For all industrialist players and organizations here, I don’t know how you feel about the new schematics system. But for me it is a huge disappointment because it turns the gameplay experience into just a “click, check, drag and drop schematics” game…
Explanations
In the Beta version we have gone from one extreme to another in the industry: no schematics → everyone can produce whatever they want without constraint - to very expensive schematics which only allow players of larger or wealthy organizations to get them. In the release version, the introduction of a new system for the use and management of schematics is in between. What I completely understand. On the other hand, the current system will gradually stifle any org that wants to specialize as an industrialist. Because if you take the slightest expansion, you will only do one thing in the game: click on each industry and pour schematics into it. Even if you pour a good amount of schematics they melt quickly and you will have to recheck, constantly reload all industries, manually. Think about it: schematics in each refiner, smelter, chemical industry, glass furnace, 3D printer, electronics industry, metalwork, assembly line, honeycomb factory that you have to constantly check and manually feed! It just becomes an annoying and time consuming task.
I'm all for using schematics but not that way because it just makes a game a boring and tedious experience. And the impression of progression is much less present because everyone can finally make what they want quite easily, it's just a question of available ore finally. I believe that it is possible to adjust the use of schematics to balance the game experience, so that it remains a game and that there is always a challenge in the progression. Some examples :
no schematic for anything T1
more expensive schematics just for final objects (ex. engine, elevator, etc.) from T1 to T5, but not for parts
a combination of more expensive “one time buy and use forever” schematics as in the beta for intermediary parts or elements, and “single use only” schematics for final objects (ex. wing) as in the release
a deployment cost for any industry and “one-use-only schematics” only for the final objects (ex. wing), but not for parts
etc.
In short, a solution that saves the player engaged in industrialism from having to spend his time clicking on each industry to drag and drop a bunch of new schematics. And to have more time to accomplish other things like collecting resources, negotiating contracts with other players, creating constructions that give content to the game, etc.
The actual system probably benefits light industry orgs or players. And it is probably sustainable for big orgs where each player is only responsible to feed just a small bunch of industries. But for the small orgs that want to go in the heavy industrial way it’s just a pain. Industrial orgs are important for several reasons in this game. They feed other orgs with objects that allow them to build content (ex. ships, cities, piracy, fights, etc.). And they feed the markets. If only big industrial orgs survive, with this new system of schematics management, they will have the monopoly on the market and the price of the objects.
I heard about new talents coming in the December update. Eight talents for the schematics... Well, it will probably ease the crafting cost / time / batch size of schem and that’s a good thing for players and orgs that want to go the industrial way. But the main problem - and my biggest complaint - will probably persist : players will have to feed all the industries one by one, manually and spend so much time doing it instead of interacting with their mates or other players, or creating content. And the feeling of progression won’t probably be there much more.
Maybe I’m wrong and most of the players are happy with the new schematic system. I would be interested in hearing from the players that play the industrial way in this game to know what they think about it.
