Faction relations... don't make sense
So, I do not know about the show but I was a huge fan of crying suns because the gameplay mechanics felt like they were made for me specifically and wanted to see the new game they made. This game is great, I think it accomplishes what it wants to.
BUT, the faction mechanics is a bust. I love rts strategy games, 80% of my library is filled with them. The problem is 90% of the events are a lose lose. Especially in higher extinction levels because they start tense. Choosing to either give a faction materials and ignore the other or not giving anyone anything is a hard decision to make and a great one for the game. But lets put this in a game situation where every faction is fair. Then you lose on a faction and it moves a bit towards tense and the other one gains influence. Thats fine, but lets say both of these factions are tense. Then when you choose, one of them becomes hostile and starts a crisis and other one starts another one for gaining influence while being tense relations with us. If you choose to not give anyone anything than they both become hostile. This choice is neither engaging nor fun. Becuase the event feels like it was made to give a sacrifice to make some other thing better. But it only worsens things.
I am not a game dev of course but as a player I feel like when I get that event I am just pushed into a blackhole without a way to get out. I believe at least the factions we give influence should at least slightly improve with us because we favoured them in an important decision.
Another event for an example is the event where we either give them influence with money or materials and such, or lose relations. Giving them valuebles at least should improve our tense relation somewhat right? But no it makes them just get more powerful. Maybe if there was a relation better than fair, like ''liked'' we would have a breath room to sacrifice such relationships to save others.
I am as a player suppoed to be excited when an event pops up, but if I am at least tense with one faction (which is the status quo in most games) I feel like I am about to get punished with no chance of recover.
I believe this game can be another masterpiece like crying suns but except the story -because it is based on a show I haven't watched yet I cannot relate to much things and the game devs are limited on what they can add to the story- but it needs polishing with help from the playerbase.