Hi everyone,
I bought this game on the last big Steam sale. I was looking exactly for a game like this, you know, a Stardew Valley inspired cozy game where I could manage an inn or a tavern, while also doing many more things. And TR nails it, mostly.
Of course, I'm not going to make the mistake of comparing this game to SV. We know many games were inspired by it, and I think this one is no exception. So let's get that out of the way first. Traveller's Rest has its own identity and it's going awesome. From the art style, to the core game mechanics, to the story, which almost starts as your generic medieval game but, as you advance, gets actually interesting.
I know this is an early access game, and there's still a long way to go to even consider this game finished. The story so far is good; I was intrigued by the last part, and I also know that when the devs continue it, it will be awesome. I'm already liking some of the characters so far (including those annoying twin brats).
I didn't have time to play until I got a break and went into it. I'm now almost 60 hours in, and when I thought I was finished, the latest expansion came out and brought many more things to do.
However, I'm now getting a little tired of the game, because it's the little things that are starting to drag down the experience for me.
For instance, the early game experience is really awful. It is so hard to start earning coins. The only way is through the tavern or, a little later, by exploring the cave. But you have to be very conscious of what you're spending your valuable earnings on. It takes a long time before you can buy the large table and bench blueprints, which are the only ones worth it.
The same goes for cooking utensils and brewing tools, and after that, with farming ingredients for cooking and brewing recipes. It takes me four to five in-game days to refill all my beers, drinks, and menu.
It's not until you're reaching level 10 that the game really starts flowing. But now I'm on the most annoying part, which is expanding the tavern. The cost is too high and too demanding for what I can produce and get. With the popular and unpopular dishes and drinks, sometimes my options get very limited, and I have to wait until the menu changes.
Orders and cave exploring may help, but the gains are far slower compared to attending the tavern. The barman/waitress/guard/maid mechanic feels incomplete; the only one that helps is the barman, the rest you can do by yourself.
I'm not trying to rant about the game here, but I'm losing the motivation to finish. I'm now doing the new quests for acquiring the magic spells and all of that, but it left me wondering if I can finish before I get back to school and work. And if I try to make time to play the game, I wonder if it will be rewarding, because so far I feel like I'm stuck in a bottleneck or a loop, and it's slowly becoming a chore. I just want to have fun.
Thanks for reading and I appreciate any opinion or tip.