This update is centred around the characters in your shows, it overhauls and vastly expands several existing systems while adding some brand new ones!
The main improvements are:
- Overhauled character popularity system
- Character decks
- Character affinities
- Character relationships
- Way more character traits
- System for unlocking character traits
- Create groups for characters to belong to
There are some smaller tweaks and additions as well. Some rebalancing to make the game a little less difficult, character levelling sped up with the max level increased from 10 to 20, three new episode types to select on the production screen, multiclassing for characters and improved character name generation based on the show theme.
Please not that due to structural changes required in the backend, saves from older builds won't be compatible with this new version. If you want to play with older saves, you'll need to opt in to the beta branch "beta - old builds" which gives you continued access to the previous build (v0.401). Right click Showrunner in Steam, then properties, then betas, then select beta - old builds from the drop down. Set this drop down to None if you want to go to the latest version!
Overhauled Popularity System & Character Decks
Replacing the placeholder system from before, the new character popularity system gives you much more influence over how character popularity can increase or decrease from episode to episode.
Each character now has a deck of nine card, each of which can affect their popularity when drawn when an episode is completed and seen by the audience. The starting deck is determined by which archetype a character is, each archetype has a slightly different layout of starting cards. The episode type you select during production will affect how many cards are drawn by each character.
To change the starting deck you need to buy traits for your character as they level up. Many character traits now trade existing cards in the deck for new, more powerful replacements. Some simply add more popularity if drawn, while others have various special effects.
Character Affinities
The maximum character level has been increased from 10 to 20 so now you'll only unlock the ability to add traits for a character at some of their levels. However, you will now gain a point to assign to the newly added character affinities at each level.
There are four character affinities, each relating to an episode stat - Plot, Comedy, Drama and Action. These affinities work together with the actor's stats to allow them to produce more points of each type during the filming stage. The starting affinities for each character are determined by their archetype. Some traits will add points to specific affinities.
More Character Traits & New Trait Unlocking System
The number of character traits has been greatly expanded, from 25 to 65! Many of the previously existing traits have also been completely reworked. Traits are now purchased with Persona Points once you unlock them and a slot to put them in. Every trait will also adjust one of a character's attributes by one, potentially affecting their casting rating.
To help manage the greater selection of traits they are now unlocked over time rather than all being available from the start. They are unlocked by increasing your studio's archetype levels, in the same way as character titles. Archetype levels are increased by having characters of that archetype appear in episodes and also by creating characters of that archetype.
Character Relationships and Groups
You can now set lots of different types of relationships between characters in your shows. Are they friends, family, partners, rivals, enemies? There isn't currently a mechanical benefit for doing this (this is likely to be added in time), but it allows you to add more depth to each character and show.
You can also create groups, which characters can belong to. These groups can be defined as anything from a government bureau to a secretive clandestine organisation.
Additional Update Notes
Content
- Added lots of names to character name creation, now drawing on different lists depending on show theme.
- Added 3 additional episode types to the production screen, they only have some of their full characteristics for now though.
Functionality
- When reaching level 10, characters can unlock a second archetype. This will allow XP earned from appearing in episodes to go towards the studio archetype levels for two archetypes at once, allowing you to unlock character titles and traits more quickly. You will also receive a boost to studio archetype XP just for picking that archetype as a secondary for a character (in the same way you do for picking a primary archetype for a new character).
- Character status has been added in the backend. Currently always set to ACTIVE, this system will be used in future to allow for setting characters to various other states such as AWAY, MISSING, DIED, WOUNDED etc.
Character Affinities
Max is 25 (starting points are 36/100, can earn 19 from levelling and some more from traits).
Balancing
- Maximum character level increased from 10 to 20, XP requirements adjusted to earlier levelling will be much quicker.
- Max character popularity increased from 100 to 200 and added clamping to ensure it doesn't go above the max (oGame.MaxCharacterPopularity).
- Base PersonaPoints_EpisodeReward up from 35 to 50.
- Contract time limit from 27/30/33/36/39 to 29/32/35/38/41.
- ShowFame (baseline financial reward number) increased from 4 to 5 (was 5 some versions ago).
- Studio Archetype XP rewards from appearances by an archetype made more generous (100 > 175).
UI
- Text entry tweaks. Holding backspace for a short time causes quick deletion of text. Added missing current position indicators to all text editing inputs.
- Added initial loading screen.
- Adjusted item mouse over glow colour to be coloured and the selected glow colour to always be gold (previous mouse over colour was always white, was harder to see)
Bug Fixes
- Character description text should now save if going to another character screen or exiting the current character screen.