GearCity News

Greetings Everyone,

I have spent the last month or so working on upgrades to our home made engine, Beardgine. Version 2 of this engine has reached parity with the old version. The original Beardgine has over 9 years of testing behind it. To make sure Beardgine v2 is as stable (if not more stable) I am using all of you on the Testing Build as beta testers. (That's what the purpose of Testing Build is.)

So if you are on a 64-bit computer and are subscribed to Testing Build, you are using the new engine. In the upper left hand corner of the Main Menu it should say "x64 BG2". If not, you do not have the new engine yet.








We have mostly upgraded various libraries to the latest version. We also replaced several discontinued libraries and APIs with alternatives. The most noticeable change for all users is the replacement of Berkelium (Chromium 12) with CEF (Chromium 70). This should give us a more stable reports system, however it is slower than the old browser in some respects, especially on Windows OpenGL2. The engine is also 64-bit for all operating systems. OpenAL has been switched from the Creative version to OpenAL-Soft on Linux and Windows. Which will hopefully fix the rare audio issues we have with usb-headphones.

For OSX users, we have done a major overhaul of the backend. We have replaced Carbon with Cocoa, and all that entails. Sadly, this has caused us to lose the "Hardware Mouse" feature, but the game is significantly more stable and faster on modern versions of OSX.

• All OSs: Ogre3D 1.7.1 and 1.8.1 (OSX) -> Ogre3D 1.10.12.
  
• All OSs: Berkelium (Chromium 12) -> CEF 3538 (Chromium 70).
  
• Linux & Windows: OpenAL 1.1 -> OpenAL-soft.
  
• All OSs: OgreOggSound 1.21 -> 1.27
  
• Windows & OSX: Ogg and Vorbis latest builds
  
• Windows & OSX: OIS latest builds
  
• All OSs: Latest Freetype.
  
• All OSs: Removed Freeimage.
  
• All OSs: Removed CG shaders system.
  
• OSX: Replaced Carbon with Cocoa API.
  
• OSX: Replaced windowing system with GLFW.
  
• Linux: SDL 2.0.2 -> SDL 2.0.9.
  
• Linux: glibc requirement increased to 2.19
  

(Probably a few more smaller things which I failed to rememober or list.)

• Attempt to implement OpenGL3 renderer. (Depends on shader hang ups and the need to replace the OpenGL2 renderer in Windows.)
  
• Attempt to implement resizeable reports/webrowser windows. (Early testing of this feature is looking good so far.)
  
• Attempt DPI scaling for people running 4k resolution on 13 inch screens....
  
• Attempt to implement DirectX9ex for Windows 7 users and newer.
  

A 32-bit build of BGv2 is possible in the future if the OpenGL3 renderer fixes performance issues in Windows. In the meantime we will maintain both versions of the engine.

• OSX: Terminal pops up when you run the game.
  
• OSX: Hardware mouse mode does not work. (May not be fixed.)
  
• OSX: Backspace does not work. (Use Delete key)
  
• All OSs: Webpage buffer is not cleared with blank pixels before loading a new page.
  
• All OSs: Showroom lighting still poor.
  
• Windows: Shaders do not work in DirectX.
  
• Windows: OpenGL performance is slow.
  
• Windows: Enabling Shadows Crashes the game in DirectX
  
  

The seventh and final supplemental patch for version 1.24 has been released. This update focused on cleaning up some minor issues with the GUI. It also fixed several reported bugs over the last month, and a couple minor gameplay tweaks and features.

I will now transition to updating the game engine. There has been some confusion in the community over this. We are not changing engines. I am merely updating some of the third party programs that make up the engine. Similar to you updating your web-browser, updating Steam, or updating the game. Many parts of GearCity's engine (Beardgine) are over 10 years old. I will be updating components of the engine, and replacing parts to allow for better long term support of the game on OSX and Linux. If all goes as planned, we'll be getting an OpenGL 3 renderer, an updated web browser, 64-bit support. Etc. The bare minimum goal is to get the OSX build up to Apple current standards. Otherwise, the OSX build will be dropped when Apple drops Carbon and 32 bit support.

My goal is not to change the minimum requirements. We should still be able to support XP and up. 32 bit OSX and up, and Linux 32bit systems.

Speaking of which. January 1st Steam will stop supporting XP, Vista, and OSX 10.10 and older. I would like to remind users of these operating systems that GearCity is DRM-free. While you may lose the ability to update the game from these operating system, you will still have the ability to play the game after Steam drops your support. I highly recommend users of these operating systems to switch to Linux if you are unable to upgrade. But either way, you'll still be able to play GearCity.

So here is the change log:
-GUI: Fixed text overlapping issues in several locations.
-GUI: Fixed resize issues in several locations.
-Artwork: Added more user made predesigns! Thanks everyone who submitted!
-GUI: If music player is open and the song changes, the new song will be selected in the list.
-Gameplay: Buying AI companies with outsourced components will now discontinue any designs with bending outsourced contracts. This will prevent orphaned designs.
-Engine: Added placeholders for SaveGames and SavedCars folders so Steam will make sure you have them if you verify files.
-GUI: Components now have a total production report located in the Showroom. In the future I may break this down into vehicles.
-GUI: Up and Down Arrow Keys will now select the next item in lists if the list was the last item clicked.
-GUI: List should no longer return to the top after doing an action on a selected item.
-Bugfix: Fixed issue that was allowing players to license in development components.
-Gameplay: Increased the frequency of a dividend stripping lawsuit.
-Gameplay: Reduced the maximum amount of dividends to prevent financing the dividend.
-GUI: Adjust dividend based on EPS is checked by default now.
-GUI: Bottom bar now refreshes after purchasing a company.
-GUI: Fixed a place or two where vehicle names were missing the year.
-Engine: Updated OpenAL in Linux. Sound should now be working on Pulse Audio distros.
-Bugfix: Fixed issue which was causing militaries to use city names.
-Bugfix: Fixed taxes being off set by a month in the Expense Reports.
-GUI: Fixed Gearbox Overall rating being miss labeled as Performance.
-Bugfix: Fixed possible crash when resizing some windows too small.
-Bugfix: Project Profits values always positive.
-Gameplay: Adjusted AI's build branch behavior for when the company is not making money, has a less than 7% of the world map in branches, and has a boat load of cash.
-Bugfix: Fixed issue with the component modification system that caused the new price not to be displayed.
-Bugfix: Fixed issue with several predesigned vehicles with negative aerodynamic drag calculations. Thus causing bad data in the prototyping system.
-Bugfix: Fixed issue with factory upgrades that caused the player not to be charged for a month.
-Bugfix: Fixed factory workers striking during the middle of major wars when they're no longer producing anything.

Version 1.24 SP6 has been released. This is the 6th supplemental patch for v1.24. Supplemental patches do not require save game changes, thus both Default and Testing build users get to enjoy them.

This SP has a good amount of bug fixes and optimizations to the reports system. For SP7 I will focus primarily on little GUI issues, fixing one or two achievements that are not triggering, and a couple other little issues here and there. We're nearing the end of the SP's. I switch to engine updates for modern Operating Systems after SP7 is completed. Once that is finished, I'll jump back to gameplay, knock out any remaining "features", and then finish up the polish and bug fixing that popup.



So what's in SP6?

-Bugfix: Fixed development pace slider disappearing when designing a new generation vehicle.
-Gameplay: Adjustments to new trim and new generation development time when not changing components.
-GUI: Disabled zoom hot keys when text box has keyboard focus.
-Gameplay: New Marques now inherit 75% of parent company's image and skill ratings.
-Gameplay: Expanded marque's image and skill growth to include component designs.
-Bugfix: Fixed "Low Morale" display when contracts are assigned to a factory.
-Gameplay: AI now purges high end vehicles from sale in small cities if they don't sell any units over a period of time. This should speed up turn times slightly.
-Gameplay: Chassis weights have been increased slightly.
-Gameplay: Increased frame's and drivetrain's effect on chassis weights. Minor reduction for other sub components.
-Bugfix: Fixed issue with Buyer Ratings Table that showed all vehicles of a type instead of just the vehicles for sale in the selected city or district.
-Gameplay: Designer paint color will no longer reset after you paint something.
-GUI: Click the GUI will no longer cause an error sound when paint or accessory tools are enabled.
-Gameplay: Marketing Budgets have been added to Stock Reports.
-Gameplay: Reports header has been reorganized. Hopefully it is easier for players to find things instead of just throwing the miscellaneous reports into Reports 1 and Reports 2...
-Gameplay: Branch Reports now has wear information.
-Gameplay: Added Monthly Report to the reports header.
-Gameplay: Additional revenues information added to Quarterly and Annual Reports.
-GUI: RnD rating numbers are now displayed all the time instead of requiring the player to hover over the stars. This has required us to spread out the bottom panel more.
-GUI: Added Project Profits to RnD->View Vehicle.
-GUI: Assisted designer initial sliders positions have been corrected.
-Gameplay: AI production frequency has been replaced with AI Vehicle Design Frequency. This adjusts how many vehicle designs the AI will create.
-GUI: Last year race winnings for series is now displayed in the race series detail's panel on the Racing Budget window.
-Gameplay: Fixed issues with the AI that caused them not to discontinue designs that are listed in Licensing and Outsourcing systems.
-Gameplay: AI high performance cars should be more high performance now.
-Bugfix: Fixed crash when tabbing to name a vehicle trim's after already designing a trim.
-Gameplay: Adjustments to minimum vehicle fuel economy based on the engine design.
-Gameplay: 12 Additional Achievements
-Bugfix: Fixed some lawsuits turning negative due to high vehicle sales revenues.
-Gameplay: Merged CarReports and CityReports into 40 or so files, thus reducing the amount of reports the game generates in large save games.
-Gameplay: Removed historical Car Reports and City Reports. You only have the latest month now.
-Gameplay: Optimized car reports generation, thus reducing turn times significantly on large save games.
-Engine: Moved some historical vehicle data to the vehicle data table, thus allowing the engine to purge historical records and reduce save game size significantly for large save games.
-Bugfix: Fixed issue causing matured bonds not to clear out of company's meta information.
-Bugfix: Fixed mega menu crash when clicking arrows with no factories/branches.

A quick overnight hotfix to repair an issue with the Factory Update system. This should fix the extreme costs issues that were discovered with the SP5 update. Some more additional work to fix the balancing between update and redesign will be addressed in SP6 as well as the initial slider positions in the redesign panel. These are all caused by the same issue that fixed the update system.

Version 1.24 SP5 has been released. This is our 5th supplemental patch to the v1.24 build. It's mostly minor stuff as I continue to work on non-save game changing tickets, and a few minor save game changing tickets that can be mitigated with our save game converter system.

There are still about 2-3 more supplemental patches to go. After that I will be upgrading various components of the engine for better long term support and stability. (Specifically for OS X, but everyone will benefit.) Following the completion of that, there will be roughly 2 more builds with possible save game changes and continued GUI clean up (it's an indefinite process). In that time period the remaining text content of the game will be finished and edited. And the last couple missing art pieces will also be done. And we could be starting paid translations.

Sometime in this time period I will improve our marketing materials, finish the mod tool tutorial videos (they're almost done just have to combine the audio with the video), finish editing what we have in the wiki, add to the missing parts of the wiki, and finally make some additional game tutorials (possibly some in game video tutorials). In that order.

Anyway, what's in SP5? Here's the change log:

-Gameplay: City specific buy ratings now interpolate between the city.xml files.
-Maps: Increased small city and low percapita city specific buy rate in early game years on all city-based maps. Also made some adjustments to European city specific buy rates in early game years to increase sales.
-Maps: Added missing infrastructure and fuel data to all maps.
-Gameplay: Dividends now split when the stock splits.
-Bugfix: Fixed development pace slider exploit when designing a new trim.
-Bugfix: Fixed month delay in the End, Scrap, and Replace old model system.
-Gameplay: Total Unit Costs and Manufacturing Costs located on the branch distribution side panels now uses previous turn data instead of estimating future data. This should make it more static, but will not reflect changes in costs until the next turn.
-Gameplay: I finally caved and made factory production lines slider only effect the number of factory lines and the tech slider effect everything else when designing a factory.
-Gameplay: Price and size adjustments when building a factory.
-Bugfix: Fixed issue with build factory production line slider adjusting the price and number of vehicles that can be built, even though the production lines do not increase.
-Bugfix: Fixed issue with low level conflict not effecting demand enough.
-GUI: Price Change Auto Commands now work on a district level if you have a district selected.
-GUI: Adjusting shipping distance on the world map will now show you the maximum transportation costs per vehicle.
-GUI: Added Units Shipped to Contract Revenues report.
-GUI: Color coded war status on New Game Map.
-GUI: Added a breakdown of a vehicle's buyer rating to the Wealth Distribution Chart. Click the Line Graph button next to where you enter the price of a vehicle to see it.
-GUI: Enabled previous/next arrow buttons for Mega Menu Districts.
-Artwork: Added more player designed pre-made vehicles! If you have any to submit, feel free to do so! https://steamcommunity.com/games/285110/announcements/detail/2901896660869879108
-Bugfix: Fixed issue with AI engine designs that could cause bad data in save games.
-Bugfix: Small bug fix for vehicle fuel economy specs which could cause the design to run at optimal economy all the time.