Wow, your entry feels really cinematic!
The animations are really nice, and the overall game gives a "big space opera" feeling :D
The UI looks great too and fits the whole setting really well (I am just a fan of nice looking UI). Only thing I'd add there is a bit more feedback on the buttons, like a hover effect or similar, so it's always clear what you just selected (or are about to select).
My biggest issue though was getting into the game at all... There's no tutorial, and it was really hard for me to understand what to do and how the different systems work together. For a jam game that's quite harsh, since most people only spend a few minutes per entry. Even a short guide or a few tool tips would make a huge difference (let me know if I just missed explanations!).
The sound and overall SFX add a lot to the atmosphere. And the long journey through space is a great take on the theme! Honestly, I think this could be a really good game as a "big game", it just needs a smoother start so people can actually see everything it has to offer :)
Viewing post in Last Ship Home jam comments
Thank you so much for playing and for the detailed feedback! π
I really appreciate it and Iβm also really happy with it because there are some very useful tips and constructive points in there that I can definitely take with me.
Really cool to hear that the game feels cinematic and gives you that big space opera feeling! π That was definitely part of the intention, but you never really know how it will come across to someone actually playing it, so Iβm very glad that worked.
And thanks for the compliments on the UI as well! That was a pretty important part of the prototype and of the gameplay thatβs currently in the game, sso itβs great to hear that it worked well for you. The extra feedback on buttons and selections is a very good point too and definitely something Iβll keep in mind.
And yes, you are completely right about the tutorial π It was actually quite high on my list at first, but as is often the case with game jams... too many ideas and not enough time. Especially while also organizing the jam at the same time π
The tutorial slowly got pushed down the list in favor of other features that seemed fun to add. Classic feature creep... one of those very well-known game jam traps and I definitely fell into it this time (again) π
So you are absolutely right that a more complete version of the game would need a proper introduction and tutorial to explain how everything works together. There are some tooltips and labels in the current version that explain things like what to drag where and what certain actions do and stats of the pilots, but that is obviously not the best way to teach the player the whole game.
The balancing is also still pretty rough, again mostly because of time management, and I think that probably makes some of the systems and their effects less clear as well.
Hopefully, despite the confusing start, you were still able to enjoy it a bit and have some fun with it!? π
Iβll definitely count this as a +1 for making a bigger version in the future, with this feedback properly worked into it of course! ππ
Thanks again for playing, for the kind words and especially for the useful suggestions on how to make it better! πͺ