Feedback & Suggestions: Expressive Upgrade

[goboking]

Okay, now that the Schedule feature is up and running I thought it would be a good time to offer my feedback and suggestions for the EU.

The Schedule.

This looks like it's going to offer each of us the flexibility to be as meticulous in the planning of our dupes' daily routines as we want to be.  Big thumbs up from me for allowing us to create as many schedules as we desire.  I'm sure you're working on it, but tool tips explaining which activities are encompassed by break, work, and leisure time would be handy.  A work shift is pretty self explanatory, but it's a bit ambiguous where meal, showers, and bathroom breaks fall.

Speaking of, I'd personally like to see meal time separated from leisure time.  Things are perfectly functional as is, but that's a bit of added control I think I could put to good use.

It would be handy if we could click and drag to paint blocks within the schedule instead of being forced to click each block individually.

 

Leisure Time

We are currently unable to set priorities on two of the three leisure buildings.  I'm not sure if that's something that's still in the works, but I thought I'd point it out in case it's an oversight.

It would be nice if idle dupes defaulted to leisure activities, even if idling during work shifts.

Finally, as a matter of personal preference, I prefer the old water cooler with the waste basket over the new one with dual cup dispensers.  I thought the waste basket gave the building a bit of added character, and animation of dupes throwing away their empty cups looks odd without the wastebasket giving the animation context.

 

Group Psychology

I don't remember who said it, so I apologize for not giving credit were it's due, but someone posted on the forums the suggestion of mob mentality.  Their suggestion was basically dupes hearing other dupes complain about unresolved grievances (like debris in their barracks) could eventually bring mood (QOL) down for other dupes who aren't directly experiences the problem, but are souring on hearing others complain about it day after day.  I thought this was a good idea and it's something I'd like to see implemented in the game.

Again, apologies for not remembering whose idea I'm promoting here.

 

Miscellaneous Thoughts and Ideas

Now that we can have night shifts I'd like to see a return of the Night Owl trait.

I would like the option to set cots and mess tables to "public" so we can utilize hot bunking.

There should be traits - both positive and negative - that tap into dupe expressions.  An antisocial trait, for example, could increase stress when the dupe is hanging out in a crowded break rooms.

 

That's it for now.  Keep up the good work.

[Alfons100]

I think it was my idea you mentioned, that Duplicants vent about problems they’ve been experiencing. Glad that people like the idea

[goboking]

On 7/20/2018 at 6:52 PM, Alfons100 said:

I think it was my idea you mentioned, that Duplicants vent about problems they’ve been experiencing. Glad that people like the idea

Sorry I couldn't recall who it was who posted it.  It was a good idea and all credit goes to you.

[goboking]

Now that QOL is being rebranded as Morale, I think it would be cool if the Sunny Disposition trait worked as an aura, giving a passive stress relief/morale boost to other dupes during interactions.

[goboking]

Post Release Feedback & Suggestions

The Espresso Machine

I really like this addition.  It does seem a bit rushed, though, as there's no mention of it requiring Pincha Peppers anywhere on the tooltip.  Nor do we have any way to know how quickly it consumes the Peppers, how long the morale boost lasts, etc.  The animation to drink it is a bit long, which I'm fine with, but that prevents other dupes from using it.  If the boost only lasts a cycle then this is going to be problematic.

I think the building would make more sense as a Food building.  Similarly, I think it would make more sense in the meal preparation line on the tech tree instead of the plumbing line.  But this is a nitpick, not a major point of contention.  Also a nitpick, I think it should require hot water.  Piping in cold water to make an espresso doesn't make a lot of sense.  But again, that's just a nitpick.

 

High End Meals

I've mentioned this before, but it irks me that there's no end-game recipe for eggs and mushrooms.  It takes a big investment to set up a sustainable source of raw eggs and slime, so it's unrewarding when these ingredients ultimately obsolete when dupes train to higher tiers.  Now that meal quality impacts Morale, I once again implore you to consider adding a new high-end recipe or two utilizing these ingredients.

 

Other Changes

It hasn't happened to me, but is there a warning that plays when a dupe passes out from exhaustion?  Also, what task determines who retrieves an unconscious dupe?

 

Suggestions

As stated above, I really like the Espresso Machine.  In fact, I like it so much I now find myself wanting a Juice Maker that takes in cold water and Bristle Berries to make juice.  I love the idea of creating a cafe for my dupes to hang out in during downtime where cold juice and hot espresso are consumed after a hard day's work.

[juliepn]

Since Expressive Upgrade has been set, my duplicants stress has increased a lot... I think there's a balance to find because here it's too difficult to manage.

Thanks for all your work!