Astroneer
A space exploration and crafting sandbox game.
Where Astroneer comes up1 episode or test
- 1Designers disagreeOne wanted depth, other wanted simpler machines
- 2Split into two problemsShallow loop versus fiddly machine interaction
- 3Overhaul the machinesRemoves the moment-to-moment fiddliness
- 4Expand crafting loopAdds the depth one designer wanted
From Mark Brown on Astroneer's design
What was said about Astroneer
Astroneer's designers fixed crafting once they split one argument into two problems. Two designers disagreed over crafting: one wanted more depth, the other wanted simpler machines. Once they saw these were separate problems, they overhauled the machines and used them to expand the crafting loop, fixing both at once.
One designer saw the shallow loop from a systems view, the other saw fiddly machine interaction moment to moment. This was Astroneer's crafting system before leaving Early Access. Mark Brown's summary: "they were talking about two completely different issues". The lesson is to check that the whole team agrees on what the problem is before arguing over solutions.
How Game Designers Solved These 11 Problems
Two designers argued over crafting, one wanting more depth and the other simpler machines. Once they saw these were separate problems, they overhauled the machines and used them to expand the crafting loop.
Astroneer's designers fixed crafting once they split one argument into two problems. Two designers disagreed over crafting: one wanted more depth, the other wanted simpler machines. Once they saw these were separate problems, they overhauled the machines and used them to expand the crafting loop, fixing both at once.
One designer saw the shallow loop from a systems view, the other saw fiddly machine interaction moment to moment. This was Astroneer's crafting system before leaving Early Access. Mark Brown's summary: "they were talking about two completely different issues". The lesson is to check that the whole team agrees on what the problem is before arguing over solutions.
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