Yeah the game is brutal. Anyone who starts it up already knows this so there’s not much to complain about there. But the extent of what that means is a bit overwhelming even if you’re prepared for it. The world is a complete mystery when you start out, and the things that will kill you and help you are constantly surprising. There’s immediate needs, fire & food, but quickly things turn to science. And here is where the biggest initial complaint comes in. Do develop technology you need to build a “Science Machine”, to build one of these guys, you need a lump of gold. Gold is not that easy to come by, so the first 30 minutes of every game you play is a desperate scramble to find some of this resource. Once you’ve found it, there’s usually ample amounts, but trying to stumble upon it is one of the more frustrating aspects of the game.
But it keeps you coming back. Even with nothing to show for it, you keep exploring the beautiful and insane world. Masochism can be fun.