Upcoming Patch & Content

[BRWNewc]

Honestly this transparency is so refreshing. Rather than the sugar-coated and at times tone deaf updates which we received right after launch, I believe CO/Paradox have chosen a better path forward. Of course this does not erase the frustration of not being able to enjoy the game in its final and polished form (I hear you console players), but I hope that this is a learning experience for devs/publishers.

Not that there has to be a silver lining (and certainly not to diminish our frustrations), but perhaps this experience will lead to a more collaborative approach in fine-tuning the game, resulting in something better than originally planned.

There are likely more forks in the road ahead (no pun intended), but I hope CO continues to choose the path which regains our trust.

I am cautiously optimistic and am looking forward to the upcoming patch.

 

[Civ5rako]

Economy Re-work
The initial implementation of the economy re-work is done, and the patch is currently being polished. Our internal team (...) indicates we are heading in the right direction (...).
This patch will not address everything, (...) we want to give it a few more weeks (...).
The goal of the patch is to address the community feedback we have received in regards to the economy; increase the importance of managing the economy, increase the challenge, and make it clearer to the player how the economy is affected by your choices. Currently, we aim to release the patch in the window June 3rd - June 19th (...)

Upcoming Creator Packs
As a result of this extended feedback and adjustment period for the economy patch, the Creator Packs will be pushed to post-summer. (...)

What is "summer lock"?
(...) during the month of July and parts of August, (...) employees have the right to four consecutive weeks of vacation. (....) Hence, we do not plan for patches or updates in the month of July or early August.

Upcoming Patches
(...)
The next patch, expected after summer(....)We are also making progress with the technical difficulties that are blocking the release of the asset editor; we cannot confirm if it will be ready for the first patch after summer, so no promises just yet, but we are doing everything we can to make it so.

Consoles
We had a Beta build delivery at the end of April which has undergone extensive performance and stability tests. These results showed that we are not hitting the stability and performance targets that we want to reach. (....) the window for an October release is shrinking and it might have to be delayed further.

So, in short you are again late with everything. Congratulations.

The "economy patch" (if it even deserves that name - frankly, from your own and other descriptions it doesn't sound much like adressing the economy but just giving some more information to the player and maybe some additional options to interact with it) will require around 50% more time than you have announced just one month ago.

The "next patch" (meaning the one after the "economy patch") apparently will not be released before September. How could it when your personnel is on vacation till mid of August? That is more than three months from now.

The attempt to get something running for consoles seems to have ended in disaster, not meeting the minimum requirements. Chances are that even one whole year after the initial release it will not be finished.

Well, all this gives us a pretty good image of the state in which you did release the game in October last year. Well, water under the bridge or so they say.
But as I said above already, still you are missing each and every timeline. Each time.
It doesn't hinder you to cash in though. That you do get done in time. Always.

I will predict something now:
I expect support for the game to be officially terminated in the second half of next year.
And I think any employee of CO is well advised to look for other jobs now. Luckily they will have some weeks time to update their curricula vitae. That will be needed.

 

[RoZarza]

Finally! Thank you so much for the economy fix. Please take the time you need, but make the game challenging and not only a photograph simulator. Even think about implement a hard mode as you had in CS1, and even a very hard mode, as the hard mode in CS1 was not hard enough when getting a medium to large city.

On the other hand, why terraforning is free? Should be very very expensive as it is in real life and it was in CS1. As city managers we need to figure out if is better to follow the terrain curves during our building or spend a lot of money terraforming.

Thanks.

 

[Ameenmahboub]

More delays for content packs.. it's been nearly 8 months and we have just got 1 content pack.. You said it, it's low effort but would have huge impact. Have you considered more hiring or outsourcing? maybe hire people from other countries??

:/

 

[MayorWanze]

the addition of a surface tool to allow more freedom to paint the areas around buildings.

By paint you mean drawing those surfaces like its possible with mods already, similar to drawing lots for the specialized industry or actually some kind of paint brush?

Also, is the limitiation of "around buldings" intended, so it can only be used around buildings or was that just a figure of speech and we will also be able to draw those surfaces in areas where there arent any buildings?

 

[[Delta ²k5]]

Thank you for this splendid update on the general plan and progress, really appreciated!

The patch, scheduled for release soon, primarily focuses on the economy. However, there are some other requested improvements included such as an update to the building upgrade system. This means you will be able to place building upgrades more freely around the main buildings and also delete and move specific upgrades.

That's pretty neat and a welcome improvement! I hope that means we can have some pedestrian paths or even streets running in between these sub buildings, maybe even other parks/assets It would make a big different in detailing your city and making a place look unique.

The next patch, expected after summer, will introduce some free content and other frequent requests, such as new service buildings and vehicles, as well as the addition of a surface tool to allow more freedom to paint the areas around buildings.

I wonder about some thing here/speculate a bit - and maybe there will be an answer however:

• about the "surface tool" - will it be based on the surface tool already known with which one applies area shapes on top of the terrain surface, or will it be a new tool to "paint" an alternative terrain texture like in C:S1 or like how the resource tool works? Personally I would prefer the latter as it allows nice and easy blending of materials/surfaces, but I guess it's the "area" tool working as an individual filler?
• New service buildings seems straight forward, also according to what Biffa told: smaller buildings for smaller towns. However the vehicles part gets me wondering a bit...
  • Does this aim for more EU/NA variations? Like, we currently have the same police vehicles for US and EU with a different texture applied but two different ambulance vehicles. Same goes to trucks and firetrucks which are different for each theme, however all other vehicles currently are generic for both default themes which sometimes feels off (like the "Smart car" discussion when it comes down to the NA theme)
  • Does this aim for new vehicles types? Maybe... to the introduction of the passenger helicopter which is currently missing a heliport service building which is logically part of the game but doesn't feature a building which features helicopter spawn locations and helicopter taxiways? A clear "maybe" I guess
  • I also hope to see some train meant for rural transportation like a slower yet more conventional train (not an EMU like the one currently but a single engine pulling railcars) and/or something more into the direction of a "railbus" (short diesel engine train like the "Alstom Coradia LINT")

Player Feedback
We have two groups testing our patches and providing valuable feedback before public release: a long-standing group of dedicated modders and a newer group of community representatives and prominent modders who joined through the application process last year. We recently held a more intimate meeting with representatives from the community, who shared their insights and conveyed those of their follower base, on what they wish to see in the game. Once the economy patch is out, we will also launch a survey to gather feedback from you, the broader community. This will ensure that we understand your experience and continue heading in the right direction. We are also continuously reading posts you share on our official channels and we appreciate all the good and constructive feedback we have received over the past few weeks.

Just some idea: whenever that triage mode, which still is ongoing, is over you could provide all players with public betas through Steam - maybe just reuse the early_access branch for this task. I'm sure people who are willing to provide constructive feedback on a pre release would appreciate this for patches in the coming years.

 

[MayorWanze]

More delays for content packs.. it's been nearly 8 months and we have just got 1 content pack.. You said it, it's low effort but would have huge impact. Have you considered more hiring or outsourcing? maybe hire people from other countries??

:/

yes they have recently made 4 more job positions available and were looking for staff but working at a small studio in finland isnt really an option for many professionals in game development, so its not easy to recruit talent

 

[Stealthy]

Their reason (we do not want to release paid content until we are satisfied with X and Y and Z) is a bad reason since multiple players already paid for this content.
If they just release, we get what we paid for and others can choose whether or not to buy. Right now, there is no choice, only money paid without goods delivered.

But thank you for becoming personal for no reason and calling names.

Sure. But the flip side is: these patches are better done before there is more added code in the game. When the game is what it was supposed to be, then it is easier and more stable to start bolting on new things to it. You don't want to complice work for no real reason.

Sure, we paid long time ago and haven't received the goods yet. But as a compensation they've added more stuff to the ultimate edition. Not ideal, but it is a good gesture, to add some compensation for the delay.

Large companies aren't as agile and flexible than single dev teams, hence the process is very different and takes more time. Applies to any business vertical.

 

[Xandrill]

So we are still in beta. I'll wait for the full version.
And for now... CS1 is working great!

 

[Civ5rako]

Great news and thanks for the transparency with timeframes etc… as a player I am very grateful!

I am taking your posting just as an example of the apparently positive reaction. Nothing personal.

Guys, have you read that announcement?
CO/PDX are active this week because they have to admit that again they have missed each and every timeline. It is just a litany of delays, postponements, unmet timelines.
After the "economy patch" there will be a time period of almost three months (if not more) in which nothing is going to change for the better.
And I am predicting radio silence after the "economy patch" again.

That is what they have just told us, nothing more. Ah, and console players shouldn't be too hopeful, that they did tell us as well.

 

[Desa13]

Thanks you for the console update!

 

[.NoWay.]

Sure. But the flip side is: these patches are better done before there is more added code in the game. When the game is what it was supposed to be, then it is easier and more stable to start bolting on new things to it. You don't want to complice work for no real reason.

Sure, we paid long time ago and haven't received the goods yet. But as a compensation they've added more stuff to the ultimate edition. Not ideal, but it is a good gesture, to add some compensation for the delay.

Large companies aren't as agile and flexible than single dev teams, hence the process is very different and takes more time. Applies to any business vertical.

Yet here we are, delayed again. Maybe we get more free stuff?
Also, asset packs don't change the game mechanics code.

 

[.NoWay.]

I am taking your posting just as an example of the apparently positive reaction. Nothing personal.

Guys, have you read that announcement?
CO/PDX are active this week because they have to admit that again they have missed each and every timeline. It is just a litany of delays, postponements, unmet timelines.
After the "economy patch" there will be a time period of almost three months (if not more) in which nothing is going to change for the better.
And I am predicting radio silence after the "economy patch" again.

That is what they have just told us, nothing more. Ah, and console players shouldn't be too hopeful, that they did tell us as well.

You are in for a lot of "disagree"s, like us other realists.

 

[Civ5rako]

You are in for a lot of "disagree"s, like us other realists.

I can easily live with that

 

[Fampa]

Thank you for the comunication . It seams to me that the game is now on the right track (although a little slowly)

 

[Licenturion]

Thank you for the update

Since you always say you love player feedback, why not open an open optional beta branch on Steam like most of the games of this genre do this days?

I could only help you get more feedback, track down bugs and system configuration specific problems you might miss otherwise. It will also relieve some pressure that people think that nothing is being worked on.

A lot of studios from smaller games to big games like Diablo 4, Sea Of Thieves, Elder Scrolls, No Man Sky, Manor Lords, etc do this.

 

[ma2412]

a good economy system is the primary goal - all other things can be fixed later

 

[Dumbell]

The next patch, expected after summer, will introduce some free content and other frequent requests, such as new service buildings and vehicles, as well as the addition of a surface tool to allow more freedom to paint the areas around buildings.

Great. I assume this surface tool would be similar to the current mechanic and surface tool mods' implementation?

If so I think a great addition would be if surfaces at least blended to a degree on the edges. The current surfaces seems to "clean" and unnatural. Or like others suggested a paint tool/brush with which blending can be achieved manually.

 

[whatiswrongwithyou]

Any update regarding support of mods in GeForce now??

I don't think it will ever be supported

 

[MarvinAnimation]

What about animations for citizens and police and fire man and building animations for buildings and parks. Also bikes? When will we see that to give more life to are cities?