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It is quite annoying, that I cannot just scroll around the map and look at my city when paused.
I don't need to be able to do anything while paused, other than being able to scroll around on the map and access the menu items (so I can read the descriptions and such). So no need to be able to give commands or place buildings.
But artificially forcing the time to run if you want to read anything in the interface and looking at the map is not very user friendly design.
Why, though? The game's difficulty is based on mob behavior, building choices, and villager management. It's not a super-fast moving game, nor would being able to issue commands while paused (or even just the ability to look around while paused) offer any sort of significant advantage. It's a standard feature of the genre, and fairly expected.
It seems almost mean-spirited, the way you immediately put down the idea with no discussion, as if you intend for it to cause the player to suffer.
If you'd have offered some sort of explanation, we'd have more to go on. Do you have a vendetta of some sort against the feature?
I've explained it in great detail several times, based on what the original poster said about understanding it "is not within the spirit of the game", I assumed he already found those threads. So re-explaining myself would have been a bit silly.
But the reason it isn't implemented is part of the game's core philosophy, and a little bit of subtle psychology to make the player feel like he's part of an active world, not a "simulator". The player themselves are part of the world, and thus can't do anything while the game is paused. Black and White (The game's closest relative) is the same way. If you're in the game world, the clock is running. You don't get to place buildings or cast spells while the game is paused.
Don't Starve also uses the same method, as does many rogue likes and other survival games. They keep you from interacting with the game while paused, giving you a sense of pressure that would not be there otherwise. Simply put, RtR wouldn't feel like the same game if I took that element away. You should feel like yourself as "god" are an active actual part of the world, being able to pause and fiddle with things reminds the player he's playing a video game.
The fact you guys are here posting about it, always with the same issue proves it's actually working as intended. The game runs slow enough anyway, that once you get past the newbie stages you shouldn't need to pause anyway. Most the veterans just lock the game to 2x or 3x mode for the first 10 days and fly through. :)
To me it only subtracts from what is otherwise a well made game.
Normally pause making everything inaccessible is a deal breaker for me when it comes to games like this, but I didn't refund the game because the rest of it seemed fun and I was hoping that in the future it would be changed (since it is still in early access).
I really hope the option is added for those of us, who like to sit back and relax with the game and just look at what we have built without having to think about all the things you have to manage because of time moving forward.
edit:
"The fact you guys are here posting about it, always with the same issue [...]" only proves, that many people want this feature. Nothing makes me more acutely aware, that I am playing a video game than when the interface is giving me problems.
Games that frustrate the player because of arbitrary interface restrictions are not as fun as games that just let players play the way they prefer to play them.
To add to the immersion argument. One thing that broke all immersion for me instantly was that villagers arrived with names of celebrities. Would love if that was an optional feature.
Then why do you need active pause? If the game world moves so slowly you're just staring at things, use that time to look through the GUI or fiddle with settings?
Now, it sounds like the game is working as intended. You actually are getting that subtle pressure, but based on what you just said above, it can't be a big deal since the pacing is so slow anyway.
I suppose I don't entirely understand where you're coming from. It sounds like you have a personal issue not having active pause in games in general so you look at it as a negative, but in RtR it's actually not a problem for you.
It's not like people are asking for active pause in droves. I just meant when it does come up, it's always the same complaint, and it's always from new players. I only see maybe 2 or 3 of these posts a year, and always by brand new players still learning the ropes. :)
I guess my question is more will it be even POSSIBLE to mod in if someone has the will? I have no trouble waiting for a mod (although I will definitely continue to enjoy the game the way it was intended and likely stop caring about pause once I get better).
Also just because I like to play devil's advocate: If I as the player are part of the world, is my part not "God"? If this is the case, why can't God pause time, is he (she? it?) not omnipotent? I don't actually expect an answer for that, I just thought of it and had to say it, heh.
Anyway, thanks for the reply to my first post. Regards! -MC
It is technically possible to mod the game, although it isn't as simple as just unlocking the GUI controls. Some aspects of the game assume the clock is running. For example, if you tried to place a building while paused right now it would appear nothing happened. Soon as you unpaused the building would pop into existence. Grab tool is another good example, as the mobs/resource's update loops run while the game is, so if you tried to grab something while the game was paused currently, it would appear as nothing happened. When you unpause the mob would "fling" to your mouse and start panicking like normal.
This actually gets into some of the deeper game design choices that are built up around the concept that you can't play while paused. You could in theory spawn a ton of golems, then drop them 1 by 1 into the corruption while the game is paused, effectively moving a small army instantly. That would be insanely overpowered, and become the baseline of how some people play. Really though, if I were to unlock controls while paused I'd likely leave spells and the grab functions locked out anyway, as it makes no sense to cast spells when the world is paused and can cause all sorts of balance issues.
But the short answer is; Yes, a modder could probably do it. It would probably take a skilled programmer a few days to figure out how without my help though.
As for your philosophical question; I suppose in that sense it depends on how you see your player as "god" in RtR. Personally I always felt RtR's god was simply a "higher being" that existed in the game world, he isn't an all-know omnipotent god like what most real-life religions claim. The RtR god is an "obviously real, actually living" thing that interacts directly with his followers (Thus why they can see his hand pickup things, etc). So, he's just another creature of the universe, I guess? It's all silly speculation though. I've never officially written anything up about it. Perhaps once the religion update comes along I will. :)
I was going to say if you are genuinely curious about my mindset for wanting pause it is DEFINITELY a 'personal preference' as you mentioned in a reply to another users comment.
Don't narc on me, but I'd add 'issue commands while paused 'to STARCRAFT *gasp*, if I could.
It makes sense in the games it's in and is fun but I completely would treat it as a cheat code in other games. Sometimes it's just fun to play with infinite money or invincibility.
I will let you get back to the grind but thanks again so much for your replies! You got my business, man!
If you really-really want to just hack the game, you can look into CheatEngine, you can set the game speed to almost-effectively paused and get similar results. ;)