Dear Community,
For a while, we have been working on improving the game’s look and performance. This process has brought innovation in the creative process, new technical achievements and changes which will ensure the game’s longevity. We will reveal all of those over time, but let’s begin with the most noticeable difference of all: the game looks a lot better now.
There haven’t been many changes to the visual design principles, we are still going for a relatively realistic look with lush foliage and detailed buildings full of life and secrets. If anything, the decision was made to push even harder towards realism. Among details in the natural landscape, we have been working on details such as spectacular boulders and new ways of colouring the map with flowers. This world has to be rich in beauty and resources, so every player can take full advantage of everything this setting had to offer.
We have added a multitude of new buildings and enhanced the looks of the old ones. We pay special attention to the ones which will appear in large numbers in every playthrough. Upgrades in used technology allow us to add more details to the environment without sacrificing optimisation possibilities. We will discuss the technology behind some of those details before the end of the year. Everything has to be prepared for large settlements that grow dramatically every time the player reaches a milestone.
There are places on the map that look spectacular on their own, but we know you can all find new and exciting settings for your dream cities. You’re the ones shaping the landscape with sprawling settlements full of houses and specialised buildings. These beating hearts of the land will be your pride and joy for entire playthroughs.
Sometimes the serenity of certain places is surprising even for us. Large forests with many varieties of trees and plants can be populated with small centres of worship. Or lonely bridges can become decorative aspects of your vision for the city. These small details in what you can do with production buildings or decorative props have been some of the most exciting elements of testing.
We’re already excited to see your creations. Screenshots in this devblog were provided by multiple members of the team, who have built beautiful cities while testing new features and the game’s economy. Everyone was over the moon when all changes and upgrades finally fell into place like puzzle pieces and revealed the bigger picture of this game’s true potential and beauty. There still is a lot to be done, but we hope that a move in this direction will show the care and love everyone pours into this project.
Can’t wait for your feedback! You can reach us on our social media or join our discord.
See you next time!
The Devs
