Changes most noticeable since Park Life

[PDRoy]

Garbage:

Recycle plants are less effective with Park Life, the reduction in effectiveness is around one third, which means you have to add a lot of possessing capabilities to your game after PL is installed.

I always thought the recycle plants were way too powerful, with PL they're more realistic, but it also means garbage possessing is way more costly in the game now, making it more difficult to balance the book.

Recycle plants also require water supply now, again it's more realistic.

Tourist tax income:

Tax income from tourist dropped by around one fifth with PL, it is noticed when none of the theme parks is built and running, maybe with those parks in force the income will go back up.

 

[Turjan]

I noticed the garbage change. My city was suddenly swamped in garbage.

Does anyone know how to deselect the new filters? I accidentally pressed the second filter (looks like a large building) in the road tab, which of course didn't return any results, but I could not deselect it anymore, which means I could not select any roads.

 

[Beer Fiend]

I noticed the drop in Tourist revenue massively.

 

[Fox_NS_CAN]

Does anyone know how to deselect the new filters? I accidentally pressed the second filter (looks like a large building) in the road tab, which of course didn't return any results, but I could not deselect it anymore, which means I could not select any roads.

The only place I even see it in ROADS is in the INTERSECTIONS tab. I can select and deselect by clicking the same button. It goes on-off.

 

[Fox_NS_CAN]

Recycle plants are less effective with Park Life, the reduction in effectiveness is around one third, which means you have to add a lot of possessing capabilities to your game after PL is installed.

Water usage: +240 cubes/week
(Construction) Cost: 2x
Processing Rate: 1/2

To have the same Processing Rate, you'd have to build two.
Pro: You'd get double the trucks.
Cons: 4x the original cost, 2x the upkeep, 2x the power, 2x the pollution. Plus water consumption. Takes up twice the space.

 

[Promethian]

Recycling is still more efficient than the incinerators. People were balancing the budget with incinerators before Parklife and they will deal with recycling being less effective now. Overall I'd say a good change.

It seems they rebalanced tourist tax income vs park ticket prices. The new parks are capable of being tremendously profitable. Tourists are also strongly drawn to them. I suspect a level 5 park with a good price set brings in much more income from tourists than the old system did.

 

[Fox_NS_CAN]

Recycling is still more efficient than the incinerators. People were balancing the budget with incinerators before Parklife and they will deal with recycling being less effective now. Overall I'd say a good change.

Agreed.

Also, there's something different about you. Did you cut your hair?

 

[metatoaster]

Recycling is still more efficient than the incinerators. People were balancing the budget with incinerators before Parklife and they will deal with recycling being less effective now. Overall I'd say a good change.

It seems they rebalanced tourist tax income vs park ticket prices. The new parks are capable of being tremendously profitable. Tourists are also strongly drawn to them. I suspect a level 5 park with a good price set brings in much more income from tourists than the old system did.

See, this is why I think Paradox's dlc model is bad for games. They've rebalanced the base game (from what I understand) around a DLC feature some people won't have. If the game was challenging in any way this would be a big issue.

Major expansions should simply require all previous ones, this way they could really build on previous mechanics and the balance would be better. People were complaining about that model in the Hearts of Iron III days, but they don't realize what they've lost.

 

[Steve B.]

Agreed.

Also, there's something different about you. Did you cut your hair?

Got a good laugh out of this.

 

[Steve B.]

They've rebalanced the base game (from what I understand) around a DLC feature some people won't have.

This isn't the case. The recycling centers mentioned are only available to those with the Green Cities DLC. I'm disappointed that they have decided to downgrade the centers handling numbers. I have used them exclusively since the DLC was launched. I suppose I'll simply have to add more.

Major expansions should simply require all previous ones

This would make the purchase of all previous DLCs a necessary condition of buying further DLCs and playing the game. While I do, indeed, own all of them (except the stupid radio stations) a great many players cannot afford to do so. The vanilla game is a perfectly good game. Yes, it's missing some of the great things the devs have added to the game; but making it a requirement to be able to play the game would, IMO, be wrong.

 

[Turjan]

Agreed.

By the way, because I didn't want to spam dozens of additional recycling centers in my city, I reinstated the "Recycling" policy. That one was much too expensive compared to those recycling centers. Now it's still not quite worth it, but much less so. And yes, a few upgraded parks bring in the profits, as long as you don't put too much stuff into them. Of course, you can then still raise the ticket prices, and cims don't seem to be too concerned.

 

[Promethian]

Agreed.

Also, there's something different about you. Did you cut your hair?

Got a good laugh out of this.

I'm a little surprised I am well known enough on this forum my avatar changing is cause for humor.

 

[Beer Fiend]

I'll just use the Customize It! Mod.

 

[Avanya]

See, this is why I think Paradox's dlc model is bad for games. They've rebalanced the base game (from what I understand) around a DLC feature some people won't have. If the game was challenging in any way this would be a big issue.

Major expansions should simply require all previous ones, this way they could really build on previous mechanics and the balance would be better. People were complaining about that model in the Hearts of Iron III days, but they don't realize what they've lost.

No, just no... Part of what's good about the DLCs is how you can pick and choose which ones you want. Forcing 300 models from Green Cities on someone who will never use any of them is just a waste of RAM. Forcing Natural Disasters on someone means you HAVE to deal with tree fires (they're not a disaster so can't be turned off without mods). It makes the whole game a lot less accessable to players if you HAVE to get all the previous DLCs.

 

[metatoaster]

This isn't the case. The recycling centers mentioned are only available to those with the Green Cities DLC. I'm disappointed that they have decided to downgrade the centers handling numbers. I have used them exclusively since the DLC was launched. I suppose I'll simply have to add more.

I was talking about the tourism income, which they seem to have lowered in the base game to accommodate Parklife. It makes your "choice" of buying the dlcs or not a moot point.

I don't know any gamer poor enough to not being able to afford a 15$ dlc every 6 months btw. Like, c'mon.

No, just no... Part of what's good about the DLCs is how you can pick and choose which ones you want. Forcing 300 models from Green Cities on someone who will never use any of them is just a waste of RAM. Forcing Natural Disasters on someone means you HAVE to deal with tree fires (they're not a disaster so can't be turned off without mods). It makes the whole game a lot less accessable to players if you HAVE to get all the previous DLCs.

Your arguments just don't work. It would be trivial for the devs to give options for that stuff, use your imagination a bit.

The main point is that with this DLC model, CO/Paradox have already locked themselves out of adding so many things to this game. For instance it's highly unlikely they'll implement a full seasons cycle now, or make another DLC that involves snow in any way, because it would devalue Snowfall.

Deciding what to put into the free patch and what in a reasonably well-rounded DLC is a frigging headache for them.

On the other hand if they knew that everyone had (for example) Snowfall, they could freely modify and upgrade the snow mechanics, properly balance the whole game without worrying about all possible combinations of DLCs... Continuous improvement leading to a masterpiece at the end instead of moving mostly sideways.

You guys just don't know what's in your best interest.

 

[Turjan]

I don't know any gamer poor enough to not being able to afford a 15$ dlc every 6 months btw. Like, c'mon.

There are enough gamers from some Asian countries that complain about the prices. Also, you completely forget new players. It makes a difference if you can look whether the game is for you by just buying the base game or if you have to buy now all the DLC's at once. And the base game without any DLC's ist completely playable as is. I know that, because I have such a setup for testing purposes.

Also, the base game plus all DLC's exceeds guaranteed minimum specs. If you have a computer with 4 GB RAM, it will have to use virtual memory.

You guys just don't know what's in your best interest.

I guess Avanya just told you why your suggestion won't happen.

 

[Avanya]

Deciding what to put into the free patch and what in a reasonably well-rounded DLC is a frigging headache for them.
........
You guys just don't know what's in your best interest.

Man, it's so good to have people like you to tell us what we want and think!

Also, you completely forget new players. It makes a difference if you can look whether the game is for you by just buying the base game or if you have to buy now all the DLC's at once.

^ This! So much this! People are already hesitating because of the many DLCs and the amount you'd have to pay to get them all - and that's just because they want them and not because they have to have them to play.

 

[JPCosta]

Guys, am I the only one that is now unable to plop any park asset by snapping it to the grid?

 

[Steve B.]

I was talking about the tourism income, which they seem to have lowered in the base game to accommodate Parklife. It makes your "choice" of buying the dlcs or not a moot point. I don't know any gamer poor enough to not being able to afford a 15$ dlc every 6 months btw. Like, c'mon.

Well if this is indeed true, they shouldn't have done it. I haven't played the game yet since the patch (waiting for mods to be updated). But, although I have built tourist districts that greatly increased my tourist income, I have never found tourism to be particularly profitable. Besides, money is not significant in the game.

They began giving the base game away for a paltry $7.50. I doubt that very many of the newer players bought it for the thirty bucks release price. Consequently, they see a cost of twice the price they paid for the base game as ridiculous. Many of the players are kids for whom $15 is a lot of money.

For instance it's highly unlikely they'll implement a full seasons cycle now, or make another DLC that involves snow in any way, because it would devalue Snowfall.

First of all, the devs have already categorically stated that there will never be full seasons in the game. Snowfall was the result of their attempt to accomplish a dlc with full seasons. For whatever reasons, they were unable to do it. Snowfall is already greatly devalued. Although it contains several good things besides trams, most players buy it only for the trams.

Deciding what to put into the free patch and what in a reasonably well-rounded DLC is a frigging headache for them.

I don't believe this is true at all. From release, the devs have stated that they have numerous ideas for the game that they want to develop. I don't think they are anywhere near finished with their plans.

You guys just don't know what's in your best interest.

This is just plain arrogant.

 

[Turjan]

^ This! So much this! People are already hesitating because of the many DLCs and the amount you'd have to pay to get them all - and that's just because they want them and not because they have to have them to play.

Yup, I see questions like that pop up on Reddit and elsewhere all the time. That's probably what "free to play" weekends like the current one are supposed to help with, so people can see that the base game is perfectly playable on its own. Plus, it's moddable.