Titan Outpost Release Thread

[ebPD8PePfC]

Welp. The first two hours are a mess. I think I game overed myself twice, though in both occasions I understand so little about the game to know if those are real dead ends, or if there was something I could have done.

- The first time you refer to a function of the game you should use real world logic, rather than in game logic. Yeah, it's less immersive, but it really helps, and you should worry about immersion for the last 30 hours of the game, not the first two. So when you're told:

I tried searching for spare parts outside the base since I was told there should be some lying around. Oops.
What you should say is that the character has an inventory, that the base has an inventory, and where that menu is located.

- Always stick with one name for an object. Sometimes spare parts are spare parts, sometimes they're universal parts. It's confusing when the player doesn't even know that "spare parts" are an object in the game, it's even more confusing when they are called by another name.

- If a character explains how the game works, you should always have the option of asking them to explain it again. I don't care about realism.

- Why is there not enough power for hydroponics at the start? If you don't power it in time you lose the game, if you power it without extra energy generators you can't research and construct so you lose the game, and the only players who will know this are those who already lost the game. So this only serves as a gatcha for new players. That was my first game over.

- The player is told he needs a pump. Apparently one is already built, but doesn't appear in the ship's inventory... this was my second time losing the game. I started building one which took all my resources, and you can't cancel a building and order and refund resources, so I had no way to build anything... so restart.

- I have no idea how to collect resources. Couldn't find anything on it either.

- There's also a bug in the research menu. After I finished research and reopened the menu, I couldn't do anything more with it. I couldn't exit it either. As far as I can tell it corrupted the save.

- I didn't get to engage much with the Convincing People mini-game, but on the surface it looks really cool.

I guess I should save scum more, but it's hard to do so when I barely realize which decisions have fatal consequences and which don't. It's even harder when I can't even recognize what my decisions actually do. I'm sure some of my restarts weren't warranted, but I had no idea what I can do differently.
For what it's worth, you can check out Dead In Vainland which is also a survival RPG, and see what they did to explain the basic game mechanics. It's a simpler game, but some basic stuff can be easily copied. For example, the research menu has flavor text separated from the in game effect:

This is what your game does:

No way to skim it without reading a lot of technobabble, and even than I only get a vague promise that research will improve something, without the real numbers. Your audience are RPG players, they like to min max, there's no reason to hide the numbers.

When I managed to play the game it was interesting. I hope you won't give up on it.

 

[MF]

Thanks for the detailed feedback. Mostly valid points that I'm working on addressing, although some of the game's trial and error approach is by design.

- The first time you refer to a function of the game you should use real world logic, rather than in game logic.

There used to be a tutorial where the base computer explains to you what the spare parts are and how to transfer them to your inventory, but I scrapped it in favour of the question marks and help screens. Press F1 for general help or hit the question marks for contextual help. That's where the 'real world logic' explanations are. In any case, I'm rebuilding the tutorial, which should solve that confusion.

If a character explains how the game works, you should always have the option of asking them to explain it again. I don't care about realism.

That's what the contextual help is for.

Why is there not enough power for hydroponics at the start? If you don't power it in time you lose the game, if you power it without extra energy generators you can't research and construct so you lose the game, and the only players who will know this are those who already lost the game.

It's not a gotcha and you don't have to die. You can also get food from the Hesiod or make a bee-line to the Chinese or explore a little on the world map (if you have exploration of 2 or higher it's easy to find) and find some abandoned rations. There is not enough power because it's a resource you have to manage. It's part of the game. Regardless, I will also add this to the tutorial with clear instructions on the choice you have to make.

The player is told he needs a pump. Apparently one is already built, but doesn't appear in the ship's inventory... this was my second time losing the game. I started building one which took all my resources, and you can't cancel a building and order and refund resources, so I had no way to build anything... so restart.

It's not already built. It's in progress and halted at 95% when you start the game. You can't build another one unless you manually decide to power the construction system and finish the first one. I guess you could do that by accident if you pass time while experimenting with the generator. You can also scavenge enough resources in direct vicinity of the Outpost to build at least one base module. In any case, this part is already in the tutorial, which will be included in an update after the next patch.

I have no idea how to collect resources. Couldn't find anything on it either.

Many ways. The first viable one is when you're walking around and you see the search icon, your character can search for them. Later you can buy them from contractors, get them from the Chinese or IASA, build base modules to generate them, etc. There is a short explanation in the construction system help screen, but you just made me realise that resource management deserves a spot in the general help screen.

There's also a bug in the research menu. After I finished research and reopened the menu, I couldn't do anything more with it. I couldn't exit it either. As far as I can tell it corrupted the save.

Yeah, that's a known bug that happens on rare occasions, fixed in the next patch.

No way to skim it without reading a lot of technobabble, and even than I only get a vague promise that research will improve something, without the real numbers.

The results are hidden by design. The vague promises turn into actual numbers after the research is complete. It's more like X-Com research and it adds a sense of mystery. Some like it, some don't. I see how it can be frustrating if you haven't gotten your bearings yet

When I managed to play the game it was interesting. I hope you won't give up on it.

Thanks. I'm still working pretty much full-time on it. In retrospect I should have opted for early access, but the game is now getting to a point where it's pretty stable. A new major patch is due tomorrow and after that I'm mostly working on trying to ease new players into the game a little more. Your comments are very welcome in that respect, as it's getting harder and harder for me to see the game's opening with virgin eyes.

 

[V_K]

In retrospect I should have opted for early access

Just release a Deluxe edition in 6 months :D

 

[HoboForEternity]

so are there still alot of bugs?

 

[Butter]

1.06 Patch
Some more fixes. The tutorial has been streamlined, but is still incomplete. The next patch will feature the complete tutorial.

Change log

• Corrupt save problem fixed
  
• Can no longer go to menu while trading
  
• Can no longer buy empty shipments
  
• Mouse wheel scroll functionality added to dialogue
  
• Rover exit message clarified
  
• Rover is unavailable until you complete the 'Reconnect' quest
  
• Free cam mode added to Outpost vicinity

Next up

• Complete the tutorial
  
• A few more free cam modes
  
• Add a button to enable drones to leave Tanks at a certain location
  
• Fix the twirling issue
  
• ‘Uncollected Orbital Drop Shipment’ warning
  
• Fix some rare video issues while talking to one of the characters

 

[MF]

so are there still alot of bugs?

I'd say it's in a pretty good state right now. If you were waiting out, I think you're safe after the next patch (this weekend, maybe next week). It has one major fix and the rest is about easing new players into the game a little more. Streamlining a few things in the opening, adding a tutorial and more comprehensive help screens. Some cosmetic changes, extra camera features, QoL additions, stuff like that. Only one minor bug report came in after the last patch.

 

[Butter]

1.07 Patch

• Tutorial completed.
  
• Drone logic improved. Drones now leave empty tanks behind if they have another waypoint scheduled.
  
• Items built by the printing table now appear in Outpost inventory rather than the player inventory.
  
• Food Rations and Chinese Food can now be consumed from inventory.
  
• Ling's involvement in end game fixed.
  
• Peace negotiations back in.
  
• Setting more than 4 waypoints doesn't overlap in UI anymore.
  
• A few UI improvements.
  
• After surveying a location, its description now changes accordingly. The same goes for story-related locations.
  
• Pickaxe swing animation for female characters fixed.
  
• Rover navigation improved.
  
• Toolbar disappearing in a few places fixed.
  
• Can no longer save inside the crashed lander.
  
• A few more free camera locations added.
  
• The twirling issue has been improved. It's an engine-related issue that is partly out of our hands. I'm confident it'll be fixed at some point, but for now, you can just click again or double click something.

 

[MF]

1.07 is done. I might have gone overboard with the tutorial hand-holding, but better safe than sorry.

Change Log

• Tutorial completed.
  
• Drone logic improved. Drones now leave empty tanks behind if they have another waypoint scheduled.
  
• Items built by the printing table now appear in Outpost inventory rather than the player inventory.
  
• Food Rations and Chinese Food can now be consumed from inventory.
  
• Ling's involvement in end game fixed.
  
• Peace negotiations back in.
  
• Setting more than 4 waypoints doesn't overlap in UI anymore.
  
• A few UI improvements.
  
• After surveying a location, its description now changes accordingly. The same goes for story-related locations.
  
• Pickaxe swing animation for female characters fixed.
  
• Rover navigation improved.
  
• Toolbar disappearing in a few places fixed.
  
• Can no longer save inside the crashed lander.
  
• A few more free camera locations added.
  
• All help screens can now be accessed from the F1 screen.
• The twirling issue has been improved. It's an engine-related issue that is partly out of our hands. I'm confident it'll be fixed at some point, but for now, you can just click again or double click something.

Edit: Butter beat me to it!

 

[Butter]

Was waiting for the full tutorial before jumping into this game, but now Disco Elysium is out and I'm loving that. I plan on playing through Titan Outpost afterward. I'll leave my thoughts here.

 

[Agesilaus]

So, is 1.7 the "ideal release" edition of the game? I will buy this game, I've just been holding off because I'm playing other stuff and the whole patching process has been a good excuse for me to put it to one side for now.

 

[MF]

Was waiting for the full tutorial before jumping into this game, but now Disco Elysium is out and I'm loving that. I plan on playing through Titan Outpost afterward. I'll leave my thoughts here.

Great. I've been meaning to play DE myself, perhaps now I'll have some time.

So, is 1.7 the "ideal release" edition of the game? I will buy this game, I've just been holding off because I'm playing other stuff and the whole patching process has been a good excuse for me to put it to one side for now.

Yes. There's no such thing as perfect and I'll continue to support it, but I don't foresee any more major flaws.

 

[Butter]

I've started playing Titan Outpost. I hate the comms panel. Any time I do any activity that isn't talking to mission control, I get a notification of a new message, so I have to disconnect power to hydroponics or construction and reroute it to comms, and then it turns out the message is just mission control asking me about my progress for for third time in five minutes. I can't skip their dialogues quickly either.

I've rerolled a few times to try and maximize my early game, and I seem to have encountered a bug where the hydrokinetic pump starts at 0% constructed instead of 95%, so it says I have to wait 9 days before it's finished. I'm obviously just going to reroll again instead.

edit: I'm learning more as I keep playing. I don't really want the tutorial tbh. It's fun to figure stuff out on my own. The stuff I wrote above was based on misconceptions.

 

[MF]

edit: I'm learning more as I keep playing. I don't really want the tutorial tbh. It's fun to figure stuff out on my own. The stuff I wrote above was based on misconceptions.

You've probably figured it out by now, but the messages referred to are emails. You don't have to talk to them again, you just need to read the messages. It's explained in the comms panel help screen and there are only two buttons when you first open the panel, 'channels' and 'messages'.

The tutorial makes the Reconnect quest less fun, but some people really do want/need it.

 

[V_K]

Some people wasted all their suit energy looking for the damned tower even with the tutorial

 

[MF]

Some people wasted all their suit energy looking for the damned tower even with the tutorial

Well, the new camera mode should help with that. One quick look around and you're golden.

 

[Whisper]

Is it good game?

 

[Butter]

My character sheet doesn't seem to show perks or traits. I took On the Spectrum at character creation, and Doctor at level 2, but neither one of them shows up.

 

[MF]

My character sheet doesn't seem to show perks or traits. I took On the Spectrum at character creation, and Doctor at level 2, but neither one of them shows up.

Fixed. Along with a slew of other minor fixes and one quest branch that wouldn't complete under certain circumstances. It was a dead end branch, but quests should move to complete under failure conditions as well.

 

[Butter]

Doing the quest A New Partnership, and I'm unable to transfer the plutonium out of the container it was sent in. I can select it and press Transfer, and it disappears from the container, but doesn't go into my inventory or into the outpost inventory. When I close out of the container and open it again, the plutonium is still in it.

I was outside the outpost running around, and I accidentally clicked on some ice rocks that you're supposed to scour for minerals. I've long since done that, but now I can't close the window without reloading.

 

[MF]

Doing the quest A New Partnership, and I'm unable to transfer the plutonium out of the container it was sent in. I can select it and press Transfer, and it disappears from the container, but doesn't go into my inventory or into the outpost inventory. When I close out of the container and open it again, the plutonium is still in it.

I was outside the outpost running around, and I accidentally clicked on some ice rocks that you're supposed to scour for minerals. I've long since done that, but now I can't close the window without reloading.

That plutonium container bug was fixed in 1.03. When it happened, everything broke down so that's probably the cause of the search panel not exiting too. I wasn't sure how you got to experience that one with the latest version and it took me a long time to reproduce, but apparently it can still occur if you quit to menu during the transfer and then continue. Will fix.

 

[Butter]

When you talk to Karen early on about other assignments, she says "The Outpost only meets the bare minimum for habitability. We need to work on that." When you advance the dialogue, the audio repeats the first line, instead of the new text: "It's not unexpected. We knew the Outpost was behind schedule. The life support tests returned positive so descent was greenlighted anyway."

Is there a reason I can't begin construction on a hydroponics bay right after the elevator is finished? I have the materials for it, but when I press the Begin Construction button, nothing happens.

 

[MF]

..missing audiofile...
Is there a reason I can't begin construction on a hydroponics bay right after the elevator is finished? I have the materials for it, but when I press the Begin Construction button, nothing happens.

Thanks. Changed greenlighted to greenlit on that line but didn't include the new audiofile.

You need to excavate/melt a room before you can build a base module there. Excavation can sometimes also yield minerals. The help screen explains everything.

 

[Butter]

..missing audiofile...
Is there a reason I can't begin construction on a hydroponics bay right after the elevator is finished? I have the materials for it, but when I press the Begin Construction button, nothing happens.

Thanks. Changed greenlighted to greenlit on that line but didn't include the new audiofile.

You need to excavate/melt a room before you can build a base module there. Excavation can sometimes also yield minerals. The help screen explains everything.

Gotcha, that makes sense.

 

[Butter]

Just tried the new update and can confirm Herschel's plutonium can now be taken from the egg.

 

[Butter]

If you die of suffocation, you get softlocked. Pressing ESC brings up a message that says Saving... but you have to Alt+F4 to get out of it.