The workshop is now live for all players!

With 49 different items and counting (many of which contain entire sets of extra content) the Megaquarium workshop is certainly flourishing. And it just got even easier to access.

No beta branches, no special Steam Group, to access all these items all you need to do is go to the Megaquarium community hub and click Workshop.

To celebrate the full launch we're adding a new fish to the game! The nurse shark!



We are releasing this new shark as a mod. So to access it, all you have to do is subscribe to the mod here:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1808619883

(If you're playing the game via GOG then you can manually install the mod based on the instructions here)

If you are new to using Steam Workshop and want somewhere to start, I highly recommend starting with the Nurse Shark. I've designed and balanced it to work as part of the main campaign so don't hesitate, give it a go!


As an added bonus we've recorded a 'making of' series which documents how the entire Nurse Shark model and mod were made.

Part 1 - Modelling
https://youtu.be/2eJnDDQMnKw
Part 2 - Animating
https://youtu.be/gzKb5j-qS0E
Part 3 - Designing
https://youtu.be/vZxRJXsoyWs
The series also operates as a tutorial for new modders.

If you're interested in the full patch notes for this update, you can find them here.

• Added Steam Workshop support.
  
• Fixed issue with transparent elements of 3d models being in the wrong order.
  
• Optimised info bubble reorder algorithm.
  
• Half fed fish carry over food amount to next day to help with feeding very large fish over multiple days.
  
• Tweaked food UI, the number remains 'full' on days that the animal doesn't eat so it's easier to see what needs feeding.
  
• Upgraded to Unity 2018.3.14f.
  
• Fixed many typos.

Hey all, the Megaquarium Workshop has now entered public beta. This means it is open for everyone to use but is currently operating via an opt-in mechanism.

To join the beta you need to join this community group: https://steamcommunity.com/groups/megaquariumworkshopbeta

And follow the instructions from there.

Look at all the exciting things that are already available for you to download:



Firstly it will give modders a chance to get used to the workshop and upload their creations before the full public launch. By the time the public launch comes it should be nicely stocked with all manner of things to play with!

Secondly it gives everyone, modders and players alike, a chance to give feedback on features, request new ones and report bugs.

With that in mind, please take extra care using mods during the beta period. I recommend that you manually save any existing games before applying mods in case they break the game.

Another note: the new mod manager in-game is in English only currently. When the full launch comes it will be localised into your local language.

This depends on the volume of feedback/requests that come back. Somewhere between 2 and 6 weeks is probable.

Hey guys, just a quick post to let you know the latest with the game.

The first news is I'm going to be away for a couple of weeks from today so I won't be able to answer any questions via the forum or email until I return on 23rd May. Hopefully other players will be able to pitch in and help any new players to the game. :)

But don't worry, the next update is already well underway. One feature that has been highly requested ever since launch is Steam Workshop.

I'm happy to announce that the next update will include support for this. I'm about half-way through implementing it and I'm looking to release a beta with the new features soon after I return.

This will give a chance for our enthusiastic modders to populate Steam Workshop with new and interesting mods so that when the official release comes there'll be lots of new things to try out.

As part of this I'll also be releasing a basic modders guide to cover the basics of modding the game. You'd be amazed at the sorts of things you can add with just basic text and image editing skills; things that can have significant gameplay impacts.

I'm really looking forward to seeing what people create.

I can also announce that I am in the early stages of working on the next batch of official content for the game.

I can't reveal all the details yet but I thought players would appreciate knowing that something new is in the works.

That's it for now but stay tuned in the coming months for lots more exciting stuff in the world of Megaquarium. ːsteamhappyː

Few more bug fixes. ;)

• Fixed issue where new point meshes (introduced in Feb update) were not cleaning up after themselves causing crashes for some players.
  
• Made improvements to blended mesh animation code to reduce game's memory allocation.
  
• You can no longer delete rubbish.

If you notice any new issues let me know in the normal way! :)

Another set of bug fixes for you. :)

• Reverted back to an earlier build of Unity (2018.2.21f) because the newer version still seems to be causing the odd crash.
  
• Another attempt at fixing the animal counts going out of sync. They seem to be working well now, but let me know if you see it go out of sync again!

Any issues just let me know! :)

Another little patch fixing a few things.

• Fixed bug where object counts visible in build/buy menu would go out of sync when you traded an animal away.
  
• Fixed issue where if an error is logged from a worker thread the game would crash (*shakes fist at Unity developers ːsteamfacepalmː*).
  
• Modders only: Fixed bug where when the game generated a new tc3d from a new fbx file it would fail in countries where ',' is used as a decimal point.

Small patch fixing a couple of things.

• Fixed so that animal mods which are missing a string for their id don't crash the game when added to a tank.
  
• Fixed so that animals swim again when hovering over them in the menu.

Regarding the first fix, it is still highly recommended that mods are created with string files to avoid populating the logs with errors. If you are using other people's mods, make sure you remember to add the .json file to the strings/en folder of the game.

Hi guys, the latest update is here. Here are the big hitters:

This month's update comes with two new features increasing the possibilities for staff management.

The first is the ability to disallow your staff from using certain items or tasks which 'require skill'. The most immediate use of this is prohibiting your less experienced staff members from taking on the tricky jobs such as 'high skill required' tasks and supplements.

You can find these new controls under the Advanced tab after selecting a staff member. You can also right-click on a staff portrait directly from the staff management window.

I'm looking forward to seeing what other uses players come up with for using this new feature!

The second new feature is the ability to mark a task as 'important' by clicking on its task bubble.

This will make staff prioritise this task over all others regardless of distance away. However, it will not overrule the role priority or zoning orders. Therefore, if a staff member has the feeding role set to a higher priority than the fixing role, they will still do all feeding tasks before fixing tasks, even if one of them has been flagged as important.

The Auto-Feeder has undergone a significant change. It now refills automatically at the beginning of each day so it does not have to be filled by staff anymore.

To make up for this, they will break down from time to time and the associated fixing staff is 'very high skill required' so it will be awkward to use unless you have skilled fixing staff available.

In addition the Auto-Feeder can no longer feed animals which 'require skill' or feed Supplements to any animals. Both these types of feeding task still need to be done by hand.

I like this change quite a lot. The Auto-Feeder clearly works best to replace the role of low-level feeders. It can handle large quantities but struggles with higher level animals which 'require skill' and supplements.

At the same time it puts additional pressure on your skilled fixers so there'll be some interesting decisions to make here.

It also might add interesting curation decisions: will you design a tank that can be fed 100% by Auto-Feeders at the cost of leaving out that show-stopping fish?

This update brings some tweaks to the prestige generation formulas which I believe bring it more in line with what you would expect from a real-life aquarium.

More information in the changelog below and also in the latest dev vlog.

https://youtu.be/N_dGVIxXSv0

• Tweaked prestige generation rates so that larger animals have a greater success chance than small animals. In other words, you need less in a tank for them to be seen.
  
• Likewise, larger decoration items have a higher chance to be seen, reducing the need for many large items in a single tank which could look less appealing. Groups of small items are still encouraged.
  
• Tweaked the prestige generation rates so that you get diminishing returns, the more animals of the same type you add to a tank. This encourages more smaller groups of small fish in different tanks.
  
• However for large animals a single group will continue to be sufficient.
  
• Added a more detailed tooltip when you hover over the prestige icon on any animal so that it communicates the prestige generation mechanics better, allowing the player to make more informated decisions.
  
• Added option for window to close when you click a second time, this is also now the default option but can be switched off in the settings.
  
• Changed "requires skill" icon to military chevrons. Added this indicator to task bubbles so you can see the skill level of a task at a glance
  
• Auto-feeder changes color depending on what food it is feeding.
  
• Reduced some animal aquascaping requirements. Many of these were increased in the February update but I believe they threw the balance off especially for small animals which need to be kept in larger numbers to fulfil their prestige potential.
  
• Added additional details to the task bubble tooltip so that it lists the skill level and a breakdown of the animals that need feeding in the tank (for feeding tasks only).
  
• Added load game confirmation dialog if a game is already in progress.
  
• Facilities apply their effects to guests instantly now, rather than over time.
  
• Fixed paint glitch
  
• Stopped guests dropping rubbish straight after looking at something
  
• Added reset to default key bindings
  
• Increased cave value for gaping cavern
  
• Increased rock value for rubble and live rubble
  
• Increased starting money for level 3. Elmshorn
  
• Fixed so the search menu doesn't come up when you finish naming something.
  
• In sandbox, all side objectives, trades and merchants appear on the way to rank 12. Before they continued to appear above Rank 12 but this led to some confusion and missing some events.
  
• Sped up zooming with keys.
  
• Fixed a pump UI error.
  
• Refresh message count immediately when you delete group of messages.
  
• Fixed 'running on spot' bug when auto saving and returning to menu.
  
• Fixed bug where supplement feeding times were sometimes over-calculated.
  
• Fixed ground dweller eating animation.
  
• Shows skill numbers when you hover over skill bars in the manage tab.
  
• Fixed the positions of the skills in manage tab so they are always in the same places.
  
• Fixed bug where it would show "When fully grown" eat/damage information on animals even when no numbers change as they grow. For example, when an animal will damage Gorgonians or Stony Corals.
  
• You can open the advanced tab by right clicking on the portraits in the staff manage tab.
  
• Cursor texture only loaded once
  
• Decreased some coral sizes (affects food consumed, bioload and prestige generation rate). Note: growing corals to full size now has large effect on prestige because size determines the prestige generation chance.
  
• Added '=' as alternative to ':' in search box.
  
• Added 'equipment' as a search criteria to differentiate to animals.
  
• Fixed bug where end game credits could be interupted by pressing escape.
  
• Fixed bug where end game credits would be in 'fast-forward' mode if you were at that speed when you completed the game.
  
• Fixed bug to do with info/task bubble positioning on some objects.
  
• Fixed coral food box which had the wrong icon on it.
  
• Fixed Power Light so lights are in the correct position.
  
• Dropdown menus go in front of other information windows.
  
• Improved platform laying tool so it guesses the height your require more intelligently.
  
• Upgraded to Unity 2018.3.

Mini patch with a couple of things that didn't quite make it into the big February update, plus a couple of bonus fixes/features. :)

- Upgraded underlying Unity version which should hopefully fix the 'Citrix workstation' bug. Let me know if you still encounter this issue.
- Added 'Exclusive fullscreen' mode.
- Added tooltip to point button toggle in top right.
- Fixed bug where messages don't reload if you drop an animal with the message window closed.
- Fixed bug where floor arrows blocked 'attraction aura'

For the next couple of weeks I'm going to be working through the backlog of small and medium sized feature requests that have built up over the weeks and months and making some headway through that.

I'm also going to be experimenting with some tweaks to the prestige generation formula and the way that this information is communicated to you. ːsteamhappyː