I have this game on my list for a while now and was excited about it when it was released last week. I was surprised about the bad reviews on steam and though i generally don't give too much about feedback, i scanned over some of them because i couldn't even imagine what could have gone wrong here.
So the two main reasons for bad reviews were bugs and on the other hand an extreme difficulty because of design choices (no quest log, you need to write things down to track your quests) and skill system (it seems almost impossible to hack/shoot/lockpick...). Though i wouldn't have too many problems with the bugs - i think those will be fixed in the upcoming weeks - i admit i don't understand some of the decisions the developers made. In my early days i played Bard's Tale and Might&Magic, i have drawn my own maps and figured how to progress my quests, and even though i love these games to this day, i was glad when rpgs became more accessible because hardware allowed them to be. I find the PoE or D:OS approach quite fine giving some hints but leaving the details for the player to find out. But: no quest log? No info?

So this is what I learned from the steam reviews. I would be interested if someone here played it already and give some thoughts about the accessibility? Maybe someone spoke with the developers and they have plans to change things a bit in favor of accessibility? I'm not using Discord.
I'd still like to buy this game and support the developers because the game sounds great and I love (c)rpgs, but it'd need some more info...maybe the developers are here on gog, too?

Hello! We've been waiting on admin permissions on GOG to respond to players - hoping to be a lot more active here. I understand your concerns and we're hoping to put out a balance patch very soon - we've been working mostly on bug fixes the last week.

Hi Chris, thanks for your reply!
What do you think, is there a chance that some of the QoL things find their way into the game? I understand the reasons for it, but having a quest log that at least gives me some basic info what to do in case i missed a hint would prevent becoming stuck, and not knowing what to do next is kinda frustrating, i think.

While it is true that some things need to be written down like passwords and various bits of info there is an ingame note pad (though at first I relied on paper as there was a bug with the notepad that I think has been fixed?) as well as custom map markers that allow for notes as well. On top of that, though not exactly quest markers, there are mission specific in game notes found and those appear on the overworld map and at the location of finding them or location to go to. They both act as mission related markers and mission specific important details that can be read at any time.

This works as a form of quest log.

So, the game has a lot of things you need to figure out and does not always give exact locations but makes sure not to progress lock you because you did not write something down. This applies even to some seemingly crucial codes I have learned. As there is often an alternate solution.

Okay, that sounds promising! When i read the first reviews i had the impression that many people got stuck in the beginning because they didn't write down some crucial information (if i remember correctly there was an issue with a bridge where you needed a password).
Though i understand that the game focuses on the "old school" mechanics (something what an "old school" gamer like me likes), I'd appreciate anything that makes a game less "work" (like using my physical or virtual notepad) and more "fun" (like focusing on the "how" to progress in the game).
That said, i think the game sounds awesome, and I'll definitely buy this game at some point. I just wanted to give you some thoughts and why i didn't buy it on release day. If some accessibility features would be included with a future patch, I'd definitely appreciate it :)

Minor spoiler warning but it is a few beginning area pointers. Nothing more.

There were some people that got confused, my self included, because there are no obvious in game pointers to the notes being on the map. No npc mentions "The note will be marked on your map" as far as I recall. It just happens. Not all codes get marked on the map but one of the bridge codes in question does how ever it is up to you to find where to use it. So far the important mission critical ones do though.

There is also one right at the beginning for another bridge code found very near the terminal. This is on a wall close by and that has to be written down but it says expressly what it is for and, not to make it too much of a spoiler, the computer is literally right next to it and the building has a sign drawing attention to it. some may not have found it though. That area is fairly small however. The game really offers plenty of clues as to where to go. If a name is mentioned during game play dialogue it is probably important so those are worth jotting down or remembering. It is fair to point out , as is often the case, people will mention that name elsewhere along with what district they are in. It is a mixture of old game design with a few modern QoL features. Not as much as people might want or are used to but they are there. It still leans more to an older style game where you need to rely on looking at the map and minimal hand holding.

I think they are looking at accessibility features from the community requests but the bug fixing ones are a priority right now. I don't know what will be added or not but they have taken into consideration some I think. It is probably a balancing act of how can it be kept true to an old style game and their vision but at the same time finding some things to make it less frustrating for players.

For example some of those codes in question that need to be written down and use a cipher are actually for a fast travel system however you have to discover the codes and the cipher but there is some mention of that taxi system in a conversation. You not locked out of the game if you dont try it or forget the codes as there are other methods but it does make things easier and you can always go back and read the code and cipher. the game does not log those ones so get your note pad ready. ;)

Thanks, greyhat, your comments are always very helpful!

I'll have an eye of the updates of the game, it's definitely a game i want to play...and if they'll add a few more QoL features i won't complain :)