An update regarding the asset editor

[Sacavain]

Hey,

I've been following with attention the different channels where CO and PDX communicate. Recently, we've seen the announcement of the region packs and that's good news.

Though, it doesn't fix one of the main problem the game currently has IMO is the lack of custom assets. You can never beat the sheer diversity you can find through that.

The asset editor is one of the long awaited features that is taking longer than most of us expected. I think we can safely include CO/PDX in that statement.

While they've been mentionning it since pre-release, we're basically hearing the same: "we're working on it" since then.
It's a complicated topic and I'm sure that more than a year ago, it would be quite hard to know where it would go with the problem they're facing.

But yeah, one year passed and... they're currently still working on it.
I know CO/PDX has lately been extra cautious about sharing timelines as they couldn't meet most of them and don't want to generate false expectations in the playerbase.
As much as I can appreciate this newly found ethic, I'd argue that we're at a point where an update on the asset editor is long overdue.

Roughly, are they aiming at a specific period? Should we prepare to wait another 6 months? Are they making progress? How many people are working on this feature?
There are a lot of basis for a transparent communication about it and I would appreciate it.

Going silent mode is a fair strategy when there is steady and frequent progress. I find it a bit tiring when the pace of update and progress is so slow.
I really wonder if CO is making progress on such a critical feature. I'd rather have them bite the bullet now that it's taking at least 6 months or a year rather than slowly understanding that "working on it" implied a two year timeframe since release.

How do you feel about it? What's your take? How long do you think until it releases?

 

[ClemiMD]

It's great that someone is finally addressing this issue.
Oops, that was ironc, sorry.

To answer your questions: They're making progress on the asset editor but there's no ETA yet (déjà-vu anyone? )
Waiting another six months is a realistic timeframe in my opinion, but I believe there will be a beta before. But don't take my estimation seriously, it's just my feeling.

 

[Kenhay]

I think everyone is waiting for the custom assets. I wonder why they have only announced the dates for three Region Packs. Are the rest coming via the asset importer? Is the intention to launch the asset editor at the end of the month? Sheer speculation on my part!

 

[Sacavain]

It's great that someone is finally addressing this issue.
Oops, that was ironc, sorry.

To answer your questions: They're making progress on the asset editor but there's no ETA yet (déjà-vu anyone? )
Waiting another six months is a realistic timeframe in my opinion, but I believe there will be a beta before. But don't take my estimation seriously, it's just my feeling.

Oh, I don't pretend that I'm the only bear of the true word.

We basically have been discussing this for months and while anyone can share his sentiment, his opinion or his prediction, I think it's time for CO/PDX to bring some elements of answer themselves. Your guess may be right, but at some point, It's starting to be rather disrespectful to just let us sit here with no informations. It only fosters frustration: would it be for people that are still waiting for it or those that are just sick of seeing this topic coming again and again.

I can understand - with how the release shaped up - that making an informed guess for the asset editor a year ago was probably a difficult bet. Though, they've been working on it all this time. I truly hope they can start to figure a rough estimate of when this feature would be somewhat ready to be presented in beta. Or I truly mised something.

 

[ClemiMD]

CO/PDX have maneuvered themselves into a dillemma.
Obviously they just don't know and can't tell when the asset editor will be ready. They've made announcements a while ago, but as it turned out, they could not meet the deadlines. To avoid false expectations, they don't share any schedules or roadmaps.
But the community wants to hear something. And if they publish some news about different stuff, we are disappointed because they couldn't tell anything about things we want to hear. And if they don't write anything at all, we are disapponted because of the lack of communication. The only good thing they can finally do is release the promised features, but they can't.

Yes, it's a shame and many find it unfair, even illegal, to keep us players waiting. But honestly, from my point of view: What should I do? I can't change it. Neither I nor anyone else is helped by blaming anyone, repeating what they did wrong or predicting the game's imminent exodus. I'm not problem-oriented, I'm solution-oriented. We know the problems and I don't have a solution. It's a pity, but that's it.

 

[Sacavain]

CO/PDX have maneuvered themselves into a dillemma.
Obviously they just don't know and can't tell when the asset editor will be ready. They've made announcements a while ago, but as it turned out, they could not meet the deadlines. To avoid false expectations, they don't share any schedules or roadmaps.
But the community wants to hear something. And if they publish some news about different stuff, we are disappointed because they couldn't tell anything about things we want to hear. And if they don't write anything at all, we are disapponted because of the lack of communication. The only good thing they can finally do is release the promised features, but they can't.

Yes, it's a shame and many find it unfair, even illegal, to keep us players waiting. But honestly, from my point of view: What should I do? I can't change it. Neither I nor anyone else is helped by blaming anyone, repeating what they did wrong or predicting the game's imminent exodus. I'm not problem-oriented, I'm solution-oriented. We know the problems and I don't have a solution. It's a pity, but that's it.

Well, I do get the dilemna you're describing though I think we're getting the worst part of each side.
First overhype and do a poor job of managing expectations about a game you know perfectly well the state of and then discover a new sense of ethic and just go radio silent about a critical feature like the asset editor in terms of ETA.

I'm also quite solution-oriented and there is one I would seriously recommend to CO/PDX: bite the bullet and share a conservative vague timeframe.
It's in a year? Fine. People will be mad (I would, because 2 years on a that feature??), but yeah at least it's done. They work faster? Cool, come with a good surprise.

Anyway, let's not kid anyone becaue most of the playerbase left already so at least communicate with people that still share some interest in your game.

 

[Qualiall]

I'm reminded of the Star Trek TNG episode of "Relics" where Geordi tells Picard how long it will take to fix a problem, and Scotty asks "And how long will it really take?" Point being that Scotty used to give Kirk an overestimated timeframe to fix an issue so that when he solves it well ahead of that, he looks like an engineering hero.

I mean they could do it here, but why? Obviously the issue is more complex than they originally thought, for whatever reason and they simply CAN'T give an estimate at this time-I'm sure the devs along with their rep at Unity tech support are chipping away at the issue bit by bit.

 

[ClemiMD]

I'm reminded of the Star Trek TNG episode of "Relics"

[off-topic] Oh my... I was in my early teens when I saw this episode in the 90s as one of the first Star Trek episodes I EVER saw, and I can remember this moment like it was last week. This was the beginning of a wonderful friendship. Greetings from Nostalgia! [/off-topic]

 

[utopiate]

TBH I stopped playing not long after release. This was not unexpected as I waited to play CS1 until 'Green Cities' came out. However, that said I had expected the asset editor to be released by now. I think the whole approach to the development of this game was flawed. Having the simulation grind to a crawl at 100,000+ was not what we wanted clearly. I am starting a city but the lack of custom assets sucks.

 

[raf8655]

It's just my guess, but in my opinion we won't see the asset editor before the release of the latest region pack, so not before March 3rd...If there will ever be this asset editor one day...

 

[Sacavain]

It's just my guess, but in my opinion we won't see the asset editor before the release of the latest region pack, so not before March 3rd...If there will ever be this asset editor one day...

Welp, as much as the overall "reading in tea leaves" and prediction game about this feature was annoying in november 2024, it hasn't gotten funnier since then. What's remarkably consistent is the silence from CO/PDX. Last time they spoke about it was in september and we still have no clue where they're at.

For those that may answer "but they said they will only communicate things when they're certain about it": it's not because they say something that it's the best course of action. We can safely say that the community has been patient considering how crucial this feature is. I don't think having a status report is too much to ask even if it's not all good news.

 

[adj1944]

Welp, as much as the overall "reading in tea leaves" and prediction game about this feature was annoying in november 2024, it hasn't gotten funnier since then. What's remarkably consistent is the silence from CO/PDX. Last time they spoke about it was in september and we still have no clue where they're at.

For those that may answer "but they said they will only communicate things when they're certain about it": it's not because they say something that it's the best course of action. We can safely say that the community has been patient considering how crucial this feature is. I don't think having a status report is too much to ask even if it's not all good news.

Agree with this and also, if the update is “still experiencing challenges” that’s disappointing, but the silence isn’t helping. As someone who is really enjoying the game as it is, I’d just like to know more about what’s to come in DLCs and CCPs.

Alongside that, I would say there is need for the fan base to engage in good faith and with respect, and trust they are working hard to fix this. However disappointed fans might be, the devs will feel it more.

 

[MohawkWolfo98]

[off-topic] Oh my... I was in my early teens when I saw this episode in the 90s as one of the first Star Trek episodes I EVER saw, and I can remember this moment like it was last week. This was the beginning of a wonderful friendship. Greetings from Nostalgia! [/off-topic]

Years before..

“Mr Scott, Have u always Multiplied ur repair estimates by a factor of 4?”

“Certainly Sir. How else can I maintain my reputation as a miracle worker?”

“Ur reputation is secure Scotty”

Love Star Trek as Gen Z, always will

 

[Vydru]

I feel the region packs are the beta tests of the asset editor, it's clearly not ready.

The shift from the steam workshop has been probably the most detrimental thing to the game, although I'm assuming we'd be having the same issues even with the workshop.

The community is what drove CS1 to the heights it reaches, and u fortunately, the community for CS2 has been told, here is a bunch of crayons, and some butchers paper, draw something pretty.

But!, you can only use brown, grey and black as your colours because we are working on providing a means for others to make colors for us, but we haven't worked it out just yet, and may not for many more months.

And those that want simulation improvements, patient my child I never said the butchers paper was arriving at the same time as the crayons.

 

[adski42]

The silence does sound like a PR own goal. We get it's complicated and that its taking time, so why not expand on that? Have a dev diary explaining what's happening and what the challenges are. People will be pissed off, but they're pissed off anyway. At least this way they're engaging the community and reemphasising that they share the same goal as the player base. A lack of communication leads to dissenting voices in an echo chamber discussing rumours and speculation. They need to get control of the narrative.

 

[Miwi]

CO/PDX have maneuvered themselves into a dillemma.
Obviously they just don't know and can't tell when the asset editor will be ready. They've made announcements a while ago, but as it turned out, they could not meet the deadlines. To avoid false expectations, they don't share any schedules or roadmaps.
But the community wants to hear something. And if they publish some news about different stuff, we are disappointed because they couldn't tell anything about things we want to hear. And if they don't write anything at all, we are disapponted because of the lack of communication. The only good thing they can finally do is release the promised features, but they can't.

Yes, it's a shame and many find it unfair, even illegal, to keep us players waiting. But honestly, from my point of view: What should I do? I can't change it. Neither I nor anyone else is helped by blaming anyone, repeating what they did wrong or predicting the game's imminent exodus. I'm not problem-oriented, I'm solution-oriented. We know the problems and I don't have a solution. It's a pity, but that's it.

so then - why do you answer if you don't have any clue about what you are talking?

 

[UtopianEvil]

Well since we are in speculation territory anyways, i suspect it might not be unlikely that the asset editor MAYBE arrives along the Bridges and ports expansion, that is currently set to Q2.

As someone else has mentioned, it is not unlikely for the asset editor to arrive after the last free packs (because the workaround buys them time and give us some content) and the last pack is currently set for march 2nd. So it could fit with them making one HUGE update somewhere in april/may (worst case june) that includes both bridges and ports and the asset editor and maybe their asset designers have used all the waiting time to add extra stuff, while the techinical issues to gets sorted, like the two unannouced content packs that got added as bonus into the ultimate pack.

It could explain their silence. It could more or less relaunch CS:2 as something close what we all hoped for in the beginning and close much of the door to all these troubles. It does kinda align given to circumstances.

It could also be another sad extention of the waiting game.
It is alot of if's and could's and we have no idea of knowing until their plans reach a mature enough state for them to comfortable enough to talk about it.

Time will tell.

 

[ClemiMD]

so then - why do you answer if you don't have any clue about what you are talking?

Logic says that I answered because I have a clue what I'm talking about.

 

[Qualiall]

There's always problems with making forward looking statements, as anything can change or be over ambitious, but all those people who went to the studio, the YouTubers, the big modders and asset makers who were a big deal with CS1 are still under an NDA. All we've heard from them is that what they learned there makes them hopeful. We players want to be hopeful too-why can't they lift at least some parts of the NDA now? Or at least tell them they can be slightly less abstract about what they learned there.

 

[Civ5rako]

the YouTubers, the big modders and asset makers who were a big deal with CS1 are still under an NDA. All we've heard from them is that what they learned there makes them hopeful.

If I remember correctly that statement was made in September of last year and their "hopefulness" stretched over a time span of 18 months.
Five of these months have passed already and I don't see much justifying said "hopefulness". Which is very suspicious as it seems hard to predict really big things over such a long time period - even more so considering the track record of CO and their predictions.
I am pretty confident it hasn't been the mentioning of the CCP's which made them hopeful, and except for less than a handful of patches nothing more has come. In addition those had been announced earlier already, so not too much reason to put hopes in them - and if so, well.... they are still causing problems, aren't they?
And we shouldn't forget that all these people have based their "business" on the success of CS2 and CO. There may have been some amount of wishful thinking in that statement as well.

As a wise CEO once said: "Actions speak louder than words".

All I am hearing is a deafening silence though.