Techtonica is a first-person factory automation game set beneath the surface of an alien planet. Work alone or in co-op to build factories, gather resources, research new technologies, mold the destructible terrain, establish a base of operations, and uncover long-forgotten secrets.

Enjoying the vibe of this game so far, just had some thoughts on the early game bio brick automation I wanted to share.

The Unbalanced Early Game

It is hella unbalanced. I’ve put a decent amount of hours into Factorio and Satisfactory. I like to think I know my way around a factory layout, but these first two tiers of station VICTOR are rough stuff.

My usual approach to these games is to automate fuel production asap. Even more so for this game, the last thing I wanna do is destroy all this gorgeous environment picking up plant matter (nice work btw!).

But the infrastructure I’ve had to build just to get a single assembler making these bio bricks, the most efficient fuel source for smelters as far as I can tell, and I’m not even able to support the six or so smelters I made during the tutorial.

Devs, I feel like you need to give this particular one a second glance. In my opinion, any newcomer jumping into this who hasn’t played an existing factory/automation game would probably not be able to stick in there to the higher tiers when this game starts opening up.

A Steep Learning Curve

The tutorial was really well paced, but as soon as I hit Victor, the game took this near-vertical progression that even someone with a love for these kinds of games is struggling with.

It’s important to find the right balance between challenge and progression in order to keep players engaged. An overwhelming early game experience can discourage new players and hinder the growth of the player base.

A Constructive Feedback

Hope this comes across as constructive and not a flat out dig. I am definitely looking forward to seeing this game evolve!