News Tower News

[h2]Good day, Newsbearers! [/h2]



How are your presses rolling?

We’re excited to invite you to participate in a Community Test for the "Going International" update! This is a great opportunity to get early access to the new features, help us fine-tune the game, and shape the future of News Tower. We want to ensure everything runs smoothly, feels great to play, and truly enhances your experience.




[h2]Key Additions[/h2]

[h3]International News: Europe[/h3]

Your tower now has the world at its fingertips! Europe has been introduced as a key region for international stories, with the years 1931 to 1935. To support this expansion, you can hire a dedicated telegrapher to relay news from across the continent with precision.
Additionally, new traits have been added to your employee roster, enhancing their ability to tackle the challenges of international journalism.

[h3]Pneumatic Tubes [/h3]

This high-speed transport solution ensures reports and other production items can move swiftly between floors, regardless of distance. With this upgrade, your tower’s workflow will be smoother than ever, allowing you to place critical workstations wherever you see fit.

[h3]Dumbwaiter [/h3]

The dumbwaiter optimises resource management by facilitating the seamless transfer of coal, paper, food, lawsuits and more between floors.



[h2]Improvements[/h2]

[h3]Revamped transportation AI[/h3]

This overhaul ensures that your employees make smarter, more dynamic decisions to keep your operations running smoothly. This upgrade was essential to fully integrate the pneumatic tubes and dumbwaiter into your tower’s logistics, enabling your employees to cooperate, improving the efficiency of transport across all floors.

Employee List is now revamped to Staff Board: The Staff Board makes employee management easier than ever. You can toggle jobs and skills, view the number of employees assigned to each role, and sort traits and skills efficiently. Expanded employee cards now provide detailed information at a glance.

[h3]New Employee Traits[/h3]

We’ve added a variety of traits tailored to automatic desks and foreign news. These include:

• Policy Hawk: Adds one Quality Star to a Legislative Report.
  
• Market Maven: Adds one Quality Star to a Stock Index.
  
• Locker Room Insider: 50% chance of adding an Insider tag to Baseball Results.
  
• Bloodhound: 50% chance of adding an Evidence tag to a Court Report.
  
• Anointed Pen: Experience gained from working on Obituaries increased by 10%
  
• Astrologist: Task speed on Horoscopes increased by 25% but has a 50% chance of adding a Lie.
  
• Psychic: 25% chance of adding a Forecast tag to Horoscopes and 25% chance of unlocking the next story file within news.
  
• Parisian Socialite: 25% faster reporting times for stories that take place in Paris.
  
• Berlin Observer: 25% faster reporting times for stories that take place in Berlin.
  
• London Insider: 25% faster reporting times for stories that take place in London.
  
• Kremlin Confidant: 25% faster reporting times for stories that take place in Moscow and Leningrad.
  
• Roman Consul: 25% faster reporting times for stories that take place in Rome.
  
• Continental Connector: Increases research speed by 20% for all foreign news.
  
• Polyglot: Opens up Language Barrier locks in news.
  
• Diplomat: Opens up Diplomatic Route locks in news.
  

[h3]Tutors across 1931[/h3]

To ensure players don’t miss out on important mechanics, we’ve introduced tutors across the 1931 timeline. These guides highlight key features, such as the Europe radio tower, dumbwaiter, pneumatic tubes, advertising systems, graphics processing chains, and the rush button.



[h2]How to Join the Community Test
[/h2]
Ready to jump in? Here’s how to access the Community Test Build on Steam:

1. Open the Steam client.
   
2. Click on the "Library" tab.
   
3. Right-click on "News Tower" and select "Properties".
   
4. Click on the "Betas" tab.
   
5. In the "Beta participation" field, select "community_test".
   
6. Click on the "Close" button.
   
7. The game will now be updated to the "community_test" branch.
   

[h2]Share Your Feedback[/h2]

Join the Community Test Build channels on our Discord server to share your thoughts, report bugs, and discuss your experiences with other players and the dev team.

Your input is invaluable in making the "Going International" update the best it can be. We can’t wait to see what innovative layouts you come up with and how you adapt to the new systems.

Maybe we're repeating this a lot, but thank you! Thank you for being part of the News Tower community and for helping us shape the game’s future. You're an amazing lot.



Let’s make headlines together!

Greetings, Newsbearers!



[h2]Happy New Year from the entire News Tower team! 🎉 [/h2]

We hope 2025 brings you exciting adventures, both in real life and within the bustling halls of your growing newspaper empire. As the world turns the page to a new chapter, we’re ready to share some of the exciting new content of our next update: "Going International".

Today, we'll give you a preview of the major features and changes that will take your publication beyond New York and onto the global stage. We hope you're ready to face the challenges of reporting across borders! Additionally, we’ll touch on a more serious topic and discuss how we’ve integrated it into the game.

Without further ado, let’s explore how your newsroom will soon capture the pulse of the world!




[h3]The next update is called “Going International”. Where is it taking us? [/h3]

Europe! This is the first time we will open up a new continent. With more continents to come later on. But this update is not only about that. The new Pneumatic tube and dumwaiter transporting systems are a big part of it too. And so is the reworked Employee list, for managing all your employees.



[h3]The 1930’s in Europe were marked by significant historical events, including the rise of facism and Nazism. How does News Tower approach these themes, and what can the players expect to see (or not see) in the game?[/h3]

There were big conflicts of ideologies on the continent. The Spanish civil war, Italian fascism, Nazi Germany, all fueled by political unrest set aflame by the great depression. Narration wise, the rise of Nazi Germany is something we really wanted to tell through news articles. Show what political turmoil can lead to and that the press and censorship play a big role in that. That governments can slowly slide away through disinformation and propaganda. But it’s not only going to be dark sad news you can find, some humor and cool facts can be found throughout too.

We don’t want it to be too complicated gameplay wise since you still are an American newspaper, but expect some new Reporter traits like Diplomat, Polyglot and others that are specifically tailored for European news items.

Also, new news item layouts and all come with travel tickets, so travel times really start to matter in this update.



[h3]How did you decide where to draw the line between historical accuracy and maintaining News Tower’s lighthearted and creative tone?[/h3]

News Tower is a game about newspaper headlines. In a sense, we are already curating it a bit, we can’t go in depth that much. So that flattens the truth, but if the player learns just a little through the game, that is a win in our mind. To us, History is one of the key elements of the game, and a fun part of it is we can entertain and educate at the same time. So almost all the news are accurate, and really took place in the actual month. We cover a rough period, but we sort of look at it from a bird's point of view, while acknowledging the seriousness and pain it caused. We mixed that with some fictional humorous news from time to time to keep it breathable and lighthearted.

[h3]Generally speaking, how do you approach integrating real-world history into a game like News Tower?[/h3]

First we start researching all of the big news items from that period. We want to at least cover all the main events, so lots of browsing on historic newspapers and event overviews. Very fun, but time consuming!

Once they are all in a spreadsheet (Event, Location and link to source), we select them to be roughly even in terms of categories and start converting them into one big headline and subheadlines, locations per story-file and a Reporter comment on the event. We mostly do this to bring extra context or lightness to the News.

After that, we can start implementing it. Internally, it looks like this:



You can see how we label each news item. Labeling is very important for the game system to be able to spawn a news event in the right place and at the right time.

We're slipping you some 'insider information' with these behind-the-scenes screenshots, so don't tell anybody. ;)



[h3]The new continent is obviously the main feature of this update, but there is a lot more going on. For instance, were pneumatic tubes a common form of office travel in the 1930’s? And why aren’t we using them today, they sound fun![/h3]

They are fun and there are a few still in use today. Some hospitals in big cities where traffic is a big problem use it to shoot medicines through. But most of them have been removed. In the 1930's though, they were a perfect way of transporting documents all around.

As the players will notice, in the game it is the fastest way to get something to the top of your tower... And it just looks and sounds awesome.

[h3]What else should the players look forward to?[/h3]

The pneumatic tube and dumbwaiter transport systems bring a whole new dynamic to your tower. Once unlocked, they will bring many new ways to layout your tower.

Want to put the typesetting desk at the top of your building? No problem! With a super fast pneumatic tube system, those reports are there in no time.

With the dumbwaiter, resources like coal, paper and food can now easily be transferred to places without needing to be slowly carried up the stairs.

For this to work, we really had to bring big changes to our employee AI. The cooperation between employees is what the new transportation AI tries to solve. In previous versions, every employee would decide for itself what to pick up. There was an overarching system that made some suggestions about what item would be best to go to a certain destination, but in the end, the employees thought only for themselves.

With this update, the employees have a sort of “hive” mind in which everybody that is available is taken into consideration. Based on scientific research done in real world transportation cost optimization, the tasks are assigned so that the total cost of all tasks combined is minimized. Crucially, the system is able to look ahead in deciding what task to assign to whom. This allows cooperation in situations like: “I can start walking now to that dumbwaiter because I know somebody will send an item there in 15 seconds”.

This brings a whole new dynamic to your tower that the players can use to their advantage.

[h3]How can the community help shape or give feedback on this update? [/h3]

Before the update goes live, we'll be inviting community testers to join us, with full details coming in about two weeks.

For the European continent we are curious what players think about the new news layouts and employee traits interplay. Is that too hard to manage? Should we tune it differently?
We do like the feel of specialising reporters, we think it is one way to do that.

Since our new employee AI system is totally reworked, lots of players testing/playing will give us great insights. We might find rare bugs, or gameplay that we could tweak better. In general, we are very curious on how players will work with the new pneumatic tube and dumbwaiter system.

We're also eager to see what fun and optimised tower layouts they can find and what suggestions and feedback they bring around using them in general. Is it making comfort too easy to manage? Is is too complicated to install in crowded towers? That is one example of feedback we received when we implemented the first Elevators, and we were still debating and testing to improve them.

As for the the employee list rework, we are just curious if every function a player needs is in. We're open for suggestions on that too.



As we wrap up this deep dive, we hope you're as excited as we are about the new content! We've covered a lot today... So let us know if you found it interesting, or if you'd prefer shorter dev diaries!

We've said it time and again, but your feedback is invaluable in shaping the future of News Tower. So thank you for being part of this journey with us!



[h3]If you're interested, be sure to join our Twitter for the latest news, and our [/h3][h3]Discord community to exchange with us and other like-minded Newsbearers.[/h3]

Hello Newsbearers!

We've been thrilled by your support throughout Early Access, and now we need your help to hit the headlines again, this time for the Steam Awards!

If News Tower's soundtrack has struck a chord with you, transporting you to a bustling 1930's newsroom and setting the mood of every scoop, we'd be honoured for your nomination in the Best Soundtrack category!



Our talented composers poured their hearts into creating a rich, jazzy score that we hope has made your time in News Tower even more memorable. Your nomination would mean the world to us! And if you haven't already, don't forget to drop us a review on our Steam page!

If you want to relive the melodies outside the game, you can check out the News Tower supporter pack and enjoy the 14 tracks whenever you want at a discounted price!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2732720/News_Tower_Supporter_Pack/

And finally, now is certainly a good time to thank the team behind the music!

Artists: The New Cool Collective, ft. Teus Nobel
Composers: Bart van de Sande, Jack van de Ven
Arrangements: Willem Friede
Producer: Jack van de Ven
Recorded at: Exalto Studios, Okapi Recordings.



Thank you everyone!

[h2]Good day, Newsbearers![/h2]


The In Other News update is here, bringing a host of exciting additions to expand your newsrooms! From the supplementary desks to an additional year with fresh stories, there's plenty to discover. We have also improved AI to make managing your tower smoother than ever. :)

And here is some exciting news for your friends: News Tower is 25% off this week! A perfect chance to welcome new reporters to the community.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1649950/News_Tower/



[h2]KEY ADDITIONS[/h2]

[h3]NEW SUPPLEMENTARY DESKS[/h3]

• In Other News introduces six specialized desks: Court Report, Legislative Report, Stock Index, Obituary, Horoscope, and Baseball Report.
  
• Unlock desks with influence points and assign skilled reporters to them to generate supplementary articles every week automatically. These articles come with category-specific tags and may yield bonuses such as silver tags, bronze tags, money, or influence, following the standard publishing chain.
  

You can find more information on supplementary desks in our latest Dev Diary.

[h3]ADDITIONAL PRINTER MODULE[/h3]

• Added a 6th Page module for the printer.
  

[h3]EXTENDED GAME CONTENT[/h3]

• Added additional game year, 1935, packed with associated new content.
  
• Extra news items for 1934 have also been added.
  

[h3]CREDITS SCREEN[/h3]

• The game now has a credits screen to celebrate everyone behind News Tower!
  

[h2]IMPROVEMENTS[/h2]

[h3]AI ENHANCEMENTS[/h3]

• Employee AI overhaul: enhances decision-making, improving efficiency in production chains (and reducing player frustration!).
  
• Pathfinding improvements: AI now factors in real walking distances to avoid common issues around walls and obstacles.
  
• Optimized performance: a smart caching system for distance calculations with reliable fallback mechanisms boosts gameplay performance.
  

Check out our latest Dev Diary for a deeper dive into AI enhancements!


[h3]INTERFACE AND USABILITY[/h3]

• Info Buttons: all buildable objects now feature an info button, displaying information icons consistent with the build menu.
  
• Enhanced desk popups now display the "base time" and percentage of time improvement due to skill and buffs.
  
• Instant use for new desks: building a photo, illustration, or map desk mid-week, now triggers a news item immediately, so you can start using it right away.
  
• Training files now include a delete button.
  

• [h2]BUG FIXES[/h2]
  
• Storage units: fixed a rare edge case that prevented storage units from being used effectively.
  
• Printer bug: resolved a critical issue that could cause the game to freeze during the introduction when building the printer.
  
• Additional minor fixes: various stability improvements to ensure a smoother experience.
  

[h2]JOIN THE COMMUNITY[/h2]

Meet like-minded Newsbearers, talk with the dev team and other players, and share your ideas!
Your opinion matters, and we're counting on your feedback! ❤



→ Come to our Discord
→ Follow us on Twitter

Stay tuned for even more news!

Greetings, Newsbearers!



[h2]Dev Diary #2 is here, with an inside scoop! [/h2]

Merely a couple of weeks since the first Dev Diary and we're already coming to you with the second edition! With good reason too, because the next update is already around the corner: planned for next week. This time, we're bringing you insider intel on the latest content development, so brace yourselves for priviledged information you will definitely not find printed anywhere else!
Hey, in a sense, coming here to read those words is top notch investigative journalism, wouldn't you agree? So good job to you!

...And now, let's deliver on the scoop!



[h3]We have promised GREAT intel, so.... What's coming in the next update?![/h3]

The main feature of the update is called Supplementary Desks. We'll explain what they are in a moment, but you can expect the following:

- Court Report (Crime)
- Legislative report (Politics)
- Stock Index (Economy)
- Obituary (Society)
- Horoscope (Entertainment)
- Baseball Report (Sports)

All of them come with their own distinctive reactive print visuals. Of course that is not it, the update will also bring you other features, such as a 6th Page module for your printer, another year, which is 1935, with its own news content, extra news items for 1934... We have also given employee AI a very deep overhaul, and there are some other additions which we will reveal when the update releases.





[h3]Going back to Supplementary Desks, what exactly are they? How do they work?[/h3]

There is one desk for each of the categories mentioned. They are currently unlocked on the map via influence points. Once you assign a reporter with the right category skill to a desk, it will automatically generate a supplementary article every X number of days.
These reporters can still be used on news reporting, but this will halt their “automatic” work on the Supplementary article.

Supplementary articles come with one base tag (in their category) and some secondary attributes. These can be a silver tag, multiple bronze or even outright money or influence.
Once created at the desk, supplementary articles follow the chain just like other news items would.



[h3]What are the main benefits of this new feature? How does it impact the way we manage our newspaper?[/h3]

There are two main benefits:

Combo setup
Our idea is that the player can “specialise” a bit more with these Supplementary Articles. Since they come with a category base tag it becomes a little bit easier to plan around one or two types of categories. The more you have of one type, the more affiliated Ads you get.

Automated “Filler” content
Another element is that over time we want to expand the number of printer pages.
These supplementary Articles are one way of gaining more content without overwhelming the player with lots of micromanagement, thanks to the automated element of creation.

And of course, their own distinct visuals make your newspaper look cooler!





[h3]The update also comes with the addition of the year 1935. Is there anything we should look out for from that particular year?
[/h3]

For now, this is just another added year with its own Breaking and normal news items. It is highlighting the big events of that year, such as the legendary Amelia Earhart becoming the first person to fly solo from Hawaii to California, or some of the heaviest storms within the Dust Bowl that ruined the midlands.

In the future, more specific calendar events will trigger each year. So later on during early access 1935 will have more in store for the player.



[h3]Can you share any insights into the development process for this update? Any challenge you encountered?[/h3]

The Supplementary desks part was fairly straight forward to design and implement.
Of course, we will monitor it for balance and such. We love the new combo setup and the visual variety within your newspaper.

The tricky part was the Employee AI rework.

We tried patching for quite some time to get things right but eventually had to rework lots of it from the ground up. We understand that for the players, employee AI can become a frustration since it directly affects on the production chain time.

In previous versions, when an employee was evaluating its options for picking a destination (e.g. which toilet to visit) it would take into account several factors (how busy, is it broken, etc…) combined with an approximation of the distance it had to walk to that destination. This system was easily fooled however if the tower contained closed off walls. The approximation did not take into account these walls and would incorrectly assume that a destination would be very close, while in reality the employee would have to walk several stairs to actually get there. AI decision making is never just about distance. It needs to take into account a lot of other stuff and weigh it off against how far it is. This was hard to reason about.

The new system solves this by actually calculating the distance that needs to be walked. A smart caching system is used to save on calculations. And when there is too much heat and the calculations can’t keep up, an approximation is used as a substitute and the approximation is soon after replaced by the actual distance. With this new system, the AI decision making is easier to reason about as certain priorities can be expressed in terms of: “How many seconds is this guy allowed to walk extra when there is a queue of 3 people at the coffee machine”.

Now that actual distances are used, the resource transportation also had a complete overhaul. You will notice resupply employees making far better decisions. Taking into account several factors such as distance, priority, storages and whatnot.

The AI now takes into account the status of an elevator and may pick a different elevator, or the stairs, if it is really crowded. Fingers crossed that the elevators now become way more useful! Of Course, inefficient placement will not help, so you still need to be careful when placing your elevators.



[h3]Are you already at work on future updates too, or do you typically work on each update one step at a time?[/h3]

Always! We have these update deadlines but we usually also work on the bigger picture mechanics/systems.

The update after this one will be massive. We're working on a big NPC overhaul, a new continent, image supplementary desks and even a Pneumatic tube transport system. All of these elements are already quite far in, content and coding wise. At the same time, a lot of localisation pre-work is being done in the background.

So to be more precise, we always work on multiple updates at the same time. With a small team we need to be efficient with our time and planning. As the community knows, some features might slide from one update to the next, but there is a grander plan at work here.



[h3]That's it for Dev Diary #2! That was quite a lot, right? With that sort of knowledge, who wouldn't want to brag on Twitter or Discord? [/h3]



[h3]Encounter bugs? Want to chat with the devs and the community? Have a suggestion to improve the game?[/h3]

[h3]Join our Discord community![/h3]