Is the space bar broken?

[NimrodX]

I found a large asteroid containing a “space bar”. But it doesn’t seem to give me much in the way of conversation options and nothing happens when I let the docking arm grab the ship.

So far all I’ve been able to select are “order a round of drinks for everyone” and hang up on them. I could only order a round of drinks the first time. Every other time I went there I got no option to order anything.

What is this supposed to do?

[OverThere]

Buying a round of drinks increases crew happiness. Sometimes, you get enough of a boost to see the happiness marking on some crew members when back at base.

I've always had the option to buy drinks on each separate visit, so something seems to be wrong with your experience. I don't recall trying to buy drinks more than once per run (being paranoid that my crew would get drunk and mess things up or something), so it may not be possible to buy drinks more than once a run. Could that be the issue?

[NimrodX]

No I’m sure it was a different dive where I got no response. So there’s no point to the docking arm?

The main problem with the game seems to be things that look completely broken because there’s “no response” or a lack of feedback especially with conversation choices….

I don’t think I saw a happiness stat for the crew? But I’ll look again

[Vicid]

Originally posted by NimrodX:

No I’m sure it was a different dive where I got no response. So there’s no point to the docking arm?

The main problem with the game seems to be things that look completely broken because there’s “no response” or a lack of feedback especially with conversation choices….

I don’t think I saw a happiness stat for the crew? But I’ll look again

Keep doing "services" like a nice dinner/hotel stay between dives and you will see Green Smiley Faces on your crew

[NimrodX]

Ok, I see what you mean now. Guess they must have been really unhappy because last time a trip to “the twins” didn’t do anything but this time it did, or maybe I went twice. But sure but I get the idea.

Looks like the space bar is working. First time I’d swear I got drinks without even docking so maybe I thought all I needed was to fly in and hail. Anyway this time I docked and got drinks.

Apparently I have a crew member who is looking for someone. So when I got drinks he said “I’m going to go look for so and so”.

But there’s never any feedback after that so I don’t know if I’m supposed to wait, wait for how long, or did he come back instantly? Did he find whoever or no luck? Any leads?

Sometimes the game just drops whatever is supposed to be going on and you can’t tell if there’s a bug or what you’re supposed to do.

[OverThere]

Originally posted by NimrodX:

Apparently I have a crew member who is looking for someone. So when I got drinks he said “I’m going to go look for so and so”.

But there’s never any feedback after that so I don’t know if I’m supposed to wait, wait for how long, or did he come back instantly? Did he find whoever or no luck? Any leads?

Sometimes the game just drops whatever is supposed to be going on and you can’t tell if there’s a bug or what you’re supposed to do.

My experience is that all this stuff makes sense eventually.

It appears to me that it is the deliberate design intention of the designer to not hold your hand. Everything is actually reasonable and makes sense. However, you have to figure it out and accept the discomfort of not really knowing for a bit as you do. And you do in fact figure things out.

I spent too much time reading guides for this game and getting frustrated that they weren't explaining things like I wanted. Then, after struggling through the game myself, I realized it was deliberate. A large part of the joy of the game was in figuring things out.

Now, I just trust the game and don't get too worked up when something happens that I can't immediately work out. I will work it out.

~90 hours in so far and I don't feel like I've even made it half way through what is there to work out!

[NimrodX]

I don’t mind having to figure sobering out, but figuring out if the crew member is on the ship or if I’m leaving without them is not the sort of interesting plot mystery that you’re talking about. It’s something that’s supposed to be an obvious fact to anyone in this situation.

If it said “Joebob comes back to the ship looking unhappy but doesn’t say anything” then that would be mysterious but would at least tell you that you weren’t leaving without the crew member.

Basically what I’m talking about is some really basic game mechanics type stuff and I’m not even talking about stuff like haul drones not having a full tutorial or much info on how to use them, or not having any info on how the manipulator arm works with ship salvaging. I can just buy those and figure them out by tinkering.

But when you can’t really tell if a crew member is on the ship or not, or what is going on in the most superficial observable game state that’s more like trying to pilot the ship with a blank screen.

I mean sure, usually in this game you’d be able to muddle through because it sounds like these issues are more of a game design flaw than a bug, but someone new can easily mistake this kind of omission for a software bug because most games I’ve played won’t leave you hanging wondering about some game state that should be obvious to your “character” in this situation.

I mean I like the fact that the characters stay in character and aren’t too chatty rather than babbling random junk or going “hi captain! Let me give you a tutorial about the X key” and stuff that isn’t in character in the situation, but sometimes the game is just omitting obvious observables rather than being terse or not hand holding with suggestions or quest objectives.