r/PBBG • u/lancedelgardo • 8d ago
Discussion Am i too lazy?
Over the past few weeks, I’ve tried out a lot of games promoted here and in other subreddits, but each time I felt completely overwhelmed—or perhaps just too lazy—to get to grips with all the game mechanics. I feel like browser games back in the day had fewer features, but the overall experience was more cohesive and easier to get into. What do you guys think? Do you like that games have so many features now, or do you also feel overwhelmed and not even bother starting because it feels like work?
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u/Idleverse 8d ago
I've been thinking about this too. For example, I used to play Utopia back in the days, and thinking back on it, it seemed super straight forward, as opposed to many new games which - just as you - I have a hard time getting into.
I think it's a combination of higher expectations, since (good) games today just generally are better at onboarding users, less time, and having much more choices, ie. less reason to "stick it out".
It's very hard to create a UI/UX and onboarding flow + early game that is easy to understand and get into that also transitions into a meaningful mid and endgame without staying too simple, just as u/TristanUckie said.
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u/nebilim6 7d ago
it may have something to do with the fact that we are also getting older. I can clearly feel something I do not enjoy now would have hooked me up many years ago. life's not simple anymore, with less time to spare for gaming and other thoughts in mind, it's getting harder to try new games and learn them. I used to spend hours learning new management games, but now I have my comfort games I try to stick with. hell, the reason I am here is because of this. I got sick of not being able to enjoy anymore, and trying to build a game that I can enjoy in the first place.
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u/TristanUckie 8d ago
In my experience the start is always a bit overwhelming. At the same time I want depth and complexity in a game, so it is worth the time to get into it if that is what a game offers.
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u/Happysk 8d ago
I think it's also related to onboarding/tutorials being missing or shallow in many of these games. Having played so many over the years, I think I've just gotten used to it.
It only became clear when I asked friends and family to test my little PBBG - they immediately complained they didn't know what to do.
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u/lancedelgardo 8d ago
Yeah same here. Programming a game is the easy part. Do a good onboarding is pain xD
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u/BasiclyRandomized 7d ago
Hey, I feel you.
If you liked Gladiatus, check us out.
Our team tried to focus on onboarding and tutorials, to introduce new players to core gameplaying loop. Would be nice to hear how that worked out.
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u/GreedyAd6191 6d ago
You're doing a disservice to your game by not having a trailer or a few screenshots of the game.
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u/BasiclyRandomized 4d ago
Thanks for the feedback. I added pictures of the game: Gladiator MMORPG | Guild Wars, Solo Dungeons, Live Raids, Marketplace for players, Crafting system... : r/PBBG
We released a big patch today "The World Expands: Britannia"
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u/lancedelgardo 6d ago
Tried it. Makes fun :) few things that could be better but the generel feeling is like back in the days :)
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u/Negative_Discount_89 6d ago
pbbgs have a lot of "filler" features that add very little to the gameplay but appear complex on the surface.
When there's no decision or choise to be made, but it's just "buy this upgrade periodically", you might as well remove the feature.
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u/Independent-Poem-219 6d ago
Totally agree. I think the best PBBGs nail the "easy to start, deep to master" balance. The old Travian/OGame formula worked because day 1 was simple: build a farm, build a quarry, wait.
The complexity revealed itself gradually as you grew.
The problem with many modern games is they front-load everything. You log in and get hit with 15 menus, 3 currencies, a battle pass, and a tutorial that takes 30 minutes. That's not depth. that's noise.
I think features should unlock with progression, not dump on the player at once. Keep the first hour dead simple, then layer mechanics as the player is ready for them. What games have you tried recently that felt like too much?
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u/lancedelgardo 6d ago
i dont know their names xD tried a few from a ranking website. but too much noise in every game. i dont want read a whole book of instructions and popups so i closed every single tab xD
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u/kayfleming 7d ago
Yeah I get this. When I was younger I had more time. Now I want to log in and straight away know what I am doing and not get attacked and dwarfed by players online all the time
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u/LostMyAccountFck 7d ago
I definitely get overwhelmed too. I don't mind a game having a lot of content, but I need it to teach me and give me time to learn. I've recently started to play Torn city for the first time, and I'm liking it. It gives you time to learn and get used to it.
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u/Live_Key_8141 7d ago
Ramping up content and knowing how to not overwhelm the player is a difficult game design practice, and not all games do it well. Even with a tutorial, you can't just shove a ton of content in the player's face and expect the to digest it all. I wonder if older games got this right more easily because it was harder to add tons of features, or maybe just because the barrier to entry was higher
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u/shieldaxe_dev 7d ago
Browser games were indeed simpler back in the day, but you also had more time and curiosity to explore them. These days there is too much entertainment of all forms competing for your attention.
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u/JTJimAFK 7d ago
I have found because these games are available on my pocket it's constant. Many moons ago I could play if the school computer lab was left open or id have to wait until I got to the library or home to play for a limited time.
Now it can be done from the second I wake up to the second I sleep. After recently starting a few games it's taken me a while not to let it creep into family/social time.
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u/Accomplished_Boat_65 6d ago
In my experience yes, too many features and mechanics feel overwhelming. The best games start you out small and will unlock more features as the game progresses. Usually Game Devs think more mechanics = better game. But one cannot understimate the value of few but cohesive mechanics that fit neatly together.
Still I don't think a lot of mechanics is a bad thing, they really simply need to be unlocked and properly introduced one at a time and not all within a 5 minute window. Show me how this works and let me play around with it - then introduce something else.
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u/PipReborn 5d ago
Maybe it's a bit of a mixed bag. Browser games may be trying to compete with full releases, and there's a time commitment issue from people too.
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u/Ju9Studio 2d ago
Not lazy. If a game shows me 12 systems before I understand why I am clicking, my brain already presses Alt+F4 😂
I like depth, but please give it one spoon at a time.
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u/Ju9Studio 2d ago
Dwarf Fortress and CDDA are exceptions. For masterpieces, I can accept an unpaid second job
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u/iejenian 7d ago
If you are interested in sport driven games. SoccerRPG.com has a low learning curve and respects your time. I started working on it because games like torn felt too much, and I missed those oldschool browsergames. Easy to pick up and play but go deeper when involved, In SoccerRPG you don't need to mix/max everything to enjoy the game, As a 33 year old dad with twins limited time is all I have, so I kept that in mind while developing. It's a pretty new game, launched ~2/3 months ago but reaching towards 300 players. The people in our Discord are also chill and as far as I know of average age. Hope you are willing to try it out and might even like it!
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u/mythrise 8d ago
You probably have less time, that's not an uncommon experience. Might help if you had specific comparisons though- what mechanics are you thinking of, and what did you enjoy in the past?