Due to the descriptions of certain BB Objects, it’s often unclear whether objects are actually functional or decorative until you test them for yourself.
This can lead to:
- Disappointment during Live Mode testing, at this stage of the game. Especially among new players exploring the game.
- Confusion about whether certain items are meant to be functional or not, which isn’t helpful during play-testing since we’re meant to be testing everything for proper function.
Therefore, I suggest adding a “Functional” or “Functional Object” tag to the bottom of BB Catalog Descriptions.
This could be something that modders can toggle for their own custom objects, as well!
Here is a Mockup of the Idea (words would change based on language settings):
Whereas Non-Functional/Decor Items will have the default appearance with no tag, like this non-functional Toddler Bouncer we have in the game:
The object descriptions make it confusing, but this will disambiguate the functionality of many objects and prevent the game from appearing “misleading” with its exciting Build/Buy Catalog that becomes much less exciting at the moment once you enter Live Mode.
Once these items gain functionality, the functional tag can be applied!
It’s also a great way to let players know which items have gained functionality after updates, such as the Swing Set and Hula Hoop, which I’ve seen many claim are not functional even after their update!
-
That being said, we’d all love to see many of these decor items become functional one day!
9 Likes
Hard agree in this one! It would actually be inmensely helpful
1 Like
Thank you for the support! 
1 Like
It would also be helpful to know which age group(s) can use a particular object.
3 Likes
This is a very good idea! 
Non-functional objects are disappointing.
I would like to know in advance whether the facility is working or not.
3 Likes
I agree, though it may be more simple to add an icon or something to specify which items are cosmetic only. Logically there should be less of these, and even less as development continues - like the examples above and pet objects, which will hopefully be useable in the future.
1 Like
Fair enough. Either way would be fine, but to me, being able to toggle off and on a “functional object” tag made more sense because that’s how tagging usually goes for these things. Like, for example, tagging an object to be functional for specific age groups, as someone else suggested.
With all the clutter items that are probably not meant to be functional at all, I think it wouldn’t be good for marketing to point out non-functional objects rather than functional ones, especially as more functional objects get added. What would get you more excited?
Well, I wasn’t thinking about a marketing perspective, just about being able to see at a glance whether an object had interactions or not (a bit like the careers, where there is an icon to show the rabbit-hole jobs).
Either way would work, clarity is what is really needed, so we know whether items can be used, and who by. Not sure whether icons or text would work best, or whether some things need to be categorised as “decorative”, for example.
1 Like
When making suggestions, I like to think from both a player and a marketing standpoint at once, if need be Lol Habit.
I considered making a mockup of an icon idea for the corner of the objects’ catalog listing (the small picture) in my initial post, but it got complicated when I thought about how Newly Added objects and moddable objects already have an icon in the corner, so I left it at adding something to the hover-description. If it were added to the other side, it would be too visually cluttered imo.
I also considered asking for functional objects to have a different background color than decor objects (like a light blue or something), but that was jarring to look at when I did the mockup.
If none of this, they could add a “Functional Object” and “Decor Only” tickbox to the object filtering system without the need for a visual tag. However, I feel like if they add that, they might as well add a visual one.
1 Like
Side Note: My mockup kept the object description in its original place, but, ideally, the description would be shifted upward, while the functional tag stays near the bottom. I just didn’t have time to fully photoshop it.
1 Like
