Probably shouldn't be playing sandbox survival games then? I mean the entire point of such games is you get a random start, find random things and have to make the best with what you have, while going out to find those precious things you don't have. Some of which you may never find, forcing you to adapt.
Now while I can agree with the idea that players should never lack absolute KEY things like the Forge and Tool and Die set, but most other things that you may think you need are actually a luxury, and their lack is what makes the game interesting. My most memorable runs of this game (before A17 made no run memorable because they are all the same) are those were I lacked something. The prime example was the one where I never found the Shotgun book, and had to make do with other guns.
This is the one thing I loathe the most about A17. Why would you want this when it just makes every run the same? Where's the replayability? I wonder how many runs you have actually started in A17? I ask because this problem - having everything at the same level every time thus rendering the game bland - is one that will not manifest itself to most players until they have started several new runs in A17, and experienced for themselves how predictable and formulaic the game has become. I do not think enough people have restarted enough times to actually see how BAD this is for the game's long-term health.
This is a feature added for casual players, no doubt. Give them everything the game has to offer on a plate with little effort required to get it, and they will call it freedom.
Again I specified the things I feel are necessities. Workstations and making forged iron/steel/concrete. Those are not necessities week one. But eventually they become, to me, necessities. Other people may not agree that you should be able to count on finding those particular items/skills every playthrough at an appropriate gamestage.
I enjoy having a random start, finding random items and making the best of it. I don't care if I am never able to craft a crossbow or repair a shotgun. Leaving armor up to rng... fine. I enjoy randomness when it comes to luxuries and things with reasonably equivalent alternatives.
In a17, I have started probably 12-15 games. I don't play them exactly the same. I have multiple choices that I make based on what I need. I don't find knowing that I can definitely eventually make my own concrete to be boring. I find it reassuring. I could care less about whether/when I can craft guns, different types of armor, electrical items... most things in the game. Rng is fine for almost everything.
If I can never craft med kits, I will save the ones I find/buy for truly desperate situations and rely on first aid bandages. If I can't craft those, I'll rely on aspirin/drinks/regular bandages. There are reasonably equivalent alternatives to regaining health.
In previous alphas, if I didn't find a crossbow book, I used a regular bow or a compound bow. There were reasonably equivalent alternatives to be able to make stealth kills. The gun/guns I used most wouldn't be the one I never found the schematic for. I would use whichever one/ones I did find.
I could care less that I can dump points into intellect and craft almost everything. I don't do that. If I find an iron pickaxe, fire axe, and a wrench early (which so far I almost always have) I feel no need to rush being able to craft tools. I have crafted guns above q2 in 2 playthroughs. Others I have found or bought a couple q5-6 guns and made do with using those most of the time. I rely on bought/found armor. If I am close to both a trader and a city, I don't bother with vehicles above the minibike.
While you say I probably shouldn't be playing survival games, I greatly enjoy playing this one this alpha. I also enjoyed every alpha before this one that I have played, although this one is my favorite. I have also enjoyed playing rust and ark. So why should I stop playing them, when I enjoy them as they are?
