The below Thoughts and impressions are only for linux version and game version as specified below. (I have not tried testing Mac or Win versions, or any other linux distro)
Game version 0.10.1 Linux 64-bit
on Ubuntu 12.10
Download and installation
1. Game needs a more step by step Install instructions either in readme or on the download beta client page (re: .zip file for linux version)
1.1 Distro specific installation package would be even better such as .deb or .rpm
After Launching the game
2. More and more indepth graphical/sound options needed. The game sports nice graphics people should be able to tweak depending on how low/high their hardware spec is.
After Getting ingame
3. #Bug#
Behaviour: Screen auto scrolls down to the edge of the planet map and gets stuck. Moving the mouse to any edge of the screen does nothing (i.e map/screen does not scroll in any direction)
Fix: clicking anywhere on the mini-map fixes the issue
Reason: Show workspaces is enabled in Ubuntu tweak/workspaces (when having more then one workspace) Disabling the option in ubuntu tweak removes the problem.
To Replicate: Enable Show Workplaces in Ubuntu tweak/workplaces on lower right corner mouse-over. Ingame move mouse to scroll down to the right followed by lower right hand corner as a quick gesture (when trying to scroll east south/east).
Gameplay
4. In the first couple of turns seems like too many technologies are geared towards military rather then colonization/growth and exploration.
Also purely backstory logic wise (from what little back story you are given before the game starts) It does not make sense to have so much focused on war as it seems that the biggest motivation of most of the factions would have been either expansion/resource exploitation/starting anew. Which leads me to next point.
5. Why do you start with troops instead of scouts? surely colony ships would have been equipped with something to help first colonists explore and expand rather then exterminate to begin with.
So a suggestion would be to as well as giving different bonuses to different factions also give them different starting equipment depending on their modus operandi. So the more warlike factions could indeed get a troop unit to begin with while the more expansionist or peaceful could get the scout or a former or even some other faction specific unit.
6. Ability to upgrade obsolete units is needed
7. Ability to allow to both change the name and the name to be auto-generated for the units (same as in SMAC) instead of having same name for each unit category with only icons to differentiate the units. (its too confusing otherwise)
8. Neither Flamers nor Artilery should be able to hit air units at all either that or have a -75% vs air to represent a little element of luck (Specialization is good it adds more depth to gameplay) and i had a very vivid image of a trooper with a flamer burning air planes the size of mosquitoes that are buzzing around his head, a bit of an immersion braker.
Satellite recon and map
9. Unexplored areas should be different shade of black from the edge of map because...
9.1 Using satellite recon outside of map zone wastes recon and does not reveal anything and black borders are too confusing at the moment ive spent first 10 minutes trying to figure out why my unit can not see onto the sea square to the west.
10. Map looping around on the sides would make sense too which would partly alleviate the 9.1 Unless of course Pandora once and for all finally proves that Earth (Pandora) is flat.
Native Life/Graphics
11. Maybe its just me but Xenomorph hives graphics (more of a colour palette then anything else) seem to not really mesh very well with the rest of the planet, the contrast is just too garish (wether it is intentional or not (as in they are meant to spread the zerg goo around and affect the planet, i cannot say, but wanted to point that out).
11.1 Also at the moment Native life seems to be a little lifeless, not in terms of AI but in terms of it is there but it is kind of just another skin for barbarians from one of the Civ games. Since Pandora is so much like SMAC ill bring the SMAC as an example, the planet seemed alive there because of xenofungus expanding and contracting depending on your actions and planet cycles which also affected mind worms breeding there like horny rabbits and travelling through xenofungus more or less undetected, made you feel always on your toes near it cause you didnt know where the mindworms might pop up from next. And all of that made the planet feel really alive and for me contributed together with the story to really immerse myself and care for the planet as an ecosystem and a universe, rather then just treating it like another set of maps to move my sprites on.
I do not mean carbon copy SMAC on this one but having something dynamic affecting the world such as xenomorph that you have no direct control over would be for the lack of a better term awesome.
That is all for my first impressions, Ive only played the game for a few hours so if i did misunderstand something or did not discover the way the game worked and misconstrued my opinions i do apologies.
I will keep testing and posting more feedback as i progress
