Octohill Ski Tycoon News

[p]Today is the day when all the new features and fixes are finally being rolled out to everybody. Because of this, the game is also discounted for 10 days, so if you were waiting for a moment: it has come! You can find the full changelog in the end of the post, but here is the key new content worth to cover in more details:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Snow parks[/h2][p][/p][p]You can now try the collection of jumps, rails and boxes which you can build directly into existing trails. Skiers and snowboarders will perform various stunts when passing them. For brave and restless ones this is a new source of satisfaction, so they will actively seek such features in your resort. For others, it might be a source of scare and injuries, and they will try to avoid them. You can try concentrating parks in one area of the resort, or build mixed trails here and there - both approaches will work as long as there's a way for every visitor to enjoy.[/p][p][/p][p]So far the game has five unique features, more might be added in the future - let me know if there's some particular one you'd like to see![/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Freeride[/h2][p][/p][p]With a new ungroomed area tool you can now mark areas as reserved for freeride skiing. Same as groomed areas, they need to form a path for visitors to go there, but the rules are much more relaxed: they can have little jumps or go sideways, making connections in places common trails can't. Skiing over them uses physics simulation, producing realistic paths. Visitors will fall if they can't handle the speed, if the turn is too sharp or the jump is too hard, and they will also get lost when slip out of the marked area, so you might want to check how they go and adjust the trail when needed to reduce accidents.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Only some of the experienced skiers will actually go there, but it will make them really happy (considering they can pass it). [/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Ski schools[/h2][p][/p][p]If you are tired of planning so many green trails because you have so many newbies visiting your resort, there's a way to improve the situation now. Visitors with low skills can train in the new ski school building now, getting good enough for the blue trails and also making you money in the process. Schools offer two ways of learning: practicing inside, or going out in groups led by an instructor. If there's a nice short green trail nearby, instructors will form groups of up to five skiers and practice wiggles together. Click on a school to see the instructors locations and trails they will use.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Not all the visitors like learning, but the ones who do will likely want to do that again after resting in a hotel.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]UI improvements[/h2][p][/p][p]Some overlays now show additional information, which should help you to notice a problem before it gets serious. There's also a new satisfaction per level chart (which might work for supply/demand analysis when you aren't sure which trail to build next), average income counter for service building to see which ones pay off, and two-way arrows for entrances and exits.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Performance optimizations[/h2][p][/p][p]Initially, I didn't expect people to build really huge resorts with many thousands of visitors and trails covering entire valleys, so I was really amazed with the saves players sent to me mentioning degraded performance and freezes. Anyway, several key aspects of the simulation were optimized, so you can expect significant improvements for large resorts.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Full changelog:[/h2][p][/p]

• [p]new mechanic: physics-based skiing (used for freeride)[/p]
• [p]new building & tool: ungroomed areas[/p]
• [p]new mechanic & tools: building terrain features directly into the groomed slopes[/p]
• [p]new terrain features: mini half-pipe, jump, two rails and rainbow box[/p]
• [p]new building: ski school[/p]
• [p]new building: large groomer depot[/p]
• [p]new building: large helicopter only warehouse[/p]
• [p]new map option: configurable rock color (dark cliffs on the sides of the tiles)[/p]
• [p]ui: buildings show average income they brought recently[/p]
• [p]ui: camera reset button, small improvements to tools buttons[/p]
• [p]ui: satisfaction overlay shows average visitors satisfaction/demand per preferred trail level[/p]
• [p]ui: safety and snow overlays shows counters for respective available jobs & hired vehicles [/p]
• [p]ui: safety overlay shows injured visitors locations[/p]
• [p]ui: nav overlay now uses double arrows for buildings entrances/exits[/p]
• [p]ui: stopped or in construction buildings now have icons in nav overlay[/p]
• [p]performance: deeper pathfinder caching (especially noticeable with large marked flat areas)[/p]
• [p]performance: faster area building (e.g. large terrain changes, trail estimator application)[/p]
• [p]performance: multithreaded trail generation (less delay on terrain changes/placing buildings/etc.)[/p]
• [p]fix: trucks cancel jobs if cut off during deconstruction, allowing faster replacement[/p]
• [p]fix: helicopters now can return to disconnected bases[/p]
• [p]fix: achievement no longer incorrectly unlocked when helicopter pass over bus stop at a wrong moment[/p]
• [p]minor fixes and improvements[/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][p]Most of the ideas for the changes in this update were born or influenced by the players feedback, so huge thanks, without all of you that would not be possible. And special thanks to everybody who tried the beta version![/p]

[p]Hello folks, the major update is finally close to its completion. It will be officially released on 25th of November, and you can already try it out in beta branch![/p][p][/p][h2]Update summary[/h2][p]As highlighted before, the update is focused on additional services and options to ride for your guests, including ski schools, terrain parks and freeride areas. It also adds some QoL features (mostly overlays improvements) and new top tier versions of some buildings, as well as significant performance improvements. All the content is ready now, but might require some final polish and more playtesting, which is why I'm opening the beta branch.[/p][p][/p][h2]Beta branch[/h2][p]To switch to a custom branch, right-click on the game from the library page and select "Properties". Among the available tabs will be the "Betas" tab. Open it and select "beta - public betas, unstable builds etc" in the dropdown on the right.[/p][p]Please note that beta versions might be unstable, possibly containing some rare bugs or issues. If you notice anything, please report it through the usual channels (in Steam discussions, our Discord server or directly from the game using the "Send feedback" button).[/p][p][/p][p]Your old save files from the main branch can be loaded in beta, but not the other way around. Do not overwrite saves you wish to keep![/p][p][/p]

[p]The work on the first Octohill major update is progressing steady, and it seems like a good moment to share some details one what it will include. Freestyle Update will focus on different wintersport activities, and will also improve some of the existing mechanics, most of that based on your ideas and requests. To be more specific, here is what you can expect:
[/p][h2]Snowparks[/h2][p][/p][p][/p][p]Several different terrain features built directly into the slopes will allow your visitors perform various stunts, gain satisfaction and show off. While some will enjoy and actively seek these features, others will really dislike being forced to do a high jump when they just looked for some chill and good views so leave some space for them as well.[/p][p]
[/p][h2]Ski schools[/h2][p][/p][p][/p][p]
These new buildings not only generate extra money, but also improve skills of some beginners up to the blue ratings making your trails demand composition a bit more balanced. They will also clog your slopes with groups of trainees following their instructors which will make some speed-loving skiers less happy.[/p][p]
[/p][h2]Freeride[/h2][p][/p][p][/p][p]
For some of us, neatly groomed snow is a restriction of our freedom. You will be able to designate areas for off-piste skiing, with little to no terraform needed, where some experts will go exploring wild. Their movement will be less restricted than on trails, meaning poorly chosen areas may lead to people falling off cliffs or spending hours walking along.[/p][p]
[/p][h2]Quality of life improvements[/h2][p][/p][p]
There will also be several updates to the overlays and UI, mostly to provide more insights into how your resort is doing and where are the problems. Some of this is still being finalised, so no more details yet.
[/p][p]All of the features above are still in development and subject to change, and screenshots are here only to give you a general feeling of what it might look like.[/p][p][/p][h3]That's it for now, and stay tuned for more updates![/h3]

This update brings ability to see potential levels when creating a custom map, and also includes several other features and bugfixes.

[h2]Full changelog:[/h2]

• estimated levels can be shown on the custom maps preview
  
• achievements unlocked popup stays for a few seconds
  
• feedback text now has autowrap (y'all knew you can just hit 'enter' anyway, didn't you?)
  
• unreachable deconstruction tiles are now included in alerts
  
• fixed rare freeze on invalid helicopter spawn
  
• fixed pathfinding issues that causes some visitors to never deboard a lift
  
• some performance improvements
  

[h2]Future plans[/h2]
The first major update is now confirmed. I've just started working on it and It'll be cooked slowly, but there will be lots of fun content for you and your guests when it's ready!

The update brings in several fixes and UI/QoL improvements, based on the players' feedback. The most notable among them is the completely redesigned Estimator Tool and new wiki (but there are others, too).

[h2]Estimator tool[/h2]

Estimator is not a tool that only covers the most basic cases anymore. It has become an ultimate trail-making (or planning) solution, whether you need to create a long new trail that curves around the mountain or a short bridge between existing trails. It is capable of planting multiple points for more flexibility. Here's a short gif demo of the new tool:



[h2]Wiki[/h2]

Octohill now has brand-new public wiki. It has some useful information and guides, feel free to browse (and add more stuff to it)! You can access it through the "Wiki" in-game button from main menu and help pages, or through this link: octohill.wiki.gg.

[h2]Hotkeys[/h2]

Among other things, the update also adds new hotkeys (camera rotations and overlays). For new players they will have default mappings, but if you've already launched the game you need to map them yourself (in Options->Controls). The recommended mappings are [Q][E][T][G] for camera rotations and [5]-[=] for overlays, but you can assign them to anything you want, of course.


[h2]Full changelog[/h2]

• estimator tool: multiple points
  
• estimator tool: automatic turns and diagonal slopes, automatic join with existing trails and buildings
  
• estimator tool: realtime trail preview
  
• ticket offices now can be limited to fixed inflow or max visitors cap
  
• reduced hunger rate when not skiing
  
• reduced min peak height in dynamically generated maps to 10, min size to 48
  
• visitors now ignore disabled buildings in their pathfinding
  
• road trucks can now deconstruct too
  
• snowcats abandon their missions if no longer relevant, warehouses destroy unusable construction materials automatically
  
• ui: more informative current status and highlights for visitors and vehicles
  
• ui: tools popup stick longer when hovered, can be cancelled by RMB
  
• ui: manually opened overlays do not close when cancelling relevant tools
  
• ui: more hotkeys (camera rotations, overlays)
  
• ui: bulldozer-shaped mouse pointer
  
• fix: snowcats floating in the air
  
• fix: some gameplay settings not being updated or reset in playtime
  
• fix: phantom skiers reserving places on lifts forever
  
• fix: indecisive skiers jittering between two entrances of a building
  
• fix: skiers sometimes choose rental shop far away from their parkings when leaving
  
• fix: occasional crash when you destroy a building with very bad timing
  

[h2]Future plans[/h2]

Hopefully, now I'll (mostly) focus on preparing new content. There's a long list piled up, probably it will be shaped into two or three major updates over the longer time span. So no details on what the next update will include yet. Stay tuned for more information!