Negative impact

[sjberry3]

I thought that putting staff facilities and power sources in buildings or sheds would stop them reducing happiness but it hasn’t. Is the only way to just put them no where near anyone ?

[Psyringe]

They do have a negative impact on guests in a radius around them. Counter-intuitively, line of sight does not seem to matter (but I haven't tested that extensively).

I usually place staff facilities in two ways:

a) In the center where several habitats meet like segments of a circle. That ensures short paths between the staff buildings and any habitats, and the guests never see these facilities - they walk along the outer edge of the circle, with long glass walls to look inside the habitats.

b) In a row behind shops. The shops are near a path for guests, the staff facilities are in a row behind that, connected to the main path with staff-only paths. That usually puts enough distance between the guests and the staff facilities, without wasting space. Won't work for power and water treatment facilities though, as those impact guests in a larger radius.

[squib]

research up solar quickly, no neg impact.

[Iced Tea Blizzard]

Originally posted by squibtard:

research up solar quickly, no neg impact.

My top 2 research priorities are Solar Panels, and 1-way glass. They're absolutely essential.

On topic, feel free to put facilities under ground (the negative impact radius has a vertical limit as well), or put them over habitats with a path leading up to them. They double as hard shelter if you go that route.

[MrHappy]

I find it easiest to simply keep people away from the negative impact radius as the first reply said. surround all the staff buildings with enclosures and each gate can then be very close as well.

[sophistry]

Line of sight definitely doesn't matter, or at least it doesn't take priority over proximity. I actually came to the forum to post about it because this is the most nonsensical, irritating thing ever. :/ It doesn't explain that anywhere, nor is it logical that my guests can psychically perceive the transformer I placed inside of a themed building and behind a wall, behind a row of trees.

According to this logic you'd be better off placing it out in full view, unhidden, in the otherwise pristine majesty of an open field, and as long as it was far enough from your guests they wouldn't actually care if they could see it or not.

I really hate it, because there's some genius to landscape planning that involves line of sight that just will not matter here. I probably need to start my first career map over again because of transformer placement, because the terrain elevation tool is locked, so I can't go around burying them where I placed them, either.

[Iced Tea Blizzard]

Well, supposedly, it takes a lot more power to calculate line of sight than a simple radius. I could see how 3000+ people in your park constantly having their radius calculated while taking visual barriers (and height of barriers, and transparency of barriers) into account could slow a machine to a crawl.

But I agree, it's pretty intuitive and limiting, design-wise. Thankfully the radiuses are all really small. I mean, a Keeper's Hut only needs to be about 8 ft off the main path -- the maximum length of the automatically constructed sidewalk that comes with it. Staff Centers use slightly more. Generators and Water Purifiers use much more. But Keepers Huts are the main problem since you really need one right next to each enclosure entrance for efficiency. Staff Centers get trickier. But none of them have upkeep costs you can freely drop them where-ever is safe, however many you need, with no long-term detriment.

[Iced Tea Blizzard]

Originally posted by Elvis:

Well, supposedly, it takes a lot more power to calculate line of sight than a simple radius. I could see how 3000+ people in your park constantly having their radius calculated while taking visual barriers (and height of barriers, and transparency of barriers) into account could slow a machine to a crawl.

But I agree, it's pretty unintuitive and limiting, design-wise. Thankfully the radiuses are all really small. I mean, a Keeper's Hut only needs to be about 8 ft off the main path -- the maximum length of the automatically constructed sidewalk that comes with it. Staff Centers use slightly more. Generators and Water Purifiers use much more. But Keepers Huts are the main problem since you really need one right next to each enclosure entrance for efficiency. Staff Centers get trickier. But none of them have upkeep costs you can freely drop them where-ever is safe, however many you need, with no long-term detriment.