Hydro News

Welcome to the 'final' (more or less!) update to the Demo Build for Hydro...

I really debated on whether I should release this one, however in hindsight I think you will enjoy it. There's no real game play changes with this update. The focus instead has been on 'atmosphere'...the sky atmosphere to be exact :-)

With this update, you may now notice that the sky will transition to periods of 'haze' and have a gloomy almost overcast feel to it at times. The bright blue sky is still retained from before and this will continue to make an appearance in between all the gloom. I won't go into specifics, but there is randomness on (1) the duration and (2) the time it takes before the 'weather' transitions, so you won't always have the same experience day in and day out.

Note that these changes *may* set the foundation for potentially a full dynamic (or close to) weather system that I am experimenting with at present; this is currently planned to include rain and wind effects. If I go one step further (still, without promising anything!) I could envision the weather actually affecting game play in a variety of ways. E.g. day shifts (or even night shifts) where you could encounter stormy weather conditions and the Township Demands you receive may reflect these weather conditions, too (e.g. imagine: "Township coal power plant flooded-out, we need 100 units of power!").

If I manage to get proficient enough with weather effects, I'd love to have a scene where ships passing in the night could burst through thick fog and require a hefty accumulator charge and bright marker light(s) in order for the ship passage to succeed!

In any case weather systems and fidelity on that lofty level will be reserved for the Full Release of Hydro (if anything), but nonetheless I thought I'd give a little 'taste' of what has been in development around this lately within the Demo build, by including some elementary sky effects in this update.

Below are some screenshots of the atmospheric 'gloom' / haze effects that are gracing the Demo with this v0.28c update:







As always, my YouTube channel (linked below) is THE place to visit for more news, information and game play regarding Hydro. Look-out for Dev Logs and the like around the continued development of Hydro in future!

For now, I look forward to getting properly head-down and developing the full release version of Hydro.

As the weeks (and perhaps months) continue on, I hope to have an announcement for the official release date as well.

Once again, thank you so much for your ongoing support!

Until next time...happy power-generating! :-)

Hi all,

The focus of this update has been more 'balance' related changes not so much monetary-wise, but more towards adding more linkages to the Reputation system (this, indirectly can affect your funds income though!). Now, more of the events, actions and behaviors you exhibit in the game will tie-back to affecting your Reputation rating!

Your Reputation rating is important because it will inevitably control the types of Township Demands you receive; if your rep is too low - you can only receive 'low prestige' Township Demands...this means you'll work harder to produce more units of power for less reward.

Fear not, as continued success in achieving Township Demands will gradually raise-up your rep value again. But it won't happen overnight...

Aside from changes to the Reputation system, a slew of other updates and bug fixes have also been made. Here is the full changelog for v0.28b:

Reputation system changes:

• Failing audit checks for certain items (not saying which ones!) will now slightly negatively affect your Rep rating - so make sure you keep the place in top-shape for when the auditor comes around...
  
• Slightly reduced the Rep rating increase value range when successfully completing a Township Demand
  
• Conversely, slightly increased the Rep decrement value range when failing a Township Demand
  
• Slightly (just slightly!) increased the amount of Rep decrement when you receive a Noise Complaint
  
• Added text and notations to the Demo Help screens accordingly to advise of these Reputation changes
  
• Be careful when willingly 'rejecting' (Q key) a Township Demand...
  

Other updates:

• Reduced the rate at which the Generator Air Filter gets dirty by around 50% - you won't have to climb that ladder as often...
  
• Bug fix: with the recent Sync changes introduced in v0.28, the Generator no longer had a 'spark show' when running at 62hz grid frequency. This has now been restored!
  
• Further reduced window dirt accumulation speeds across the board by around 50%
  
• Slightly reduced the amount of Fatigue you will get from cleaning windows
  
• Fixed the Generator Grid Fuse explosion sound effect; previously it was playing way too loudly and wasn't playing from the correct source location. This is now fixed
  
• Generator Grid Fuse explosion events now contribute towards a possibility of receiving Noise Complaints!
  
• Improved the cleaning logic for the Generator Air Filter. Now you should be able to get it a bit cleaner and it won't sometimes jump back up to 7% dirty randomly when you try to clean it....
  
• Increased the volume of the auditor's footstep sound effects by 50%
  
• Imported a 3d model prop for the Generator's internal coil windings as well as back-plate props for the backs of some of the gauge stands (purely cosmetic changes)
  
• Some minor changes to improve performance (may or may not be noticeable - was just good code house-keeping)
  

Thanks to the mountain of feedback I've received on the Steam forums since Demo release, a lot of updates have been made (just like this update) to better the game. I'm now happy to announce we are coming to the conclusion of updates for the Demo, as I need to resume more of my development efforts on the full release of the game,

I appreciate all your support in helping me get this far with Hydro and I look forward to bringing you more news on Hydro soon!

In the meantime, I hope you continue to enjoy the Demo.

P.S. Please remember to Subscribe and 'hit the bell' on my YouTube channel for further news and updates on the development of this game!

Demo Build v0.28a is the first incremental update since the foundational v0.28 release that kicked-off March. To ensure you are running v0.28a, check the version number listed on the bottom of the Main Menu screen.

This update brings with it a slew of incremental/minor updates and bug fixes (some based off your awesome feedback as always!) and also, more slight tweaks to game play balance.

The more notable changes with this release include changes to fuse life, the checks the Auditor performs, and some changes to what triggers Noise Compliants amongst many more fixes and tweaks...

Change log is below:

• Default fuse life for the Interior Lights (Fuse no. 1) has been increased when first starting the game; also increased its minimum repair value by 45% so it should last longer now!
  
• Also changed the minimum fuse repair value (+ 50%) and wear rate (-40%) for Marker Light 1 (Fuse no. 4);
  
• A new interact-capable 'Power Station Tutorial' is now available inside the Sleeping Quarters; this was due to player feedback from those of you who wanted to review the instructions after they were initially dismissed
  
• Changed the way the Auditor checks the Marker Light. They will no longer check to see if the light is wound-up...it was seldom ever wound after sitting so long and the player would need to 'rush' to wind it up on those Auditor shifts, otherwise they would be fined; the Auditor now only checks the Marker Light's fuse (Fuse no. 4) to ensure it's not blown; to further balance this out however, I have increased the fine for failing the Fuse no. 4 audit from $20 to $50. This is actually in line with the Auditor penalty fees for a failed Gen FIlter however
  
• In light of recent changes to the reduced supply costs, it should mean you are able to set aside more time to charge the Accumulator without worrying about missing out on generating Funds, so the failed audit penalty for a low Accumulator charge is now $65, not $50 anymore
  
• Added a new song to the radio and redid the radio 'stations' available on the radio set; the radio will no longer just play one of the songs and then stop; it will play all the songs on the radio in sequence (sequence randomizes each time you turn on the radio) so it should last your whole shift (or thereabouts). Note all music in the game is licensed so please consider any licensing/monetization factors whilst broadcasting your game play if you intend to play the radio
  
• Bug fix for Noise Complaints firing logic. During the night, there was LESS chance of receiving an NC! (2 in 4 chance) And during the day, MORE chance (3 in 4 chance). This is now correctly switched around
  
• Made the generator over-speed alarm events (eventually - at a variable/random rate) contribute to noise complaints! This is because now that player can stockpile oil, noise complaints have less probability of occurring. So be mindful of your generator RPM where possible; I know that sometimes the river just flows too fast and it's unavoidable however (there is higher-RPM upgrade that will be available in the full game); also note that in the Demo, you can only receive ONE noise complaint per shift; this may change in the full release however
  
• Increased 'daily operations tax' bill that player is billed at end of each day shift from $10 to $25 to restore some 'balance' to the game post all the supply cost reductions
  
• Added warning note to the telegram advising of 62hz frequency to exercise caution when generating at that high sync rate (the generator will heat up faster at higher sync rates)
  
• Readjusted position of artificial lighting for the Sleeping Quarters as it was lighting up trees at night it seems; also reduced the intensity of artificial light around the outside of the Sleeping Quarters during the day
  
• Tweaked criteria for boat passage fail penalty amounts; now the player still only gets charged $10 for a failed passage, but only if the player has $0-199 in Funds. Note that if you have $200 or over (was previously $100), you will still cop a 50% penalty 'tax' on a failed boat passage!
  
• Bug discovered during community play and fixed: if player was interacting with Upgrade Blueprint or Fusebox and then a 'forced rest' phase occurred, player lost all controls and ability to exit game upon completion of resting phase. This is now fixed
  
• Reduced window dirt accumulation max rate by 50% for all windows (note some get dirtier faster than others depending on their position facing the river or not, but all dirt accumulation rates have been reduced by 50% - I will continue to review and may reduce/tweak further in future
  
• Updated start tutorials with specific tut on the Marker Light Panel to assist players who are a bit confused by it (you can review this content addition in the new Power Station Tutorial in the Sleeping Quarters too)
  
• Updated DemoHelp pages 1 and 4 with info on how RPM over-speeds can now contribute to noise complaints; also added a quick note to the starting tutorial around this change too
  
• Added further 'bird ambience' sounds around the power station. During the day you may scare some birds away; at night, you'll gain a new owl-friend :-)
  
• More spiderwebs added around the place
  

Once again, thanks so much for your support!

Note that I still have more things to add on my to-do list that didn't quite make this update...

I will be busily working on these over the coming days/weeks.

Enjoy :-)

The power grid sync process has been a sticking-point with players wanting increased realism; v0.28 aims to begin addressing that, whilst still (hopefully) making the sync process accessible to the more casual players. v0.28x will also set the foundation for a whole slew of future QoL and new feature updates very soon!

Here is the low-down on the first lot of changes arriving with v0.28 - now available to download!:

• The grid sync process is now directly tied-in with the Generator's RPM
  
• This means that one just needs to get the RPMs into the 'green zone' of the Generator for the sync process to begin
  
• There has been some refinements to the way the sync needle operates now too, and you should notice some 'finesse' when it approaches the 'happy place' on the sync gauge. This is at the 12 o'clock position. When this position is reached, hit 'R' at the Generator Excitation wheel control as usual, to 'lock in' the sync. That's it! (There is no need to use the Q/E keys to adjust the 'excitation' - this is a completely separate mechanic which may be introduced at a later date and for now, is not modeled in Hydro)
  
• ADVANCED OPERATIONS: Those of you who are looking at the finer details and want more realism will notice that the sync gauge will revolve anti-clockwise when the Generator RPM is 'lagging' behind the grid frequency, and revolve clockwise when the generator is 'leading' ahead of the grid frequency. If you want to get really 'pro' - river flow permitting - you can try finessing the Generator RPM until the needle actually 'freezes' in the 12 o'clock position on the sync gauge, before closing the Grid Relay (note that this is OPTIONAL! I didn't want to make the game overly difficult!)
  
• I have made some updates to the Demo Help and Tutorials to address this new sync process for new players as well
  
• There is now a 'zoom' feature available so you can zoom-in on details like gauges, etc. Use the right-mouse button!
  
• I have added two new gauges beneath the grid sync lights. 1: Generator AC Volts and 2: Grid Voltage. Whilst they are animated and 'functional' more or less (the Generator AC volts output is tied to the RPM), the gauges are currently not interact-able by the player and are only for surface-level 'cosmetic' purposes for now, however the Generator AC volts may become an adjustable feature in future - through the use of the existing excitation wheel.
  
• Following ongoing player feedback, I have finally reduced the oil consumption! The max consumption rate has now been reduced by 60%. To help add back some balance, I have slightly increased the oil can cost - however I have not increased it by 60%...
  

To ensure you are taking advantage of the above changes, be sure to update so you are on v0.28. You can find the version number of Hydro at the bottom of the main menu.

As always, I hope you enjoy this update! There is much more to come on my to-do list, so watch this space! Now that the grid process is addressed, I plan to start adding more incremental updates to v0.28 (a,b,c,d, etc) over the coming days.

And finally, to assist you in learning about these new changes to the sync process, check out the video below!

https://youtu.be/4-ETGLWl42M

Based off your feedback and after further play-testing, I have implemented further updates and fixes to the Demo build, taking it to v0.27e.

You can find the version listed at the bottom of the Main Menu when you launch the game.

Overall, the focus has been on quality of life (QoL) improvements this time around such as how interaction with certain components work. I have also slowed the speed of the sun to allow for more 'reasonable' length daylight. And I have made some tweaks to the fatigue accrual, meaning that overall, you should be getting slightly more time on each level before you need to rest-up.

I have also tweaked the Reputation model so it's not so harsh when/if you fail Township Demands and made a tweak to one of the Township Demands themselves (reward and unit power required amounts).

Here is the full change log:

• Slowed the speed of the sun by almost 15%. This should give more 'daylight' during the day shift and avoid having the sun speed through the sky like it used to
  
• Reduced the movement fatigue by around 30% when moving normally
  
• Halved the additional movement fatigue incrementing amount when carrying an oil can
  
• Reduced delay for operating Generator RPM Governor lever so it's much more responsive when the river goes a bit crazy; you can now 'spam' the Q/E keys and get the lever moving quickly when you need to make those fast RPM changes
  
• Reduced the Reputation loss amount when a Township Demand fails. Previously, when you failed a Township Demand, you could lose up to 15 Reputation points! This has been greatly reduced now
  
• Reduced the Reputation loss when a noise complaint is received (note this is still a variable range, but it still has been reduced both min and max)
  
• Increased the time interval between river speed changes slightly so it's not changing so fast. This is a variable time range so it wont always change at the same time. Note that whenever the river speed changes it should be accompanied by 'waves crashing' sound effect(s) to help you know that the river speed change is happening - now that the RPM lever responds faster, you should get way less 'RPM trips' from the Generator as you can respond faster
  
• In light of recent balance changes in v0.27d and now this update (per details above re: day length and fatigue accrual reduction), I have had to do a slight tweak to the Mayor Press Conference Township Demand at least in the Demo to keep things 'on balance' and not too easy! So I have increased power demand units required from 30 units to 40. I also reduced max payment possible from $500 to $300. Note this is still the highest paying Township Demand in the Demo!
  

The following are purely 'cosmetic' changes:

• Added an actual DC Rheostat coil, wiper and mounts 3d meshes onto the side of the DC Rheostat and setup animated 'wiper' part based on the charge rate selection
  
• Animated the filing cabinet drawer when saving the game and gave it a better texture and remapped the UV texture mapping
  

Hydro is an ongoing 'passion project' for me, and I really hope the game is further 'balanced' now, but not overly 'easy' as well. I still want to retain that challenge. Running a vintage power station should not be easy 😅 - but I want to allow some room for error and avoid making players too-stressed! I always welcome feedback on the Discussion boards regardless.

I hope you enjoy these latest updates. Note that I still have more updates on my to-do list (even for this Demo build), but they are a bit more involved, so have kept them out of this mini-update for now (no spoilers, all will be revealed in time!).

During this upcoming weekend I hope to get stuck-into these and hope to have another update released before next week begins.

Have fun and keep that machinery running!