First of all, we want to thank you, our community, for your patience and the constructive feedback and criticism we received! This valuable interaction with our players was one of the reasons we decided to embark on this early access journey, and in this first year we already learned a lot. And while we have to ask for a little more patience, rest assured, that we are working hard to turn those learnings into an experience, with a detailed breakdown of what to expect in the announcement below:
Gameplay and Mechanics
The next major updates include many technical improvements, but also the most radical gameplay changes in our update history. For players who want to take the gameplay in more different directions and have more freedom with their strategy, we aim to offer more options and combinations, but also more customization and the chance to reflect personal preferences at the moment while keeping the game flow intact.
Changes in Development Tree
The Development Tree, so far used to unlock buildings and products based on a simple flow and level of development, now includes more path options and player-choice upgrades that will impact the universe. It also consists of a new way of presentation and ‘regulations’ that can be directly implemented according to the level of development.
Thanks to this step, we want to give each player more freedom in the direction they want to take their universe. With the introduction of 'Upgrades and Direct Edits', which we try to explain in more detail below, your chances of being more decisive on the universe by supporting freedom of movement in the development tree will increase.
The new model, which supports the overall flow of the game, as your technological capabilities increase, allows you to improve the existing structures a little bit without switching to the next-generation ones. Also, you can always take the safe route and quickly upgrade them to the more advanced levels.
New Development Tree Window
New Intermediate Upgrades and Renovation Project Tasks
The new development tree will now include intermediate upgrades. These can improve existing structures, adjust production formulas, or increase efficiency and output multipliers based on technological capabilities and available materials as the game universe progresses.
This new system has been integrated so that the preferred upgrades can be shaped according to the strategy the player wants to implement. It also gives old structures the ability to adapt in parallel with the growth process.
To create a more realistic universe flow, these adaptation improvements will also initiate a renovation project that will require upgrading existing structures.
Naturally, both the upgrade and these Renovation Projects will have a cost. Projects will vary in direct proportion to the number of targeted old buildings or infrastructures. Of course, all of these upgrades are left to the player's choice, and whether or not you perform them will not be a binding factor in the game's progression.
Some upgrade projects may create new parts or components that can slightly change the appearance of existing structures. We have designed and added around 40 intermediate and custom upgrades, and we expect this number to grow in parallel as the game universe progresses.
Changeable Regulations
As you know, in the New Cycle universe, depending on the progress and development of life, your community may request arrangements from you in certain situations and offer you a roadmap with a few options to take.
In parallel with this existing 'narrative' fed system, we have added new regulations directly linked to development progress.
These new stage-dependent regulations have been placed in the 'Development Tree', directly accessible by the player without any universal triggers. Some, of course, will require technological progress or the continuity of a specific development.
New ''Regulation'' Preference Window
All regulations can now be changed by the player, regardless of the source from which they were accessed. These changes will have conditions and effects.
With over 20 new regulations, you'll be able to further customize your city and community and get closer to creating an identity, including rules of social life, external relations, production methodologies, occupational safety, social norms, and more.
Changes in Cycle Progress
The system for maintaining Cycle progression based on Population and Knowledge has been changed. From now on, a certain number of cycle specific structures (and still some Knowledge) will be required, which gives the player more control over his progression.
New Advisor System
We have made our 'Advisor' System, which we had the opportunity to present to you for the first time in our demo version, ready for release by improving it a little more and making it more organically affect the game flow. 'Advisors' are special characters in the game universe that can join your community through immigration, birth, education (as a result of training paths such as Worker to Craftsman, etc.), or special small quests.
Each of these characters has certain qualities according to their professional skills or origin stories, and depending on their level, they will be able to have a positive impact on any issue in the city in general, on a specific type of profession, or other indicators.
You will be able to create a delegation of advisors from these special characters from the Worker, Crafter, or Specialist classes, with a number limit determined by your level of development, and you will be able to assign and dismiss them according to your needs and plan according to the needs of your strategy. How many advisors you have from which class or not offering positions to other classes can also cause problems in your community.
New Side-Mechanic: Mass Focus
Mass focus is a newly defined sub-mechanic. It is an executive tool where you can set focused topics to achieve specific mastery or gains by directing some of your community's day-to-day 'Knowledge' to a niche topic.
We can interpret it as a developable new path of progress based on the main topics of survival, production, natural resource management, collective life, and, in the future, diplomacy and dialogue.
You can develop these paths over time by giving up some of your daily 'Knowledge' output. Each level can upgrade existing achievements or make specific contributions in their respective fields. The decisions you make or the solutions you choose during different events in the game can increase or decrease this focused accumulation.
New Biome Preference Window and Gameplay Settings
After choosing between Scenarios or Sandbox, you can select biomes via the screen in the image below.
We have designed this screen to facilitate the presentation of more biome types and to provide information easily about the fundamental values (fertility, mineral availability, water resources, etc.) of the biome to be preferred.
New ''Map Type'' Selection Window
We have also added the most important of the general 'Gameplay' settings directly into this window, where you can adjust key variables affecting the entire gameplay to the player's liking.
This is a preferred way of presentation for quick and easy access, especially for players new to the genre or experiencing our game for the first time.
Revised Bonus System: Stacking Effects
Our current universe has a wide network of effects and reactions, fed by many factors such as events, developments, and social reactions.
We refer to these effects as 'bonuses', a variable that increases in number as the game universe expands, and we have decided to express them in a new way of processing. In line with the requests of the community, the effects that affect the primary factors such as Workforce, Efficiency, Morale, etc., which can be logically combined under the same title, will now be expressed in UI by adding them on top of each other.
More than just a simple UI edit, this stackable effect system supports the creation of preference tools that can be taken in different directions, such as improving or reducing existing bonuses.
New Map Types: Extended Scale
Thanks to the upgrade of our Unity game engine and the proper integration of newly released technologies, we could increase the available playable map areas by 60-70%.
Thus, when the overall surface area of our maps that we offered in the early days of the release was 570,000 (756x756) in engine units, we have now reached a standard surface area width of 2,300,000 (1512x1512). Naturally, the terrain of the preferred map (islands, mountains, valleys, river beds, etc.) will continue to act as factors that reduce the percentage of inhabitable area, and these ratios will vary for each map type.
New Structures, Products, and Units
The new structures added to the universe mainly focus on gameplay in the 'Aquatic Biome'. This update also includes structures that will form the basis of the expanding ''Chemistry'-based production tree;
- Primitive generator
- Processing Yard
- Fisher
- Advanced Fisher
- Offshore Fishery
- Desalination Plant
- Seafood Plant
- Workhall (An advanced level of Small WorkHall building)
- Sewing Workshop (An advanced level of tailor building)
Optional structures: These new building types can be accessed through specific events, storylines, or player preferences (predominantly optional based on need) and will provide services with special attributes.
- Reservoir: A new way to utilize rainwater for a moderately developed city with a reduced land surface area. By feeding a single large city-wide structure with the water channels provided by your improved road network, you can obtain an extra water source.
- Crematorium: An alternative solution to the last resting place occupation required by overly large populations in growing cities that are naturally short of space. Along with the alternative routes that the emerging chemical industry can offer.
- Wave rider: These structures, which can be built in partially offshore areas with certain wavelengths, will be able to generate electricity from wave motion with the possibility of damaging other resources offered by the occupied area.
New products consist of the outputs of the new structures and the calculated consumption needs of the population.
- Firewood
- Tallow
- Soap
- Manure
- Seafood
- Pottery
- Iron Utensil
New units for land and sea:
- Rowboat: Standard wooden rowing boat. Allows fishing along the coastline and in shallow waters. It can also be used for harvesting sponges and seafood in reef areas close to the shore.
- Skiff: It is a durable boat with a diesel engine suitable for a small crew of a few people. It can be used for inshore and offshore fishing and gathering.
- Trawler: This metal boat with twin engines and a large deck is suitable for long-term missions such as offshore fishing and whale hunting.
- Mog: Small truck modified for a specific role that can optionally be accessed with a unique task.
- Truck v02: A new truck model with more payload capacity but higher fuel and maintenance costs. Available depending on player preference.
- New Wagon Types For Train
New Environment and Urban Units
The New Cycle universe introduces cosmetic class entities, along with the new placeable unit menu design.
These new ''environment units'' will be of great visual benefit to the overall look and architectural spread of your city. The overall cityscape, which up to now has only consisted of buildings, roads, and the belt system, will now be supported by over 40 units of different types and scales, allowing for a much richer composition.
The overall inventory can be summarized as follows: 'Flora' consisting of small plants, shrubs, and trees; 'environmental objects' consisting of wooden and metal boxes, outdoor electrical wiring components, piles of stored goods, diesel punk-themed piping, fireplaces, etc; cobblestone square pieces and seats and lighting.
Apart from the contribution of cosmetic appearance only, we aim for some of these units to have both logical and mechanical qualities. Some special units can work as external storage units, some environmental elements can be used against the 'Pollution' mechanic when added, and simple components like crosswalks can be recognized and used by the masses moving through the city.
We will follow a production policy in which these varieties will increase continuously throughout the development process.
Other Minor but Important Changes and Improvements
This list contains a selection of topics that directly affect gameplay is heavily weighted in feedback from the community, and is not a complete fix list. As always, a full list of all revisions and fixes will be shared simultaneously with the release.
- It provided new balancing inputs for major consumption components such as water, food, and clothing. Formulas have been revised to support more populous cities, especially as alternative production structures have been added to the universe and maps have grown.
- Adjustments were made to birth/death rates. In particular, the mortality rate due to old age was improved and the special case of ''retired'' was added. The processing of welfare indicators affecting birth rates was revised.
- Product storage upper limits and warehouse capacities were revised.
- Improved interval calculation and probability calculations for random disasters. Removed previously ignored values such as the 0.01% probability of recurrence and made the probability conditions more realistic.
- Several improvements have been made, such as the guidelines for the highway placement phase and the snap features of the roads.
- Early-stage production capacity was increased due to new regulations and intermediate upgrades. In parallel, late-stage belt-supported production formulas were readjusted and universal balance was renewed.
- Changed some endgame requirements for the Campaign mode and improved the conditions, time slots, and probability scenarios for main missions.
- Alternative solution routes based on events, stories, or regulations have been added for specific problems such as setting cemetery usage conditions, taking measures to meet the need for water and food in emergencies, etc.
- New buildings and upgrades to existing ones were added to energy production.
- Edits have been made to the ambiance sounds and structure sounds, both in terms of content and working distance ranges. New effects and operating principles have been added to achieve a stronger ambient feel.
- New condition ranges and timeframes have been assigned for repetitive requests and messages from the community in unfavorable situations and circumstances.
So, these are the titles of our major update content, which mainly affects the gameplay and expands the game universe on the axis of life-production-management and aims to provide a more stable and enjoyable experience.
Along these additions and changes comes our transition to the Unity 6000 version and the technical mobility obtained with this transition - especially the improvements and new methods in light, effects, rendering quality, background calculations, and new possibilities for our game universe.
Since we have detailed these technical titles in the previous announcement, we are not adding them here to avoid repetition. You can check the link below for the details regarding the technical upgrade, which includes many new topics from water physics to the radical change of the general appearance.
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2198510/view/546722128842457425?l=english
We are happy to be able to inform you once again about our progress and current situation. Obviously, we would have been happier if we could have released this content in time for our game's anniversary, but the ever-expanding game universe and our aim to produce technically flawless content has caused a slight shift in the schedule. On behalf of the entire team, we would like to thank you once again for your understanding and support!
Team Core Engage & Daedalic Entertainment.
