Hey folks, we've had pretty consistent feedback about a number of interactions and some wonky puzzle design in the game, and will be addressing these problems as soon as possible.
Here's a spoiler-filled list of things we're going to start working on for the first major update to the game (v1.01). Some are quick fixes, others require a redesign of some not inconsiderable elements.
Spoilers below (although the worst are hidden) You have been warned!
- Resolving various bugs related to world interactions.
- At least one extra graphics option, to disable bloom (possibly more options).
- Improving visibility on dropped items. Specifically padlocks and keys.
- Improving (increasing size and/or repositioning) hotspot wherever possible.
- Improving feedback through narration or Pete about hotspot statuses in the game world (e.g.: "this thing looks like it still needs a thing"). We'll try to strike a balance between logical hints and hand-holding.
- Simplifying and extending clues for the stone door puzzle.
- Completely redesigning clues for wooden device puzzles.
- Redesigning the use of the motorcycle battery to remove the need to always carry it with you!. This change is almost guaranteed to break existing save games but we'll do our best to ensure this doesn't happen. It's possible that we'll push this particular change to a later update as this will require a major rewrite of some significant puzzle interactions, but isn't game-breaking in itself (just a bit of an irritation).
The puzzle design changes are not going to dumb down the puzzles, but will make them more clear and hopefully more enjoyable. The last thing we want is to unnecessarily frustrate players! Finding that perfect balance is a challenge, but we're committed to striving for it.
No ETA on this update but we're placing this priority above the Mac version (sorry Mac gamers!).
That's all for now!