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DD #73 Planting a Seed One More Time

Hi, everyone. Welcome to another week's developer's diary.

Let's do things a bit differently this week.
First, let's a have quick rundown of the major content update of this week:
1, The Crazed Workers in the Unfinished Building and the Skeleton Cultists in the Secret Tunnel now drop skill books.
2, The main story continues.
3, Something is happening in Liu's PSB about a corrupted cop while he also has his own moral standards.
4, Gardening system upgrade.
5, The Commodity Market of Liu

Most things mentioned above are quite straightforward or hard to avoid spoilers if mentioning details.
Thus, let's focus on the gardening system and the Commodity Market of Liu in this DD.

It has been a long while since the original gardening system was released.
Based on our Incomplete Chronicle, that was on Mar.12, 2021. More than a year ago.
Thus, it can be a good time to enhance this system and bring more content in the future.

Previously, the gardening system was over-simplified,
Basically, you just need to place something you want to plant and wait a bit to harvest, and that's it.
We couldn't choose who to do all the work.
We couldn't interfere with the growing process.
We couldn't even know how much time was left before harvest.
All those problems have been solved in this week's updates.
As gardening is a life skill that every character can learn and gain experience when using, it's now possible to pick any character in your group to work on the gardening process. The more they use the skill the better they become as they accumulate experience and life skill levels along the way. The main character of yours does not have to be able to do everything.
You can now also be able to inspect plants to see details such as when will be the next harvest.
Meanwhile, a fertilizing mechanism has been implemented. Fertilizers can make plants grow faster and have the potential to gain some bonus when harvesting. You can use fertilizers on a plant multiple times while diminishing returns may apply.
But, let's not just stop there. Things can be a bit wilder. The Fertilizers can also heal the HP of plant characters. They can be used even when you are not working on fertilizing.
Want things to go even crazier? Sure.
Have you heard of a certain chemical compound known as Ammonium Nitrate (NH₄NO₃)?
It can be found in many different types of fertilizers.
However, the usage of Ammonium Nitrate is not limited to making fertilizers. It can be used to make explosions and ammunitions. (Just do not try it at home. ) During this week's update, we finished step one which is to acquire Ammonium Nitrate from fertilizers. Who knows what we will do with it in the future. Maybe there will be some blueprints to be discovered.
I loved chemistry back when I was in high school.
Unfortunately, when it comes to exams, I can always get a much higher score in physics.
A student can only prepare for one of them when taking the University Entrance Exam of China.
As a result, that became another story in my life of abandoning my habit to fulfill the expectation of others. A pitty.

Fun fact: most of the students in China just finished their University Entrance Exam a few days ago in a Sparta-style hunger game. Every year, I feel sorry as I know many will fail. It's the exam they prepared for their entire life. Yet, it's a competitive exam that many must fail. Is that even fair to put everyone to take such an exam without even considering every individual's diversity? Such is China. I witnessed a diligent girl fall right in front of my eyes 15 years ago. I will not deny that I had some strong feelings for her. I wrote her story in a previous version of the game. Maybe I will write again. But, that will be another story.

When I think about it, it always brings back some old memory. One of such memories is the Commodity Market of Liu. Yes, it exists in real life. But, the one I put into the game is likely how it looks like more than a decade ago.

As we live in a living world, I want to make it as dynamic as possible, just like the market I remembered.
The vendors come and go, the booths change owners, new goods can be found now and then, and some of them are even like anomalies. If you want to find a Bazaar in Liu, that's the place.
I am simulating this by making each one of the merchants in this market procedurally generated.
Each time, you pay a visit to this market, you may find vendors, and what they sell changes.
You can find normal goods such as clothes, seeds, and fertilizers here.
You can also sometimes find something strange such as vendors that sell coffins.

Sometimes, we may just see things we cannot understand in our lives.
That plants a seed for us to seek the truth, to open doors that previously we don't know were there.
Those past memories make us who we are right now.
And the seed we plant right now may also have an impact on the future.

Sometimes we succeed in this universe.
Sometimes we fail, but maybe in a parallel universe, we succeed.
But, a seed must be planted first to cause a ripple.

It may sound like a puzzle. But, there is no need to try to fully understand it.
At least, I hope you enjoy the improved gardening system and other new content this week.
That's for this week. Many things are happening beneath normal life right now and this is not just a game.


Today's changelog:
##########Content###############
The fertilizing level of a plant may now provide a bonus to the harvest.
Each plant can configure its own setting on the bonus.
When plucking up what you have planted, additional confirmation is required if the plant has any fertilizing level to avoid misclick.
New location: Commodity Market (It's in Liu's commercial street.)
This location will have different merchants be procedurally generated to offer different goods.
Current possible merchants: Clothes Merchant, Coffin Merchant, and Gardening Merchant
The gardening merchants sell fertilizers and plants. It shall provide a stable source of fertilizer.
##########System################
Added a configuration variable that can be used to wipe the default shop item list.

Update, Version 20220609


English
##########Content###############
New item: Fertilizer
It can make plants grow faster.
It can restore a small amount of HP if used on any "Plant" type characters. (Such as trees, mushrooms, and certain infected people.)
It can be used to make Ammonium Nitrate
Fertilizer may now be found in the random supply boxes in the Neighborhood Committee of Liu's Quarantined Neighborhood. (More methods to acquire fertilizer will be added in the future.)
Added a sound effect to the life skill books sold in Liu's bookstore. It shall play when a player is using one of those books.
This change does not affect all books generated in previous versions.
##########System################
Made it much easier to set up OIG items in random supply boxes.
简体中文
##########Content###############
新物品:肥料
可以加速植物的生长速度。
可以让植物类的角色恢复少量生命。(比如树木、蘑菇、以及某些感染者)
可以用来获得硝酸铵
疁城被隔离的小区的居委会的补给箱中现在可能出现肥料。(其它的可以大规模获取肥料的方法将会在之后陆续添加。)
给疁城书店中所有的生活技能书加入了一个使用时的音效。
该变动不会对此版本之前已经产生的书籍存在影响。
##########System################
现在在随机生成的补给箱中添加OIG数据更加方便了。

Update, Version 20220608


English
##########Content###############
Added a new room in Liu's PSB.
The 17th Anniversary achievement is now a generic Anniversary achievement that can be gained on any Anniversary of the game. After all, not many people got it last year. :)
But, as Steam records the date when the achievement was unlocked, those who got it last year still have their bragging rights. :)
You can now inspect harvestable plants to see the next harvest time and their products. (There is also some information for a not-yet-implemented feature here.)
New interact option with harvestable plants: Fertilize. (However, the fertilizer item is still working in progress right now.)
You can now choose a group member to do the harvesting. (Previously, only the main character can harvest.)
New raw material: Ammonium Nitrate
The max number of skulls you can carry is now set to 9999
The max number of Dust of History you can carry is now set to 9999
The max number of Butterfly Wings you can carry is now set to 9999
##########System################
Optimized the item generate code of apple trees and grape trees, reducing duplicated code.
It's now possible to inherit some variables when an event transfers into another different event.
Optimized the update accuracy of the plants, reducing the error of their expected harvest time. (Previously, it may be possible to have a few seconds of delay.)
简体中文
##########Content###############
在疁城公安局内加入了一个新的房间。
17周年纪念成就现在变成了一个通用的周年纪念成就,可以在任何一年的周年纪念日获得。毕竟,没多少人去年获得了这个成就。:)
但是,由于Steam记录了解锁成就的日期,所以去年获得这个成就的诸位仍然有可以向大家炫耀的资格。 :)
你现在可以检查那些可以收获的植物来了解下次收获的时间、以及它们的产物。(此处的信息还包括一条目前尚未被实现到游戏里的内容。)
新的和可收获的植物的交互选项:施肥。(但是肥料目前还在做。)
你现在可以选择一名队友来收割种植的植物了。(此前默认主角进行收割。)
新的原料:硝酸铵
队伍可以持有的头骨数量提高到了9999
队伍可以持有的的历史的尘埃的数量提高到了9999
队伍可以持有的蝴蝶之翼的数量提高到了9999
##########System################
优化了苹果树和葡萄树的物品生成代码,降低了重复的代码数量。
当事件转化成另外一个事件时,现在可以设置一些可以继承的属性。
优化了植物的刷新方法,使之可以收获的时间更加精确。(此前,可能会有几秒延迟。)

Update, Version 20220607


English
##########Content###############
Added an NPC in the warehouse of Liu's PSB.
If you show him a Mark of Dragon, he will start to sell you supplies, including pistol ammo, traffic sign (weapon/furniture), and roadblock (furniture)
If you cannot show him anything to identify yourself as a secret society agent, he will just ask you to leave the warehouse.
If you ask him about guns, he will refuse to provide and talk to you about something referent to a recent tragedy that happened in Texas.
##########System################
Optimized the item generate code of the roadblock furniture. Now it has less duplicated code.
Added an error sound effect when unable to change purchasing number when using the mouse to click on the +/- button during trading.
简体中文
##########Content###############
在疁城公安局的仓库加入了一个NPC
在给他看了龍之印章后,他会允许你买一些物品,包括手枪子弹,交通路牌(武器/家具),路障(家具)
如果你无法给他任何证明你和任何秘密组织有关系的话,他只会让你离开仓库。
如果你询问他关于枪支的事情,他会拒绝提供,并且有关于近期发生在德克萨斯枪击事件有关的内容。
##########System################
优化了路障家具的生成代码。减少了重复的代码量。
在购物时使用鼠标改变购买物品的数量却无法改变时,现在会播放一个代表错误的营销。

Update, Version 20220606


English
##########Content###############
[Sins of the Father]The story continues. (Variable changes from 500 to 515)
[Sins of the Father]As the story develops, the Illuminati forces previously stationed in the priest's house will go ahead and move into the church.
The Illuminati Mercenary enemies now have a bit randomized maxHP value.
Reduced the firearm damage of the Illuminati Mercenary enemies.
A warehouse in Liu's PSB is now accessible. (No interactable content yet.)
简体中文
##########Content###############
【父辈的原罪】剧情继续发展。(剧情变量从500到了515)
【父辈的原罪】随着剧情的发展,此前位于牧师的屋子里的光照派人员会进入教堂。
光照派佣兵的生命值现在存在了一定随机性。
光照派佣兵的步枪射击威力下调。
疁城公安局的一间仓库现在可以进入。(当前暂无可交互内容。)