https://darkojelica.itch.io/guiding-spirit
Hi! So, I published my first demo (link above), and I've got some questions. There's a fair few of them so feel free to skip some, or even comment on stuff I didn't ask about.
First, about the project page, because I'd like to gather feedback from multiple people to see where I need to focus my efforts:
Why does my analytics say I have 2.28% CTR when I have 6 views and 394 impressions? Wouldn't this be 1.52%?
Is using the main menu background instead of a screenshot the right choice for cover image? I feel it conveys the vibe of the game better as the stone age setting is IMO a big part of the game's appeal, but a screenshot would be a more accurate representation of the game.
Related to above, any tips for getting more eyes on a game where more of it's appeal is in game mechanics rather than the visuals? Art isn't really my strong suit, but screenshots focusing on UI (where most of the game mechanics are shown) aren't very attention-grabbing.
Are the tags I'm using appropriate, and would you recommend adding any other tags? I've considered "simulation" and "automation" because they're technically true, but my game doesn't really fit the mental image most people have when they see those tags so I'm not sure if it'd be perceived as misleading.
How's the text volume on the project page? Am I getting into TL;DR territory, or do I need to expand it even more?
Onto the game itself:
Most important thing - have you had any issues running the game? If yes, is there anything in Log.txt?
My main inspiration has been the colony builder genre with it's focus on detailed individual characters. However, instead of making a game about building stuff I'm going with making tech tree progression the star of the show. The long term plan is to to have the player's tribe regularly migrate to different local maps in a big overworld to collect knowledge about various plants/animals/etc. so building permanent structures doesn't make much sense. Basically I'm going for a cross between colony builders and something like "Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey" Is this a viable concept for a fun game, or am I straying too far from what makes both of these work?
Does the tutorial do a good job of explaining the game mechanics? Should the steps be more granular, and is the information that's not strictly needed to complete the steps helpful or just distracting?
Do the game mechanics make sense to you? Do you like the research system?
I've noticed that a common theme in complaints of colony builder players is that they sometimes struggle to get their colonists to do what they want them to do, so I went with designing the jobs system from scratch. Have I gone too far with reinventing the wheel, ie should I try to make something more in line with standard colony builder controls?
How does the pacing feel? I'm going for a fairly relaxed pace, but have I gone too far in this direction? Do you find yourself spending too much time with nothing to do, just waiting for stuff to happen? If yes, do you think it's something that can be addressed by simply rebalancing stuff, or does the game need a draft system (ie issuing orders directly). TBH I'm not quite sure how I would fit all the different options in a direct orders system without making the UI too cluttered :/
Is the UI sufficiently ergonomic? Any particular actions that you think could be done with less clicks? Does any information feel too hard to get to? Is the reuse of some icons confusing? Do the icons in general make sense?
How are the graphics? Are they readable enough, ie do you find it hard to tell what you're looking at? I'm going for a fairly simple looking UI for readability's sake, but does that make it too ugly? How would you rate the sprites of the game objects on a scale of 1 to 10?
As you probably noticed, the game has no audio. How important is it for a game like this? Should I use use some free music as a placeholder until I can compose my own, or would that make the game feel like an asset flip?
Is there anything you really loved or really hated about the game?