About This Game

Get-to-grips with vintage machinery from yesteryear as the local township has directed the old No. 101 Hydro-electric Power Station be pressed back into duty to meet its ever-growing power demands!

You'll need to keep your wits about you: not only generating power without making too much noise, blowing fuses or starting fires, but also managing and maintaining your power station's supply levels (e.g. machine oil, fuses, battery acid) to keep it running smoothly. There are also other tasks you'll need to perform to guide ships safely through the area at night using the township's regulated lighting 'regime'.

Not only will you need to follow the rules and keep the machinery running tip-top, but you'll need to manage your fatigue levels and work efficiently to stay profitable and keep your funding levels in the green - or risk being shutdown by the township's council!

WHEN THE RIVER IS WILD...

Generate power day and night so long as the river is flowing fast. Your main goal in Hydro is to keep that rusty old water wheel turning smoothly and quietly and the connected generator spinning and generating that precious electrical juice!

In Hydro, you can work both day shifts and night shifts, and you'll encounter unique events and township power demands based on the time of day.

CONNECT ("SYNC") TO THE TOWNSHIP POWER GRID

To successfully connect to the township power grid, you'll need to use your wits and quick reflexes as this switch-gear isn't what it used to be! If you get things wrong, you might just blow that Grid Fuse...which might put your power station out of action for a while, as you scramble to remedy the situation. Did you remember to order a spare grid fuse?

FEED POWER TO THE TOWNSHIP

The township is hungry for grid power! Your power station must be ready to deliver! Whilst the township has its own modern power station, sometimes they'll need a helping hand with delivering peak-load power demands; thus, you'll be receiving 'Township Demands' from the township at regular intervals to when there is a power shortage, to help power all sorts of events from Mayor Press Conferences and Town Carnivals all the way to popular radio shows in the evenings.

You'll need to ensure your machinery and components are in tip-top shape and manage your fatigue levels so that you can stay on-shift for the duration and generate the required amount of power, otherwise you'll miss out on much-needed funding to stay afloat.

YOUR ACTIONS HAVE AN EFFECT ON THE WORLD / REPUTATION SYSTEM

As the sole custodian of No. 101 Hydro-electric, you'll start your illustrious career with the full support of the township! This means a 100% reputation rating. However, your shiny rating is in danger of being chipped-away if you fail to meet township demands, or cause too many noise complaints, etc during the course of your duties.

You have the ability to gradually claw-back your reputation rating with careful management of the power plant and ensuring you complete any township demands successfully, however if you let your reputation slip down too far, you'll find that the township will stop sending you certain types of the more 'prestigious' power demands. The end result is reduced opportunity and funding potential if you don't keep the power plant running properly!

If you really disappoint the township and fail to meet their requests for power, you might just find yourself appear in the township's newspaper. Conversely, if you do a good job, you may hear about that, too. In addition to regular newspaper deliveries, you may also receive telegram messages from time-to-time with bonus payments attached, if the township has deemed you a competent power station custodian.

KEEP THE LIGHTS ON

Not only does the township need power, your power station itself will need its on-site battery accumulators charged-up so you can keep your own lights on. You'll be leaning on your trusty old generator once again to help make this happen.

But here's the catch: you can only charge the accumulators OR feed the township power grid at any one time...not both at once! You'll need to manage your shift's workflow and decide where your generated power should flow to...

Your accumulators are not an endlessly robust resource either - they will need care and attention - if you charge them too fast with the rheostat, their 'condition' rating will drop faster, meaning that they won't take a charge efficiently (and in the worst case, will struggle to take a charge at all). You can temporarily restore their condition rating by ordering battery acid (accumulator fluid). As you charge the accumulators and run the local services such as power station lighting, you'll be wearing-out the local power fuses which will also need attention...

APPLY UPGRADES

You'll be dealing with a lot of antiquated machinery, so by using your 'Upgrade Blueprint', you'll be able to bring the old power station into the modern age (almost), and make it perform better than ever before!

SHIPS PASSING IN THE NIGHT

Occasionally you'll receive word via telegram message that a ship may be passing through the area at night. Because of your bulky machinery (e.g. the massive water wheel!) and narrow river banks, ships will need lighting guidance in the form of marker lights placed along the river bank which you'll need to manage. The lighting guidance is essential to ensure safe passage for the ships.

The configuration of the lighting required will depend on the ship's passage direction (East or West), so you'll need to swiftly interact with vintage (and at-times unpredictable) lighting circuit controls and wind-up lighting mechanisms as a ship rapidly steams in your direction! And as you may have guessed, this lighting guidance depends on a healthy on-site battery accumulator charge to work in the first place...hopefully you took time to keep the accumulator charged-up in between all those township demands...

WHEN THINGS GO WRONG...

Watch that old Generator! It has maintenance requirements such as keeping its air filter clean so it can be cooled properly. Nonetheless, it can have a tendency to overheat and whilst it has overheat protection, it may well just catch fire one day if you're not careful.

Destroying your generator is one way to end your Hydro career. Thankfully, you will have access to emergency systems such as the Generator Fire Control system - an antique motorized water pump and sprinkler system which - if primed properly and used without delay - may just save your generator...this time. 

If you don't keep the machinery well-lubricated, you'll quickly find the power station will become host to a shower of sparks and a cacophony of noises that will likely wake the dead (or should...) and you may get noise complaints, some with monetary fines attached.

Fail to keep the accumulator maintained and it will struggle to take a healthy charge...this will have all sorts of ill-effects on your on-site power requirements.

If you find yourself struggling to generate sufficient funding and end up in debilitating debt, you may find the township treasury department will take a keen interest in your power station and you'll even risk complete power station shutdown.

IF THINGS CALM DOWN...WATCH OUT FOR BIG BROTHER

Unfortunately, the river flow won't always be in your favor; when the water is calm you're not generating any power (and thus nor any money). Use the opportunity to perform maintenance such as replacing or fixing fuses, applying part upgrades, cleaning the air filter and windows and keeping the machinery oil levels topped-up - but keep an ear out for the auditor! They'll fine you every chance they get if something isn't quite right! Use some creativity to keep them at-bay...

MANAGE YOUR FATIGUE

Follow the sun! At the end of a long day shift as the sun dips down towards the horizon, you'll find generous sleeping quarters to rest and recharge between shifts. Use the opportunity to address your fatigue levels and start the next shift...maybe you'll get fast-flowing water and take another stab at keeping the township powered-up?

(ALMOST) ENDLESSLY-VARIED GAMEPLAY!

In Hydro, things never go to plan and nothing ever happens the same way twice! Some fuses might wear faster than others, your oil levels may consume faster sometimes (and sometimes not), supply costs will fluctuate, funding rewards will vary and even Mother Nature will at times throw a curve-ball with its ever-changing river flow speeds which will affect your Generator's operation.

Resting in between each 'work shift' (day or night) will randomly generate calm or fast-flowing river conditions in addition to the usual day/night cycle change, so no play-through of the game is ever the same! May the waters flow forever fast and your fuses last forever long...