Greetings, one and all!
I've got some exciting changes to share with you in version 1.5.5, many of which are based on player feedback. We've got a complete overhaul to the outposts system, a new duty assignment has been added (plus tweaks to existing ones), and a new system of personal traits has been added for followers, plus more!
These updates are coming to patrons first, then after the early access period, they’ll be released for others as well.
So, dive in, check it out, and let me know what you think. But remember...
Above all else, have fun!
Max (Novus Operandi)
***
Outposts Overhaul!
Outposts have been significantly updated. They’ve been completely divorced from the dismissal mechanic of the game, reclassed as temporary remote assignments, and now have exciting new features.
New ‘Manage Outposts’ Button & Menu. No longer located under Dismissal Options in the follower management screen, you can now find all outpost-related choices under a dedicated Manage Outposts button on the main screen. This button launches a new, interactive dialogue in which the player can make several management choices. (The Manage Outposts button only becomes visible when at least one outpost has been unlocked.)
Upgrading Outposts. Using energy & silver, you can now upgrade any outpost to higher tiers of effectiveness to increase its rewards. This works regardless of whether followers are assigned to the outpost or not, and the number of potential upgrade tiers is infinite. The weekly report has also been updated to display an outpost’s current upgrade tier with color-coded text, (Tiers 1-10 in yellow, 11-20 in green, 21-30 in bright green, and 30+ in purple).
Sending & Recalling Followers. When a follower is sent to an outpost, it’s now classed as a ‘remote assignment’ rather than a full ‘dismissal’. They can be recalled just as easily as being sent, and romantic relationships are no longer affected by doing so. The more followers you send, the greater the effectiveness of the outpost, but sending followers is now entirely optional, easily reversible, and investing in outpost upgrades can achieve the same result.
New Feature: Personal Traits!
In addition to their underlying personality type, followers can now have a series of personal traits, to further define them as individuals. Each follower will now have from 1 to 3 personal traits, assigned from a pool of possibilities.
16 New Possible Traits. Eight pairings of personal traits have been added, each of which is a mutually-exclusive pair (i.e. if one trait is possessed in the pair, the other cannot be), for a total of 16 possible traits. They are Disciplined or Relaxed, a Night Owl or Early Riser, Movie Obsessed or Book Obsessed, Messy or Organized, Forgetful or Detail Oriented, Superstitious or Skeptical, Inquisitive or Content with Life, and Adventurous Eater or Picky Eater.
New, Brief Narrative Events to Display These Traits. New, brief narrative events have also been added which display the effects of these traits on a follower’s day-to-day life.
LOOK CLOSER Updated to Display Known Traits. A follower’s personal traits are unknown by default, and only become known after one of the above events is encountered. Afterward, if you choose to ‘Look Closer’ during most dialogues, the traits you know about the follower will then be displayed.
Duty Assignment Updates!
New Duty Assignment: General Labor. A new duty assignment is now available called General Labor. Similar in style to the recently-introduced Maternity Leave assignment, this duty allows followers of any personality type or skill level to work at crafting goods for sale in the offworld markets. Whatever skill is their current highest will be favored for the type of goods produced, and occasional skill increases (up to a certain limit) can also be gained. This is primarily intended to serve as a “bridge” assignment, giving followers a way to contribute when other suitable duties may not yet be available (such as Medic or Caretaker).
Caretakers Now Craft Goods for Sale. Followers assigned to Caretaker duties will now craft goods for sale in the offworld markets, in addition to reducing the Energy Usage of the settlement.
Medics Now Craft Goods for Sale (When Not Busy). Followers assigned to Medic duties will also now craft goods for sale, but only when they have spare time because no patients are currently assigned to them.
Medic Benefits Increased. The percentage amount by which an on-duty Medic can influence the recovery of her patients (on positive outcomes) has been slightly increased.
Maternity Leave Can Now Increase Skill. When followers on Maternity Leave are crafting goods appropriate to their skills, they will now continue to experience slight increases to those same skills, so long as those increases do not exceed a certain limit.
New Cosmetics
Two New Winged Outfit Variants. Two new outfits have been added, which are cosmetic variants of existing designs. The first is a variation of the ‘white loincloth (topless) (wings, white)’ outfit, that instead comes with ‘ominous wings in purest ebony with dark crimson highlights’. The second is a variation of the more powerful ‘white loincloth (topless) (wings, light)’ outfit, that instead comes with ‘infernal wings made from blazing fire with sparks popping from their smoky span’. So, now your angels can look a little more demonic, if you like.
Sex Updates
Dating activity has been updated so that followers with a sex drive of level of ‘Nymphomania’ will have most other inhibitions overridden and be more willing to engage in romantic options.
Sex dialogues have also been updated so that followers with a sex drive of level of ‘Nymphomania’ will have most other inhibitions overridden and be more willing to engage in penetrative choices (once their skill level is high enough).
Romantic Rivalry Updates
Skill increases (of varying amounts) will now result when competing rivals engage in contests of prowess.
Mother / daughter relationships will now be recognized & mentioned in scene text when competing rivals share this familial connection.
Misc. Updates
Followers not already assigned to Maternity Leave when they give birth will now be automatically switched to Maternity Leave upon giving birth, unless they are a Patient in the infirmary.
Minimum turn number required for Missionary Outpost to unlock reduced from 25 turns to 15 turns, and minimum required for Farmstead Outpost to unlock from 60 turns to 50 turns.
Code used for generating skill levels of new followers has been updated. Now, followers who would have previously generated with all zeroed-out skills will instead generate with very low skill values.