Update 17.0 Alpha
Hey, train engineers! I’m happy to present Update 17, dedicated to new locations and the implementation of NPCs into the game. This has been the longest and most technically complex update in the game’s history. I had no plans to drag out development this long, but it was necessary to implement a large amount of new content and complex features simultaneously, as the integrity of the story would have fallen apart if these features were added gradually or separately.
But let’s go step by step. The main addition of this update is 2 new locations with a new prairie biome. The first location is a transitional zone from the swamp biome and currently contains no points of interest for the player. Such locations will now appear regularly, as they allow players to enjoy the journey and scenery from the window. In the future, players will also be able to hunt animals (which will be abundant), collect herbs for brewing drinks, and even fish — if I manage to implement that feature.
The second location already includes a survivor base and other interesting places that we will visit as part of the story, receiving tasks from NPCs. According to the lore, the base survived due to serious fortifications, but the residents suffered heavy losses and need your help. For now, we can interact with key NPCs to receive quests or general information aimed at explaining the events after the major zombie attack and partially before it. In the future, I will try to make the remaining base residents interactive to improve immersion. I’ve also tried to create a sense of life on the base: NPCs follow schedules, go to their workplaces, and return to their apartments at night. Non-quest NPCs engage in specific activities, from guarding the perimeter and repairing equipment to caring for the wounded in the local hospital.
With the introduction of NPC-given quests, a quest log has been added, where descriptions of current quests appear alongside small map images and other elements designed to simplify the completion of each task.
Given all the above, completing quests would be extremely challenging without a detailed map showing key points. The map has long been a popular request, but now it has become a necessity. By default, the player and locomotive are not displayed on the map, but you can enable this option in the difficulty settings.
As tradition dictates, the new location includes new types of firearms and melee weapons, firearm upgrades, new outfits, a collectible figurine, and soundtrack vinyls.
Starting with this update, I plan to maintain 100% localization for most of the most popular languages. As before, if your language is not supported, you can assist with localization using a dedicated tool — I’ll greatly appreciate your help, as localization is a crucial part of the game.
[h2]CHANGELOG[/h2]
Improvements
Changes
Bug Fixes
Plans for Future Updates
I rushed the release a bit to catch an important themed sale, so most of the bug fixes accumulated from the previous version and other improvements will be implemented in small updates dedicated to version 17. I also plan to devote significant time to optimizing the game, as many objects without LOD were identified. A major effort to implement LOD in all game objects will begin for the 17 update but may extend into the 18 update. The 18 update will focus on redesigning the locomotive and implementing a system for installing armor and other upgrades for the locomotive. This update is planned to be small and should be completed in a month or slightly more.
But let’s go step by step. The main addition of this update is 2 new locations with a new prairie biome. The first location is a transitional zone from the swamp biome and currently contains no points of interest for the player. Such locations will now appear regularly, as they allow players to enjoy the journey and scenery from the window. In the future, players will also be able to hunt animals (which will be abundant), collect herbs for brewing drinks, and even fish — if I manage to implement that feature.
The second location already includes a survivor base and other interesting places that we will visit as part of the story, receiving tasks from NPCs. According to the lore, the base survived due to serious fortifications, but the residents suffered heavy losses and need your help. For now, we can interact with key NPCs to receive quests or general information aimed at explaining the events after the major zombie attack and partially before it. In the future, I will try to make the remaining base residents interactive to improve immersion. I’ve also tried to create a sense of life on the base: NPCs follow schedules, go to their workplaces, and return to their apartments at night. Non-quest NPCs engage in specific activities, from guarding the perimeter and repairing equipment to caring for the wounded in the local hospital.
With the introduction of NPC-given quests, a quest log has been added, where descriptions of current quests appear alongside small map images and other elements designed to simplify the completion of each task.
Given all the above, completing quests would be extremely challenging without a detailed map showing key points. The map has long been a popular request, but now it has become a necessity. By default, the player and locomotive are not displayed on the map, but you can enable this option in the difficulty settings.
As tradition dictates, the new location includes new types of firearms and melee weapons, firearm upgrades, new outfits, a collectible figurine, and soundtrack vinyls.
Starting with this update, I plan to maintain 100% localization for most of the most popular languages. As before, if your language is not supported, you can assist with localization using a dedicated tool — I’ll greatly appreciate your help, as localization is a crucial part of the game.
[h2]CHANGELOG[/h2]
Improvements
- Added 2 new locations.
- In one of the new locations, at the survivor base, NPCs have been implemented with whom the player can interact and receive quests. Completing these quests will reveal the story and allow the player to progress further in the plot.
- Battle scenes between humans and zombies have been set up in all old locations.
- Hunger, thirst, and sleep indicators are now displayed above the quick slots.
- Added a map with the option to enable player and train display in the difficulty menu. By default, it is activated with the M key.
- Each map now displays its name.
- Added a quest log. By default, it is activated with the J key.
- 100% localization for the following languages: German, Dutch, French, Spanish, Polish, Czech, Russian, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Turkish.
- The state of open or closed doors is saved when loading the game.
- Broken doors do not restore after loading a save.
- New models of railway track dead ends have been implemented.
- Farm tractors have been added to farms in the swamps.
- Added 3 new music themes: 2 daytime themes and 1 theme for the train.
- Colliders have been implemented under cars in the supermarket parking lot with a Boss to reduce the chance of the lever getting stuck under cars.
- Reduced the volume of opening wooden crates.
- Reduced the volume of the smelting furnace sound.
- Reduced the number and volume of crow cries.
- Increased the initial fuel in the locomotive's tank from 326 to 396. This should reduce instances of running out of fuel before reaching a refueling station.
- Several bottles of water have been added to the kitchen of the first location to ease survival in the early stages of the game.
- More sand piles have been placed in the first location for resource gathering.
- The resource of each sand pile has been increased by 100%.
- Beaches with sand piles have been added for the airplane location, and beaches have also been implemented for new locations.
- Added several text triggers in the first location intended to further reveal the story and the player's future tasks, as well as a mini stealth tutorial.
- Character dialogue voiceovers have been removed and replaced with sound effects.
- Key models have been improved.
Changes
- All workbenches are now automatic.
- Renamed text slots on storage from E to Q.
- Changing the run key from Shift does not remove item splitting in the inventory from this key.
Bug Fixes
- Fixed melee weapon aiming after switching from firearms.
- Fixed a bug where text colliders overlapping part of the wagon prevented workbenches from being placed.
- Removed grass from some houses in the swamp location.
Plans for Future Updates
I rushed the release a bit to catch an important themed sale, so most of the bug fixes accumulated from the previous version and other improvements will be implemented in small updates dedicated to version 17. I also plan to devote significant time to optimizing the game, as many objects without LOD were identified. A major effort to implement LOD in all game objects will begin for the 17 update but may extend into the 18 update. The 18 update will focus on redesigning the locomotive and implementing a system for installing armor and other upgrades for the locomotive. This update is planned to be small and should be completed in a month or slightly more.