What is the point?

[Scripter]

Can someone please explain what the point of this game is? I'm new to this game and have only played it for a couple hours but I honestly find it frustrating and have no idea what the purpose is. What am I supposed to do? Why do I need to do it? What is the purpose of the equipment and why do I need it? What's my goal? There is zero direction or story to follow. Nobody in my ear telling me to build such and such because I need it to survive, if survival is all I'm supposed to do. Am I an explorer for a large corporation seeking new minerals? What's my motivation? If someone tells me the point is to gather resources to build stuff to more quickly gather resources to build more stuff then I'm done.

[Tux]

same as 95% of all building games really.
The only building games I can think of that have a story goal would be The Forest and Subnautica

[Fabiolus]

https://astroneer.gamepedia.com/

Read/ understand and enjoy, also you tuber series if you want to have visuals

[Dragorin]

Why did you buy a sand box game? Why do you need to be told what to do with your time? If you don't feel an urge to explore and discover this might not be the right gene of game for you.

I can't really tell you what the current goal is without spoiling the "story"....

But this should get you pointed in the right direction. Find the big purple thing. Now figure out how to turn it on. Now interact with the item that was reveled Should give you an idea where to go next. There's a lot needing to be accomplish.

[powbam]

Originally posted by brown_8811:

Can someone please explain what the point of this game is? I'm new to this game and have only played it for a couple hours but I honestly find it frustrating and have no idea what the purpose is. What am I supposed to do? Why do I need to do it? What is the purpose of the equipment and why do I need it? What's my goal? There is zero direction or story to follow. Nobody in my ear telling me to build such and such because I need it to survive, if survival is all I'm supposed to do. Am I an explorer for a large corporation seeking new minerals? What's my motivation? If someone tells me the point is to gather resources to build stuff to more quickly gather resources to build more stuff then I'm done.

Usually people actually READ a game's Store Page before buying.. but eff that right?

https://store.steampowered.com/app/361420/ASTRONEER/

ABOUT THIS GAME

Explore and reshape distant worlds! Astroneer is set during the 25th century Intergalactic Age of Discovery, where Astroneers explore the frontiers of outer space, risking their lives in harsh environments to unearth rare discoveries and unlock the mysteries of the universe.

In this space sandbox adventure, players can work together to build custom bases above or below ground, create vehicles to explore a vast solar system, and use terrain to create anything they can imagine. A player’s creativity and ingenuity are the key to thriving on exciting planetary adventures!

[Scripter]

LOL... Thanks for the hand slapping and pointing out the back story. Yes, I was lazy on this one. I'll go back and play on and see if I can find a big purple thing.

[powbam]

Originally posted by brown_8811:

LOL... Thanks for the hand slapping and pointing out the back story. Yes, I was lazy on this one. I'll go back and play on and see if I can find a big purple thing.

Basically if you aren't down with Minecraft and making your own goals then it's possible Astroneer is the type of game that might not be up your alley. Like Minecraft you are thrown into a "sandbox" with little in the way of hand-holding or "showing" the way. It nudges you with basics but overall it is up to you what you want to do.

As for the "big, purple things", there is more than one on the planet you start on.. and they are on several other planets as well. I've seen them all activated on the starting planet but I'm not sure anyone has activated all planets yet to see what happens.

[Scripter]

Ah, Minecraft. I think I paid $3 for Minecraft back in the Notch beta days, long before 90% of the game's current content ever existed. Even though I'm old compared to most people on Steam, I loved Minecraft and got my kids into it as soon as they could use a keyboard and mouse.

[powbam]

Originally posted by brown_8811:

Ah, Minecraft. I think I paid $3 for Minecraft back in the Notch beta days, long before 90% of the game's current content ever existed. Even though I'm old compared to most people on Steam, I loved Minecraft and got my kids into it as soon as they could use a keyboard and mouse.

I agree.. Minecraft is a wonderful game.. Astroneer is basically a new Minecraft and has tons of potential if they keep working on it and expanding it toward the same scope Minecraft is today. It isn't quite there but you can see how it could be with more time. Which I'm willing to give them.. Minecraft didn't become what it is today lickety-split either.

Mainly what I'd like to see them put more focus in to is the building aspects. Walls, ceilings, floors, doors, windows and all those goodies. Combined with the terrain manipulation if they expanded on these other things it would be amazing what all you could build.

[Tux]

Originally posted by powbam:

Originally posted by brown_8811:

Ah, Minecraft. I think I paid $3 for Minecraft back in the Notch beta days, long before 90% of the game's current content ever existed. Even though I'm old compared to most people on Steam, I loved Minecraft and got my kids into it as soon as they could use a keyboard and mouse.

I agree.. Minecraft is a wonderful game.. Astroneer is basically a new Minecraft ...

here is the HUGE problem I have with that statement.
The following games have existed looong before Astroneer has
Space Engineers
Medieval Engineers
Empyrion - Galactic Survival
7 Days to Die
From the Depths
Rising World
Stationeers
StarMade
(all of which are far more 'minecraft like' then astroneers)

in addition to the list above non-voxel games that have similar comments of being 'minecraft like' although do not have any voxel based tech in them (like astroneers also does NOT have)
are:
The Forest
Subnautica
Green Hell
CrossWorlds Escape
Bermuda Lost Survival
Stranded Deep
Stars One
Rust
Ark

So this game although might be building based (but NOT voxel based like Minecraft) this is the year 2019, there is zero shortage of building games now

[Faren]

You forgot FortressCraft Evolved ...

[powbam]

Originally posted by Tux:

Originally posted by powbam:

I agree.. Minecraft is a wonderful game.. Astroneer is basically a new Minecraft ...

here is the HUGE problem I have with that statement.
The following games have existed looong before Astroneer has
Space Engineers
Medieval Engineers
Empyrion - Galactic Survival
7 Days to Die
From the Depths
Rising World
Stationeers
StarMade
(all of which are far more 'minecraft like' then astroneers)

in addition to the list above non-voxel games that have similar comments of being 'minecraft like' although do not have any voxel based tech in them (like astroneers also does NOT have)
are:
The Forest
Subnautica
Green Hell
CrossWorlds Escape
Bermuda Lost Survival
Stranded Deep
Stars One
Rust
Ark

So this game although might be building based (but NOT voxel based like Minecraft) this is the year 2019, there is zero shortage of building games now

And? I've played many of them and none of them really did it for me. Astroneer on the other hand is exactly what I want to see take on the Minecraft mantle and make it more than. I love the art-style and the terrain deformation combined with the space theme. Now if they start edging more into the building territory they'll be on the right track.

So go ahead and have a "problem" with my statement but nowhere in my statement did I lay down the claim that others haven't done the Minecraft gig before. You're basically fabricating a nitpick for the hell of it.

And "voxel" means little to me. You don't need to be voxel to be like Minecraft and if you ask me Astroneers approach to terrain is superior when it comes to building. We can utilize curvature and natural looking terrain. The only edge the voxel based games have over Astroneers is the potentially "unlimited" aspect whereas Astroneer has clear size limits in regards to the planets.

Originally posted by -=SOI=- Faren:

You forgot FortressCraft Evolved ...

I have it. It's alright. Haven't played it in a very long time tho.

[Nake]

https://steamcommunity.com/app/361420/discussions/0/1776010325128551373/

Originally posted by eonix:

Hello!

Astroneer is an exploration sandbox game, in that we offer light survival mechanics and a progression loop that you move through via exploring your solar system. If you'd like a proper objective, there are some things you'll discover on each planet that can, if you'd like, lead to a nice cinematic ending before you're pushed back out in to the sandbox.

[Mr. Fibble]

Not much point other than to waste time wandering about, as sandboxes go it's shallow and light on content.

There is no story to find until you reach a cutscene after blundering into doing something really faffy. I say blundering because you're never given a reason to interact with the things other than natural human stupidity/curiosity.

A better approach would have had breadcrumbs in the form of notes or logs hinting at what things are.