Roadside Research News

[p]May this message find your goop plentiful and your store full of humans.[/p][p][/p][p]Hey everyone! What a weekend it has been. [/p][p][/p][p]I am happy to report that over 150,000 people have played Roadside Research right here on Steam, and the reviews have been delightful to read. So thank you, from the bottom of our hearts for being part of this Early Access while we continue developing the game.[/p][p][/p][h2]1. What we have done so far[/h2][p][/p][p]We just recently updated the game with two hotfixes before the weekend. [/p]

• [p]Hotfix 1: Single Player Adjustments[/p]
• [p]Hotfix 2: Customer Satisfaction and Suspicion [/p]

[p]We have heard from a lot of people that hotfix 1 was enough for single players and duos. The main "difficulty" we are looking at is: how much does a player have to do at a given time, for example there were complaints about too much cleaning so we reduced dirt appearance. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]2. What we plan to do next[/h2][p][/p][h3]This Week[/h3][p][/p][p]Fixin' Time[/p]

• [p]Not being able to grab stuff as the client[/p]
• [p]Cash register - can't select anything other than 1 cent if not using d-pad[/p]
• [p]Cash register - items despawned by customer[/p]
• [p]Incorrect payment method message after customer got knocked out at cash register[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Next Week[/h3][p][/p][p]Customization Update + Better Tutorials [/p]

• [p]Hats, body types, skin color [/p]
• [p]Better mini-game explanations[/p]
• [p]More fixes[/p]

[p][/p][p]We were already working on some of these customization options before launch but it didn't make the cut.[/p][p][/p][h3]Next Month[/h3][p][/p][p]Big Patch 1 [/p]

• [p]Deeper fixes and feature tweaks that cannot be done in a hotfix[/p]
• [p]NPC Customer Feedback System: See store stats in the alien screen[/p]
• [p]Quality of Life additions [/p]
• [p]New decorations[/p]

[p][/p][p]Easter-Themed Update [/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]3. List of Common Requests[/h2][h3][/h3][p][/p][p]These are common requests we have seen in forum posts and reviews:[/p]

• [p]Gas station auto-filling: looking into this for automation update [/p]
• [p]Cash register automation: looking into this for automation update [/p]
• [p]Saving your custom mask so it is not lost: looking into it[/p]
• [p]Motion sickness: This is due to the game's built-in upscaler, we'll look into a toggle [/p]
• [p]Misc: Selling energy drinks, cat, bigger storage space, enter price with numpad [/p]

[p][/p][p]As players keep progressing, naturally they will find the game easier because they gain more knowledge about how certain mechanics work. We also have to balance this out by making sure that the new player experience is understandable and doesn't punish you for things you don't know (yet).[/p][p][/p][p]And once again, thank you for playing![/p][p][/p][p]Please leave a review with your thoughts! We read every single comment, forum post, and review. Your opinions are very important to us. Bye bye and until next time.[/p]

[p]Hello everyone,[/p][p][/p][p]We have seen that players are being troubled with low customer satisfaction scores, and that the game might feel too punishing even though the store is clean, the prices are correct, not gooping too much, etc. We have also seen some players discussing that suspicion might not be clear, how does it work, how do you reduce it. So we are addressing a bit of that as well.[/p][p][/p][p]We have decided to do the following: [/p]

• [p]Dirty marks and trash will have less negative impact on customer satisfaction [/p]
• [p]Bigger boost to positive customer satisfaction at checkout at the register and gas pumps [/p]
• [p]Reduce suspicion viewing distance and penalties from customers and agents[/p]

[p][/p][p]In the meantime, we will find a broader solution to make this system feel natural, and not unfair. As always thank you for playing and please keep telling us what we need to focus on next. Your feedback has been very helpful! [/p][p][/p][p]Patch notes with actual values [/p][p]Satisfaction [/p]

• [p]Satisfaction when checking out customers increased 0.5 -> 2[/p]
• [p]Satisfaction when serving pump customers increased 0.5 -> 2[/p]
• [p]Satisfaction when npc finding item decreased 0.3 -> 0.2[/p]
• [p]Less satisfaction lost when customer sees alien activity -5 -> -3[/p]
• [p]Decreased vision range on NPCs 15 -> 8[/p]

[p] Sus [/p]

• [p]Decreased proximity on NPCs spotting the player 3 -> 1.5[/p]
• [p]Reduced suspicion gain from spotting goop from 6 -> 5[/p]
• [p]Reduced suspicion gain from being spotted while taking a picture from 20 -> 10[/p]
• [p]Reduced suspicion gain from being spotted while recording a customer from 25 -> 15[/p]
• [p]Reduced suspicion gain from failing to probe a customer from 30 -> 25[/p]
• [p]Agents should no longer spot alien gadgets and get suspicious of them.[/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][p]If you encounter any bugs or issues with Roadside Research on Steam, please fill out the form. This is the easiest way for us to fix the game the fastest.[/p][p][/p][h3]Bug Report Form[/h3][p]https://forms.gle/hrc24ujK81ScPj7L6[/p]

[p]Hello everyone, [/p][p][/p][p]We have noticed some complaints from solo players that there is a bit too much to do in the current version of the game. So we have just rolled out a new patch.[/p][p][/p][p]List of changes:[/p]

• [p]Decreased the amount of dirt spawned by 50%[/p]
• [p]Reduced amount of customers for single players by 33%[/p]
• [p]Increased the number of items purchased in single player by 33% per customer[/p]
• [p]Increased the amount of trash dropped by NPCs in single player by 33% per customer[/p]
• [p]Reduced global amount of items purchased by 25%[/p]

[p][/p][p]This also scales up to 2, 3, and 4 players.[/p][p]
Even though there are less customers, you should end up with the same amount of money as before the update. As always we are reading the Forums and Reviews for your feedback and thoughts, and where improvements can be made. [/p][p][/p][p]Thank you for playing! [/p]

[p]....////// IMPORTANT TRANSMISSION /////....[/p][p][/p][p]Roadside Research is out, meaning you can play this very moment! [/p][p][/p][p]The Early Access launch is here, we've spent the couple past months listening to feedback from the demo and playtest, polishing the experience to make sure you have a good time conducting research on humans managing the gas station.[/p][p][/p][p]A quick overview of features in Roadside Research Early Access[/p]

• [p]Dedicated Single Player mode [/p]
• [p]Multiplayer mode[/p]
• [p]New NPC and Government Agent behaviors [/p]
• [p]New Alien mini games [/p]
• [p]A lot more alien tech to use and do research with (no spoilers)[/p]
• [p]Tons of human items to stock your store and sell[/p]

[p][/p][p]Check the most recent FAQ post for more information[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]We have been testing the game rigorously and the game is very stable at the moment. That said, as with any Early Access, different computers react differently to running different games. If you encounter any issues or bugs, please report them! That way they will be fixed as quickly as possible.[/p]

• [p]Report bugs and problems on the Official Discord for the game.[/p]

[p][/p][p]Wishing you all a wonderful time at Probe n Go, now get out there and serve some customers! [/p]

[p]Greetings, I hope this transmission finds you well and your goop plentiful. As your mission to Earth starts very soon, here is some important information regarding your undercover adventure. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]How much will Roadside Research cost on launch? [/p][p]The game will be 12.99 USD with a 10% launch discount. We have implemented regional pricing as well to make sure the game is affordable to everyone (Polish Złoty Brazilian Real, Chinese Yuan, and many many more).[/p][p][/p][p]What are the current customization options? [/p][p]Right now you can draw your own face mask to perfect your disguise, choose how many toes you have per foot, and your Alien skin color. We are adding some hats and additional decor very soon (and for free of course).[/p][p][/p][p]How much has changed since the demo? [/p][p]A lot! More store upgrades, more inventory to sell, new minigames when government agents come, more Alien Technology to mess with humans(!), and just a lot more tweaking and polish that is expected of simulation games.[/p][p][/p][p]How many game modes are there? [/p][p]You can play singleplayer mode, which is tailored to one player sessions. Or you can play multiplayer to have friends join to hang out and play together.[/p][p][/p][p]Can I join any lobby online?[/p][p]You can only join lobbies set up by your friends, this also means you can join the lobby of a friend of a friend. If you want to find people to play with, ask in the Steam forum or the Official Discord for the game.[/p][p][/p][p]How does Alien Technology affect gameplay?[/p][p]GlorpTech(tm) is incredibly useful for many things. You can convince customers to spend more money, you can make them more resistant to not-very-human things they might see. You can also duplicate some of your inventory for some sweet, sweet profit. Just be careful as raising too much Suspicion will bring dangerous people to the store.[/p][p][/p][p]How does suspicion work? Can customers see that I am an Alien?[/p][p]It is important to stay undetected for as long as possible. The more Alien Technology you have in the store, the more customers will become suspicious. Acting reckless will also increase Suspicion. Too high suspicion levels will lead to visits from government agents for a deeper investigation. Aliens tend to "goop" every now and again, leaving a sticky substance behind them. Make sure to clean up after yourself! [/p][p][/p][p]I don't understand how a particular mechanic works, what do I do? [/p][p]There is a "How to Play" guide in the pause menu if you're ever feeling stuck! [/p][p][/p][p]Can I test upcoming updates early? [/p][p]We will be running beta tests for future updates in our discord to ensure additional content is stable and player-approved. [/p][p][/p][p]Is there cross play from Steam to Xbox? [/p][p]Not at the moment, but we are working on it. Cross functionality across platforms takes time to implement! [/p][p][/p][p]What are the next updates? [/p][p]So glad you asked, here is the Roadside Roadmap.[/p][p][/p]