Version 0.11.1 released
A quick update to fix a bug. Also balance adjustments (easier on lower difficulties, harder on higher difficulties).
– [balance] AI price aggressiveness adjusted by difficulty level.
– [balance] Increased world demand for low difficulties.
– [balance] Decreased world demand for high difficulties.
– [fix] No year selected and no demand for cars on difficulty 1 bug.
Version 0.11 released
This version focuses on marketing and on convenience improvements. Added marketing screen where you can manipulate your company’s brand and added numerous improvements like option to archive outdated cars and components, more sorting options, etc.
New brand system is divided into 3 categories: wealth segment (luxury, medium class, mass market), region and car type. You set marketing budget in which type of brand to invest and the final brand of the car depends on those. For example if you want to primarily sell limousines in North America you might want to set a high budget for luxury segment (since limousines have a high demand in luxury segment), North America region and limousine car type. You might also decide to produce expensive sports cars since those are kind of compatible with this marketing setup. If on the other hand you prefer to sell to mass market you might focus on marketing smaller cars, mass market segment and more regions at once. In short, the brand system encourages you to specialize your company, of course you can still produce absolutely everything if you so desire.
– [feature] Marketing screen where you can set budget for achieving different types of brands (by segment, region and car type).
– [feature] Improved AI.
– [feature] Option to start with a blank company (no starting car and components).
– [feature] Option to put to archive a component or a car (also a filter to show archived components/cars).
– [feature] Option to retire a car model (it removes the car from production, distribution and puts it into archive).
– [feature] Starting cars and components are now optional.
– [balance] Bank interest is now affected by difficulty level, adjusted loan limits.
– [balance] Adjusted world demand.
– [balance] Adjusted number of assets available when starting with components/cars option is selected.
– [interface] Improved bank screen.
– [interface] Improved assembly lines screen.
– [interface] Added sort by Type for factory models selector.
– [interface] Sortable car components on design screen.
– [interface] Added advanced custom options on new game where you can set inflation, events, etc (note that events do not work in this version yet).
– [interface] Minor beautifications and adjustments.
– [misc] Inflation option moved to advanced game options.
– [fix] Rename car in view car.
– [fix] Minor fixes.
Version 0.10.2 released
Another update aimed to fix a critical bug, also there is a detailed Demand screen where you can see price points and popularity of various car types. Part of the features from this version will work fully after Marketing part is done, which should be in one of the next versions.
– [feature] Introduced wealth segments to sales formula (Luxury, Middle class, Mass market).
– [feature] Demand screen where you can see demand for different car types depending on regions and maximum accepted consumer price (depending on segment, region and car type).
– [feature] Brand redone (it might be a bit confusing until the Marketing screen is finished where you will be able to adjust those).
– [fix] Critical bug in creating Asian companies.
Version 0.10.1 released
A small update containing important fixes. Also two features a Demand analysis button and a primitive sandbox mode.
– [feature] Added Demand analysis button to office menu.
– [feature] Added price sensitivity to regions.
– [feature] Added “Sandbox mode” which allows you to play infinitely (can be activated at year 2020), this feature is untested!
– [interface] Added “Game ended” notice if not in sandbox mode.
– [interface] View button placement fixed.
– [fix] Save of assembly lines (serious bug!)
– [fix] Materials on design chassis not working.
– [fix] Rename company on game start bug.
Note: This version saves are incompatible with previous version saves, if you want to play using your older saves try legacy branch.
Automobile Tycoon was released as Early Access today.
Version 0.10 (Early Alpha)
– crude, barebone,stable, partially playable version
– unbalanced
– several features are missing or unfinished
Early Access plan
In the following months I will be working on the game to finish the missing features, polish it and so on. Early Access will be divided into two parts:
ALPHA – where I will be focusing on features
BETA – where I will be focusing on playability and polish
If you desire just to play it I recommend to wait till Beta. If on the other hand you are an adventurous soul and want to see how it unfolds and help to shape the game you can start right away and embark the Alpha journey 🙂
A day ago I have finished a version that is kind of playable 🙂 Unbalanced, many features missing but overall you can play it if you really desperate. So, I’m ready to start Early Access this month.
Steam Early Access will start September 2017.
Link: Steam Early Access
Important things regarding Early Access:
– I tend to launch EA of my games earlier in development than others so I can get player’s feedback earlier, therefore do not expect a fully playable game at the start.
– It’s recommend to wait till Beta if you want to play it, during Alpha it’s recommended for adventurous spirits who love to see how the game unfolds and wish to have some input on how the game evolves.
Version 1.14 released
This version extends audiences events related to departments and introduces bonus for controlling an enemy capital. Now, if you control a civilized race’s capital you get a significant leverage during ambassador’s visit (both new options and better existing options).
– [feature] All departments got an additional audience event.
– [feature] If you control civilized race’s capital you get significantly better audience options during ambassador’s visit.
– [interface] Intelligence screen shows if you control that race’s capital (useful for invite ambassador option) or if they lost their capital to someone else.
– [interface] Improved planetary specialization tooltip.
– [interface] Renamed Cancel court moves to Revert court moves.
– [fix] Tax bonus bug.
Version 1.13 released
This version focuses on age of characters. Age was rebalanced and additional features to adjust and examine those were introduced. Also autonomous fleets algorithms were improved. In addition, by popular request, an option to copy composition of fleets!
– [feature] Advanced Customization option to adjust average expected lifespan of characters.
– [feature] Option to clone the fleet composition from another fleet (Fleet/Shipyard/Clone).
– [feature] Autonomous fleets algorithm improved, checks each turn if the conquest order is still valid. Also prioritization of orders improved to take into account distance from Terra.
– [balance] Average lifespan of characters increased to 200 turns.
– [balance] Patrol squadrons less chaotic (maximum one reaction per planet). Note that patrol squadrons is an experimental feature which can be enabled via options.
– [interface] Tooltip to display character’s age and average expected lifespan.
– [interface] Chancellor (Empire/Audience/Chancellor) lets you see what genetic perks for the Emperor you have chosen upon the game start.
– [interface] Intelligence threat tooltip improved to include tension modifier for Era of Coalition.
– [fix] Rare bug where the next audience marker was not cleared upon new game start.
– [fix] Report that a squadron has arrived had no “find” planet button (it was there previously but it was broken by one of the updates), fixed now.
I have been working on Automobile Tycoon, a car industry simulator for PC for a while. Today it was set a “Coming soon” on Steam. It will be out somewhere this year.
It’s a turn based company simulator, streamlined and with a goal to reduce tedious things (like distribution) in favour of exciting things (strategy). Also it’s a tycoon game, with focus on you being the manager of a company, not a car engineer.
Here is the link (Steam): Automobile Tycoon on Steam
Version 1.12 released
Post PixelConnect2017 version. It contains mostly feedback from visitors of my booth and my thoughts when observing how they play. In addition there is an experimental feature “patrol squadrons” for autonomous fleets, a more independent and fast reacting force to reacts to enemy invasions, patrol’s drawback is those do not coordinate their efforts.
– [feature] Autonomous fleets algorithm improved, retake planet order is issued when you lose control of the planet orbit without waiting till planet is conquered.
– [feature] Experimental feature (available only if you enable experimental features via options, possible heavy bugs!) autonomous fleets have patrol squadrons. You can select how many of those you have via Fleet/Orders tab, those squadrons will patrol in warp and react to combat on imperial planets. Each patrol squadron acts independently and always reacts to a planetary distress signal disregarding chances of success.
– [interface] Courtier screen, better description that courtier will be fired next turn.
– [interface] Courtier influence renamed to rank influence (to make it more clear that it’s connected to a position not the courtier).
– [interface] Edicts screen improved, buttons are now marked much more clear what is selected and what is active also tooltips unified and improved.
– [interface] Victory screen, victory and defeat conditions moved to top.
– [interface] Removed #X from game mode (some people mistaken it with order of playing those modes).
– [interface] Contracts screen more clear, explanation that those are done via audience.
– [interface] Planet strategic bombardment button aligned and got a better tooltip.
– [interface] Fleet/Orders screen, sector direction buttons realigned (more intuitive which direction is where).
– [interface] Fleet/Orders screen, description improved (offensive and defensive).
– [interface] Fleet/Orders screen, improved tooltips.
– [interface] Audience screen has better marker which audience is already done.
– [interface] Food icon changed.
– [interface] Help buttons centered.
