KickStarter Crossroads Inn: Anniversary Edition - fantasy tavern simulator

[fantadomat]

My favourite thing is how people don't do what they are supposed to do. My cook haven't cooked a single dish,my cleaning guy haven't cleaned shit and is just running around gossiping,my uncle haven't talked to single traveler while he spends his time cooking....when he doesn't even have the cooking work option. To me it is amazing how they could fuck up those things soo fucking badly. Still the game is playable,it could be a relaxing time waster. Do intend to play it till outer worlds gets cracked.

 

[Infinitron]

 

[thesecret1]

I think the most ridiculous thing is serving the tables. It's just idiotic from a design standpoint - when there's a table with 4 people, all asking for wine, the server goes, pours one glass at the counter, brings it to the table, goes back, repeats it for the second person and so on. It's why you need so many of them just to serve a couple people. They should have designed it as "one group of people takes one table and makes orders together, with food also being delivered together if possible" or, if they're unable to implement that shit, just turn it into a bar and have people come to the counter for stuff before finding a place to sit. Not to mention the timing of stuff - a server needs to go take out a mug (takes several seconds), take out some wine (takes several seconds), pour it into the cup (again several seconds) and only then go deliver it. Which would be fine IRL, but we're in a video game where the customer gets pissed off if it takes you more than like 30 seconds.

 

[Space Satan]

First review in steam:

Basically, an early access game right now, but has potential if all the bugs are squashed.

- Pathfinding is horrible. After only 2 hours of playtime, I have had to fire 5 workers due to them getting stuck.
- The weird thing is that sometimes they get stuck on paths that have been taken earlier in the game, but now some workers get stuck there. Other workers pass with ease.
- Worker tried to get a wine barrel through a wall = stuck until wine barrel removed.
- Guest stuck under a decorative shield on the wall. Removed shield and he could move again.
- Worker stuck on entering the pallet. I guess lifting your feet 2 inches is too hard for some workers
- Worker getting stuck on top of stairs, constantly putting down and picking up the same barrel of wine.
- Two workers stuck with the message "Stepped in.... something". Very helpful...

Other issues:
- No way to make a wall, so if you want to divide a room in two, you have to tear down the whole room!
- No way to change room type after it is built. To change it you have to demolish the entire room, then rebuild!
- Worker actions icons not very intuitive, and no tooltip when hovering mouse over.

Also, some places the English translation is forgotten, so if you don’t read polish, you have to guess what it says...

So, wait until this is patched before you buy is my advice.

 

[fantadomat]

- No way to change room type after it is built. To change it you have to demolish the entire room, then rebuild!

That one is not true,the rest is.

 

[Wyatt_Derp]

I think the most ridiculous thing is serving the tables. It's just idiotic from a design standpoint - when there's a table with 4 people, all asking for wine, the server goes, pours one glass at the counter, brings it to the table, goes back, repeats it for the second person and so on. It's why you need so many of them just to serve a couple people. They should have designed it as "one group of people takes one table and makes orders together, with food also being delivered together if possible" or, if they're unable to implement that shit, just turn it into a bar and have people come to the counter for stuff before finding a place to sit. Not to mention the timing of stuff - a server needs to go take out a mug (takes several seconds), take out some wine (takes several seconds), pour it into the cup (again several seconds) and only then go deliver it. Which would be fine IRL, but we're in a video game where the customer gets pissed off if it takes you more than like 30 seconds.

I've also seen a bug with benches where costumers get stuck when getting up from tables. Don't know if it's the same with chairs.

Having seen this bug in real life bars though, the devs get a pass for IMMURSHEN.

 

[Wyatt_Derp]

Anyone played since the latest patch? This game is FUBAR for me with the release version. 4 CTDs, 3 NPC glitches, 2 build mode bugs, and a partridge in a pear tree.

 

[MadMaxHellfire]

shame, i like these kinds of games but i can't find anything better than europa 1400, which still objectively sucked.

 

[vonAchdorf]

I nearly bought the game on release, because I like that kid of stuff, but then remembered that I noticed the red flags half a year ago and waited. Releasing a game after half a year of beta testing in this state shouldn't be rewarded. They announced a full year of DLC before launch. Maybe I'll check back in a year.

 

[PulsatingBrain]

Ki9nd of annoyed that I backed this now. I guess I'll just wait too

 

[Zombra]

Ki9nd of annoyed that I backed this now. I guess I'll just wait too

Don't be too annoyed. As a backer, you were always going to wait for the final version of the game. The official release date means nothing. The real question is are they going to keep working on it until it's really done. So far they've been very strong on post-"release" support. Still too early to tell.

 

[Zombra]

So is anyone following patching and development? I guess someone would have posted if this magically became playable.

 

[Wyatt_Derp]

So is anyone following patching and development? I guess someone would have posted if this magically became playable.

Played around a bit in sandbox mode the other day with the latest patch. Not as many glitches, but some bugs still remain. Workers often don't know where to put stuff, assigning servants to tasks still takes forever, load times are still a pain, and build mode remains wonky. It's better... better like having a kid with down syndrome who just got over the flu. Yeah, the kid is healthier now, but he's still retarded.

 

[vonAchdorf]

They continued to work on the game after launch and now released an Anniversary Edition (free for all owners). The main selling point is: We fixed the bugs. fabulouslyoptimistic

Starting from October 22, exactly one year after the original launch, Crossroads Inn will officially become Anniversary Edition, which will include:

• An epic campaign, Sandbox mode, and dozen of scenarios
• Pests & Puppies DLC with lovely pets and malicious pests
• The Pit DLC - open an underground basement and run all kinds of illegal activities
• Hooves & Wagons DLC: guests now own horses and wagons with them
• Bath & Beauty DLC offering beautiful bathtubs and bathrooms
• Crops & Harvest DLC (new content!): time to gather crops and feast!
• Digital goodies pack: unique cookbook, soundtrack, all sketches and concepts that were used during development
• FLCs and event-related items
• New bard and a new adventurer
• Chinese language support! - Crossroads Inn turned out to be a hit on Chinese market and along with Anniversary Edition lands a fresh Chinese (simplified) version of the game!

Among the most significant improvements to the base game Anniversary Edition will offer:

• New Pathfinding & AI - no more blocking on stairs, no more horses trying to reach stables through Inn’s main hall
• Engine Performance - A lot of performance-related issues will be eliminated by upgrading the game’s Esenthel engine to its latest version. We have joined forces with Greg Slazinski, a creator of the engine. Big thanks, Greg!
• UI & Tutorial - Crossroads Inn is not an easy game, especially for beginners. This is why devs are now working on an extensive help system that includes better UI, loads of tips available through loading screens, innkeeper journal, and in-game tutorials.

Most importantly, anyone who owns the original game will receive an Anniversary Edition upgrade for free on 22nd October!

 

[Haba]

So it seems you can turn your Inn into a whorehouse/torture dungeon/weed farm?

'k.

 

[Fedora Master]

Can we get one fucking game release that's actually in a playable state these days?!

 

[vonAchdorf]

So it seems you can turn your Inn into a whorehouse/torture dungeon/weed farm?

'k.

The bathhouse stuff is ok, but I don't see how the steampunk contraptions in the basement weed farm fit into the Medievalish setting.

 

[fantadomat]

So is the game playable now?

 

[Zombra]

I conversed with a player of the game and picked it up based on his recommendation (and some good looking videos). He says that while it's not butter smooth, the reported bugginess is very overblown, and most of the bad reviews are from disgruntled kickstarter backers who didn't get promised features. Plan to take a look at this over the weekend. Remind me to report back if I forget to post.

 

[fantadomat]

I conversed with a player of the game and picked it up based on his recommendation (and some good looking videos). He says that while it's not butter smooth, the reported bugginess is very overblown, and most of the bad reviews are from disgruntled kickstarter backers who didn't get promised features. Plan to take a look at this over the weekend. Remind me to report back if I forget to post.

At release it was unplayable because of daft mechanics and bugs. You needed like 5 wenches to serve two tables with 4-6 people each. Also pathing and physics were fucked up,people were constantly stuck in the terrain or locked in rooms/beds. AI was also terrible and broken,you could end up with shithole of a tavern because the AI and pathing broke and wenches didn't clean or something.

 

[Zombra]

Played for several hours last night. There is plenty to love here and a few things to hate.

Game actually runs fine.
The engine does run buttery smooth for me and the code seems very solid. I encountered no bugs except for some pathing issues where bar patrons would get stuck in a corner. I like the texture art and the game looks very "good for what it is", bearing in mind that what it is is a broke ass indie.

Game design is obscure. Really needs a manual.
The problems come in in the design as there is a lot the game does not communicate well. Even the revamped tutorial doesn't explain a lot of things; for example, you don't start with all furniture available and have to send employees around to "learn" how to build a certain type of bed or chair. If you want water for your tavern you might want to dig a well, but the only well available is "Well Type #3" - types 1 and 2 have to be learned at a nearby castle or village, or maybe a far away one, or maybe not at all as these blueprints are distributed randomly. "Rumors" are a currency that is never explained but appears vastly important. You can buy pets for 1000g but they immediately run away if you don't perform the proper actions and have the right items to feed them etc. And so forth. The learning curve is less of a curve and more of a Krazy Straw®.

Placing items was horribly broken until they fixed it .. this morning.
Another thing that was a huge problem is that the game is incredibly unclear about where furniture items may or may not be placed. Bed #1 may be placed in a Staff Room but bed #2 may not, and there's no way to know except trial and error. A barrel of soapy water may not be placed in the Kitchen for washing dishes, and indeed may not be placed anywhere indoors, because soapy water is considered too unsanitary. That's right, you have to wash all dishes outside. Or you HAD to, past tense, until this morning; they just released a patch with a menu option:
☒ Remove Arbitrary, Nonsensical Restrictions on Where You Can Build Shit
I think that's what they called it. Anyway, with that simple fix this game will instantly be a million times less irritating to play. I was kind of fucked when I tried to play last night but I'm looking forward to starting over this weekend without all these stupid restrictions.

Free placement is awesome.
When placing furniture and items, you can either let them "snap to grid" or hold CTRL to move and rotate them pixel by pixel. This is fucking great and makes spaces feel like real places.

Game is hard, which limits creativity.
One more thing to know is that the game is tough. After the tutorial you have to take out a loan to build your inn and immediately you're under grueling pressure to turn massive profits and pay it back. Rumor is that there are massive money sinks later in the game also, so in general, decorating or making an attractive but inefficient floor plan is highly discouraged. Challenge is good but I wish I had more wiggle room to build a nice terrace, expand the menu, etc.