Hello there, Landlords!
We started working on the Manhattan district itself almost a year ago, and now we're almost ready to finally release it into the wild. At the same time, this will be the last major milestone on our way to the full release, which is scheduled to come out before the end of this year.
Apart from the third district becoming available in-game with the new update, we're also using this opportunity to make some bigger changes to the core gameplay elements before we go ahead with the full release. On top of that, we've also decided to implement a few brand-new mechanics, along with a vast number of QoL tweaks and features. Let's dive into the specifics of what you can expect on July 22nd (yeah, that's the official planned release date)!
Manhattan district
The crown jewel of the update itself, the third district, will finally become available with the Manhattan Update. Available to those that have finished all their main story missions in both the Slums and the Suburbs. Once you buy the property mentioned in the last Suburbs' mission, you'll be prompted by Uncle Steve who'll get the keys to Manhattan for you. Keep in mind though, that you can always use Creative Mode to reach the new district faster!
Apart from the new environment itself, accompanied by new flats to buy and do jobs in, we wanted Manhattan to feel special in comparison to the other two districts. After all, it's the late-game area in which players that "finish" the game (reach the final mission) will spend most of their time.
One of the main features that the last district introduces is the property classification system, which splits apartments into two types: residential and business. The former are your regular apartments that you can rent out to tenants. The latter opens up the possibility to rent your properties to whole companies that will then bring their employees along and start using your apartment as a new office. Business properties will require a different set of items to host an open house, and each company type (there'll be at least a few of those) will require a different set of workstations.
Have you ever dreamed of solving a missing yogurt case? With office spaces will also come
a new set of events, a new tenant archetype (can you guess what it is?), and apartment subscriptions. Ah yes, the subscriptions. More on that later.
Target Cards
In life, not everyone is dealt a good hand of cards, and the same is true for The Tenants. With our last major update, we're adding a new type of progression system, in which you'll receive random Target Cards that you can complete at your own pace. The first set will be fully randomized, but then when you complete a card, you'll be able to choose one of the three random cards for your next target.
These cards will range from signing a particular type of tenant into one of your apartments to performing a given number of sabotages on unsuspecting tenants. On completion, they'll either give you plain cash, Landlord Points, new items, a random gift/service/sabotage, or the brand new Tenant Solver Token, which allows you to solve a chosen apartment event without your intervention.
City Pickups
With the new and beautiful district of Manhattan, we wanted to entice players to explore Wondersville from up close, instead of just jumping from one apartment to the other. With the release of the new update, we advise you to start looking under those bridges and into the chimneys scattered across the city. You might end up finding one of the two kinds of pickups we've implemented in the game:
Respawning pickups - simpler items that can be found in various parts of the town, on pickup will grant either money, Landlord Points, Tenant Hearts, and occasionally a rare epic item.
Collectibles - split into different sets that range from 7 to even 20 pieces. Some can be found only in a single district, while others may be scattered around all three. Each set on completion rewards the player with something different. So, for example, when you collect all Uncle Steve cards, you will receive a permanent move speed buff for Uncle Steve, and picking up all the graffitis will reward you with a set of them to use in your own interiors.
Apartment Upgrades & Subscriptions
And finally, at least when it comes to the biggest of the new features, we have the new apartment Upgrades & Subscriptions systems. We were never quite happy with the old utility system and we've had various ideas on how to rework it. The rework was originally planned for the Renovation Update, but as we sat down to fully design it, it only grew in size and scope with each iteration. Eventually, we had to push it back a little to make sure it was fully ready and compatible with the rest of the game before we release it to the public. Well, it's ready now!
Each apartment will have a plethora of various upgrades that can be installed in them along with a selection of subscriptions that can be turned on and off whenever the player wants to. The three core upgrades that are required to rent a unit out are electricity, heating, and water. Apart from installing them, the player will have to use Uncle Steve to configure each upgrade and place corresponding outlets in the property. Most of the outlets have a limited range in which they work, so it's good to plan ahead where the, let's say fridge, is going to be placed.
On top of that, there'll be a bunch of additional upgrades that may increase the value of the apartment for some tenants and clients, like the automatic cleaning robot (yay!) dispatch stations and such. Meanwhile, subscriptions do not require a permanent installation and they can be switched on and off whenever, although cutting off your tenant's high-speed internet connection will definitely not make them happy.
Whew, we've made it through the most important new additions coming in Manhattan Update. Don't forget to mark July 22nd on your calendars! We can't wait to hear your thoughts on the upcoming update in the comments below or on our official Discord server, which can be found here: link.
Thank you,
Ancient Forge Studio