Rare, your game is an absolute masterpiece when it comes down to concept and player interaction.
Your updates have added countless new options and ways to play the game. I however wish for 2 thing.
I hope you can take the time to look at optimizing the performance of the game, and therefore improve your fundamental game mechanics. Don’t get me wrong, performance is mostly not a massive problem yet, but every time more content gets added the game seems to take little hits in performance that become noticeable after a while.
The performance issues are most noticeable in galleon arena, where a 3 or more galleon fight near a larger island like eg. old faithful can bring my 1080ti to its knees. I start getting 30fps, and people start teleporting on my screen. (I play on rare graphics settings) If arena is to become a 6 ship clash mode around a central sea post next update , I struggle to see how people will be able to enjoy the epic battles we could have when the game runs little higher than 20fps on the lowest graphics settings.
What I’m trying to say with this is that I hope you can put performance optimization in the foreground of further updates, and bring the game to a state where a minimum of 60fps is achievable for a mid end computer wherever the player is. I know it is not as easy as it sounds, and I don’t have the slightest clue how this could be achieved myself, but I hope you are aware that the community will fully support you if you chose to take some time to bring your game to a more enjoyable state.
In terms of gameplay mechanics I’m referring mainly to combat. Take your time with combat changes too. I myself am well aware that the sword is a comparatively weak weapon, but I do not think damage buffs are the way out of this. What both the sword and guns need are fluidity. Fluidity in combat is what makes it fun. If people are able to outplay each other based on better aim/ movement, the game becomes vastly more enjoyable.
What I hope can be improved here beyond weak “hit-reg” is all round the functionality and depth of the combat system. A start to the resurrection of the sword would be to ditch the implemented equip animation. It does nothing to improve combat or balance the game, and has made animation consistency way way worse. I am aware that the chain sword lunge canceling was not a welcome part of the game, and I agree that this needs to go... but just plopping in an extra animation to fix it is not the long term way forward.
Especially with the massive influx of pc players the steam launch will bring, combat could be a really good way to impress.
I hope you agree with me in that these two areas of the game need a bit of improvement in the future.
All that aside, I love your game and wish it lots of success once it launches on steam. I hope everyone stays healthy and safe during the current pandemic, and is able to resume a normal life in the near future.
Tldr:
performance improvement needed, combat fluidity needed. Take your time with it, but put those two things on the “high priority” list.
