Ape Apps

DocHolladay said:I change over to online as a rule when I build the GBT. Before that the economics are much better in offline mode for some reason. After the GBT becomes available it seems to reverse the economics although I have yet to figure out what the reason is.

I admit I seem to be constantly restarting for one reason or another. So there are probably other factors that I haven't noticed yet.

When you build the GBT and switch to online as I have done several times, it appears to change the Mass Driver/Bazaar/Cannon prices to be more in line with the GBT prices. ONCE. I admit that I have not dug into this deeply, as you only get to see this occur after putting hours into the fledgling colony. This is kinda what I was asking @bastecklein for.

If we can have the export/import prices stay more stable, or at least in a specified range, then there is no need for an offline colony to switch to online just to keep their economy running smoothly. Heck, even if the transaction fee for the bazaar goes from 5% to 25% ( i.e. the increased cost to go through backchannels) as you ship more of a certain commodity, that still allows a colony to function without devaluing the gathered resources.

On my most recent colony, just to keep what started as 4 squares of synthetic crystalline from completely filling a 13x13 pen I constructed, even building as much as possible, I ended up using the bazaar to dispose of the excess crystalline and reduced the selling price to 1% of initial by the time I was able to build a civic center. ( I learned from my previous colonies and now I don't let the spreading resources escape from an enclosure.)

Not trying to grouse, but in order to buy 250 units of steel ( one click in the bazaar), I have to sell 1.5 times my storage capacity of Crystalline. This makes it nearly impossible to build anything without producing it myself, and that is not the easiest thing on many of the worlds. Originally, I wanted to use the GBT to sell larger quantities per click, but the recent changes makes that more difficult until I produce a ridiculous amount of research and civics. SO, looking back at root causes, I think that the prices should be more stable.

Depending on which segment of gamers is targeted, then certain aspects of the gameplay should be emphasized. I can't run My Colony on my phone for more than 30 minutes without my new phone heating up to the point of being uncomfortable to hold. Even if I was idling, I still have to stay on top of the colony, so that I don't run out of regolith or food, both of which will literally kill my production and/or my colonists. For mobile gamers, the ability to play for a few minutes at a time is key to not being bored, and loading your colony several times just to find you can't do anything is not a great experience. Making the prices more stable in an offline game should have no effect on other players or the GBT once you are only allowed a single switch. And the benefits for gameplay and engagement, especially during the early phases of colony building, make it worth it.

--Lurker

@bastecklein:

I don't see in these release notes where you have disallowed the switch between Online and Offline Modes as you stated was the plan.

Can you please make the offline import/export prices more stable first?
My thoughts are to either reduce the rate of change, or put the same range as the online GBT as the range for the offline prices. That way, the economy doesn't get torpedoed before you can fully build out your colonies.

Thanks,
--Lurker

Orrigo said:Well I have no building that makes atmosphere....why are zolarg so broken?

https://www.my-colony.com/reference/storages.html#Atmosphere

Sugar Burner,
Aluminum Hive,
Antanium Smelter,
Insectoid Mint,
Power Spire, and maybe others.

These all produce Atmosphere. I think the bigger issue is that Independence may be required, even though that is not officially stated anywhere.

--Lurker

@Nunez499,

Thanks. No need. Not butthurt. :)

Yes, [insert standard conversation #142 about games in Beta or otherwise not complete]. That's why I played through all three factions to "completion" before posting. Thanks for being active and providing another dimension. I've seen multiple places on the forums where you are really trying to be as helpful as possible.

--Lurker

OK, so how do you up your gifting cap?

--Lurker

Ok, so back to your original point. Changes will be made and the different versions will diverge. Can you let us know a little bit of what we should expect? I would much rather have an offline version, but I keep running into other issues that prevent me from wanting to be totally cut off.

I figure that some of this may have to do with the GBT issues, so a discussion about the trade overhauls could be really helpful for my decision(s).

Thanks,
--Lurker

@ Nunez499, that's a good point. However, my points above have dragged me from my happy little existence on Offline Mode into the current problems with the API and GBT.

I cannot progress with my games. I am stuck in a place that does not activate my happy gamer brain. No amount of personal satisfaction will fix the balancing issues I am experiencing.

If there was an easy way to not have all my deposits blocked by sugar/trees growing like weeds, thus leading to a situation where I have run out of resources that are still available on the map, and can't harvest without getting rid of what is filling my warehouses. AND I can't build more warehouses, because it uses up scarce resources. The inelegant solution is to bulldozer it, but the bulldozer tool only can do one square at a time.

On my Insect World, my research has shown me that there is no way to progress in research without accumulating 200 alien artifacts. Acquiring those 200 artifacts will require either a) 250,000 civics and declaring independence so I can research mysticism, or b) making enough from selling excess supplies, such as sugar, on the GBT to buy 200 artifacts.

I understand that some of y'all have been playing for a while. I understand that only recently the GBT was un-regulated. I'm just trying to bring some attention to the problems that the newer players are experiencing. MyColony just hit a new milestone for number of new downloads. Yay! However, those new players are going to run into these issues, and they probably don't have a huge commonwealth or coalition behind them. They aren't going to put in the amount of research that I have. They are going to find that the forums don't have a search function, and uninstall when they get frustrated.

--Lurker

OK, so my problems with the way it is currently implemented are that on the 3 colonies I have grown to *having* online trade:

1: Almost immediately after being able to trade, each of them have run into a problem where it says " No contracts are available." This message could be improved with saying "the Trade Representative thinks you're trading too quickly" or publishing the number of trades allowed.

1b: The entire game is setup as: Research stuff and achieve new milestones. So when I reach the trade milestones, I'm immediately punished for accomplishing a new milestone. :(

2: I can only trade in MAX 2,500 increments. Yet with the amount of supply I have accrued by the time I CAN trade, I'm bursting at the seams and especially when it comes to sugar, my colonies are literally being overrun with sugar that I cannot harvest, and the bulldozer tool is too small and too finicky to help without my clicking finger cramping up.

2b: A setting for spreading resources (sugar, wood) could be to allow "wasting". When the warehouse is full, the harvesters continue, but don't add to the stockpile.

3: I love that the LIS Bazaar takes 250 at a time, but the Mass Driver and the Export Cannon at 100 are too small, especially on the Android version where you have to start from the top and scroll down to find the thing you're trying to sell OVER and OVER.

3b: I don't have a good basis for this, but it seems like the price drops at the same rate for the 3 types of exporters, even though the Bazaar is selling 2.5 times as much.

3c: I have noticed that the sales in the Bazaar provides more than the Net Price Listed. In fact, the Bazaar seems to provide the Gross Sales Price + Transaction Fee, or (Net + 2x Transaction Fee.)

@ Bastecklein: Thanks for reading the forums, thanks for responding, thanks for being an active developer. As the name suggests, I like to read, but not frequently write. This is my first post, so there's a lot in here. I've only been playing a few weeks, but the frustration level with trade has already gotten me to have 3 colonies that can't do anything else. AND I don't even have research maxed out.

--Lurker