Ratopia News

Notice: Those with this icon(💌) are inspired by the players’ opinions. Thank you so much again.

[h2]Patch List[/h2]

▶ 4 New structures has been added.

Water Pump


A new block-like structure that can move water from place to place.


Slime Block


A new block-like structure that slows the targets moving on it.


Hall of Guardians


A new military training structure that can train Guardian and Firerat.


⚡Repair Station


A new bed that can recharge and repair assigned Ratron.

▶ 💌Adjusted resource price.

Frog: 40 → 35

▶ 💌Adjusted the usage prices for service structures

Some service structures were adjusted because they were generating almost no income compared to the cost of materials. Additionally, the number of service provisions per item has been standardized to four times.

School: 15 -> 25
Atelier: 25 → 35
Pub: 20 → 35
Salon: 30 → 50
Snailtrack: 25 → 35
Massage Bed: 25 → 30
Flea Removal Facility: 20 → 35
Tooth Care Center: 30 → 35

　　
▶ Adjusted number of the Den of Plagues and plague rats generated from each burrow.

There was an issue with the difficulty of each invasion disproportionately increasing as more Dens were activated. To address this, we have reduced the maximum number of the Dens, but increased the number of enemies produced by each of the dens to alleviate early-game difficulty while maintaining late-game difficulty.

Den of Plagues: 5 → 4
Infected: 4 → 6
Spitter: 4 → 5

　　
▶ Adjusted the HP and attack power of the weasels.

Due to the relatively high attack power of the weasels, soldiers and barricades were falling too easily. To address this, while maintaining the combat difficulty, we have decreased the attack power of the enemies and increased their health.

Weaseeker: HP 60 → 80
Weasly: HP 120 → 140, ATK 12 → 10
Weasnapper: HP 80 → 100, ATK 9 → 8
Weaszard: ATK 8 → 5
Weasenom: ATK 6→ 4

　　
▶ 3 new types of soldiers have been added.

Legionary

　Legionary increases DEF of soldiers in the same squad.
　Legionnaires can be trained at the Combat Academy.



Guardian

　Guardian has high bonus on HP and DEF.
　Guardian pushes back the enemies approaching.
　Guardians can be trained at the Hall of Guardians.



Firerat

　The Firerat sets the ground on fire, dealing damage to all targets on the fire.
　Firerat can be trained at the Hall of Guardians.

▶Combat Ratrons can be assembled at the Ratron Assembly Plant

　Combat Ratrons can be deployed in military structures.
　Combat Ratrons have base stats of 70 HP, 2 STR, 1 DEX, and 1 INT.
　When a Combat Ratrons's health reaches 0, it explodes, causing 5 damage to nearby targets.
　Combat Ratrons can gain one of the following stat enhancements through a mini-game:

　　- Attack power +2
　　- Defense +1
　　- Movement speed +20%
　　- Explosion damage +30%

▶ Adjusted the difficulty of the Ratron Assemply mini-game.

The Ratron assembly mini-game initially had an overly short grace period, making it difficult to consistently succeed even with practice. Therefore, we have increased the grace period to make it easier to achieve assembly effects.

Maximum output reach time: 1.2 Sec → 2.1 Sec

▶ Improved the Royal Forge and Ratron Assembly Plant so that inserting resources is no longer necessary.

They will now use resources from across the city.
Existing resources that were in the structures will be ejected in front of the buildings.

▶ For convenience, the effects of structures have been moved to the effects of the soldiers.

The stat increase amounts per soldier type remain unchanged.

- 💌 Added a sorting feature to the UI for selecting resources and Ratizens.
- 💌 Improved the alarm check feature to enable viewing the destinations of lost Ratizens.
- Added a direction setting feature to Wooden Doors and Iron Gate
- Added convenience features to doors, transport stations, and military training structures.
- Adjusted the invasion cycle on normal difficulty to every 4-6 days from 3-5 days.
- Increased the spawn speed of fish.
- Added an auto-placement feature to the Ratron Recharger.
- Added one new basic hairstyle each for male and female Ratizens.
- Added one new hairstyle for the leader.
- Added a new variation of the spring season's background music.
- Added some missing sound effects.
- Slightly modified the Government Savings statistics window layout.


[h2]Bug Fix[/h2]

- 💌 Fixed an issue where the order of Ratizen changes was being recorded in reverse.
- Fixed a bug with loading the trade history.
- Fixed a bug that caused the mod manager to reset.
- Fixed an issue that Flamone was chasing the enemies.
- Fixed an issue where Ratizens intermittently could not use their assigned beds.
- Fixed an issue where Ratrons intermittently could not use their assigned charging stations.
- Fixed an issue where drones were not properly performing tasks.
- Fixed an issue where copying building functions were not properly copying the features.
- Fixed an issue where the taxed information on individual taxes was not being recorded correctly.

　Hello all, it’s Cassel, developer of .

　After the early March update, we've had some time to catch our breath. During this time, we revisited the feedback left by users on Steam and Discord, organized it once again, and worked on business tasks and technical research that had been put off, all while reviewing the overall schedule. It's necessary to refine our long-term plans for better updates in the future.


All the feedback piled up! There's really a long way to go!!


　When planning our development schedule, we start by distinguishing between main and sub-systems. Main systems, like the power system in the scientist update, are of high importance and require a lot of work, but must be developed within a deadline, whereas sub-systems are features that would be nice to add, although they don't have a set deadline.

　After distinguishing between main and sub-systems, we sequence the main systems according to events or festivals. Then, we insert sub-systems that would complement the main systems in between. This way, if the development of a main system is delayed, we can remove some sub-systems to flexibly adjust our plans.

　For instance, the volcanic biome that we're discussing in today's DevDiary was a sub-system planned from the early stages of development. It was intended to be added along with late-game content.


[h3]Volcanic Biome[/h3]

　The volcanic biome is located in the deepest underground area of the map. It's designed as a biome to be explored in order to dramatically increase military power and economic scale, with a distribution of various rare resources. Being late-game content, it was planned to be added after the early access phase, and we spent a lot of time contemplating how to make the use of the volcanic biome satisfying within the game.


The various appearances of the volcanic biome that have changed over time


　The volcanic biome, unlike other biomes, was intended to be challenging and dangerous to settle in. Initially, the plan was to have Ratizens lose a significant amount of health the longer they stayed in the volcanic biome due to a temperature gauge. Proper development would only be possible after supplying the Ratizens with protective gear.

　However, as development progressed, we realized that supplying equipment to Ratizens was not the right approach. In Ratopia, Ratizens purchase their necessities based on their individual financial situations. Those who dared to mine tiles in the dangerous latter part of the volcanic biome were mostly unemployed Ratizens with little money, who, sadly, often couldn't afford even the basic necessities.

　Therefore, we revised the plan to have Ratizens take fire damage every time they stepped on a tile within the volcanic biome. This solution was not only simpler to implement but also allowed players to solve the problem in various ways. They could destroy the damaging tiles, soak Ratizens in water to prevent fire damage, or provide Ratizens with more sleep time and recovery buildings to ensure safe development.


It seems like there's a savory smell coming from somewhere…


　However, these methods felt insufficient as preparatory steps for settling the volcanic biome. This was because, even without using these methods, settling could proceed, albeit slowly, without much inconvenience.


[h3]Ratfiend[/h3]

　Digging down to the underground from the early stages to obtain rare resources was not our intended scenario, as swiftly settling the volcanic biome was supposed to involve risks. Initially, our plan was to make settling the volcanic biome without sufficient military preparation risky by applying the invasion system, where predators stronger than weasels would invade. Salamanders, which appeared in Ratropolis, seemed like a suitable choice for these invading predators.


Salamanders we tried to make cute for this game


　Upon reevaluation of the plan, it seemed like it might give players a negative experience. From the player's perspective, it was difficult to know at what point of developing the volcanic biome enemies would start invading, and accidental development could trigger invasions that were too strong, potentially ruining the game. The intention was for players to prepare and then start developing, knowing the risks involved, but it seemed more likely that sudden invasions would lead to exhaustion from defending the city rather than advancing development.

　Therefore, we considered limiting the salamanders' movement so they wouldn't leave the volcanic biome. The idea was to make them attack only the player's structures and Ratizens located within the volcanic biome during invasions. This way, it seemed like players could prepare adequately for invasions before starting to develop the volcanic biome.

　However, even this alternative had many flaws. Players could potentially trigger salamander invasions to prevent weasels from invading the city, and there was also the possibility of the city's soldiers repeatedly descending into the volcanic biome to attack the salamanders, only to be defeated.

　The more we thought about it, the more problems appeared, and it seemed like solving all of them would require a lot of time. Therefore, we decided to set aside the invasion system related to the volcanic biome and look for other ways to make obtaining resources from the volcanic biome risky. Making the player feel the danger didn't necessarily have to come in the form of invasions.

　This led to the idea of introducing a giant monster that guards the volcanic biome. The giant monster wouldn't invade the city but would hinder the Ratizens developing the volcanic biome, making players feel like they need to defeat the monster for smooth development.

　However, technically, adding a giant character that moves along tiles was not feasible, so, regrettably, the giant monster had to be scaled down to the size of rats. This resulted in the creation of a character that looks a bit grotesque, reminiscent of a rat living in hell.


It definitely looks much more dangerous


　We wanted Ratfiend to be small yet invincible, creating an entity that players should avoid fighting against. The idea was to either block Ratfiend's path through tile construction or encourage players to develop the biome while avoiding Ratfiend. However, this solution also presented new problems. There was no information screen to explain Ratfiend's invincibility, leaving players without guidance on why it wasn't losing health, and our allied soldiers seemed eager to descend into hell by seeking out and attacking Ratfiend.

　Due to these issues, we decided to give Ratfiend high defense instead of invincibility. Adding an enemy information screen is a feature that's needed in the long term, but it was too time-consuming to add immediately just for Ratfiend. Moreover, having soldiers attack an enemy that takes no damage or making invincible enemies undetectable by soldiers could appear buggy.

　With these twists and turns, Ratfiend was added to the game. We haven't heard much from the players yet, but we'll need to pay close attention to see if it functions as intended.


[h3]The Greed[/h3]

　We also experimented with various concept designs for the animals that would appear in the volcanic biome. Since no real creatures live near lava, it was necessary to be creative. Initially, the animals designed for the volcanic biome were cute and matched the environment, but as the biome evolved to emphasize its difficulty and danger, the designs of the appearing animals became increasingly horrifying and grotesque.


Creatures evolving into monstrous forms


　Adding new animals isn't straightforward due to the need for them to fit into various uses and production chains. The current animals in the game also fall short in terms of utility, necessitating minimal additions. Among these, the Salt King was added specifically for events. Rather than complicating the game with additional complex production chains, the intention was to establish it as a "joker" animal that players could use to obtain the resources they needed.


The Greed’s design change from Lucifrog to Gluttonishark.


　The Greed was designed to spit out different resources according to a formula when players input resources. The goal was to allow players to infinitely obtain limited resources or recycle unnecessary ones.

　However, in practice, its utility was much lower than expected. Even if resources could be obtained from deep underground, transporting them to the city was very cumbersome, and without knowing the formula, players hesitated to input resources because they couldn't predict the outcome. Most importantly, the rewards were not significant enough to justify the effort of going deep underground to use it, lacking the appeal to make it worthwhile.


Here’s your meal~~ (What am I supposed to do with this guy…)


　Ultimately, it was decided to replace the ability of The Greed, and it needed to be designed in the following direction:

　- Ensure the rewards obtained through The Greed are overwhelmingly powerful, allowing players to know in advance and act accordingly.
　- Minimize the quantity of rewards that require transportation to the extent that a leader alone can carry them if they are tangible and need to be transported.
　- Increase reusability so it's not something used once or twice and then forgotten, but can be continually utilized.

　After much deliberation, The Greed's ability was reshaped to alleviate players' critical situations. By paying a high amount of money to The Greed, players could end ongoing enemy invasions or stabilize all rebelling Ratizens. This approach was seen as sufficiently appealing because it offered a way to resolve dire late-game crises with economic power.

　Given its powerful capability, there was a concern that overuse of The Greed's ability could disrupt the game's balance, necessitating a safeguard. It was decided to significantly increase the cost required to use The Greed's ability each time, as a way to control its use. Although different from regular animals, incorporating The Greed added a new dimension of accumulating wealth, making it an intriguing system that encourages long-term strategic planning when used.


　Moreover, there are still many systems intended for the volcanic biome that haven't been added yet. The plan is to appropriately incorporate these remaining elements during other main system updates, gradually enhancing the game. We look forward to your continued support and feedback for future updates! Thank you for reading this lengthy post today.

[h2]Patch List[/h2]
Notice: Those with this icon(💌) are inspired by the players’ opinions. Thank you so much again.

⚡5 New electricity structures have been added.

　　▼Raw material structures

Geothermal Generator

　　▼Service structures

Flush Toilet
Broadcast Studio
Joy Box

　　▼Military structures

Magnetic Trap

▶Adjusted values for certain structures.

Training Camp: ATK+1 → +2, Lumber 12 → 8, Dirt 12 → 8
Barrack: ATK+2 → DEF+2, Copper Ingot 12 → 8
Combat Academy: Wage 450 → 400, Iron Ingot 12 → 8
Police Station: Wage 220 → 250, ATK +5 → +3
Prison: Stone Brick 2 → Rope 2
Cemetery: Wage 120 → 125
Silviculture Post: Wage 190 → 200

　　
▶Adjusted bonus effect values for specific soldier types.

Militiarat: Speed +10% → 20%
Spearrat: Enemy Speed -20% → -30%
Macerat:: ATK +2 → +4, DEF +3 → +1

　　
▶Ratfiend now appears in the Volcanic Biome

Ratfiend is a monster with high defense but limited activity time. Caution advised during exploration.

▶The Greed now appears in the Volcanic Biome

The Greed is an ancient monster with tremendous strength. Recommended to seek out during city crises.

▶Weasenom, range attack weasels, has been added to the invading enemies.

Weasenom throws venomous projectile, intoxicate it’s enemies.
Adjustment has been made to the number of invading enemies.

▶Attacking Weasel House will no longer spawn Weasilla.

Instead, Weasenoms will be spawning.
Just like Den of Plagues, Weasel House will spawn 2 enemies when attacked.

▶💌Improved Save and Load speed.

Loading a long-played games will still take some time, but we could reduce it by 80%.

▶💌Added Convenience Feature to the structures.

You can Import or Export the structure settings, or clone the structure settings to put blueprints.

　　
- 💌 Adjusted the Silviculture Post to allow for proper care of Pyroblossom and Ash Trees.
- 💌 Simplified the expression of construction methods and Workload for easier understanding in Research Point production.
- 💌 Task condition can be now set to Thermal Generator and Mint.
- 💌 Tutorials has been added to mini games and skill usages.
- 💌 Adjusted highlight areas in statistics page to get information better.
- 💌 Removed numbers on rails and Lift Ropes.

- Fire immune effect has been added to [💦Wet] buff.
- Images of controllers has been added on tutorials to help understanding.
- Adjusted Drones to be destroyed when passing the enemies.
- Pyroblossoms are no longer generates fires beneath it when gathered.
- Changed background color of Electricity Structures so that they can be easily distinguished from the other structures.
- Reduced Flamone’s flame damage by 80%.
- Added UI slot to show holding items in the storage on production menu of structures.
- Reduced interest rate of loans to improve usages.
- Service structures now gains 3 EXP every time they gives the service.
- When fall, if there’s enough water below, the one will take less damage.


[h2]Bug Fix[/h2]
- 💌 Prodigal Noble’s “Loan Limit +1” now works properly.
- 💌 Fixed an issue where, if the Code Stone was deactivated due to flooding, the laws would not reactivate even after the flooding status was resolved.
- 💌 Fixed a bug where error codes would sometimes appear when saving & loading while water was flowing.
- 💌 Corrected an issue where the leader's "Prestigious Scholar" starting trait was not properly applied when using custom difficulty settings.
- 💌 Addressed a bug that caused errors during the Necessities tutorial.
- 💌 Fixed a problem where resources could not be added to an Electric Crematory if the electricity was cut off while resources were inside.
- 💌 Corrected an issue that allowed overlapping placement and demolition orders on wallpaper tiles with transparent wallpaper.
- 💌 Fixed a situation where activating the mass production option for the Thermal Generator did not change the consumption rate of material resources.
- 💌 Modified the game to hide unnecessary HUD elements during minigame play.
- 💌 Fixed an issue where the TAB button was not functioning correctly when checking trade status.
- 💌 Fixed a problem where the blueprints for facilities such as the Web Thrower and the Earthquaker occupied more space than the constructed structures.
- 💌 Corrected a malfunction in Drones in Construction mode when their commands were overridden by the leader.
- 💌 Adjusted the partial generation amount of Solar Pannel to match the actual output.
- 💌 Corrected a misrepresentation that gathering was affected by the DEX instead of STR.
- 💌 Fixed a phenomenon where power-consuming structures would temporarily deactivate when the power-generating structure connected to an Electric Crematory was demolished.
- Fixed an issue where drones from the Drone Hangar would not respawn upon destruction.
- The Thermal Generator outfit has been temporarily removed from the Royal Wardrobe.
　　If you were using the skin, it will revert to the default outfit.
- Corrected an issue where using the Ratbot skin did not change hands and feet to robot hands and feet.

[h2]Patch List[/h2]
Notice: Those with this icon(💌) are inspired by the players’ opinions. Thank you so much again.


3 new structures are added.

　　▼Infrastructure

Plate Block

　　▼⚡Electric Infrastructure

Solar Panel

　　▼⚡Electric Royal Structure

Electric Crematory

- 💌 Added a structure notice for workers unable to engage in production activities due to lack of material costs.
- 💌 Added an enable/disable function to the Maintenance Office.


[h2]Bug Fix[/h2]
- 💌 Adjusted the prosperity gauge in the economy tab of the statistics window to show progress from current level to the next.
- 💌 Fixed an issue where the currency exchange graph was not updating.
- 💌 Fixed a phenomenon where allied soldiers fall to their deaths after returning from the weasel dungeon.
- 💌 Fixed an issue where the connection status does not update despite connecting transmission wires or tiles to power generation structures.
- Fixed a bug where Xbox controller images appear when using DualShock or DualSense.
- Fixed an issue where gamepad images obscure text during tutorials.
- Fixed a problem where the "Steel Reign" achievement was not being awarded on Steam.


[h2]3월 11일자 추가사항[/h2]
- 💌 Improved the UI of the Royal Forge minigame.
　　- Fixed an issue where there were errors in the success and failure judgments of the Royal Forge.
- Fixed an issue where some event options were missing.
- Fixed an issue where the trade log was not being saved properly.
- Fixed an issue where the exchange log would not refresh details upon mouse click.
- Fixed minor translations errors in the statistics window.


We will continue to strive to make a better game, thank you.

[h2]Hello, dear leaders of Ratopia![/h2]
Thank you for waiting so long for the update. In this update, we have primarily added a new electricity system and structures that utilize it. Due to the significant number of systemic additions, we are concerned about potential bugs that we may not have discovered. If you encounter any bugs, please report them through Steam or Discord, and we will quickly address them through hotfixes! We also welcome any and all ideas about the game at any time!


[h2]Patch List[/h2]
Notice: Those with this icon(💌) are inspired by the players’ opinions. Thank you so much again.

⚡22 electricity structures have been added.

These electricity structures can be researched through the "Engineering Workbench" of the royal structures. Although electricity structures require many resources, various facilities are prepared and more will be added in the future, so please look forward to it.

　　▼Infrastructure

Transmission Wire
Transmission Block
Power Box
Storage Battery
Small light
Surveillance Camera
Restoration Gate
Ratron Recharger
Tesla Tower

　　▼Raw material structures

Ratpower Generator
Wind Turbine
Hydroelectric Generator
Thermal generator
Sprinkler

　　▼Production structures

Advanced Laboratory
Parts Factory
Circuit Factory

　　▼Military structures

Shock Mine
Electric Trap

　　▼Royal structures

Communication Tower
Drone Hangar (With Drones, construction, mining, demolition, and repair can be done more swiftly.)

▶5 new structures have been added.

　　▼Infrastructure

Ash Block

　　▼Military structures

Land Mine
Explosive Barricade

　　▼Decorations

Scientist Monument

　　▼Royal structures

Engineering Workbench

🌋Volcanic biome has been added.

The volcanic biome can be found deep underground. Please look forward to the various resources and vegetation added to the Volcanic biome, as well as those that will be added in the future!
⚠️You need to start a new settlement to encounter the Volcanic Biome

▶17 new resources for the Volcanic biome and electricity structures have been added.

　　▼Raw material

Ash
Sulfur
Nickel
Obsidian
Niter
Flamone
Pyroblossom Seed
Ash Tree Seed
Cactus seed

　　▼Products

Copper wire
Iron Plate
Battery
Motor
Labor Chipset
Specialty Chipset
Combat Chipset
Black Powder

▶Intelligence now reduces the time required for research.

Previously, intelligence was somewhat less useful compared to strength and dexterity. A feature has been added to increase the utility of intelligence and to alleviate the burden of increasing research time.

▶The satisfaction decrease for each of the Joy & hygiene structures has been adjusted (0.35 → 0.05.)

The individual satisfaction decrease for Joy and Hygiene structures has been aligned with that of Food and Necessities. Now, the buff from using these facilities lasts much longer than before.

▶The durability consumption per attack for trap structures has been adjusted from 10 to 20, and their basic durability has been increased.

Following the last patch, which made all facility repairs faster due to an increased effect of stacks during construction and repair work, the efficiency of trap-type facilities increased excessively. This has been adjusted. The number of attacks and damage remain the same.

▶The value of resources gathered from sap extraction sites, such as rubber, resin, and sap, has been adjusted (10 → 15)

Consequently, the production efficiency of some products, such as shoes, gum, perfume, and dyes, has been adjusted.

▶The price of oil has been adjusted (20 → 25).

▶The price of beeswax has been adjusted. (18→25)

Due to the price increase, the production workload needed has been slightly adjusted.

▶The production method for candles has been adjusted due to the price changes of Beeswax and Myrrh.

Method 1: Beeswax 2 → 1
Method 2: Myrrh 1 → 2, Candles 3 → 4

▶The production method for gum has been adjusted due to the price adjustment of sap-related resources and to simplify production.

Method 1: Joy Powder 1 → Joy Flower 2, Workload 1000 → 900, Gums 3 → 4
Method 2: Workload 900 → 700

▶It has been modified so that the Cocoonery can be researched without needing to research the Apiary first.

the research locations for the Batiary and the Coconnery have been changed.

▶Resources burned at the cremation site will now drop ash resources.

▶Additional items that can be viewed in the statistics window have been added (Electricity / Ratron / Storages).

　　The layout of the statistics window has been partially modified.
　　 Certain items will appear when specific actions are undertaken:

Electricity: Appears upon constructing an Engineering Workbench.
Ratron: Appears after assembling the first Ratron.

▶10 new achievements have been added.
　　▶A science victory ending branch has been added.
　　▼As rewards for these achievements, you can obtain the following starter decoration elements.

Scientist Outfit
Metallic Fur
2 Flag Emblems

- 💌Roof tiles can now be overlaid on already constructed tiles.
- 💌A feature has been added to the construction screen allowing structures to be added to favorites.
- 💌The alarm for structures in the top left has been integrated, and functionality for interaction has been added.
- 💌A structure diary has been added.
- 💌When using a gamepad, images guiding the control keys during tutorial stages have been added.
- Royal tunnel network usage has been added to the expenditure details in the statistics window.
- The calculation method for Infrastructure Points is now based on structure's construction time.
- The presentation of the Royal Forge minigame has been modified.
- Incorrectly applied texts and icons in the game have been corrected.


[h2]Bug Fix[/h2]
- The issue where the growth speed reduction effect of garden structures would reset after harvesting the plants has been fixed.
- The bug causing AI to malfunction, when the schedule of a Ratizen supplying materials to service structures changed, has been corrected.
- The statistics window no longer shows a minimum happiness of 0 when there are no impoverished Ratizens.
- The issue where Ratizens would queue up to use some service structures has been addressed.
- The issue where individual food satisfaction did not increase when eating at a table has been fixed.
- An error code appearing when canceling commands on the lowest map tiles has been corrected.
- The issue with scorpions being hidden behind some structures has been fixed.