Disappointment

[Dino droppings? Droppings?]

No one has been blindly defending the game. We have admited the flaws but frontier has literally been confirming or reassuring everyone if our fears. Most people could care less about a few twigs or rocks In the game. Like I have said you just have seemed to want to complain and enjoy the attention of us rebutting you. You don't have to respond.

You are literally a child.

 

[Deviljho]

I totally agree with the critical spirit, because, those "whiners" that shout their wishes and complaints, are the ones that make better games (Metaphorically speaking).

And about the OP, the absence of day/night cycle is sad, but it doesn't bother me that much. My biggest problem are the interactions between dinosaur, humans and the park (I could live with the actual interactions, but they can be improved), and the lack of customization with decorations and terrain tools. I played Zoo Tycoon 2 A LOT, because I could build a lot of zoos with different aesthetics, I could have two tiger enclosures, but both would be very different, and built by my own hand. But in JWE I'm worried about that, dinosaurs are the main attraction, yes, but construct beautiful enclosures for those dinosaurs to increment the visual impact is important too. The lack of customization is the only thing that it's pushing me away from this game.

 

[jsi7iv]

After being a long time reader of these forums, and reading this thread in its entirety, I feel the urge to risk ridicule and respond to the OP.

First, I am elated for this game. Having missed out on JPOG, I've lamented my missed childhood; however, with JWE, am am looking forward to an awesome Dinosaur management game. I hope I will like it. I feel that this game has a lot to offer, but I agree with some of your concerns.

When I read the OP, I felt the impression of sincerity and a hope for a fantastic game. The arguments made are well stated, valid, and honestly not blatantly belligerent (If you want to see some belligerent threads, check Redit and/or Steam). I feel that it is important to state simply that I agree.

I agree, that I want more customization in my enclosures. I like what I will be getting, but I want choice. Nothing crazy, no customizing rocks to make Mt Rush-o-saur. I simply want to place different types of trees, plants, and/or terrains.

I agree that the lack of a day-night cycle seems arbitrary, and lazy. Perhaps there was a concern on dinosaur AI in relation to day, dusk, or night, which led to its exclusion, Regardless, It seems an almost crucial aspect of a Jurassic Park game.

I agree, that I really want something like a "challenge" mode. Something where I can direct my research, start my own excavations wherever I want, build a rapport with guests, and not be limited by five different islands, or random story arcs. I want to experience Jurassic Park/World the way I want to experience it, not inhibited by a campaign. I do think the campaign will be great, and I love the idea of sandbox (for site b and other ideas), but lack of freedom in a "challenge" mode seems like an odd choice.

I have not addressed all of the points (that I remember) in the OP, but suffice as to say, I agree. I also agree that your opinion to address concerns is valid, and that it was done so respectfully. I also disagree about not getting the game, but hey, I want dinosaurs

Thank you to putting a voice to these concerns in a respectful way. I appreciated your thread, and I love Frontier's open response to it. I think that defines Frontier as an amazing development shop with moral values and a concern for their customers. If anything, their prompt and thoughtful responses have earned them a customer for life (unless the game is horrid, which it won't be (fingers crossed))

Hoping for the best, but loving the game that is coming out.

- Jeremy

 

[Six-Foot Turkey]

Until recently, Jurassic World Evolution has been my single most anticipated game of all time. I have followed every single bit of information, every youtube video, every tweet. There is a good argument to be made for my own hype escaping reality, however, in all good conscious I cannot make that statement for reasons I shall elaborate. I would also like to stress that everything you are about to read is subject to change as I'm very much aware that the game has not been released and Frontier have seemed very open to constructive criticism.

First of all, this is not a post attempting to change peoples opinions on the game. If you are excited about the game and you agree with the design choices, more power to you. No one should attempt to disuade you from your opinion; least of all me. However, if you are open to an honest diologue then please read on.

The reason I titled this post 'Disappointment' is two-fold. One, its a catchy, click-bait title, and Two, I am disappointed. I am disappointed not because I think this game is going to be bad but because I feel as though (judging soley on the information available) that some frankly lazy and bewildering design choices may unnecessarily handicap and otherwise stunning game. When I first saw the in-engine footage of the dinosaurs I was blown away. I still am blown away. However, possessing beautiful dinosaurs does not a good game make.

I think it may be helpful to create a short list of things that are particularly worrying to me, however, I want to emphasize that my disappointment stems not so much from missing features so much as the design choices. That being said, some of the missing features are fairly inexcusable.
The list is as follows:

- Lack of any deep vegetation/enclosure/park customization (no rocks, logs, individual trees, water depth etc)
- No true day/night cycle on Nublar
- No campaign mode on Nublar
- Apparent lack of any floodlights at night

Now this may sound like a very minimal list and it is. I didn't want to criticize the game for missing features like a lack of og JP style buildings etc because we are still yet to see everything. If it isnt out on release theres a very plausible chance that it will be at some point.
So why have I chosen these features? Because quite frankly, they seem really really idiotic.

99% of people wanted a sandbox mode. We got one, however, it's the wrong one. Unless I've been in a bubble for the last few months, we've been screaming for just a good old campaign (with no story) mode on Nublar. Not an unlimited mode where you have control over the weather, unlimited money etc.
I really want people to think about what I'm about to say because it is really quite important: what is the point in having an unlimited sandbox mode for a game whose entire goal is to be a management sim instead of a game like Planet Coaster which was all about creativity? They have purposefully limited customization of parks due to it being a management game first. So then, I ask you, what on earth is the point of having a creative, unlimted mode for a game that lacks the customization elements necessary to make an unlimited mode fun in the first place. They have effectively removed all the tension and excitement out of building a park from the beginning without adding the elements that would make such a game mode worthwhile.

Moreover, why not have both game modes? Why not have a campaign mode analogous to JPOG which requires you to start from the beginning AND an unlimited mode? You're adding unnecessary limitations to an already limited game. This is fundamentally the same issue I have with the day/night cycle or lack there of. I understand that some people don't want a proper day/night cycle but again, give us the option! Why not give players the option of a day/night cycle AND the ability to change the lighting. The fact that I see people saying, 'I'm happy with this' when they have previously begged for a proper day/night cycle is very saddening. It's a totally unnecessary compromise players are having to make and for the life of me I don't understand why.

The other concerns I listed are more aesthetic and are fairly self-explanatory. This entire post can be summed up with, 'Give us more options, not limitations'. You have smart people at Frontier and I really don't understand some of the decisions that have been made.

Lastly, this is addressed to the gamers and Youtubers, particularly Bestinslot (who is my fav youtuber of all time and well done on 500k subs, I've been one since 2012!). Do not settle for mediocrity. We all want this to be the best dinosaur game ever created but it has some serious flaws and it's okay to admit that. Pointless optimism is just that: pointless. It doesn't achieve anything and we will be stuck playing a game that has the potential to be great but is lacking minor details that hold it back. Do not be afraid to be disappointed either; there is nothing noble in forging on pretending that everything is fine.

As it stands, I will most likely not buy the game on release. I plan to wait and see how it develops. I hope I am wrong and I hope Froniter continues to be open to change. I also hope that everyone who does buy the game enjoys it immensly and that I am proven wrong. Despite the negative tone of this post I genuinley want this game to succeed.

James

I agree. Some design choices really drop my hype for this game. It'll be great, but I want it to be better, the best it can be. Also, watch out for the die hard game defenders on this forum. They'll just dismiss your concern as whining

 

[Six-Foot Turkey]

I don't think the 4 things you mentioned will have any impact on the gameplay at all... It's just small stuff. I fully understand we want the best game possible, and that's perfectly fine. But it seems like you're just pointing fingers, because the game won't be exactly how you want it.

Zoom out for a sec. We might get the greatest Jurassic game ever made, and all we can find to point fingers at, are small irrelevant details.

I would like a day/night cycle as well, just to get some variety, but it won't affect the outcome of the gameplay at all.

And the whole Nublar discussion is just weird, because again, why isn't it enough to have a campaign mode on all the other islands? The whole point is to make Nublar a special island which differs from the others. I love the idea of having all the dinosaurs roaming freely, without finances stopping me... It's like a reward for completing the other islands.

And floodlights are not really necessary are they? Even though the setting might be set for "night", it's not like everything will be completely dark. And the moonlight will support you with proper lighting I believe.

I'm really looking forward to this game and the only thing that has disappointed me a bit, is that the vehicles can't be destroyed, but that's also a minor to me.

Those details absolutely aren't small. They add up to the authenticity and enjoyment of the game.

 

[Six-Foot Turkey]

I wouldn't agree that the lack of benches-level of customization will prevent an interesting park. Even with the same pieces, there will be vast park diversity. I already have five radically different ideas with what I'd like to do with Nublar, and two of them require unlimited cash. None require benches, single trees, statues, or other cosmetics. This particular game isn't an amusement park maker, its really about the dinosaurs. All of the buildings, the research, the management, the cash flow, its all about making more and better dinosaurs. For some of us, possessing beautiful dinosaurs DOES a good game make.

Yes I would LOVE lots of cosmetics to play with, but if I want an Amusement Park, Planet Coaster will do that miles better. If I want a Dinosaur Park, the beasts should get the spotlight, not the grounds.

With that mindset we might as well just have a blank island with a bunch of Dinosaurs just walking around instead.

 

[Six-Foot Turkey]

And now the forums have finally turned into reddit honestly I think the op is being way to critical of the game. Yes there are features that aren't in the game but it is not the end of the world. This game was NEVER ment fo have the levels of detail for any customization that other games do, but how often can you can you get a game based off one of the best franchises ever made? I personally think the op may need to take a break and focus on something non game related to try to clear their mind.

^ Example of dismissing genuine concerns regarding the game as a reddit whiner. Nice.

 

[PCMR4Life]

I totally agree with the critical spirit, because, those "whiners" that shout their wishes and complaints, are the ones that make better games (Metaphorically speaking).

And about the OP, the absence of day/night cycle is sad, but it doesn't bother me that much. My biggest problem are the interactions between dinosaur, humans and the park (I could live with the actual interactions, but they can be improved), and the lack of customization with decorations and terrain tools. I played Zoo Tycoon 2 A LOT, because I could build a lot of zoos with different aesthetics, I could have two tiger enclosures, but both would be very different, and built by my own hand. But in JWE I'm worried about that, dinosaurs are the main attraction, yes, but construct beautiful enclosures for those dinosaurs to increment the visual impact is important too. The lack of customization is the only thing that it's pushing me away from this game.

You have the same problem the OP has, you either refuse to understand or don't understand. Zoo Tycoon was a PC game. JWE is a multiplatform game. Expecting the level of customization with decorative items and detail placement is never going to happen in this game cause it is also on consoles. Asking for it is a waste of time. They aren't going to give PC gamers special treatment. If this game had been a PC exclusive you would get a lot of decorative items. Trying to put down all those items with a controller is difficult. So there won't be many options in the game. Benches, street lamps and trash cans will probably appear automatically with path placement. Item place is tedious and miserable with a controller.

Also most of the whining and complaining has been for stuff that isn't an issue, has been fixed or is in the process of being fixed. Like the Spinosaurus roar or the AI.

 

[PCMR4Life]

You are literally a child.

Wow, a personal attack. That didn't take long.

This thread probably needs to be locked now.

 

[Lora Craft69]

Those details absolutely aren't small. They add up to the authenticity and enjoyment of the game.

In the grand scheme of things those are small.
You can add a thousand features to this game and still there will be people asking for more or to change some of them because they aren't happy with it.
No matter what will be in this game, it's impossible to please every single person because that would require a personally customized copy for every individual with their own requests.
Maybe you have noticed the pinned wishlist on top of this forum, if you take the time to read it as I do every day, you will start to see what I mean.
Don't get me wrong, it's everyone's right to ask for features and to have constructive criticism but still when you look at the entire game, those details are small, no matter how much you would want them to be in it.

 

[Six-Foot Turkey]

You have the same problem the OP has, you either refuse to understand or don't understand. Zoo Tycoon was a PC game. JWE is a multiplatform game. Expecting the level of customization with decorative items and detail placement is never going to happen in this game cause it is also on consoles. Asking for it is a waste of time. They aren't going to give PC gamers special treatment. If this game had been a PC exclusive you would get a lot of decorative items. Trying to put down all those items with a controller is difficult. So there won't be many options in the game. Benches, street lamps and trash cans will probably appear automatically with path placement. Item place is tedious and miserable with a controller.

Also most of the whining and complaining has been for stuff that isn't an issue, has been fixed or is in the process of being fixed. Like the Spinosaurus roar or the AI.

Customizations doesn't even need tobe as intensly detailed as you keep making it out to be. It just needs beefing up a little. So far we haven't seen much of it.

 

[Six-Foot Turkey]

In the grand scheme of things those are small.
You can add a thousand features to this game and still there will be people asking for more or to change some of them because they aren't happy with it.
No matter what will be in this game, it's impossible to please every single person because that would require a personally customized copy for every individual with their own requests.
Maybe you have noticed the pinned wishlist on top of this forum, if you take the time to read it as I do every day, you will start to see what I mean.
Don't get me wrong, it's everyone's right to ask for features and to have constructive criticism but still when you look at the entire game, those details are small, no matter how much you would want them to be in it.

I disagree. Especially regarding customization. It's agame where we build a theme park from scratch, how is customizing the park a small feature?

 

[inachos]

I disagree. Especially regarding customization. It's agame where we build a theme park from scratch, how is customizing the park a small feature?

true thing. Don´t forget to mention that there´s no need for a "high-level" of customization in the game. A simple one like in zt2 would be totally fine in my eyes. And it would be simple enough for the consol players, I guess ... just place a rock or a tree and changing the ground, especially get rid of the grass would lift up the game on a much higher level of entertainment.

 

[Deviljho]

You have the same problem the OP has, you either refuse to understand or don't understand. Zoo Tycoon was a PC game. JWE is a multiplatform game. Expecting the level of customization with decorative items and detail placement is never going to happen in this game cause it is also on consoles. Asking for it is a waste of time. They aren't going to give PC gamers special treatment. If this game had been a PC exclusive you would get a lot of decorative items. Trying to put down all those items with a controller is difficult. So there won't be many options in the game. Benches, street lamps and trash cans will probably appear automatically with path placement. Item place is tedious and miserable with a controller.

Also most of the whining and complaining has been for stuff that isn't an issue, has been fixed or is in the process of being fixed. Like the Spinosaurus roar or the AI.

What about games like Little Big Planet or the upcoming "Dreams"? In those game you can make incredible things that needs a lot of precisión, and you use a controller or the atrocious "sonymote", and people did awesome things. With "Dreams" they went further and they can make small movies, simple games, graphic adventures… etc. Little Big Planet was 2D with a 3D Depth, but in "Dreams" you can make completely 3D enviroments and objects.

So, how is harder to put decorations than make levels and free 3D designs? But yes, you are right, they didn't put decorations because consoles are clunkier than PC, but they could have implemented it, and even and automatic decoration like Zoo Tycoon 2 for those who didn't whant to be precise.

 

[PCMR4Life]

Customizations doesn't even need tobe as intensly detailed as you keep making it out to be. It just needs beefing up a little. So far we haven't seen much of it.

It doesn't matter the detail or intensity. Any kids of item placement in these kinds of games is terrible with a controller.

 

[PCMR4Life]

What about games like Little Big Planet or the upcoming "Dreams"? In those game you can make incredible things that needs a lot of precisión, and you use a controller or the atrocious "sonymote", and people did awesome things. With "Dreams" they went further and they can make small movies, simple games, graphic adventures… etc. Little Big Planet was 2D with a 3D Depth, but in "Dreams" you can make completely 3D enviroments and objects.

So, how is harder to put decorations than make levels and free 3D designs? But yes, you are right, they didn't put decorations because consoles are clunkier than PC, but they could have implemented it, and even and automatic decoration like Zoo Tycoon 2 for those who didn't whant to be precise.

Just cause people were doing it. It doesn't mean using the controller was good or easy to use. I have played Little Big Planet on the PS3 and PS Vita and I didn't care for the way it controlled. Also in those games it isn't the main focus. In this game it is the main focus. You will be doing it a lot.

 

[PCMR4Life]

You can please some of the people some of the time. But you can't please all of the people all of the time.

 

[BanzaiZAP]

With that mindset we might as well just have a blank island with a bunch of Dinosaurs just walking around instead.

And indeed, some of us want to try that! A Site B with minimum human footprint is something I want to try. I never said we should remove options, just that some of the things people want might already be in there, and more options can be added over time. FDev has a great track record for adding more player-demanded features to their games.

 

[JurassicMan]

I'm not going to complain in reguards to anything feature wise and so on as I've being craving a game like this ever since JPOG and I'm finally getting that, Yes somethings could be improved upon but there's no reason to loose you're minds over it we are 3 weeks away from official release and we don't know everything that has being implemented into the game we'll just have to find out for ourselves come June 12th. Who knows Frontier may just surprise us all but until then I for one will be excitingly waiting on the release date.

 

[Six-Foot Turkey]

It doesn't matter the detail or intensity. Any kids of item placement in these kinds of games is terrible with a controller.

Are you sure you're not just bad at using a controller? I never had issues placing decoratives down on the console version of the Sims or any other games like that. And some people are REALLY good at using controllers.