[Suggestion] Slime Science should be available earlier

[ShiftyCake]

Hello friends. I posted this in the discussion area on steam, but alas it quickly got lost. So I thought I'd post here as well and see people's thoughts. So onto the topic:

I believe Slime Science should be looked at as a core part of the game experience rather than a late-game addition. Introducing Slime Science at an earlier stage to the player will flesh out the gameplay and make the game world feel more alive, keeping players interested far longer then they are currently. Why do I think this? Let me explain my reasoning.

First of all, I understand you don't want to overwhelm the player. However right now the game is fairly easy to pick up. It takes an hour or two at the most to grasp the games mechanics and get into the swing of things. It is somewhere around that point that I believe Slime Science should be introduced. I won't delve further into that because that's another topic.

Now, the problem with Slime Science currently is that it feels empty. Once you reach the late-game you've already lost the magic of discovery and exploration. That magic is a core part of what makes Slime Science interesting and fun, and so giving it to the player after that is gone will make it feel...empty. That is how I feel when I use Slime Science. It is a lot of fun, but that fun is leading nowhere. I am already at the end.

If you introduced it earlier, players would be able to progress through Slime Science as they progress through everything else. This would not only slow down a players rate of progression and in doing so extend game-play time, but it would also keep that sense of magic, that sense of discovery and exploration going until they do, in fact, reach the end.

I understand the teams initial goal (or at least I believe so) was to have Slime Science as something players could work through after they have finished everything else, so as to keep them interested and motivated in progressing through the game. I believe you could fulfill this goal better if you introduced Slime Science as a core mechanic and introduced it earlier in the game to the player, so that they can work through it alongside everything else.

This is only my opinion however, I'd like to hear what everyone else thinks!

[Pigcatapult]

I agree. As it is, it feels more like an empty money/time sink, once you get done with the initial oohing and ahhing; I've already completed my ranch, so whether the plorts go to money or science doesn't matter as much.

[HappyRainbew]

I have to disagree, I know that it is a core part of the game, but I feel like making it cheaper to buy would make it too hard to concentrate on, and the player wouldn't know what to focus on. I think it's key to make a lot of money and understand that part, and then slime science would be a second part of the game after that.
There is a lot to do in slime science, and more gadgets will be added. You can decorate areas, add turrets, work on mining resources, and more.
I do think this is entirely based on opinion though, if someone likes to do it all at once, or if someone would rather have the game be followed in steps. I like the idea of choosing your, path, I just think that if slime science was introduced earlier then the player might forget about do other things, like making money. It's a lot more satisfying to have a stockpile of money when you open up slime science, ready to start something new.

[jmababa]

I have to disagree, I know that it is a core part of the game, but I feel like making it cheaper to buy would make it too hard to concentrate on, and the player wouldn't know what to focus on. I think it's key to make a lot of money and understand that part, and then slime science would be a second part of the game after that.
There is a lot to do in slime science, and more gadgets will be added. You can decorate areas, add turrets, work on mining resources, and more.
I do think this is entirely based on opinion though, if someone likes to do it all at once, or if someone would rather have the game be followed in steps. I like the idea of choosing your, path, I just think that if slime science was introduced earlier then the player might forget about do other things, like making money. It's a lot more satisfying to have a stockpile of money when you open up slime science, ready to start something new.

no he won't forget how to make money especially if player has played Rimworld he should know that money is king or everything will go down the drain

[Pigcatapult]

I have to disagree, I know that it is a core part of the game, but I feel like making it cheaper to buy would make it too hard to concentrate on, and the player wouldn't know what to focus on. I think it's key to make a lot of money and understand that part, and then slime science would be a second part of the game after that.
There is a lot to do in slime science, and more gadgets will be added. You can decorate areas, add turrets, work on mining resources, and more.
I do think this is entirely based on opinion though, if someone likes to do it all at once, or if someone would rather have the game be followed in steps. I like the idea of choosing your, path, I just think that if slime science was introduced earlier then the player might forget about do other things, like making money. It's a lot more satisfying to have a stockpile of money when you open up slime science, ready to start something new.

no he won't forget how to make money especially if player has played Rimworld he should know that money is king or everything will go down the drain

It's not like Slime Science doesn't require you to make money; those blueprints add up!