going through storm/asteroid belt feels too punishing but...

[Damien Demento]

Is the point here that the game wants you to have multiple islands? I've been playing like I am building up one island with everything on it and so if I need to cross the storm I do it on my large island. Should I be having an island on each side of the storm? Do I just need one small "travel" island to go back and forth and then use my large island for travelling to each land? Do I need to have an island of each biome type? Can I build up walls around the perimiter of my island that will deflect the stones in the storm without damaging my sails?

I'f I'm honest I feel like being able to pop islands up from storage detracts somewhat from the island of base building. I want to have one island I build up and customise. Am I simply looking at this the wrong way?

[intentionally blank]

Originally posted by Damien Demento:

Is the point here that the game wants you to have multiple islands?

No, I think the point is to add a bit of challenge that's different. You don't have to cross the barriers frequently, so it's a challenge that you might only encounter twice in a play-through. Several players have mastered crossing to the point that they don't even get hit once (I've only done that once).

Originally posted by Damien Demento:

Should I be having an island on each side of the storm?

No, that would be too much upkeep. Unless each island is "disposable" you would be crossing the boundary too often.

Originally posted by Damien Demento:

Do I just need one small "travel" island to go back and forth and then use my large island for travelling to each land?

Many players do prefer to have a large island as their main base and a smaller "scout" island to zip around quickly. I prefer to just keep my medium-large island and "soak" the hits.

Originally posted by Damien Demento:

Do I need to have an island of each biome type?

Prior to this last Critters update, I would say no. But the new mechanics appear to encourage multiple biomes to breed the insects and small animals for bio-diversity to restore ecologies. While this purpose makes it useful to have an island from each biome, I still think you can manage just fine with a single, multi-purpose island.

Originally posted by Damien Demento:

Can I build up walls around the perimiter of my island that will deflect the stones in the storm without damaging my sails?

That's an awesome feature request, but I wouldn't count on it any time soon.

Originally posted by Damien Demento:

I'f I'm honest I feel like being able to pop islands up from storage detracts somewhat from the island of base building. I want to have one island I build up and customise. Am I simply looking at this the wrong way?

No, I think your perspective is quite valid, and share it (more or less). I don't use base swapping except for testing or getting unstuck. I impose a rule on my own play: to each character, one world and one base.

While I appreciate the ultra-casual approach Astrolabe has taken with this design, I would not have done the same. Coming from my experience with more "core" survival games, I would have assumed that each base would be more restrictive. I'm used to immobile bases that require much travel to and from, and smaller "outposts" to facilitate long journeys. That said, I love Aloft's cozy atmosphere and worry-free building.

[intentionally blank]

Originally posted by intentionally blank:

Prior to this last Critters update, I would say no. But the new mechanics appear to encourage multiple biomes to breed the insects and small animals for bio-diversity to restore ecologies. While this purpose makes it useful to have an island from each biome, I still think you can manage just fine with a single, multi-purpose island.

I hadn't noticed the update that dropped just prior to this. Apparently now Vivaria work in any biome, so there goes any reason I could find for maintaining an island from each biome.

[Damien Demento]

So really it's best to simply build the various vivariums and just keep taking animals/insects etc from each biome and hoard for when you need to repair an islands biome?

[intentionally blank]

Exactly

[Damien Demento]

Shame, I'd rather the mechanic was that it was hard to build habitat but you could do it on your home island for any biome.

[SikarHiyore]

Personally, I don't feel the asteroid belt is too punishing - but I also wish the gameplay for crossing it was a little more satisfiying.

With my large-ish island and being sh*t at gauging distances in the island steering mode, I just throw money linen at the problem: I steer directly into the belt full speed and don't bother dodging but just run from broken sail to broken sail to repair them.

I don't find it particularly challenging to farm enough wool / linen to do that...

[NULL]

First time I did the crossing, with a slightly smaller island, it was hard and quite exhilarating. Excellent music, the intensity was quite the change of pace from the rest of the game. More recently when I've tried with larger islands it's been highly frustrating. I'll advance maybe 3-4 seconds, something will smash or explode a bunch of sails, the high intensity music gets all interrupted, framerate goes awful and by the time I got the sails repaired I was all or most of the way back out of the belt again. Repeat for 20 to 25 minutes and I eventually gave up and decided to take a break for a few days before coming back and starting a new game. The perf issues and scaling of difficulty definitely needs tuning still, but the game is still early access at the moment so it's expected.

[wildbill]

I didn't think it was too punishing, but then I noticed I would only cross the barrier if I absolutely had to. This means it is so punishing, I don't want to do it and then I change my game play around this one feature. Seems like it is too punishing if I'm going to change my whole way of playing the game (I do all of one biome for the most part before going to the next).

[Paulie]

this game needs music boxes that can be powered by windmills that play sea shanty melodies.... I love sailing in this game.

[Davesoft]

Define the correct level of 'punishing'. Define when you wish to fail a challenge. Or, is that the point, no challenge, only content consumption? Adapt and overcome, it's a game.

[domingo]

A bit of workaround:
Put away your large home island before traversing barrier.
Use smallest possible island for that (in the starting area there are at least 3-4 very small islands).
Try to navigate far away from rocks (much easier with small island). Particularly big black exploders.

Last time I was able to navigate without even a dent in my sole sail.

When you arrive, put away the small island and summon your large base.
Well, my large base has still leaf sails eventhough I am no longer in Emerald Isles :-D

[wildbill]

Maybe it is too much of a challenge when many people just cheese it?

I'll try to go through with my base I got from the Workshop. It is kind of long, but it is skinny, so maybe it will be fine. Still need to find that loom though, to make the wool sails.

[intentionally blank]

Originally posted by wildbill:

Maybe it is too much of a challenge when many people just cheese it?

I don't think so; we have optional paths for different play styles. I like challenge, so I charge ahead with big, clunky islands and count the cloth expenditure as "overhead." Tried it the nimble, elegant way once; that was also fun. And island-swapping appears to be part of the intended game mechanics, so I think that's a legitimate "fusion" of the two island size-choices.

Originally posted by wildbill:

Still need to find that loom though, to make the wool sails.

No spoilers in this post, but I've provided A LOT of players with this answer. There's also a big, fat hint in-game. Let me know if you need help.

[wildbill]

Originally posted by intentionally blank:

No spoilers in this post, but I've provided A LOT of players with this answer. There's also a big, fat hint in-game. Let me know if you need help.

Not stuck, just takes time to get stuff in this game. This is actually my 2nd play through. First was with a island I claimed that I never liked that much. This time I'm using one from the Steam Workshop. So far working out much better. I have it going two times as fast (often at wind speed) and the pre-built is so much more organized and better setup.

[Derp Party]

The whole answer is to CHEESE a smaller Island because the devs are put in a game breaking mechanic.