Containcorp News

Originally posted by Friday

In this update, we've made significant progress across various aspects of the game. We’ve finalized all the gameplay stories, bringing the game much closer to a fully playable state. Our research system has been revamped to focus more on anomalies, adding more depth with different research types. Researchers will now give unique suggestions based on their experience, making each playthrough feel fresh.

We've also given offices a functional purpose, where NPCs like researchers and doctors can carry out tasks such as writing reports and conducting research. We’ve added new lab objects like particle accelerators and gene sequencers to enhance research specialization and gameplay.

Beyond that, we’ve tackled several small improvements, such as fixing bed sprite issues and implementing a career menu for NPCs. NPC productivity is now influenced by their surroundings, and we’ve added security levels to respond to containment breaches, with lights turning red during emergencies to heighten the atmosphere.

Our fire system has been overhauled, making fire spread more realistically, heating up tiles and igniting objects nearby. NPCs now react more intelligently to fires. Combat mechanics were also redesigned, improving both group and small-scale fights. New weapons have been added, including gas-powered SMGs, sniper rifles, and pistols. While large-scale battles are promising, balancing survivability is still a work in progress.

On the technical side, we developed a custom 3D line algorithm to solve issues with bullets passing through walls. This new algorithm makes projectile interactions more accurate. We’ve also polished visual and sound effects for ordnance, adding more immersion to combat. The OSTF, our security faction, now has custom outfits with gas masks and vests, which will be crucial once gas mechanics are reintroduced.

We’re excited to announce that the game is now fully savable and loadable, a major milestone that took 50 hours of intense coding to achieve. The construction system has also been revamped, allowing objects to require multiple resources, which balances the economy and enriches gameplay.

We’ve added over 50 new dynamic storyteller events, ranging from sinkholes to staff strikes and research breakthroughs, all designed to add complexity and surprise to the game. Finally, we’ve implemented three game over conditions: nuclear failure, employee deaths, and bankruptcy, increasing the stakes for players!

Exciting stuff!
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Originally posted by Friday

Hey everyone!

We’re making great strides as we approach our pre-alpha build deadline on September 13. The game is starting to feel more like a game with each update, despite the usual bugs and time crunches.

Development Highlights:

Vertical Building: We’ve added ladders to help with multi-floor construction, which has simplified the process significantly.
[h3]Timetables: [/h3]
We’ve revamped the timetable system to three predefined schedule groups for different worker categories, which should be much easier to manage.
Hiring System: Our new hiring mechanic is a gamble. You can reroll candidates for a higher cost each time, adding a fun strategic layer.
[h3]New Regions:[/h3]
Recreation Region: NPCs now socialize using Utility AI. They’ll soon use new social items like sofas and vending machines.
Reception Region: We’re implementing a system where staff interact with reception to manage their ID cards, streamlining their daily check-ins.
[h3]Gameplay Enhancements:[/h3]
Category C Onboarding: We’ve simplified the onboarding process for Category C, reducing it to one region and making things more efficient.
Anomaly Management: We’ve introduced a new menu for managing anomalies, complete with warnings to prevent accidental releases.
Grants System: Grants now encourage players to explore different game features by offering financial rewards and logistical challenges.
Experiment Handling: We’ve revamped how experiments are handled with new methodologies that affect outcomes based on your choices.
[h3]Additional Features:[/h3]
Case Files: We’ve developed “Casedown,” a markup language for anomaly case files that lets us display them in-game efficiently.
Experiment Dynamics: We’ve shifted from random failure chances to event chances, making experiments more interactive and influenced by player decisions.

We’re almost at the finish line for pre-alpha, and it’s thrilling to see everything coming together. Thanks for following along, and I hope you enjoy the new updates!

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Originally posted by Friday

Hey everyone!

I’m excited to share some big updates with you. First off, I’ve graduated with a master’s in computer science! It’s been quite a journey balancing that with game development, but I’m thrilled to apply my new skills to the project.

We’re in the final stages of game design now, revising and simplifying mechanics. The recent focus has been on redesigning the power and fluid systems, which turned out to be a bit more involved than anticipated. We’ve moved away from having every pipe and wire as its own entity to using voxels for walls and floors, making things much more efficient.

The architect menu has been revamped for better usability and now includes blueprints to plan your builds more effectively. The new power system is more straightforward—just fuel your generators and run cables to power your devices. We’ve also added a renewable energy source: solar panels!

The fluid system has been simplified too. Pipes now either have fluid or they don’t, with a pressure-based flow system replacing the old discrete measurements. We’ve also introduced “mainlines” for power and fluid, offering access from the national grid but adding potential risks later on.

There are some exciting new features, like a more polished shader for underground floors and realistic lakes. Deliveries have been improved with new sprites and a more efficient system for handling items.

Overall, development is going well. We’re almost done with facility-building interactions and hope to have an alpha version ready in a month. There’s a lot of work still ahead, but we’re making great progress. Thanks for sticking with us!
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Originally posted by Friday

Hey Readers!

It’s been a while, and there’s a lot to share. The big news is that Containcorp is now feature complete (ish)! We’re shifting focus from adding features to polishing what we have. There are still some micro-features and major system redesigns to tackle, plus a bunch of bugs and game design tweaks.

Research Redesign
I’ve revamped the research and experimentation system. Previously, it was pretty bland, just placing desks and watching menus. Now, researchers create Experimental Data Logs and turn them into reports and research papers, which are archived for inspiration and future use. This should make research more interactive and engaging.

Region Extensions
I’ve improved the system for placing regions, making it easier and more intuitive to set up containment cells for experiments.

New Staff Roles
We’ve added Paramedics and Janitors. Paramedics handle light injuries and transport unconscious NPCs, while Janitors clean and repair. We also optimized the grime system for better performance.

Needs Menu
We’ve introduced a Needs menu to track staff needs, similar to Prison Architect but with some unique features.

Anomaly: S-0033
Our first anomaly, the Propulsive Brick, is half-implemented. It’s a dangerous brick that causes harm if not constantly observed. Implementing this anomaly is also helping us develop an anomaly behavior framework, which we’ll discuss more in the future.

Storyteller Events and Main Characters
Storyteller events are now easier to define and mod, and we’re adding main characters to anchor the story. These characters will be central to the narrative, providing a clearer focus for the player.

Development Update
We’re now in the polishing phase and fixing earlier design issues. The game’s roadmap has shifted to emphasize game design and polishing, with public playtesting on the horizon. Despite some delays, we’re ahead of schedule and aiming for a December release.
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Originally posted by Friday

Hey Readers!

Welcome to Forensic Friday 72! This update is brief because I’ve been deep into the “GREAT DATA MIGRATION,” switching from Unity’s in-house data to a custom XML solution. This change was necessary due to issues with scriptable objects, especially with mod support.

Cooks
We’ve added cooks to the game, who will manage meal preparation and cafeteria service. The new NPC AI system is handling this complexity well. We’re also planning upgrades like automatic hobs and linking kitchen cleanliness to NPC performance.

Data Migration
We’ve transitioned to XML for more flexibility and easier data changes. This took a month and introduced some bugs, but it's mostly stable now. We’re fixing bugs and moving toward game design and playtesting.

Small Tweaks
I’ve improved tile placement, allowing two tiles of the same rotation to sit next to each other.

That’s it for now. We’re close to finishing the initial development of Containcorp and have started working on anomalies. Stay tuned for more updates next time!
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