Hello there, Landlords!
Welcome to the Tenancy Update, the first major update in The Tenants Early Access. Being the first big update planned on our roadmap (
available here), this patch has been in the works for quite a while and it involves a plethora of new content and several massive features that address the biggest shortcomings of the current gameplay loop.
Keep in mind that as a result of the scope of it all, your old saves will no longer work after the update and you'll have to start a new game. We'll try to avoid save wipes as much as possible in further development. Now, without further ado, let's go over the most significant changes in more detail.
[h3]New content[/h3]
We're constantly working on new content to add to the game and this update is no exception as a number of new Elite Contracts and dozens of new furniture items make their way into the game. One might especially enjoy the set of contracts involving designing a wedding reception space as well as the interior of a chapel for where the ceremony is set to take place.
It wouldn't be a tenancy update without a new tenant archetype! Wondersville folks have taken the time to expand their horizons and now you'll be able to meet and house Artists who enjoy units designed with a bit more pizzazz in mind than usual. Try to meet their demands and you might make some money off of them too!
Additionally, we've added a fair share of items based on your suggestions posted on our official Discord (
available here). If you're not a member yet, make sure to join us as we'll gladly talk all things game related with you and our lovely community will make you feel right at home.
[h3]New tenant interactions[/h3]
As mentioned in the last development update, we took some time to reflect on the core game mechanics and decided to rework the set of the bland attributes that define the in-game tenants. Instead of the core tenant qualities that ultimately don't translate to any meaningful gameplay,
we've introduced a new system of tenant traits, likes and dislikes. Together with the archetype, they now form a three-tier pyramid that describes your renter:
- Archetype (1) defines what needs they have regarding furniture and apartment layout; it tells you what they do and what potential events they can trigger.
- Traits (4) say if they're a "bad" or "good" tenant, they affect how you manage them.
- Likes and dislikes (4) come into play when increasing their happiness with the new services system and gifts.
For instance, you can now have an Artist who is Diligent, Easygoing, and yet Clumsy and Picky. They're also someone who loves Sweets and Feel Good Movies, all the while disliking Shopping and Flowers. By having access to these more defined characteristics, you'll be better equipped to handle your tenants in a meaningful manner. As part of the changes, we're rolling out a new feature called
Services & Sabotage through which you'll be able to take the initiative and treat your tenant to an exquisite meal with a private cooking show at home to make them happier, or to send in an annoying trumpet player next door to make them.. less happy. You'll also be able to purchase
Gifts which affect their happiness depending on what they like and dislike.
[h3]Mid tenancy renovation requests[/h3]
To accompany the changes mentioned above, we've decided that it's time to implement a feature that we had wanted to have in the game for quite some time already. We're of course talking about the tenant renovation requests, which add a new layer to the whole tenancy thing.
Starting now, you'll be receiving
occasional requests from the tenants who have been with you for a while. These requests will range from simple stuff like adding in some hobby-related equipment to full-blown kitchen revamps. Most tenants will be reasonable with their demands; however, there may be some hotheaded renters out there requesting a full makeover on day one. Taking on these odd jobs will be of course optional, though your tenants might like you less if you turn down their requests. Likewise, accepting a request and then failing to deliver will result in a relationship drop.
Completing such a request will greatly increase your tenant's happiness and make them more loyal towards you. In some cases, you might even be rewarded with some cash or a unique item!
Considering how big and tricky the system is, we're aiming to gather feedback on this first iteration, and with future updates we'll be adding in more new and interesting requests to spice up the mid and late game.[h3]Skill tree[/h3]
With the introduction of all the new features and mechanics, we've decided to organize everything and group it into
unlockable perks. You'll finally be able to improve Uncle Steve's walking speed or repair chance on top of it as the tree comes split into three categories, all with plenty of exciting stuff to unlock. While working on the new skills app, we also took some time to spruce up the phone's UI and improve the interface of all the other apps as well.
[h3]Tutorial changes[/h3]
Given the number of changes and new features, we also made some adjustments to the in-game tutorial and the main questline. The reworked tutorial aims to ease you into the new systems that affect your tenancies by introducing new mechanics step by step. For example, now you'll not only have to renovate the old RV for Uncle Steve, but also
babysit Pedro himself for some time while learning the basics of Gifting and Sabotage.
With all this in mind, we still worked hard to make all the features as intuitive as possible by themselves, so even if you give no second thought to the tutorial, you should still be able to make use of the new options and systems.
[h3]Creative mode[/h3]
One of the most common suggestions we have received since launch is the idea to introduce a new game mode that is more laid back in nature. And we listened! If you're not a fan of the constant time management aspect of the game, you will enjoy the new
Creative mode, where time stops in renovation mode, the jobs pay better, the progression speed is higher and things in general are just a little bit less hectic.
[h3]Optimization[/h3]
We're constantly looking to find new avenues for optimization to make the game run even smoother on all platforms. One of those avenues turned out to be the way we render furniture in apartments. We've implemented a smart dynamic batching system that reduces the number of draw calls for static items outside of renovation mode, and so with the new update you should see an
FPS boost in scenarios where you own multiple units.
Another area that needed tweaks was the phone and the way we display text messages and reviews. We've noticed plenty of reports from you that with a lot of messages the UI tends to slow down when opening certain apps, and thus we've optimized it by loading content dynamically on demand which should greatly increase performance.
[h3]Miscellaneous[/h3]
With every update there's also a bunch of small stuff that we take the time to work on. You'll notice a few new environment animations in the Slums, changes to how the bank loan interest rate is calculated to better reflect real life, as well as improvements to how the walls are rendered when building. As always, there's also
a number of bug fixes and improvements that you can find in the detailed changelog.
This update took a lot of work and as such there's quite a lot of changes for you to play around with. We hope you enjoy the new version of the game and we can't wait to hear your thoughts!
[h2]Full Changelog[/h2]
[h3]Features[/h3]
- Implemented Services & Sabotage system.
- Implemented Gifting system.
- Implemented Renovation Requests system.
- Reworked tenant core qualities and replaced it with Traits, Likes and Dislikes.
- Implemented Skill Tree.
- Implemented Trashing system.
- Implemented an option that allows tenants to break the lease if they're really unhappy with the living conditions.
- Implemented Creative Mode.
- Implemented Research feature allowing you to learn more about your tenants.
[h3]Content[/h3]
- Added a new tenant archetype: Artist.
- Added new Elite Contracts: Temple, Wedding Venue, Funeral hall, Spy Van, Shack.
- Added new residential buildings to host the new Elite Contracts.
- Added ~150 new furniture items (part of which are available only within the new Elite Contracts).
- Added 16 tenant Traits.
- Added 14 tenant Likes & Dislikes.
- Added 30 different Gifts.
- Added 7 Services.
- Added 6 Sabotages.
- Added 2 new loading screens.
[h3]User Interface[/h3]
- Reskinned the mobile phone UI.
- Tweaked the tutorial highlighting effect.
- Added a button that opens the community Discord server in the main menu.
- Fixed an issue where more than one speed button could appear highlighted after using the keyboard to change gameplay speed.
[h3]General[/h3]
- Player-placed walls should now also come with filled corner pieces.
- Added an option to censor pests and drugs.
- Changed the tutorial to include babysitting Pedro.
- Fixed an issue with disabling payment notifications.
- Locked some room types to only appear in certain jobs.
- Fixed an issue with the electricity box not displaying highlights when hovered.
- Fixed an issue with incorrect numbers of items left to unlock.
- Fixed an issue with placing wall mounted items on exterior walls.
- Fixed an issue with painting exterior walls.
- Disabled residential building markers above properties that never go on sale.
[h3]Jobs[/h3]
- Fixed an issue with the Mayor Commission job listing incorrect room missing issues.
- Tweaked the tutorial RV job's furniture and requirements list.
[h3]Balance[/h3]
- Tweaked bank loans to work more like in real life.
- Increased pay for Total Makeover renovation jobs.
[h3]Optimization[/h3]
- Optimized displaying large quantities of text messages, contacts and reviews.
- Optimized static mesh rendering for apartment furniture.
Thank you,
The Tenants Team
Apartment design by our Discord community member Jan
