Upcoming Birthday & State of Asset Editor and Console

[Civ5rako]

I couldn't disagree more with this post.

Not the happiest camper with ambiguity of the news, but also super surprised how many toxic people in community ("boycott", "abandonware"...)

Like, ok, they messed up with the release of the game in the state it was. They acknowledged it, they said sorry, they are working on it.

You forget mentioning that this messed up release was after three years of delay already.
And now we are 16 months past that moment. They may be working on that mess, but not very successfully, to say the least.
Every major component of this game is broken or at least severley damaged.
Traffic is a mess, as bigger cities meanwhile are looking like Pyongyang: wide boulevards, but except for a lonely service vehicle no traffic.
All things related to residents are a mess. From staying at home while supposedly working to getting homeless while being "wealthy" to having too much dogs to... the list goes on and on.
Anything related to the "economy" is a mess. Supply lines are at the very least working in the most obscure ways if not simply broken.
Even assets are a mess (UK, Japan, the last pack). You cannot make this up.

No, people are not toxic, they are simply fed up.
They have paid good money trusting in the franchise and all they have got is a disaster.

Mind you, CS1 took some time until it became what it became. The only thing it had going for itself at the launch was big map and being agent based.

The other thing it had going for itself was that it was working as expected and that patches didn't constantly break the game.

Truth be told, I waited a year before buying a game, but I know it's a good investment nevertheless, bcs they got huge credit with CS1 and what they did with the game over the course of decade.

That was CS1.
We are in the CS2 subforum however and so far there is no evidence at all supporting your expectations.
"Good investment"? You consider paying money last year and still not having got what once had been advertised a "good investment"?
Well, good luck with your expectations then.

I understand the frustration, but stop with the pitchforks. They have a chance to make something out of this game, but they will obviously need some time for it. But not if we "cancel" them.

They have got enough time.
The time to fix a game is before release, not afterwards.
Especially not if like in this case the fixes are far and few between (and breaking other things) and some of the major ones being postponed endlessly.

 

[Cardinal Herue]

Here's a fun game; read the update from back in September, then read this update, and try to tell what substantive progress has been made on either console or asset editor.

An update to the Release Schedule

Hello City Builders, We wanted to take a moment to update you on the status of our upcoming releases. We know many of you are excited for new content, and we want to be transparent about where things currently stand. The two Creator Packs —...

forum.paradoxplaza.com

Brutal. No crumbs.

 

[Licenturion]

Seriously guys: get better communications/PR staff, especially for CO. I agree with @Licenturion assessment above: PDX once again has to swoop in to manage expectations after CO started hyping up everyone on social media.

To be fair, this is no longer the fault of communications/PR staff. And I don't really blame them. In fact it was the right call to jump on this to 'temper expectations'' after people got hyped up with the teaser announcement. In fact I don't expect much apart from a goofy park asset with the Skylines logo or some extra trees.

This is 100 percent a game designer and developer issue. They have created a monster of a codebase they clearly have no control over. That is why basic bug fixes take ages and always break other things. And that is also why they seem to constantly having to refactor underlying foundational systems.

On top of that they are spread way too thin by doing all these things while trying to port to 2 different consoles, make DLC expansions, asset editors, map editors, mod platform, base game fixes, ..... All this leads that there doesn't seem to be much time left for quality control which leads to region packs with issues, game crashes and simulation problems.

If all those things would be 100 percent fixed, I am sure a big part of the community would get off their back for the while and actually play the game while waiting on the asset editor. But at this point they have given every type of player (PC and console) a reason to be angry or complain because they are making nobody happy for more than a year with how they handle things.

 

[Lys91]

Not the happiest camper with ambiguity of the news, but also super surprised how many toxic people in community ("boycott", "abandonware"...)

Like, ok, they messed up with the release of the game in the state it was. They acknowledged it, they said sorry, they are working on it.

Mind you, CS1 took some time until it became what it became. The only thing it had going for itself at the launch was big map and being agent based.

Truth be told, I waited a year before buying a game, but I know it's a good investment nevertheless, bcs they got huge credit with CS1 and what they did with the game over the course of decade.

I understand the frustration, but stop with the pitchforks. They have a chance to make something out of this game, but they will obviously need some time for it. But not if we "cancel" them.

I think what is frustrating people is that the simulation is broken. They consistently keep silent on the issue. Most people here do not care about the console release (which does not seem to be happening any time soon anyway). If they had a "custodian" team ala stellaris fixing bugs in what is there, there would be far less complaints.

For example, I learned this week that loading asset is so slow because they kept debug logging on by default in the customer release. How hard is it to issue a hotfix? (or at least put a sticky post somewhere)

Given the state of the game monthly bug fix patches is what we should be getting and that's where resources should be going. Not them chasing an inexistent customer pool on console that is just going to be as dissatisfied as we are.

I think their priorities are completely misaligned with the community and this disconnect is damaging their brand. This is possibly beyond repair.

 

[Heggyy]

When you hire high schoolers to do the job of someone who has 2 decades of programming experience lol

 

[TripleAgent]

At what point is PDX/CO going to admit that a console release isn't feasible, drop it, and dedicate additional resources to fixing the game that's (charitably) been in Early Access for over a year?

 

[Civ5rako]

This is 100 percent a game designer and developer issue. They have created a monster of a codebase they clearly have no control over. That is why basic bug fixes take ages and always break other things. And that is also why they seem to constantly having to refactor underlying foundational systems.

On top of that they are spread way too thin by doing all these things while trying to port to 2 different consoles, make DLC expansions, asset editors, map editors, mod platform, base game fixes, ..... All this leads that there doesn't seem to be much time left for quality control which leads to region packs with issues, game crashes and simulation problems.

This.
All I want to add that it is not only a game designer and developer but also a manager problem. This whole project has been mismanaged to a degree where if it were a movie one would suspect sabotage.

 

[Marov84]

I know I'll get boycotted for what I'm about to write, but let's allow CO/PDX to work on resolving all the issues the game is facing. Of course, more transparent information about the state of Cities Skylines 2, upcoming updates, mentions of what has already been accomplished, what still needs to be waited for, and when it might exit the production phase would be helpful... Since the game developers can't confirm "whether it will be released then and there" yet, there's something to it. Work is progressing, albeit slowly perhaps, but they are still trying to do their job properly. They are not resting on their laurels. Updates are still being released. I believe their words that they want the best for the players. They have sincere intentions, and that's the truth.

Insulting them won't achieve anything. It won't speed up their work at all. They are certainly under immense pressure. They are doing what they can, at least that's my personal feeling. After all, it's their gem, which they want to shape into an amazing city builder. The game seems to have a long-term lifespan plan, so much will still happen.

I really like Cities Skylines 2, and playing it brings me immense joy. Sometimes I'll curse at it (when we don't get along), because it decides to crash to the desktop at the most crucial moment of building. Nevertheless, I stubbornly launch it again. And when I'm fed up, I start another game, watch a movie, read a book, go for a walk or a bike ride. In the meantime, I calmly think about what I can improve in the city . Sure, I wouldn't want to save the game state every time I make significant progress in city planning, or even when I create something small, seemingly insignificant or even important (it's tiring in the long run), but I patiently achieve my goal. It's just a game, albeit as important to me as it is to the players, and ultimately to the developers themselves. Let's be kinder to each other.

And finally, I'd like to add that the game has immense potential to be the best city-building simulator. It deserves that title, which is why, in my opinion, it would be a shame if it wasted such an opportunity. I still believe in it.

And dear CO/PDX, please be more interactive with the Cities Skylines 2 community. People greatly expect it. Communicate with us, regardless of whether it's good news or bad. I can't speak for others, but these are my feelings. Perhaps this will reduce some of the tensions within the community.

On the other hand, the community should also strive to change their attitude, because their moods won't solve this "crisis" surrounding the game. Cities Skylines 2 is meant to last for years, and the developers themselves, as they have repeatedly assured in their posts, do not intend to abandon it. It's their "child."

I'm with you, CO/PDX .
Good luck!"

 

[Licenturion]

This.
All I want to add that it is not only a game designer and developer but also a manager problem. This whole project has been mismanaged to a degree where if it were a movie one would suspect sabotage.

True. Paradox is probably way too hands off with their external studios. Xbox has also made that mistake which lead to disasters like Redfall.

What I find strange is that some people keep mentioning 'yeah but Skylines 1 had also troubles in the beginning'. That could be. But we are not 2015 anymore. The gaming business (and the gaming public) has evolved tremendously and things are done differently development wise and business wise. If you start a company (in whatever product) and you operate and manage it like it is 2015, I can assure you, it will fail. And it feels like they are exactly doing that...

I know not everyone feels the same way but I would be okay with it if they fixed all what is out there for a 100 percent and then announced they went dark for a year to work on the remaining stuff. But the fact that the base game and region packs remain in a constant state of bugginess, is what is really putting me of playing the game. By this point I probably spend more time reading on forums about the game than actually playing it.

 

[JustJustan]

So, still no update on the rest of the content I paid for with the ultimate edition (bridges and ports, radio packs, content packs). And still no realistic timeline for asset editor. The game is currently unplayable due to the mass death bug that causes hundreds of people to die in the first ten minutes of gameplay and overloads the crematorium capacity. My god. What an utter disappointment this has all turned out to be.

 

[sidnx]

Here's a fun game; read the update from back in September, then read this update, and try to tell what substantive progress has been made on either console or asset editor.

I said what I said, fully aware of the progress.
Are you of belief that they're sitting around, doing nothing? Twirling their mustache thinking how they fooled us? What's your thought process?

Give them time, they obviously need it (if I remember correctly, they were counting on the game engine to support stuff they planned and that did not come through).

What's the other option? Run the game into the ground? And then what?

I'd rather have some more patience and believe in them to come through.

And don't forget, we got 8 packs for free because of this, that would otherwise probably be fully paid DLCs. So they ARE listening and trying.

But this is not the case where we have different info, and now I'll change your or you'll change my mind. This is just difference in opinion and how much you're willing to give grace to the studio that made game that made you happy for a decade to come through with the new game. For you, deadline is passed. For me, that deadline is not yet here. Is that ok?

 

[Licenturion]

And don't forget, we got 8 packs for free because of this, that would otherwise probably be fully paid DLCs. So they ARE listening and trying.

This is not correct.

Those packs where announced as free region packs before the game launched already. And they would be launched 'a few weeks after launch.'

But at this point it seems they chased a lot of people away. I looked at the Steam concurrent player charts and the region packs didn't made any difference for the player numbers at this point in time (in fact they are lower), although a lot of people where excited for them at launch. All those lost customers won't show up again either to buy DLC either if they are not interested in 1000 free assets they just released.

 

[TripleAgent]

Give them time, they obviously need it
...
I'd rather have some more patience and believe in them to come through.
...

But this is not the case where we have different info, and now I'll change your or you'll change my mind. This is just difference in opinion and how much you're willing to give grace to the studio that made game that made you happy for a decade to come through with the new game. For you, deadline is passed. For me, that deadline is not yet here. Is that ok?

Yeah after they've had my money for over a year, refused to refund us after the game released in a half-baked state, and abandoned the community after they got called out for the state of the game still being terrible a year later. All the grace I once had for CS dried up a while ago, now they need to actually fix things instead of saying they're "working on it" for months on end with no substantive update.

 

[sidnx]

Brutal. No crumbs.

the heck..?
am i just being old or is this forum a place for teenagers? smh

 

[sidnx]

Yeah after they've had my money for over a year, refused to refund us after the game released in a half-baked state, and abandoned the community after they got called out for the state of the game still being terrible a year later. All the grace I once had for CS dried up a while ago, now they need to actually fix things instead of saying they're "working on it" for months on end with no substantive update.

look, mate, write them an angry email, demanding your money back. probably will refund you, idk. i would do that in your place if i felt like that.

for me, this experience here is too juvenile (or i might just be old). peace

 

[raf8655]

Once again, a miserable and redundant communication after months of waiting increases disappointment, anger and disgust... things that have already been read and read again!

I wanted to imagine the deadline of March 10th as the last hope, as the last pretext to still believe in this game. I had imagined, as written in another topic, that at the end of the regional packs they would announce the release of the asset editor... but for the umpteenth time I have to put my benevolent expectations in the bin.

Yet another disaster, yet another UNJUSTIFIABLE delay.

In addition to not having new assets, there are new bugs and glitches with the regional packs and the game's atavistic defects are not improved (I'm thinking of some examples that probably haven't yet been mentioned by the others in this thread: animations, trees that mysteriously light up with the snow at night)...

I don't know what will be released, what sop will be given on March 10th, but this game is probably fruitless...

 

[eduardobenedi]

I know I'll get boycotted for what I'm about to write, but let's allow CO/PDX to work on resolving all the issues the game is facing. Of course, more transparent information about the state of Cities Skylines 2, upcoming updates, mentions of what has already been accomplished, what still needs to be waited for, and when it might exit the production phase would be helpful... Since the game developers can't confirm "whether it will be released then and there" yet, there's something to it. Work is progressing, albeit slowly perhaps, but they are still trying to do their job properly. They are not resting on their laurels. Updates are still being released. I believe their words that they want the best for the players. They have sincere intentions, and that's the truth.

Insulting them won't achieve anything. It won't speed up their work at all. They are certainly under immense pressure. They are doing what they can, at least that's my personal feeling. After all, it's their gem, which they want to shape into an amazing city builder. The game seems to have a long-term lifespan plan, so much will still happen.

I really like Cities Skylines 2, and playing it brings me immense joy. Sometimes I'll curse at it (when we don't get along), because it decides to crash to the desktop at the most crucial moment of building. Nevertheless, I stubbornly launch it again. And when I'm fed up, I start another game, watch a movie, read a book, go for a walk or a bike ride. In the meantime, I calmly think about what I can improve in the city . Sure, I wouldn't want to save the game state every time I make significant progress in city planning, or even when I create something small, seemingly insignificant or even important (it's tiring in the long run), but I patiently achieve my goal. It's just a game, albeit as important to me as it is to the players, and ultimately to the developers themselves. Let's be kinder to each other.

And finally, I'd like to add that the game has immense potential to be the best city-building simulator. It deserves that title, which is why, in my opinion, it would be a shame if it wasted such an opportunity. I still believe in it.

And dear CO/PDX, please be more interactive with the Cities Skylines 2 community. People greatly expect it. Communicate with us, regardless of whether it's good news or bad. I can't speak for others, but these are my feelings. Perhaps this will reduce some of the tensions within the community.

On the other hand, the community should also strive to change their attitude, because their moods won't solve this "crisis" surrounding the game. Cities Skylines 2 is meant to last for years, and the developers themselves, as they have repeatedly assured in their posts, do not intend to abandon it. It's their "child."

I'm with you, CO/PDX .
Good luck!"

I couldn't agree more.

 

[Qualiall]

people get mad at lack of communication..people get mad at communication. I am glad there is some communication, but I do wish they could share, or at least let the content creators share what they learned at HQ-they came in with lists of player concerns..CO answered honestly and apparently left the creator community with "hope". Which is all well and good, but.... I think it's time to release them from NDA, or if CO wants more control..tell us what was said-leaving out forward looking statements/ambitious statements if need be.

 

[Woody Red]

So just to make sure I understood correctly, the asset editor is gonna be released tomorrow morning is that right ?

 

[raf8655]

So just to make sure I understood correctly, the asset editor is gonna be released tomorrow morning is that right ?

Later today!!!