Colonization authority feels very contrived
The whole idea just. I'm slackjawed.
10K years ago slow travel colony ships go to Almagest.
We're on those.
While in travel... I guess better travel technology is created, and they decide to go to Almagest ahead of the 10k year travelers. Leave them to travel in space... WHY!?
With the new tech, they get to the system far before I do, they do normal human stupidity and fight each other. "Colonization" doesn't happen... and they all killed each other. They're all gone.
What's left is this automated system who's job is to coordinate any humans that MIGHT not have killed each other yet, in the building out of this systems infrastructure, so that humans CAN "colonize" it.
So now, your job is to run all over at the behest of an automated system, and build infrastructure for a an entire solarsystems worth of people that do not exist.
That prospect is extremely BORING. It feels very contrived, and quite frankly it's a big turn off.
I think the colonization authority, with the information I have about it now, and how it fits into the overall story you are trying to generate... it's so de-motivational. I think you VERY much need to either change direction here dramatically, or you need to present to us more about how the pieces and parts link together in a way that actually provides motivational opportunities for the player. You may be trying to save this as a surprise, but at this point you're just shooting yourselves in the feet.
Travel 10K years across the stars in cryosleep to discover that you have biggest construction job in history in front of you with no purpose. Purpose would be fixing the colony ship. Oh wait. As soon as we get that goal... we go do a bunch of random meaningless tasks.
I mean my lord. These guys travel 10k years in cyro sleep, and when they get to the new system, they don't know how to build drills or tools or production machinery. Why leave? You'll just die when you get there if you can't establish production. If you don't have tools. POORLY thought out.
At this point, it's like... please don't make a story. Just make a sandbox space game with more depth. Like NPCs and stuff. This guided quest makes no sense, and is a betrayal of the players that spent a lot of time with SE1. Enjoying the SURVIVAL sandbox.
What you should be doing, is everything you ARE doing except the story line. The colonization. You need to replace that with quest "plug-ins", and build your system around the idea of modular quests. Provide good modding tools so that players can make their own quests. Then we could download quests off the workshop. You guys could create quest updates, and special quest DLC.
This is what SE1 needs the most. Quests you can add in your current game, and NPCs.
Not a mega contrived mega boring construction task, that doesn't make sense.
I like this feedback
Yeah, I am new to Space Engineers, and what brought me over was SE1 survival series done by players on youtube...
They are amazing!
I became hooked, lol. That, and the epic level content they made. SE1 survival wasn't perfect, but the idea was engaging.
That moment when a dropship spawns, falling into a new world, and the engineer is looking around, seeing if it was time to start panicking or now, haha
That randomized start is something a lot of people are waiting for, it seems.
I can't wait. Gonna be cool;)
Yeah, I am new to Space Engineers, and what brought me over was SE1 survival series done by players on youtube...
They are amazing!
I became hooked, lol. That, and the epic level content they made. SE1 survival wasn't perfect, but the idea was engaging.
That moment when a dropship spawns, falling into a new world, and the engineer is looking around, seeing if it was time to start panicking or now, haha
That randomized start is something a lot of people are waiting for, it seems.
I can't wait. Gonna be cool;)
I think there will eventually be a proper free sandbox mode without all this AI-driven “do this to progress” structure.
But honestly, the fact that there’s so much focus on guided story progression this early in alpha is a bit worrying.
I’d much rather see them build solid survival systems first. It’s way easier to expand on strong, well-balanced survival mechanics than to build a story layer first and then try to make survival systems support it.
Right now it almost feels like the opposite is happening:
And I don’t think that really works.
You risk ending up with a game that’s weaker on both fronts:
Also, I think a lot of people feel this way:
I’m really not excited about following instructions from some AI “quest giver” system.
I’d much rather interact with actual NPC factions, characters, and players — not just be told what to do by an AI.
If anything… I’d rather fight it 😄
Make it an enemy. Give us something like a hostile system we can push back against.
Let us go full “fight the Skynet” mode.
Because at the end of the day, this should feel like a game about people, engineering, and survival — not just an apocalyptic anti-utopia where you’re following orders of an AI.
That direction just feels… a bit imposed and limiting compared to what the sandbox could be. 🚀
I think there will eventually be a proper free sandbox mode without all this AI-driven “do this to progress” structure.
But honestly, the fact that there’s so much focus on guided story progression this early in alpha is a bit worrying.
I’d much rather see them build solid survival systems first. It’s way easier to expand on strong, well-balanced survival mechanics than to build a story layer first and then try to make survival systems support it.
Right now it almost feels like the opposite is happening:
And I don’t think that really works.
You risk ending up with a game that’s weaker on both fronts:
Also, I think a lot of people feel this way:
I’m really not excited about following instructions from some AI “quest giver” system.
I’d much rather interact with actual NPC factions, characters, and players — not just be told what to do by an AI.
If anything… I’d rather fight it 😄
Make it an enemy. Give us something like a hostile system we can push back against.
Let us go full “fight the Skynet” mode.
Because at the end of the day, this should feel like a game about people, engineering, and survival — not just an apocalyptic anti-utopia where you’re following orders of an AI.
That direction just feels… a bit imposed and limiting compared to what the sandbox could be. 🚀
I do disagree with you - though I understand your points. I actually find the Colonization Authority to be a good start for "legitimizing" the contract experience in terms of lore.
Like other players have said, SE2 will and should definitely be playable as it's own sandbox experience -untouched by the lore. Its striking this balance of lore and creative freedom that will be the biggest challenge for the dev team. There should be explanation of "why" players do what they do but the extent that reaches is the tricky point - there should be space where players can craft their own story of Almagest!
I am not looking to argue, just presenting a different view- and I will say there is much left unannounced that exists in the game files to be excited for!
I do disagree with you - though I understand your points. I actually find the Colonization Authority to be a good start for "legitimizing" the contract experience in terms of lore.
Like other players have said, SE2 will and should definitely be playable as it's own sandbox experience -untouched by the lore. Its striking this balance of lore and creative freedom that will be the biggest challenge for the dev team. There should be explanation of "why" players do what they do but the extent that reaches is the tricky point - there should be space where players can craft their own story of Almagest!
I am not looking to argue, just presenting a different view- and I will say there is much left unannounced that exists in the game files to be excited for!
It seems there are two different approaches people are talking about, story vs sandbox, but I think there is also a third, a hybrid, that can be used. Using an analogy I've seen referenced elsewhere:
It seems there are two different approaches people are talking about, story vs sandbox, but I think there is also a third, a hybrid, that can be used. Using an analogy I've seen referenced elsewhere:
I quite enjoy the colonisation authority - in fact it seems quite entertaining.
With that said, I am 90% sure it is temporary. Unless I am thinking of a different game, they have put the contracts terminal in while they continue to work on NPCs. When NPCs are ready you will receive your missions from humans. Also, you said ""Colonization" doesn't happen... and they all killed each other. They're all gone."... but that is not accurate. It is just the game is not finished yet and they have not finished all the work on the NPCs. The final game will have factions with NPC players.
They have also said that a lot of these missions are just temporary, they will improve as more features of the game are added - allowing for better game play.
So I wouldn't worry, NPCs are coming - they even showcase them in the updates and they give quotes from them on game loading screens - like the "Astronauts without Borders" faction.
I quite enjoy the colonisation authority - in fact it seems quite entertaining.
With that said, I am 90% sure it is temporary. Unless I am thinking of a different game, they have put the contracts terminal in while they continue to work on NPCs. When NPCs are ready you will receive your missions from humans. Also, you said ""Colonization" doesn't happen... and they all killed each other. They're all gone."... but that is not accurate. It is just the game is not finished yet and they have not finished all the work on the NPCs. The final game will have factions with NPC players.
They have also said that a lot of these missions are just temporary, they will improve as more features of the game are added - allowing for better game play.
So I wouldn't worry, NPCs are coming - they even showcase them in the updates and they give quotes from them on game loading screens - like the "Astronauts without Borders" faction.
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