Immersive Progression

[GrandmaPork]

I understand this game is in early access so here's a list of in game "immersive" progression that it could expand on to help the player rely less on the handbook. This is coming from someone who began a blind playthrough in some sort of marshy area (I also just recently made a copper pickaxe) so sorry if I missed something. Also don't get me wrong, I've really enjoyed the game thus far.

Flint is done well. I explored for a while and picked up random items until I came across flint which told me to place it to knapp. This was perfect but only took me so far. I dug a hole and got a lot of food but there wasn't a way to figure out how to build a campfire without using the handbook. I've noticed that drift wood can be turned into firewood, so I suggest in game log splitting for driftwood and logs, to help the player, as I had tried placing everything into a firepit once I figured out you could place the dry grass.

Fire starting is the next step and I like the reusable firestarter. My only suggestion would be to allow flint striking, or something similar to be done until then since the recipe isn't found anywhere outside of the tutorial or handbook, which, don't worry, is where my next idea comes in.

The game hands you everything at once by just hitting 'H' which, on top of being overwhelming, brings the fun out of learning things. I understand that this is no easy task for VS so I suggest that traders give 1-2 tips under a "tips" option based on how far they are from your spawn/what you've done. It would've been great if one showed me the recipe for a fire starter, or for the simple bed out of dry grass. Sure 'H' is still available and some people will miss it, but it helps guide the player towards crucial game mechanics in a more immersive way.

I didn't find clay until I new I had to be looking for it, which is my fault because I didn't explore enough, but once the player finds it I think it is a great addition to progression. My only suggestion is to add a pop up for placing dry grass around a pot mold as it does when you place the first piece. In the event a player tries to build it outside of a 1x1 hole, the grass can fall out like stack coal does (if it doesn't already) incentivizing they surround the clay mold.

Smithing wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. On my own I found out you could place a crucible in a firepit, but it was kind of odd that you can only place the ores in after that, since baskets can be picked up with stuff inside of them. It was also obvious that coal was needed to cook it since its temperature went high enough to smelt. As much as I dislike how not obvious it is to make charcoal pits, coal can be found outside of them so I don't think it's necessary to hint that anywhere. The handbook is probably the only good way to teach that. I would only suggest that a trader would have a tip recommending you prepare a tool mold before you begin smelting, as well as giving the tongs recipe.

I'll update this when I get further. My next goal is to mine more copper and find zinc for an anvil, and I found some copper bits which I think hints deposits excellently. I also have a feeling that using the anvil will be straight forwards and I'm looking forward to making a saw. Only thing I'll say is for a trader to give a tip saying something like: "anvils can be used to make more advanced tools like saws".

I'm not a huge fan of playing tutorials if I don't have to, especially in open world games like these. Mainly because I enjoy figuring things out on my own, and because most "tutorials" can be given in game. Breath of the Wild, while much more linear than what VS needs, is a great example. It's starting plateau has everything the player will interact with on their journey, while slowly giving them new mechanics. I don't suggest VS do that, but adding a "discovery" tab that shows what you can make with everything you've collected would help. It might even be worth it to specifically show key features like the hay bed and fire starter, to prevent it from becoming too cluttered and overwhelming.

Note: I think the handbook does its job well and don't want it to be dulled down, I just wish it weren't the only option in progression. Also making it an actual book with bookmarks as tabs would be subtle but add a lot to the experience.

Edited July 7, 2025 by GrandmaPork

[LadyWYT]

3 hours ago, GrandmaPork said:

I'm not a huge fan of playing tutorials if I don't have to, especially in open world games like these. Mainly because I enjoy figuring things out on my own, and because most "tutorials" can be given in game. Breath of the Wild, while much more linear than what VS needs, is a great example. It's starting plateau has everything the player will interact with on their journey, while slowly giving them new mechanics. I don't suggest VS do that, but adding a "discovery" tab that shows what you can make with everything you've collected would help. It might even be worth it to specifically show key features like the hay bed and fire starter, to prevent it from becoming too cluttered and overwhelming.

 Interesting. I know there's a "Getting Started" tab in the Handbook, however, it's still a bit clunky. Instead of talking to traders for tips though, what about a small pop-up tab similar to the other block game, that appears when the player first discovers important things like clay? Unlike the other block game though, instead of directing to specific recipes it could direct to a specific page on what that resource is good for(clay pop-up could direct to the Pottery Age description, as well as a few footnotes on bloomeries and refractory bricks). The player still needs to put in the footwork themselves, of course, but new players could get a bit of extra help if they need it. As for veteran players? Every new world offers the tutorial at the start, and it's already possible to just skip that, so skipping the tutorial could easily turn off the pop-ups as well.

Also, welcome to the forums!

Edited July 6, 2025 by LadyWYT

[Teh Pizza Lady]

Welcome to the forums @GrandmaPork!

I believe they are working on the new player experience, but the handbook is a major component of the game and giving information to the player.

[idiomcritter]

welcome to the forum @GrandmaPork

back in the day when I was confronted with documenting, it was a quick observation that the best time to do it, was right after the first encounter, or nearly so.  

the eyes we have from experience loose a certain perception that only new eyes see in the beginning sometimes

reading your struggle (and triumph?) has me revisiting my own beginnings (undocumented)  

[GrandmaPork]

Thanks all,

1 hour ago, LadyWYT said:

 Interesting. I know there's a "Getting Started" tab in the Handbook, however, it's still a bit clunky. Instead of talking to traders for tips though, what about a small pop-up tab similar to the other block game, that appears when the player first discovers important things like clay? Unlike the other block game though, instead of directing to specific recipes it could direct to a specific page on what that resource is good for(clay pop-up could direct to the Pottery Age description, as well as a few footnotes on bloomeries and refractory bricks). The player still needs to put in the footwork themselves, of course, but new players could get a bit of extra help if they need it. As for veteran players? Every new world offers the tutorial at the start, and it's already possible to just skip that, so skipping the tutorial could easily turn off the pop-ups as well.

So I personally don't like it. It's helpful, yes, but almost too much. The game wastes time explaining what baskets do and why you'd need them. To be honest, I'm just nitpicking it, but it doesn't do what I want the game to do. I would also prefer that notification popups weren't added, but it would work. And I do agree, I do not want to get in the way of veterans on their playthroughs. Also you mention "important" things like clay, I honestly believe that nearly every resource I've come across so far have been important, which is rare in an open world game. All except flowers, which I've noticed a pattern of them all doing nothing and I like that a lot. I would prefer this: you pick up your first cattail and a sound plays. Under a "discovery tab" you see just the firestarter, basket, bed, shield, and bandages. Nothing extra but not missing crucial mechanics like skipping the night (and more importantly, time), and starting a fire.

1 hour ago, traugdor said:

I believe they are working on the new player experience, but the handbook is a major component of the game and giving information to the player.

I hope they see this then if they're doing that. I think the handbook is fine and I think it was made really well. I haven't had difficulties learning anything with it. With that being said, it's not very immersive and I would rather it be for when I am truly stuck.

1 hour ago, idiomcritter said:

the eyes we have from experience loose a certain perception that only new eyes see in the beginning sometimes

I agree with this! glad to have somewhat inspired you. I am very interested in game progression and balancing so I do my best to take notes of everything I can. People often forget this part and just add things in without a second thought.
 

[Thorfinn]

Definitely agree it seems weird to not be able to put anything in a cooking pot or crucible unless it is in a firepit, and you can't really do anything with it other than light it up. Since you can remove a full, hot cooking pot from a campfire, it seems you ought to be able to place a full, cold cooking pot into the campfire. Same with crucibles. I'll probably get around to doing something about it if it doesn't get addressed presently.

There's a lot I'm not sure you can do to get away from the handbook but where you can, agreed. Putting nuggets above surface ore is a cue to the new player that this is something different.  Why not put a single peat brick and clay "nugget" above those respective deposits? "Oh, hey, something I should be noticing."

[LadyWYT]

1 hour ago, GrandmaPork said:

Also you mention "important" things like clay, I honestly believe that nearly every resource I've come across so far have been important, which is rare in an open world game. All except flowers, which I've noticed a pattern of them all doing nothing and I like that a lot.

Flowers actually do have some uses. Bees need them in order to produce honeycomb, and some flowers you can use to make dye. 

 

33 minutes ago, Thorfinn said:

There's a lot I'm not sure you can do to get away from the handbook but where you can, agreed. Putting nuggets above surface ore is a cue to the new player that this is something different.  Why not put a single peat brick and clay "nugget" above those respective deposits? "Oh, hey, something I should be noticing."

That could work, though I'd presume the reason for not doing that is that peat and clay blocks already have different textures than surrounding grass. If you can see the sides of the blocks, it's a lot easier to notice the difference though. Maybe the top textures need a bit of adjusting to make them stand out a bit more?

[GrandmaPork]

15 hours ago, Thorfinn said:

There's a lot I'm not sure you can do to get away from the handbook but where you can, agreed. Putting nuggets above surface ore is a cue to the new player that this is something different.  Why not put a single peat brick and clay "nugget" above those respective deposits? "Oh, hey, something I should be noticing."

I've personally not had any issues finding either. I'm sure any player will dig it up out of curiosity at some point

14 hours ago, LadyWYT said:

Flowers actually do have some uses. Bees need them in order to produce honeycomb, and some flowers you can use to make dye. 

Right right, maybe I should've specified that it was nothing immediate, unlike dry grass and cattails which the game tells you to cut down anyways