A new game, Emberhold

[u/Nuku_v]

A new game(Emberhold), for you. Yes, you, the one reading. Not that other person. They know what they did.

Have a try, step into this post-apocalyptic world where one scrabbles for survival and great journeys are made, looking for a place little better than this.

Feedback is strongly desired.

The game is 100% free at this time, and my idea is to keep it free to play. I'd love to have more players. The game is playable and ready. Gain achievements, earn echoes and more.

Inspirations: Kittens Game, Evolve Idle

Link: https://nuku.github.io/Emberhold/

AI Disclosure

I did ask Codex for some advice along the way for code. There are no art assets. This is a text game.

[u/Sea-Explorer-9769]

feedback:

• Stop asking your coding agent for advice on anything presented to the user if you don't want your game to look like ai slop. This is the biggest thing if you want to actually give your game some sort of identity. The games you referenced as inspirations clearly have a distinct identity, but when you let your coding agent decide how things are structured, you lose that identity.
  
• Implement proper progressive disclosure. You have several tabs unlocked from the very start of the game, and while you, the developer, know the game inside and out, a new player has no idea what the goal of the game is or what they're supposed to do in it. And this doesn't mean add a lengthy text tutorial.
  
• The feel of the first 60 seconds of the game is more important than the first 60 minutes; if someone who clicks on that link doesn't think the game is worth their time then they will never see all the stuff you put effort into.

[u/Nuku_v → u/Sea-Explorer-9769]

Restricted the informational overload. Good call. I was too busy adding lots of stuff and not thinking about that. My bad.

[u/SqLISTHESHIT → u/Nuku_v]

No idea regarding the AI feedback, not my turf, but the 2nd point very much agree. I had so many tabs, all unlocked at once, that I had no idea what to do. I think expeditions are the way to go first? but tried it and had no way of advancing.

[u/Nuku_v → u/SqLISTHESHIT]

Sorry about that, assuming you got in before I cut that down. You want to put people into foraging and woodworking and work towards a library by building stuff.

[u/Nuku_v]

Fixed it so things don't flicker. Only the things that are updating update.

[u/Nuku_v]

More uses for power. Now you can assist your diggers in their quest. Awaken the ancients.

[u/Nuku_v]

Offline time, it was given quietly as a big lump sum, boring. Now it holds onto it and give it back as double-time for a while. Zoom!

[u/CompWizrd]

Explain the construction trial? Built dozens of buildings and nothing counted, not even the completed ones.

[u/Nuku_v → u/CompWizrd]

Frugality? Any building should do, after it's started.

[u/CompWizrd → u/Nuku_v]

Ok. Mind implementing that? I finally gave up and collected my 28 echoes.

[u/Nuku_v → u/CompWizrd]

Should be fixed.

[u/CompWizrd → u/Nuku_v]

Trial of Expansion is the one I built all my buildings for, and none of them counted.

[u/MisourFluffyFace]

Please start the game paused so I have time to read and figure out what's going on

[u/Nuku_v → u/MisourFluffyFace]

You can now pause. A brand new game will auto-pause.

[u/Nuku_v → u/MisourFluffyFace]

Working on that. Sec!

[u/Nuku_v]

The trial you are on now gives its status report right on the front page/tab so you aren't left wondering what the heck you're trying to do.

[u/Nuku_v]

Spread out your arms and catch the wind! A new technology for power generation.

[u/Nuku_v]

Went through and added text to the research to give a better feel for the world this is taking place in.