Hey Trailmakers
Some of you have gotten in touch to ask us why we are replacing Expedition instead of just leaving it in and adding the new game mode. We know it might be counterintuitive to remove content from the game, so here are the reasons that went into this decision.
What we think the Expedition did well was to give an introduction to the builder and the physics of Trailmakers. You would learn how to make your first car, how to upgrade it, make it aerodynamic etc. There was a nice sense of progression in the Expedition, and it was nice to have an obvious next goal - something you did not get in Sandbox.
There were also a lot of things that the Expedition did not do so well. We think that it was a weird mix of being open world, but still very linear. We never managed to make it feel like you had true freedom in how to solve the challenges. It felt more like a puzzle game where the developers had a specific solution in mind for the environmental challenges, and you had to figure out how we intended them to be solved. We think that goes against the idea of creative building.
However, the biggest problem with the Expedition was how it limited the rest of the game. In order to make environmental puzzles in the Expedition, we had to tweak certain blocks so that you could just barely overcome the challenge by using them. For example, the traction of the wheels was balanced so that you could just barely make it up the first hills. The same goes for the aerodynamic blocks which were balanced around the windy sections of the Expedition. Since then, whenever we have wanted to change the wheels or aerodynamic blocks to be more realistic and consistent or work for other game modes like Racing, we have had to take the Expedition into consideration. Changing one little parameter on a block could make the Expedition impossible to complete.This has on many occasions meant that we have chosen not to “fix” obvious flaws in the game.
All these issues also mean that we cannot “leave it in there” as many have requested. That would mean that we would have to live with weird settings on blocks while also having to maintain all the systems related to the expedition.
So the expedition is dead. Long live the new campaign, which is … a secret for now. But it will be a game mode that is much easier for us to expand upon, and way more aligned with what makes Trailmakers stand out. It will also serve as a way to introduce the builder, the basic blocks and game mechanics to new players while giving a sense of progression.
I hope this clarifies why we are replacing the game mode. Keeping it in means continuing to support it, and that would stunt the growth of the game in other areas. When all that is said, we would very much like to know what you will miss about the Expedition. It will give us a better chance to make the kind of content that you want to see in the future! Let us know in the comments :)