Hey Mathias!
I enjoyed playing Prospector, here's my feedback, I tried to be quite detailed as I find this more helpful when I'm receiving feedback:
Menu:
- Compliments:
- The menu's music brings delightful "Halo" vibes, enhancing the initial impression.
- The visuals are strikingly well-crafted, setting a high standard from the start.
- Friendly Suggestions:
- Perhaps consider looping the main menu music for a continuous, ambient experience.
- Adding pop-ups to describe each menu option could enhance clarity, especially for the less obvious choices, making navigation more intuitive.
After Pressing Play:
- Constructive Feedback:
- Introducing control functionalities gradually can significantly smooth the onboarding process. This method, from my own development experience, tends to be especially helpful for newcomers.
- A visual representation of arriving at the "small space trading post" could be a powerful addition. Showing the ship docking, rather than just describing it, might deepen player immersion.
Upon Closing the First Pop-Up:
- Observations:
- Displaying controls on the top left is helpful. Encouraging players to actively use each control before it fades could further ease them into the game's mechanics.
Main Gameplay:
- Enhancements:
- The shift functionality for more information is quite useful. Modifying this to an automatic hover-over display for interactable objects could streamline gameplay and reduce the need for constant button pressing ( maybe as a toggle option in settings?).
- The game's notification of being saved is a reassuring touch.
- Implementing a camera mode that locks onto the drone, if not already in place, could be a significant quality-of-life improvement.
- Assigning WASD the same functionality as arrow keys could offer ergonomic benefits, considering the concurrent use of the mouse.
- The eerie ambiance music contributes effectively to the game's atmosphere. Smoother transitions of music when moving between the shuttle and the outside world could enhance this experience.
- Gameplay Dynamics:
- Adding details about mineral resource capacity and shield information upon hover could offer players deeper insights into game mechanics.
- The drag and drop functionality for item transfer, along with auto-saving upon base return, transfer all, and sort items features, are appreciated for their contribution to a seamless experience.
- After toggling off the shuttle music, a consideration for making the ambient music play in the shuttle, this could maintain the immersive atmosphere and avoid complete silence.
- Introducing a visual cue, such as a slight sparkle on interactable items, might reduce the frequency of needing to press shift.
- Adjusting the initial damage rate from environmental hazards like ground heat to be slower could offer players a fair chance to react.
The game shows great potential, especially for a fan of base builders and crafting. Adding a few more quality-of-life features could make the experience even more enjoyable. Your dedication to refining the game is evident, and I'm excited to see where it goes.