GearBlocks building UI – need your feedback!

One of the main core elements of GearBlocks is the building game mechanic, and it’s an area I’m still not really happy with.  I think the builder tool user interface is too clunky and awkward to use, and it presents too steep a learning curve to new players.  However I’ve struggled to think of how to simplify the UI without losing the flexibility of the current system.

So I decided to go back to basics and just look at the way that parts are positioned and orientated to be aligned together.  For now I’m ignoring part resizing, which I think it might be best to separate out into another tool anyway.

In this video I show what I think are some of the problems with the current system, and demo a quick and dirty prototype of a possible alternative.

I’d love to know what you guys think.

• How hard was it for you to learn how to build stuff in the game when you first started?
• Do think the current builder tool is basically OK as it is, should I just leave things as they are and get on with finishing the rest of the game?
• Or do you find the current building user interface difficult to use?
• Do you think the approach that I’ve shown here in this prototype is worth pursuing?

Let me know in the video comments, or on the GearBlocks discord.  Thank you, and happy holidays!