u/supergigaduck

First of all, I'm not a fan how, as an active returning players for every new updates, I am left to guess where to begin the new quests, as it's not specified to players who have visited those locations prior to the updates. I don't see the point of searching the whole (cleared) map AGAIN to trigger new quests, and have you basically search online to get the answer (not a terrible thing to do but a bit inelegant). I think if you have visited the locations, the new quests should be activated automatically, like the Eden projet actually does because it's a new location, or giving actual hints to players where to go.

Also I've said this before, but the updates seem really exploration-focused, and being a returning player every new updates kinda feels unrewarding because you spend a lot of time going back to places seen before with no real challenge because it rarely demands strategic systems implementations like getting Lazarus operational, launching your first rocket or get your oil rig set up to refuel efficiently.

So we can all agree all the updates are pretty consistent and very well done, but it really seems the devs are really aiming for "exploration" oriented updates.

I gotta say, even though I do like the exploring, what hooked me with this game was the cable management systems and figuring out how to solve the mains locations and your boat with ressources/energy available, and that all those system were aiming for a bigger goal: launching your first humans.

I loved so much the moment when I launched my first rocket because I felt all the satisfaction of all the work that was done before that merged into this very moment. But since then, no updates drove me to be as much invested into interacting with the game. So far, it's new places and new ways to pick up stuff, and the same enemies to take down (I know new ones are planned).

I prefer when the game balance action and exploration with the "satisfactory-like" elements, with a clear practical AND storytelling end goal. But since the launch of my first rocket, the game shifted to being mainly action/exploration-focused with phases of maintenance/optimizing. Ressources are mostly picked up by dismantling by hand instead of infrastructure to figure out how to automate structure that have a grander purpose.

I hope the devs plan on adding more zones like Lazarus for maintaining your humans, Exodus for the rocket launches or Blanc Vein for the fuel refills, instead of places to just explore, kill easy mobs and pick up stuff.