Recent reviews by Andromeda

The game is an interesting take on historical city builders. And while there are noticeable issues (Bugs, Graphical LOD issues and some design choices) that kind of make the game not very fun from time to time, this game certainly has a solid foundation.

My only issues so far with this game has been some of the self-imposed limits by the developer. Workplaces have a limited range to find workers, which makes city planning difficult without spreading all over the place.
I've also been hitting a wall with routinely finding myself not really having much to work towards.
This is largely because I tend to be a city builder who focuses on city design and aesthetic.
But with games like this I tend to want goals. Which once you've build the only monument you can build, you kind of run out of goals.

My only asks for this game are,

1. Option for More than 1 Monument
   
2. More Decoratives, 1x1, 1x2, 1x3, 2x2 etc for Gardens, Plants, Statues, Plazas etc
   
3. Obelisks either as decorations or to celebrate milestone achievements
   
4. Increased employment range
   
5. Reworked Water System? (Houses don't always recognise if they have access to water without a well first, even if a water carrier is covering them)
   
6. More Gods?
   
7. Reworked early game economy, it's too focused on trade.

In my initial review, I basically stated this game was a poorly copied Stellaris mod known as STNH and STNC. That wasn't fair, as the game has made its own unique moves.

The game starts you off with one of four factions,

• The United Federation of Planets
  
• The Romulan Star Empire
  
• The Klingon Empire
  
• The Cardassian Union

These are the "Core" factions to Star Trek, However where the game could improve is to include the other major powers of the Alpha/Beta Quadrants such as,

• The Gorn Hegemony
  
• The Tholian Assembly
  
• The Breen Confederacy

Admittedly this section is a little nitpicky, but nevertheless here we are.
There are numerous decisions that have been made that when you actually start playing the game, you do sort of look at it and go "Why?" because it feels either like an oversight or just plain makes you go "Eh??"

For example,

• Denobula - In Federation space, but not colonised, you must colonise this yourself. Denobulans do not exist ingame.
  
• Risa - The same as above.
  
• Starfleet Uniforms - Uniforms are anachronistic and messy. You have uniforms seen in three different shows and four movies all being used at the same time. Even if you enable LD uniforms, certain characters will spawn using Nemesis or TNG uniforms. Given the game starts pre-TNG, they should really be using the TLE era uniforms (Think Wrath of Kahn but no turtle neck). I'd of suggested a mechanic that lets the player update and change uniforms ingame for all leaders (STNH/NC have this mechanic, the latter having one you can directly control)
  
• The game prides itself on giving you a Star Trek experience, but the SFX and VFX does not comply. This could be rectified with implementing visual and audio changes to bring the sound and visual effects from the show ingame. Such as phasers and torpedos. Techs are also a little messy as we do get access to techs that you wouldn't typically see any of the races use.
  
• Cloaking - Appears to be bugged, but this game is using Stellaris pre-cloaking version as a foundation so its been haphazardly implemented. I'd suggest updating the game to a newer version of Stellaris.
  
• User Interface - Way too cramped. Looks like it was designed for a smaller screen somehow. As such on larger screens its all a bit of a mess.
  
• It's ST Picard Season 1 all over again - Because the dev's have limited you to a few ship types per races, battles become quite "Meh" to watch. Retooling the "Sectional" and refit mechanics of stellaris would open up the ability to build variants of ships. You'd need only the base fleet roles, Scout, Corvette, Frigate, Cruiser, Heavy Cruiser, Battlecruiser, Titan

The game takes place in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants, however, and somehow, it feels extremely tiny. Empires start far too close to each other. And somehow this does not mean the AI's are at each others throats with border friction.
When starting the Big 4 all share a border with a fake empire separating the Feds and Romulans (it is meant to be a Neutral Zone). Adding that minors tend to also spawn fairly close to you, the map ends up looking overcrowded very quickly as a middle blob surrounded by empty space. To correct this, space the start points out and give the players more breathing room.

The AI is filled with some issues that have been corrected in newer versions of Stellaris. I'd recommend the devs incorporate more elements of the newest versions of Stellaris into this game.


The Borg Collective. The games take on an end-game crisis.
They could be considered a crisis that is if they actually did something. The events to trigger them take place not long after you start the game, meaning this Endgame crisis, takes place in the early to mid-game. And they appear as a lone, rather weak, Sphere. They as a result, pose no threat. Not long after, Janeway appears and gives you the neurolytic pathogen she just killed the queen with. You are tasked with either using it or not to stop the borg using the Warp highways (basically glorified hyper relays from Stellaris but using blackholes for some reason instead of Transwarp Hubs?). Regardless of what you do, the borg don't actually invade. You never face any risk of annihilation, assimilation or futility given the Borg are basically dead within an hour of playing the game. And this is a problem with the game, it relies too much on events and TV canon events, it has no story telling as the game basically makes the decisions for you. Sure, you can make different changes but it ultimately has no consequence. I'd really implore the devs to overhaul the Borg crisis. It starts too soon, is over too quickly and is never a threat. It needs a complete redesign and buff.

2024: Well I've updated this review. After some more time with it, I can say I would cautiously recommend the game. The devs have gone radio silent since Christmas and layoffs put doubts on the games future. But when you think carefully you can see the love they put into this game. Just sometimes that love can blind your decision making.

I'm leaving the below change list unaltered even though I've touched on it in parts of the above review update.

changes I'd make to make the game more of a Trek experience would be as follows.

1. Overhaul VFX and SFX - Make phasers sound like phasers. Make torpedo's look like torpedo's. And make Quantums blue, not green.
   
2. Add species specific technologies - We already have cloaking, but the Klingons and Romulans have phasers for some reason. Add better disruptor and plasma weapons, add plasma torpedos etc.
   
3. Overhaul Federation Uniforms - Right now they're way too anachronistic. Add an option to change the uniform ingame from the government screen, and have the game automatically update them at certain points. 2340s should be using the style seen on the Ent-C, 2350s to 60s should use TNG (but keep it consistent cause the Admirals should be using Season 3 as well as the officers if you're going to stick with that one), DS9/Nem should appear in the 2370s. And LD should appear in the 2380s (reliably, I never had it appear in any of my games), and for when we enter end-game 2400s, have the PIC Season 3s.
   
4. Clean up the UI - The UI needs improving for larger screens (1080-4k sizes), right now its more mobile game/tablet game UI and less PC game.
   
5. Overhaul the music and voice acting - The voice overs like the music don't really sell the Trek experience
   
6. More ships - Fleets feel very boring due to a total lack of diversity.

To the Devs: Please do not give up. I look forward to seeing this game thrive.

The UI could be better, especially in regards to colour swatches for furniture, wallpaper etc. But overall Hotel Renovator has a solid foundation.

I'm greatly looking forward to seeing future updates and styles. We already have Orient, Minimalist and Art Deco. I look forward to and hope to see styles such as Art Nouveau, Modern, Ultra Modern, Futurist, Classical, Rococo, Regency, Mid-Century and Industrial.

As well as hopefully a chance to see new features that enable the addition of new services to the hotel beyond the base games Bar, Pool and Sauna. Such as a full Spa, Restaurant, Gardens/Grounds, Gallery, Exhibition Halls, Lounges, Stages etc.

I've played this for just under 2 hours, I've found it more awkward to play than KSP1.

I'll firstly admit, I'm not great at KSP1. I always found manoeuvres very awkward and finicky, and always struggled getting mods to work so was never successful at getting a working auto-pilot mod to work. So when I saw the changes to KSP2 that involved being able to use the assist options to more easily point at things, I thought "Oh maybe I'll finally have an easier time getting into orbit and visiting other worlds"

I was wrong. In 12 attempts to get either a Duna, Eve or Mun encounter, I've successfully managed to either
A) De-Orbit
B) Enter a highly eccentric orbit and run out of fuel
or
C) Shoot into nowheresville of the cosmos.

I hope some sort of auto-pilot or more easy to use system comes soon.


Building rockets, planes, probes etc is fairly basic. The EA version of KSP2 is basically KSP1 with a visual mod attached to make things "Pretty", thats about it. No real changes have been made in terms of how you build things.
However. Adding payload options that cover a probe or other item is now somehow backwards in direction, instead of it automatically wanting to envelop the item by asking you to set points, you now have to manually add points, pull it up or push it in or pull out etc then save. Admittedly I guess the way it was in KSP1 was a mod maybe?


Performance wise, I've not had many issues until I try using time warp.
Hardware wise I use a RTX 3080, Ryzen 9 3900X and 32GB of RAM and play it at 1080p.
Time warp causes FPS to drop but not enough that it isn't like KSP1 so I'm used to it.

Early Access is basically just KSP1 with a face lift and locked to Sandbox mode. So you'll find you don't have much to do other than just throw stuff at a wall and see what sticks. There are a lot of quirks, I've had several rockets spontaneously explode when entering space, I've had one suddenly decide to stop wobbling to the point it snaps itself in half and I've had one just randomly overheat on the launch pad, before I started the countdown. So that was interesting.

Ultimately there is enough quirkiness of a product not ready for Early Access to make me go "That price tag was NOT worth it. Not worth it AT ALL" And I wish I was still able to refund.

That said. I hope the devs understand everyones feedback, read their feedback and really take it onboard and either
1) Pause sales until its more stable and has more updates done
2) Reduce the price tag to an appropriate Early Access norm of a price tag, otherwise you've basically pre-ordered it and paid premium for alpha access
3) Have a team focus on pushing some hotfixes and stability patches while the main team works on core features.

This isn't Startopia. The Devs tried, they did. But you're just playing Bin Man Simulator with a heavy hint of verbally abusive AI.

Unlike VAL of the original, the VAL in this game lacks any humour, it is simply a constant stream of snide remarks that don't come across as humorous but more condescending and tactless. The Voice Actors should of studied the original VAL, as should the writers.

Gameplay wise it gets super repetitive after a while. Even more than the original Startopia. Buildings deteriorate at a shocking pace, and the need to build energy transmitters on the Fun Deck makes planning it out a chore.

Fuzzies (This games silly name for Scuzzers) aren't very intelligent. You cant set their priorities like you could in the old game so what they do is up to them and they don't always prioritise things in a logical manner. Leading to a lot of spoiled goods, broken buildings and uncollected waste.

Visitors and Staff don't use the bins either, and trash accumulates at an unusually high rate, meaning you'll be frequently doing a clean up of your station every 5-10 minuets. Which gets worse as you take over more sectors.

Staff AI isn't very Intelligent either. They won't get treated for their sickness until the very last moment, at which point the station is in its own pandemic, everyones angry and you start wishing you could open the airlocks and blow them all out into space.

There isn't any proper way to manage work shifts either, so buildings are staffed whenever staff remember they have a job. Meaning you'll often hire more staff than you need to be sure you'll have something working.

The Devs really did try, I can't fault them there. But their understanding on what made the original game so unique and beloved is clearly lacking. The Dark humour, the sarcasm etc that was so heavily influenced by Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Red Dwarf etc is non-existent here and that gives this game very little soul.

Giving your races quirky information is not the same, here it comes across as shallow and silly for the sake of being silly, and only works to belittle the game this one seeks to reimagine, remake and give new life to. And also only serves to make this game less enjoyable.

Edit:
I should also note that this game is still quite buggy and really should still be considered early access.

Quite often you'll get the sense this game is unfinished, features feel unpolished, the build menu feels a little empty.

Over all I'd say give this a miss for now, and come back in 6 months. But don't hold your breath. The Devs have a lot of work ahead of themselves to give this game some life back. That includes giving it that Red Dwarf or Hitchhikers feel. Some Sirens. Love Nests and Shops, Decor etc. Especially since the Fun Deck and Sub Deck just feel a little bland. The Fun Deck feels like a cheap amusement park and the Sub Deck a little meh.

I've played it for a couple of hours.
Sadly I can't recommend it.

Yes, its a fun game. And yes It's beautiful and does evoke the feeling of Sierra's old city builders (Pharaoh etc)

However. This game does have a flaw that is touched on in some other reviews.
As your city grows, the logistics system bogs everything down and makes the game not-fun.
The limited range for markets, warehouses etc, the need to individually plan out each and every markets distribution routes for each and every individual seller, and the use of caravans to transport goods from industrial areas to residential, can make your game quite frustrating and boring. The fact you can only gain gold (needed to build) through trade, which requires a bit of investing to get access to, can mean you will and can very quickly get stuck. Which is exasperated by the logistics system which you have to tweak and refresh each time a new building is placed or road.

The lack of a deity system, fire, police or structural engineering systems. The lack of military scenario/play. The lack of walker comments/talking etc. These all make the game feel unfinished, unpolished and sadly a little dry.
While visually the game can be stunning, it can be dry.

I'll re-review it after a few patches, but for now I'd recommend saving your money till maybe 3 to 5 patches down the line, or any major updates.

I'm recommending it purely because Kane's story made me cry, he is precious and must be protected.

My only issue is I didn't get to see him and my character get married.

Okay: Updating this because I've had more time to see other characters.
I've completed Alex, Kane and I'm now doing Nick.

Honestly, how dare you make me cry so much, I love this game <3

Pros:
- The Anime/Bara art style is beautiful. <3
- The stories are well crafted and emotional
- The minigames are actually fun even if some are a little quirky.
- Plenty of choices and men to choose from
- Even the secondary characters have purpose and aren't there for set dressing.
- Officer Amy <3
- Detective Kane is precious and needs protecting <3

Cons:
- The translations aren't all complete, there are some lines that are still in Chinese as of Aug/27/2020.

- Some Translations are broken, they either make no sense when translated to English or make the sentence or conversation a little confusing as of August 27th, 2020.

I'm going to recommend this game because it's a fun game and an interesting park builder. Also because I want to see this game continue to grow and develop.

Pro's:
- Dinosaurs
- Worthy successor to Jurassic Park Operation Genesis
- It's pretty.
- You are actively encouraged to go back and forth between islands to progress. None of this "Jump ship and forget" business.

Con's:
- No Avian or Aquatic Species
- Terraforming tools are slow
- Helicopter's and Ranger Cars aren't automated, you have to individually tell each one to deal with situations. Which can make the game a ♥♥♥♥♥ to play when you're trying to sort something out that is timed.

The primary issues I encountered was the limited space available to build with. As well as the lack of Aquatic or Avian species to play with.

I also take issue with the ranger cars and helicopters requiring you to find them, assign jobs to each of them and wait. Rather than the game going "Well ♥♥♥♥ there is an emergency, I'll jump to work". Automation isn't even an option.

When you get to the last island you get Sandbox mode, however you still have to jump back and forth between islands to unlock everything to build. Which can be a pain in the butt if you start a new game because it's easier than just bulldozing whole parks to fix them.

One of the more exciting elements of the game is the genetic engineering. Issue is... it's shallow as ♥♥♥♥. You can just alter stats and make them look different. That's it. You can't hybridize them except for unlocking the Indominus Rex. That's it. There is no procedural generator to create new dinosaurs through hybridizing them and most stat changes effect their combat efficiency as if that's all there is to a dinosaur, it's combat effectiveness. Which wouldn't be an issue if there was a "Dino-Arena" attraction.

What this game needs:
- More Dinosaurs.
- Aquatic and Avian species.
- Option to unlock all buildings
- Better Genetic Engineering.

Yes.
All it's missing is more to do and more to build. And... more dynamic crew BUT it's a pretty fun game once you get over the fact this game will beat you to a pulp of shame if you don't pay attention to the fact your crew is Human and has needs. :)

Sorry Rockstar, but you didn't even try to defend the modding community. You just sided with Take Two to effectively ban it.

Oh and I wouldn't recommend it anyway, no real post-launch DLC for the Story or Single Player experience. Just more GTO ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥.