Hiya Styg,
Codex lurker here (props to them for jumping on games like these - I don't think I would've found it on my own), signing up to compliment you on what is thus far a fantastic demo. I didn't get very far in, but far enough to know that I'll be purchasing the rest of it whenever it becomes available. The atmosphere alone makes it a must-have!
A few things I've noticed:
- I've read some stuff about the "cleanliness" of the graphics over at the Codex, and I partially agree. They could use some touching up for as far as detailing is concerned, but please don't change them completely! They do an absolutely stellar job of conveying a sense of dread, misery and this-shit-is-way-beyond-salvaging that I haven't felt since I played Fallout for the first time.
- The interface is a little less self-explanatory than I suspected. Coming from a Fallout background I found myself doing things that didn't work simply because I expected them to work the way they did in Fallout. It's not criticism per se, especially not considering there's a big-ass help screen, but some things don't feel quite natural to me. For example, equipping a weapon; you can only do that from the inventory, whereas I suspected that right-clicking the icon in the status bar or dragging an icon from the inventory to the status bar might also do the trick. That sort of stuff.
- Some grammar and spelling errors, here and there (Old Jonas's "... they where build..." comes to mind). I presume to understand that you're not a native speaker - neither am I, for that matter - but you might want to do another pass on that before the next release. It's nothing game-breaking, but it kind of ruins immersion.
- A map might help. Directing me to "a warehouse south of the GMS compound" doesn't do me much good if I don't know where north is (relatively speaking, as I assume north means going up - or up and right, isometrically speaking). I'm not asking for a detailed mini-map, just a rough sketch of where the big landmarks are in relation to one another. Maybe a map hand-drawn and updated by the PC as he or she travels the world? (If there is a map and I missed it, disregard this and scold me for not poking around enough - yet).
- A quick note somewhere to remind players that they need schematics before they can start crafting would be good - unless I missed that, too. Too busy killing rats that want to hump my leg (and eat it).
I'll update this post with more stuff as I go along.
Thanks for what's shaping up to be a great game - you've got my vote (on Greenlight, too)!
Edit: The forum software didn't like a character I used and ate half my post as a result. Shame on thee, forum software.
