The response to the Open Beta has been overwhelming! We're currently at 662 663 testers - only counting the ones who've joined since the last blog.

It has been extremely useful. 0.7.0 contains many new features, recipes and UI elements. Playing the game from start to the last science unlock without using cheats literally takes days. It's very different from the game we released nearly two years ago. We could playtest that version in it's entirety in 90 minutes.

We've received an immense amount of feedback. Small bugs, typos, glitches, inconsistensies in the tech tree, balance problems. The testers are doing a great job, despite many features lacking explanation and the quick-start-menu not being updated.

We immediately took care of many of the smaller problems. But there are some larger issues that will probably only be solved in later updates. The issues are best explained by dividing the game in three stages:

Stage 1: Setting up your first colony

You've just bought Colony Survival, and perhaps you aren't very experienced in (voxel / strategy) games. Now you've got to figure out how the game works. You need to learn about the command tool, the banner tool, recruiting colonists, placing jobs, adjusting recipes. With some experience, seriously reading the quick-start-menu and persistent experimenting, you'll probably get a colony up to speed, but it's not intuitive and smooth.

Stage 2: Growing your colony

You've mastered the basics. You understand how to recruit colonists, give them jobs, feed them, make them happy and defend them from monsters. You've unlocked the first steps of the tech tree.

For your next science unlock, you need that new crop or ore, so you place some new jobs and recruit more colonists. You need a new building for your beds. The monsters are overwhelming your defenders! More guards. Now they're unhappy. More happiness items!

I think this is the best stage of Colony Survival. It's immersive and engaging.

Stage 3: Endgame

You've got most of the important science unlocked. You could gather some extra happiness items, but happiness is stable and you don't need more colonists. Perhaps you decide to build something beautiful, or you want to recruit as many colonists as possible, and you're motivated by your own goals. Or you're a bit disappointed and bored and decide to quit the game.



We think we can improve the Stage-1-issues by adding some kind of "Mission System". Imagine a new tabbed menu with a series of missions.

• Place the banner
  
• Place three beds
  
• Recruit three colonists
  
• Recruit a berry gatherer
  
• [...]
  
• Unlock matchlock guns
  
• Build a colony in the tropics