Should guest needs really be left out for launch?

[CMDR Karrde Sun]

There's only one thing i can't shake as a 'worry' for JWE. Content creators were not able to click and select guests in their demos. When asked about it in an interview, all they said that had come over from planet coaster was the crowd simulation behaviour. Planet coaster had little needs bars just like dinosaurs.. couldn't this have come over too? The most that was mentioned is guests will be food / drama set pieces for when the dinosaurs escape.

In JPOG, both the guests and the dinosaurs had needs and provided feedback as triggers to gameplay. I can visualize how dinosaurs and narration will also work as a possibility, but there was something about the guests that really made JPOG..

Stepping back, this post is complete speculation as JWE isn't out yet, but i just remember how planet coaster launched and i know that's what frontier do, they'll launch it anyway and patch it in months later once its properly implemented.. the only conclusion is not to preorder and wait for reviews.. which is a shame.

 

[Ace2535]

I have an eery suspicion about this as well. I saw Best in Slots video today on his gameplay without commentary and I have to say there was parts that were disappointing to hear. He asked what was left to design in the game and the developer said the only thing left to do was “polish”.

It pains me to say that what we saw in the demo is everything that is going to be available in the final release. Don’t get me wrong, everything I have seen has been great but you can’t help but compare it to JPOG and especially Planet Coaster. So many building options, guest interactions, and management in PC you can’t help but ask why is it not in this game as well?

Will all these missing features be in the game eventually? Probably, just many months of patch’s and DLCs must come first. I do believe JW Evolution has the possibility to be the best park building game ever and our dream game, but it might have to come at chunks at a time to get there tho.

 

[Baryonyx]

It's one of many features which should be standard in a modern park sim which has bizarrely been left out, along with better terrain tools, park cosmetics and first person view.

Very disappointing, and as BestinSlot showed, this is pretty much a finished version and all what was left was polish. So all the Postive Pete's insisting "it's a demo build! They're gonna add more features" are wrong.

We're getting a beautiful looking, beautiful animated game with seemingly a decent story BUT.... with stripped down management and creative aspects which are going to ruin it.

 

[Dino droppings? Droppings?]

It's one of many features which should be standard in a modern park sim which has bizarrely been left out, along with better terrain tools, park cosmetics and first person view.

Very disappointing, and as BestinSlot showed, this is pretty much a finished version and all what was left was polish. So all the Postive Pete's insisting "it's a demo build! They're gonna add more features" are wrong.

We're getting a beautiful looking, beautiful animated game with seemingly a decent story BUT.... with stripped down management and creative aspects which are going to ruin it.

Yes.....but also no.

There's been quite a lot of outpouring of dislike for certain features and this may have been listened to and acted on by Frontier. We genuinely just don't know until we get the game in our hands. And we can still expect large amounts of the game to change and be added later on.

It's not so bad being a positive Pete!

As for the comments about guests specifically, that requires a lot more than just polish. They require a very large amount of work and I assume it was just a business way of talking about it. If anyone was paying attention, you'd notice that literally no one acknowledged any bug or issue with the game; even when grass and foliage was poking through the paths.

It would have great to be reassured that those sort of things are being worked on. Saying that things needed 'polishing' is a bit of worry but I'd take it with a gain of salt.

 

[Dino droppings? Droppings?]

The same could be said about the eating/hunting animations. They look fundamentally broken.

 

[Dino droppings? Droppings?]

And the dinosaur camera thing that Bestinslot was talking about.

 

[Roybe]

How much artistic license did the owners of Jurassic series give to the developers?

This has always been the problem with movie based games...the devs are generally shortchanged by artistic freedom, time, and any other numbers of things...because the studios do not seem to understand that the game is supposed to live up to gamers expectations...not their bottom line/merchandising deals.

 

[Dino droppings? Droppings?]

How much artistic license did the owners of Jurassic series give to the developers?

This has always been the problem with movie based games...the devs are generally shortchanged by artistic freedom, time, and any other numbers of things...because the studios do not seem to understand that the game is supposed to live up to gamers expectations...not their bottom line/merchandising deals.

What aspect of the game are you referring to?

 

[Ace2535]

How much artistic license did the owners of Jurassic series give to the developers?

This has always been the problem with movie based games...the devs are generally shortchanged by artistic freedom, time, and any other numbers of things...because the studios do not seem to understand that the game is supposed to live up to gamers expectations...not their bottom line/merchandising deals.

I think Universal has given Frontier a decent amount of freedom, compared to Disney and EA. Minus mod support, kids in the game and blood/gore anyway. What’s really hurting this game is time. It’s starting to feel like Frontier is being rushed to get this game out to coincide with Fallen Kingdom. Seems like a lot of features are going to be missing.

 

[Roybe]

What aspect of the game are you referring to?

I think Universal has given Frontier a decent amount of freedom, compared to Disney and EA. Minus mod support, kids in the game and blood/gore anyway. What’s really hurting this game is time. It’s starting to feel like Frontier is being rushed to get this game out to coincide with Fallen Kingdom. Seems like a lot of features are going to be missing.

The general discussion in this thread...but many others...dealing with 'not enough', 'missing features', etc.

Although the game certainly looks decent in the previews I have seen...it appears that the gameplay we have seen does have a 'lack of' feel to it (Planet Coaster being a fairly relevant game comparison, with many 'basic' features appearing to be missing).


Generally, a lot of movie based games are 'one and done'...they sell the game for general consumption, with poor implementations and worse replay value...and things move on. My hopes are a bit higher for this...but in the end, what IS the future for this game, and how much will the studio support it? As I stated, most studios do not see games as a continuing intellectual investment...very few studio/dev partnerships have created good games...and even fewer have kept the franchise going for more than the 'fast buck' merchandising of plush and foodstuffs.

To be honest, this does not really feel like a zoo/theme park management game, as much as it does a Turn based strategy game....and with Frontiers history in simulations...that is a bit of a switch, which, although might be the plan for this game, is going to be a bit of a shock for people expecting a park simulator.

 

[Dino droppings? Droppings?]

The general discussion in this thread...but many others...dealing with 'not enough', 'missing features', etc.

Although the game certainly looks decent in the previews I have seen...it appears that the gameplay we have seen does have a 'lack of' feel to it (Planet Coaster being a fairly relevant game comparison, with many 'basic' features appearing to be missing).


Generally, a lot of movie based games are 'one and done'...they sell the game for general consumption, with poor implementations and worse replay value...and things move on. My hopes are a bit higher for this...but in the end, what IS the future for this game, and how much will the studio support it? As I stated, most studios do not see games as a continuing intellectual investment...very few studio/dev partnerships have created good games...and even fewer have kept the franchise going for more than the 'fast buck' merchandising of plush and foodstuffs.

To be honest, this does not really feel like a zoo/theme park management game, as much as it does a Turn based strategy game....and with Frontiers history in simulations...that is a bit of a switch, which, although might be the plan for this game, is going to be a bit of a shock for people expecting a park simulator.

I think you need to look a little bit more closely at Frontiers track record before you decide on that. With Planet Coaster and Elite dangerous they have continued to support for years. They are getting constant new features added etc.

This also is not just a tie-in game, this a game that Frontier is developing and paying for and not just a game with the JW logo slapped on it. This is an actual game made by a developer.

 

[Baryonyx]

The same could be said about the eating/hunting animations. They look fundamentally broken.

The poor camera angles and things such as grass growing through paths isn't something i'm worried about because it seems like an easy fix so have no doubt it will be sorted come June.

Adding content though which is missing and should be included though, that's not going to happen before release so that is a huge concern of mine. It's going to suck with the only ride been the gyrosphere.

 

[Dino droppings? Droppings?]

This, the poor camera angles and things such as grass growing through paths isn't something i'm worried about because it seems like an easy fix so have no doubt it will be sorted come June.

Adding content though which is missing and should be included though, that's not going to happen before release so that is a huge concern of mine. It's going to suck with the only ride been the gyrosphere.

I guess we just don't know until we get the game. It's one of those things!

I too would be upset if we only get the gyrosphere as well.

 

[Roybe]

I think you need to look a little bit more closely at Frontiers track record before you decide on that. With Planet Coaster and Elite dangerous they have continued to support for years. They are getting constant new features added etc.

This also is not just a tie-in game, this a game that Frontier is developing and paying for and not just a game with the JW logo slapped on it. This is an actual game made by a developer.

I own both Planet Coaster and Elite, as well as being pretty active in the Elite community...so I get the level of support Frontier puts into their game. This is a different animal...they do not own the game....not like the other two titles....they HAVE to follow Universal's instructions on a lot of things. They cannot do 'what they want'...and it IS a tie in game. Don't kid yourself on that point. Universal is definitely pulling the strings here.

 

[Dino droppings? Droppings?]

I own both Planet Coaster and am pretty active in the Elite community...so I get the level of support Frontier puts into their game. This is a different animal...they do not own the game....not like the other two titles....they HAVE to follow Universal's instructions on a lot of things. They cannot do 'what they want'...and it IS a tie in game. Don't kid yourself on that point. Universal is definitely pulling the strings here.

I fundamentally disagree. They ant change cannon aspects of the story but are able to do pretty much anything. Even Colin treverow says basically the same thing.

Frontier is paying for it and developing it. Universal is allowing them access to assets and that is essentially it.

 

[Dino droppings? Droppings?]

I own both Planet Coaster and am pretty active in the Elite community...so I get the level of support Frontier puts into their game. This is a different animal...they do not own the game....not like the other two titles....they HAVE to follow Universal's instructions on a lot of things. They cannot do 'what they want'...and it IS a tie in game. Don't kid yourself on that point. Universal is definitely pulling the strings here.

They also most certainly do own it. They don't own JW but the game is theirs.

 

[Roybe]

They also most certainly do own it. They don't own JW but the game is theirs.

Whatever lets you sleep at night. Universal owns the assets, the name, and what will ever be allowed to be in the game....they own it....FDev is just building it for them.

 

[Dino droppings? Droppings?]

Whatever lets you sleep at night. Universal owns the assets, the name, and what will ever be allowed to be in the game....they own it....FDev is just building it for them.

Why aren't they paying for it?

 

[CMDR Karrde Sun]

I think Universal has given Frontier a decent amount of freedom, compared to Disney and EA. Minus mod support, kids in the game and blood/gore anyway. What’s really hurting this game is time. It’s starting to feel like Frontier is being rushed to get this game out to coincide with Fallen Kingdom. Seems like a lot of features are going to be missing.

I can't believe im typing this, as im almost a fan of frontier, but truth etc.

My (complete armchair) guess is they went over budget while self funding and publishing. Explains everything: The really poor physical offerings, a woeful, zero effort digital deluxe edition (even though i said i wouldn't i'll still preorder if we get the usual digital goodies). Also this is really stretching, but the steam sale last weekend was also super tight, they have discounted much more heavily before and it doesn't seem right that frontier suddenly developed a superiority complex.

Yeah that doesn't work sadly.. going cheap on the development has never created goodwill and bonus sales..

It doesn't have to be that bad. JPOG and jp fans are much stronger than issues with preorder hype. If frontier are upfront about it and address all issues (and increase the value of the deluxe edition) we can all still land positive.

Why aren't they paying for it?

What was the last jurassic park game that was actually a success (and will be to cover todays development costs)?

 

[Dino droppings? Droppings?]

I can't believe im typing this, as im almost a fan of frontier, but truth etc.

My (complete armchair) guess is they went over budget while self funding and publishing. Explains everything: The really poor physical offerings, a woeful, zero effort digital deluxe edition (even though i said i wouldn't i'll still preorder if we get the usual digital goodies). Also this is really stretching, but the steam sale last weekend was also super tight, they have discounted much more heavily before and it doesn't seem right that frontier suddenly developed a superiority complex.

Yeah that doesn't work sadly.. going cheap on the development has never created goodwill and bonus sales..

It doesn't have to be that bad. JPOG and jp fans are much stronger than issues with preorder hype. If frontier are upfront about it and address all issues (and increase the value of the deluxe edition) we can all still land positive.



What was the last jurassic park game that was actually a success (and will be to cover todays development costs)?

What was the last JP game made by a somewhat large and good developer?

JPOG was a success, perhaps not by today's standards but definitely in terms of Jurassic park games.

I don't understand the logic of saying that Universal would unintentionally sabotage a game by restricting it. If the game is successful and makes money, that will have knock on effects to JWFK sales. It's in universals interest for this to be a good game.