Astroneer

[Dweller_Benthos]

So, Astroneer finally released last week after being in early access for a couple years. I've had the game for a long time and played now and then when they had updates. And by now and then, I mean 140 hours. So I've been playing it quite a bit. I stopped last year when I realized I might be getting burn out and in one of those situations where the game I was used to is not the game that gets released (like Kerbal Space Program). So now that it's in full release, I've been back at it. A lot of the base mechanics are still the same, well at least the same as last year, the first couple early access releases were quite a bit different from what it is now. Some of the things that are gone I'm glad are gone but I miss some of the other things. But it is still a fun game.

For those who don't know, it's a slightly cartoonish space survival/exploration game. You land on a planet and have to gather resources to find the mystery of the planet, then travel around the system to be able to get what you need to be able to solve the puzzles. I've recorded a video where I'm pretty well established and am about to drill to the core of the planet to see what's there. On the surface are six "nodes" that you can activate to allow you to teleport around the planet's surface, but to leave the planet, you need to get to the core, and activate it. That's what I do in this video. Normally, most players build a safe ramp all the way down to the core that allows you to move back and forth, but I take the quick way and use the drill attachment on one of my vehicles to drill to the core in a very short time. Usually making a safe tunnel takes hours of hand digging, but as you see, drilling takes a minute or less. Then I activate the core, and teleport around a bit, then go back to my base, get in my ship and fly to the now available space station which will eventually allow me to teleport to all the planets. I will have to activate at least one surface node and the core of each planet to be able to do that. And the outer planets are much more difficult to activate, requiring more power and much more rare items.

The video is split into two parts because of Windows 7's file size limitations. Be warned if you're prone to nausea from flickering images and quick changes in perspective, you might want to look away at some points, as the core of the planet has weird gravity in that each surface is "down" when you stand on it and switching from the "floor" to the "wall" which then becomes the "floor" can be disorienting. One live stream I was watching the guy had to quit for 10 minutes to let his stomach settle down, but he was taking the long way down and also spending a lot of time on the "tongues" leading to the core which have very strange gravity and perspective shifts. So if you start feeling queezy while watching, look away while I'm in the core until I teleport out.






Here's a playlist that I think will play both automatically.

[Art Blade]

ah, I found the vids on YouTube first and now the post relating to them. Now it makes sense but by just watching it I was quite confused. I don't need barf bags, it's OK after racing a bike 1st person helmet view through narrow streets in Macau at around 180mph, lol

Still weird but nice sound effects.

[Dweller_Benthos]

haha! Yeah I didn't spend a lot of time at the core changing from walls to floors to ceilings, it can get quite disorienting and can make some people sick.

The game is quite a bit of fun, exploring, finding stuff and resources, and getting it all together to activate the teleport system. There was a lot of prep w0#k to get to this point. I've played 40 hours since full release in this save to be where I am now.

[Art Blade]

nice 

[fragger]

Kind of a trippy game, D_B Couldn't make much sense of what was going on, but then it's my first time seeing it and you're already a ways in.

Music was kind of mellowy, in a sink-into-your-bean-bag-and-get-mesmerized-by-the-lava-lamp kind of way

[Art Blade]

LOL fragger, that bean bag and lava lamp, I know exactly what you mean  For some reason, I was thinking neon green shiny leather bean bag and orange/red lava lamp And by the way, I used to think it was rice rather than beans.

[fragger]

 

[Dweller_Benthos]

My bean bag chair is furry, so you don't get stuck to it after chilling in it for a few hours.

If you want to see what the beginning game looks like, check out this video of a live stream that I watch. Kurt is a laid back dude and doesn't have a lot of distracting *bleep* going on in his live streams like a lot of people do these days. Just so you can get and idea of what the game is about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHk1a6Sfg6M&t=0s

[Art Blade]

quarter hour into that vid and I've had enough

[PZ]

 

[Dweller_Benthos]

yeah I didn't expect anyone to watch the whole thing, just enough to see how the game starts and you get going. It is a survival / exploration / materials gathering game for the most part. That stuff isn't the most exciting, which is why I only did a video of the really whacky stuff at the core. Now it's on to the other planets and moons to get to their cores. Now that I've done it and have the procedure down, it will be easier. It's just that the outer planets require a lot more power to activate their surface nodes and valuable material to get the core activated.

[Art Blade]

in a way it's like No Man's Sky but comic style.

[Dweller_Benthos]

There have been comparisons, almost inevitable, and to Minecraft as well, as in it's an exploration-survival-crafting/building game.

[Art Blade]

while I was watching your vid, I was indeed reminded of Minecraft, but that is a lot uglier.

[Dweller_Benthos]

Different aesthetic, yes, but cubes are so comforting!