Fortune Avenue News

I'm pleased to announce that a new update is now available exclusively for our valued playtesters. This release is part of my ongoing efforts to enhance the overall gameplay experience, incorporating the latest features and improvements that have been carefully developed and refined. Your feedback is instrumental in helping me identify areas of strength and opportunities for further refinement.

As a playtester, you have early access to this update, and we kindly ask for your insights and detailed reports on any issues you may encounter.

Please note that this update is currently in a limited testing phase and is not yet available to the general public.

I appreciate your dedication and contributions to the development process and look forward to your continued support in shaping the future of our game. Thank you for your commitment to excellence and for being an integral part of our community.

[h2]Changelog[/h2]
[h3]Bug[/h3]

• You play an extra turn when everybody else's lost
  
• Hiding the tutoriel throw the wheel of fortune
  
• Rent ain't doubled when they should
  
• Disable the option when the game has ended
  
• Fix the pingouin texture rendering
  
• OpenGL Rendering board Summer
  
• Disconnected Ruleset still on
  
• VFX not sync (worldcup)
  
• Player values ain't updated correctly
  
• Background pulse ain't well aligned on different resolution
  
• Leaving the game while playing leads to the game menu
  
• Cannot reconnect to an existing game
  
• Hiding cards also throw the dices (replace with a button)
  
• Rework the user auth algorithm to ensure we're not validating the same user again (md5 algorithm)
  
• When changing slot type, it's not refreshed on the remote client
  
• When losing the network leader, show a panel explaining the game is reconnecting
  
• Background is burnt (winning scene)
  
• OpenGL: Fix sortZ for dices

[h3]Misc[/h3]

• Add feedback sound when clicking on the tutoriel button
  
• Improve the rendering when buying a hotel/wonder (add more juice to the rent value...)
  
• Remove useless scene (wonder tooltip)
  
• Lock the partytimer if the leader ain't connected
  
• Rework the camera handler

[h3]Lobby[/h3]

• Rework the explosion to make it more cartoon
  
• Add a mesh when there's no player yet
  
• Add a FX sound when switching char

[h3]Visual Effects[/h3]

• Add fireworks when a player has a monopole
  
• Add fireworks when a player organize the worldcup
  
• Add fireworks when the icepack melts
  
• When the helicopter eliminate a player, change the camera to view the helicopter

I'm pleased to announce that a new update is now available exclusively for our valued playtesters. This release is part of my ongoing efforts to enhance the overall gameplay experience, incorporating the latest features and improvements that have been carefully developed and refined. Your feedback is instrumental in helping me identify areas of strength and opportunities for further refinement.

As a playtester, you have early access to this update, and we kindly ask for your insights and detailed reports on any issues you may encounter.

Please note that this update is currently in a limited testing phase and is not yet available to the general public.

I appreciate your dedication and contributions to the development process and look forward to your continued support in shaping the future of our game. Thank you for your commitment to excellence and for being an integral part of our community.

[h2]Changelog[/h2]
[h3]UI[/h3]

• Add a button to go back to the main menu while in game
  
• Add a confirmation popup when trying to leave the game while being in a room or in-game
  
• When playing a card, you can now click to skip the animation
  
• Case tooltips can be shown even if it's not supposed
  
• Add option to manage the camera
  
• Add an icon to the ruleset countdown panel

[h3]Misc[/h3]

• Add wires to the lightbulb of the Wheel of Fortune
  
• Add a very short tutoriel to explain how the game works
  
• Once the wheel of fortune finished to roll, play a sound

[h3]Balancing[/h3]

• Players gets more time to play
  
• Computer players are now getting the best out of the hotel to build

[h3]IA[/h3]

• Takes more time to play (1 sec delay)

[h3]Bug[/h3]

• Cannot play 2 games in a row
  
• Icepack panel not rendred correctly once the icepack melted
  
• Remove debug panel and logs
  
• Crash with old graphic cards and Vulkan
  
• Main menu can click on Ready even if you shouldn't be able to
  
• OpenGL pingouin and dogs look weird
  
• OpenGL cards look weird

Hello folks,

I'm delighted to announce the opening of playtests for Fortune Avenue.

[h3]How to participate ?[/h3]
For the sake of simplicity, I've decided to register via the studio's Discord server. You simply need to create a Discord account, join our server then say hello and you're all set! It's as simple as that.



[h3]How it all works ?[/h3]
The playtests take place over at least 3 progressively increasing waves. Each wave lasts between 7 and 10 days. During the first wave, 5 to 10 of the most active members will be selected to take part in the playtests. These members are then given a Steam key and immediate access to Fortune Avenue.

Assuming all goes well, and there are no blocking bugs, 7 to 10 days later, the second wave begins, along with 50 Steam keys distributed via the Discord server.

As in the second wave, if there are no blocking bugs, then 7 to 10 days later, the third wave begins, and with it 250 Steam keys are sent out.



[h3]When does it start? When does it end ?[/h3]
Although you can already register, the first keys are scheduled to be sent out later this week.
Playtesting ends in the first week of September, and ALL Steam keys will be deactivated.

[h3]How to play ?[/h3]
Even though Fortune Avenue is a multiplayer game, you can still play solo to test the game out.
Simply activate the Steam key, install the game via Steam, launch it and you're ready to play.

Well, that's all for now, and I'll see you soon.
Until then, take care.
Xavier aka Binogure

Hello everyone!

In the past few weeks, I’ve been very active and I’m happy to share the progress made.

[h2]Recent Advancements[/h2]
[h3]Voting System and Helicopter[/h3]
I’ve implemented the voting system and the helicopter, and they are 100% functional. I’ve played several games, and it’s really enjoyable, even against AI with an unfinished game. I can’t wait for you to try it out and give me your feedback!

[h3]Animations and Time Constraints[/h3]
One of the main challenges has been designing attractive animations without exceeding the time budget. For example, an amusing idea of a giant hammer attached to the helicopter to eject losing players was set aside in favor of a simpler animation where the player disappears in a cloud of dust. This decision helps maintain a balance between rapid development and visual quality.

[h2]Time Management and Multitasking[/h2]
[h3]Steam Page Reorganization[/h3]
Alongside development, I had to spend time reworking the Steam page for Fortune Avenue to better reflect the game. This task was urgent due to the cross-promotion with my other game, City Game Studio, during the Steam Summer Sale. Consequently, I temporarily reduced the time spent on Fortune Avenue to manage this promotion. This only took a few days, as I am now back to working on Fortune Avenue.

[h2]Playable Demo and Playtests[/h2]
[h3]Demo Planning[/h3]
For the first time, I have a detailed plan to finalize a playable demo of Fortune Avenue. This plan includes specific tasks like adding players' real estate assets to the interface, creating the victory panel, and integrating Steam achievements. I estimate that I will have a playable demo by September 1, 2024. However, before that, I will need to organize playtesting sessions.

[h3]Playtesting Sessions[/h3]
Before this date, several playtesting sessions will be organized to ensure the game works well and is enjoyable to play. I will soon recruit players to participate in these tests, and I invite you to join the Discord server and follow the Steam page to not miss the announcement.

[h2]Conclusion[/h2]
I’m thrilled with the progress made and I’m determined to make Fortune Avenue a success. Your support is crucial, so please wishlist the game and follow the updates.

Thank you for your attention and see you soon with more updates!

Take care,
Xavier aka Binogure

Hello all!

Today, I'm going to talk about the evolution of Fortune Avenue's design and the solutions I've found to improve the game experience, notably by managing frustration and adding interesting new mechanics.

In the early stages of development, I focused on the game design of Fortune Avenue, a board game inspired by Monopoly but with a personal touch. One of the first challenges I faced was to limit the randomness inherent in the game, as randomness can often lead to frustrating situations, especially when one player is clearly losing.

Let's imagine a game with three players. After 20 minutes, one player already has 20 hotels, another has 15, and you only have three small caravans. Barring a monumental stroke of luck, it's almost certain that you're going to lose. And while you're waiting for that inevitable defeat, the pleasure of playing disappears, both for you and for the other players waiting for the game to move on.

To address this problem, I initially thought of a timer system that would limit the length of a game. However, this could be perceived as unfair to players who have a chance of getting back on track. Unfairness creates frustration, so I dismissed the idea.

I then looked at a way of shortening the frustration with a sudden-death system. I considered several solutions, including the idea of rigging the dice to finish off players in difficulty, but finally opted for a more dynamic and fun approach: the pursuing banker.

Here's how it works: as soon as a player falls below the $100,000 mark, a banker appears and starts chasing him. The player then has five rolls of the dice to get back over $100,000, or he's kicked off the board. The banker then pursues the next poorest player if he too is under $100,000. This keeps the waiting time to a minimum and adds a fun, stressful animation for the struggling player.

To keep the other players from getting bored, I've introduced an elimination bonus. When a player eliminates another, he earns a substantial bonus, making each action meaningful and engaging for all players.

On the development front, now that the prototype is ready, I'm focusing on getting the demo ready. Currently, I'm working on 3D modeling with Blender to create the game's tokens. In the prototype, there was only one token, a white bear. For the demo, I modeled several tokens: a boat, a pawn, a shoe, a van, a little dog, a scooter, a goose, a top hat, a penguin, a pig and a suitcase. That's 11 tokens, each with five animations, for a total of 55 animations to create.

It's a time-consuming process, especially as I often go back to improve the animations. The idea is to prepare an ultra-polished demo for the next Steam Next Fest. However, it's likely that I'll postpone Fortune Avenue's participation until the next festival to allow the necessary time.

To fine-tune the demo, I'll be organizing playtests this summer and gathering your feedback to improve the gaming experience. In the meantime, you can wishlist Fortune Avenue on Steam.

Take care.
Xavier aka Binogure