The main thing that's been occupying my thoughts is playtesting the First Time User Experience (FTUE) in SE2. The prototype is coming together nicely!
== Spoiler Alert ==
Here's how the FTUE currently works: You spawn on Verdure planet with a GPS marker leading you to a cave. First, you'll need to dig out the entrance. Inside, you'll discover an unfinished small ship with several components shown as projections (thrusters, survival kit, etc.).
Your tasks include:
- Mining ore within the cave
- Using Backpack Building and Projection Building to weld the projected blocks
- Finding batteries from a nearby stack and installing them in the ship for power
- Expanding the cave entrance to fly out
- Flying to a nearby mountain where an abandoned station awaits
- Landing and transferring batteries to power up the station grid
This is where the prototype currently ends, but our goal is to create a 1-2 hour FTUE that concludes at the Orbital Station. After that, the freeform Colonization meta-loop begins.
The experience is guided by:
- HUD objectives
- GPS markers pointing to key locations
Our FTUE design goals (KPIs):
- Teach players the basics
- Make the process enjoyable (mining, welding, cave exploration)
- Achieve first win (repaired ship & flight) within 5 minutes
The FTUE will evolve with future updates. Once we add water mechanics, we might revisit and redesign it entirely - we'll see when we get there.
While the prototype is functional, the team agrees it's currently missing that "WOW factor." We're brainstorming additional elements to make the experience more impactful.
If you have ideas for what would make this first experience more memorable, I'd love to hear them!
Full Blog Post: https://blog.marekrosa.org/
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