Hey hironakamura,
First off, huge respect for tackling a persistent browser-based economic RPG. The 1866 Reconstruction-era setting is incredibly unique and gives a fresh break from the standard medieval fantasy tropes.
I was analyzing your onboarding flow and reading through your patch notes. Since you are specifically asking about the first 10-15 minutes and player hesitation, here is some feedback from a UI/UX and player psychology perspective:
1. What felt like the first goal?
Psychologically, the immediate hook is Maslow’s hierarchy—survival and accumulation. As a Laborer, the immediate instinct is just to see a number go up (money or basic resources) to validate that I am doing something right. The promise of climbing from Laborer to Elite is a very strong long-term motivator.
2. Where did hesitation or confusion happen? (The UI Factor)
In text-heavy browser economy games, the biggest hurdle in the first 10 minutes is "Cognitive Overload". When players see walls of text or multiple menus without clear visual hierarchy, they freeze.
My suggestion: As someone who spends a lot of time designing UI assets and inventory icons for indie games, I highly recommend using distinct, color-coded icons (even simple 64x64 flat vectors) next to your core resources and actions. The human brain processes visual icons 60,000 times faster than text. If players can visually separate "Trade" from "Labor" through distinct UI elements, their hesitation drops massively.
3. What makes a player come back tomorrow?
Tangible visual progress. If my estate or inventory looks richer, rather than just a spreadsheet number changing from 100 to 200, I am hooked.
You are doing a great job listening to feedback and patching those wallet/marketplace bugs so quickly. Keep refining that visual hierarchy in the early game, it will do wonders for your retention rate!
Cheers!