Patch 0.0.3.11 - The Advertisement Efficacy Patch
Overview: This patch introduces two extremely important changes that deepen strategic gameplay. First, several key actions now require a "click and hold," adding a deliberate, tactile feel to important decisions. The second and most significant change is a complete overhaul of the Advertisement system, giving managers unprecedented control over the flow of guests to their Hotel.
Core Gameplay Changes
- Click and Hold Actions: To ensure Commanders are making deliberate choices, several critical actions now require a "click and hold" to confirm. This applies to Renovation, Docking, and Purchases.
- Dynamic Starts: Every manager now begins their career with a bustling Hotel! You will start with 4 guests pre-booked to your docks and a completely full river of 12 available guests. These pre-booked guests will dock automatically at the start of Shift 2, but you have the entire first shift to override these bookings with more desirable guests from orbit.
The New Advertisement System
The Art of Attraction
We've overhauled the advertisement system to give you more direct and strategic control over attracting your desired clientele. Your ability to draw a specific guest is now determined by two key factors: your Location and the power of your Advertisement Campaigns.
1. Location: The Local Traffic
- Home System: The local Faction or Guild gets a large number of "attraction tokens," making them the most common sight in orbit.
- Adjacent Systems: Factions adjacent to your current location get a moderate number of tokens.
- Opposite Systems: The Faction opposite your location (as defined by the Rule of 6) gets the fewest tokens, making them a rare, natural spawn.
2. Advertisement Campaigns: Targeted Influence
- Each advertisement campaign you run adds more tokens for that Faction or Guild to the pool, directly increasing their chances of appearing. Note: All active campaigns of a specific type lose 1 charge per day.
- Upgraded Campaigns: Investing in upgraded campaigns significantly multiplies their effectiveness, making your call across the galaxy much harder to ignore.
Predictable Power: The Result
By combining a smart location with targeted, upgraded campaigns, you can dramatically influence your odds.
- Best Case Scenario: If you are in a Deep system and run six fully upgraded campaigns for The Deep, you can stack the odds to as high as an 80% chance of the next guest being from The Deep.
- Worst Case Scenario: Even if you're in an opposite territory (a Dread system), those same six upgraded campaigns can overcome the location disadvantage to still give you a powerful 63% chance of attracting a Deep guest.
Advertisement Cost: The Price of a Sure Thing
Booking a guest directly from the river is no longer free; it now requires an investment of Advertisement Actions.
- Cost by Column: The river consists of 6 columns. The cost to book a guest is 6 Advertisement Actions on the far left (Column 0) and scales down to just 1 on the far right (Column 5).
- Reducing the Cost: Each matching Advertisement Campaign you have active reduces a guest's booking cost by 1. Upgrades do not provide an additional cost reduction.
- Example: A Deep guest in the far-left column costs 6 Advertisement Actions. If you have six active campaigns for The Deep, their cost is reduced by 6, making them completely free to book. This system rewards managers who specialize their advertising, allowing them to book desirable guests for a fraction of the cost. Ultimately, a prime location gives you a strong head start, but a powerful ad campaign ensures your message reaches the guests you want, no matter where you are in the galaxy.
2. Dynamic Start: Your First Shift
The start of the game is now much more dynamic. Every manager begins their career with a bustling Hotel:
- You now start with 4 guests pre-booked directly to your docks.
- The river is completely full with 12 available guests.
At the beginning of your second shift, if the "Vacancy" sign is on, these 4 pre-booked guests will automatically dock at your Hotel for no cost, giving you a guaranteed start.
However, your first shift is a crucial window of opportunity. At any time during this first shift, you have the strategic choice to override any of these pre-booked guests by spending the necessary resources to dock a more desirable guest from orbit, allowing you to customize your opening strategy from the very first turn.