20240216:
I was stuck on a level, and so I decided to stop playing. After I stopped, I went to the forum looking for an answer. Someone had the same problem as me ("When the second "cube" enter in the splitter just become stuck, seems the compare just can't process the value.") and a different person had the same problem but figured out the solution:
Overall, I think the game is overly complicated with lack of transparency that puzzles game by Zachtronics, such as SHENZHEN I/O or SpaceChem, have. I think the game can take some actions to remedy the problem:
1. Introduce one block at a time, and ensure the player has a good understanding of each block (probably at least three levels per block) before introducing the next. For example, understanding the data block can realistically take six levels by itself.
2. Instead of the display block, each block should automatically display the inputs and outputs. Or there should be an option to toggle display on and off. Otherwise the player just ridiculously has to manually add display blocks to everything.
3. Even controls such as rotation should have their own level (I just had to randomly discover it), but also machines should have better default orientation. Why on Earth should the first machine with input and output be oriented vertically when clearly most of the early levels are oriented horizontally?
4. Better documentation and examples. The current documentation has videos but the videos only partially indicate what happens for each block. I, the player, had to figure out way too much on my own. Even SHENZHEN I/O with it's printable manual wasn't this brutal with having players figure out basic gameplay.
As an example of the above with respect to the comparator level I was stuck on, the player is expected to understand not just the comparator block, but also the custom boolean block as a way to output the value 50 to compare against the incoming blocks. Instead, the player should not even have access to the boolean block, and the game at this point should supply a signal of 50 for the player to hook-up into the comparator block. In addition, this is the first time in the game that the player needs to separate the block's information using the data block. This should have been isolated as its own level prior to this level. Finally, there's some sort of boolean signal at the top left of the machines, but with no explanation of what it does. It would be better if the developer either explained it or omit it until it's needed.
I tried very hard to enjoy this game, but it was such a frustrating experience that I would not want to play the game ever again.
Steam Game Time: 57 minutes (cumulative game time)
I was stuck on a level, and so I decided to stop playing. After I stopped, I went to the forum looking for an answer. Someone had the same problem as me ("When the second "cube" enter in the splitter just become stuck, seems the compare just can't process the value.") and a different person had the same problem but figured out the solution:
"I got stuck on this one for a bit too before realising you needed to link the constant to the input so it works as a clock of sorts, kinda expected linking a constant to the comparator node to set the input to whatever value it was at all times."
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| Comparator level and my broken machine |
Overall, I think the game is overly complicated with lack of transparency that puzzles game by Zachtronics, such as SHENZHEN I/O or SpaceChem, have. I think the game can take some actions to remedy the problem:
1. Introduce one block at a time, and ensure the player has a good understanding of each block (probably at least three levels per block) before introducing the next. For example, understanding the data block can realistically take six levels by itself.
2. Instead of the display block, each block should automatically display the inputs and outputs. Or there should be an option to toggle display on and off. Otherwise the player just ridiculously has to manually add display blocks to everything.
3. Even controls such as rotation should have their own level (I just had to randomly discover it), but also machines should have better default orientation. Why on Earth should the first machine with input and output be oriented vertically when clearly most of the early levels are oriented horizontally?
4. Better documentation and examples. The current documentation has videos but the videos only partially indicate what happens for each block. I, the player, had to figure out way too much on my own. Even SHENZHEN I/O with it's printable manual wasn't this brutal with having players figure out basic gameplay.
 |
| Developer's solution to the above level. Note that the 50 here is connected to the input. |
As an example of the above with respect to the comparator level I was stuck on, the player is expected to understand not just the comparator block, but also the custom boolean block as a way to output the value 50 to compare against the incoming blocks. Instead, the player should not even have access to the boolean block, and the game at this point should supply a signal of 50 for the player to hook-up into the comparator block. In addition, this is the first time in the game that the player needs to separate the block's information using the data block. This should have been isolated as its own level prior to this level. Finally, there's some sort of boolean signal at the top left of the machines, but with no explanation of what it does. It would be better if the developer either explained it or omit it until it's needed.
I tried very hard to enjoy this game, but it was such a frustrating experience that I would not want to play the game ever again.
Steam Game Time: 57 minutes (cumulative game time)
Date/Time
Friday, February 16, 2024
@
19:36
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