Thank you so much for playing.
FullMoonGame said he went after the core first thing too. I also watched a streamer play, and that's immediately what he did. I feel so foolish not introducing the core earlier on, or giving it some other element to let you know what to protect, but I'm glad you worked it out on your own.
Thanks for trying it and the feedback. Giving yours a go this afternoon when I can get on my PC instead of my Mac.