Containcorp News

Originally posted by Friday

Hey everyone!

I’m excited to share some big updates with you. First off, I’ve graduated with a master’s in computer science! It’s been quite a journey balancing that with game development, but I’m thrilled to apply my new skills to the project.

We’re in the final stages of game design now, revising and simplifying mechanics. The recent focus has been on redesigning the power and fluid systems, which turned out to be a bit more involved than anticipated. We’ve moved away from having every pipe and wire as its own entity to using voxels for walls and floors, making things much more efficient.

The architect menu has been revamped for better usability and now includes blueprints to plan your builds more effectively. The new power system is more straightforward—just fuel your generators and run cables to power your devices. We’ve also added a renewable energy source: solar panels!

The fluid system has been simplified too. Pipes now either have fluid or they don’t, with a pressure-based flow system replacing the old discrete measurements. We’ve also introduced “mainlines” for power and fluid, offering access from the national grid but adding potential risks later on.

There are some exciting new features, like a more polished shader for underground floors and realistic lakes. Deliveries have been improved with new sprites and a more efficient system for handling items.

Overall, development is going well. We’re almost done with facility-building interactions and hope to have an alpha version ready in a month. There’s a lot of work still ahead, but we’re making great progress. Thanks for sticking with us!
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Originally posted by Friday

Hey Readers!

It’s been a while, and there’s a lot to share. The big news is that Containcorp is now feature complete (ish)! We’re shifting focus from adding features to polishing what we have. There are still some micro-features and major system redesigns to tackle, plus a bunch of bugs and game design tweaks.

Research Redesign
I’ve revamped the research and experimentation system. Previously, it was pretty bland, just placing desks and watching menus. Now, researchers create Experimental Data Logs and turn them into reports and research papers, which are archived for inspiration and future use. This should make research more interactive and engaging.

Region Extensions
I’ve improved the system for placing regions, making it easier and more intuitive to set up containment cells for experiments.

New Staff Roles
We’ve added Paramedics and Janitors. Paramedics handle light injuries and transport unconscious NPCs, while Janitors clean and repair. We also optimized the grime system for better performance.

Needs Menu
We’ve introduced a Needs menu to track staff needs, similar to Prison Architect but with some unique features.

Anomaly: S-0033
Our first anomaly, the Propulsive Brick, is half-implemented. It’s a dangerous brick that causes harm if not constantly observed. Implementing this anomaly is also helping us develop an anomaly behavior framework, which we’ll discuss more in the future.

Storyteller Events and Main Characters
Storyteller events are now easier to define and mod, and we’re adding main characters to anchor the story. These characters will be central to the narrative, providing a clearer focus for the player.

Development Update
We’re now in the polishing phase and fixing earlier design issues. The game’s roadmap has shifted to emphasize game design and polishing, with public playtesting on the horizon. Despite some delays, we’re ahead of schedule and aiming for a December release.
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Originally posted by Friday

Hey Readers!

Welcome to Forensic Friday 72! This update is brief because I’ve been deep into the “GREAT DATA MIGRATION,” switching from Unity’s in-house data to a custom XML solution. This change was necessary due to issues with scriptable objects, especially with mod support.

Cooks
We’ve added cooks to the game, who will manage meal preparation and cafeteria service. The new NPC AI system is handling this complexity well. We’re also planning upgrades like automatic hobs and linking kitchen cleanliness to NPC performance.

Data Migration
We’ve transitioned to XML for more flexibility and easier data changes. This took a month and introduced some bugs, but it's mostly stable now. We’re fixing bugs and moving toward game design and playtesting.

Small Tweaks
I’ve improved tile placement, allowing two tiles of the same rotation to sit next to each other.

That’s it for now. We’re close to finishing the initial development of Containcorp and have started working on anomalies. Stay tuned for more updates next time!
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Originally posted by Friday

Hey everyone! Welcome to Forensic Friday 71! We released this one alongside Forensic Friday 70 because I’ve been swamped lately, but we’ve got a lot to cover, so let’s dive in.

Trailer Music:
First up, we finally have our trailer music composed by Can Erdogan. The track is designed to fit the game’s aesthetic with an unsettling, suspenseful vibe. Can explains how the music blends piano, electric guitar, synthesized sounds, and cinematic elements to create a compelling theme.

Contextual Right-Click Menu:
I’ve introduced a right-click contextual menu, which significantly improves gameplay by making it easier to interact with various game systems. This new feature is great for managing NPC actions and debugging.

Power System Tweaks:
We’ve refined the power system to make appliance connections more intuitive. Low-voltage power tiles now connect automatically to nearby wires, though they can't pass through walls—something we might address in the future.

Cooling Power Generators:
I’ve added cooling mechanisms for power generators to prevent overheating and potential explosions. Generators now require water pipes for cooling, and we might add other solutions later.

New Doors:
We’ve added new door types for security, including checkpoint gates, blast doors, and Tesla gates. The Tesla gate zaps hostile NPCs, and we’re considering adding a cooldown period for it.

Containment Breaches & Recontainment:
We’ve implemented a containment breach system. When a breach occurs, you can deploy a task force to handle it, and you have five minutes to resolve the situation before the corporation sends a nuke.

Ordnance:
You can now request ordnance to deal with breaches, with more options coming soon. The feature includes a “Defence budget” for managing resources, and we’re working on making the ordnance strikes more impactful.

Offices:
We’ve added offices where personnel can work, complete with new sprites and a locking door system that keeps the door closed if the office is occupied and the person is away.

Roadmap:
We’re getting closer to finishing the game. We’re wrapping up smaller features, like those involving Cooks and Doctors, and will soon focus on polishing, playtesting, and bug fixing. We’re excited about the upcoming anomaly system, which will be modular and expandable to accommodate potentially hundreds of anomalies.

That’s all for this update! We’re getting really close to completing the game, and it’s been quite a journey. See you in Forensic Friday 72!
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Originally posted by Friday

Hey everyone! Welcome to Forensic Friday 70! This one's a bit shorter since it was delayed, but we're excited to share our progress. It's crazy to think we've reached 70 updates, and while our readership might be small, these blogs help us stay consistent with development. Whether or not the game finds a big audience, just completing our roadmap will be a huge achievement for us.

Here's what we've been working on:

Wandering and Stargazing:
We brought back the ability for NPCs to wander, which makes them feel more alive, even if it's not the most useful feature. We also added stargazing for NPCs, though it still needs some polish.



Flooding:
We revamped the water flooding system, which was pretty rough before. Water now behaves more realistically and looks better in the game. We even added interactions with rain, but we might remove it due to performance issues. We're planning to redo the weather systems later when we start working on planetary systems. We also want to redo the fire system using cellular automata for better results.

Clearance UI:
We added a new UI for managing NPC clearances, making it easier to change clearances based on their designations. We still need to link these menus for a more seamless experience.

Onboarding Category Cs:
We've finished onboarding Volunteers, or Category C NPCs, who arrive by shuttle bus and need to be processed through three regions. This feature heavily relies on our new NPC AI, which we're constantly improving.

Cycle Information & Actions:
We added new menu options for managing volunteers on-site, like scheduling releases and deciding whether to memory wipe them.

Issues:
We created a simple notepad feature to track outstanding issues that need resolving, which will be helpful for advanced players.

Waypoints & Patrols:
We implemented waypoints and patrols as part of our security measures. Security NPCs can now follow defined patrol routes, and waypoints will have more uses in the future.

Restriction Zones:
We added restriction zones linked to the ID card system, which control NPC movement. NPCs need the right clearance to enter these zones, but they will bypass them in emergencies.
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