Hydro News

[p]Thanks for all the support from everyone who input into this project over the past several months, especially since Demo release back in February.[/p][p]Hitting the 'Release now...' button on Steam for V1.00 was an experience. 😃 [/p][p]Hydro has always been (and continues to be) a 'passion project' for me; I have no stakeholders or publishers in this project and I am a solo dev with a 'normal' full-time day job. Thus, I can only work on Hydro in my 'spare time'.[/p][p]Nonetheless, I think about it and work on it daily even after all these months...and I am passionate to continue to make Hydro the best it can be. 🙏[/p][p]Even though the game is now out, I still have a list as long as my arm (almost literally!) of features and updates I'm yet to make to the game, so watch this space for more details over the coming weeks and months, because the Hydro journey is ongoing![/p][p]I hope you enjoy the game and if you have any feedback and thoughts on how it may be improved in future updates, please leave a comment in the Steam Discussions boards. I value all constructive feedback! [/p][p]Until next time, happy generating![/p][p][/p]

[p]Hi everyone![/p][p]On the eve of Hydro's FULL RELEASE scheduled for August 1st, I thought I would push a MASSIVE update to the Demo version, that includes a HEAP of Quality of Life (QoL) improvements and NEW FEATURES ported across from the upcoming full version release! 😃[/p][p]See below the big-ticket list of features that are now also gracing the demo![/p]

• [p]Addition of the Guided Tutorial - now you can get a detailed walk-through of power station operation when you start a New Game (you can also trigger this tutorial anytime during game play afterwards by selecting the option from the Difficulty Settings page in Pause menu) - receive a free Generator Grid Fuse upon completion! 😅[/p]

• [p]Improved Local Power Fuse box - no more clicking around to pull or place the fuses! Plus, you can now load-up your pockets with more than one fuse at a time...[/p]
• [p]Enhanced supply ordering system! No more ordering one item of each per shift! Now, using the brand new Supply Order Form, you can monitor market prices and wait for a 'cheap day' before you place a bulk order. But be careful, items can also be 'SOLD OUT' occasionally...meaning you'll have to go without for a little while, if you don't have reserves...so plan carefully![/p]

• [p]Difficulty Settings - also included in the upcoming full version, this will help you customize your Hydro experience! Play it your way! Many settings available for adjustment in the Demo, reduce supply costs, turn off the calm river, disable ships, auditors, adjust grid volatility, and more! (note: except for advanced power pole mechanics - this is reserved for full version release)[/p]

• [p]Brand new line shaft mechanic - for the first time in the Demo, you can now manage and maintain the line shaft in your power station using the new Hand Oiler! Don't let it get too noisy...it can trigger noise complaints too...[/p]
• [p]Power Pole Insulators mechanic - this is a brand new mechanic coming to the full version as well. You are now responsible for keeping your power pole insulators clean so that you can generate reliable grid power! Neglect them and you'll notice that your grid sync will 'drop' more and more frequently. Climb up the power poles and keep those insulators clean. Note: in the Demo build, only visual effects (such as sparks/flashing) of the insulators are modelled - you're still welcome to keep them clean, but no actual grid sync issues take place. The full version of Hydro however will be a different story...[/p]
• [p]Electrocution! It's not a vintage power station simulator without this feature, right? Watch out for those aforementioned sparks and 'DANGER' signs...they aren't kidding around... 😅[/p]

• [p]Player Journal - you can now access the brand new Player Journal in the same way as you will be able to in the full version ('J' key) - it'll give you all the vital stats and the 'current thoughts' will help you plan your next move![/p]

• [p]Enhanced HUD interface - for a cleaner look. Or if you prefer, go with the 'classic' HUD with all the info on-screen 100% of the time[/p]

• [p]Radio with additional music tracks - please just note these are not streamer-friendly, so make sure you only listen in your 'private time'...[/p]

• [p]Time acceleration feature! (Page Up/Down keys) This is handy for those shifts when you want to pass the time a little more quickly...but be careful how you use it![/p]

• [p]So, so many QoL improvements - including code and performance optimizations (too many to list here!) included from the full version that have been made since February![/p]

[p]Note that the Demo is only a 'vertical slice' of content and game-play, in that only a very limited amount of Township Demands, Noise Complaints, Upgrades and Auditors are included (not the mention the Generator Fire Suppression still won't work!). 🔥[/p][p]For the full Hydro experience, wishlist and look out for the game to officially release on August 1st![/p][p]Until next time, happy generating! 🌊🛞😎[/p]

[p]Hello all, [/p][p]I thought I'd quickly shoot a few more QoL (quality of life) improvements across from the full version development, into this Demo. [/p][p]This will take it to v0.28e. You can check the version at the bottom of the main menu in-game.[/p][p]This mini-update brings with it the following changes/fixes:[/p]

• [p]Halved accumulator drain when interior lights of power station are on. Also reduced the drain when exterior lights are on. Both these changes should mean you can run the lights more often and actually even charge the accumulator when your interior lights are on[/p]
• [p]Scaled-up the upgrade kit boxes size. They were comically small previously[/p]
• [p]Reduced the reflection/glare on the dirty glass material. Previously, shining the flashlight on on instrument lens would completely glare-out the gauge. You would also see sponge reflections in the dirty windows outside. This has been toned-down[/p]
• [p]Prevented displaying the Pause menu when resting. Previously, if the player tried to hit 'Esc' and attempt to pause during the rest phase, the pause widget would show, but was hidden and this effectively soft-locked the game requiring a force exit (Alt-F4) of the game in most cases[/p]
• [p]Increased size of the cleaning bucket and moved it to the power station. You can find it just inside the entry doorway[/p]
• [p]Increased the speed of the Marker Light panel color changeover time by 25% (should be able to change between colors 25% faster). It was a bit too slow before...remember that you're still best to 'spam' the lever with repeated 'Q' key presses until you see the quickest movement on the color wheel.[/p]
• [p]Addressed the momentary 'blue sky flash' issue when loading the game (or starting a new game) from main menu[/p]

[p]Note that these updates are a tiny taste of all the good stuff going into the full version, and I continue to be head-down working to finalise the full version in time for its 1st August release![/p][p]Speaking of the full version, have you checked-out my latest Dev Log #5 for the full version? Check it out below![/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]Until next time, happy generating![/p]

[p]Hello everyone,[/p][p]Just a quick announcement to say that Dev Log #5 for Hydro is out on my YouTube channel.[/p][p]This showcases the very latest updates and features implemented for Hydro that will be making it into release on August 1st![/p][p]In a nutshell, the following brand new features have been implemented of late:[/p]

• [p]A Guided Tutorial - helps ease new players in the workings of Hydro - some 'veterans' may even learn a thing or two as well...[/p]

• [p]Comprehensive, adjustable difficulty settings - play it your way! Enable/disable noise complaints, ship passages, auditors, 'tame' the river flow, increase day length, ease the supply chain market costs and much more[/p]
• [p]Player Journal - all your critical stats and some 'thoughts' to help you plan your next move...[/p]
• [p]Supply Ordering revamp - now you can see the current market price for items before you place an order, and order in bulk and get discounts![/p]
• [p]Revamped Local Power Fuse Box - no more annoying wasted mouse clicks! Nab those fuses (or put them back) perfectly every time[/p]
• [p]Oil Stains and Housekeeping - a new housekeeping mechanic means some (but not all!) auditors will check on your housekeeping around the site. Don't let that oil stain get too big...[/p]
• [p]Sabotage! A brand new game play feature. V1.00 will contain at least 1 sabotage event that will mean that noise complaints are no longer just a one-and-done event...some towns-folk may actually followup their talk with some walk![/p]

[p]This will likely be the final dev log showcasing the latest updates, but rest assured that I am continuing to make the final balance, tweaks and polish to the game so that it's the best that it can be come August 1st![/p][p]Note that I plan to continue making feature and bug fix updates post release as well to maintain Hydro at its best.[/p][p]Enjoy! :-) [/p][p]P.S. just a disclaimer that whilst many (if not all) of the features seen in this dev log are planned for full release, the game is still in final stages of development, so it's still subject to change by release date.[/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]In addition to this dev log update, see below some 'teaser' screenshots from the latest build:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Until next time, happy generating![/p][p][/p]

[p]Greetings all![/p][p]It's been a while since I've touched the Demo build of Hydro (and made an appearance here), but today I thought I would come up for air from working on the full version and instead quickly shoot across two small quality-of-life (QoL) updates which have long been included in the full version currently in development, but I feel that should also be in the Demo. [/p][p]This update now takes the Demo to version v0.28d (you can verify your version on the Main Menu of the game).[/p][p]These QoL improvements are: [/p]

• [p]Greatly increased 'authority' of the Generator RPM Governor lever - you can now reduce the RPM of the Generator down even further and this should help when the river flow is going a little bit crazy. You'll have much greater control over the RPM and this should help avoid the dreaded over-speed bells from continually tolling (and tripping-out the Generator) like it used to before.[/p]

• [p]Improved the running sound of the Generator - turn up your volume for this one: your Generator will now whirr and moan and whine more realistically because the sound is connected to the RPM - this also means you can hear as it starts to slow down or speed up and make RPM adjustments based off sound :-) [/p]

[p]That's it for now. Please remember I am neck-deep in late-stage development of the full version of Hydro right now, so my primary focus and energies will continue to be that until 1st August release date. [/p][p]There's a lot that continues to be added to the full version of the game, and I will set aside time over the coming weeks to either release another Dev Log on my YouTube channel or post an update here. [/p][p]In the meantime. if you haven't already checked out the most-recent Dev Log #4 which describes some upcoming features of the full version, you can do that by clicking below: [dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]As always, I welcome your constructive criticisms on the Steam discussion boards.[/p][p]Until next time, happy generating![/p]