Devlog Update: Gameplay Overhaul, UI Enhancements, New Events, Transportation, and More
This update represents a major overhaul of almost every core mechanic following our initial open alpha release. I’ve changed, added, and refined a significant amount of content. It’s a lot to cover, so let’s dive into the details.
Gameplay Mechanics Update
The initial vision for the game was quite different from how most players interpreted it; it was intended to be a harsh survival experience where you were meant to avoid combat at all costs and scramble to survive.
I realize now that this caused confusion, as there were too many forced encounters to avoid battle entirely, and most players prefer engaging in activities and wealth-building rather than living on scraps. Because of this, I have shifted the game's direction to better balance survival elements with rewarding combat and resource gathering.
Game UI Overhaul
I’ve received a wealth of feedback from players around the globe. Many of you provided incredibly helpful bug reports and suggestions. I’ve overhauled the general game mechanics to better reflect your input - as well as the feedback from my Patrons.
Location Information Notifications:
As seen in the gif, information about each location is now available in-game. I’ve added four icon types - Store, Provision, Bullet, and Job - to indicate what resources each location offers. If you hover your mouse over an icon, a text description will appear to ensure new players understand its purpose. This system will be applied to all future locations as well.
Location Idle Status: You may have noticed in playthroughs that certain locations operate on specific schedules. The club, school, resort, market, and even the prisons are often empty or closed during certain times of the day. To save you the trouble of checking manually, I have added "sleep" icons to locations to indicate when they are currently closed.
Text Fast-Forward:
Many players replay the tutorial or repeat specific actions when a new version drops. While the typewriter effect and click delays are aesthetically pleasing for your first run, they become cumbersome after a few hours. I’ve added a "Skip" feature to conversations - simply press the button to bypass the typewriter effect and delays, allowing you to fast-forward through dialogue at your own pace.
Difficulty Mechanics
Feedback indicated that the game was often too punishing, which frustrated players who simply wanted to experience the story content. To address this, I have added a difficulty selection screen during character generation:
Normal: 50% enemy health, generous starting resources, and no currency loss upon defeat.
Challenging: 75% enemy health, extra starting resources, and 50% currency loss upon defeat.
Hard (Original Difficulty): 100% enemy health, no extra starting resources, and 100% currency loss upon defeat.
I also plan to introduce a "Story Mode" in the future, which will include an instant-win function for battles and other "cheesy" mechanics to make narrative content more accessible.
New Events & Experimental CG
Crop System:
I’ve added a new way to survive: crop gathering on the world map. Look for the rice-shaped icon; interacting with it triggers a special event. You can gather at least 5 provisions, but be careful - some events are risky and may force you to choose between gathering resources and suffering increased corruption or battle damage.
Experimental CG Scene:
I’ve added one experimental CG scene to the game. If the community enjoys this, I plan to integrate similar scenes into existing and upcoming field events. If not, I will pivot my efforts elsewhere. I want to keep testing experimental features like this, so please share your thoughts!
Transportation Mechanics
To make traversing the world map more diverse, I’ve added two new ways to travel:
The School Bus:
Operated by the Cartel, the bus runs from 06:00 to 08:00 at the slums. It helps villagers reach the school safely, significantly reducing travel time and fatigue. It also offers a return trip from the school between 14:00 and 16:00.
The Taxi:
While rare, a private taxi station can be found near the resort. They are perfect for wealthy tourists who want a safe, efficient way to travel. You can pay a distance-based fee to travel to most known locations, though "special" areas like the tribal prison or the barn are not supported. It is expensive, but a great choice for streamlined travel.
Discord & Community
The official Discord server is now open! You can access it after joining our Patreon. It’s the best place to report bugs, offer suggestions, and ask questions. I’ll be monitoring it regularly to help as much as I can.
Game Notifications
Currently, this version of the game is exclusive to Patrons. I want to squash bugs and refine mechanics before releasing a public build. While I understand the inevitability of the game being uploaded to third-party sites, I prefer that the public release happens through official channels, as broken or unoptimized versions lead to a poor experience for everyone.
Compatibility Version: I have uploaded three versions to Dropbox: the former version, the updated version, and a "compatibility" version. If you experience crashes on older or low-end hardware, please use the compatibility version.
Changelog & Miscellaneous Updates
(Full list of changes below)
Resources
Increased starting bullets to 90 and provisions to 60.
User Interface
Added a white dot to indicate the cursor's click radius in the world map and minigames.
Added notification icons with hover-text descriptions.
Added "Location Idle" icons for closed facilities.
Settings
Added resolution options.
Added difficulty selection.
Added an option to replay the battle tutorial.
Gameplay
Added "Fast Mode" for conversations (removes delays/animations).
Halved the battle encounter chance on all terrain.
Added bus and taxi systems for fast travel.
Added crop fields and associated events.
Added one experimental CG scene.
Updated the rent payment mechanism (the counter now correctly resets upon payment).
Bug Fixes
Fixed various text soft-locking bugs.
Fixed an issue where players could pay rent without sufficient funds.
Fixed icon placement issues.
Fixed a bug where anthro enemies failed to inflict mutations.
Upcoming Polls & Updates
A major update is coming in two weeks. While last month’s polls have concluded, I will be posting new polls regarding upcoming features following every maintenance update - just like this one.
I’ll be launching a new poll exclusively for Elite-tier members to decide on a new exclusive perk for that tier, similar to the tent perk currently available to the Veteran tier.
Have a great week, and I look forward to seeing you all next week for the next dev diary!