$80? Wow....

[Abletudu]

Yes, I bought it ages ago, back when it was first released as early access in fact. There is no management/money or anything like that. It's not really a game at all, and personally I don't enjoy the interface or 'feel' of Theme Park Studio. It was quite an ambitious project, and you can indeed create almost anything from scratch, within the program itself. You can even import a series of CS shapes or structures and link them together and animate them in the game.

But whilst you could in theory make an itricate and amzingly real park, accurate in every detail - no one ever does. The interface is a real pig, it's awkward to use, the cemara fights against you and the community support it horrendous - as is the documentation lol.

I will say that if you just want to build some realistic coasters, it's less complex than NL2 and does a far, far better job of spline coasters than RCTW. It's actually easier and quicker to build a realistic coaster than it was in RCTW beta (and I suspect it still is, even though RCTW are improving the editor).

You are comparing apples and oranges. Theme Park Studio and No Limits were never designed to be tycoon style games while PC and RCTW are tycoon style games with money management elements. Sure Theme Park Studio is a little harder, but all good programs have a bit of a learning curve to them. I imagine that you will have to work with PC to really get the hang of creating good parks. Each one has their own strengths and weaknesses and Theme Park Studio has really come a long way since it was first introduced, plus it hasn't taken 8 years like NL2 which isn't as good as TPS.

Think of TPS like the Sandbox mode in RCT3 (but far better) in which you could build your theme park without worrying about thye money constraints. Another thing in favor of TPS is that the Early Access (which is the same as the Early Bird of PC) is far less costly than PC $29.99 (TPS on Steam) vs. $80.00 for PC. I am seriously considering PC for the tycoon style, but I like TPS for the Sandbox style, and as far as I am concerned Atari has shot themselves in the foot with RCTW.

 

[Bax2blade]

A bit off topic, but Has anyone had a look at the Theme Park Studio Theme Park Builder? I thought it was very good, but more for the technically minded, so you can design your own rides and buildings. I don't think it is a Theme Park Game like Planet Coaster and RCTW, it seems a bit like No Limits 2 but with the ability to landscape and theme a park as well. I don't think it is management orientated like PC.

I see theme park studio as a program and not just a game.

 

[Abletudu]

I see theme park studio as a program and not just a game.

It all depends on how you look at it. All computer games are programs and would not exist without the program, even Planet Coaster. If you check the Merriam-Webster dictionary, you will find one of the definitions of "game" is an activity engaged in for diversion or amusement, and a lot of people like to create theme parks without having to worry about any type of monetary constraints in the "program/game" as a diversion or for their own amusement. Therefore Theme Park Studio would qualify as a game.

Remember Roller Coaster Tycoon 3? It had a sandbox mode where there was no money, yet it was called a game, so it is all a matter of semantics.

 

[Kerrash]

On the subject of....

Let's keep to the topic at hand folks [tongue]

 

[Abletudu]

OK, but $80 is still too high for Ealy Bird, which is just Early Access with a different name.

 

[Helena]

I also think it is too high. BUT Frontier did the decision and if the 80 usd go to the perfect RCT type game ever, then I am okay with it. But if I can buy it? Another matter. I have to save money now for the great Japan trip. My first trip to Japan, in late June. I know totally WRONG time period to travel there but the reason of going is that I am going to be vendor on a fashion doll fair. (doll's name is Blythe) No it is not the doll on the avatar photo, but I also collect these dolls. haha.

Looks like I am being in a talkative mood today.

Also, again, it will be hard decision for me. Like you know... I prefer to play perfection. Not halfbaked things. But you do not know it might be good enough. That's why I want to look before buy. lol. If I am unable to buy after the "so called release day".... too bad.

 

[Mr Deuce]

The truth is, no price is too high if people pay it, in the numbers you hoped. And for all we know frontier may have calculated they don't want more than a small % playing early access anyway.

But as consumers, we don't really have the right to complain about a specific products pricing structure. If we buy it, then obviously they got the price right, and if they had set it any lower, from a business perspective it would just have been more 'wrong'. And if we don't like it, we can post all day long to little effect, or all refuse to pay it to massive effect.

I would of course love to see the number of sales, if for no other reason than I'm hoping it's very high and will make this project buoyant for several years. But they're cracking on with the game in a very healthy way, so I have to assume that sales have been healthy enough so far, and in that respect, I have to conclude they got the price right for themselves, for this game and this audience.

Also, I'm definitely happy to pay a premium for a genuine full blooded self published PC only title. Realistically the PC only market isn't that attractive to game companies anymore because it's very small compared to multi platform & consoles. So I'm happy enough to pay slightly more in respect of the fact they're operating in a corner of the industry where they will ultimately be limited to earning slightly less.

 

[Helena]

The truth is, no price is too high if people pay it, in the numbers you hoped. And for all we know frontier may have calculated they don't want more than a small % playing early access anyway.

Good one, maybe wanted to limit the audience a little bit.

 

[Mr Deuce]

Good one, maybe wanted to limit the audience a little bit.

Who knows, just wild speculation. It could be anything or any number of factors that made early access more than the base game itself. But really it's their choice, and if they get it right they win, if not they lose out.

 

[xyphic]

Who knows, just wild speculation. It could be anything or any number of factors that made early access more than the base game itself. But really it's their choice, and if they get it right they win, if not they lose out.

Price to entry on Elite was higher than this and Frontier's support system was still overwhelmed by the number of tickets raised. They've got a much larger team now, but they still have to support Elite so it's unclear how much support resource will be allocated to Planet Coaster.

My feeling is they've set the price at a point where they think it'll be accessible to most 'hardcore' players, some casual with an interest, and keep out those who are likely to misunderstand what the early access process is all about. I don't think it's about revenue at this point (otherwise it would make more sense to go early access with a low price to encourage adoption and spread word-of-mouth).

 

[Angelis1]

We can make a lots of speculations (and I'm with you with the "limit the audience + Not about adoption" hypothesis, it's the only valid reason), but at the end of the day, the price will always be the same for us.

Anyway, after 12 pages, I think they understand that the majority of the community here found the price of the Early Access too high ! [yesnod]

 

[coencoensmeets]

We can make a lots of speculations (and I'm with you with the "limit the audience + Not about adoption" hypothesis, it's the only valid reason), but at the end of the day, the price will always be the same for us.

Anyway, after 12 pages, I think they understand that the majority of the community here found the price of the Early Access too high ! [yesnod]

ofcours we think that the price is hell to high! [squeeeeee]

 

[Mr Deuce]

We can make a lots of speculations (and I'm with you with the "limit the audience + Not about adoption" hypothesis, it's the only valid reason), but at the end of the day, the price will always be the same for us.

Anyway, after 12 pages, I think they understand that the majority of the community here found the price of the Early Access too high ! [yesnod]

Or...

The majority of people attracted to this thread were attracted to it because they thought the price was too high, even though they're in fact the minority!!

Lets do another 12 pages on that question

 

[Wobbly]

I've been burned way too many times in the past by games, actually even lately too. One thing I've learned, it doesn't matter how much money you throw at a game, it can still turn out to be bad, pretty looking of course, but still bad.

I want to put my money into PC, I have it, I'm sound financially, but just cautious and pretty miffed that it's so high, so people can test it out and give feedback.

Also, something to think about, if the Early Access (which it is) was priced at the same point as Early Bird (£19.99, which is about 60% cheaper), I wonder how many more people would have invested. Maybe more would have jumped on-board, completely overshadowing the totals raised so far.

 

[Angelis1]

Or...

The majority of people attracted to this thread were attracted to it because they thought the price was too high, even though they're in fact the minority!!

Lets do another 12 pages on that question

Ahahah [haha][haha][haha]

 

[Abletudu]

Who knows, just wild speculation. It could be anything or any number of factors that made early access more than the base game itself. But really it's their choice, and if they get it right they win, if not they lose out.

Another way to look at it is that the people that paid that price lose out too. All I am saying is I would like to have a more definite system requirement than compare with so and so game. If you base your purchhase on the comparison and it turns out that the requirements are different then that is misleading.

 

[Bax2blade]

I've been burned way too many times in the past by games, actually even lately too. One thing I've learned, it doesn't matter how much money you throw at a game, it can still turn out to be bad, pretty looking of course, but still bad.

I want to put my money into PC, I have it, I'm sound financially, but just cautious and pretty miffed that it's so high, so people can test it out and give feedback.

Also, something to think about, if the Early Access (which it is) was priced at the same point as Early Bird (£19.99, which is about 60% cheaper), I wonder how many more people would have invested. Maybe more would have jumped on-board, completely overshadowing the totals raised so far.

^ This right here is the reason why I'm on the edge to pay more than the game itself for early access, I too was burned from games lately.

 

[Kerrash]

Or...

The majority of people attracted to this thread were attracted to it because they thought the price was too high, even though they're in fact the minority!!

Lets do another 12 pages on that question

That kind of self verification of an opinion is always rife in public forums. I speak from experience
It's a scale from largest to smallest:
All humans > Know about Planet Coaster > Registered on the forum > Found a thread > Actually post their view

 

[Mr Deuce]

That kind of self verification of an opinion is always rife in public forums. I speak from experience
It's a scale from largest to smallest:
All humans > Know about Planet Coaster > Registered on the forum > Found a thread > Actually post their view

Quite. It's one of life's eternal problems. The ancient Greeks figured that if they formed forums, anyone who cared enough to deserve their view would turn up to give it.

I imagine in reality it was only the rich that had the time and energy to turn up, and as a result, did it all their way

Conclusion: Don't ever ask a question on a forum. A conclusive answer will never happen.

discuss...

 

[Angelis1]

Welcome to the internet [big grin]