Hi all!
Recently, we ran a Q&A session in our
Discord server. We picked the most interesting questions and answered them. Please see below.
But before that, here's a quick reminder: Hollywood Animal will be available on Steam Early Access on January 16, 2025.
The demo version will be available this December.
Wishlist and follow the Steam page:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2680550/Hollywood_Animal/
Watch the most recent Hollywood Animal trailer 'A box of spiders disguised as a tycoon game':
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Can we make propaganda films or political films? Yes, there will be story elements related to politics, and certain moments in the game will allow you to participate in creating propaganda.
Will we be able to make TV shows later in the game? At the moment, we don't have plans for TV shows or animation, because with the level of detail we've chosen for this game, it's going to be an insane amount of work. We're going to focus on movies for now. But these are great ideas for potential DLCs in the future.
When it comes to sequels/franchises will we have the option to kill off characters? Pick “Protagonist Dies Heroically” for the ending and then don’t bring them back for the sequel, and voilà, they're dead!
Will we have the option to licence existing stories in the world to make movies? It's not something that will be available in the game from the start, but we plan to add franchises in one of the first major updates during Early Access, and yes, you will be able to licence books/comics/radio shows and adapt them into films.
Will we be able to "change" historical events? You can postpone certain events or nudge them in a certain direction, and you can certainly rewrite the history of the movie industry. But you can't avoid something as big as, for example, WW2.
Have you chosen early access in part to allow you to increase the scope of the game? Or has the vision always been similar since the start of the demo? The overall concept of the game has always remained the same, but it’s true that our appetites and ambitions have grown considerably during development. You always want to add a little more and make something a little better. The positive response to the demo gave us some confidence, but more importantly showed us that people are interested in playing as deep and varied a game as possible. So we’ve committed to delivering such a game, even if it will take more work and more time than we once thought.
Will the factions you interact with change over time, or between eras? Yes, throughout the game you will have chances to make new friends as well as lose old ones.
Can we drive enemy studios into bankruptcy to take the lead in "the Animal Kingdom"? You can hurt other studios significantly in Act 1, but, without revealing too much, it's safe to say that things are going to get more brutal in Act 2.
If we can sell technology to others, can we buy technology from others? You can buy technology from companies that specialize in it.
Will it be possible to order not only police raids, but also a mafia raid, which could completely destroy the studio? Mafia provides slightly different but equally useful services!
Are there going to be more locations for the movies or just the 5 that appeared in the demo? If you're referring to settings, then of course there will be way more than 5.
Surprised this isn't here, but can we demolish buildings? Yes!
Will distribution ever branch out beyond just the US? International business will be one of the main features of Act 2, but Act 1 will also provide some opportunities to show movies abroad (ahem-nazis-ahem).
Is the "devil's cauldron" for cooking up trash elements ONLY for studios with the "Trash Dealer" type?Yes.
And will the soundtrack change over the years to the one that was popular during those years? The soundtrack will change over the years, not necessarily to something popular during those years (although that too), but rather to something that we feel characterizes the true nature of the period.
Do you plan on establishing a beta testers group - inner circle testing rounds before Early Access updates? Yes, stay tuned!
Will there be an endless mode? We plan to add an endless mode at the same time as Act 2.
Will there be achievements during EA? Yes.
Are there any plans to have Steam Workshop support for modding purposes? Yes, but only after we implement all the things we've planned for Acts 1-3.
When can we expect an Act 2 release after the initial EA release date? Act 2 is scheduled for the summer.
Thank you for your attention!
P.S. You are free to ask us any questions about the game in Discord; we will make Q&A sessions like this again in the future.