No new patch this week, but here is an update on what is going on behind the scenes. For one, work is about to start on the new city map of Goodbury, but it'll be a while before there is anything to share there, apart from the clouds shown in this screenshot. With the Challenges added in the last update, there is only one major gameplay feature left; Storylines.
Storylines are basically linked chains of events in the game, where each choice you make determines the nature of the next event, and eventually the outcome. They stretch over more than the current 2-3 linked events that are already in the game, have more impactful outcomes, and thus will take more planning and writing.
Unlike random events or historic events, Storylines trigger procedurally. That means, the way you play the game will determine which storylines are likely to trigger. For example, one storyline may be connected to organized crime, and will only trigger after you've researched this under Upgrades and with each published Crime-themed issue the chance increases.
With these Storylines, the hope is to add more replay-value and things to explore within Above the Fold. The current state of this feature, is that the basic code is written and being tested (when adding any new feature, old ones are likely to break), and the first few Storylines are being drafted.
The Beta phase of development, will be dedicated to audio, visual and UI improvements, balancing, meta game, and adding more art and Storylines.
What are the storylines you'd like to see? I'm always open to suggestions.