Slow Down Time Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

EFZ · Nov 26, 2019

MaximusSC said:
If it's applied across the board and is made part of the game for everyone then it affects everyone!

Btw, the argument isn't simply 'adding a slower speed'. The argument is slowing down how fast a day passes in the game. Which, btw, will affect every speed setting in the game.

Yes, exactly. Say one day is 5 seconds now. And at the speed you play, one day is 2 seconds. If the speed is slowed so that one day is 10 seconds on the slowest, there will still be a speed where one day is 2 seconds. Which means you can still use that speed.

MaximusSC said:
So what if I did say that? Can you entertain the possibility that it very well might be true? Especially when facts on that statement have also been provided?

Well, it isn't, and just because you are fine with how the game is doesn't mean all of us that aren't are playing it wrong. Also, in concrete terms, my zoo right now has over a million in cash, over 10k in cc, 5 star animal welfare, education, and guest happiness. In all of the possible metrics within the game itself it is in excellent shape. That's patently not the problem everyone has.

MaximusSC said:
The 'basis'? Although it may have been mentioned it certainly isn't the 'basis'. It was a supporting fact as to why the speed of the game doesn't require being altered.

Ok, let's see:

MaximusSC said:
And what exactly do you think the Franchise Mode was intended to be and to play like? It certainly was never intended to be easy.

MaximusSC said:
Many have this false belief that the game is solely about getting attached to the animals.

This is just some of the times you've mentioned this. It goes on and on. It's all you say. This and some variance of "get good". That's not something that was mentioned once. If that's not the basis of your argument, then please, what is?

MaximusSC · Nov 26, 2019

EFZ said:
Yes, exactly. Say one day is 5 seconds now. And at the speed you play, one day is 2 seconds. If the speed is slowed so that one day is 10 seconds on the slowest, there will still be a speed where one day is 2 seconds. Which means you can still use that speed.

Then why ask why I'm commenting here when you know that what your asking for will affect everyone? Both sides should voice their opinions on the issue and your side should stop making false claims that the 'majority agrees with you'!

EFZ said:
Well, it isn't, and just because you are fine with how the game is doesn't mean all of us that aren't are playing it wrong. Also, in concrete terms, my zoo right now has over a million in cash, over 10k in cc, 5 star animal welfare, education, and guest happiness. In all of the possible metrics within the game itself it is in excellent shape. That's patently not the problem everyone has.

Who said I'm 'fine with how the game is'? If your talking just about the speed/pace of the game I'm ok with it. The game, however, has much bigger issues that need fixed before the dev's even ponder about adjusting any balancing or speed of the game topics.

When someone literally states that they "refuse to use pause" or they "refuse to use contraceptives to slow down or stop the breeding speed of their animals" I can and will state that they are playing the game 'wrong' and their issues are player issues and not speed issues! Simply because that is a fact! Those are choices they are making. Their choices can't be blamed on the speed or mechanics of the game!

EFZ said:
, let's see:

"let's see" what exactly? Both quotes that you quoted of me are 100% true and backed up by facts and quotes I provided from an article in PCGamer where the dev's gave an interview of what they envisioned the game to be and include. It IS a supporting fact as to why the game speed doesn't require being altered.

EFZ said:
This is just some of the times you've mentioned this. It goes on and on. It's all you say. This and some variance of "get good". That's not something that was mentioned once. If that's not the basis of your argument, then please, what is?

SIGH, WHY must I have to repeat myself to you so many times? The topic of this thread is about the speed of the game, is it not? So giving examples and providing proof to show why it doesn't require such alteration is valid and on topic of the OP's original post. This is not that hard to understand. Not unless one is simply wanting to be argumentative. Why not give alternate facts and evidence as to why you feel the game does require to be slowed down? Something that can't so easily be countered would be preferable as it would justify your stance.

EFZ · Nov 26, 2019

Listen, I’m not even reading what you’re saying anymore. It’s clear you have nothing better to do than going around in thus cyclical argument of yours. Let’s agree to disagree and move on. This is silly.

MaximusSC · Nov 26, 2019

EFZ said:
Listen, I’m not even reading what you’re saying anymore. It’s clear you have nothing better to do than going around in thus cyclical argument of yours. Let’s agree to disagree and move on. This is silly.

We've already agreed to disagree. That's been evident for a while now. It has also been evident for a while that you haven't been reading my comments. Although, In order to have a discussion it does require two or more people to participate and for everyone to respect each others points of view. Even if you don't like what the other parties are saying. Constructive criticism is not a personal attack nor is it an insult to anyone. When someone explains how another is doing things wrong in the game and shows how they can do things so as they hopefully experience less issues in the game that is constructive criticism and helpful advise that was stated with good intentions. It should not be taken personally and it should be considered as a potential solution. The one who is trying to be helpful should not be insulted for giving said helpful advise. That is what is 'silly'.

With that said, good day to you EFZ and good luck in your game.

EFZ · Nov 26, 2019

MaximusSC said:
We've already agreed to disagree. That's been evident for a while now. It has also been evident for a while that you haven't been reading my comments. Although, In order to have a discussion it does require two or more people to participate and for everyone to respect each others points of view. Even if you don't like what the other parties are saying. Constructive criticism is not a personal attack nor is it an insult to anyone. When someone explains how another is doing things wrong in the game and shows how they can do things so as they hopefully experience less issues in the game that is constructive criticism and helpful advise that was stated with good intentions. It should not be taken personally and it should be considered as a potential solution. The one who is trying to be helpful should not be insulted for giving said helpful advise. That is what is 'silly'.

With that said, good day to you EFZ and good luck in your game.

You know, I wasn't even going to reply this time. But I'll say only this to set the record straight. I'm not calling you silly. I'm calling the long debate between us silly. I stand by everything else that I said, and so should you if that's how you feel. That's the end of it as far as I'm concerned. Good luck to you as well.

MaximusSC · Nov 26, 2019

EFZ said:
You know, I wasn't even going to reply this time. But I'll say only this to set the record straight. I'm not calling you silly. I'm calling the long debate between us silly. I stand by everything else that I said, and so should you if that's how you feel. That's the end of it as far as I'm concerned. Good luck to you as well.

There was no 'record to set straight'. I completely understood that you were calling the entire conversation 'silly' when you stated

This is silly

. The word 'this' gave that away. I do, however, disagree that a good conversation is 'silly'.

For clarification, what you did state that I took as insulting was

It’s clear you have nothing better to do than going around in thus cyclical argument of yours.

Shea Smith · Nov 26, 2019

I've previously refrained from complaining about this issue, since it's already being beaten to death, but after getting emotionally swamped yet again by a zoo with only five habitat species in two habitats (plus a couple of exhibits) I want to put my 2 cents in. I've played for ~150 hours, hoping to get to the point where I "get good" and find the secret to staying on top of the game. I'm realizing that isn't gonna happen. Even with careful design, planning, work zones, and staff building placement, I probably spend at least 80% of playtime paused. Not counting building, I'm talking looking at the UI: the market and the spreadsheets and managing the relentless pop-ups and notifications. (Side note, those constant research pop-ups are incredibly obnoxious... please make them stop... I can open the panel myself to check on the progress just fine. Is that an option somewhere that I missed?) Even when I did well and everything is running "smoothly" I still feel like I'm being bombarded.

In all that time I've spent maybe one hour actually looking at the animals. I've had species that I was really excited about live, breed, and die without me ever getting a chance to look at them up close. I'm too busy managing contraceptives and shipping off babies and trying to figure out what baby belongs to who in order to prevent inbreeding and watching the market and responding to a dozen notifications about how the walls are allegedly disintegrating and the rattlesnakes are hungry and the guests think the tickets are the wrong price again and congratulations you've unlocked new things now go upgrade the zebra food. There's that neat close-up camera mode, but I'm too nervous to stay in it for more than a few seconds because I'm worried my zoo is catching fire while I'm not looking. I can barely keep track of how many animals I have, much less follow the life and times of an elephant herd or develop a favorite wolf.

I could do that with Zoo Tycoon 2. I still remember some of my favorite animals from years ago! In fact, with a few mods to spruce it up, I can still play Zoo Tycoon 2. Though there was a ton of ZT2 (and even ZT1) nostalgia in the content and structure of this game, the flow of it leaves me so disappointed. I've decided to try flipping aging and death on and off in sandbox to achieve something a little closer to the pacing I hoped for, but it's going to be an awkward way to play. The timescale of ZT2 is, admittedly, probably way too languid for a modern audience in a market full of fast-paced online games. I expected Planet Zoo to be zippier. But not 18-minute years zippy.

In retrospect I completely understand why franchise mode clips along so fast, but from how this was marketed, and because of my hopes for a worthy modern successor to Zoo Tycoon 2, I was expecting a much, much more relaxed experience. If I want something so violently fast-paced that it makes me wanna barf a little, I'll play something with real-time combat, like a first-person shooter or The One With The Robot Dinosaurs. Well, even those have their more chilled-out moments. In the Sims 4 you can essentially change the timescale by changing the lifespans and aging mechanics of the Sims. And turn-based strategy games like Civilization have like five or six scaled speeds to choose from, though of course TBS is a very different animal. You can hack Skyrim's timescale to speed it up or slow it down.

Basically, what I'm trying to say is that player-controlled pacing and timescale is a popular option, there are a lot of games out there that allow for it, and this game's failure to offer these kinds of options means it isn't taking advantage of a unique niche - the relationships with the animals - the way it could be. A drastically slower timescale option for offline modes that allows me to enjoy the animals would do wonders for my willingness to keep playing and to buy DLC in the future. People who have eight arms and quick brains who like it zippy can keep playing that way. But I think a not-insubstantial chunk of the player base were sorely hoping for something more Zen. I certainly was.

Partly because of the frenetic timescale, the game also feels very zoomed-out, not intimate - it often feels like I'm playing a city management simulator. I had more personal attachment to the rides I built in Planet Coaster than I do to my bongos and flamingos. But I think there's a second factor contributing to that detached feeling: a dearth of meaningful ways to interact with the animals. I can't feed them, water them, hose them down, brush them, tranquilize them with a dart gun, or administer medicine. It's hard to know what they're up to. I miss those little ZT2 message boxes that informed you what the animal was on its way to do. Heck, I even kinda miss that incredibly cheesy thing where you could ride the dolphins or play a mini-game with them to teach them tricks, even though it wasn't a shining representation of animal welfare practices. I miss chasing my escaped T-Rex with a dart gun. I don't see animals interacting with their young or their mates at all. The reptiles and birds don't lay eggs, much less build a nest and check their eggs the way ZT2 animals did. Nor can I interact much with my parks through means other than number finagling and heatmaps. I can't walk around and survey my zoo, I can't sweep up the food court, I can't dig holes in the dirt looking for fossils. Even if such features existed, there would be no free time to make use of them. Somehow, despite the exponentially superior graphics and animations, the animals and the zoos they inhabit feel less alive than their antiquated 2004 counterparts.

To be clear, by no means was I expecting or hoping to see clones of the exact same features from an ancient game that loosely inspired this one. I don't literally want the dolphin minigame or the fossil hunt. I just wish there were some creative and immersive ways to interact with the animals and the park. Something, anything. The closest I've gotten to that feeling is popping lost Looney Bloons. Ah, so fleeting. I can just go play another game. But this game's frustrating, almost-delivered potential is probably going to leave me trying to coax what I want out of it for at least another few hours.

The whole game (other than the meticulous piece-by-piece building system, that's always super cool) has a nervy energy that I do not find fun.

Crea_TivELA · Nov 27, 2019

"SIGH, WHY must I have to repeat myself to you so many times?"

I'm pretty sure we had a discussion on that kind of statements from you already a few weeks ago. I'm pretty sure too that you don't want to understand anybody here who thinks time is an issue and should have (a) option(s) to be slower.

AND YES... it seems a bit strange to make fun of people here, who have an issue with it (AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN!) that they must be to "stupid" to play the game right or just need to play another mode (with the same base time as in franchise!

).

Do you really think we can respect this behave, while you're not helping anybody with it? Do you even read your own threads and do you realize how subliminal you insult us here with your comments? Or do you "just don't care"?

I don't get why you (who plays the game on the fastest option like you said multiple times) really has a problem with a slower base time?

I told you and tell you again, that we don't want your "favorite speeds" to be deleted - we want MORE options. The Bugs/Issues you are writing about (not all of them but at least some of them) can be fixed by a slower base time... in EVERY thread you are replied with kind of the same statement... it won't effect your game if Frontier changes something to it (and sorry Maximus, they already take a look on it, so our wish is serious enough to Frontier to care I think) and you still will be able to speed up the game - because YES, there are many people like you too, who are happy with the time options right now and Frontier knows about them too!

I'm really happy you have all options to be happy with the game, but little reminder to you: WE don't have any time options yet to be overwhelming happy with the game - so we ask for it.

I currently think you just write your statement again and again in those "time" threads to get reactions, to discuss and to unsettle people... you already know how people react to it (because it often came to discussions already) and how they perceive your messages and how they respond to them.

In the meantime, I really think you have a curious pastime or that you only want to fulfill the purpose of annoying and raising us here in these forums.
In any case, it feels very spiteful to me - yes ... there are more votes for a slower time from day to day and many different people raise their voices for it (and more will do it)... your comments will not change that.
With your comments you only make unnecessary dispute in those threads - it's up to Frontier if they make a change... not to you! So please STOP to be like that to us... we are not enemies here, we just want to enjoy different, so please be fair!

MaximusSC · Nov 27, 2019

Crea_TivELA said:
"SIGH, WHY must I have to repeat myself to you so many times?"

I'm pretty sure we had a discussion on that kind of statements from you already a few weeks ago. I'm pretty sure too that you don't want to understand anybody here who thinks time is an issue and should have (a) option(s) to be slower.

AND YES... it seems a bit strange to make fun of people here, who have an issue with it (AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN!) that they must be to "stupid" to play the game right or just need to play another mode (with the same base time as in franchise! ).

Do you really think we can respect this behave, while you not helping anybody with it? Do you even read your own threads and do you realize how subliminal you insult us here with your comments? Or do you "just don't care"?

I don't get why you (who plays the game on the fastest option like you said multiple times) really has a problem with a slower base time?

I told you and tell you again, that we don't want your "favorite speeds" to be deleted - we want MORE options. The Bugs/Issues you are writing about (not all of them but at least some of them) can be fixed by a slower base time... in EVERY thread you are repling with kind of the same statement... it won't effect your game if Frontier changes something to it (and sorry Maximus, they already take a look on it, so our wish is serious enough to Frontier to care I think) and you still will be able to speed up the game - because YES, there are many people like you too, who are happy with the time options right now and Frontier knows about them too!

I'm I'm really happy you have all options to be happy with the game, but little reminder to you: WE don't have any time options yet to be overwhelming happy with the game - so we ask for it.

I currently think you just write your statement again and again in those "time" threads to get reactions, to discuss and to unsettle people... you already know how people react to it (because it often came to discussions already) and how they perceive your messages and how they respond to them.

In the meantime, I really think you have a curious pastime or that you only want to fulfill the purpose of annoying and raising us here in these forums.
In any case, it feels very spiteful to me - yes ... there are more votes for a slower time from day to day and many different people raise their voices for it (and more will do it)... your comments will not change that.
With your comments you only make unnecessary dispute in those threads - it's up to Frontier if they make a change... not to you! So please STOP to be like that to us... we are not enemies here, we just want to enjoy different, so please be fair!

And yet your entire comment is one long-winded insult as you pathetically attempt to divert attention away from what you and those in your circle do. SMDH. Clearly you don't want to discuss the topic. You just want to lambaste those who don't agree with you.

Crea_TivELA · Nov 27, 2019

It's okay to have a different opinion Maximus, but maybe you need other words so you won't be assulting to people here - you see by the reactions today, that people felt assulted in their believes - and it's probably because you always tell them that they do something wrong and that there is no issue... this whole thread shows another opinion - and it's not helping to be unfair. Again, we are no enemies here - but think before you write, because people will react and and it's difficult if a person talks for weeks only against it and does not try to understand us.

MaximusSC · Nov 27, 2019

Crea_TivELA said:
I just told you how I feel about your replies and yes it's difficult... maybe I just try to help you, by telling you that your words lead to those reactions. So I understand that people where getting mad or even mean... we don't talk against every "against" reaction... in Germany we say "the sound makes the music"... with a use of other words and maybe a little bit understanding for us you would have other reactions, who mostly would lead into a normal conversation... but you won't even give us a chance to explain, you are obviously here to argue and you don't move a little bit from your point since weeks - why are you wondering about these reactions then?

But your words don't lead to my reactions?????? PFFFT The problem isn't my words! It's that I'm not saying what you want to hear. I've provided facts and even direct quotes of the developers themselves but none of it is what you and others want to hear so you resort to playing 'victim' when you're the one's who are unapproachable if a counter argument is made.

HeatherG · Nov 27, 2019

This debate between the several of you needs to end. It's been going back and forth for pages. Everyone knows what every other persons feelings are on the topic. I just wish the responses were a bit more FRIENDLY!

So just bring it together and have a nice friendly talk between forum members. (last line was a little cheezy, but oh well)
Heather

marcnesiumHH · Nov 27, 2019

that's what Bo posted today regarding this topic https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/planet-zoo-update-1-0-3.531123/#post-8164470

Moosegun · Nov 27, 2019

Contraceptives are in the game for a reason, if you dont like managing all your habitats, set some to spot breeding.

Crea_TivELA · Nov 27, 2019

Moosegun said:
Contraceptives are in the game for a reason, if you dont like managing all your habitats, set some to spot breeding.

But then your species will die out

if Frontier makes a change to that, you still will be able to speed up your game, options to that are implemented already... maybe there will be more arrows then. A slower base time is important for players not only with a different playstyle, it's important for beginners too - so I hope they change it someday. I'm sure Frontier knows that there are a lot of people too, who enjoy the time like it is right now and they don't want to upset those players.

Merkasaw · Nov 27, 2019

bamber said:
Boy oh boy has time slowed down on the forum - posts like this have been the same for 2 weeks now - going now beyond boring

What do you expect when there's a serious design flaw in the game (the opinion of many) and there has been absolutely no meaningful acknowledgement about it from the developers?

I see the new big update today includes these customisation options for Sandbox mode:

Power usage
Water treatment
Fence degradation
Predation/fear
Death by old age
Staff happiness degradation
Staff energy degradation
Animal welfare needs
Maximise guest happiness
Freeze guest needs

I fear that Frontier may be adding more customisation to Sandbox as a 'solution' for people like us... I can see it now, they'll go "we listened to your feedback and made Sandbox better for you guys, yay! Now stop whining."

Merkasaw · Nov 27, 2019

Moosegun said:
Contraceptives are in the game for a reason, if you dont like managing all your habitats, set some to spot breeding.

Oh right, so the animals die from old age and the habitat becomes empty? You're missing the point of this thread...

MaximusSC · Nov 27, 2019

Merkasaw said:
Moosegun said:

Contraceptives are in the game for a reason, if you dont like managing all your habitats, set some to spot breeding.

Click to expand...

Oh right, so the animals die from old age and the habitat becomes empty? You're missing the point of this thread...

I believe Moosegun understands the point of the thread completely. As do I. But, refusing to use the contraceptive feature has absolutely nothing to do with the speed of the game. That's a players choice or preference, if you will.

Here are some facts:

The animals are going to die of old age no matter what. They will die of old age whether you keep them in your zoo or sell them on the market to another player. We can even assume or pretend that the animals will die of old age even if you release them to the wild. It's just life running its course.
If two animals of opposite genders are placed within the same habitat they will breed. It doesn't matter if they are brother/sister animals, mother/son animals, father/daughter animals, or complete stranger animals.
Some animals breed at fast rates.
Contraceptives prevent breeding.
Breeding can be managed by using contraceptives.
If you allow a pair of animals to breed and have offspring then assign them contraceptives so they no longer bear offspring you have a replacement animal for when the parent animals die.
By the player managing the breeding of the animals it frees up time so the player can tend to other things. Including having more time to look at and enjoy their animals.
If the player refuses to assign contraceptives that is the players choice which has nothing to do with the speed of the game.
Like it or not, Franchise Mode is the mode where players have to deal with issues and manage those issues.
Because some players might struggle with managing the issues they face in the game that in no way suggests there are "design flaws" in the game. Franchise Mode was intended to have challenges for the players to tend to and manage. Franchise Mode was never intended to be easy even if it is for some players.
There are 4 different modes in the game. These 4 different modes each have their own mechanics. These 4 different modes are intended to help fill the needs of different play styles.
No matter what one's play style might be they are still, and always will be, restricted to playing any game (in this case any of the game modes) within the confinements and the rules of the what the game was designed as being. Barring cheats of course.

Crea_TivELA · Nov 27, 2019

Merkasaw said:
What do you expect when there's a serious design flaw in the game (the opinion of many) and there has been absolutely no meaningful acknowledgement about it from the developers?

I see the new big update today includes these customisation options for Sandbox mode:

Power usage

Water treatment

Fence degradation

Predation/fear

Death by old age

Staff happiness degradation

Staff energy degradation

Animal welfare needs

Maximise guest happiness

Freeze guest needs

I fear that Frontier may be adding more customisation to Sandbox as a 'solution' for people like us... I can see it now, they'll go "we listened to your feedback and made Sandbox better for you guys, yay! Now stop whining."

I hope this won't be the case, because it would throw us out of the challenge and franchise mode.

Bo wrote that they look into the time issue and that they need time. They try to find solutions, so try to be patient.

I would really love

to be part of the franchise community of the game and especially of taking part in the community challenges too, but if they can't do that somehow - big control about sandbox could be a last way to help us with the time issue, but I think that would be a "worst case scenario".
I don't like the current part with "unlimited money" in sandbox and at most that we couldn't be a part of the online playing community of the game... this would steal much of the fun we could have otherwise.

So I hope they can implement a slower base time (with the current fast forward options) to the 3-4 modes. Another idea could be to create a fifth "slower" online franchise mode with challenges (before really pushing us into sandbox) - kind of like they created the offline challenge mode before release - I could live with that, if nothing else could be done about it. At least I think, that this could be one more idea/solution to it.

Still I hope there is a solution all players can be happy with, the faster and slower ones, so we don't have to play separated.

We'll see... it needs a little bit luck I guess and I only can say "it will take more time until we read decisions to that from Frontier".

Merkasaw · Nov 27, 2019

Crea_TivELA said:
Bo wrote that they look into the time issue and that they need time. They try to find solutions, so try to be patient.

Sorry, I missed. Do you have a link? Great news if they've acknowledged it and are looking into it.