Hits a wall at the end of the demo

[kyle]

One problem I have with many games is that the tutorial ends and there's a "now what?" feeling. Maybe some tutorial prompt has told me and I missed. Maybe it was never clear.

When this tutorial ends I feel like I've learned how to make something, but I don't know WHY. I'm making a core, but why? What is the long term objective? What will bring more progress towards that, or towards secondary steps?

When I get to this point in a game, I have trouble continuing to play. Without these, I can keep smashing things together, pressing buttons, but I'm taking it on faith that I'm getting somewhere, that I'm trying to get to the right place.

I can find another game which has direction. With an Early Access game I'll decided "I'll come back and check later." With a Demo I feel like "I haven't learned anything"

There are a series of steps in your minds about how we are going to make things bigger from Level A to B to C. We don't need you to tell us all the steps, but we need to have targets, accomplishment as we go. Something in the distance.

I don't think games should go to EA or Demo without these objectives in place, because the hard work you have done on the game is obscured.

[Lanosa]

Right, a demo's work is not just teach us what we can do, but also tell us why we are doing it. Or if it's too big, at least a hint. I think though, you missed the prompt after end tutorial and before close the game. It explains why we are doing it. Maybe they would find a way to make it more clear?

[BraveCaperCat]

A demo is a demo. You can keep trying to build better production for what you already have or just quit (like I have) and do nothing about it. There's no new content. I expected some kind of "blue robot". But no, the demo straight up ends after Blue Cores.
And the purpose of making a core is to make a robot. Though, the use of these robots seem to be even more mysterious.

[kyle]

"I think though, you missed the prompt after end tutorial and before close the game. It explains why we are doing it. Maybe they would find a way to make it more clear?"


The text might be there, but it is more than just the prompt.

I saw the note, it goes by real quick, it wasn't enough, and it leaves me with nothing. In the movies they say show don't tell. I think something similar applies here.

I don't know the actual "why?" isn't there other than "I know I'm supposed to make a factory because the store page said so."

Sandboxy games can have targets.

One of the oldest pure sandbox games, SimCity, had population and revenue. A game like Transport Tycoon has revenue and other number. In those games and in this one you could build many things and not be getting somewhere, so having a "score" of some kind helps.

When the game is more abstract, like Satsifactory, You still have the technology to unlock in levels and things to launch into space. There are these dangling goals even though I don't have to do all of them in order. I'm not told exactly how to get there; I have info about what is needed and I figure out how to put it together.

I know if I search around I'll find SOME of the WHY, but it should be in my face tempting me, even if I can't unlock it the demo.

[Jarvs.Tasker]

Hey unsure if you maybe missed this screen https://imgur.com/EVEg7ny