Feedback wanted: Where are you getting stuck?

[JoeStrout]

(12-27-2016, 12:45 AM)tanzmetall Wrote: I simply could not figure out how to end a path. I'd just keep clicking and making a longer and longer path, and when done, I just had no idea how to get rid of the chunk of path which the game kept wanting me to place.

I can imagine that.  The latest version of the game, though, has an Advisor panel, which should be rather urgently telling you to double-click or hit Return at that point.  Is this not happening for you?  (Or maybe this happened in an older version of the game, before the Advisor?)

Quote:No matter how well I zoned, or built, or landscaped, no one was moving into my stations. No buildings were being built. Residents would cap at 14 or so, and same with visitors. It was pretty darn disappointing. I'd build these really fun stations, and the simulation simply wouldn't begin.

I really had to dig to figure out that the problem was with my paths. I searched around, but could not find the answer on the website, and the important information was also not included in the in-game tab that gives you gameplay tips.

So you were zoning, and making paths, but the paths didn't go near/through the zones?  Or was it something else?

This is really great feedback, and exactly the sort of thing we need!  If you're getting stuck, no doubt there are others who got stuck in the same way and just gave up (as you said).  That makes us sad.  :'(  We want to make it clearer and easier.

It might even be worth sending me one of those non-growing colony files so I can see what's going on.

Quote:1) Make it clear in the tips tab that the paths are not optional, and are necessary to found a functioning colony. Clearly explain how to create, and how to end, them.
2) When the endpoint of one path lands on another path, automatically end the path.
3) If ending a path properly is essential to it working properly, consider making single-click be "end this path" and double-click or right-click be "continue the path". Since ending a path is essential to it functioning, ending it should be the default, with the player having the option to continue, rather than the other way around.
4) Alternatively, make all created paths function as if they were ended when a player clicks out of the interface that creates them, and instead chooses to plant a tree.

Those are great ideas.  I have no idea what happens under the hood when you plant a tree while creating a path; I'd expect it to end the path normally, but maybe not.  We'll check that out and make sure it does something sensible, and also put some more effort into the Advisor guiding you through this process.  And we'll try out your other ideas for automatically ending them, too.

Thanks very much for taking the time to write this up!  You've helped make the game that much better.