Settlement Update So Far

Nikink, I also play Plague Inc and I absolutely love it. In fact I think it could appeal to anyone with an interest in the God game genre and world-simulators, so I would recommend it to just about everyone here.

You know, after some more thinking. Two of the main problems with the timers in Godus aren't necessarily the timers.
Lets take two other games as counterpoint examples (and you could apply countless others easily aswell).

The abovementioned Plague Inc has quite a bit of waiting involved. But as I mentioned, the waiting isn't going on forever and there is a definite sense of progression over a relatively short timespan.
Another comparison to be made would be Civilization, just think of it. The time it takes to 'grow' a town in that game early on compared to later on in the game is drastically different. Early on towns grow pretty fast but during late game, unless you're really hoarding food production, its gonna take quite a while.

So whats different? If all three games are inherently riddles with waiting?
I'd say some of the key differences are these:
1 Pacing - Neither Plague Inc nor Civilization feel like you're waiting on the game to progress, in Civ you end your turn and it ticks over the clock for you. If you're faster, the game goes faster and if you're slower, the game goes slower. But thats it. In Plague Inc you're more restricted, but the game never feels like its weighing you down. It doesn't force you to go get a coffee because there's jackshit to do.
2 Activities - In both Plague Inc and Civilization there is enough to do while waiting. Which is funny considering how little there is to do in Plague Inc aside from popping bubbles, watching the disease spread and reading the news feed. But ultimately, what there is to do is inherently tied into the main game itself. The actions are relevant, you're not just performing actions for the sake of actions. The actions contribute to an overarching goal.

Godus kinda has you doing chores for the sake of doing chores. Without you having any motivation to do so.
And this is because the game is designed around the concept that you do not PLAY this game. But that the game plays itself.
You set up the game and then leave it running only to come back during your next coffee break X hours later.

But perhaps the biggest problem and difference is the *in your face* effect of the timers. Imagine if Plague Inc told you you had to wait 5 minutes for the next genetic pop-up... Imagine if Civilization told you that it'd take 15 minutes before you could take your next action...
That wouldn't work. And that is exactly what Godus does. It TELLS YOU, you can't do anything untill x amount of minutes have passed.

And what is Peter's defense on this? But you've been playing the game WRONG! We misunderstood his vision and we're purposefully playing the game wrong.
Yes that has to be it, there's nothing wrong with the game there's something wrong with the player. If only you'd stop being so stubborn and play the game in the singularly effective way it was MEANT to be played it'd all just work.

The Dev Commentary - while providing some insight into how they intended you to play the game - just adds insult to injury. Not only does the Dev Commentary (and its connected tutorial) deign to tell you that you're doing it wrong and that you should do it differently.
It also half the time introduces you to new options only to tell you NOT to take it, because reasons.
It almost seems like they're adding things into the game without having a clear reason why at this point.


An amusing observation relating to the Dev Com - I'm not sure exactly at which point this was (I believe whether to spend gems right away and rush ahead or to hoard them), but you effectively hear Peter say how he wants to hoard the gems and just slowly tend to his zen-garden.
After which Jack chimes in how he usually spends them right away because he wants to progress more quickly.
I wonder if the intentionally are sounding like 2 conflicting advisors there... Much like the good and evil guides in B&W ;p

Yes, its true that you have to activate the buildings to "reset" the timers every so often.
But lets be honest, pressing or 'swiping' a bunch of timers every 5/15/30/60+ minutes isn't "playing a game".
So even WITH that in mind, all you do is set up the game and it runs itself with minimal interference.
ANYTHING you do is already stated to get a punishment.

Do you leash your followers around a lot? There will be negative consequences for that.
Do you not leash your followers around? The game won't punish you with direct means, but your game will be less efficient as the AI is pretty bad.
Do you grow quickly? You run into food problems.
Do you grow slowly? There's jackshit to do.

The list just goes on. I can only come to the conclusion that Peter/22cans do not want their game to be played.
But rather they want some form of garden which you tend to and observe from a distance.
A bonsai in a zen-garden which you allow to flourish on its own while occasionally rearranging the sand in pretty wavy patterns.

Who is talking about flourishing? I said the game RAN itself =P
Which it does. The timers will tick with our without your interference.

Yet if you decide to *play* the game (do large amounts of sculpting, guide your people etc) - if you do ANYTHING except minimal interference and resetting timers. You get a slap in the face.

Yes, it doesn't run itself entirely... But its intended to be 'played' as close as possible to that as it can come without becoming a fully self-sufficient simulation.
At this point I wouldn't be surprised if Peter would want it to run itself in its entirety. Without even the need for a player to press any timer-resets.

Is this for real?

I realise we've got the mobile version in front of us right now, but I have no idea how this is supposed to reconcile with PM's views of monetisation in mobile games and how Godus is supposed to be so different and special.

and that is it guys. Done.
Despite all the attempts to wake these useless fucks up, cash shop mechanics win every time.
And they somehow expect us to swallow their shit sandwich and then thank them.
I no longer have any interest in this sad excuse for what the game should have been.
The bile I shall throw at them is, however, without end.

Yeah I discovered this with settlements. Every time I clicked on place settlement it would increase my belief to 3k. I thought I'd found an exploit so is do some hard out sculpting, click on settlement, cancel settlement, repeat. Worked great until I ran out of gems. The really sad but is 30 gems if belief wasn't even enough to level a small hill. I do not feel like a god in GODUS. Obviously it should ask you if you want to use gems.

And here I thought it had taken the gems because I did not have enough belief, and I had just Brought a belief card to pay for the settlement.