Hello! Just backed Cogmind (hello from Taiwan!) and I'm more of a 'casual' roguelike player.
I enjoy games in several genres; I've been attracted to several roguelikes, and the user interfaces normally do me in. I enjoy figuring out complex gameplay mechanics but not fighting with controls. Kudos to Kyzrati for the efforts to simplify and bring roguelikes to a wider audience!
That said, I have a major suggestion. According to the FAQ:
"Cogmind is designed to have 'dynamic depth.' At the simplest level you can jump in and spend 15 minutes shooting up robots without worrying about all the details--just attach the highest-rated parts you find.Why not make this even simpler for players?
The most important information concerning parts are
rating and
integrity. It takes no time (in-game) to examine individual parts. However, each available part in the player's vicinity must be manually examined to determine this basic information.
Parts previously discovered (but not in the players immediate vicinity - currently highlighted in blue instead of gray) should retain rating information, allowing for strategic planning. (
"Hmmm, should I risk running into a patrol to go back and grab that highly-rated weapon?")
I feel making this info readily available 'at a glance' would simplify the process in many situations, especially when dozens of parts are scattered after a skirmish. In the mockup above, there are only 5 parts. Imagine 30 or more! Since the game does not penalize you in any way for checking out each component, I feel this critical info should be accessible to players from the get-go.
Thoughts?