1 free read left. Create a free account for unlimited reading + AI research.
Create free account
FTUE: X-Mercs
Key insights
6 takeaways- 01By the ten-minute mark, the game shifts from tactical combat to base management, introducing resource collection and time-gated progression typical of the free-to-play mobile genre.
- 02The high barrier to entry in X-Mercs highlights the difficulty of balancing deep, strategy-heavy mechanics with the need for a streamlined introduction in the competitive mobile market.
- 03The X-Mercs onboarding process is hindered by a 2GB initial download requirement and prolonged loading times that delay active gameplay for several minutes.
- 04The game employs a premature engagement strategy by requesting push notification permissions immediately upon launch, risking early user alienation.
- 05The tutorial phase is intensive and slow-paced, requiring players to navigate extensive dialogue and guided combat sequences to learn mechanics like action point management and orbital cannons.
- 06The design prioritizes comprehensive instruction over immediate gratification, assuming a high level of player commitment to master complex tactical interfaces and hero management.
Ask AI about this video
Transcript
hello and welcome to Pocket Gamer offices first time user experience this is where we played a free-to-play mobile game for the first time for about 10 minutes really just to see what the flow of the games like so the game we're playing today from games insights and it's there I turn-based strategy game xmax so you get this loaded up I might take a bit of a wire through the big download get all the two gig so here we get on so this is again it's been in development for quite a long time who first time I saw it was over a year ago gone through a few changes during that time not changes to there's always been there turn-based kind of strategy game but quite a bit of tweaking and
development going on during that period you can see it's going to take a little time to load less tends to be the case with games as a lot of content him but um there's games in the kicking in and but it can be I think I think partly for some user experiences you do generally want to gain two games quite quickly it really want to be hanging around so really worth a minute into our experience nothing's happened not playing a game yet and that kind of stuff does have I mean one the downloads to you know a big a big download and takes time to download so you have to what can waiting around for download ask me to do push notifications now generally people don't do that he definitely am asked you to do push notifications off you gone through the tutorial relief but just because it increases the rate at which people will sign up up push notifications i was thinkin education is very powerful tool
for all its engagement but most people believe you haven't start playing again then you like it or not people don't wanna people body by push notifications it's not you want to necessarily ask early on so two minutes now into our load and when aren't we loaded eighty percent I something might happen off the brain is going to be a cutscene ninety-five percent it's all gone dark okay here we go skip it here we go here the x marks looking a bit halo like so it makes me quite a
heavy tutorial intense this product right not to learn so yeah go group a square base so can it have the tutorial combat interface double tap so we have action points then you're mucking it ever makes a better target so I was going to take color condition for your sniper but lots of ground to cover
ok let's go to the camera angle yet the area is crawling with maintenance this is quality check don't has a nasty bug thing and then they are not Scranton I'm going to save the survivors don't so then use the smokeless take them out
and have you creeper stand forward and then don't have a creep up let me take some damage female researcher same time
okay into the jungle no I come from so I'm quite long and quite over to totally there we go yes number seven minutes in and which destroyed cover so
if it comes a little part of the strategy I'll reduces damage oh darling I'm gonna kill them on start and got a great amazement no orbital cannon that's always helpful very accurate so it's what you want in a tutorial big smart bomb take everything up okay a lot better idea what's going on there with movement the action points we're going to get some rewards I guess
looks like various different resources going on there we've got a three unit Lee and it tells what enemies I've killed got some buddha materials and some mo components so the quite a heavy metal a min so this isn't fast it's going to go around its can we stretch you around I was the also text they domain hump
Rebecca's wrong rewards see this time okay got the hero soldier use the score many what you're doing here Merck skills so I get notice in a fairly complex game
you can play it a lot of touchscreen games now I'm 10 minutes ok treating this guy he's that sounds quicker than us will be normally be bored over there salut imagine okay so good wish you complete the armory this lady has full me
the box i made energy so i'm going to manufacture some grenades speed it up so typical kind of resource game there where got some time gates that we're going to speed up build a tank new my engineers quite a lot many tech stuff going on okay just tell her I won't go more than 10 minutes now on them into much more into the game really but we just get an idea so that's kind of them telling us this is a game where yeah a lot of thinking involved when that encourages to go back and play more we'll have to wait and see I'll make some more see I would get on I'm gonna come back and have a look a bit further in the game to
look specifically in the monetization yeah that was the first time user experience for x marks from game insight subscribe to our YouTube channel we doing a lot of these feet foot first time user experience videos now and I'm so come back come back soon see you see what games you been playing see you then you
Summary
X-Mercs, a turn-based squad shooter developed by Game Insight, demonstrates a complex onboarding process characterized by significant technical and instructional hurdles. The initial user experience is hindered by a substantial two-gigabyte download requirement and prolonged loading times, which delay active gameplay for several minutes. Furthermore, the game prompts users for push notification permissions immediately upon launch, a premature engagement strategy that risks alienating players before they have established any interest in the product.
The tutorial phase is notably intensive, reflecting the game’s strategic depth. Players are introduced to core mechanics, including action point management, tactical movement, cover systems, and the use of specialized weaponry like orbital cannons. While these tutorials effectively communicate the game’s mechanics, the pacing is slow, requiring players to navigate through extensive dialogue and guided combat sequences. By the ten-minute mark, the experience transitions into base management, introducing resource collection, manufacturing, and time-gated progression typical of the free-to-play mobile genre.
Ultimately, the onboarding flow prioritizes comprehensive instruction over immediate gratification. The game’s design assumes a high level of player commitment, as evidenced by the dense information provided regarding unit skills, hero management, and complex tactical interfaces. While the production quality is high, the barrier to entry is significant, requiring players to invest considerable time before reaching the core gameplay loop. The experience highlights the challenges of balancing deep, strategy-heavy mechanics with the need for a streamlined, accessible introduction in a competitive mobile market.
Comments