Devlog VIII: Survivors of Rome

[p]Greetings Romans![/p][p]It's been a while since our last devlog! The team has been deep in the pits of development working hard, and that includes me! [/p][p][/p][p]As these devlogs progress it's a bit harder to find aspects of the game to talk about that we haven't shown yet, so it's time to get specific!![/p][p][/p][p]In today’s devlog, we're taking a deeper dive into the survivors of Romestead. If this seems familiar, it's because citizens have briefly been mentioned in Devlog VI: Homestead, and Devlog IV: The City Must Survive. [/p][p][/p][p]But there is much more to the survivors than initially is let on - so let's dive in![/p][p][/p][p]
[/p][p]As you'll notice pretty quickly, you (and potentially your friends) are waking up alone. As you learn the ropes and place your first couple of buildings you'll notice that the buildings won't function unless you have citizens assigned to them. [/p][p][/p][p]But where is everyone? [/p][p][/p][p]The survivors of old Rome are scattered across the four winds, and you have to go find them and bring them home! Currently, there are two main ways of finding citizens. You can either come across them sheltering in the wilds:[/p][p][/p][p]Or you can encounter them at the end of challenge dungeons, shivering for their lives hoping that the dreadful adversaries on the other end of the gate won't reach them. This one also comes with a reward in the form of a chest filled with treasures![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Once in town, you can interact with your town core to see an overview of your buildings and citizens, so you can properly assign them to their correct slots, creating the most effective town you can![/p][p][/p][p]
[/p][p]Each citizen has a set of stats that determine how well they work in their field, how fast they can complete tasks, and if their craft gets any bonuses. Not only that, but citizens work better with a full belly and some lovely decorations around, so it's a good idea to make sure their needs are met![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]The more dangerous the environment, the hardier the citizens who live there. This means that the citizens found in the volcanic biome will likely have better stats than one found in the plains.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Efficiency: Determines how fast a citizen can perform work orders.
Expertise: Increases the chance for extra improvements and unique enchants.
Happiness: The overall mood of a citizen affects both efficiency and expertise.
Food cost: How much food this citizen needs each day.
Hunger: If a citizen does not get enough food it affects their efficiency and expertise.
Loyalty: Each level of loyalty comes with a bunch of bonuses. We'll talk more about this in a bit.[/p][p][/p][p]On top of these there are of course experience, that determines how far you've got left until the citizen levels up in their assigned profession.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]A citizen keeps their profession levels as they move around. If you have a level 7 blacksmith and move them to a bakery, they'll be a level 1 baker and level 7 blacksmith. Whoever you place in the blacksmith in their stead will use their own blacksmith levels, which means the crafting recipes available to you will change depending on the citizen![/p][p][/p][p]Citizens vary in appearance and personality, and will have different things to tell you based on their personality, profession, and loyalty.[/p][p]But how do you increase loyalty? And what is it for?[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Talking to your citizens allows you to give them gifts. These gifts will have different loyalty gain depending on the personality of your citizens. A baker for example, might prefer the gift of food over weaponry. Some gifts even have secondary effects! The trinket called "Blacksmith's Gloves" will give you fire resistance, but in a hands of a citizen it'll increase their blacksmith levels! [/p][p][/p][p]As mentioned above, each level of loyalty comes with a bonus to stats. But that is not all. Once your citizens reach a certain level of loyalty, they'll start giving you quests that tie in with their personality. Maybe they are looking for a unique flower to leave at a loved ones grave? Or maybe one of their ancestors has risen from the dead to haunt them and you have to take them down?[/p][p][/p][p]Each quest comes with their own unique reward, as a thanks for helping your citizens once more. And who knows, maybe loyalty (or the lack of it) could have severe consequences down the road?[/p][p][/p][p]We hope that this system invokes a feeling of caring for your citizens, and that you'll form bonds with them and want to protect them from the dangerous world of Romestead. Raids, nightly enemies, and more will be out for your demise.[/p][p][/p][p]The forges are running hot in the Beartwigs office, as we're working on bringing the next biome to the game. The Volcanic Biome:[/p]

• [p]World Generation - As one of the more complex biomes to generate, a lot of time is spent generating the biome and interesting unique features.[/p]
• [p]Enemies / Bosses - The volcanic biome is a new step up in difficulty, and it reflects in the enemies you'll encounter here. It's getting hot, so make sure you prepare your Aloe Salves![/p]
• [p]Dungeons / Rewards - What is a Romestead biome without its dungeons and treasures? We're making sure your time here is well rewarded for the dangers it provides![/p]
• [p]Buildings & Construction - As always, each biome comes with a resource unlock, and each resource comes with a new tier of buildings and constructions at your disposal![/p]

[p][/p][p]That is all for now![/p][p]We've got loads of irons in the fire at the moment, but Vulcan blesses us and hopefully it won't be too long until you can explore the world with us. [/p][p][/p][p]Until next time,[/p][p]Roma Aeterna![/p][p][/p][p]- The Beartwigs Team[/p]