What does this mean? There is not just 1 reason for this, there are several factors:
On the one hand, we wanted a bit more time to polish the game and solve some of the bugs that are currently present so that we can provide you with a smoother gaming experience at release.
On the other hand, and as you know, we have been gathering all your feedback on the different OpenDevs and there are areas we would like to dedicate extra time to work on key aspects. Which ones? Here are some examples:
Meta Progression: in the past OpenDev “Final Rodeo” there was a feeling of randomness when unlocking it, now we are moving to a more player-driven unlock scheme, so it feels more rewarding to players.
Economy: we are tweaking the economy in the game slightly. We want the 3 resources (science, food, industry) to all feel important to avoid the feeling that “industry is king”. The scarcity of resources is important so that your decision of what to invest in feels impactful.
Balancing in general: there are a lot of elements in the game (beverages, heroes, upgrades, monsters, etc.), that require a lot of feedback, which is why the playtest with the community is essential.
And other things, such as more variety in the districts, improving the multiplayer, onboarding new players, etc.