HoC Astrolog Star Date 0123116

to explore strange new worlds and perhaps glitch all over them

Okay, the glitch comment is funny but I don't want you to think this game is only glitches. It is just fair warning that this is a Game Preview game. I am still enjoying it but I have found issues. My biggest is with vehicles and joining them together in a train. Often (very often) one of the cars glitches and start jumping in place. It seems like one of the tires gets stuck in the ground and won't let go. Next to impossible to use after that and quickly gets abandoned. Along with whatever valuables it may be carrying. Future archeologists will surely puzzle over the prolific abandonment of Astroneer vehicles all over (mostly under) the planets I have settled.

This is my latest base. See how happy my character is.

But I am still playing this game and still enjoying it. This Star Log is about a funny moment I experienced with RollyC. Did I happen to mention that this game supports coop? Four player coop in fact.

Early on RollyC and I played together. For a while. Then we discovered the game was significantly more stable in single player and separated to go our different ways.

I was discovering the joys of mining for every single resource and was scrabbling away for rocks trying to get that last piece of Aluminum ore (laterite) when Rolly C called in from the other room.

RollyC: – "Hey dad, come check out my space shuttle."

Blackwalt: – "Your WHAT!"

Yes. RollyC had crafted a space shuttle and was preparing to blast off into orbit. Meanwhile Blackwalt was scrabbling for rocks.

But they were important rocks. They were too!

Things of note:

• I am playing this game a lot
• it does have some glitches
• it is clearly a game preview game
• I have more issues with lack of content than the glitches. It seems like I have exhausted everything to do already
• coop still has issues (you can't see all elements of the hosts base)
• base building still has issues (can't delete anything. Power doesn't distribute properly)
• no tutorial
• no end game yet

Final Comments:

I am still playing this game a lot. I am still enjoying this game a lot. When I researched a spaceship (eventually) RollyC could not wait to join my game to fly with me.

Is it worth the $25 CDN?

That's a different issue. It is a Game Preview game but System Era is very upfront about their future plans, their update map, and making the early adopters part of shaping the game.

It's game play style and personality remind me of the Kefling games. I think if you enjoyed those you will enjoy this.

RollyC and I have enjoyed playing together. I expect the online play to improve with future patches.

Even though it is a Game Preview game I did find it very easy to exhaust the game. I have played through several new games to keep going. It is heavy on exploring and needs more on building. I have stopped creating new games and now fly to new planets to start over instead. Not all planets/moons have all resources by the way.

Moricerecek asked me in person (in person!) what I thought of the game and if he should pick it up.

If you are really interested, yes. If you are just a little interested then wait for a few patches.

However, I could always use the company of someone who understands the importance of scrabbling for rocks.