Hello! 😊 Christmas is almost here again, guess they were right all along, time really does fly, doesn’t it? 🎄✨
What’s Been Happening Behind the Scenes
In the first week after our last Community Gazette, my partner and I had lots of smaller chunks of available time rather than long, focused work sessions, as much of our attention went into settling moving logistics I mentioned earlier, like signing rent contracts and setting up utility bills in a new country. 😬😱
So we tried to make good use of the smaller pockets of free time to focus on early polishing and bug fixes for the public test version, thanks to the helpful reports from our incredible Discord and Steam communities. Your feedback has been invaluable!
Thanks to this, I also finally had the chance to fix some long-standing minor visual bugs, like those problematic elevator door animation issues that had been lingering on our to-do list while we were busy with heavier tasks. I briefly considered releasing some of those smaller fixes (which are already available in the default branch) as a separate update for it, but with the big update so close, it made more sense to bundle everything together.
-The ghost door glitch was reported by a Discord member (Mazi), who suggested we keep it as a Halloween animation, honestly, that checks out!-
Anyway, after the first week, as things started to settle down, I turned my attention back to finishing the remaining transportation and data graph features that we have been developing on the public test branch and made some progress.
So, what’s changed in the public test build since the last community post, other than bug fixes?
I’ve implemented the parking part of the new transportation system I’ve mentioned in previous posts. You can now test contractor, employee, and customer parking in the public test branch. The document requirements for parking licenses still need some balancing, but I’m holding off on that for now, balancing can wait for the info graphs. Those graphs aren’t just a new game mechanic; they’ll also help me fine-tune the game balance and polishing in the final stages. Yay to progress! 😉😊
One change to maybe mention is that parking spaces will now generate hourly income instead of just a one-time payment when customers first arrive. This long-requested community change means that when a guest goes on a one-day gambling bender, they won’t get away with only paying a $10 parking fee!
I've also worked on the info charts and graphs. The data info system has been ready and waiting for its UI for some time now. I've started designing and building the interface backend, beginning with the financial data window. The financial data graph is nearly complete, and I’m planning to upload it to the public test branch with the upcoming patch in a day or two.
The garage and public transport systems are also awaiting their UI, which will be the final task before we move into polishing and preparing for the default branch release.
After that, it’s time for the fun content implementation sprints! 🎉
Thank you for being part of the community.
Until next time!