An Honest Review From an Original Alpha Tester

[Roan]

I've wavered back and forth between whether I wanted to write this or not. I was in the very first group of testers way back in the pre-alpha days of Palia. I've seen a lot of iterations and changes over the years, and yet... Palia never really managed to feel like a fun, fully-fleshed out game to me. It's a mish-mosh of half-baked systems that are neither fun nor rewarding to participate in.

The Positives:

+ Exploration is fun - the first time. It's a beautiful world they've created and there are certainly a few secrets to find for those that thoroughly explore.
+ You don't NEED a party. The game is entirely soloable if that's your preferred style of play. Even the "endgame resources" you need a metric ton of can be obtained solo, just be prepared to incur the wrath of the server. More on that later.
+ The home / housing plot customization actually is pretty cool and fun. I've seen a lot of amazing and unique homes in my time playing the game.

The Negatives:

- There is very little reason or incentive to play with other people. Palia feels more like a single player game with other people milling about. Sure, you *can* party up with other people but for most activities it feels pointless or just slows everything down.
- Toxic Positivity. Palia has a lot of people who feel that their way to play is the only right way. Resources are shared and can be picked up by anyone who contributes towards obtaining it, which has created an expectation that you are to pause your own gameplay to call out rare resources to the entire server, then waiting an unknown amount of time for random strangers to slowly meander over that way. Resources respawn instantly somewhere else on the map, by the way... so this entire process actually ends up slowing *everyone* down, but that doesn't seem to matter to anyone.
- No trading or economy. Palia's tagline has long been "play the way you want" and yet, you are actively forced to participate in activities you don't enjoy. Palia's fishing system, for instance, bores me to tears; I was essentially locked out of completing the game's first "bundles" because I couldn't buy or trade these fish from other people for the things *I* enjoyed doing. There's a half-realized "gifting" system, but it requires you to have already obtained an item before you can request it from other people.
- Writing is lackluster at best, and downright uncozy at worst. Palia is filled with characters that fit into tropes quite nicely, some which border on rather insensitive or offensive.
- Severe lack of meaningful content. I'll admit, I enjoyed Palia at first. It's cute when you get started and everyone I know has found some enjoyment upon just getting started. That lasts for approximately 10-20 hours, when you get out of the honeymoon phase of the game and enter the absolute hell that is Palia's "end-game" grindfest. S6 has been (and likely always will be) terrified of losing players in the game's introduction, so much so that there... really isn't one. You level up so fast that you'll be done with Softwood and Hardwood within your first few days playing the game, and then all that's left is to farm Flow Trees for the rest of eternity.

Palia has always felt like a video game for people that don't play video games. If you're looking for a beyond-casual game you can play for half an hour or an hour a day and feel like you're making progress, Palia is right for you. If you were hoping for an MMO-style Stardew Valley you can sink hundreds of hours into... I'm sorry to say this isn't it.

[Mongoose]

All that and a total lack of accessibility! They had all this time in alpha and beta to add basic accessibility features and instead are pushing for more platforms before the game is anywhere near being done

[Roan]

Escrito originalmente por Mongoose:

All that and a total lack of accessibility! They had all this time in alpha and beta to add basic accessibility features and instead are pushing for more platforms before the game is anywhere near being done

Yep, 100% true.

The fact that they're pushing onto multiple platforms while they're still in "beta" (not even early access) AND taking money for cosmetics should be alarming to everyone. As far as I can tell, they have neither the know-how nor staffing to make their game actually work like it's supposed to, and I'm worried about its longevity because of it. Every major patch seems to add in more bugs than it fixes.

[Kehl JK]

Also lackluster character creation and subpar cosmetic options. Diablo 4 does character creation better! AND wardrobe/cosmetics! (I use that example because D4 is not anywhere near the same genres as Palia and it STILL does this better.)

Palia offers no earnable cosmetics in-game. You can pick up a couple of things if you refer a friend or get the game on Switch or get a Twitch drop. And that's it. You're otherwise limited to the character creation clothing which looks alright for the most part.

On top of that, you're restricted to the developers' chosen colors and there are very limited clothing slots (pants and shoes are tied together in the same slot). You cannot buy awesome boots without also buying pants you may not like (and can't recolor to hide the flaws). You cannot JUST buy a really cool jacket - you're stuck with the whole outfit, and probably at a pricepoint that could buy you an entire better game.

[it's a gabe]

The second positive and first negative remind me of one of the reasons why I stopped playing Temtem halfway through, the other being a roadblock I came across. I understand the need for solo content nowadays, but I think it's a huge mistake to make an always online, always multiplayer game never require any degree of, well, multiplayer. For that reason, I think Temtem would've been better off as an offline single-player game with optional PVP (you know, like Pokémon's always been) and I think Palia could've benefitted from the same, except co-op instead of PVP (like SDV).

Time will tell how Palia will fare, but at this point I don't think this game is gonna go very far. It might find an audience on PC since there are no good free farming/life sim alternatives, the free bit being its only selling point considering the vast number of games constantly being released in that genre. However, long-time farming sim players might just stick with the B2P single-player alternatives for being more concise and having a lot more respect for the customer's money than Palia's cash shop has (and yes, cosmetics are an important aspect of these games for some, so locking all the interesting ones behind a substantial pay wall can be a huge negative point towards Palia).

I played a few minutes of an old CBT and then some more during this OBT phase and I gotta say, I've never been impressed. It's particularly disheartening that I have to shell out as much as I would to get an entire game (or several in some cases) for a single set of clothing. I don't think a game being free justifies that sort of monetization.

I wish more of these up and coming online game developers looked at Deep Rock Galactic for a good example of how to monetize their games in a way that makes players feel like they're actually spending their money wisely, but alas. I have a feeling this game will end up following in Temtem's footsteps, being kept alive by a small community who's too enamoured with an idea that didn't pan out as well as they thought, but who refuse to give up because who else is doing this?

[Stinboi]

this is very true, it really feels anti group and more fitting as a singel player game, to mutch hassle to go out with friends tbh.

It was a greate game for a little while and i was very mutch looking forward to a cozy relaxing game, but it felt pretty early on that this was not a game to get me goin for very long, feels like it lacking.

Havent played the last 3 month but they need more content and not atleast a way better coop/group feature if i ever gonne consider goin back.

They put alot of work into furnishing/decoration that was amazing, but thats not what keep you in the game for long term, other parts was lacking.

[Roan]

Escrito originalmente por it's a gabe:

The second positive and first negative remind me of one of the reasons why I stopped playing Temtem halfway through, the other being a roadblock I came across. I understand the need for solo content nowadays, but I think it's a huge mistake to make an always online, always multiplayer game never require any degree of, well, multiplayer. For that reason, I think Temtem would've been better off as an offline single-player game with optional PVP (you know, like Pokémon's always been) and I think Palia could've benefitted from the same, except co-op instead of PVP (like SDV).

It definitely felt weird putting it as both a positive AND a negative, but how I look at it... I primarily play solo in most MMOs I've been a part of. I like the challenge. BUT I'm like you in the fact that I think it's weird to not have much reason to group up in an always online experience. It's fun having things I can't do alone, even if they're small parts of the game... and at the very least, I should feel rewarded for grouping up, not held back.

[it's a gabe]

Escrito originalmente por Valimure:

Escrito originalmente por it's a gabe:

The second positive and first negative remind me of one of the reasons why I stopped playing Temtem halfway through, the other being a roadblock I came across. I understand the need for solo content nowadays, but I think it's a huge mistake to make an always online, always multiplayer game never require any degree of, well, multiplayer. For that reason, I think Temtem would've been better off as an offline single-player game with optional PVP (you know, like Pokémon's always been) and I think Palia could've benefitted from the same, except co-op instead of PVP (like SDV).

It definitely felt weird putting it as both a positive AND a negative, but how I look at it... I primarily play solo in most MMOs I've been a part of. I like the challenge. BUT I'm like you in the fact that I think it's weird to not have much reason to group up in an always online experience. It's fun having things I can't do alone, even if they're small parts of the game... and at the very least, I should feel rewarded for grouping up, not held back.

Very that. I also play solo primarily, but I think group content, if done correctly, has the potential to bring people together. It was thanks to a dungeon in FFXIV years ago (before NPC helpers were ever a thing) that I got to meet the FC I was in. They were the reason I kept subscribing for as long as I did, until I could no longer handle it financially making as little money as I was.

But then, if a game has absolutely nothing until *maybe* endgame, then there's little point to it being online at all. I can get a better sense of community out of Minecraft or by playing SDV with a group of friends. Heck, even Animal Crossing gives me a sense of community even if I'm not actually playing with anyone.

Not that every game needs to be the biggest thing that ever was, but this is something the developers should've thought about earlier in development if they wanted their game to not only succeed, but have a lasting impact. A strong sense of community is a very big reason why some people go back to online games, but if their community is akin to chatting on Discord whilst playing a cozy game, then what's gonna make people keep playing Palia past the initial hype?

[Dorjef]

Well said buddy. I fully agree with all your points. Especially the one about: "Palia has always felt like a video game for people that don't play video games." Hahaha... yea. Several times while playing it i was asking myself, have the devs tried playing this...like seriously invested time in it? Do they think this is fun??
Yea, the game gets really boring and shallow really fast. I will keep an eye on future updates and final release and all that, but i have no hopes at this point anymore. The core of the game and its gameplay is really lackluster and meant for people who only play a couple of hours in their weekends. ;)

[[TAW] Derisat Hartfelt]

yeah im at the flow tree grind after 16 hours and I just decided I'm done. The massive timers on crafting stations with little to no return, the constant chasing of massive gold figures for subpar recipes you wont use more then a handful of times. The VERY limited inventory making me have to run home after just 10 minutes (4 packs at the moment)
The forced group nature to acquire materials.

Overall I just don't have fun anymore, even with friends IRL, they all want to do something different or "their way is the right way" to play.

Too many needless time sinks to "extend" play time. This isnt 2003, we the players, see and recognize needless time sinks when they crop up and we dont like it.

As for the cosmetic only store, the prices are YIKES too expensive, 20 bucks for a coat with 2 pastel colors they look like an easter bunny vomited them up. Abusive COIN purchase system so you're always spending more cash on the premium currency then what you need.

First 10 hours were fun, but after you're done with the intro and get into the meat of it, it's designed in such a way to cost the player as much time with as little payout as possible.

[Gunner_Ham]

I have played during closed and open beta. The game was fun for while but became grindy for resources and competitive for pallium ores and flow trees. I found the community I was in so unhelpful they tend to party amongst themselves and ignore my plea for help. The Cosmetics are over priced and I agree very expensive. I made mistake of purchasing one all for Palcat which can't be interacted out. I left before end of Summer because I didn't enjoy it anymore. I have plans to come back later when the maps are more fleshed out. Only thing I did enjoy was fishing and decorating the house even so doesn't give me any incentive to play further.

[ingosupercute]

I played open beta and I agree with OPs evaluation of the game.
I would even put a whole lot more emphasis on the lack of content thing.

When I was playing, and for an open beta (aka the game is almost finished for release), the amount of things in Palia was underwhelmingly low:

After two days of playing I had seen the entire world. And I don't just mean I visited every region or something, I mean every corner, every beach, every cave - the playable area is really small.

This small size also means people had the game figured out after two days. Because there is no randomness to valuable resource spawning, some individuals would just stopwatch the respawn timer and pick everything up right when it comes up. Too bad if you're in the same instance as them. Because yes, the entire game is instanced into tiny portions of the playerbase - but it's still not enough.

I also had every gathering tool available at the time I was playing maxed out. After four days.



Honestly, Palia felt like a product under immense pressure to me. There is no way these experienced MMO devs think the current content was enough to qualify as MMO. But they probably can't afford to develop any longer without making lots of money. Thus now the beta also comes to Steam in hopes of selling more cosmetics on newly gained players.

Like... I love the idea of Palia, I really do. But I don't see this succeed unless a lot is being added to the game. But had they had the funds for it, it would have been done before opening the game to the public already.

[Batabii • Suikoden I&II HD]

When it comes to flow trees I don't usually bother calling for other people because either
1. It takes a long time for everybody to get over there
2. It takes a while to get enough progress in the game to have an ax that can cut down the largest flow trees
3. Right now I'm at the point where I can cut down the smallest flow trees without help
4. Singular flow trees rarely give you that much wood unless they're the biggest size

If somebody is nearby or it's a whole grove I'll ask for help but otherwise I'll just pretend I don't see it. If I don't respond to call outs nobody will even notice.

[[TAW] Derisat Hartfelt]

Escrito originalmente por Batabii • Cult of the Lamb:

When it comes to flow trees I don't usually bother calling for other people because either
1. It takes a long time for everybody to get over there
2. It takes a while to get enough progress in the game to have an ax that can cut down the largest flow trees
3. Right now I'm at the point where I can cut down the smallest flow trees without help
4. Singular flow trees rarely give you that much wood unless they're the biggest size

If somebody is nearby or it's a whole grove I'll ask for help but otherwise I'll just pretend I don't see it. If I don't respond to call outs nobody will even notice.

discovered the exquisite axe, the best axe, can solo Medium Flow trees.

[Batabii • Suikoden I&II HD]

Escrito originalmente por TAW Derisat Hartfelt:

Escrito originalmente por Batabii • Cult of the Lamb:

When it comes to flow trees I don't usually bother calling for other people because either
1. It takes a long time for everybody to get over there
2. It takes a while to get enough progress in the game to have an ax that can cut down the largest flow trees
3. Right now I'm at the point where I can cut down the smallest flow trees without help
4. Singular flow trees rarely give you that much wood unless they're the biggest size

If somebody is nearby or it's a whole grove I'll ask for help but otherwise I'll just pretend I don't see it. If I don't respond to call outs nobody will even notice.

discovered the exquisite axe, the best axe, can solo Medium Flow trees.

Yeah but it takes a long time to reach that point. I'm almost at the point where I can buy it, just a little more exp

[Xialoh]

Escrito originalmente por Valimure:

- Writing is lackluster at best, and downright uncozy at worst. Palia is filled with characters that fit into tropes quite nicely, some which border on rather insensitive or offensive.

The only person I know that's playing this game tells me the writing is good (I never believed them). You have an example, maybe of the insensitive or offensive aspect mentioned?