https://wiki.hoodedhorse.com/Workers_Resources_Soviet_Republic/Report_for_the_community_4

It is just about architecture.

yes its a great game. and i think we all hope for a new game someday.
Personaly i do not mind about the theme its just a video game and honestly i dont notise the theme at all im so focused on building and so on. And i think allot of people playing this game might not even have experienced how it was in the USSR since they wasent born.
And also allot of the east buildings and materials are from all kind of east european countrys example vehicles from poland.
Despite the monuments of lenin and the red star then i actually do not notise things, its just yet antoher vehicle and yet another east european looking building.
And example the ukraine dlc well that is from the time after the USSR collapse.

Maybe also try Captain of sim its also a big logistic game a bit like factory and have a gigantic research tree. At first it might look like a simple game but its really not. This will challenge even the most hardcore workers and resources players.

"I love strategy games, but I don't like war". Get over it.

Yes, 100500 abstract city planners are not enough for us. We need another one without meaning, without an idea, without a story. The generation brought up on the Internet does not want to have anything to do with reality.
Just find yourself another game, and leave this one for those who like the Soviet theme.

The problem is that "doesn't use any particular real world theme" usually equates to a generic US/western theme, which of course also IS a theme.

Originally posted by Skala:

Not that I mind it, but I hope if the dev, in the future, decides to make another city builder with "realistic mode" (which is my favorite part of the game), he doesn't use any particular real world theme.

tldr; I love this game for the realistic mode/challenge, not the theme.

What is wrong with the theme, exactly?

Nothing is wrong with the "vanilla" theme of city builders.
but it has been done lots of times before.
And here is the one standing out of the crowd.

and if you do not like the esthetic, there are plenty of mods that make it look more american or southeast asian.

end of the day the soviet theme prety much is at the core of the game, and it makes only sence, since if you do not want the state (the player) plan every aspect of society in a theme that is close to the current time (and not lets say in some kingdom/empire/colony), you can only ever play games that relie purely on zoneing.

Originally posted by kiky:

Nothing is wrong with the "vanilla" theme of city builders.
but it has been done lots of times before.
And here is the one standing out of the crowd.

and if you do not like the esthetic, there are plenty of mods that make it look more american or southeast asian.

end of the day the soviet theme prety much is at the core of the game, and it makes only sence, since if you do not want the state (the player) plan every aspect of society in a theme that is close to the current time (and not lets say in some kingdom/empire/colony), you can only ever play games that relie purely on zoneing.

I'm asking why the OP objects to the theme of workers & resources. Personally I very much enjoy it, but I have ideological reasons to do so.

I love RollerCoaster Tycoon for the management and graphics.
Does it need to be theme park based? No.
But the developer wanted to make it this way.

Well, it's not necessary no, but it fits perfectly.

Tbh you don't need to roleplay as a socialist country, many, many people play rp as capitalist economies and the workshop is full of awesome mods that help with that

You and every other dullard who keeps complaining about the utterly unique setting can rest easy, they've already said that the next game will not be set in the Socialist Bloc.

Originally posted by Skala:

Not that I mind it, but I hope if the dev, in the future, decides to make another city builder with "realistic mode" (which is my favorite part of the game), he doesn't use any particular real world theme.

tldr; I love this game for the realistic mode/challenge, not the theme.

Very few themes were the total control of a player makes as much sense as in this...at least modern ones - which is probably why a ton of city builders go the medieval route. But feudalism also isn't exactly nice...

Originally posted by Skala:

"realistic mode" ... doesn't use any particular real world theme.

Actually, how does this supposed to work. Having real vehicles real buildings etc forms the ground for "realistic" setting. If you are looking for just the logistic elements we already have Captain of Industry.

Also the theme and game mechanics compliment each other here... game has lots of quirks and tough elements for the player, things an abstract city planer would smooth out. Like for example heating issues, (that the population should be healthy and ready to suffer outages of heating). In an abstract game playerbase would called that a bug to fix or "inexcusably bad design", but here we mostly roll with it because it fits (to some extent) the historical background of the soviet peoples struggles. And thats only the tip of the iceberg, whole game is full of happy accidents that only really work because of the theme.

Not saying this is the best outcome, but that themes often add to experiance. And heck, themed mechanics are also easier to implement, as they are buid bottom up, so themed games end up richer... idk just my 2c

It is necessary and plays a role in the overall picture of the game.
All the shortcomings can be charmingly explained by the Soviet theme. The inadequate alignment of buildings and roads, the lame execution of tasks in COs and DOs, the speed of customs offices and so on

Its been said, but the central planning of the economics in the game makes sense in a socialist context. I assume this is why they picked the theme.