Thoughts on the Platinum DLC

gatordentist
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Thoughts on the Platinum DLC

Post by gatordentist »

So I've been following the Platinum DLC since it was first showcased with the L200H from Volvo. I was quite excited. "Finally, logging gets some love from the devs," I thought. Then they showed the map and some vehicles, and I was starting to question it. The map set in the Pacific Northwest looked great (still does after release) but the machines they showed were a little, underwhelming at first. Sure the 843L-II feller buncher was cool and the 848L skidder was interesting, especially with the new buncher and skidder scripts, but that wasn't what made me scratch my head. What did were the Pfanzelts and the Impex harvester. That just didn't make sense to me. These machines are NEVER used where the map is located. I tried to reason with myself, thinking that there had to be some more North American gear coming, and they just didn't want to show it off yet. There was some more, if you count 1 Volvo truck and 2 forestry excavators as more. Most of the DLC was comprised of European equipment, the Kollers, European Volvos, Pfanzelts, Westtechs, and the like. This didn't make sense; where were the track feller bunchers (no the EC380DL doesn't count, it's an excavator with a shear head attachment), the swing machines, the North American style log trailers and low loaders. They literally have JOHN DEERE as a licensed brand. No big deal, they're only ONE OF THE LARGEST MANUFACTURERS OF FORESTRY EQUIPMENT IN THE WORLD!!! Would it have killed them to use the buncher script in another machine, like the 853M track feller buncher. Or add the G-Series swing machines, that can be fitted as a processor, shovel logger, or loader. Heck, they could have tried to reach out to brands that are actually used in the Pacific Northwest; Madill, Timberpro, or something like that. TIgercat is probably too farfetched, but they had so many other options to pick from. But thats just my thoughts, what do you all think?
Peter Griffin
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Re: Thoughts on the Platinum DLC

Post by Peter Griffin »

I agree. I know zero loggers around here that use Volvo in the woods. I'd rather seen Barco, Prentice, CAT,Blount, temco or even HOOD loaders. A nice Pitts log trailer been nice. Fontaine lowboy. We got JD they could've thrown in older timberjack. And forsure tracked cutters. Wheeled fellers are for flat ground. Not good in hilly terrain. And the yarders are disappointing. I was hoping for some big tracked self propelled units. And a dozer. Every logging company has one for clean up. We even got a arch on ours and skid with it when muddy.
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Noraf
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Re: Thoughts on the Platinum DLC

Post by Noraf »

But does Giants have a license for all that gear?
What they wish to put in, and what the license holders wish to grant might not always be the same.
They did a nice talk about the process on getting stuff ingame in the podcast. i think it was ep 12.
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Motologist
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Re: Thoughts on the Platinum DLC

Post by Motologist »

They need to balance what their entire audience wants and what manufactures they can get licensed. There are decisions that confuse me too; there's a lot of Komatsu/Valmet, John Deere, and Volvo forestry equipment Giants theoretically has access to. We don't know what they wanted to add, nor do we know what the license holders had to say in the matter. The Pfanzelt machines are really nice for first round thinning, and the Impex fun to use.

I never expected big yarders; a standard 2km x 2km Giants map isn't big enough to support them. What annoys me is Giants thinking that fully grown PNW pine gets cut down with 50cc saws; was really hoping for a Stihl 500i and a Husqvarna 392XP.
Kimpak
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Re: Thoughts on the Platinum DLC

Post by Kimpak »

More NA machines would have been nice, or at least one tracked machine. Overall I really like the expansion though I love the new map and its making logging a lot of fun. I'm really hoping that modders will be able to utilize the auto-align function and the feller buncher loading functions on their machines in the future.
gatordentist
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Re: Thoughts on the Platinum DLC

Post by gatordentist »

Noraf wrote: Wed Nov 30, 2022 2:34 pm But does Giants have a license for all that gear?
What they wish to put in, and what the license holders wish to grant might not always be the same.
They did a nice talk about the process on getting stuff ingame in the podcast. i think it was ep 12.
I understand that they do not have license for everything. I’m not asking for Tigercat here lol. What I’m saying is that putting in 2 JD machines when they could have added at least a tracked buncher and a swing machine is a bit of a slap in the face
bossmanslim
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Re: Thoughts on the Platinum DLC

Post by bossmanslim »

The platinum expansion is exactly what I have come to expect from Giants, a sold C effort; with a couple of reasonably short putts to a solid A.

Examples:
- Containers are added that facilitate autoloading
--- only autoloads logs and not other products
--- only unload at a specific sell point
--- no specialized container loader; couldn't be bothered to try to find a brand to license or put in a lizard brand

- New production products
--- no sawmill, iron mine, iron furnace or purchase point as part of the pack to allow all the products on other maps

- 7R from the base game with US configuration providing hub mounted duals, extended draw bar and quick hitch
--- no front mounted weights
--- front duals are EU style, not NA style
--- narrow duals are only on certain brands of tires
--- flashers cannot be folded and just stick out

- 8R from the base game with US configuration providing extended draw bar and quick hitch; also has a front weight option
--- all duals are EU style, not NA style, even the narrow duals
--- narrow duals are only on certain brands of tires
--- flashers cannot be folded and just stick out
Peter Griffin
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Re: Thoughts on the Platinum DLC

Post by Peter Griffin »

Yes JD does have a really nice knuckleboom that could've been added and a smaller skidder like the 648L. Also would've like the option for tracks on the skidders. I can't believe a saw buck wasn't even added on a logging dlc
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UncleRico
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Re: Thoughts on the Platinum DLC

Post by UncleRico »

There’s multiple John Deere forestry machines on the modhub that are available on consoles so I would assume they have the licenses
Noraf
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Re: Thoughts on the Platinum DLC

Post by Noraf »

Yes, they have the JD license, so those can get to consoles, but that doesn't mean Giants got a license for those machines.
There's quite the difference in having a brand license so mods can get on to the consoles, and having licenses for the individual pieces of equipment that Giants needs to make them theirself
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hun3
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Re: Thoughts on the Platinum DLC

Post by hun3 »

I feel you OP I am myself a bit confused of the marriage of this North American map to Euro machines. Let me just say I'm not complaining I actually having a lot of fun with this dlc.....no other DLC will make you soo rich so fast :) But as I am obsessed with immersion not sure if the map matches most of the European machines included. I assumed this map is somewhere in Oregon? The machines would be perfect for maps like Rennebu. Hopefully in the future all the new DLC stuff can be used in other maps as mods.
Crashmac
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Re: Thoughts on the Platinum DLC

Post by Crashmac »

UncleRico wrote: Wed Nov 30, 2022 6:56 pm There’s multiple John Deere forestry machines on the modhub that are available on consoles so I would assume they have the licenses
They have the license for JD as a brand in general but we don't know all the factors that go into decisions on which equipment to release. Brands want to showcase specific models in their lineup, also there is the long game to consider, Giants has at least one more year of DLC's to release, they also have to keep the other licensed brands happy as well by releasing their models too, and then there are the customers/players, European customers upset there is too much NA equipment, NA customers upset there is too much EU equipment and so on....
gatordentist
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Re: Thoughts on the Platinum DLC

Post by gatordentist »

hun3 wrote: Wed Nov 30, 2022 7:45 pm I feel you OP I am myself a bit confused of the marriage of this North American map to Euro machines. Let me just say I'm not complaining I actually having a lot of fun with this dlc.....no other DLC will make you soo rich so fast :) But as I am obsessed with immersion not sure if the map matches most of the European machines included. I assumed this map is somewhere in Oregon? The machines would be perfect for maps like Rennebu. Hopefully in the future all the new DLC stuff can be used in other maps as mods.
Even though I’m a little confused for their choice of machines, I’m still enjoying the DLC a lot. The Volvo forest excavators are super nice for general forestry work, and the VNX is pretty slick. The map is set in the Pacific Northwest, kind of a blend of California with the sequoias, and Washington State with everything else. The way I looked at it, if they’re going to add a majority of European machines, just set the map in New Zealand where you would be able to blend Euro and NA equipment better. The problem for me lies in the fact that the NA machines fit better in Holmakra, which is set in Sweden, than the European machines fit in Silverrun. It almost makes me think that giants looked at what a logging operation in Washington State or BC ACTUALLY looks like, and then looked at an operation in say, the alps, the only place I’ve ever seen the Koller Yarders used, and went “meh, close enough”
gatordentist
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Re: Thoughts on the Platinum DLC

Post by gatordentist »

Crashmac wrote: Wed Nov 30, 2022 8:21 pm
UncleRico wrote: Wed Nov 30, 2022 6:56 pm There’s multiple John Deere forestry machines on the modhub that are available on consoles so I would assume they have the licenses
They have the license for JD as a brand in general but we don't know all the factors that go into decisions on which equipment to release. Brands want to showcase specific models in their lineup, also there is the long game to consider, Giants has at least one more year of DLC's to release, they also have to keep the other licensed brands happy as well by releasing their models too, and then there are the customers/players, European customers upset there is too much NA equipment, NA customers upset there is too much EU equipment and so on....
I think it would be really cool if we could see the effort that giants goes through to put brands and machines from said brands into the game in a YT video, kind of like how SCS does sometimes with ATS and ETS2. Yes I know the podcast exists, but an actual video that shows what all they have to go through would be pretty neat. Personally I haven’t seen any EU customers upset about NA equipment, because the majority of equipment Giants puts out is European anyway. I’m not sure the EU fan base would be too upset about not getting the reskinned John Deere 7R forestry tractor from the unpronounceable German brand, and in its place getting a JD tracked buncher like the 853, or the G-Series swing machines in place of the Impex. Like did John Deere say, “You can use these 2 machines and that’s it,” or did Giants only want those 2?
Crashmac
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Re: Thoughts on the Platinum DLC

Post by Crashmac »

gatordentist wrote: Thu Dec 01, 2022 6:06 pm
Crashmac wrote: Wed Nov 30, 2022 8:21 pm
UncleRico wrote: Wed Nov 30, 2022 6:56 pm There’s multiple John Deere forestry machines on the modhub that are available on consoles so I would assume they have the licenses
They have the license for JD as a brand in general but we don't know all the factors that go into decisions on which equipment to release. Brands want to showcase specific models in their lineup, also there is the long game to consider, Giants has at least one more year of DLC's to release, they also have to keep the other licensed brands happy as well by releasing their models too, and then there are the customers/players, European customers upset there is too much NA equipment, NA customers upset there is too much EU equipment and so on....
I think it would be really cool if we could see the effort that giants goes through to put brands and machines from said brands into the game in a YT video, kind of like how SCS does sometimes with ATS and ETS2. Yes I know the podcast exists, but an actual video that shows what all they have to go through would be pretty neat. Personally I haven’t seen any EU customers upset about NA equipment, because the majority of equipment Giants puts out is European anyway. I’m not sure the EU fan base would be too upset about not getting the reskinned John Deere 7R forestry tractor from the unpronounceable German brand, and in its place getting a JD tracked buncher like the 853, or the G-Series swing machines in place of the Impex. Like did John Deere say, “You can use these 2 machines and that’s it,” or did Giants only want those 2?
Yeah you are correct, I've seen a few EU vs NA comments but that was mostly just a general example of trying to keep your different customer bases happy. I'd be curious to see the breakdown of what countries the majority of their players are from.
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