General Pixelshire Demo Feedback, Suggestions and Ideas

[Alex_Merge]

Welcome to the General Demo Feedback, Suggestions and Ideas sub!

We would love to hear all your ideas and suggestions.

Is a system a little too complicated for your taste? A specific user interface feature that would make things easier?

Let us know your ideas and we'll see what we can implement in the game.

[Gayle4447]

I made it through the whole demo. I had some trouble with fishing and fighting but I'm a Grandmother, so that makes sense. I actually came to enjoy the game and was very much into it when the demo ran out. lol I assume the fishing and fighting will develop as you play and increase skills. So, you got a good thing started here. :) Its on my wishlist.

[Milamber]

Immediate response after having played a few minutes only. Will update after having played more with other stuff that I felt was noteworthy.

1) The tutorial book is very wordy. Please try to reduce the wall of text.
2) I'd like an option with which text spoken by the NPCs will always be displayed instantly, instead of being written (too slowly to feel just right).
Edit 1:
3) How am I supposed to use the Hoe? I interpreted the text as simply having to press Q, but the promised radial menu doesn't open. B also doesn't open the bags, I have to click on it. And G (I assume) for the menu with crafting etc also doesn't work. The only keys that work are W,A,S,D. Am I doing something wrong? Is this a bug?
The button in the bottom left, which seems to have the letter Q as a hotkey attached, also doesn't anything when pressed.

[Riverrun1200]

So far the only thing I would say is the text is really small, if there could be a bigger font.
And it is a lot to read. instructions are good but I am missing more trying to speed read large paragraphs (to get back to playing faster) and then missing things and having to read it all again.
ALSO, the blue text is great to show the tasks but does the text have to wiggle/move, it is really distracting, dizzying and overstimulating.

[Doom]

Here's some general feedback:
1. You need a "map" not just a compass.
2. The UI is far too overly complicated. Needs to be simplified drastically.
3. Movement and combat is slow and unresponsive. I suggest a sprint function.
4. Simplify materials, why are there 3 types of wood but they all produce the same kind of planks? But you can only use 1 type of wood for recipes otherwise?
5. Need some way to generate stamina as all food seemed to only heal. Also doesn't appear to be a day/night cycle which would help.

I do like the premise. A colony/life/farm sim where you wake up to other settlers in a run down town in an attempt to rebuild. But it needs some work to really make it.

[The Patcher]

I have a few quick and minor observations:

-When any of the menus are up, hitting esc should close them before it opens the pause menu. Having to click all these different little places to close one of the many menus cluttering the screen feels bad and is the opposite of what you'd expect.

-I noticed NPCs frequently getting caught in places during their walk cycles that had them rapid fire changing directions looking as though they were trying to get themselves unstuck but were unable to.

-The sound effects were very grating in certain places, especially collecting berries and vegetables - that squish sound is just awful.

-The menus and guidebook are far FAR too busy, too much information is displayed and isn't presented in an easily digestible format. Less is more. If you can't express what you need to convey in fewer words then reexamine what you are trying to convey and change that.

-Work on the presentation overall it needs a lot of revamping.

Those things said, I think the concept is there and I'm sure there are things that will differentiate it from everything else in the genre, but right now the overall presentation is lackluster enough that it overwhelms any possibility of standing out.

[Dapper Raptor]

I'm sure someone else has probably reported this, but I am lazy and don't want to read all the stuff here :P But the demo only supports up to 1920x1080. I can't select 1440p (2560x1440) which is what my monitor is. Not a huge deal but definitely should be addressed!

[SesuRescue]

The controls were kinda wonky on my end, and I couldn't equip the tools. I ran into an issue where uh...the dog blocked my way to the tomato plants I think?? I couldn't get past it and that was the very beginning of the demo haha. Also, there is just way too much text in the guides, having the font bigger and possibly breaking it up would help a lot for accessibility. However, I really like the vibe of the game and I'm hoping for success in the future!

[T//KRL]

Keybindings menu would go a looooong way, partly just to even see what the controls are. it should really actual explain how to use tools, or better yet make it more intuitive. I pieced it together bit by bit, using Q to select the tool was described in the guidebook. But it took me like 10 minutes of pressing every key possible before I figured out how to use the hoe. I got to the point of pretty much mashing multiple keys at once, and eventually used it once while I was mashing enter + rightclick + leftclick. Then eventually I figured out that I am supposed to hold down right-click then left click the soil I want to till. Was counter-intuitive as I'd expect there to to just be a "use" button.

It might make sense as more tools are introduced, but geniunely I think 90% of players will not figure this out because it's multiple inputs in combination! Someone pressing literally every key on their keyboard and mouse will not find out how to use the hoe if they're trying everything individually. I just got lucky that I happened to do it. There could be one line of text after saying how to equip the hoe that says, hold right click and press left click to *use* the hoe. Otherwise it seems like a fun game, but just want to point out this big hole in the tutorial because it's like the first 3 minutes in you get stuck flailing until you find the right combination of inputs to use a single tool, which feels like a really important action in this game.

[fodder]

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย SesuRescue:

The controls were kinda wonky on my end, and I couldn't equip the tools. I ran into an issue where uh...the dog blocked my way to the tomato plants I think?? I couldn't get past it and that was the very beginning of the demo haha. Also, there is just way too much text in the guides, having the font bigger and possibly breaking it up would help a lot for accessibility. However, I really like the vibe of the game and I'm hoping for success in the future!

i reckon the dog has been scripted to block the way until you've planted your own tomato.

[BonbonVampyr]

I really love how adorable this game is, and the aesthetics are great! Beautiful art style. I also appreciate being able to build things pretty much wherever we want. I loved the idea of having a guidebook with useful information in it. I like how different the townsfolk seem to be from each other, and that they all have their own shops. I really look forward to meeting the other NPCs in the future! I appreciate the variety of items you can acquire. I also love that once you defeat an enemy, a little chest appears with rewards for having defeated said enemy.

That being said,

- I have noticed that breaking sequence seems to prevent me from acquiring items I need. For example, I'm unable to get the blueprint needed in order to build my house.
- It is a bit difficult to click on things, it feels a bit like pixel hunting. If I'm not directly next to a tree, for example, and I click on it to chop it down, it takes a few tries before anything happens. That also happens when mining, or trying to forage bushes and flowers.
- I also agree with what others have posted, while I love the guidebook, the wall of text in the guidebook is a bit overwhelming. The text is also a bit difficult for me to read.
- I also had the same problem as others with crops; I couldn't plant them next to each other for some reason.
- At first there appears to be two separate bags, but I realized the one in grey wasn't available yet. That confused me at first.
- It was a bit difficult to tell which tool I currently had equipped when choosing tools from the tool wheel. I think it would be helpful to make it more obvious as to which tools I already currently own, as well as the difference between what is and isn't equipped.
- Combat feels a bit slow. It feels as if my reactions are much slower than the enemies'.
- Upon acquiring a chest of items after defeating an enemy, I think it would be great if there was an option to take all instead of clicking each item individually.

[CluelessWonder8]

I had to take a break during the demo, and when I loaded my save, there were a few issues.

First, when first planting, in the gardening area with 3 patches, I had used the hoe to connect those patches into one large area, then planted tomatoes on some of that freshly hoed area. When loading, those areas reverted to un-hoed, but at least the crops were still there, I could still water them, and I was able to later harvest them.

Second, all the trees and what not I had chopped down, cut down, etc. all regrew upon loading the save.

Third, the dialog progress got reset for both Jack and the Cap'n. I was able to re-obtain the Fencing quest from Jack (previously completed), and had a second copy of the Reforesting quest for 4 Oak Seeds, though turning in one cleared both off the quest list. My 4 Oak Seeds did not leave my inventory, however. Going through the dialog (again), Jack gave me a fresh axe, and the Cap'n gave me a fresh fishing rod.

I'd just talked to Saint in the forest, so I had the quest to talk to the Cap'n, who went through 2 or 3 conversations I'd already had with him, then the current thing... I think. The dialog icon didn't go away, so I kept bumping into him to see what else there was, and got something about fishing up a key, and then one statement was overwritten by the next statement (two lines of text directly on top of each other). After that, the Cap'n ended up frozen, standing in front of his house, looking left.

The quest tab said I should do his quest next, but I hadn't actually gotten a quest from him in that series, (that I could tell), the related dialog indicating I would get a cooking worktable from him? I had previously picked up a quest from him, to turn in 2 gilt-headed fish, but I'm pretty sure its reward didn't include said worktable. In any case, he was now frozen, and unresponsive, with the dialog icon still up. Coming back a day later didn't change anything. Not that I got 2 gilt-headed fish within the demo period, though I did fish up a decent variety of other stuff.

Speaking of fishing, I also think it could use some more work. The current implementation was really difficult to understand to begin with, and even finally getting it, the timing was still pretty harsh. I'm still unsure whether it's okay to click wherever, as long as your timing is perfect, or if you need to click the highlighted location, too. I think the option to press the indicated direction with the keyboard would be nice, as well. So, for example, movement is currently WASD, so if the highlighted reel piece was on the right, the player could activate it (with the proper timing, of course) with the D key.

Sometimes pressing Q would not open the tool wheel. In those cases, I think I needed to use/swing the current tool once before pressing Q would open the tool wheel again.

Swinging the sword was occasionally unresponsive during combat. Hard to guess what exactly was the issue.

Even if reconfiguring the keys is impractical at this stage, having a help screen that displays what all the commands are, and which keys are bound to them, would be helpful.

I placed a chest (that I made myself) in my tent. It would randomly close itself, usually while I had picked up an item from sack inventory, as I was in the process of moving the item near the chest inventory. I think this stopped happening after I used the green box to move the chest inventory menu out of its default location.

Figuring out where/how to refill the watering can was really annoying. So far, the only place(s) I have found to work is the lake with the waterfall, and maybe only from below? Most of the other small waterholes I tried with could not be approached from below, and in any case, did not work. Requiring RMB to refill was also unintuitive. Most of the other farming games I've previously played use the same button to sprinkle, and to refill at water sources.

The Cap'n made some early comment about recycling my wrecked ship into lumber, but even with the axe/hammer/pickaxe/etc. I couldn't see any sign of progress of doing that.

There's Main quests, Side quests, and Daily quests. I took a Daily quest to deliver Carrots before realizing I didn't know of a source yet, and was quite surprised to see that it had not expired the next day after sleeping. Maybe another word would be better?

It's an alpha and it shows. The game looks interesting thus far, so I'm looking forward to the improvements.

[SydniMoon]

Has a ways to go but interesting concept.

I really enjoyed the unique set up of the game. The idea with the bags, durability on tools, and how you interact with characters is really interesting. That being said, the game was riddled with bugs and glitches. I had to restart my save twice to compensate for errors in the tutorial. The tutorial explained things you wouldn't need till later, and did not explain how basic things in the game happened, such as how to use to tools. So I ended up destroying the tomato plants on accident, spent all my stamina mining one stone (and still didn't get it). Very frustrating, but a game I will keep on my wish list to see future development. I feel like this game needs a lot of refining, but will be fun when done.

[Darkbrazuk]

its way too easy to softlock the tutorial, first, dont teach the player to harvest the tomatoes AFTER giving him the hoe, I obliterated the tomatoes with the hoe while trying to harvest them, and it softlocked the quest. after restarting the save, I softlock in the forest looking for slimes, I found a couple log-enemie-things and killed them, emptying my stamina and softlocking the game again, after this I wasnt feeling like restarting the game again. Both those things happened because the action button only works randomly, I spammed click on the tomatoes and nothing happened, so I tried the other mouse button and it used the hoe instead. same thing happened in the forest, sometimes I could spam attack when there were no enemies around, but as soon as an enemy got closer, it looked like there was several seconds of cooldown for the attack.

[Jane Doe]

Okay So I will have to cool my temper down before giving the game a second try.
My issues is that I got to do what feels like nothing during the demo.
I have some more quality of life things. But the number one issue is that I was blocked from getting any further after recieving the harvesting quest.

I assume I have to harvest from the little patch outside the house, with the three tomato plants. HOWEVER the dog blocked the path for ALL the days. It just stood or slept on the only path to the tomatos. I could pet the dog which did nothing.
I thought maybe I can plant the tomato myself, so I bought the seeds, planted them and watered them. However the demo ended before the plants even finished growing.

So my demo play went like this. First day got all the quests done up to the harvesting one, no problem. Thought okay maybe the dog will move at night. Stood and watched dog all day, night came and then the night cycle never ended. No passing out or anything. After watching a few youtube videos waiting for something to happen with the night cycle, I just went to bed. Dog was still in the way. Okay buy the seeds and plant them then. Now what, I can't go in the cave, I can get quests I can't do since I can't fish yet. I can't fix the elevator either. Can't go find Jack. So the next days until demo ends, I can forage flowers and berries, water the tomato I planted and go to bed.

I will try and restart the game later and try a new character. However if the same happens again, I would go so far as to say the game shouldn't be a demo yet, since you get to try nothing.

Now the few quality of life type of things I did notice I will quickly mention here.

- Watering is not all that easy, it's not easy to figure out where your character is aiming really.

- Would be nice if filling the watering can could be done multiple places not just one.

- Sounds could maybe be balanced a bit better from the start, especially the SFX from gaining items is loud.

- Gifting is an issue, I consume items but where do they go ? Did the villager get them, did they like them or nah ? Did it even do anything for the friendship level ?

[odakotarose]

I'm enjoying the game so far, but the tool system is a little convoluted for my tastes, I wish ESC closed menus if they're open and *then* opened the pause panel, and the journal, while nice, is probably too wordy for many players. Most people just skim these days and completely ignore a lot of text, but there's a lot of information that you can't get without reading the full text, so perhaps even some textual popup hints would be nice?