I get the impression that in say 200 hours you'll get a large, self-sustaining town or perhaps city, essentially beating the game. It's unclear whether the game developer has further plans for the game. How much can people do through mods and where do you see mods carrying the game? Is Banished a game that can be played or will be playable long term, setting aside challenges and such?
bah personally, since the mod kit is out... i never played a game anymore :P and i really dunno if i will able again one day ^^ probably. will see
It really depends on the creativity of the players. Now that the mod kit is out, there is a chance that this game might last as long as Simcity 4 Deluxe (still going strong after 12 years), or it might just die out when the novelty wears off.
Luke is doing some really good work, and I'd hate to see it go the way of the shoot-'em-ups.
I've probably got 600-700 hours in the game, and I feel like I'm just getting started. Began a new town last week using mods for the first time, it's almost new again.
I have to agree with
@irrelevant. According to Steam, I have 777 hours of playing, and I certainly don't feel like I've exhausted the possibilities. Even without the mods, there always seemed to be new goals that you could set for yourself that changed the way you might develop a town. With the mods, the possibilities have only been increased in number.
Are there multiple ways to develop towns without some let's call them subjectively pointless artificial goals? As I implied in the first post, I'm not interested in reading about challenges or "I want a vegetarian town" stuff. (I wish I could still take Adderall.) Is the game deep enough to have different kinds of towns? What would the point be? Just going through possibilities or would there be a deeper purpose? One example would be adapting to the setting (say, a mining town or community), another building a learned town/city.
Why would mods, more specifically, make the experience feel "almost new again"?
Quote from: A Nonny Moose on October 13, 2014, 08:36:47 AMIt really depends on the creativity of the players.
I thought only so much can be done with the mod kit?
PS
Please don't be overzealous trying to deal with spam. At least remove the question part for posting.
Quote from: snapster on October 13, 2014, 09:31:39 AM
Are there multiple ways to develop towns without some let's call them subjectively pointless artificial goals? As I implied in the first post, I'm not interested in reading about challenges or "I want a vegetarian town" stuff. (I wish I could still take Adderall.) Is the game deep enough to have different kinds of towns? What would the point be? Just going through possibilities or would there be a deeper purpose? One example would be adapting to the setting (say, a mining town or community), another building a learned town/city.
Why would mods, more specifically, make the experience feel "almost new again"?
Playing any game is by definition going to involve subjectively pointless artificial goals. What is the point of playing a game?
In response to a vegetarian challenge, I built a different kind of town. In response to trying to gain three achievements (Mountain Men, Isolationist, One with Nature) I built a kind of town that was radically different from anything I had previously done, learned a lot and had a blast doing it. In response to self-imposed goals and restrictions I built a pop 6000 town that made extensive use of farming and manufacturing, rather than just trading firewood for logs which is the typical and easiest way to boom.
Now the mods have totally changed the game by giving us new options and encouraging us to find ways to use them. I find myself re-thinking most of my previous building strategies in order to make use of the new structures and take advantage of their benefits.
Without subjectively pointless artificial goals, I would be hard-pressed not to make the same town over and over. Yes, I can see how that would be boring.
Quote from: irrelevant on October 13, 2014, 09:46:16 AMIn response to self-imposed goals and restrictions I built a pop 6000 town that made extensive use of farming and manufacturing, rather than just trading firewood for logs which is the typical and easiest way to boom.
So basically this game has a long way to go. The question is whether anyone would take it there. Anyone actually even get the point?
Quote from: snapster on October 13, 2014, 09:31:39 AM
Are there multiple ways to develop towns without some let's call them subjectively pointless artificial goals? As I implied in the first post, I'm not interested in reading about challenges or "I want a vegetarian town" stuff. (I wish I could still take Adderall.) Is the game deep enough to have different kinds of towns? What would the point be? Just going through possibilities or would there be a deeper purpose? One example would be adapting to the setting (say, a mining town or community), another building a learned town/city.
Why would mods, more specifically, make the experience feel "almost new again"?
It sounds like you want someone to tell you why you, personally, would want to keep playing the game. You can't discount how / why others are enjoying the game if you want an answer to your original questions, and no one can answer you without being subjective because how each of us play the game and what we get out of it is going to be different, including a lot of those "subjectively pointless artificial goals" that you aren't interested in.
Neither the game nor the mods is going to hand anyone a pre-built reason for playing, but they can open up various ways of playing. Mods can add new production chains, enabling new play styles focused on those things. Though you aren't interested in it, the Vegan Town is a perfect example of that - mods provide alternative resources (plant-based textiles) that make such a thing possible, whereas in the base game you need animal products just to make clothing.
I'll just wait for a good response.
Quote from: snapster on October 13, 2014, 09:31:39 AM
Are there multiple ways to develop towns without some let's call them subjectively pointless artificial goals? As I implied in the first post, I'm not interested in reading about challenges or "I want a vegetarian town" stuff. (I wish I could still take Adderall.) Is the game deep enough to have different kinds of towns? What would the point be? Just going through possibilities or would there be a deeper purpose? One example would be adapting to the setting (say, a mining town or community), another building a learned town/city.
Why would mods, more specifically, make the experience feel "almost new again"?
Based on what you've said, I guess I'm at a loss to explain why you play games at all. You might call the goals I set for myself in playing Banished pointless and artificial, but they work for me, and they keep the game enjoyable. The game is as 'deep' as you make it. Many towns, even with different ultimate goals in mind, start similarly because survival at the start has to come first; but, the further development of the town once basic survival is ensured is entirely up to you, and you certainly don't have to do it the same every time. Your examples of developing a mining town or a learned town, and acknowledging they would develop differently, seem to argue that the game is perhaps 'deeper' than your original post suggests.
I guess that I am a different kind of gamer than you are
@snapster. I hate game-imposed goals and stick with games where I can pursue my own subjective goals. That's one reason I've got 1089 hours for Banished on my Steam counter (It still hasn't quite passed Civ 5 with 1742 hours). It doesn't set what I consider artificial goals and it lets me pursue what I want. If I want a a trading empire today, I'll do that. Tomorrow maybe I'll want a series of farming villages, so I'll do that. Sometimes I get an "achievement," sometimes I don't. I suppose that is why I prefer the gameplay of the original Railroad Tycoon and RRT Deluxe to the sequels: The original just let me build railroads to my heart's content and somebody decided that wasn't enough for the sequels. I basically used the scenario editor to deconstruct all the scenarios so I could do what I wanted on the maps. Games that impose "scenarios" with "goals" on me don't live long on my hard drive.
Of course, I was always the sort that thought "curiosity-driven" research would produce more useful knowledge in the end than government or corporate mandated "results" (there's a laugh) research, so I'm clearly a dinosaur headed for extinction--but I'm a happy dinosaur. ;D
Suit yourselves.
Quote from: snapster on October 13, 2014, 09:58:32 AM
I'll just wait for a good response.
Quote from: snapster on October 13, 2014, 10:04:59 AM
Suit yourselves.
Nice. So you're just looking to move on then? "No, the game is shit"? Would that be a "good answer"?
There are many ways to play the game, to build towns, but if you just want to move on, then do that. The game isn't for everybody.
Quote from: snapster on October 13, 2014, 09:58:32 AM
I'll just wait for a good response.
If none of these responses seems good, then I'd have to say that you're right, this game has nothing that would be of further interest to you, and it is unlikely to do so in the future.
Quote from: Pangaea on October 13, 2014, 10:08:48 AMThe game isn't for everybody.
Out of curiosity, is this why some of you play it?
What is a learned town in Banished?
Just my perspective, of course, but I think
@snapster may just be one of those folks who posts on forums for effect -- not interested in discussion, doesn't respect others' opinions, just wants to raise hackles.
Just sayin' ...
Unfortunately it looks like you're correct. We have these creatures in old Norwegian folk tales too.
I've yet to encounter a particularly intelligent troll hunter. What is a learned town in Banished? I might just have more passion for the game than some of you "smart" losers playing it.
Quote from: snapster on October 13, 2014, 10:21:04 AM
What is a learned town in Banished?
You tell us ... you brought it up. I'm assuming you mean a population that is mostly/completely educated (by schools in the vanilla version of the game). There are advantages to educating your population in the game, especially in terms of productivity for certain occupations. These advantages are something to work toward.
I haven't played the game, genius, hence why I'm asking.
Quote from: salamander on October 13, 2014, 10:26:34 AMI'm assuming you mean a population that is mostly/completely educated (by schools in the vanilla version of the game). There are advantages to educating your population in the game, especially in terms of productivity for certain occupations. These advantages are something to work toward.
Is this achievable without focusing on education, say just by developing a "regular" town? Does it open further possibilities? What does increased productivity lead to?
You haven't played the game yet, and are here hellbent on criticising its alleged simplicity? Awesome. Maybe try it then? We keep telling you towns can be built in many ways.
In other (sad) news, it doesn't appear possible to ignore users on this forum. Back to the old way then.
No, dummy, I'm trying to determine whether I should invest my time and money in it, perhaps help it along the way. Should be quite clear, actually, were you not too busy hunting for trolls. Pray, do tell, what else do you do, troll hunter? Are you a jack of all trades or have you not graduated your simple mind to it yet? Posters like you are quite good at polluting forums with tripe.
Quote from: snapster on October 13, 2014, 10:30:18 AM
Quote from: salamander on October 13, 2014, 10:26:34 AMI'm assuming you mean a population that is mostly/completely educated (by schools in the vanilla version of the game). There are advantages to educating your population in the game, especially in terms of productivity for certain occupations. These advantages are something to work toward.
Is this achievable without focusing on education, say just by developing a "regular" town? Does it open further possibilities? What does increased productivity lead to?
Let's jump ahead a little bit. If a learned town in Banished is a town that is "mostly or completely educated", the context implying a simple "mechanic", which is not very difficult to achieve without specialization, mostly leading to marginal improvements in productivity in terms of opening the game or some path or branch of the game, then... come on, people, does this sound like what a learned town should be? Somewhere therein lies the difference between shallow and deep. Nothing to do with subjectivity or your dislike of the government.
In your terms, the game is indeed shallow. Pretty sure it would fail to hold your interest.
Then there's what's the point? What's the challenge? Will the challenge of a learned town be to not succumb to fires, tornadoes, cold, and hunger? The point would be just to see universities go up and professors strutting up and down the streets of your towns?
Quote from: irrelevant on October 13, 2014, 11:12:26 AM
In your terms, the game is indeed shallow. Pretty sure it would fail to hold your interest.
Well, can it be made deeper? Mods? Would the developer be interested in continuing?
I might actually suck at what you people do, but regardless, not like this stuff doesn't amount to an improvement of the game. Seems to accommodate everyone.
Four or five different people wrote replies on the first page that explained where they found the challenge. Clearly that sort of thing isn't for you. You are not likely to persuade anyone here to stop playing, and there's probably no one here who would care to try to persuade you.
There are no professors strutting anywhere in this game; they're either in their school, or taking food and firewood to their house, or maybe idling in a cemetery; this isn't the Sims.
I couldn't care less whether you stop playing. You're so petty you even found a way to disparage what would undoubtedly be an improvement. This thread is actually constructive. Behold, peasants!
It's disgusting how pathetic some of you are. And you even dare to claim the higher ground, with ease too.
The developer has released a mod package that allows modders to make some additions. There will never be multiplayer. You cannot change AI behavior. The possible mods are limited. If the basic game does not interest you there is no way to mod it sufficiently to make it to your taste.
At least I'm replying without going out of my way to be insulting.
Insults, if true, are actually very constructive. Or have you intelligent folk never been impeded by the dumb?
Where's the ambition in this thread, irrelevant? So you're satisfied with the way the game is and what the mod kit allows for? That's... that's it? Even if the game could be improved much further you don't really care?
Quote from: snapster on October 13, 2014, 11:20:14 AM
I couldn't care less whether you stop playing. You're so petty you even found a way to disparage what would undoubtedly be an improvement. This thread is actually constructive. Behold, peasants!
It's disgusting how pathetic some of you are. And you even dare to claim the higher ground, with ease too.
Oh dear,
@snapster, you have really gone over the top here. Would it be at all possible to say what you need to say without coming across as arrogant and nasty? You are getting to the point of discrediting yourself, which I'm sure you don't really want to do.
You, dear sir, have just admitted to not reading the thread. Discrediting doesn't work by your lowly standards. Venture a comment on the learned town thing? Do you understand what a constructive discussion is about?
I think it's a great game. I said I had put several hundred hours into it, so my satisfaction is obvious. There are scores of mods that have added significant amounts of chrome to the basic game. Yet you would still call it shallow, as the game has not really changed that much, you still are doing the same basic thing: trying to balance food production, resource collection, and population growth so the town does not fall into a death spiral in one way or another. I don't have a long list of things I want to see added or changed, I don't really wish for undefined "improvements." The developer has made it pretty clear that no such improvements are forthcoming in any case.
Quote from: irrelevant on October 13, 2014, 11:32:57 AMYet you would still call it shallow, as the game has not really changed that much...
...
I don't really wish for undefined "improvements."
There's someone else who doesn't read when participating constructively. Quite the paradox. Why are you posting in this thread, irrelevant? I think it would move better if you didn't.
I was just thinking the same thing. Hope you've had fun here! :)
Thank you. ;)
@snapster -- I'm done. I thought about trying to bring the topic back to an even keel to try to answer your questions about the game (I missed that you hadn't played the game yet, and were looking for information about it before purchasing), but your approach is not appealing. You can sarcastically call me a 'genius' or a 'smart loser' all you want -- I've been called worse -- but when you start the name-calling, calling
@irrelevant 'dummy' comes to mind when he's one of the more experienced players of the game, I have to say "theres' no point."
Good luck with your approach to dealing with others.
Quote from: salamander on October 13, 2014, 12:00:32 PM(I missed that you hadn't played the game yet, and were looking for information about it before purchasing)
Why wouldn't you? I also don't think it was irrelevant I was calling a dummy. Skimming and speed-reading can get you a PhD but I guess it doesn't prepare you for a simple thread. Thank you for leaving the thread as well.
Quote from: salamander on October 13, 2014, 12:03:46 PM
Quote from: slink on October 13, 2014, 11:58:53 AM
I thought a curmudgeon had to be a bachelor male? Maybe there is hope for me, if not. ;D
My wife (after an actual legal ceremony) would say you might be incorrect about the bachelor part. I think a large part of being a curmudgeon is not being willing to put up with BS. :)
Anyone read this forum with a vomit bucket handy?
Despite my last post, is there a question you would like to ask? I understand now that you haven't played the game yet, and may be considering purchasing it, and there are many folks here, with a considerable amount of experience with the game, who have been playing it for quite awhile.
The trick is you have to ask a question that can be answered -- issues such as 'deep' vs. 'shallow' are a matter of personal opinion. You don't have to agree with what we think, but you also can't fault us for our beliefs.
Let's cut the crap that's happened so far. If you can ask objective questions that can be answered objectively, I'm sure you'll find that there's a fair amount of experience to draw on in this forum. You may decide to purchase the game, or you may not -- that's entirely your decision -- but you have to give it a fair chance.
Peace.
@snapsterStop barking and go back to your basket, there's a good boy.
Ok folks, I'm going to lock this thread. Let's all make sure we are not having a miscommunication and taking issue with posters because of a misunderstanding. If it seems someone is not seeing things the same way you do, make sure its not confusion. If you feel the poster(s) is are not going to see things your way, let it go and find another post to help/contribute/enjoy.
Thank you!
Let me state for everyone's benefit that I realize there are some on the internet that think aggressive verbal sparring and even trolling is a useful behavior but I do not subscribe to this at all. Verbal abuse is still considered assault and will not be tolerated. Trolling is already out of control on the internet and has created a herd of self important, self deluded bullies. Let's keep things above board and helpful.