Path Improvements?

[breezerHOG1]

even silvarret wishes they were better [tongue]

[video=youtube;OEtI8Q4XCek]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEtI8Q4XCek[/video]

 

[skn3]

I dont post here too often, so can’t claim to be highly active but the general opinion one takes away is that most people think the path system is “manageable”. I think the issue is that after a year people (myself included) are wishing some of the tools would start to either get easier to use, or add new tweaks/features.

Manageable is ok, but I think everyone can agree that there is room for improvement.

 

[tyczj]

Paths could use some tweaking/improving but they are certainly not terrible

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

A long time ago it did need improvement.
And it DID improve.

So we're back to bickering because you don't like my opinion.
You are free to hate it.


I LOVE THE PATH SYSTEM!

 

[breezerHOG1]

It aint broke, so dont ever try to improve it... right?? even if something better comes along, dont even allow change, cuz any tiny little addition will totally make it worse, its like the leaning tower of piza you cant just straighten it

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

Excuse me, but, can you quote where I said they should stop working on it? [redface]
Can you quote where I said it was perfect?[redface]

 

[Gysan]

Since I see a bunch of threads being answered I figured maybe we could get an answer on this topic as well? Are there any plans to fix the incredibly frustrating path systems? I'm talking about things like:

• Not being able to attach paths to each other easily everywhere you want
• Paths glitching out when you do attach them to specific spots, especially true after you've deleted a path - the deformity that happened when you attached the path remains, you need to rebuild the whole thing pretty much
• Shorter stairs (so you don't have to do the shop trick)
• Easier way to make plazas, especially non-square plazas - hopefully by paths being able to get attached to each other/merge together wherever you want them too
• How the paths interact with the ground (I know you touched a bit on this in the stream)
• Auto tunnel option
• Ability to get rid of curbs on elevated paths
• An ability to hold a key down and then click and drag out a path instead of having to click a million times to get from point A to point B
• etc etc

To me, this is the weakest part of the game and I really hope it'll get a good looking at soon. Any news you can share on this Bo/other Devs?

I have to agree. There is a lot of improvement to be done to the path system, and there is several features we still missing.

I would like to see a similar control system UI for path making as we already have for all other tracks. Like if I press "x" when working with paths it would open the advanced controls. Just as it works with the advanced object placements tools.
In this advanced controls for path we would have grab-icons for length, turning and sloping for stairs making. This would help A LOT when making turning stairs.

Last year I made a suggestion about a "fill tool" for making free formed plazas. This is still a good suggestion.

But most of all. I am still waiting for the auto tunnel feature for paths! [cry]

 

[breezerHOG1]

Lets not forget this one for fences and walls

https://www.reddit.com/r/PlanetCoas..._week_im_building_fences_with_rollercoasters/

 

[Vanamerax]

I have to agree. There is a lot of improvement to be done to the path system, and there is several features we still missing.

I would like to see a similar control system UI for path making as we already have for all other tracks. Like if I press "x" when working with paths it would open the advanced controls. Just as it works with the advanced object placements tools.
In this advanced controls for path we would have grab-icons for length, turning and sloping for stairs making. This would help A LOT when making turning stairs.

https://i.imgur.com/51JzIPm.png



Last year I made a suggestion about a "fill tool" for making free formed plazas. This is still a good suggestion.

https://i.imgur.com/i2VCHfm.jpg

I would LOVE a fill tool for paths! However, I wonder how this will work with elevated paths? I mean, there is no surface on which you can 'fill' onto, so how should the game know where to fill in paths? Should it then behave similarily to how you fill water lakes (eg. hover the mouse over the path edge). I guess that could work. How about ever so slight height differences in elevated paths?

Also the track tools for building elevated paths would be awesome. Cramming elevated paths in tight spaces (especially curved stairs) is a lot of trial and error and control-Z'ing right now.. [happy]

 

[skn3]

I would LOVE a fill tool for paths! However, I wonder how this will work with elevated paths? I mean, there is no surface on which you can 'fill' onto, so how should the game know where to fill in paths? Should it then behave similarily to how you fill water lakes (eg. hover the mouse over the path edge). I guess that could work. How about ever so slight height differences in elevated paths?

Also the track tools for building elevated paths would be awesome. Cramming elevated paths in tight spaces (especially curved stairs) is a lot of trial and error and control-Z'ing right now.. [happy]

Well I assume it would work the same way they calculate how to lay path on uneven terrain currently.

It would be great if there was a tick box to "alter terrain" when filling path. This way we could have PC automatically take care of the terrain for us.

 

[RockandGrohl]

Hiya, this is feedback the team is aware of and we are looking in to see what we can do. There's also people who love it so it's hard to find a balance there. Plazas should be pretty doable with the grid system, I've seen some amazing creations on Workshop. As per 1.4, the pathing system remains as it is now.

Thanks for understanding.
[heart]
Bo

The path system is fine on two conditions:

You are only using paths on totally flat terrain.
You are only doing plazas that are totally square.

The pathing system is not fit for purpose, especially not in the way it interacts with terrain. It is very glitchy and easily the hardest part of making any park.

 

[Serpentrax]

I found the latest developer stream rather striking. Roads were placed on a completely flat terrain and only when that was secured, they dared to open the terrain tool. No attempt was made to make a complex junction, plaza or symmetric shape; It was painfully obvious they were playing it safe and were actively avoiding any potential conflict with the path system. Of course the focus of the steam was not on nice setpieces, but still...I figured they were trying so hard to avoid the subject that it felt unnatural. This is not how normal players use the path system, everybody is bound to get into a fight with it sooner or later.

Unfortunately it also became clear we don't have to expect any improvements in the system anytime soon. Bo also confirmed that shortly after.

 

[Bo Marit]

I found the latest developer stream rather striking. Roads were placed on a completely flat terrain and only when that was secured, they dared to open the terrain tool. No attempt was made to make a complex junction, plaza or symmetric shape; It was painfully obvious they were playing it safe and were actively avoiding any potential conflict with the path system. Of course the focus of the steam was not on nice setpieces, but still...I figured they were trying so hard to avoid the subject that it felt unnatural. This is not how normal players use the path system, everybody is bound to get into a fight with it sooner or later.

Unfortunately it also became clear we don't have to expect any improvements in the system anytime soon. Bo also confirmed that shortly after.

That's a bit unfair we have a very limited time on the livestream and our main focus was to show off the Scenario Editor, not talk about how to build a nice-looking park. Nobody was trying to avoid anything, but since pathing improvements are not part of the 1.4 update, they do not come up in conversation.

Again, I've made the team aware of the sentiment regarding this, when it comes to elevation, tools, and getting rid of kerbs - they are looking in to it and will see what they can do. But nothing coming in the 1.4 update.

Thanks.

 

[RockandGrohl]

That's a bit unfair we have a very limited time on the livestream and our main focus was to show off the Scenario Editor, not talk about how to build a nice-looking park. Nobody was trying to avoid anything, but since pathing improvements are not part of the 1.4 update, they do not come up in conversation.

Again, I've made the team aware of the sentiment regarding this, when it comes to elevation, tools, and getting rid of kerbs - they are looking in to it and will see what they can do. But nothing coming in the 1.4 update.

Thanks.

You have acknowledged it and I look forward to it - a LOT.

The path system is quite robust, but not robust enough I think is the sentiment of the players and reviewers since day 1.

Some great improvements would be:

Fill gaps

Path shapes terrain under it (no more "Too uneven!" even when the terrain is essentially 96% flat

Path advanced design (like coaster controls to define height, angle etc)


In short, it's incredibly difficult to design anything other than linear paths that snake from A to B and don't open up into plazas or go up and down inclines.

I'm actually really struggling to properly path my recreation of Forbidden Valley. I'm lucky in the fact that there's lots of scenic free-standing pillars of rock scattered around so it looks quite natural to fill in the gaps with Deciduous Rock 4 or whichever one is large.

Oh! By the way, Bo, sorting by name is broken, because it goes Deciduous Rock 1, Deciduous Rock 10, Deciduous Rock 2, etc.. 10 should be at the end

 

[LN]

That's a bit unfair we have a very limited time on the livestream and our main focus was to show off the Scenario Editor, not talk about how to build a nice-looking park. Nobody was trying to avoid anything, but since pathing improvements are not part of the 1.4 update, they do not come up in conversation.

Again, I've made the team aware of the sentiment regarding this, when it comes to elevation, tools, and getting rid of kerbs - they are looking in to it and will see what they can do. But nothing coming in the 1.4 update.

Thanks.

People are just unfair and only want to provide in their own needs and don't care about anything else, it's always been this way and will always stay that way.

I agree with Bitter.

I LOVE THE PATH SYSTEM.

I've taken some time to educate myself in building extended path systems in the past and it paid out.

 

[RockandGrohl]

People are just unfair and only want to provide in their own needs and don't care about anything else, it's always been this way and will always stay that way.

I agree with Bitter.

I LOVE THE PATH SYSTEM.

I've taken some time to educate myself in building extended path systems in the past and it paid out.

I will happily give you access to my Forbidden Valley remake and ask you to path it for me :')

 

[LN]

I will happily give you access to my Forbidden Valley remake and ask you to path it for me :')

Is that Alton Towers?
That's a hard one indeed because of the elevation difference.

I'm not against improvements, don't get me wrong. I just feel it works fine the way it is at the moment.

 

[Zakman]

Thanks for your reply, but with all due respect, I think you're quite wrong when you say that there are people who LOVE the path system... tolerate it and can work with it? Sure. It's been a major complaint from a huge amount of people going back to alpha 1. Also not saying it should be completely overhauled, but there are a lot of kinks in this system that need to be worked out.

I've said this many times before, but it's pretty much the very first thing you encounter when you start the game, it's a bad first impression and it scares people away. Personally I can't play the game because of it, it's just way too frustrating for me to deal with.

Hi, I love the path system and can probably find you 50 other people who love it too


That doesn't mean the path system is without potential for improvement.

The major complaint I have with the path system is the massive area it has around it that prevents terrain forming, dig a hole next to a path and you'll see a huge gap of terrain that glitches out and is hard to cover. My other complaint lies with that coasters can be built to barrel through paths, but paths can't be placed anywhere near coasters or flat rides - the collision is just way too punishing on it at the moment. Its entirely workaround-able but it usually means flat rides need to be placed first, then paths, then coasters.


I think the major problems people have with the path tool is that precise use of the path tool kind of revolves around using a bug, if it can even be called a bug, and it takes a while and alot of planning to achieve what you want to achieve. The issue is that I don't suppose everyone knows about the deleting path trick and how to use it, and there is often very little education out there about how to do these tricks.


EDIT: I've yet to have an idea in my head of what I want a path to look like and then try to do it and then not be able to, and for the most part thats applicable with most things I've tried in this game. If there are issues I suppose the issues lie in the time it takes to achieve these things or having a rather steep learning curve.

That being said if anyone would ever want some help on how to path things and the nitty gritty of getting to the goal you want, theres a tonne of places you can find me and I'd be happy to help anyone out!


EDIT 2: Just read back and saw Gysons post about an advanced move tool for paths akin to flat rides, as well as a fill tool - I don't know if these things are in the realms of possibility but they are ❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎ good suggestions!

 

[RockandGrohl]

I just feel it works fine the way it is at the moment.

It does, if your park is entirely flat, even when wanting to create non-square plazas it's workable. However, creating trying to make Forbidden Valley is quite difficult! I'd quite like to send you the park when I'm done making Galactica and you can see

 

[Gysan]

[Quoting Gysan]
I would LOVE a fill tool for paths! However, I wonder how this will work with elevated paths? I mean, there is no surface on which you can 'fill' onto, so how should the game know where to fill in paths? Should it then behave similarily to how you fill water lakes (eg. hover the mouse over the path edge). I guess that could work. How about ever so slight height differences in elevated paths?

Also the track tools for building elevated paths would be awesome. Cramming elevated paths in tight spaces (especially curved stairs) is a lot of trial and error and control-Z'ing right now.. [happy]

Well I assume that when the outline circle of paths are aligned to the ground, it should just easily track the uneven surface of the ground in the centre and just continue to align to it. However, I am complete fine with restriction of TOO uneven ground will not be possible to fill path plazas on. Just like it is not possible to build a regular path on a too steep slope. Nor any stairs on the outlined path. [happy]

When it comes to elevated path up in the air. The rule should easily be that the whole circle of elevated path should be on the same level. This is more manageable than when connected to the ground. So for me this is more acceptable to be more strict rules on. No stairs nor slopes on the outlined elevated path. [squeeeeee]

That is how I imagine this suggested feature. [up]