The game has been updated to version 0.172.
NOTE - With any update, there is a rare chance of files getting corrupted. This can cause a black/white empty screen when starting the game. If you experience this problem, you can visit this forum post for instructions on how to fix it: https://steamcommunity.com/app/1184770/discussions/2/3085508296772338528/
Also, if you experience any other problems, you can post a bug report in the community discussions forum. You can navigate there by clicking on the Community Hub, and then clicking the Discussions tab. On the right side of the screen, there is a sub-forum called Bug Reports.
NOTE - It is recommended that you start a new game once this version of the game has been downloaded. This update makes changes to the election mechanics, which will likely create a congressional imbalance in any games saved prior to this update. Generally this occurs in the form of democrats not being able to win a majority in the house or senate. Starting a new game is the best option to avoid unbalanced elections.
If you want to continue playing your old save game, without unbalanced elections, you can choose to continue playing the older version of the game by right clicking on the game, going to properties, clicking the betas tab, and selecting the v0159 option. This will allow you to continue using the old election mechanics for your old save games. Once you are ready to start playing the most recent version, make sure to go back to the properties/betas menu and opt-out of the beta version by selecting the None option.
Additions:
- Added new election mechanics. There are now more factors that influence election results. These election factors can be adjusted in the advanced options.
- Added an option to endorse candidates during primary and general elections.
- Added an option to campaign with any endorsed candidate (rallies and fundraisers), if the endorsed candidate has lower political points than your character.
- Added an option to do limited marketing for any endorsed candidate.
- Events with endorsed candidates will increase their likelihood of winning their election.
- Marketing for endorsed candidates will increase their likelihood of winning their election.
- Added an option to campaign with endorsed candidates even when your character is not running for election (for instance during a midterm election while your character is president).
- It is now possible to skip appropriation bills (as president) without receiving a pop-up forcing a vote on the legislation.
- Added a search function to the game. The search button can be found at the top of the screen, next to the other icons. Currently it only searches active politicians for a match. This might be improved in the future.
- Adjusted save/load process (for campaign saves and advanced option presets) so that file sizes are smaller.
- Added a treasury option to the advanced options so that it is now possible to change the school, city, state, and national treasury values at any time.
- Added campaign funds to the profile tab, so that the player can see their campaign funds at any time (and not just during campaigns).
- Added a button to "Skip Time" in the Office -> Summary Menu. This allows you to skip multiple turns at once, if you do not hold a political office, and are not participating in a campaign.
- Added new policy positions to the marketing menu.
- Added new policy positions to the policy polls.
- Added an analysis / advice button to the campaign overview menu that gives a simple analysis of the election and some advice about how to win.
- Added new marketing types (for experience and traits). This isn’t fancy, but it is an additional method for influencing voter enthusiasm (which is useful if you can’t attack an opponent’s policies because they are too similar to yours).
- Added an option to view politician details from the election results page (specifically the other elections tab).
- Added an option to require player elections to have opponents. By default this is turned off. It can be turned on in the advanced options, under the Election -> General tab.
Fixes:
- Fixed an issue where per capita income would decrease for no reason. Not all members of the labor force would be counted in the per capita income calculations, causing the per capita income value to be lower than it should have been. This in turn would cause the economy to get worse, which resulted in a cycle of the economy continuing to get worse.
- Fixed an issue with campaign marketing where policy support would sometimes decrease if it was already at the 10% maximum (or if the default support added to the modified support was more than 100%).
- Fixed an issue where a candidate might run against themselves in a primary (this may have been limited to senate primaries).
- Fixed an issue where the number of criminals in a city could be absurdly large if the player moved to a new city. This would happen if jail length value had been decreased to a very low number. Now, the jail length value is set back to default if the player moves, preventing the problem.
- Fixed an issue where vetoes would sometimes not be overturned by a 2/3 majority at the city and state levels.
- Fixed an issue where independent voters might not be counted correctly (or may not vote correctly) in districts with Open primaries.
- Fixed an issue where 100% of candidates would have mixed ancestry if moving to a new state/county, after loading.
- Fixed an issue where custom election candidates were not reset at the end of the election, causing a situation where they would run again in the next election. This could cause an incumbent to run against themselves in the election.
- Fixed an issue where TANF, SNAP, and WIC laws might be denied a hearing when they should have been granted a hearing.
- Fixed various other issues.