One hot event is behind us (the premiere of the game for consoles), and the next one is ahead of us. According to our roadmap, we’re getting closer to the release of the first DLC for Chernobylite.

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1016800/view/2881731277561675997


Therefore, in today's report, we will reveal more cards related to the creation of new content for the game. As usual: we will not reveal everything, and not in detail to avoid spoilers. But enough to make your appetite.

Before we move on to the main content, a short note for those who have purchased Chernobylite for consoles. We are working hard on the fixes that will solve the biggest problems, including the problem of disappearing save states. But that's not all we’re preparing for you in late October. You can read more about it on our website. And remember: any bugs you find on the console version, please report them via this form, and any bugs you find on the PC version — on our Steam forum.



For those of you who haven't seen the previous content, we encourage you to catch up and review the post below.

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1016800/view/2881731277546709766

Since we’re already on the previous post, it is worth returning to the truck model for a moment. Back then, you could only see his skeleton. In the pictures below, you can see the further process of its construction: from adding the details of the truck, through giving a collision, to the final effect, i.e. applying textures. And viola — the model is ready!





You can also be sure that the new locations will not run out of buildings characteristic of the area, the corridors of which can be explored. For now, they look like this. But don't worry - they will take shape soon.



We are not afraid to experiment a bit. We check new solutions and techniques that Unreal Engine has to offer. As a test subject: a celery from our refrigerator.



Take care, Stalkers!




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https://store.steampowered.com/app/1016800/Chernobylite/

Oh hi there!

It feels aa bit overwhelming as we're writing these lines, since this week marks the completion of Stage 1 of Learning Factory's Early Access!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1150090/Learning_Factory

(pause for applause and fanfare)

Thanks to your love and support, we have really pushed our game forward in the past 8 months! The game has changed drastically, and not only in terms of content: we're talking about more stable, more optimized, more user friendly version of Learning Factory, which lets you spend dozens of hours, chilling and building the KOTOVOD of your (cats') dreams.

But hey, we've added tons of content as well! This iteration of our Dev Diaries is dedicated to the most important changes of the past 3 months.



Cats used to simply roam to your Factory in an endless stream of happy customers. Well, we decided to make it closer to what's happening on actual markets (despite the fact that we're talking about a game where you build cat factory on Mars).

You see, your cats are not alone now. They have friends and they are very eager to share experience from visiting your Factory with those friends.

Upon trying to purchase something, a cat has a chance of recommending your Stores to a friend. Or, in case they haven't found what their hearts desire, they can talk a friend out of visiting your Factory!

Word of meow is one powerful thing, and it influences your flow of catstomers now! Of course, you can always build another Cat Gate which will bring more cats to your campus, but if you want a steady cash flow, you better make sure those cats find what they come for.

This system was inspired by startup management mechanics from our previous game, while True: learn(), but this time hype levels actually depend on your skills of handling cat requests. In short, that means: get to work!



Additionally, keep track on 'Shopaholic Invasion' events, which happen randomly from time to time and bring oodles of cats to your Factory at once! Used to be, only Grandma Cats were arriving during this event, but we honestly, it just didn't feel right: why only grandmas would come off as shopaholics? So another (random) type of cats will be joining the swarm every time. And, of course, these events might change your Hype levels dramatically, and fast.



Another brand new mechanics from version 0.10 is called ‘Satisfaction Pyramid’, and is inspired by Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. In the world of Learning Factory it actually shows your impact to improving the feline society!

You can find it in the ‘Cats’ tab in the Wiki (‘H’). Here’s how it works.

Different kinds of cats want certain kinds of items. These items are sorted in the Pyramid by their priority to respective types of cats.

The more satisfied requests on a lower level of the pyramid, the higher the chances of a cat to request an item from higher levels. (figure A)

On the left you can see how many requests for respective items were recently satisfied and the total amount of recent requests of this type (figure B)

If all levels are unlocked, there's a chance for a cat to upgrade into a more advanced and demanding upon appearing from the Cat Gate, given that requests on lower levels are being met (figure C). You can also see how many cats recently advanced (figure D)

If a level of the pyramid is not yet unlocked, that means these cats are buying stuff they need someplace else (for now, at least), and it’s your job to find out what they want and provide!


Buildings and other research project are now subject of improvement! This long-waited feature will help you boost your Factory's performance and/or unlock various gameplay features. See the image above:

Those blue-turning-gray icons (figure A) represent upgrades, available for your research projects. You can hover your mouse cursor over an Upgrade's icon to see exactly what it does (figure B), and you can see requirements for unlocking it in the lower right corner (figure C).

But that's not it. Upon unlocking, the Upgrade must be researched, just like any other object on the Tree (figure D). Mind that certain buildings might have more than just one Upgrade for unlocking.



Sounds like a lot of hoops to jump through, but the result is definitely worth it, as it can unlock alternative recipes for crafting, and even new buildings. Look at this handsome T-shaped Splitter that is now yours to unlock:




You fellas would love more Cat Stores at your Factory, wouldn't you? Don't be shy: we know that setting the appropriate number of Stores for each cat type is one of the strategies for maximizing your profits.

And this mechanics has just become deeper! You see, there are now cats who don't even care about their Pyramid of requests: all they want is to buy a bunch of goods from one of 5 goods categories: they might be craving for Food, Materials, Essential, Luxury or Tech stuff. Now, cats are well known to be mysterious creatures, so we're still trying to figure out why these cats behave this way. We're suggesting that they're buying those things for their business needs (what business can be run by cats? Send us your thoughts in the comments!)

How do you make these cats happy? First, you better separate them from the rest of the bunch. There's a Business Request Splitter on the Research Tree, tailored exactly for that task.

Then, research and build our new Specialized Smart Store (seen on the picture above), select the category it will be selling items from, and make sure to provide! Huge profits can be generated by using these Stores, but some serious production optimization will most likely be required. Can you figure it out?

With this feature, we were trying to add another layer to the gameplay: adding yet another type of cat to go to another Smart Store seemed like doing more of the same thing (we already have 7 of those!), so instead, we've come up with a whole new type of request. Dividing cats only by their type is not always enough anymore: cats of all kinds can spawn with business requests for any category.

It might not sound like a big deal, but in reality they provide a great deal of a challenge since these Stores become available at late stages of the game, when your Factory is supposedly huge and production chains get weird. Give it a shot and let us know how you like it!


This one is simple, but might come in handy! If you need just a couple of those Cotton plants or some Wood from them Trees, there's no need to chop down the poor thingies! Instead, press your Left Mouse Button on a plant to simply harvest smaller amount of respective resource. Don't worry, it'll grow back soon enough!

The boring explanation of these mechanics is that we wanted to give the players another option of handling resources and increase their sense of control. But most importantly, clicking and harvesting stuff just feels so good!

Speaking of left mouse button: we've added a rather cool feature that turn Transporter drawing placement mode on by default. Simple press and hold LMB and get creative! Like: I did not pet her, I DID NOT!..




A handful of pick for our artist, a huge leap for Learning Factory! This new set of comic strips completes our list of features planned for Stage 1 of Early Access. But look, we're already halfway through Stage 2:



This roughly concludes the list of new mechanics in the game, but that's just the top of the iceberg! Listing all the changes made within these 8 months would probably blow up Steam, so let's just highlight the most interesting stuff:


Earlier this year, we've reveal the truly unique nature of our cat researchers. With version 0.10, we've added even more individual traits and expanded the Tavern and Dormitory mechanics in general.

They got new looks! They got new perks! They now upgrade their parameters while they research! Alternatively, if you feel particularly rich, you can upgrade the Tavern itself and get more competent (and expensive) candidates for your Research Labs.

Of course, as it is with harvesting mechanics, the true purpose of these improvements is to let you to check out more goofy cats. That's what we use it for, at least:



If you've read this far, you must be tired by now. Or maybe you've just wanted more cool pics? In any case, let's watch some cool pics! Check out 2 new types of cats at Learning Factory!


A.k.a. "the babushkas" ("babushka" stands for "grandma" in Russian, if you didn't know that already). They're the cutest cats at any Factory, looking for your typical grandma stuff: apples for making their amazing jam, cotton for their knitting and such!


Their desires are easily readable from their looks! They crave anything high-tech and rumors are, they consist of pure energy!

Tl;dr : there's so much new stuff! The main game changer is the 2 new types of metals (Copper and Gold), which are used for crafting advanced items. And you'll need new machinery for mining and processing it, of course:









And, of course, Learning Factory provides probably one of the easiest way to get a top notch graphic adapter:




Improving user experience is what's on our minds these days. We're now working on a dedicated Tutorial mode, which will contain a set of scenarios, designed to help the new players learn the ropes of Learning Factory. But, of course, that's not the only thing we're working on. Above is the prototype vision of new map layouts. Rivers! Maybe even hills? Let us know if you want a more diverse landscape on Mars!

Life goes on. We're developing Learning Factory, you're enjoying it at your homes (or so we hope). And for cats... everything is going by the plan: lazy passtime and inventing new ways for getting munchies from those bald apes who consider themselves their owners. Check out this selection of our team's cats and see for yourself:









That's it for today, folks! Please let us know how you like this new, text version of our dev diaries! And by all means, play some awesome games this weekend! Just don't forget to share your experience with us: join our merry bunch of players on our Discord server.

P.S. If you want to keep an eye our progress closer, don't forget to follow Learning Factory on our Steam page and never miss an update again!




Going to Early Access is but the first step to glory (and eternal cat happiness). Wanna be part of what happens next? Head to this blog post and learn how to help make the game even more awesome!

Learning Factory needs your help! Record a 10 or more minutes of you playing the game, share a video using any way you see fit, write your name into Learning Factory credits and get a promo cat! Make history here

As we announced before, Mokoko X was under development. Let's first clear that Mokoko X is a enhanced remake edition of Mokoko, not a remaster edition. We have been working on it since 1.5 year and cared about all the feedback we've gotten so far.

Here is the trailer for you to see the improvements yourself!


We are so happy to deliver Mokoko to its full potential with Mokoko X.

For more details please visit Mokoko X Steam page, wishlist now and get a 50% discount coupon only available for owners of Mokoko for Mokoko X!

Welcome to the first change-log of the internal testing version of Software Company

It's been a good week since i launched the Steamshop-page of Software Company. Since then changes on the internal testing version certainly picked up the pace. Here are a few thinsg worth mentioning for now:

New features:

• - Savesystem is live: In a game where you can spend hours on hours in, you sure need a save system. Good news: It's here!
  
• - Themes: Software Company now provides players with over 130 Themes to give their games a unique touch. Themes further play a role now in the review-score, audience appeal and sales of your games.
  
• - Hintsystem: In Software Company there are quite a few settings, sliders and options to customize your game before starting development. Some settings are more optimal then others, depending on the games genres, themes and developmentfocus. Sometimes it is hard to keep everything in mind, that has to be concidered in your attempt to create the perfect videogame. Good news: Software Company now helps you to remember good combinations, once you discovered them and helps you remeber those good combinations /slider values.

Changes:

• Gamescore calculation: It was far too easy to get a game with a 10/10 rating, when the correct themes where chosen. It is now more balanced.
  
• UI-Refreshment: The overall look and feel of the UI got a bit more slim and cleaned up.
  
• Game-sale calculation: The curve of game-sales was a bit too steep and is far smoother now. Games will sell more even over multiple months, instead of selling almost all copies in the first 2-3 months.

Bug fixes:

• Pedestrians spawned with multiple versions of the character model activeated. This should not happen any more. No more 8-legged monster crawling through the city. Yay!
  
• When closing an in-game menu, the background blur would sometimes not disappear. This should now be fixed.

Expect the Unexpected #01 - Welcome to the show
Aiming, dash & likes mechanic

Welcome! The Expect the Unexpected series brings you insights into the upcoming most bizarre TV Show! First, you need to know that things in here… well, work differently than in real life (thank God!).

In the upcoming six episodes, we will explain to you all the nitty-gritty of The Crackpet Show. Let's start today with the basics you need to understand to survive even the first episode.

Aiming - risk and reward
Let's get straight to the point - you can't shoot and run fast at the same time. But believe us, it is not a huge deal! We've designed it as a part of the risk and reward system, a core of our game. Being effective means that you are on the edge of getting hit, but you still manage to finish firing just a split second before receiving a bullet.



Speaking of bullets, this game is. Well... a bullet-hell, so you need to constantly look at your enemies' projectiles and keep avoiding them. Aiming your gun at the same time would be backbreaking, so you don't need to bother about it - your beastie takes care of it by itself. Just make sure that your enemy is within the weapon's range.


Dash, dash, dash
Remember the song "I'm still standing"? If not, even better, because you need to be constantly on the move, and you die rather quickly if you don't. Dash is your best friend because when you perform a quick roll, you become immune to bullets for a short while. You need to plan your moves carefully, though, because rooms might have all sorts of traps, or there might be another enemy in a better position, ready to hurt you.



The dash also has a short cooldown, but each beastie has its exact duration, so you can get used to it and train your muscle memory. Do you remember that The Crackpet Show is all about getting fame and securing some sweet sponsorship deals (more on that in the future episodes!)? One of them can double your dash. Definitely worth considering.

Likes
Whether you are a social media freak or laugh whenever you see someone thinking that likes are essential in their lives, you need to know that they really mean something in The Crackpet Show. After clearing each room, you get a small number of likes (dopamine, yay!) for each mob killed.

But, if you the kind of person finishing the game with full pockets and shi*tload of money, we've got some bad news. In the end, TCS is a rogue-lite shoot'em'up and likes stay with you only until the end of each run. So, whenever you enter the shop, consider buying weapons, perks, and precious health boosters. Especially before encountering one of the bosses!



When you play with your friends in a local co-op, your whole team shares the likes pool. A true test of your friendship and tactical thinking with resource management!

Coming up next…
In the next episode of "Expect the Unexpected", we will talk you through runs, choosing rooms, encountering bosses, and what happens after your death. See you soon!




Just in case you're just as cracked as we are, terminally online and not knowing what to do with yourself… We may be busy little bees, but you should follow these pages:
Our Facebook with news for you to check - https://www.facebook.com/vixagames
Our Twitter with jokes, gags and rofltastic memes - https://www.twitter.com/Vixa_Games
Our Instagram with hilarious highlights - https://www.instagram.com/vixa_games/
Our "hello fellow kids" Tik-Toks - https://www.tiktok.com/@vixa__games

And more:

P.P.S.


Remember to add the game to your wishlist to secure the first row for the upcoming show!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1390700/

Greetings, Commanders. Through-out this weekend, running until Monday, 18th October at 7 AM (UTC), we're holding a DOUBLE EVENT FRENZY.

Flying Saucers have now been detected entering New Earth's atmosphere. It's an INVASION! These UFO Invaders will provide Alien crafting components if your Hero can defeat them. This event includes our brand new level 9 UFO Invaders! 🛸

Additionally, we have discovered Dark Activity across all regions! Black Ops troops guarding Dark Activity sectors hold Classified Documents, which are key to upgrading your Situation Room and creating larger, deadlier Rallies! 💪

We hope you enjoy these events, Commanders! Be sure to look out for special challenges as well throughout this weekend. ✨

This update enables mods to be used with the network lobby. Another important new feature is that coastal seas will freeze when it gets cold, possibly enabling you to reach some island during the winter. Mods can now contain custom maps, making it possible to upload map packs to the steam workshop. As usual there are also a bunch of new minor features and bug fixes.

General

• Coastal water will freeze in the winter
  
• Independents less likely to move onto frozen water tiles
  
• Fishes will no longer drown on frozen water tiles
  
• Fix for fungus spawning underwater and drowning during fungus years
  
• Ships will now deploy in the ice if the water is frozen
  
• 'r' to randomize player colors during player setup
  
• Great Archon now starts with Divine Mantle
  
• More unique names for Hades towns
  
• Improved Special Power information for some magic items
  
• Demons now belong to Infernal faction if summoning fails
  
• Can now tunnel in deserts too
  
• Restrictions for where to tunnel up/down with dig ritual
  
• Environmental damage is taken in two strikes and can now kill second shape units too
  
• Blind attacks can no longer exceed maximum range
  
• Multiple aoe 0 strike spells couldn't affect same target many times, fixed
  
• Void terrain popup incorrectly showed snow boots
  
• Don't try to play music in textmode
  
• Crash when creating game with loaded map fixed
  
• Performance improvements
  
• Stat & typo fixes

Network / Multiplayer

• Network lobby now supports mods
  
• Info about custom maps / mods when joining a new lobby game
  
• Fix for resetting team number in network setup
  
• Warning if participants' mods differ
  
• '+' and '-' now works for network game setup too

Modding

• Workshop mods can now contain maps
  
• New event commands: hasitem, hasitemhere, gainxp
  
• New monster command: libmastery
  
• New ritual commands: eventvarreq, noeventvarreq
  
• Terrain group modding
  
• New terrain commands: void, nodrown
  
• New terrain group: -113 = cities
  
• Mod banner size must have correct size
  
• Fix for map editor and paths with spaces
  
• Errors in enabled mods will no longer prevent CoE from starting

Final EA Episode 36 is now available on Steam. Episode 36 marks the end of Ark Invasion Arc and the completion of the initial base scope of the game. So-called 1.0 will be released somewhere in 2022 Q1 and will be purely localization, bug fixes, and polish orientated.

In a more broad detail, Episode 36 introduces the final encounter with the leader of the opposing faction, and this encounter sets a tone for the future of the universe. There are no plans to spoil anything, so if you want to find out how it all will end, you will need to find it for yourself.

Episode production will resume in Autumn 2022 with a new Arc. Between now and then, there will be a lot of fantastic news; stay tuned; it's not going to be just a radio silence!

This journey is just starting, and soon i will be scaling.

*Added Final Encounter with opposing faction leader and End of The Line Prompt, which ends Ark Invasion Arc.
*When colonists are overburden, and there is no space, they will now drop items to the floor.
*Fixed bug with saving colonist data; sometimes NPC'S would become hostile without any reason and start attacking your colonists.

As you might have noticed, we have shared many screenshots from the monastery, which was the primary location in the demo. We were so focused on getting everything ready on time that it took all of our time, but it was good to test all the mechanics and see how they worked. Of course, the demo was only a test run for the concept, and there are still plenty of things to work on.

However, we have started to also work on with new environment called the Trollwoods, which is, unsurprisingly, a forest inhabited by trolls. Due to having absorbed the regenerative nature of its inhabitants, the forest, its trees grow in mere weeks. Thus the land supports a very lucrative wood and paper industry, making it the leading exporter of timber and related products. The trolls are agrarian and egalitarian and no cities nor centres of government, and certainly not an army. So far, however, no other nation has tried to conquer a country populated by three-meter-tall giants who cannot be killed by ordinary weapons and have very big and sharp teeth.



Image: Trollwoods work in progress.

So in the Trollwoods, you will meet troll NPCs and encounter new enemies, though we are still reworking the encounters, so some of them (like the Scarecrow) might be familiar from the demo. What kind of monsters you'd like to see in Ignis Universia?

The Devs

Tandem Live from France
Join the developers of Tandem live on Thursday 21st October at 8.15 pm CEST!
Click here to watch Tandem on Thursday 21st October at 8.15 pm CEST!


Tandem Live from the US
Join the DechartGames who play Tandem on Friday 22nd October at 2.35 pm PDT / 11.35 CEST!
Click here to watch Tandem on Friday 22nd October at 2.35 pm PST and 11.35 pm CEST!



In the meantime

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1436920/Tandem_A_Tale_of_Shadows/