Next update?

[Inge Jones]

From experience with other games, the danger of them spending too much time on here may be that less time is spent on the actual game development - people need to consider whether they want more communication on here or for them to use the time to develop the game.

Generally, there is a community manager who has easy access to the developers and who knows how to ask questions on the users' behalf without disrupting the development process too much. The developers may participate briefly in the bug reporting system, but leave the news and questions to the community manager to convey. We do have a community manager, we used to see him on streams before the first alpha release.

 

[shaneturner12]

That is true (and I'm not going to speak on his behalf) although as you've said it's a case of that person not disrupting the process too much. I do notice updates on one of the Alpha sticky threads though but it may not come through as a notification due to it being an edit not a reply.

Shane

EDIT: This thread gives a good idea on what's due at each point as well as answers to some questions: https://forums.planetcoaster.com/sh...u-need-to-know-about-the-Planet-Coaster-alpha

 

[Elch]

What about this:

At least they could just mark a post as "read". That way we know they've seen and understood our suggestions, without giving away any information on their side, other than that they've seen it.

 

[shaneturner12]

That would be useful but not sure on whether the forum software supports that or not from memory.

Shane

 

[Sir.Tj]

Hi Peeps,

Please remember to keep things friendly.

Thanks. [big grin]

 

[Curlyriff]

Maybe the forum can't but the community manager could just post a comment saying Read topic or even in the heading state that since they have the power to edit such and this would allow all who want to see what has or hasn't been noted accordingly.

 

[Inge Jones]

Well, I think that really *would* waste too much time. It would be quicker to post a weekly summary that addressed a handful of our points. Then, even if our particular point wasnt mentioned, we would know they had to have read them.

 

[shaneturner12]

Indeed - that would make sense. Not sure about anything more frequent though.

Shane

 

[Angelis1]

My name is Angelis Neville. I am a survivor living in Planet Coaster Forum. I am broadcasting on all AM frequencies. I will be at the "Next update thread" everyday at mid-day, when the sun is highest in the sky. If you are out there... if anyone is out there... I can provide feedbacks, I can provide suggestions, I can provide ideas. If there's anybody out there... anybody... please. You are not alone.

 

[Coasterbuff]

My name is Granddad and I am just as concerned as everyone else is, about more information, but I am prepared to wait until the next update, if that is how it's going to be. Yes it would be nice if we heard a bit more besides the weekly poll, from the Dev Team, as I think quite a lot of people seem to think they are acting like Atari did on their forums. Silence, and lack of communication. But I am sure there is a reason for this and I have every faith in Frontier, to deliver and the patience to wait and see what we will get in Alpha phase 2, of the build.

 

[Thokari]

Understated point, Atari have already shown in some of their updates they are willing to steal ideas

I agree, this is an absolutely important point, that has not even crossed my mind so far.

 

[xnode]

I agree, this is an absolutely important point, that has not even crossed my mind so far.

They might be able to do so, but their talent is the issue, not to side rail this thread, but the two games are far from being simular at this point, even if they were to steal every new idea coming out of PC it won't be PC. As a coder the only thing I would do in this company is make sure the code is not reversed engineered and keep an eye on the competition for this purpose only, the two games in the end will be totally two different games. PC has no worries here.

 

[Inge Jones]

Ok well let's be careful of accusations of stealing - I don't want Frontier to end up being sued for allowing this sort of thing to appear on their forums. Also there are some subtleties involved. For example one idea is to have flat rides in a coaster game (flatrides have not always been included in coaster sims). I don't know if the idea is stolen/copied as such, or whether it's just a natural progression of the genre. So without an actual example of where an idea was stolen that the thief company wouldn't have come up with themselves otherwise, I can't just accept that this has taken place.

 

[Brett C]

Maybe the forum can't but the community manager could just post a comment saying Read topic or even in the heading state that since they have the power to edit such and this would allow all who want to see what has or hasn't been noted accordingly.

We're reading threads. Infact, seven of us here at Frontier excluding myself have read this thread. Overall, there has been 536 logged in members that who have read this thread. [yesnod]

 

[Brett C]

Understated point, Atari have already shown in some of their updates they are willing to steal ideas

I wouldn't go as far as saying companies are stealing ideas from another company. Think of it this way, World of Warcraft in some development company eyes were seeing WoW as a "lacking game", so they split off and got their own studio, with investors, up and going, they made their own spin off of a "more up to date" MMORPG. In the long run of things, the games that spun off began having issues with customer retention. WildStar is an example here, along with Rift. Both of those games took ideas from WoW, both reinvented and/or improved said ideas to their core game that were once previously seen in WoW.

Hopefully that makes sense?

 

[Abletudu]

Ok well let's be careful of accusations of stealing - I don't want Frontier to end up being sued for allowing this sort of thing to appear on their forums. Also there are some subtleties involved. For example one idea is to have flat rides in a coaster game (flatrides have not always been included in coaster sims). I don't know if the idea is stolen/copied as such, or whether it's just a natural progression of the genre. So without an actual example of where an idea was stolen that the thief company wouldn't have come up with themselves otherwise, I can't just accept that this has taken place.

If I am not mistaken, the first time flat rides were in a coaster sim was in RCT1 on march 31, 1999 followed closely by Theme Park World/Sim Theme Park on October 24, 1999.

 

[The Stig]

If I am not mistaken, the first time flat rides were in a coaster sim was in RCT1 on march 31, 1999 followed closely by Theme Park World/Sim Theme Park on October 24, 1999.

Theme Park was a Dos game from 1992.
It had flat rides as well as coasters.

I agree with everyone about the lack of communication though. It was one of the most frustrating things about the other game. I do hope we get some good news soon. Or any news in general really.

 

[Brett C]

If I am not mistaken, the first time flat rides were in a coaster sim was in RCT1 on march 31, 1999 followed closely by Theme Park World/Sim Theme Park on October 24, 1999.

I believe this is correct - apart from Theme Park. And in over time, as technology advances, things like VR further enhance that gameplay immersion. In the late 90's we had GPU's that were complete with 4 or 8MB. Since tech has advanced, it's allowed for the expansion of deep-3D models and animations.

 

[Inge Jones]

Theme Park was a Dos game from 1992.
It had flat rides as well as coasters.

Well it was just an illustration. Ok lets try a different one. Farmville, Farm Town, Farm Simulator 2013 all have crop planting and machinery purchase. Stolen ideas, or just something that is so ubiquitous to farm games that it's obvious? That's all I was trying to say. I'd want someone to show me where one theme park company have used something from another theme park company that was so UNobvious for a theme park game that it had to have been copied/stolen

 

[Coasterbuff]

Planet Coaster & RCTW are not Coaster simulators, they are Theme Park simulators, and theme parks contain coasters of all types, flat rides, dark rides, transport rides and water based rides, as well as food and gift shop outlets. For pure Coaster sims, you have to be looking at No Limits, which is just a Coaster Simulator. They both have coaster in the name, but in essence they are really based on full blown theme parks.