PC vs. Consoles?

[Anomaly]

Hello! Legit just added the $5 to my Steam Wallet just so I could post these questions, haha. Hopefully someone can give me some advice!

I've been very interested in MTAP ever since I saw the first videos released back in 2017. However, it wasn't until recently that I actually downloaded the demo and played it. Needless to say, I loved it and got hooked. Before I knew it, I was 19 days into the game and doing pretty damn well.

I want to upgrade to the full version of the game, but I've got a bunch of questions. Initially, my plan was to preorder the Nintendo Switch version of the game. But after seeing how much has been sacrificed for the Switch port of the game, whether it's the graphics, the performance/lagging/framerate, the loading time, etc., it just doesn't seem worth it at this point. The beauty of Portia is a major part of the game, and taking away such stunning elements like the grass just makes the game lose part of its magic. That being said, I'm torn between waiting for the Switch version to be updated to the state it should be in, preordering the PS4 version instead, or jumping right in to the PC version. Is it even possible for the Switch version to reach the same level of the PC/PS4 versions?

My PC has been handling the demo version pretty well, for the most part. There were a couple times when the game was very laggy and I had to restart my PC, but overall, it's run pretty smoothly. I use an Acer Aspire E 15, which has an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M with 2GB Dedicated vRAM and an Intel Core i5-7200U 2.5GHz with Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz. Someone who understands computers better than I can could probably tell me how that would hold up with MTAP in the long run, haha. I mostly use the PC for streaming videos/Netflix or playing The Sims. A plus side of the PC is that my laptop is portable, so pretty much compensates for that feature of the Switch. No preorder bonus though. My main fear with the PC is that I'll progress further into the game and then my PC will just decide that it can't handle it anymore and start lagging more consistently.

I haven't heard any complaints about the PS4 version yet, and the resolution and all that seems a lot better than the Switch version. However, it still hasn't been officially released, so there aren't that many sources to go off of. Part of me wants to wait until after all the versions are released to make my decision, but I do want that preorder bonus, even though I'm sure I'll quickly get over it and change back into one of the other outfits, haha. I still dig the ripped jeans though. Will the bonus preorder content be made available at a later time for people who didn't preorder the game? Also, will the preorder content somehow be available on the PC at some point? I'm not sure if the PS4 would be more reliable than my PC, or if it's worth the gamble.

I also was concerned that things might be different in the console versions than the PC version. For example, same-sex marriage. I have this weird suspicion that the Switch version will somehow cut that out of the game to make it more "kid friendly," though I've seen developers state that all versions will be the same and contain the same content. I'm also thinking into the future, if this game gets more popular and people start modding the game and mods become available, they would only be available on the PC. If cool stuff starts surfacing, I probably wouldn't wanna miss that, haha.

tl;dr - I want to make the best decision possible, as this game deserves the best platform I can play it on. Should just preorder the PS4 version so I get the bonus and don't sacrifice the elements the Switch version lacks? Or should I wait until the Switch version is updated to its full potential? Or, do I just dive in right now and purchase the PC version? Any feedback is much appreciated! This game is great and I can't wait to get the full experience.

[Lucis]

Not much has been said about the PS4 version because as far as I have seen, not many have even gotten a p/review copy to make a video on it unlike the Switch version where quite a few people gotten their hands on p/review copies very early.


The PS4 version sadly has the some of the same issues as the Switch version besides the graphics that annoy me the most from what I've seen (That may or may not be patched after launch):

* Framerate dips
* Missing sounds
* Missing voices both Chinese and English
* Missing content, i.e. the PS4 version is not the version as on PC as seen by the video
* Missing the ability to change the game speed (Huge dealbreaker for me because playing the game at 100% is not recommended for a newbie as the game progresses too fast and so many already complain about failable NPC missions)

Now, the thing is, depending on your settings the game might also have framerate dips on PC because this game is sadly not good in the optimization department. Stutters and lag doing certain things might also happen to you because it has been happening to a lot of people. With 2 GB VRAM and a laptop-dedicated graphics card you will most likely be one of the people experiencing it the most.
In fact many people have experienced a lot of issues since the version 2 update of the game, especially those with lower specs. Which is troubling because for consoles they removed voices, some sounds and other content we have on PC... Will the console versions have the same issues when they catch up to the PC version? Will voices ever be implemented in the console versions? I have asked the devs about it and have gotten no response.

Don't pre-order games because of a costume alone. It's not worth it. Seriously. If anything it'll be just like the Kickstarter bonus costume; easily replaced and you probably won't be able to equip it right away until you reach level 10 or something and all equipment can be improved stats-wise later in the game. (reference: https://mytimeatportia.fandom.com/wiki/Clothing)

If you want my honest opinion... Be patient. No version of the game is without its issues atm, sadly, as all have performance issues. But out of all versions, the PC version is still the best imho because it has the most content and will probably remain the first version to receive updates and the planned DLC.
The demo is really badly optimized, so if you had a somewhat ok experience with it, you should have an ok experience with it in the full version.



So, to summarize. All versions have performance issues and the PC version is like a Russian Roulette, either the game performs without issues on your rig and you'll be having the best of times, or you'll encounter crashes and other issues, it doesn't even matter if you have good specs.
In terms of what you'll be getting, though, I'd rank it like this PC > PS4/Xbox > Switch.
You can buy the game and test it and if it's bad on your laptop, and if it is then you can refund as long as you don't reach the 2h mark.... On consoles you can't refund that easily if a game is bought digitally, especially on PS4 and Switch. So definitely try the game on PC first.
If you really wanna go console, though, don't go for the Switch version... It's the worst of them all, even though it shouldn't be considering the Switch can handle much, much more. But you already figured that out yourself.

[Sabishi1985]

Welp.. Mystic said it all.. :,D

Just my two cents on the topic: Just try going with the PC version, because it's the best version out there so far. If it doesn't run well, just refund it and go for a console port instead. :)

[Anomaly]

Thanks for the advice! Based on everything said, it sounds like the PC version is my best bet. I rarely experienced lagging with the demo version on my PC, and when I did, it started right at the beginning of my day, so I could easily restart my computer and load it back up with no problem and without losing anything. I think I'll go ahead and purchase the full version on the PC and see how it goes. When you say that I can refund the game as long as it "doesn't reach the 2h mark," does that mean I have two hours after its purchase to make a decision? Or does it mean that I can only play the game for 2 in-game hours (which is 2 minutes, haha)?

[simon]

Originally posted by Anomaly:

Thanks for the advice! Based on everything said, it sounds like the PC version is my best bet. I rarely experienced lagging with the demo version on my PC, and when I did, it started right at the beginning of my day, so I could easily restart my computer and load it back up with no problem and without losing anything. I think I'll go ahead and purchase the full version on the PC and see how it goes. When you say that I can refund the game as long as it "doesn't reach the 2h mark," does that mean I have two hours after its purchase to make a decision? Or does it mean that I can only play the game for 2 in-game hours (which is 2 minutes, haha)?

Its 2 real hours of play not in game hours.

[Firefinch]

The Steam Refund Policy states you can play the game for two real world hours and if you are not satisfied you can request a refund. As soon as you hit that three hour mark though you are committed (usually). This is assuming the game is purchased through steam. You can usually buy games through other stores and they will give you a steam key but you lose out on the refund policy if you take that route (even if it might be cheaper in some cases).

Portia, as a whole, runs well on the PC even in the mid-late game. I've only ever had it crash on me once and it was the beginning of the day so really not that frustrating. As much as I love my Switch, play it everyday, in this case the PC version is the better choice. Not much more I can add as Mystic really did cover all of the major points.

Link: https://store.steampowered.com/steam_refunds/

[Anomaly]

Thanks for the advice, everyone! I went ahead and bought the PC version, and there’s definitely no need for a refund. Everything has been running smoothly with no lags or crashes (knock on wood), and I was able to make it back to where I was in my demo play, except I’m doing much better off. Day 19 and I’m the second-top tank workshop, catching up to Higgins!