Hey cool project! I came from the Strata | beta decay trailer and absolutely fell in love with it.
Looking through the Kickstarter/Steam listing for the game info I left a little bit confused as to what to expect from it given the mining and exploration mechanics.
From what I've gathered it looks like a simulation-space exploration game akin to Freelancer/Starsector combined with gunplay and gameplay from extraction shooters like Tarkov.
Is there a specific gameplay loop or focus that you are invisioning for the finished product? or given the early stage of development are you discovering that as you go?
Looking forward for future updates :)
Currently, the base player mechanics are priority above all else.
Character Movement, Animations, Gunplay, Aesthetics, Sound effects...
Although these elements are not the primary focus of the game, they are happening on your screen 100% of the time. So they need to be satisfying, comfortable, and memorable.
The overall focus of the game is about building a story and journeying with your character in a completely weird/dystopian universe. Playing how you want while being a part of something. This consists of exploration (on planets/in space/in cities/underground), gathering and trading, choosing to be involved in competition between factions and syndicates, and more.. There is a storyline, and there will be cinematics, but the game is open ended.
I'd like to say the loop/focus is the combat, or the visuals, (Which feel great) but I think the hook has always been the immersion and feeling you get from wanting to be involved in this universe and the atmospherics. There are many open ended sandbox games that fail to produce immersion, story, replayability and just end up feeling lonely.