I'm thrilled to announce the release of the February Update for Oil Sheik!
This update focuses on laying a solid foundation for the future,
with improvements to core gameplay, player experience, and a
peek at what's coming next.
Key Additions & Improvements:
- New Player Tutorial:
I've implemented a basic tutorial to guide new players through the core
mechanics of Oil Sheik. This will ensure a smoother learning curve and allow players
to quickly grasp the playstyle. - Revamped AI Opponents:
The AI has received a significant overhaul.
AI opponents now utilize multiple, dynamic investment strategies, adapting their tactics
based on the evolving game state. - The "Very Easy" AI difficulty has been tuned to provide a more
accessible experience for players practicing mergers or aiming for high scores. - "Medium" and "Advanced" AI difficulties now offer a significantly more challenging
and strategic experience. I plan further AI improvements for future updates.
Player Customization:
Express yourself with new customization options! Players can now personalize their
experience with selectable card backs and profile pictures.
A selection of initial options is available, and I have implemented
a test of the in-game shop, with low placeholder prices in exchange for in-game currency,
awarded with every game played.Expanded Input Support:
Oil Sheik now features full support for keyboard and controller inputs, in addition
to the existing mouse/touchpad controls. I've personally spent over 50 hours testing
to ensure a smooth and responsive experience across all supported input methods.
I encourage players to report any encountered issues. This is a key step towards my goal
of full Steam Input integration and Steam Deck support in the near future.Tariff Wars (Game Mode) Adjustments:
- Ronald Dump Tweet Frequency:
The frequency of random tweet events from Ronald Dump has been reduced
to approximately 8% per turn, resulting in a less disruptive flow of gameplay.
The probabilities for positive (10% per turn) and negative (20%
per turn) dividend effects remain unchanged.
Other Notable Changes:
- Visual Updates:
Company icons and various UI elements have been refreshed for improved
visual clarity and appeal. - Steam Cloud Synchronization:
Game progress and player statistics are now seamlessly synced with
Steam Cloud, ensuring data persistence across devices. - Steam P2P Networking Preparation:
Significant progress has been made on the underlying code to support Steam P2P
networking. While originally slated for this update, additional testing is required to
ensure a stable and reliable experience.
P2P networking remains my top development priority and will be available in the next
update. (End of March 2025) - Improved Card Distribution:
The algorithm for card distribution has been refined to ensure a more randomized and
balanced tile pool for players. - Extensive Bug Fixes and Improvements:
Over 100 individual tasks, including hotfixes, bug fixes, and animation
improvements, have been addressed to enhance overall game
stability and performance.
Looking Ahead:
My top priority continues to be the implementation of P2P networking.
Beyond that, I am committed to expanding Oil Sheik
with exciting new features and gameplay mechanics.
I'm excited to begin introducing these additions now that the core game
systems are robust and (hopefully) reliable.
I appreciate your continued support and
feedback as I continue to develop Oil Sheik!
Cheers
ːsteamhappyːːsteamhappyːːsteamhappyːːsteamhappyːːsteamhappyː