Update 05 is now available! And our change log will tell you what it has in store for you and what's new.
Upgrade options for engines and cars: we vastly extended the system implemented in the last update. Now you can freely customize your engines and the train's cars. You want more cargo space? There's an option for that. You want more armor? No problem, go ahead. You want to smuggle more efficiently? It's all your call.
We're very excited to hear what you think about these changes and are already working on more ways to make your train and crew truly unique.
Engines and cars can now malfunction. Malfunctions may influence power, speed or other characteristics... Repairs can fix all that, though.
With Update 05 pharmacies and weapon stores are open for business. Almost every town will have one or more shops. Here you can pick up gear of all kinds, from weapons to consumables.
Characters can now equip belt items. These can be used like skills and are very versatile. You need more damage? time for some grenades! Need to patch up a nasty wound? Take some medicine and soldier on.
Montgomery and Jackson can be visited now.
If you travel, you may now trigger random events. This can be a blessing or an obstacle and is intended to keep the game a little fresher.
A new building made its way to towns. Here you can conspire with fellow outlaws and make the country a little more dangerous. Cutting deals with criminals is a risky business, but also potentially lucrative.
We removed common enemies from the world map. Now they can, like random encounters, pop up during travels. We'll extend on this system and consider how to help players who want to focus on trading to assess risk and reward.
In the future, there will be more enemies with less hitpoints. This will speed up combat a little, while still providing a tactical challenge in regards of target priority and skill application.
Smuggling: Smuggling had a slight rework. Your train can now run into check points, when you enter or leave a city. Especially military camps will keep a closer look on travelers.
We added some new interface elements and reworked various older elements so information can be accessed easier. For example, income, requirements and expenses are highlighted more clearly, which helps with corresponding decisions.
With the introduction of consumables and an extended pool of weapons, we also tweaked the perks to match these new adjustments. Some perks have been removed or changed, so players have an optimum of options. We are currently experimenting with different new approaches for the Perk system, and will revisit it most likely in the next update.
With Update 05, we changed the way characters heal. Aside from money, convalescence now also needs characters to rest for a certain time. The overall costs have been reduced.
With the introduction of engine and car upgrades, we also tweaked all existing engines and cars. Most options are now lighter and less expensive, but also have less hitpoints and reduced other properties like cargo space.
With the new upgrades, you can easily get these reduced stats to the level you are used to and customize even further.
With the new trade goods we tweaked the economy a little. Certain towns now have a greater variety of goods and more purchase power. Orders/Jobs now need less goods, rewards have been adjusted accordingly.
Players now start with 1.000 $. This change adjusts starting difficulty according to the changes made.
We'll keep an eye on this change and if needed, we'll raise the starting money.
We changed the way how you check the information regarding a town's needs. When you've visited a town or city, you can see the corresponding needs on the world map.
Passengers will now pay the full price for their journey upon boarding your train.
Update 05 unfortunately also contains a rework of the save system for compatibility reasons. Old saves will be lost, or otherwise they may cause critical errors.
We're pretty optimistic that we don't have to make any further changes in terms of save games before the release (there maybe one more change upon release)
What are your thoughts on this update? Let us know in the comments!