Firework sequencer for doing music shows is not... good, sadly

[Tandurin]

I understand the complaints on this from a lot of people but me personally I love the new system.
It's vastly more precise and capable than RCT's system was. (with the exception of lights, lasers, water and a fireworks editor)

Now I do have a background in theatre and liveshows so working on things from a perspective of only using seconds is kind of second nature to me, and while it does take time to learn and adapt to it it is very powerful nonetheless. Usually going into a show all I am looking at is a timeline of anywhere between 10 to 150 events lined up and ready to be called in sequence in a very similar way that the current UI also represents it.

As for the firework timings, these are always timed on launch and never on detonation. You just have to account for fuse times, which would be very nice to see listed in the description of a firework to help make that easier, since it's a bit of a guessing game right now for some shells.

I think a great trade-off would be to be able to add sequences/triggers on a timeline but still be able to edit them in such a way that you can get them timed to the second values and cluster them into groups as well.

But keep in mind that some of those very pretty rct firework shows some people have posted here used to take months to complete. From creating a custom fireworks pack for the show, to the music needing mixed, decor needing to be built (often even from custom scenery that needed importing), and then final recordings and editing it all as well. It wasn't an easy process either, but it was probably a bit more manageable which is partly due to everything being much more documented as well.

My biggest gripe is the limitation of the Show Controller unit itself. For about a minute of fireworks and lights I already blasted through 4 Controllers and it's nearly impossible to get a nice smooth fade from color to color or to an off-state with the current light system.

Nevertheless, the system is there and there's still many patches left for them to improve upon it so let's see what the future will hold!

 

[smelly]

I'm pretty sure that since fireworks and dlc have been introduced its safe to say that fireworks will likely feature in a dlc update. As fireworks are cosmetic only, it fits the spec laid out by the devs and also will not affect the worshop content too much. Perhaps we will also see as part of a dlc update, a better version of the fireworks sequencer. I would be perfectly happy to see a better sequencer as paid dlc if it comes with more fireworks.

 

[NickEast]

The vertical versus horizontal, could it be that the vertical system was introduced not to conflict with RCT3 intellectual property rights, just a thought!

If using the vertical system I reckon the following should be done.


1) Have a family tree icon based vertical chart (the bottom are the first fireworks the top one being the last.
2) By each firework (icon) found in scenery alongside have a drop down for count in seconds and another one for changing colour right beside the seconds one

Simplicity is best and I for one would love to use a system like this where you start from the bottom and work up just by selecting firework icons from an array seeing the icon pic and then add delay in seconds, colours and even various sounds.

Hope you guys like this idea.

Frontier owns RCT3. Not the name, but the game. Regardless, a timeline is so universal that it can't be copyrighted. Gameplay mechanics also can't be copyrighted, because if they could then hundreds of games couldn't exist.

 

[Snodge Snoodle]

Frontier owns RCT3. Not the name, but the game. Regardless, a timeline is so universal that it can't be copyrighted. Gameplay mechanics also can't be copyrighted, because if they could then hundreds of games couldn't exist.

I agree. I doubt there is any reason they couldn't have made a timeline editor, other than the complexity/time involved. It seems they went for the easy coding option and ignored usability altogether.

The current system is simply not fun to use. Its ok for setting off a few random fireworks here and there, but choreographing a 10 minute well timed display to music is something I'm not going to subject myself too under the current system.

I don't want a job in data entry, so I'm not going to figure out audio timestamps from a 3rd party program for every beat in a tune and then input the times into the sequencer. It doesn't help that there is no way to tell how long the firework will take to explode, or if you are trying to retrigger a firework too soon. I also hate that if you want to add something into the middle of a sequence you then have to alter every time after that point too. *shudders*

I rate the sequencer 2/10 for usability, and 0/10 for enjoyment. I would expect this kind of sequencer from a game like RCTW but not Planet Coaster, come on guys.

At least with a timeline you can see the audio waveform and drag events around and insert new events easily without knowing the exact timings. It would also have a play head that allows you to test parts of a display without having to start at the beginning every time you make a change.

The actual fireworks look great. It's a shame I wont be using them though. I can't emphasise how disappointed I am with the sequencer. I would rather have no fireworks than use this horrible clunky delay timer based system.

RCT3's Mixmaster was by no means perfect, but I was hoping they would take that concept and add a little more polish to it for planet coaster, like maybe including video in the timeline and selection of multiple elements for easy repositioning. Instead we seem to have gone backwards in functionality and usability instead of progressing.

Disappointment value 10/10

 

[Chems]

I'm pretty sure that since fireworks and dlc have been introduced its safe to say that fireworks will likely feature in a dlc update. As fireworks are cosmetic only, it fits the spec laid out by the devs and also will not affect the worshop content too much. Perhaps we will also see as part of a dlc update, a better version of the fireworks sequencer. I would be perfectly happy to see a better sequencer as paid dlc if it comes with more fireworks.

Uhm.. General improvements to the game like UI or performance should never be behind a paywall. Why would anyone think that's acceptable?

 

[Lurker1]

Uhm.. General improvements to the game like UI or performance should never be behind a paywall. Why would anyone think that's acceptable?

I agree. But a firework/particle editor (to make your own effects) could slightly more acceptably be DLC, if they wanted tools as dlc. Just not entirely sure the demand is there (apart from enthusiasts). Still hoping it works more like an expansion though.

The UI in planet coaster is a bit crap really. Doesn't help that there are missing functions here and there. I think the UI has been rushed in with little thought.

You can easily have a precise timeline, just have a box which shows the exact time it starts.