Some dire threads about dehydrated colonists dying of thirst and pollution overwhelming everything made me worried 1.8 was a bigger bugfest than ever. I wasn't going to play it with a 100 population cap.
But when the 1.8.1 patch notes mentioned the population cap had been increased to 150, I decided to give it a go and find out for myself just how bad things were.
They weren't!
I've been very pleasantly surprised with how well balanced the game seems right now.
Yes, there is an early rush to build enough wells for drinking water. My 12 colonists consumed 12 water, and the first well only produced 4. Luckily I noticed the deficit in the top info bar (easily the best UI feature with the quick access to important detailed info it gives!) in time to add another more suitable well just as the first dehydration started. No-one died.
I'm now at 56 colonists, and consumption has crept up such that just as I barely have any surplus water production, a heatwave kicks in and they'll be dead in two days. And I've equally run out of concrete blocks by trading them away, right as I need them to build more wells... I have three storage tanks built, but the low excess production means they are only half full and will not be enough to endure the catastrophe.
My fault for thinking a cabbage seed was worth 200 concrete (and more), because there's plenty more of that to scavenge yet. My people will now suffer for my stupidity... (exactly as it should be!)
Pollution was similarly very awkward and tedious early on, but has now ceased to be a problem.
Existing radiation pools rapidly spread pollution to nearby buildings. From day 1, I spent much more time than I liked decontaminating. But it never overwhelmed. (And next time I know to leave more space, and not build so close.) But it's been OK, despite my "mistake".
Once I got an Environmental Station built, and cleaned up those glowing pink puddles, suddenly pollution is not a big problem anymore. And while the Station building itself produces lots of pollution, one maintenance depot keeps it under automatic control (covering the new aquafarm nearby, too), with just one worker.
Now, I only have to decontaminate an outhouse or three, at such infrequent intervals I don't even notice it.
Similarly, the under-nourished state of the entire colony from day 1 was a constant worry. But just as the first cases of MALnourishment arrived, I researched cook houses. Their nutritious meals have dealt with nourishment issues before anyone died. Now, I only have a few (or one) cases of undernourishment to deal with, and no malnourishment at all.
Helped very much by the increase in productivity of the logging camp to 20 firewood per day, meaning there is plenty of it for cooking and sauna-ing. I have only one camp with one worker supplying two cookhouses (with 2 staff each) at present, and I have an increasing stockpile of 225 firewood...
Early game problems fade away as the colony grows, but new ones arrive to keep the challenge fresh and interesting. I'm enjoying it greatly.
The challenge is to feel your way along, being aware of what your colonists really need, versus what they can live with (cooked meals and drinking water are much more important than comfortable houses or entertainment, for example)
I've managed to avoid the need for any guards thus far. But I can sense trouble brewing not far off. One wrong decision that upsets people and I'll have a riot on my hands. So I'll be researching guards soon, just to keep troubles in hand...
I'm not sure if the new population cap is going to be quite enough. I suspect I'll be wishing it was 200 when I hit it.
But so far, 1.8.1 is proving to be very enjoyable.
Challenging in a strangely realistic way, but nothing that common sense won't guide you through.
Sure, there is still some work to be done. But I'm reassured that isn't going to be a disaster, and the development is in safe hands after all.
It feels like (almost) everything has been moving in the right direction (almost = not sure I like the pink over the previous glowing green... but I can live with it. It's just more what is really needed, versus what I'd like...)
The increase in population cap to 150 persuaded me to give 1.8.1 a go (I previously gave up at update 6...)
I'm glad it did, because I'm finding 1.8.1 to be a nicely consistent game with most things tweaked the right way. I think it is much closer to the Goldilocks zone (of everything just right) than some of the most critical thread posts have been implying.
I have yet to get to the underground mining and more intensive manufacture. But with 56 colonists, it feels like I'm about to start a game with new power requirements and production balancing and serious trade.
And nice houses... I was shocked to find some colonists making babies in a tenement, and my 56 colonists now includes 14 children. The population boom is only just about to start, so what issues will that bring? More schools needed, for one. More water, more food - and those kids don't add to the workforce yet, so there'll be a new manpower pinch coming.
And this comes after many hours gameplay already.
That's a balancing act worthy and deserving of praise and credit, because these threads devolve into depressing criticism too often. I've been one of those critics in the past. So...
Good job. Please keep it coming...
But when the 1.8.1 patch notes mentioned the population cap had been increased to 150, I decided to give it a go and find out for myself just how bad things were.
They weren't!
I've been very pleasantly surprised with how well balanced the game seems right now.
Yes, there is an early rush to build enough wells for drinking water. My 12 colonists consumed 12 water, and the first well only produced 4. Luckily I noticed the deficit in the top info bar (easily the best UI feature with the quick access to important detailed info it gives!) in time to add another more suitable well just as the first dehydration started. No-one died.
I'm now at 56 colonists, and consumption has crept up such that just as I barely have any surplus water production, a heatwave kicks in and they'll be dead in two days. And I've equally run out of concrete blocks by trading them away, right as I need them to build more wells... I have three storage tanks built, but the low excess production means they are only half full and will not be enough to endure the catastrophe.
My fault for thinking a cabbage seed was worth 200 concrete (and more), because there's plenty more of that to scavenge yet. My people will now suffer for my stupidity... (exactly as it should be!)
Pollution was similarly very awkward and tedious early on, but has now ceased to be a problem.
Existing radiation pools rapidly spread pollution to nearby buildings. From day 1, I spent much more time than I liked decontaminating. But it never overwhelmed. (And next time I know to leave more space, and not build so close.) But it's been OK, despite my "mistake".
Once I got an Environmental Station built, and cleaned up those glowing pink puddles, suddenly pollution is not a big problem anymore. And while the Station building itself produces lots of pollution, one maintenance depot keeps it under automatic control (covering the new aquafarm nearby, too), with just one worker.
Now, I only have to decontaminate an outhouse or three, at such infrequent intervals I don't even notice it.
Similarly, the under-nourished state of the entire colony from day 1 was a constant worry. But just as the first cases of MALnourishment arrived, I researched cook houses. Their nutritious meals have dealt with nourishment issues before anyone died. Now, I only have a few (or one) cases of undernourishment to deal with, and no malnourishment at all.
Helped very much by the increase in productivity of the logging camp to 20 firewood per day, meaning there is plenty of it for cooking and sauna-ing. I have only one camp with one worker supplying two cookhouses (with 2 staff each) at present, and I have an increasing stockpile of 225 firewood...
Early game problems fade away as the colony grows, but new ones arrive to keep the challenge fresh and interesting. I'm enjoying it greatly.
The challenge is to feel your way along, being aware of what your colonists really need, versus what they can live with (cooked meals and drinking water are much more important than comfortable houses or entertainment, for example)
I've managed to avoid the need for any guards thus far. But I can sense trouble brewing not far off. One wrong decision that upsets people and I'll have a riot on my hands. So I'll be researching guards soon, just to keep troubles in hand...
I'm not sure if the new population cap is going to be quite enough. I suspect I'll be wishing it was 200 when I hit it.
But so far, 1.8.1 is proving to be very enjoyable.
Challenging in a strangely realistic way, but nothing that common sense won't guide you through.
Sure, there is still some work to be done. But I'm reassured that isn't going to be a disaster, and the development is in safe hands after all.
It feels like (almost) everything has been moving in the right direction (almost = not sure I like the pink over the previous glowing green... but I can live with it. It's just more what is really needed, versus what I'd like...)
The increase in population cap to 150 persuaded me to give 1.8.1 a go (I previously gave up at update 6...)
I'm glad it did, because I'm finding 1.8.1 to be a nicely consistent game with most things tweaked the right way. I think it is much closer to the Goldilocks zone (of everything just right) than some of the most critical thread posts have been implying.
I have yet to get to the underground mining and more intensive manufacture. But with 56 colonists, it feels like I'm about to start a game with new power requirements and production balancing and serious trade.
And nice houses... I was shocked to find some colonists making babies in a tenement, and my 56 colonists now includes 14 children. The population boom is only just about to start, so what issues will that bring? More schools needed, for one. More water, more food - and those kids don't add to the workforce yet, so there'll be a new manpower pinch coming.
And this comes after many hours gameplay already.
That's a balancing act worthy and deserving of praise and credit, because these threads devolve into depressing criticism too often. I've been one of those critics in the past. So...
Good job. Please keep it coming...
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