This is a 'hotfix' update addressing some player feedback (as well as other minor bugs) post-Demo release.
This takes the Demo build version up to v0.27d. You can verify you have it by checking the version listed at the bottom of the screen on the main menu.
The focus has been on the more pressing game play aspects such as balance, i.e. with regards to supply costs and starting supplies. You should now find that keeping yourself financially 'afloat' isn't as difficult as before! I have also addressed the grid sync process and made some other minor quality of life improvements and bug fixes.
I've validated the below balance changes and found in my experience so far that you are able to keep your Funds in the 'green' much more comfortably now! I tested by creating a brand new save and found my Funds $$$ status after over 10 in-game days was much healthier than before. I also reloaded an older save prior to this version (where I was 'struggling' in some debt at around the 25 day mark) and found that with careful attentiveness, I was actually able to 'recover' my situation over time.
I'm confident that these balance changes actually allow for a reasonable amount of operational 'mistakes' to be made and more easily recovered-from, enhancing the game play experience further.
I am happy to make these updates to the Demo build as it will help shape the foundation for the full release version of Hydro, which is planned for release later in 2025 (official release date for full game is TBC).
Here is the changelog for v0.27d:
- Added two oil cans to spawn-in on initial game-load when there is no save game file already present. This is to assist the player and help them along as they start the game
- Reduced the cost of the oil can from between $35 - $55 to between $25 - $45
- Reduced the cost of the Generator Grid Fuse from between $40 - $70 to between $35 - $55
- Reduced the cost of the accumulator (battery) fluid from between $45 - $55 to between $25 - $40
- Smoothed-out the animation for the Sync Needle so that it more closely 'mimics' real-life operation. It should now reach a 'mid range' of operation where it almost slows to a halt (signifying the generator is almost 'in-sync'), allowing the player to then hit 'R' to close the Grid Relay and more reliably obtain a sync to the grid. Note that this process is not meant to be 100% true-to-life...but instead function as more of a 'mini-game', providing a bit of a challenge whilst also not being too 'annoying'
- Reduced chances of calm river shift from 1 in 4 to 1 in 5. This is because previously it seemed the calm river levels would load slightly too frequently...
- Reduced cost of the billable noise complaint in this Demo from $100 down to $70 - note that in the full game, many more noise complaints will be available with differing costs associated. I felt that for the Demo, $100 was a bit steep however
- Previously, the minimum Generator Grid Fuse life could be as low as 40 (and as high as 550) when the player replaced it. The lower value was intended to simulate a 'dud' replacement fuse however, this value was arguably still too low. So I have raised the min life value to 100
- Fixed a bug whereby if you placed supplies like oil cans beneath a window frame on the outside of the building, it could trigger the window pane's on-screen 'tooltip' to appear on next game load after saving the game
- Increased the starting 'life' of the Generator Grid Fuse when the game is first started with no save game present (from 550 to 750). This should help players brand new to the game and sync process to learn the ropes a give more 'buffer' for mistakes before the fuse blows up. Note that replacement fuses life will still be clamped at the same max as before (550)
- Fixed a bug where if the player ran over to the filing cabinet and saved immediately after 'waking up' to the beginning of a day shift when it's 'morning') then exited the game and reloaded, the sun position of the morning was not saved correctly
NOTE: I also have a rolling list of further changes and additions I'd like to make based off feedback so far, however I will look to roll these perhaps into a future v0.28 Demo update over the coming days. In the meantime I wanted to get this 'hotfix' out ASAP so players could benefit from it right away.
Enjoy!