Power to the People News

It's been a month since we last posted a development update, we know... But that doesn't mean we have been sitting here doing nothing, we promise. As a matter of fact there's a whole lot of new and exciting stuff we want to share with you:

[h2]Build it on water![/h2]

We've added a couple of new power plant types that can be built on water! Say hi to the new hydroelectric dams and offshore wind turbines. They're here to offer your power grid lots of new possibilities!



[h2]Build it on a slope![/h2]

You can now also place power buildings such as energy storage facilities and substations on sloped terrain... But it comes with a hefty price tag, so be careful!



[h2]New power buildings[/h2]

We keep adding new ways to generate and distribute electricity to the game. There are several news on this front, including the tiny local substation (perfect for small towns when your budget is low) and the efficient and expensive combined-cycle gas-fired plant.



[h2]More diverse architecture[/h2]

We have already lost track of all the new buildings we've added to the game in order to better reflect how architecture changes from one part of the world to another... And we intend to add a dozen more in the upcoming weeks!



[h2]Performance optimization[/h2]

There were a couple of small issues with the game's performance that made the FPS number drop, particularly as your power lines start failing and your substations burst into flames. We've spent some time heavily optimizing both the gameplay code and the graphics in order to make the game run quicker and smoother than ever before.

[h3]Click here to join our Discord channel[/h3]



Don't forget to wishlist and follow the game here:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1413370/Power_to_the_People/


✉️ 👉 Sign Up for closed tests here

Finally, the release date announcement trailer is here! Power to the People is coming to Steam on February 8, 2022! Don't forget to watch the trailer here:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]


[h3]Click here to join our Discord channel[/h3]



Don't forget to wishlist and follow the game here:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1413370/Power_to_the_People/


✉️ 👉 Sign Up for closed tests here

It's time to look back on the work we've been doing during the past few weeks! And we're really proud of all the progress we've made. Here are some of the highlights:

[h2]Power plant upgrades[/h2]

The star of the show is probably the fact that you can now upgrade your power plants! By investing a bit of money you can increase your power plants' output significantly... But be careful, doing so will also expand their NIMBY (not in my backyard) radius, making people unhappy if the plant is too close to their homes and shops.



[h2]New city buildings[/h2]

We've been spending lots of time in creating new 3D models for city buildings. We've added 21 new ones and we plan to keep adding more and more. Our main goal at the moment is to introduce more variations to cities and also to reflect different architectural styles around the world. After all, the houses in Finland look very different from the houses in Egypt!



[h2]UI and UX improvements[/h2]

Thanks to all the feedback we've gathered with our demo during the Steam Next Fest, we've also been hard at work by making the game's user experience better. Here are some of the improvements we've been working on:

• Players can now collapse the side bar, in order to display only the more important information and free up some screen real estate.
  
• Information overlays stay on when the "end of day" screen shows up.
  
• More readable icons for key binding tooltips on the UI.
  
• Players can now place buildings directly on top of power lines without having to bulldoze them first.
  
• A brand new background in the level selection screen.
  
• Customizable camera shake level.
  
• Warning if high voltage power lines are being replaced with low voltage power lines and vice-versa.
  

[h2]Soundtrack renewal[/h2]

Our composer has also been hard at work! At the moment, he's adding some unique elements to the soundtrack depending which level players are in. We're sure this will make the game much more exciting to play and will help convey an unique playing experience in each level. Also, if you haven't seen his video about his workflow, you can do that here. It's really interesting stuff!

[h3]Click here to join our Discord channel[/h3]



Don't forget to wishlist and follow the game here:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1413370/Power_to_the_People/


✉️ 👉 Sign Up for closed tests here

Hey everyone! We have something different for you today. We'd like to invite you to check out this short video in which our composer, Fredrik Drønen, explains the process around the music design for Power to the People. We think you're going to be amazed at the amount of work and attention to detail he has put into it!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Welcome to our eleventh development update for Power to the People! Now that the Steam Next Fest has come to an end, we're ready to gather all of your precious feedback and keep working hard on the game.

[h2]Steam Next Fest[/h2]

We're thrilled by the way the community has responded to our participation on the Steam Next Fest! Thousands of people have downloaded our demo and played it. And we've also received lots of valuable feedback on Discord, Twitter and Steam. We couldn't be happier with the way players and streamers have engaged with this first public build of the game. Did you miss the demo? You can check out this video by Katherine Of Sky on Youtube:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h2]New random events[/h2]

There's a whole new array of random events to keep you on your toes! And, even better, some of these will require you to connect high voltage power lines directly to high power usage special buildings. Keep your power grid running smoothly so the lights at the new electric ferry terminal or at the mysterious high-tech research center stay on!



[h2]Loans feature[/h2]

Yes! The brand new "loans" feature is finally here. Now you'll be able to borrow money to fix and expand your infrastructure when you're in trouble... But be careful, everything has a price!



[h2]More settings[/h2]

Thanks to all the feedback we've gathered after releasing our demo, we've decided to add a few more settings to the game. These will ensure that it can be played comfortably by people with different hardware, different skills and different playing styles. Now you can choose between different sizes for the game's user interface and also configure how the camera's movement works.



[h2]Power to the people![/h2]

We're obsessed with small details, you might say... And that's why we added this new feature to the game! Now, if you make residents of a city very angry due to frequent blackouts, they'll take to the streets and express their unhappiness.



[h3]Click here to join our Discord channel[/h3]



Don't forget to wishlist and follow the game here:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1413370/Power_to_the_People/


✉️ 👉 Sign Up for closed tests here