Suit Only Start Experience in VS2.2 Pre-Feedback Patch

Here is feedback on a suit only start from a FTUE view, with already full progression, that happened before the Community Feedback Update.

On a new gameplay start at Vallation Station, I grabbed the sledge, zipped through the contracts, and unlocked all the blocks. Then, returning to Verdure, I decided to go to the ground and build a base to experiment on with, since I hadn't build anything except some atmo thrusters and drills on the sledge (more on this...)

Headed down to the ground, I had grouped all my atmo thrusters to a quickslot. And realized, I couldn't slow down, since a group selection wasn't working on the toolbar. So I crashed, and respawned...a couple seconds before crash. Uh-oh. I had no other base, couldn't turn on my thrusters in time to slow down, and it was my only Save. I would have to start all over again, going through -all- the contracts, again, to get back to this point.

So, I figured I would have a go at a suit only start. If I lose, I lose all my progression.

I bailed out, and managed to survived impact with the ground, leaving 20 health. I was in a lake bed, and looking around I saw a unknown signal a couple km away. I started moving in that direction, mining the occasional small deposit of ore I knew I would need, iron, silicon, nickel, cobalt, copper. As I approached the plateau the signal was on, I decided that was ...too... easy, so I went to the side of it, on a sand ledge with palm trees a couple km away, instead. Close enough so if there were problems, I could go over and use it's resources. My battery was about half full at this point (more on this...), and I was getting a little worried, but not too bad.

The sand plateau had the basic ores, quick mining and a platform later, I had finished a battery, solar panel, looking at some cargo, and "hhmm...suit is getting real low on power"...

panic

15 percent, need a survival kit. Need...nickel. Nothing on my drill. I start flying around in random circles, trying to not hit palm trees. No nickel. I peel off to the mountain biome that borders it, and run along the border seeing if there was any there. I didn't remember seeing any nickel on the sand, and I didn't know if that biome even had any nickel that populated in it. So, split the difference between the two. Nothing.

Almost lost my base location...gps... Fly back, open map. Zoom in on marker on planet "You are Here", right click to make a marker, close screen. The marker is 40,000km away. Open map again, oh yeah...the 'create new maker at position'. Make one. 7 percent battery. Start looping to the other side of base, and there is some nickel in the sand! I dig down, start mining it, get to 3 percent, and am not sure if I am going to make it back or not, it was going to be tight...

Boom. Battery refills. I had a space suit battery I had looted earlier that I had forgot.

Finished base, ground down entire unknown signal, started on flyer.

Thoughts:

1. The only time in SE2 I have felt a sense of urgency. When I realized the death-loop I was in, with one save and no base for respawn, and after spending hours unlocking all the blocks and completing all the contracts, I had something to lose. My only chance was to use my skills to survive my predicament.

2. When the 15 percent batter hit, panic set in. I was totally focused on gameplay.

3.. When the suit batter spare kicked in, it was...sad. All that work meant nothing. It felt like at a baseball game, last batter up, your team is down, and this is it. You step up to the plate to bat, and as the pitcher winds up to throw the pitch...the umpire waves his hands and stops the game, and then gives everyone a cookie.

4. Kept clipping when digging, more than the usual.

5. Resources were plentiful, it was really no problem. I could of just build a first kit at the seabed. It seems the plentiful ore distribution with smaller amounts, is akin to stone mining. The problem is wandering around for a random occurrence, due to the short range of the ore detector. A longer one is needed, for a player to plan and map an area to explore. My idea was a sphere/cone/beam system and short/medium/long range each one is used for (with everything else remaining the same), but there are many other good suggestions, but mainly: extend the range in a good gameplay way.

I think it would alleviate a lot of the player want for stone mining, since that method is essentially a 'know' quantity, where as ore deposits currently are 'wandering' for a random encounter to spawn. Creates frustration. A person wanders aimlessly, waiting for a random event to 'happen' where he is going by. That's not exploring, that is wandering 'anywhere' and waiting for a good dice roll. An explorer gathers information using tools, plans an expedition on a map, and goes to an area with objectives to attempt to accomplish. Either make certain ore's 'only' in a biome, i.e. you want iron, you go to a mountain. Why? I can see a mountain from 100km away. And I know it has iron. That is much farther than the drill. Or, you have larger deposits seeded, but with a longer detector range. Or, you have stone mining.

The small deposits everywhere just makes you want to skip the hassle of messing with the small stuff and wandering around again hoping to get a good roll of dice, and just dig down into stone.

6. With all the resources available, and no time crunch with the base built, building a flyer was easy. Space easy. The only excitement was that first step, 20 percent health and a full suit battery, and looking at the area surrounding my landing spot, with no going back. I had to make it, it was all or nothing. That created motivation., drive, excitement, danger, success, and defeat.

And, that's my experience.