Work on the game - May
Welcome!
In less than a week, you'll be able to play the game demo. For us, that means less and less time to show you the most important things we’ve managed to accomplish. We've prepared a lot for the demo—but more on that at the very end.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3266090/IT_Specialist_Simulator/
We’d also like to inform you that we’ve finally chosen the new game logo. We hope you’ll like it too.
A few things have changed. Most notably, the design of the buttons—also RJ45 ports have a new look. We think it looks much better now! In addition, as you can see, the number of patch panels has increased. Every connection—regardless of whether the addressing is correct or not—is now shown on the switch, indicating whether a device is connected. From now on, if you make a mistake configuring ports on the router, a physical factory reset will restore the base configuration.
We’ve been working on finalizing RCP. We’ve added numerous settings, including network addressing configuration. We also fixed a few bugs related to RCP and more. The demo doesn’t feature any RCP tasks—we didn’t add enough functionality yet to make it worthwhile. We’ve added brightness adjustment and an eye protection option that gives the screen a yellow tint.
We’ve added some improvements to the tablet, including changes to the app layout and main view. The tablet now responds to the distance from Access Points—if you’re too far, apps will take longer to load and will have delayed responses.
We improved the file download system and added a new file type—.pdf. Most downloadable files will be available in the in-game Wiki.
We’ve added an app for opening PDF documents. Its main purpose is to preview repair or installation procedures based on standards. You’ll find a few procedures in the demo. Most of them will be available in the Wiki, which is accessible only via VPN.
We improved the way messages are displayed in Mail. From now on, each task must be read in the Mail app first. We also added a new feature: attachments. There are two types of attachments—links and PDF files.
We added file access permissions—if a user doesn’t have access, they simply won’t be able to open the file. In Early Access, this will be expanded—changing user permissions will require administrator login or terminal use.
We’ve added several new errors related to permissions and applications. For example, if an app is missing files, it won’t launch and a message will appear. We also added a message for no network connection on the login screen.
We’re actively working on implementing the administrator account, which will allow us to restrict functions for regular users—for example, disabling access to the Control Panel. Unfortunately, the administrator account won’t be ready for the demo.
We’ve added a new email app—this one is for employees only and will be available for download in the app store.
We’ve finished implementing PC scanning and virus detection. You can also activate the Pro version by entering a license key purchased from the developer’s website. All activation codes can be viewed in the tablet app.
We improved app downloads and added a few new apps—some of which will be available in the demo. We also fixed important bugs related to browsing and downloading. You can now also create app shortcuts on the desktop.
From now on, if an app is missing from the system, its related files will show a generic icon. You can then either open the file in Notepad or search for the app in the store.
We’ve added several new tasks to expand the demo gameplay. Most of them are related to networking. Older tasks were also revised. Every task is adjusted to the difficulty level selected by the player at the beginning. On easy and hard modes, task hints are available.
The map has also been slightly updated. We’ve added the ability to check tasks from each device and introduced “ghost mode,” allowing free map navigation.
We fixed some bugs. From now on, after installation, the system will automatically log in and display familiar messages during the first boot.
We’ve unlocked a few buttons visible in settings, Control Panel, etc. We want to show that these features aren’t finished yet, but highlight what’s coming in Early Access.
Throughout the development process, we’ve faced lighting challenges. Ultimately, we decided to use baked lighting across maps, which significantly improved both quality and performance. Thanks to our publisher FreeMind and the team behind Aquarist, we achieved highly satisfying visual results.
We also implemented realistic reflections in every window, further increasing immersion. Most importantly, we optimized the game to the point where frame rates increased from 50 to 230 FPS on ultra settings. We can confidently say: there should be no performance issues in the demo.
In less than a week, you'll be able to play the game demo. For us, that means less and less time to show you the most important things we’ve managed to accomplish. We've prepared a lot for the demo—but more on that at the very end.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3266090/IT_Specialist_Simulator/
New logo
We’d also like to inform you that we’ve finally chosen the new game logo. We hope you’ll like it too.
RACK Cabinets
A few things have changed. Most notably, the design of the buttons—also RJ45 ports have a new look. We think it looks much better now! In addition, as you can see, the number of patch panels has increased. Every connection—regardless of whether the addressing is correct or not—is now shown on the switch, indicating whether a device is connected. From now on, if you make a mistake configuring ports on the router, a physical factory reset will restore the base configuration.
RCP
We’ve been working on finalizing RCP. We’ve added numerous settings, including network addressing configuration. We also fixed a few bugs related to RCP and more. The demo doesn’t feature any RCP tasks—we didn’t add enough functionality yet to make it worthwhile. We’ve added brightness adjustment and an eye protection option that gives the screen a yellow tint.
Tablet
We’ve added some improvements to the tablet, including changes to the app layout and main view. The tablet now responds to the distance from Access Points—if you’re too far, apps will take longer to load and will have delayed responses.
File downloads
We improved the file download system and added a new file type—.pdf. Most downloadable files will be available in the in-game Wiki.
PDF Reader
We’ve added an app for opening PDF documents. Its main purpose is to preview repair or installation procedures based on standards. You’ll find a few procedures in the demo. Most of them will be available in the Wiki, which is accessible only via VPN.
Mail
We improved the way messages are displayed in Mail. From now on, each task must be read in the Mail app first. We also added a new feature: attachments. There are two types of attachments—links and PDF files.
Permissions
We added file access permissions—if a user doesn’t have access, they simply won’t be able to open the file. In Early Access, this will be expanded—changing user permissions will require administrator login or terminal use.
New errors
We’ve added several new errors related to permissions and applications. For example, if an app is missing files, it won’t launch and a message will appear. We also added a message for no network connection on the login screen.
Administrator account
We’re actively working on implementing the administrator account, which will allow us to restrict functions for regular users—for example, disabling access to the Control Panel. Unfortunately, the administrator account won’t be ready for the demo.
P-Mail
We’ve added a new email app—this one is for employees only and will be available for download in the app store.
VirusPlus
We’ve finished implementing PC scanning and virus detection. You can also activate the Pro version by entering a license key purchased from the developer’s website. All activation codes can be viewed in the tablet app.
AppStore
We improved app downloads and added a few new apps—some of which will be available in the demo. We also fixed important bugs related to browsing and downloading. You can now also create app shortcuts on the desktop.
Missing app?
From now on, if an app is missing from the system, its related files will show a generic icon. You can then either open the file in Notepad or search for the app in the store.
New tasks and fixes
We’ve added several new tasks to expand the demo gameplay. Most of them are related to networking. Older tasks were also revised. Every task is adjusted to the difficulty level selected by the player at the beginning. On easy and hard modes, task hints are available.
Map
The map has also been slightly updated. We’ve added the ability to check tasks from each device and introduced “ghost mode,” allowing free map navigation.
System installation
We fixed some bugs. From now on, after installation, the system will automatically log in and display familiar messages during the first boot.
Greyed-out buttons
We’ve unlocked a few buttons visible in settings, Control Panel, etc. We want to show that these features aren’t finished yet, but highlight what’s coming in Early Access.
Game optimization
Throughout the development process, we’ve faced lighting challenges. Ultimately, we decided to use baked lighting across maps, which significantly improved both quality and performance. Thanks to our publisher FreeMind and the team behind Aquarist, we achieved highly satisfying visual results.
We also implemented realistic reflections in every window, further increasing immersion. Most importantly, we optimized the game to the point where frame rates increased from 50 to 230 FPS on ultra settings. We can confidently say: there should be no performance issues in the demo.