On my first ever Stacklands run, a 15 minute endeavor, I died after foolishly charging my one remaining villager, a wooden-club wielding Warrior, through the first dark portal that appeared. "Oh, it's one of those games," I thought.
On my second run, with the new moons set to the longest speed, things couldn't have gone any differently. I received a plethora of lucky drops that led to quick innovations in industry. I spent turns churning out money over and over to try and see each card in each deck, build more things, finish more quests, gear up my growing legion of baddies. 3.5 hours later, I place the goblet on the Temple and clutch out a win against the "final boss" with 3 HP left on my final ninja. Ravaged of resources and needing to feed myself, I cashed out my entire board, bought a few dozen card packs, and eked out some more ideas before succumbing to the horde I summoned in my unboxing.
When I returned to Stacklands a couple of hours later, I suddenly felt deeply lost and confused. Having sped through the progression of the gamestate so quickly and thoroughly, I had not internalized much of anything. My massive list of recipes was organized in alphabetical order, and I could not recall what was important - or possible! - to create first. I had been dutifully fulfilling the list of new quests, and building new structures and recipes as the ideas appeared. Without the direction or feedback system, everything felt new again. I died of starvation on the second turn, having been unable to roll a Berry Bush from a booster pack.
I suppose I just need some more practice, but there is something to be said about how Stacklands approaches progression and information. I can't see what I'm able to build with 3 stone and 3 wood. I can't recreate the gamestate that guided me through the game's various building blocks in order of rough importance or value. The more you learn without internalizing, the more you have to re-learn on the next run. The longer you spend in the (significantly more stable, less intense) late game, the more foreign the (more turbulent, RNG-dependent) early game becomes.
Don't get me wrong, I'm going back. I just wish that I could get the feeling and flow of that second run back. I'm worried it won't reappear.
On my second run, with the new moons set to the longest speed, things couldn't have gone any differently. I received a plethora of lucky drops that led to quick innovations in industry. I spent turns churning out money over and over to try and see each card in each deck, build more things, finish more quests, gear up my growing legion of baddies. 3.5 hours later, I place the goblet on the Temple and clutch out a win against the "final boss" with 3 HP left on my final ninja. Ravaged of resources and needing to feed myself, I cashed out my entire board, bought a few dozen card packs, and eked out some more ideas before succumbing to the horde I summoned in my unboxing.
When I returned to Stacklands a couple of hours later, I suddenly felt deeply lost and confused. Having sped through the progression of the gamestate so quickly and thoroughly, I had not internalized much of anything. My massive list of recipes was organized in alphabetical order, and I could not recall what was important - or possible! - to create first. I had been dutifully fulfilling the list of new quests, and building new structures and recipes as the ideas appeared. Without the direction or feedback system, everything felt new again. I died of starvation on the second turn, having been unable to roll a Berry Bush from a booster pack.
I suppose I just need some more practice, but there is something to be said about how Stacklands approaches progression and information. I can't see what I'm able to build with 3 stone and 3 wood. I can't recreate the gamestate that guided me through the game's various building blocks in order of rough importance or value. The more you learn without internalizing, the more you have to re-learn on the next run. The longer you spend in the (significantly more stable, less intense) late game, the more foreign the (more turbulent, RNG-dependent) early game becomes.
Don't get me wrong, I'm going back. I just wish that I could get the feeling and flow of that second run back. I'm worried it won't reappear.