Endless Legend 2's Demo Feedback Was a Bit Chaotic, But Amplitude's Waving Their Wand to Fix It
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
Amplitude has taken player feedback from the Endless Legend 2 demo to heart, making significant changes to the early access build, especially around the UI, visual clarity, and character writing, while retaining popular features like Tidefall and asymmetrical factions.
Right, so you know that feeling when you try a new spell, and it goes a bit sideways? Like you *meant* to summon a gentle breeze, but instead, you've got a Category 5 hurricane brewing in your living room? That, my mates, seems to be a decent analogy for the reception of Endless Legend 2's recent Steam demo.
Turns out, a fair chunk of players weren't entirely enchanted. In fact, if you, like me, found yourself humming a happy tune after dabbling with it, you might just be one of those 'positive outliers' – a rather fancy term for someone who didn't get their digital feathers ruffled. But hey, that's what demos are for, eh? A chance for developers to peek into our collective gaming minds and see what's working, and more importantly, what's making us pull our hair out.
And credit where credit's due: Amplitude, those clever wizards behind the 4X strategy, have been diligently sifting through all that feedback. They’ve laid it all out in a recent Steam post, essentially giving us a peek behind the curtain at what they reckon we dug, and where things went a bit... well, wobbly. It’s always fascinating to see how a studio interprets player sentiment, isn't it?
First up, the good stuff. According to Amplitude, players really clicked with the **Tidefall mechanic** – that brilliant, slightly bonkers idea where the ocean periodically buggers off, revealing fresh new terrain to fight over. And the **Monsoons**? Those sweeping weather events that add a dynamic layer of challenge? Yeah, those landed well too. The devs admitted they tinkered quite a bit with the frequency of these, because apparently, they initially had *so many* smaller Tidefalls that players just started ignoring them. Can't say I blame them; too much of a good thing can feel like digital wallpaper after a while.
Then there’s the **asymmetrical faction design**. Now, if you know Amplitude, you know this is their bread and butter, their signature magical incantation. They're all about making each faction feel utterly unique, not just a reskin with different numbers. So, it's no surprise that players appreciated this core tenet. And the **art and sound**, including the map design, character visuals, and those catchy little jingles for minor factions – even the weird, echoey thudding you hear during a Monsoon – largely got the thumbs up. It’s a beautiful world, even if it sometimes feels like a bit much.
Now, for the bits that needed a bit of a polish, or perhaps a full-blown exorcism. The biggest dragon in the room? The **User Interface (UI)**. This isn't just a minor niggle; Amplitude's stats paint a pretty stark picture: a quarter of reviews mentioned UI, and only 30% of *those* comments were positive. Bloody hell, that's a signal louder than a dragon's roar!
They admit it's not a simple fix. "There are instances where we displayed the wrong or not enough information," they confessed, also noting various UI and text bugs. The general consensus, it seems, was a "flow issue" – basically, your eyeballs and brain struggling to make sense of all the information, especially on those crucial city screens. Managing population, districts, building decisions – it all felt a bit like trying to read a spellbook written in invisible ink while riding a bucking griffin.
One particularly interesting proposed change for the UI is how districts are built. Instead of picking a tile first, they're considering letting players select them from a construction list, much like other improvements. This sounds like a genuinely smart move, simplifying the spatial puzzle a bit. Fair warning though, they've said this is a significant change, so don't expect it in the initial Early Access launch. But hey, they're promising to share concepts for feedback, which is exactly what we want to hear!
Beyond the UI, some players found the world itself a bit *too* vibrant, bordering on **hallucinogenic**. I can see that. Sometimes, in a game bursting with colour and detail, it can be tough to distinguish between a luscious plant and, say, a vital resource or even your own city centre. It's a tricky balance, creating a world that's both breathtakingly detailed and functionally clear. Amplitude's response? They've made city foundations clearer, zapped some blurriness bugs, added more graphics options, and even toned down the terrain saturation a touch. Plus, those all-important hexagonal grid lines? Now more prominent, because no one wants to strain their eyes trying to figure out where to place their next district. They even shrunk some fancy vegetation that was confusing players by looking too much like Anomalies. It’s all about making that 'lush, detailed world' not a 'straining, confusing world.'
And finally, a topic close to my heart (and apparently, many others'): the **character writing**. Amplitude aimed for more words, more depth, making heroes feel "personal and deep." They'd be council members, have friends and enemies, even talk directly to you. A noble ambition, for sure. But, as they noted, this granularity came with issues. Wrong characters saying wrong things, or saying things that just didn't make sense for them. They're updating dialogue presentation, cutting lines, and generally tightening things up for Early Access.
My own two cents on this (and it seems I wasn't alone): while aiming for deep characters is grand, some factions in Endless Legend just don't fit that mould. The Necrophage aren't an ensemble cast; they're a bloody horde! The Aspect? More of a living reef than a bunch of chatty individuals. It's their unique, almost alien concept that makes them so attractive, and trying to force a traditional character narrative onto them can feel... unnatural. It's a fundamental design choice that Amplitude is now refining.
So, there you have it. Endless Legend 2 is set to launch into Early Access on September 22nd with five factions. They've got plans for a sixth, plus multiplayer and custom faction support, before the big 1.0 release next year. It's a classic Early Access journey, full of twists and turns, patches and tweaks. Amplitude's shown they're ready to listen and adapt, which is always a good sign. Fingers crossed this next phase smooths out those chaotic demo moments and builds something truly legendary. Now, if you'll excuse me, I hear a new spell calling my name...
Tags: 4X Strategy, Early Access, Game Development, Player Feedback, Amplitude Studios
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun