Since the tortoise challenge I've noticed something that bothers me quite a bit.
I have been playing this game since the beta, and I've always liked how well made the tortoises were. Let it be their models, animations or behavior. However there was an apparent balancing issue with especially the Galapagos babies since day one causing them to starve or get dehydrated because of their small size and having the same animation speed as the adults while having a fast metabolism that couldn't keep up with their pace. I was expecting a marginal speed increase with balancing to their metabolism. However the fix was tripling their animation speed and keeping the same metabolic rate.
I will list the problems that have rooted from this fix which bother me quite a lot and in my opinion hinders immersion greatly:
1) The wrong species was fixed. Aldabra tortoise babies never had the starvation issue due to their greater size. Galapagos tortoise juveniles are still the same even though it was them needing balancing.
2) The animation speed increase is so much that it is quite disturbing. They look like puppies running around. It does make sense smaller tortoises move faster in comparison to body size but the rate at which they were increased is nowhere near what it is in real life. A maximum of 50% increase should have been sufficient.
3) It wasn't only the walking animation that has been sped up. The speed increase was universal, causing them to turn, sit, get up, look around, make sounds and basically do everything in time lapse. This adds even more to the puppy effect.
4) I would have expected the balancing of their metabolism instead. Tortoises can go without food and water for months, unlike mammals. Which was why sailors inhumanely stacked them on top of each other for months as a source of free "refrigerated" food.
5) It wasn't only the babies that were affected from this change. Adults also seem to be slightly faster. However the most disturbing thing is their new turn rate. They do a total 180 in two steps. Tortoises can't turn so fast and this makes it look very disturbing, spooky even. It reminds me of the lion rig test mentioned in one of the dev journals.
6) Since babies also get affected from the new turn rate, when combined with their new speed this becomes even more absurd.
As someone who was always appreciative of how well made the tortoises were, something that was lacking in games before, I was very disappointed seeing this change. First they lost their ability to swim, which was also a great animation. Then this. Please consider reverting back these settings. A metabolism fix will not only fix it universally but also won't destroy the immersion. If you are worried tortoises will even be more profitable, you are welcome to cut down on their appeal. Thanks for your attention.
I have been playing this game since the beta, and I've always liked how well made the tortoises were. Let it be their models, animations or behavior. However there was an apparent balancing issue with especially the Galapagos babies since day one causing them to starve or get dehydrated because of their small size and having the same animation speed as the adults while having a fast metabolism that couldn't keep up with their pace. I was expecting a marginal speed increase with balancing to their metabolism. However the fix was tripling their animation speed and keeping the same metabolic rate.
I will list the problems that have rooted from this fix which bother me quite a lot and in my opinion hinders immersion greatly:
1) The wrong species was fixed. Aldabra tortoise babies never had the starvation issue due to their greater size. Galapagos tortoise juveniles are still the same even though it was them needing balancing.
2) The animation speed increase is so much that it is quite disturbing. They look like puppies running around. It does make sense smaller tortoises move faster in comparison to body size but the rate at which they were increased is nowhere near what it is in real life. A maximum of 50% increase should have been sufficient.
3) It wasn't only the walking animation that has been sped up. The speed increase was universal, causing them to turn, sit, get up, look around, make sounds and basically do everything in time lapse. This adds even more to the puppy effect.
4) I would have expected the balancing of their metabolism instead. Tortoises can go without food and water for months, unlike mammals. Which was why sailors inhumanely stacked them on top of each other for months as a source of free "refrigerated" food.
5) It wasn't only the babies that were affected from this change. Adults also seem to be slightly faster. However the most disturbing thing is their new turn rate. They do a total 180 in two steps. Tortoises can't turn so fast and this makes it look very disturbing, spooky even. It reminds me of the lion rig test mentioned in one of the dev journals.
6) Since babies also get affected from the new turn rate, when combined with their new speed this becomes even more absurd.
As someone who was always appreciative of how well made the tortoises were, something that was lacking in games before, I was very disappointed seeing this change. First they lost their ability to swim, which was also a great animation. Then this. Please consider reverting back these settings. A metabolism fix will not only fix it universally but also won't destroy the immersion. If you are worried tortoises will even be more profitable, you are welcome to cut down on their appeal. Thanks for your attention.
