News Tower News

[h3]Greetings, newsbearers from all horizons! [/h3]


We're absolutely thrilled to share this news with you all!





[h2]"OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE"[/h2]

Thanks to your incredible support and dedication, we've reached a monumental milestone on our Steam page – News Tower is now rated as "overwhelmingly positive" based on over 500 player reviews!



This achievement wouldn't have been possible without each and every one of you who took the time to leave a review. Whether you shared your thoughts, praised our efforts, or offered constructive feedback, your voices have made a huge difference in shaping News Tower into the game it is today.

Your honest and (often) insightful words have propelled us forward, helping us identify areas to improve but also to celebrate our successes with you, the News Tower community - the newsbearers.

[h3]From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU.[/h3]





[h2]YOUR REVIEWS SHAPE THE GAME - LEAVE YOURS![/h2]

But the story doesn't end here! We're still actively developing News Tower, and your continued feedback is crucial in shaping its future. We are listening!

So, if you haven't already, we'd love for you to drop by our Steam page and leave your own review. Your feedback helps us continue to improve and refine News Tower, ensuring that it remains an exciting and enjoyable experience for all.

[h3]Don't be like this irresponsible walrus and leave your review to support us![/h3] ⏬








[h2]A GLIMPSE INTO THE FUTURE: OUR ROADMAP[/h2]

We've got some thrilling updates and features in the pipeline, and we can't wait to share them with you. Stay tuned for more details coming soon!







[h2]BE A REPORTING NEWSBEARER[/h2]

Join our wholesome and active community of wondrous newsbearers, and be part of the journey as we work together to bring you the best possible game experience!

💬 Come to our Discord
🐤 Follow us on Twitter

Once again, a massive THANK YOU to each and every one of you for your incredible support. It matters a LOT to us. Let's keep climbing the tower of success together!

Together, we will bring tomorrow's scoops to the world!

[h3]The News Tower Team[/h3]

[h3]BREAKIN NEWS! GATHER 'ROUND NEWSBEARERS![/h3]


Today we have come bearing gifts!
The 'Endless Mode Preview Build' branch is now OPEN!

We loved your enthusiasm and support as we've worked hard and fast to make this happen.
In this initial phase, we are testing this new 'Endless Mode' and are gathering your feedback and opinion on it to improve it to the maximum of our abilities.
This means you'll have access to all the content and improvements introduced in the latest main update, along with all the improvemends and fixes implemented with this one, described in more detail below!

[h3]Here's everything you need to know:[/h3]



[h2]Why a Preview Build?[/h2]

This 'Preview Build' is the first of many initiatives we are taking to include you, our community and players, in the development process of News Tower.
As part of our ongoing efforts to refine and improve the game, we're inviting you to test out key features that will have a significant impact on the core gameplay loop.
Your feedback during this testing phase will play a crucial role in shaping the final version, ensuring a smoother and more enjoyable experience for everyone.




[h2]What's included in the Endless Mode Preview Build?[/h2]

This branch giving you access to the Endless Mode Preview Build is updated to the latest patch available on the main branch plus an additional update from which you can find the content in this blogpost. Keep in mind this is a preview build, and as such, much will still have to be improved. This is also why we ask for your help!

Join the "Endless Mode Preview Build" channels on the Discord to share your feedback on this preview build: https://discord.gg/V9ZRjXaq





[h2]How do I join the Preview Build branch on Steam?[/h2]

To access the "Endless Mode Preview Build" branch, simply follow these steps:

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 "EndlessMode_PreviewBuild".
   
6. Click on the "Close" button.
   
7. The game will now be updated to the "EndlessMode_PreviewBuild" branch.

You're in! :)



[h2]Important information regarding your saves[/h2]

You can:
- Continue playing with your old saves in this Endless Mode Preview Build. It will allow you to access the Endless Mode. Note that some of the information displayed on the summary screen will not be correct if the save comes from a previous version.

You cannot:
- Load a save of the preview version into the Live build available on the default branch.

We advise and invite you to create a backup save to be sure you can reload them in the Live build, just in case, to avoid losing any progress or content.

- You can find your save here for Windows:
C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\LocalLow\Sparrow Night\News Tower

- And here for Mac:
/Users/YourUserName/Library/Application Support/com.Sparrow-Night.News-Tower/




[h2]ADDITIONS[/h2]

[h3]End of run recap screen[/h3]

• After you print your December 1932 issue, a new screen will recap your newspaper’s achievements. It shows data such as your record sales numbers, your staff levels or even how many districts you unlocked.
  
• While this screen appears even though you complete a run started on a previous version, some data will be missing (perfect district unlocks, tags colours).
  
• For the time being, this screen is only shown once, and the game doesn’t allow you to review it after the end of your run. We are working on a solution for this. In the meantime, make sure you grab a screenshot if you want to show it around!

(Kindly ignore the "total net earnings" sum as the calculation leading to it was wrong - it will be corrected ASAP.)

[h3]Endless Mode Preview Build[/h3]

• After that recap screen, you will have the option to return to the main menu or to continue playing the game in 'Endless Mode'.
  
• The 'Endless Mode' allows you to continue conquering NYC and developing your tower without any time constraint or limit.
  
• Please note that 'Breaking News' are not implemented in the that game mode. News items that you will report on in this mode may also be historically inaccurate and more generic.

[h3]Tutorial Hints[/h3]

• Added a tutorial hint that explains items prioritisation in the Article Drawer.
  
• Added a tutorial hint that explains comfort items diminishing returns (e.g. multiple clocks are not the best way to improve comfort).

[h2]IMPROVEMENTS[/h2]

[h3]Miscellaneous [/h3]

• Severe AI improvement for chain items! Walking time is taken into account. Should cause much more logical decisions.
  
• Taxis now honk when dropping off reporters coming back to the building.
  
• Manually dropping items in storage slots no longer adjusts the camera view to encompass the whole inventory, making it easier to quickly manually drag items without the camera changing.
  
• Bigger name pools, reducing the chances of duplicate names.
  
• At least one discomfort icon is shown even on max zoom out level.
  
• Security can now arrest up to 4 protesters at a time. This is dependent on its level (divided by four).
  
• Intro postcards are now always skippable, even on first time playing.

[h2]FIXES[/h2]

• Security Booth Z-sorting issue fixed where a door right next to it could pass through it.
  
• Fixed printer next/previous page button (borders) sometimes not visible.
  
• Fixed disappearing quest/district picked indicators. Which could happen in rare cases (but this was only visual, not game breaking).
  
• Fixed "increased by" expense entry showing 100% increase with 0 value.
  
• Fixed an exploit where stashing and unstashing would reset the objects durability value (broken/cleanness).
  
• Spelling corrections that were pointed out on Discord.

[h2]NEWSBEARERS, ASSEMBLE[/h2]

Join the community and talk with team, other players, and share your feedback anytime you want!

💌 Come to our Discord
✅ Follow us on Twitter

Take care of yourself and of each other, newsbearers!

[h3]The News Tower Team[/h3]

[h3]Extra! Extra dear newsbearers![/h3]


New improvements and fixes in this patch!
Read the fresh patch notes below!



[h2]IMPROVEMENTS[/h2]

[h3]Comfort[/h3]

• Soap bottle can now be placed on the washing station.
  
• Small, medium and large plants can now be combined for greater effect.

[h3]Employees[/h3]

• Adjusted XP rates for certain desk interactions: typesetters and assemblers now gain 25% less XP per task accomplished, whereas copy editors and lawyers now get 100% more XP per task.

[h3]Loading times[/h3]

• The algorithm that takes place in the background during the recap that decides on next week’s content possibilities has been optimized a bit and runs faster (there could be a noticable lag on older machines between the recap and the area map).
  
• The algorithm that takes place in the background during the recap’s memory allocations have been refactored such that hopefully it will mitigate the crash that happened for some people.

[h3]Miscellaneous[/h3]

• Moving printer objects does NOT automatically place printer belt corners when you move a module away. This simplifies the behaviour for many people we think, as the chances of a belt being left behind are reduced.
  
• Recap page now displays influence points gained by doubling in value when placed in above the fold slot.

[h2]FIXES[/h2]

• Stash fix - Removing a printer module that was connected to another module with small plants on it would stash the plants and sell the module instead of stash it.
  
• Stash fix - Unstashing a staircase door by dragging it on the entrance does not count towards an unstash of the door.

[h2]BECOME A NEWSBEARER[/h2]

Join us and be part of the journey as we work together towards the ultimate newspaper tycoon experience!

💌 Come to our Discord
✅ Follow us on Twitter

Take care of yourself and of each other, newsbearers!

[h3]The News Tower Team[/h3]

[h3]Hi again newsbearers![/h3]

Here is a quick hotfix to address 2 bugs that stemmed from this morning's update!




[h2]Bug 1[/h2]
It happens if you have 2 page modules connected with a belt:

• Stash the left one
  
• Place back a corner or a page module on the left side and reconnect
  
• Now move the page module on the right to another floor, causing the link to break

What happens is that the "stash" is passed on to objects that are connected. If they then get removed, they will "stash" instead of a regular remove.

[h2]Fix 1[/h2]
The fix now is that this flag gets cleared after a build action (which is what must happen!).




[h2]Bug 2[/h2]
The 'invalid build object save game' issue had to with the printer belt's collider that became larger with the earlier update we implemented. Consequently, air vents positioned partially behind it were now registering collisions with the printer belt. This adjustment affected many of you who constructed their towers this way.

[h2]Fix 2[/h2]
A quick fix has been implemented: collision checking is now disabled when loading a game.
This adjustment poses no issue as the objects were initially placed without conflict, ensuring that they remain valid unless moved.

[h3]Good day dear newsbearers![/h3]


Attention, attention! Update approaching!
But before we hit you with the good stuff, let's take a moment to appreciate YOU!
Your joy, engagement, and feedback have been absolutely instrumental in shaping the game's development and this update. We appreciate you all! THANK YOU, NEWSBEARERS.

We’ve been hard at work on many improvements, fixes, and one particular feature that will ease your life as builders!



[h2]BUILD STASH[/h2]

You can now store objects in the “stash” - this will allow you to change around your floors setup more easily!

• Implemented the build stash function, enabling players to temporarily stash objects and return them to the tower without any cost. Stashed items can be found at the bottom of the build menu.
  
• Introduced the build multi-stash function: the stash tab on the build drawer now features a button that allows users to stash the selected items (up to 10 items at a time).

Here is a quick video to see this new feature in action!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]



[h2]ADDITIONS[/h2]

[h3]Tutorials[/h3]

• Added new tutor tips at first print, explaining the player can still produce during Sunday, and that game time automatically stops before the end of Sunday, for a “Last Chance To Print”.
  
• Added new tutor tips to the article in production tutorial, explaining how to manually edit articles by discarding parts of a story that are either unfinished or cannot be printed due to requirements.
  
• Added a new tutorial hinting towards expanding the workforce after placing the nth-page module. Currently only on the 3rd page, with monitoring from week 4 onward.

[h2]IMPROVEMENTS[/h2]

[h3]Comfort[/h3]

• Discomfort logs of employees now record when their discomfort decreases while it is low, rather than whenever its value is low.
  
• Removed redundant entries in employees’ comfort logs.
  
• Improved the distribution of comfort levels.

[h3]Bribes[/h3]

• Bribe minigames can now be cancelled after starting them. The player loses no money, and the path remains open to try again later.
  
• Improved scaling of big steps for bribe minigames.

[h3]Build items[/h3]

• The acoustic Panel now follows similar cropping as other wall objects, taking up 1 cell less space overall in both dimensions and allowing placement above printer belts.
  
• Small items (currently only the small plant) can be placed on the edges of the printer input, page and output.
  
• The assembly table supports 2 small trash cans underneath it.

[h3]User interface [/h3]

• Trash spawns a little less for Production desks and the Generator.
  
• Fixed monthly expense recap page "Decreased by" percent calculation to actually show correct percentage. Additionally, it now highlights the decrease in green text if monthly expenses actually decreased.
  
• Resource order buttons now display the total in tower + the ordered supply in their tooltips.
  
• The hourglass icon in the article drawer (indicating an almost expired article) is larger.
  
• Dragging an item from an article onto a copy editing desk is now only allowed if that item contains the “Sloppy Reporting” nag.
  
• Drawers now close on mouse up instead of mouse down. Allowing for starting a multi-select with the build drawer open.

[h3]Controls[/h3]

• Fast forward now jumps back to pause when engaged during manual pause.
  
• Moving a printer corner that already exists now plays the same sound as building a new one.

[h3]Employees[/h3]

• Security will return to idle quicker if there is no more work to do. Previously, they would await until everybody had left.

[h3]Printing[/h3]

• “Above the fold” now also doubles influence points.
  
• The “Above the fold” display now includes a breakdown of what is multiplied if there are multiple stats being multiplied.

[h3]Save games[/h3]

• Game checks for save files compatibility; save games from the demo versions (0.9.2 and 0.9.3) are not compatible with version 0.11.132.
  
• Auto-save entries are now below the games they belong to.

[h2]FIXES[/h2]

• Fixed load game “invalid object” error due to the fact you could place a printer belt vertically over a small lamp.
  
• Purged all input control schemes except for Keyboard & Mouse and Gamepads, which is a probable fix for constant device switching for players with a connected Joystick device.
  
• Fixed resolutions on Mac; game settings now offer a broader range of resolutions.
  
• Fixed newsbook tutor tips not properly handling paused state, causing the newsbook to possibly close due to completed tutorial story file before everything was explained.
  
• Fixed wall and ceiling signs not updating text before placing them down.
  
• Fixed "New actions possible" blue folder on globe points being rotated arbitrarily.
  
• Fixed view mode shortcuts still triggering while typing text into input fields (e.g. wall signs, employee renaming).
  
• Fixed article drawer status labels sometimes displaying an incorrect icon.
  
• Fixed the possibility of a risk truck overlapping with a delivery truck.
  
• Resupply employees now visit toilet and food. This used to only be the case when there was absolutely nothing to transport.
  
• Fixed placing a wall between a desk and a buff object not “killing” the buff on the object when they get separated.
  
• Fixed Z-sorting of annoyance icons. They could overlap a selected in tower layout in some cases.
  
• Fixed Z-sorting of toilet bucket while a Cleaner cleans the toilet.
  
• Fixed artifacts on portrait of employee on the injury risk popup in the newsbook.
  
• Fixed the sales requirement of a quest displaying the latest record instead of the original value in the recap screen.
  
• Fixed a rare bug that resulted in no audio in the game.
  
• Fixed protesters not getting “cleaned up”, which caused the protester guide to hang even though all protesters were gone.
  
• Fixed staff screen not always displaying all the skills of employees.
  
• Fixed hang when dragging an employee, then holding right mouse button and pressing escape.

[h2]TAKE YOUR RIGHTFUL PLACE AS A NEWSBEARER[/h2]

Join our brilliant community of newsbearers, and be part of the journey as we work together to keep improving the game!

💌 Come to our Discord
✅ Follow us on Twitter

We're very excited to meet you!

[h3]The News Tower Team[/h3]