Greetings, Survivors!
We are receiving a lot of questions about the next Major Update. While we keep on releasing small bugfixes, it's finally time to provide you with more details about the next content update for Infection Free Zone. We hope that you will be as excited for those changes as we are. This is the first part of the announcement, expect Part II in September. Have fun!
Major Update #5 Release Date
While the release date of this Major Update is not yet confirmed, we are hoping to release it towards the end of September or at the beginning of October. The good news is, you can expect us to release some early builds on the open_beta branch in a few weeks. So if you are eager to check all the new features earlier, there will be a chance to do so.
Once we can confirm that all the new features are stable and the balance of the game is satisfying, we will decide on the release date of this update.
Laws
Laws are designed to give players additional customization options for their Zone. They will also be especially useful for saving the Zone in times of crisis. Through laws, the player can decide, for example, how much food citizens consume. They may eat less at the cost of lower morale, or eat more, which in turn boosts their satisfaction. Each law must be announced during a meeting in the Gathering Place, which should be large enough to host all citizens.
Mind you, residents can change up to one law per day. This system, therefore, requires careful planning and systematic responses to the current needs of the Zone.
Predefined Buildings
After the implementation of Custom Buildings, we have noticed that a lot of players have issues with their placement. And it's fully understandable. Custom Buildings have some specific limitations in place that are meant to keep the game's balance intact. For example, you cannot place a Custom Building next to another building. That's why we wanted to add an alternative solution.
Now you can place custom buildings way faster and prettier, with a classic RTS approach! You still have to research advanced masonry, though. So you can either quickly place a building with Predefined Buildings or manually define all the vertices on your own (the old way). What's also interesting - every predefined building comes in 3 different sizes. So whether you're just starting a new game or continue playing on your end-game Zone, you can always find the correct size of the building that will fit your needs.
Bigger Maps
Some of you have already checked this change on our Experimental Builds. Currently, Infection Free Zone can be played only on 3x3 maps. We are adding an option to play on 5x5 maps to the game. This means almost 3 times bigger playable areas. Mind you, the loading times of those maps will be considerably longer. That's why we want to add some additional limitations, where locations with high-density of buildings won't be available. This feature also might not be available for players with lower-end PCs.
Overall, if you prefer a stable, optimized gameplay experience, we strongly recommend sticking to the 3x3 maps. That said, we know many players have requested the option to play on larger maps. So, if you have a decent PC - or the patience to sit through longer loading times - feel free to try out this new addition to the game.
Final Story Chapter
Minor spoilers below (hover to unveil an image and the text):
In the past, you had to deal with the Raiders, the Military and the Scientists. Now, a new threat is about to surface - deadlier than ever before. Expect new enemies and new tools to fight against those enemies. Prepare your Zone for the worst in this final chapter of the Infection Free Zone's story.
Major Update #5
What do you think about all the upcoming additions? And do you have any predictions regarding the content that will be shown in the Major Update #5 Preview - Part II? Please, let us know in the comments! Mind you, the videos and artworks in this announcement don't represent the final version of the game and are subject to changes. Thank you for playing Infection Free Zone!
Best regards,
Jutsu Games Team