone is on about planning, but thing is, can you even plan with random ♥♥♥♥?
Like, you see Sahilda's secret on level 1, on low farmland map. Do you still buy it? Even knowing you won't be going into farms, most likely, and thus is unlikely to go bakery at all?

[Nordil(Hun)]

Originally posted by vindicar:

Everyone is on about planning, but thing is, can you even plan with random ♥♥♥♥?
Like, you see Sahilda's secret on level 1, on low farmland map. Do you still buy it? Even knowing you won't be going into farms, most likely, and thus is unlikely to go bakery at all?

Depends. If i have Harpies and Lizardmen, totally, even if there is no farmlands or very few on the map it is worth it, because your gatherers can gather what you need to make flour.

1)Just think on it, you can get +1 root +1 herb from 75 biscuits. You check the map, is there any root or herb possibly on the map? (Esc and check summary) ->Yes, then take it. No, select another.
2) Fungal guide: Same decision.
3) Grain sacks: Same decision.

Also you can get flour as order reward, buy from traders, find in chests or salvageable buildings, solving a dangerous glade event.
Not to mention you can get the +3 grain/root per minute cornerstone as an option or from Dullahan. And finally you can get lucky and get +5 grain/root/flour/mushroom per minute as a reward for a timed order or the lesser +3 version from Dullahan chest.

And even on a no farmland map you can still run into a Cauldron, which will spawn fertile soil. And with a greenhouse you are set.

When making flour is hard it is even more important to just boost the gain. So instead of getting +1 to stone prod you buy the +2 flour production, and you do everything you can to get Rain mill:)

Sahilda is usually a good idea to take if you have lizards or harpies, the only time you consider not taking it, if you have a good hostility reducing cornerstone, or something that synergizes with your good hostility reducing cornerstone.

edit: also having a human will reveal you where the closest fertile soil is. (It is not necessarily the closest one, as often i found one closer to the hearth, than the one shown, so probably it is positioning toward the warehouse)

[vindicar]

So basically, grab it if there is a chance that you might use it, rather than if you are sure you will use it?

Originally posted by Nordil(Hun):

edit: also having a human will reveal you where the closest fertile soil is. (It is not necessarily the closest one, as often i found one closer to the hearth, than the one shown, so probably it is positioning toward the warehouse)

Sorry, WHAT?!

[Yasahi]

Originally posted by vindicar:

So basically, grab it if there is a chance that you might use it, rather than if you are sure you will use it?

Originally posted by Nordil(Hun):

edit: also having a human will reveal you where the closest fertile soil is. (It is not necessarily the closest one, as often i found one closer to the hearth, than the one shown, so probably it is positioning toward the warehouse)

Sorry, WHAT?!

That's one of the unlocked race perks you get when you level up the Smoldering City.

[Nordil(Hun)]

Originally posted by vindicar:

So basically, grab it if there is a chance that you might use it, rather than if you are sure you will use it?

Originally posted by Nordil(Hun):

edit: also having a human will reveal you where the closest fertile soil is. (It is not necessarily the closest one, as often i found one closer to the hearth, than the one shown, so probably it is positioning toward the warehouse)

Sorry, WHAT?!

There is no might. If you have harpies and/or lizardmen you will use it. Because the jerky gives them happiness.

[Ariakan]

Get to higher difficulties and your perception of the game will change, as well as your playstyle. You won't be able to steamroll same strat on P10+.

[glitzerpaillette]

Just start a new player profile and replay all the tutorials.

[Nordil(Hun)]

Originally posted by glitzerpaillette:

Just start a new player profile and replay all the tutorials.

you can also replay it with your current profile, there are also training missions and dayly challenges.

[Samseng Yik]

I remember many years ago I play ziggurat and barely can survive 2 out of 5 stage.
I lose a lot, but that doesn't stop me "like the game".
It take dozen of hours finally I have my first win.

I just bought "Plate Up" and my cousin and I wondering the game so freaking hard. Take near 9 hours finally we got a first win.
We still lose constantly, but we made much more far more and made less mistake.

You can like something even if you are not good with it.
The 2 example games are something I definitely already know I love. Despite winning run is like 8% chance only

[glitzerpaillette]

Originally posted by Nordil(Hun):

you can also replay it with your current profile, there are also training missions and dayly challenges.

Read his post. He has barely done a few games, so he couldn't possibly have unlocked the daily challenges or the training missions.
Better restart now than wonder forever whether he missed something essential in the beginning

[Nordil(Hun)]

Originally posted by glitzerpaillette:

Originally posted by Nordil(Hun):

you can also replay it with your current profile, there are also training missions and dayly challenges.

Read his post. He has barely done a few games, so he couldn't possibly have unlocked the daily challenges or the training missions.
Better restart now than wonder forever whether he missed something essential in the beginning

I read it. He can replay the tutorial.
Later on he can also do training missions, or dayly challenge missions. just because he currently can't does not imply he will not have the chance to do so.

[AlexGK]

Originally posted by glitzerpaillette:

Just start a new player profile and replay all the tutorials.

Its what I did early on too.
And btw, there is rarely a run where at the end you dont have a feeling you didnt win the right way :) Its pretty normal to make mistakes here and there and overplay your hand.
Obviously, it can turn out the game is simply not the right game for some people. Nothing wrong with that.