…Around Dzassak alone, while exploring it, but they only had the typical Campfire+Beacon+Workbench combo, and maybe a few blocks or crops. Way too many, in-fact. I counted at least twenty I passed by just trying to complete the planet. Having seen a few just around my island go extinguished in the past as well, it made me think;
I’m pretty sure the early game might need to be changed slightly, to be more interesting, as it seems a lot of people drop it within an hour or so of starting. At least, that’s judging by the progression I’ve seen from lone beacons that are both near going out, already gone out, of have seemingly been quitting after no real time spent.
I’m not sure what can truly be done, aside from making a more hand-holding tutorial, but that’s really why I made this thread;
What do you think can be done to possibly improve the very early game impressions players get, if anything can?
Hmm do not forget that we all start up some game and leave it after a while if its not engaging us enough initially. Maybe some ppl just do not like the game or come back to it later when they feel like it^^
A more indepth tutorial would be very needed indeed and as some ppl already suggested some sort of new player world with a bit less restrictions maybe even easier to smash blocks.
Also on a personal note, maybe just maybe its the framerate stutters, just throwing it out there~
I would need to go through the tutorial again personally. I agree it probably needs more handholding, but some of those beacons could also be a player placing multiple beacons until they find the right spot to build. I know when I started I placed about 3-4 beacons before i finally found a spot to start building.
As far as what could be improved, I would say the skill tree. Way too meaty in the early game with the first tier requiring 8 skill points for all skills.
From my starter experience, even every time I’ve made a new alt, I think that one thing that could be improved is the baseline action speed. Everything just feels SLOW, combined with poor reach and poor damage. Alleviating at least one or two of these without changing the final balance might be good for keeping players from getting bored at the start.
I think the base action speed for everything could be raised a little (like +5/+10) but tweak/balance things so that the maximum action speed remains as is, therefore keeping things as they are for the mid/end-game progression.
When I first started, the game was overwhelming I played for a couple hours and my campfire looked exactly as described. Then I picked it back up about a week later when wanting to try to get into it.
I kinda felt direction less and coin made it frustrating because I didn’t under stand how to get enough of it to actually buy anything
Some of those could be “mudhuts” - outpost beacons created by players so they can easily return later. I know I’ve done a few of those - but I generally build a small building around them myself. Others simply drop a beacon and some simple machines.
A fair few months back I created a new alt and tried to look at it from a new players perspective.
The first bad impression came from the colour picker for your character, Initially you’re thinking ooh lots of choice but then after awhile you’re thinking this is so tedious and time consuming and really hoping this isn’t how the rest of the game is going to be.
From what I remember the first instructions in Sanctum weren’t too bad except the writing was very inconspicuous so they could easily be missed. They need to be central and slightly bigger writing to begin with then moved off to the side later.
I found initial progress levelling up pretty quick although movement speed and only being able to jump 1 block high very frustrating. As you start to get past level 20ish then you gradually notice progression slowing until you hit the 30s then it starts to feel painfully slow.
The knowledge tab needs to be highlighted more so new players know it’s there and information, descriptions need to be way more informative rather than just a vague generic description.
There is also a possibility that many new people think they have a good internet connection only to find themselves rubber banding about thinking it’s the game. I have found a lot of people believe because they play other online games without any problems that Boundless will be the same. When I first started I ended up having to upgrade my broadband to fiber.
Edit: The appearance of the levelling loot boxes need to either be removed completely or have a drastic makeover. We all know they are not P2W loot crates but they look tacky and give the wrong impression. When I first saw them they immediately reminded of adverts on TV I’d seen for gambling.
First time warp a cinematic view of several player made settlements from that world.
As a new player mostly try’s to figure out how to get started they don’t explore. They land and start following the tutorial. They start with some basic’s and after that they go explore (if they get to this point before quitting).
First thing they should get is some compass tutorials like;
head to yellow icon.
head to gray icon.
mark landing spot.
Maybe include a chat tutorial (say, shout, wisper…) as you figure it out at a later time that you have been doing it wrong.
Just the basics need to be improved.
As fresh players now just plop down a campfire where they land and start from there.
I’m going to steal all idea from another game, but how about a “starter chest” of sorts? I know it goes against the narrative of starting with nothing to colonize the known universe; but here’s my reasoning:
Whacking stuff at lvl 1 with a totem sucks. We appreciate speed brew aoe tools because of that; but newbs dont know this.
Give them a bit of a taste/ tease as to what they’re working towards… like a half health iron axe to speed up/1 shot a few trunks or foliage early on. They still kinda suck, but it also offers the chance to explain that “although copper is plentiful, iron is rare on this peaceful world; we should look to the stars to reclaim the power of the oort that inhabited these lands” etc etc.
