The current progression is too rapid, to the point of absurdity

Too much focus on instant gratification, which by the way is one of the evils of our day and the cause of brainrot.

I agree, in the sense that once the game is 'fleshed out' a bit more, i would love to start way more slowly as you describe.

For, discovering the game/worlds, and while in alpha-testing, it helps to quickly understand/test those parts of the game, so I understand the choice made as it is.

I also agree. Best playthroughs of SE1 was always 'start planet, build up, progress, then launch into space'.

We should have a focus on atmospheric play for a while before getting hydrogen thrusters and then we can reach the station to do contracts all around.

This is very likely just for alpha testing. but in case not i vote u up :)

Agreed. I know it's called "Space" Engineers, but getting to space should be a quest you gradually build up to. Let the player explore planet-based gameplay mechanics first, to get a grip on production loops and the building systems, how the physics of the game works etc. Then maybe they'll look up to the stars with wonder, looking forward to the day when they'll finally get to space. The greater the anticipation, the greater the pay off.

As an "OOBE" experience for new players I think the current approach is OK. But it should not be the only way to play the game. I suggest several alternative starts similar to SE1 and without the pre-made missions for unlocking content. .

For now it's fine. The developers likely want to test all aspects of the game so gatekeeping space for longer doesn't make sense in this context. We are not all the same I for one prefer space over planets, flying down only for sightseeing.

What is odd however is how long you stay in said hydrogen ship. I completed all available errands just now (100% Kemik and Vallation stations) and I never felt the need to upgrade from the Sledge, the hydrogenship you first fix and use to leave the planet.

Resources were always available close at hand during missions. And if you plundered all containers and filled the ship's cargo with random components you barely needed to mine anyway. Never was I pressed to build a second cargo container or a ship drill/grinder/welder to speed up the process. All I modified is some extra front thrust to have better braking.

The starter space base also lacks any usable quantity of mineable resources so there is no sense staying there. Grinding away random spawns is way more lucrative than trying to mine.

Giving a player a longterm main objective should probably be a good idea, likely in the works with the stranded colony ship from the intro. Repairing the ship, building a main base, securing long term survival etc.

I like the alternat starts idea but for the main story and I cant believe I am saying this... Make Us Walk.

Here is an Idea of how it could go.

You crashed gracefully landed your emergency pod, you do not have all your tools or hydrogen in your tank. Explore the facility to find your first tool a grinder to clear the way and a locate a data pad "Your friend in space gives you the GPS cords to the next base"

Walk to the next base, learn how power cores work, get your welder, fix a gear forge to make a drill "Your friend in space detects strange readings and gives you GPS cords to an actual base"

Learn to mine and build the Grasshopper. "Your friend in space detects a base activate nearby" fly to the next base (teaching you the basics of flight)"

Main HQ base where you begin to build your first hydrogen ship. "Your friend in space detects 2 or 3 bases giving options to teach the player basic SE2 skills.(jetpack, combat, inventory management, build menu, control panel, ext.)"

Once completed you can finish the hydrogen ship and go to space to assess your broken ship.

You need specific tech blueprints to unlock ship repairs so you explore each planet to find the blueprints.

As a New Player Experience, I think it is great. I understand more about the systems, and figuring out what I need to be doing.

I think other 'starts' are needed, for more experienced players, and Keen has said the tutorial will be optional. Complete it once, the do a different, hopefully more difficult, Scenarios. The core of the questions seems to be ease of backpack crafting(should be survival only, for start on terrain, water, or space), ore distribution(a lot of small, it seems to be), faction progression(right now, only one and no competition. Other factions should unlock access to their resources and locations, and unique blocks and missions. simple.), and how block progression works(should only unlock specific blocks tied to specific factions...unique faction blocks unlock after you build reputation doing contracts.)

Block progression should be separate. Easiest way is to tie it to resources and a 'research' block. Amount of resources and Time to research different blocks. Rates adjustable on new starts for a fast or slow play through.

My main gripe with the progression is mostly that the player isn't actually shown the most vital mechanics to get into space. Sure he is given a space-capable ship and told to repair it with the PC saying they need it. But nothing teaches the player what actually goes into building one in case they crash it.

It would be a good idea to have a string of missions where the player is guided to assemble the final ship themselves from scratch. After that no further free ship should be provided. The earlier the player gets accustomed to how building works the better. Knowing when to build and when to repurpose is part of the core Space Engineers experience.

If the main goal is a campaign intro that ends up with the player in space, then I would suggest a starting setting for 'easy' and 'hard'. Hard mode removes all the pre built bases and ships, and simpky crashes you on the ground. Perhaps some clues that hint at the space station as a desired end destination. Make us find ore, build everything we need to get there, would be greatly preferable. Easy mode is what we have now, which for most SE1 carryovers is waaaaaaay too easy.

it's early access, let them get the game more finished. everybody is so impatient thinking it's a complete game or something? if you want to wait even longer for survival mode, maybe they can just roll it back... until they get it how they actually want it.

Agreed, there's no difficulty in surviving, there's never any feeling of being stranded on a planet and needing to get back up to save the colonists. The colonists and saving them should be the thing giving you a sense of urgency and something you need to work to, to get back up and rescue them. Getting off your first planet should be a massive accomplishment. Instead getting up is one of the first things you do and then you just ditch the colonists to do some random missions, which makes no sense.

I commented on another thread on a similar topic along these lines. I like the theoretical walkthrough HAMMARS801 suggested with more steps over what's there right now as an 'easy mode' start. I would like to see the same thing but also a 'hard mode' start which is in a different part of the planet without any pre-built bases or resources. In this case, no free anything, you are given goals but not resources to complete them. Make us look around, forage, find raw materials and build. In that scenario, after crashing, you need to establish radio contact with your space brother, so might need to scrap your drop pod and try to make a battery and a radio antenna. This would probably require you to build other stuff first to get the components (go forage). Once the radio is up and running, now you start to pick up local signals and make contact with space brother. Those signals might talk about but not offer waypoints to a disant shipwreck (maybe the same one but halfway around the planet. Then you get the coordinates of Vallation station from the wreck, now build a hydrogen ship (from scratch) to get there.

Agree, for immediate testing giving us stuff is probably okay, but given these are quest lines I assume this is how they plan to have you start in the campaign mode and it feels way too easy. My favorite part of SE1 was that first few game days when I'm just trying to find enough food and oxygen to keep going.

I also hope that they plan to eventually do different 'starts' to the campaign like SE1 where you pick what planet you start on with different levels of difficulty in getting going in the campaign.

I definitely hope the sandbox is planned to be essentially SE1 with a reskin.