Greetings Everyone,
I have released version 2.0.0.4. This update fixes a few minor bugs and exploits. You can expect the next patch once the community reports a work-week worth of issues.
In the meantime, I will return to working on the Game Mechanics section of the manual. Work on the manual will last about a week. Then I will switch back to working on the Feature Bounty System items starting in the middle of this month.
That brings me to the next bit of news. As you probably all have heard, Russia invaded Ukraine, and now the country is engulfed in war. Unfortunately, Serhiy, our contract artist who has done most of the quality artwork on the game, including the backdrops, logos, and 30-40% of the vehicles, lives in Ukraine. He is safe at this time, but nothing is predictable with the uncertainties of war. What does that mean with GearCity? One of the most important elements of the Feature Bounty System was adding new vehicle types and replacing the existing vehicle bodies with a more advanced body designer. In addition to many other artwork-related items, such as visible component designs, more logos, etc.
The plan was to have each fundraising milestone require funding for an artwork bounty before the remaining funds were used on programming bounties. (I require capital to pay for artwork, whereas my time is the only programming expense.) However, because of the instability in Ukraine, we are uncertain if he'll be able to produce the artwork. So I will likely go ahead with the Feature Bounty System without any art-related bounties until the situation improves in Ukraine. When things have stabilized over there, we'll have a couple of art-only milestones to catch the artwork up with the software side if we get too far ahead.
I planned on soft-launching the Feature Bounty System on our chat networks at the end of last month. However, because of the invasion, I pushed the soft launch to the end of this month. A broader launch will be middle of next month, keep an eye out on the forums and what have you, as I won't be making a Steam announcement when it launches. Let's all hope and pray for a speedy and favorable conclusion to the war in Ukraine. Not only for a return to normalcy but for all the lives involved.
Speaking of the chat networks, we have added a Discord if that is your thing: https://discord.gg/xyxDvWPX8X
And it is bridged to our IRC channels: irc.esper.net #vent and #gearcity.
So feel free to come and join us!
Change Log:
-Bugfix: Assisted contract designer component selection breaks when running out of options.
-Gameplay: Improved assisted contract designer to cycle through component options. The tradeoff is that it will test fewer slider positions, but the assistant should be more successful now.
-Gameplay: Assisted Engine Designer will now use maximum length and width of a contract if you load the assisted engine designer via the Assisted Contract Designer. This means you can make adjustments to your sliders and it assistant will keep the dimensions within the contract.
-Gameplay: AI manufacturer and non-manufacturing race teams are now more likely to join first year of racing events and single year series. Non-manufacturing racing contracts now start an extra year in advance before a season starts.
-Gameplay: AI manufacturers are now more likely to join in racing in the early years and replace models a little more frequently.
-GUI: Mega Menu End Production racing/contract warning now only displays when the selected model is used in racing or a contract. This is to make the feature work the same as RnD End Production.
-Bugfix: End Production does not remove model from contract bid, resulting in blue selections in contract window.
-GUI: Zoom in and zoom out button for 64-bit reports windows. The game will store the zoom level for the reports until you close the game. Note, a few reports will not use the stored zoom level, but you can still manually zoom in and out.
-Bugfix: Estimated Design Requirement and Manufacturing Requirement ranges can break with certain numbers
-Bugfix: Limit Define Benefits employee fees to no more than 100% of wages.
-Gameplay: Adjusted union negotiations demands so that fees greatly increases benefits demand. Unless you have very high admin skills, you're unlikely to be able to demand more than 50% fees now.
-Bugfix: Disabled WW2, WW1, and Great Depression achievements in Random History mode
-Bugfix: Refit new trim allows unlimited characters
-Bugfix: Premade designs have availability years that don't match base model body's years. So they're not usable in those years.
-Bugfix: Stock window drop down not resetting when clicking some buttons in the stock window.
-Bugfix: Gearbox racing contract weight values incorrectly displayed
-Bugfix: Lack of rounding in the Purchase More Components memo.
-Bugfix: Refit system creating new generations of vehicle when using the trim system.
-Bugfix: Price Gouging Penalty sticking in the Buyer Rating Table until you hit apply to the price.
-Bugfix: Spin-off stock resell exploit, adjustments made to cash value in stock eval, past stock history for spun off company is now deleted.
-Bugfix: Reports when Auto-save GUI in enabled do not center.