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Sail Cargo's itch.io pageArtistic Statement / Use of Theme
I wanted to envision a post-climate-change world with a more hopeful take on the aftermath. I chose the lens of international maritime trade to be able to display the world at large. My goals are to help envision a positive incarnation of what the world could look like in a future age to come. I view that vision as planting a seed, my game also involves many themes of seeding and harvesting, and investing in ports and opportunities is a way of planting a seed as well and later reaping the benefits.
Development Summary
I expected to have more of a focus on sailing, but my focus shifted more and more to the nearly one hundred ports I chose to feature in the game. A major family crisis near the end of the jam's timeframe cut many elements from the game's finished form. I am disappointed I couldn't get more ship models into the game or better refine the main mission objectives, but that's just how it goes.
(optional) Release Plan
I see this as a proof of concept or prototype. It would need expansion and filling out to work as a product on Steam or elsewhere. I also think it has potential as an educational product or serious game. My marketing plan would be trailer, demo, contact streamers, enter festivals, launch.
(optional) Further Development Plan
More boat models, better quest pacing
Topic Tags
Oceans, Agriculture, Economics, Culture, Maritime, Disease, Technology
Sprint Participation
Yes
Game Engine, Platform, Format
Unity
Generative AI Disclosure
Claude was used as a coding assistant throughout this project
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Comments
Props to you for solo dev-ing this. Like seriously i didnt even realise until i read the desc. After the first minute i kinda understood it. But i think its a very interesting concept on its own and i can see it being a very cool game. I will say i think it couldve played better with a better Ui and maybe a more coherent introduction to the mechanics? And also making the objectives a little more clear at the start to guide the player at the start like a tutorial. But i think for the time you had and the constraints you did great! Are you planning to develop the game further?
Feeling really torn about continuing, which I guess means probably not. The concept is dear to my heart, and I was feeling totally exhilarated about the project in the first weeks. But by the end... the wind had gone out of my sails, if you'll pardon the pun. I have to agree I missed the mark on the game's introduction, reading almost every comment saying so starts to wear on me. I think I need some time to reflect if the game actually has merit to fully fledge out or not. Thank you for playing, and for the generous feedback.
If you truly like the concept, i rlly think u should go ahead with it. I think its one of those moments where the game just wasnt meant for THIS game jam. Don't let the comments ab this game jam get to u ab the concept. I think they seem alot more "hateful" when you look at them as normal comments but really its just judging based on the criteria for this one. All the best on ur future projects and if you choose to complete this one!
This is a highly polished game considering the time constraint and being a solo dev as well! However, the game doesn't have a compelling narrative that makes me want to explore further. Maybe a short story introduction or a better quirk for each location would make it more inviting to play. The theme could be stronger. With some adjustments, this could become a great game.
I must conclude that I didn't nail the intro here, as that seems to be the main piece of feedback I am getting. I wanted to do more with the concept to get the game's hooks in faster and more effectively, but I'm sure every developer here can say the same thing. Thanks for your encouraging feedback
This is very well styled, considered, and thought out mechanics and aesthetics-wise. I enjoyed my time. I wish the theme of "plant a seed" was more embodied, though. If this is taking place in a world that's been dramatically affected by climate change (as the site text suggests), I did not feel that way. Thanks for making!
Thank you! There are various seeds you can ship and I view the investments as a way of planting seeds to later reap. My view of a climate altered world was less post-apocalyptic than some takes, but there's certainly indications, the world is more low tech and fractured, you can see immediately that the nation of Denmark is sunk and gone. Things like that, admittedly subtle. Worth thinking on though, for sure.
Im confused what do i do
It's open-ended, you can kind of do as you like. I suggest you load up on tools in Hamburg and sell them in Gdansk, then deliver grain from Gdansk to Hamburg. After that, you're free to sail around, explore the world, find new trade opportunities, complete contracts, buy new ships, or pursue the major story objectives revealed over time. Objectives are in the upper left corner, you can also view them by pressing O. Hope this helps!
I won’t lie to you, it was really hard to play. It is polished I will give it that. But you need a good tutorial or ease the player in. Balancing and progression are not great. Took me 20 minutes before I made even a single sale. The fast-forward mode is too slow. The AI written text wasn’t also fun to read, so I just gave up and clicked through it.
So sorry the game wasn't to your liking. Thanks for the honest feedback though, it gives me something to reflect on. 20 minutes to make a sale is indeed a long time! The game's instructions do tell you right away to sail eastward to Gdansk and instructs you how to make an easy and profitable trade, Hamburg Tools for Gdansk Grain, it should be completed within the first minute of starting the game. Perhaps I didn't make it clear or compelling enough. Thanks for checking it out in any case.
For a solo-dev project, this is ASTOUNDING! Real definition of a polished jam product. I will say, it was incredibly overwhelming at the start with little to no real efficient tutorial (blocks of text with no visual indictors do nothing for my retention), but my prior knowledge of games like Civ 6 helped me to get a grasp of things. For 6 weeks and a solo dev, this game appears to be QUITE large (you should have seen my face when I saw how big the world really was), and to hear that many things got cut and that there could've been more should be an accomplishment to say considering your (I assume) amazing work-ethic. The game mechanics and trading systems were engaging, well thought out, and had me looking forward to each new location I discovered on the map. Awesome work!
Thank you so much! Comments like this make the whole process worth it. Yeah, games like Civ6 were a bit inspiration here, well-spotted. So glad you enjoyed the game!