"Total freedom" such as "You can't make a path shorter than it is wide even though the game very much supports this behavior, just not by user control"
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That is a very, very good point. We know that all the paths are made of short segments because when we delete them, even the 10m wide path that is laid down in really long sections has to be deleted in tiny, short pieces. If we could place them in these short sections, I think the whole path system would handle better and with more control. We wouldn't have so many obstruction issues when you're near an adjoining path. I also think it would make it easier for people who are struggling.
I think in threads critisizing PC the problems are being played down. I don't understand why there is a need to defend the devs: "This is not the worst thing that ever has happened to humanity so stop complaining!"
Not only have you misquoted me, but you've changed the context of what I was saying and completely missed my point as an added bonus. When I said , "Exactly. There are far worst things happening in the world." I was basically saying that there are more serious issues to worry about in the grand scheme of things than one stairway being slightly different to the one next to it. It was a very specific reference that was directly relevant to this thread (check out the start of it) before we all knocked it completely off topic. The original poster was having an issue so rather than just moaning about it without actually offering anything constructive, I decided to try to give a little help.
The "stop complaining" part certainly wasn't from my mouth. Complaining is something I encourage and I'm really quite good at. (I'm not typically British). It highlights points and issues that could otherwise not even be noticed by the vendor. But there's definitely a way to conduct yourself while doing it. This is why I've been saying to people that being shouty and aggressive and borderline abusive will not get themselves listened to. You wouldn't expect a total stranger on the street to go out of their way and give you directions when you're lost after you'd given them a mouthful of abuse, would you?
As for defending the devs, I would be the first to say if there was something I don't agree with. I completely get why the management fans feel short-changed at the moment. It does feel quite shallow and a little tedious and could really do with improvement, there's no denying it. But the bile that's going around the forums at the moment, especially when members are targeting other members just because of a different opinion cannot be justified.
Also we're so used to the Ataris and E.A.s that I think Frontier are being tarred with the same brush. But I think the reason I do speak out for them a bit is the fact that because I've spent time with them and watched them work, I think I have a different perspective. I don't have the luxury of viewing "The Devs" as a faceless, abstract concept that I could happily bash with a clear conscience. I've seen that they are real people. They're educated, intelligent, passionate people who work really hard and all put extra hours in because they want to get something else into the game. They believe in the product and they want it to be the best.
I'm quite happy to sit back and let them get on with it at the moment because I haven't been presented with any evidence so far to make me doubt their intentions. All the people insisting that they aren't listening to us and that the radio silence from them is very worrying seem to quickly and regularly forget this:- Pretty much everytime there's an update, the forums are filled with people saying that they can't believe "x" has been added and that "y" is a brilliant feature, that we never saw coming and there's so much in this update etc.
So if they aren't listening to us, then I don't care because they're clearly listening to someone who by coincidence, wants what we want.
It's not like we're talking about a few minor details. Aside of the graphics and animations department there is hardly an aspect of the game that seems to be finished regarding design and functionality. Paths is just one of the areas that need a major overhaul.
Don't you think the devs know what their "finished" product is and what it isn't? If they need to do more work on the game (we all aggree on this one) they should do that before they release it, don't you think. That the practise of releasing a game in whatever shape it is, is broadly accepted by the community, is baffling to me. Are customers really that simple? Do they not know by supporting this behaviour the devs won't have a reason to do it differently next time? Where are the folks capable of critical thinking?
I know in this regard Frontiers is not really different than any other studio/ publisher but that doesn't make it right. If I'm gonna buy a beta I want to know beforehand it's a beta I'm buying.
Eventually problems might get fixed and missing features might get implemented - or they might not. I already bought the game so I'm 100% at the mercy of Frontiers. If they decide to not re-do the path building - tough break.
The paths certainly need work. Have you offered your feedback and ideas for them to Frontier? Give them your perspective. You may have some brilliant solutions that they haven't even thought of. That's the benefit of a forum. When you're working on a creative project so closely, you don't always see solutions that someone on the outside does. And this is one thing that bugs me about certain posters here. They're quick to moan, but offer no feedback on why they think that or how they think it can be improved. All that is doing is clogging server space as it serves no purpose.
I agree completely about the culture of releasing unfinished games. Frontier said from well before Alpha was even released that PC would be an on-going project so the situation now is exactly what I expected it to be from way back then. That allowed me to make an informed decision whether to purchase before I did. As I said earlier, I haven't seen any evidence to make me worry about what's to come.
I apologize to Arkainium for completely derailing this thread.
