Should the game take longer?

[JimmyAgnt007]

Since this is on a different planet with different rotational periods. (And a wobbly axis given how often days change lol) can we do away with the months?  Just use the 4 seasons instead?

[Adamiks]

I have a idea but this wouldbe more time consuming for Tynan.

Smaller planets should rotate faster and bigger planets - slower. So players could choose what speed they want. Or this can be a simple option when creating world/map or something.

I know this isn't a rule in real life because some collision can slow down rotation etc. but this would make at least a minimal sense.

[FMJ Penguin]

We're actually already doubling the day length (ticks per day) for the next alpha.

Happy day 

[akiceabear]

Note that doubling ticks in the day doesn't mean your pawn will get anything done faster in player time, just that there will be twice as much day and night in each cycle... I like the idea of longer days/seasons, just commenting that it doesn't address the relative time required for tasks mentioned here unless rebalanced significantly in addition.

One possible way the change mentioned by Tynan will help is if nutrition needs are scaled to the new day. Meals will still take time, but take place less frequently (by player time). That said, changing the relative times needed for most tasks has very large implications for gameplay - Eg if mountain digging becomes too easy or hard versus construction outside. I personally find the current balance reasonable.

I'm not sympathetic to complaints about distance and travel time. The game clearly isn't aiming for pure realism with regards to scale: all of the power structures are completely misscaled, for example a geothermal plant the size of a few queen size beds. Anyway, the largest map sizes should feel big - if you can traverse it in a hour it isn't functionally any different than a small map. A better solution is improved pawn AI regarding taking meals and rests mid task.

[Ykara]

We're actually already doubling the day length (ticks per day) for the next alpha.

Nice!

[FMJ Penguin]

Looks like day tics are changing. He didn't say night tics where(could be making more out of it than it is though haha) which means less sleepy and more getting stuff done. Sounds perty good to me. And if waiting around for travel times is the actual complaint, fast forward is still there?

[akiceabear]

My read is day=24 hours, doubling a day includes both daytime and nighttime ticks - but again, just my read.

[FMJ Penguin]

prolly right, wishful thinkin

[CB elite]

Longer days and nights means night owls get more time to get stuff done at night, too

I have yet to do it yet, but I'm super stoked to start my first nocturnal colony once the day lengths are extended.

[NoImageAvailable]

We're actually already doubling the day length (ticks per day) for the next alpha.

Honest question: why? The game already feels barren, colonies just run on autopilot until the monthly raid happens, so what's the purpose behind increasing downtime even more?

[FMJ Penguin]

@Elite
O_o good point lol. Soooo gonna try that if I remember

@NIA
mods I suppose. Not so much weapon based mods as they don't really add additional time sinks for the most part.

Native may feel that way though. Haven't played straight up native for ages so couldn't say. Slider would be welcome for cycle lengths but prolly a pain in the butt otherwise I'd think we'd already have something like it. Even just a few steps would maybe be enough, 1x-1.5x-2x etc.   

[akiceabear]

@NIA
mods I suppose. Not so much weapon based mods as they don't really add additional time sinks for the most part.

Native may feel that way though. Haven't played straight up native for ages so couldn't say. Slider would be welcome for cycle lengths but prolly a pain in the butt otherwise I'd think we'd already have something like it. Even just a few steps would maybe be enough, 1x-1.5x-2x etc.

Mods aren't a very good reason to rebalance vanilla. If this is the real concern they should just make day length and other tick-based activities more easily moddable.

[FMJ Penguin]

@NIA
mods I suppose. Not so much weapon based mods as they don't really add additional time sinks for the most part.

Native may feel that way though. Haven't played straight up native for ages so couldn't say. Slider would be welcome for cycle lengths but prolly a pain in the butt otherwise I'd think we'd already have something like it. Even just a few steps would maybe be enough, 1x-1.5x-2x etc.

Mods aren't a very good reason to rebalance vanilla. If this is the real concern they should just make day length and other tick-based activities more easily moddable.

very true

Although, it seems some folks are overwhelmed even in native? Donno shrugs

[zandadoum]

Although, it seems some folks are overwhelmed even in native? Donno shrugs

it's not that i feel overwhelmed by the current state of vanilla, it just doesn't make sense to me or balanced, that your colonists need 3h. to wake up and take breakfast. 8h. to kill a few invading raids, and above all: 3h. to load, aim and shoot a mortar (when that has it's own display showing 50 seconds)

doubling the time it takes for a day will fix some of those things, specially related to moving from A to B within a reasonable and more balanced amount of time.

[akiceabear]

doubling the time it takes for a day will fix some of those things, specially related to moving from A to B within a reasonable and more balanced amount of time.

You aren't talking about balance (is the relative distribution of time needed for tasks reasonable within the game play), you're talking about realism (does the number of tasks I finish in 1 game hour match what I can do in 1 real world hour).

Also, doubling the the time in each day possibly will change your gameplay zero, assuming the relative ticks required for each task are maintained or simply scaled up. Yes, you can fit more in a "day", but you will fit the exact same amount of actions in 1 (real world) hour of play.