Why I was interested in this game, but not anymore (important for dev maybe)

[The deadly Cutsman]

Before using the clow award or the "ok" chain, please read a bit. I don't want to ♥♥♥♥ on the game nor bring the dev down by any means, I just want to bring some problems I see with the game to attention. Sorry about the bible you'r eabout to read (if you decide to do it) and sorry for any grammar mistakes, as english isn't my native language.

SPOILERS BTW
First off, I'd like to say I love Dusk (just so you know i don't hate your other creations) and I 100% it legit, got the "cheat" achievement last. I love this retro/ps1 aesthetic and I see no problem with any other surface elements of this game.
The problem that I have with this game is that it isn't a game, it is an experience. As someone else mentioned ( https://steamcommunity.com/app/1846170/discussions/0/3275814396766873828/ ) The game feels more like an interactive attraction ride than a game. I've seen a video of the game to see if it was worth the purchase (I don't care if it's dirt cheap, please keep reading), but the problem is: The game feels like a video, like, once you see it, the "thing" of the game is gone. The fact that the game got dissected almost immediatly after launch also deletes any atmosphere you could have gotten from playing it yourself. "Well, avoid watching playthroughs the" is not valid, I've seen multiple videos of Dusk and it still was a blast to play. The game lacks replayability, it feels like a one time thing.
I won't claim to be a better game designer than you are, because clearly you've released games and I didn't and probably will never do that, but I guess I could help with my 2 cents on how I would improve the game to be more replayable and to transcend the "1 playthrough" status.
- The map: The game would benefit greatly from randomized maps. I don't even mean multiple levels, just that the map you play changes every time. This could be done either by making multiple different maps or map pieces that merge when the game starts, something like minecraft but with less complexity and more controled.
- The points of interest: Making the points be on pseudo-random spots would also make every playthrough different and more interesting. Changing the objects you photograph (having more monoliths and objects) every playthrough would also make exploration more interesting.
- The creatures: I know that the idea is that the environment is mostly barren, but adding different, smaller creatures that are only varely visible would make the player go "huh, did I just see something in that picture?" for them to take another picture and see that the thing they've seen is gone.
- Easter eggs: It would be pretty cool and it would make multiple playthroughs offer new objectives. These don't need to be signs with youtuber names, Dusk easter eggs or anything like that, just simple "off interest" spots where you can see structures or formations that might not be present in the rest of the map.
- The ending: I don't want to suggest to change the ending, but I've read multiple people reaching the last point of interest and every event triggering, leaving the sub wrecked for the rest of the game without any repercussion. I'd suggest that the triggers of these events should be based on how many points you've succesfully photograph instead on map triggers.
- Achievements: Maybe add a couple, tho don't make the player focus on them because that might kill the tension.

To Mr.Dev: If you read everything up until this point and actually let me know if anything I suggested is right wrong or useful, I'll give you a purchase. I really like the concept, it's just that a video gives you pretty much the whole experience.

[Mister Macaroni]

I'm going to ignore the fact that you haven't even played the game for yourself and are making these suggestions based on someone else's video, but in the future I'd advise that watching a let's play then heading over to a developer's forums and posting a wall of text titled "why I'm not interested in this game anymore" is not going to go over well with most developers. This is probably not an approach you'd want to repeat. That said, I'm going to give credit where it's due: the suggestions aren't bad. They miss the point of the game, and it's quite safe to say that Iron Lung just isn't for you, but I've certainly fielded worse Steam forum suggestions.

But I think there's something you need to understand, and it's gonna be valuable in your dealings with other developers in the future: most developers don't have infinite time, resources, or room to screw up. Making a living as an indie developer is as much about managing your time, understanding your resources, and running screwup risk mitigation as it is about actually making the damn games.

Dusk was made over a period of 3+ years working either full time or more than full time (sometimes up to 12 hours a day) with the support of the then growing New Blood team.
Iron Lung was a small solo project done in my spare time when I wasn't working on New Blood projects (primarily Gloomwood) or being a husband/father. I had no idea before testing and release what ideas in Iron Lung would work for people and what ideas wouldn't.

Everything you suggest would mean added complexity. Added complexity means added time. And time given to one project means time taken from another. If the project you're adding that finite time to is an experimental gamble, then... well that time could end up being wasted. Iron Lung's central navigation and sub control mechanics could have been annoying for most people (something hard to determine for certain before release, even with prototyping and testing). Or, it could have found itself lost in the sea of Steam releases and never gotten noticed. The fact that it's selling as well as it is has a lot to do with a YouTube video that happened to be picked up by the algorithm (read: luck).

Don't get me wrong, any release is a gamble. Any time spent is a gamble. Most people don't get into making indie games unless you're willing to take that gamble because you love games and love making them, money be damned. Heck, I was an indie developer for years before ever making a cent off my games. I didn't make Iron Lung for money, I made it because I thought it was a cool unique concept and I wanted to share it with other people. However... since making games is my job as well as my passion, I have to be a businessman as well as a creator, and that means being artistic about some things and pragmatic about other things.

Since Iron Lung has done far better than I anticipated and people have really resonated with the concept and the world, that definitely opens me up to the possibility of expanding on the gameplay and/or developing a followup. But that time gambling thing is still present. I have many other projects I want to try. I have other obligations I'm working on. I certainly could spend time updating Iron Lung with a randomized mode etc, but I could also spend that time working on any number of other things. And I don't know what I'll choose to do until I get there.

I'm going to lock this thread because I don't think the current conversation is going anywhere. I don't think Iron Lung is a game for you (so good thing you didn't buy it huh ;) ), which is fine. But I hope this gives you a bit of a different perspective on things.

[Mister Macaroni]

Unlocking since you guys seem like you'd prefer to keep talking about it, but just don't turn it into a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ k?

[Mister Macaroni]

oh right, Steam hearts out words like "poopshow"

[The deadly Cutsman]

Originalmente postado por DuskDev:

Unlocking since you guys seem like you'd prefer to keep talking about it, but just don't turn it into a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ k? :bigjohn:

It's ok Mr, the only thing I wanted to add was to make you understand that it wasn't my intention to make you feel obligated to do anything, hopefuly I made myself understood.

[Mister Macaroni]

Yup I gotcha

Was not my intention to have anyone dogpile you either

[The deadly Cutsman]

Originalmente postado por DuskDev:

Yup I gotcha

Was not my intention to have anyone dogpile you either

It's ok, the profile clown award count is 1 atm. I wanted not to have one since you can't remove or hide those, it's free steam points at least...

[Kabirbd]

Originalmente postado por The deadly Cutsman:

Dev made Dusk, a game a million times more complex than this game. Bad argument.

Did you even read what the dev said?
"Dusk was made over a period of 3+ years working either full time or more than full time (sometimes up to 12 hours a day) with the support of the then growing New Blood team.
Iron Lung was a small solo project done in my spare time when I wasn't working on New Blood projects (primarily Gloomwood) or being a husband/father. I had no idea before testing and release what ideas in Iron Lung would work for people and what ideas wouldn't."

[The deadly Cutsman]

Originalmente postado por Kabirbd:

Did you even read what the dev said?
"Dusk was made over a period of 3+ years working either full time or more than full time (sometimes up to 12 hours a day) with the support of the then growing New Blood team.
Iron Lung was a small solo project done in my spare time when I wasn't working on New Blood projects (primarily Gloomwood) or being a husband/father. I had no idea before testing and release what ideas in Iron Lung would work for people and what ideas wouldn't."

That was said after the comment, not before.

[Gratalat]

Originalmente postado por Hevo:

tldr

just read it
Like reading it isn't hard