Help get people to buy Stationeers, it's essential. TRAILER inside!

[God, owner of the Universe]

The project is bleeding money, and we want Stationeers to flourish, so please talk to a friend to have them take a look at the game.

3 weeks ago, I made a trailer, and I KNOW it's inappropriate to blatantly "advertise your content" here (particularly with a "Spread the word!" kinda undertone), but ... the trailer exists, and it's pretty good. Quality is 4K 60 FPS.

So, if this can help solve the most pressing problem with the Stationeers project, then it should be known, that's just what this is, what am I supposed to do. I can't separate X from Y.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQfLYT8qVTg

[Rampant Rabbit]

Originally posted by Alizia Kaline:

Originally posted by LostME:

I've heard many times that ue is a very bad choice for voxel games.

Voxel is a very bad choice for games... :')
But multiplayer is WAY easier on UE.

I'm a kinda new/returning player as I'd last played June 2023. I saw the dev updates and thought 'Yey!' with the improvements to new player experience. But I just had a quick look, and found what I think is Stationeer's greatest challenge. I'm on Mars, I have a lander, now what do I do? Especially when tutorials are disabled.

I kinda know what I should be doing because I've played before but it's still pretty daunting. Personally I think a guided tutorial would be better. Congrats, you survived the landing. Now, check out the lander. Take construction supplies and build a starter base. Use these to build an airlock. Which is also why I like the idea of start options with basic prefabs. That would help new players and also take some of the grind out for veterans. Spending time doing that is kinda repetitive before we get to the FUN! stuff of not exploding.

As for voxels, I love them. But I guess that's because I'm a tunnel rat and like mining. Plus it lets us hide a lot of infrastructure underground instead of ending up with big, sprawling bases to manage.

I also think multiplayer is a trap for devs and can be a time/resource sink. I rarely play MP and it can be a struggle to find people who want to play this game NOW!. Especially when the game is complex like this one. But that's part of the challenge for getting people to buy and play it. Tell all your friends. My biggest success was when I was dating a high school physics teacher and she used it with her students to teach them about gas laws and stuff. We created some scenarios for different lessons, then let kids loose on it, including giving the kids projects for homework..

This, I think is one of Stationeer's greatest strengths. It's fun, but also educational. I mean it has a MIPS emulator built in as well, so the education market is one that could help grow sales.

[God, owner of the Universe]

Originally posted by Rampant Rabbit:

[...]Personally I think a guided tutorial would be better. Congrats, you survived the landing. Now, check out the lander. Take construction supplies and build a starter base. Use these to build an airlock.

Yep, I think that RocketWerkz are focusing too much on the long term development - to have tutorials and minimal redundancy. Before I continue: The project team is financially stretched thin, and Rocket said recently about 500,000 USD had already been spent for various onboarding solutions (probably including the almost 300,000 for the tutorials, which he also said a few months ago). So, this "critique" (Desire for a better situation.) is to be taken with that in mind. So - "what RocketWerkz should do instead":


1) Indicate in-game, like they're doing for other things like mouse wheel and "E to swap hands", that left Alt gives you a mouse pointer. That would already break down a ton of user interface barriers! It's also minimal development overhead.


2) Expand upon the minimal message box they show when you're trying to play the disabled tutorials: What belongs there is a fullscreen-ish image with step-by-step-with-images instructions on how to switch the game version back to pre-phase change. Because few people know that, and I wonder if the devs are aware that this is plain simply beyond most players. It's only a few clicks, but if you've never done that, it seems like a daunting "uninstall/download from web/reinstall". Maybe the reason for the meager message box was the problem of translations.


3) Don't "just" have the separate training course tutorials, but also have a minimal in-game to-do list that players will always have to run through, anyway (and should be able to turn off in the options): An on-screen list that will be checked off (but will remain visible until complete, which will freeze the game with a dialog so players have a last chance to look at the completed list before they confirm so that it vanishes).

Beginners would be hugely helped by that. Example: Open Jetpack inventory with keyboard (or Alt mouse). Alt mouse the Atmos Analyzer onto the Tablet, which inserts it. Double-click (or Alt mouse or whatever) the Tablet into any hand. Press E to switch hands at least one and until the Atmos hand is selected. Press RMB to turn on. Detach a crate from lander or deconstruct entire lander. Dunk oxygen bottle into tank to top it off. Build a frame. Weld a frame fully. Place a wall on the frame. Place two doors. STUFF LIKE THAT. The controls, of course, must be a dynamic part of the texts, since they can be reconfigured.

Originally posted by Rampant Rabbit:

[...]I also think multiplayer is a trap for devs and can be a time/resource sink. I rarely play MP and it can be a struggle to find people who want to play this game NOW!. Especially when the game is complex like this one.

Well, they set out to make something like Space Station 13, and they still (11 days ago) explicitly see Stationeers as a multiplayer game: https://discord.com/channels/276525882049429515/276525882049429515/1240653974366064680 Excerpt: "Stationeers is a multiplayer game, and while we always make sure its possible and generally fun to play alone, we definitely get the 'feel' of the game most when playing with 3-4 people."

I've had multiplayer sessions with multiple people at once, often multiple hours, without significant problems. It still needs *a lot* of work regarding desync/debugging in comparison to singleplayer, but it's getting there, and it's not optional. It's a key goal, tons of cash have been sunk into it already, it works pretty well already, and it'll bring in a bunch of cash once the project is fully matured and takes off sales-wise.

Originally posted by Rampant Rabbit:

But that's part of the challenge for getting people to buy and play it. Tell all your friends. My biggest success was when I was dating a high school physics teacher and she used it with her students to teach them about gas laws and stuff. We created some scenarios for different lessons, then let kids loose on it, including giving the kids projects for homework..

This, I think is one of Stationeer's greatest strengths. It's fun, but also educational. I mean it has a MIPS emulator built in as well, so the education market is one that could help grow sales.

That's a great story! :D

Rocket responded here to explain what his view is on the use-in-schools potential:
https://discord.com/channels/276525882049429515/277443989794324480/1179156265121874072

I think two challenges. First being that “serious games” don’t really make money, certainly not in the way that a retail game might. The government just isn’t a very good customer to have when making a game, they buy in bulk, and they’ll want a license, not say 40 per seat.

Second is that in my experience how a child gets presented a game might very much color their enjoyment of it. If someone is forced to play Stationeers, I’m not sure they will get “hooked”.

Thirdly is scientific accuracy. While we have gotten better, or at the very least more consistent - we have had to make too many departures from chemistry in the name of performance or fun. I could see a teacher having to explain how things actually are every ten minutes.

As an engineering exposure tool I think it does well. As in, it really makes you think about how accidents happen through a chain of events.

[Malkuth]

This game will never appeal to the basic gamer. Just not in there idea of game, a lot more popular games like space engineers etc also have a customer problem. The problem is not the game, its the customers. It's a nitch game for a small crowd. I was also under the impression that the devs use this game as a development tool for their own inhouse training since some of the other games they make are a lot more popular and make much better bucks.

[Proton Decay]

Originally posted by Alizia Kaline:

Originally posted by LostME:

I've heard many times that ue is a very bad choice for voxel games.

Voxel is a very bad choice for games... :')
But multiplayer is WAY easier on UE.

It doesnt matter which game engine is used, neither for voxels, nor for multiplayer.
Stop pulling ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ statements out of your ass.

No game engine has any kind of tools for replicated physics simulations of atmosphere and so on.

[Jeronimo]

Tried to bring a few friends in. They're all space engineers / factorio like fans but couldn't stand the UI. I tried to suggest a change in this but according to die hard fans it's "part of the game vision". So I guess Dev is ok with current player base...

[JeanDeaux]

I suggested re-coding this to run on a TRS-80 and Apple II so my grandparents would play, that didn't seem to move the needle either.

[starfish prime]

"I know it's not appropriate to advertise, but here is an advertisement." Nothing like trying to get people that already have the game to spread your videos for you, rather than working the algorithm or talking to people that don't actually have the game. Sorry, but not a fan of the whole "give me views and somehow help the game studio" angle. Seems like an slimy way to self promote.

[God, owner of the Universe]

I know that's what it seems like, that's why I wrote those words. And I know, people lie all the time. Hence my words can't be just the truth.

[MrSkinny]

Seems like an slimy way to self promote.

I'm a cynic but this attitude is beyond. This is a niche game that after expenses has probably barely paid for the dev's salaries (if it's not completely in the hole). A fan of the game bothers to make content, which he legally cannot monetize, and asks other fans to share it to spread the word about a game he loves.

"Slimy". SMH

[God, owner of the Universe]

I also never do the usual "like and subscribe" routine in any form.

[starfish prime]

Originally posted by MrSkinny:

I'm a cynic but this attitude is beyond. This is a niche game that after expenses has probably barely paid for the dev's salaries (if it's not completely in the hole). A fan of the game bothers to make content, which he legally cannot monetize, and asks other fans to share it to spread the word about a game he loves.

He attempted to associate his youtube with the with overall survival of the game, possibly even the studio. Complete with the clickbait title. This is most certainly slimy. It's like those tik tokkers "Do this dance to help the war in Ukraine!" Yeah, that does nothing and we all know it comes down to getting views, clicks, and subs. Not surprisingly, the youtubers that are actually helping the game, aren't the ones trying to shamelessly self promote off decline.

I already gifted the game, but if anyone wants to try it, FIRST PERSON TO ADD ME ON STEAM gets gifted Stationeers and all DLC! (for real)

Rules:
Must not already own the game.

[God, owner of the Universe]

Well, you're certainly off of my love list.

[God, owner of the Universe]

What's actually more interesting: Even if my goal were to promote my YouTube stuff (There's evidence that this is not so. E.g. the moment I discovered via a comment that someone else was making way better Penkura content than I did, I said so at the link to their channel I then added to the playlist and the first video. I'm not the usual "GIMME THE WORLD!" leech. Assuming that this can't be may say more about you than me.) ...

... the main question would be if in the absence of new promotional Stationeers material, could this trailer do the project a sufficiently big service if it were known?

My estimation is yes (e.g. 2nd comment: "this is just what i need to convince my mates to play too. nice work"), because it's not just flavor, it throws facts at you with examples. Tech stuff to lure in the techies. I'm an enthusiast, that's all - but it shouldn't matter: Let's say I'm a leech - would this make the trailer more or less valuable? That should be the question.

And that this isn't asked may also say more about you than me.

EDIT: Also, wasn't there something about "Don't look at the finger, look at the Moon"? It's as if the goal is to make this discussion as unproductive as possible.

[Alizia Kaline]

Originally posted by Proton Decay:

Stop pulling ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ statements out of your ass.

No game engine has any kind of tools for replicated physics simulations of atmosphere and so on.

I'm gamedev on UE since 6 years, specialised in replication. UE has tool for easy replication. You don't have to code anything to do compatible listen server / dedicated server logic. You have already ready to use customisation for replication. I never tell that there is tools for replicated physics of atmo (there is nothing specific to this data in particular though, why it would be a different replication system ?).

So definitely, stop pulling ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ statements, and learn to be polite. Open an engine once in your life before attacking random people on a forum... You could come across a gamedev and look like an idiot.

[Alizia Kaline]

Originally posted by Rampant Rabbit:

As for voxels, I love them. But I guess that's because I'm a tunnel rat and like mining. Plus it lets us hide a lot of infrastructure underground instead of ending up with big, sprawling bases to manage.

Oh maybe I was unclear here. I love voxels too. I said that for the dev part of the game... :')

There is a kinda rule in gamedev : More it's loved by the players, less it is by the devs... (understand here, hard to code :p)