Aug 18, 2022

The Ascent - CosmicRaccoon

The following summary covers the key areas we have addressed in this new major Patch update for The Ascent on Steam.

General

We have added a new Melee weapon into the game. The uPlus bat can be found across the world by winning combat against Thugs in the world.
Ultrawide support has been improved with the following resolutions now available:
1024×768
1152×864
1152×872
1280×720
1280×800
1280×1024
1440×900
1600×900
1600×1200
1680×1050
1920×1080
1920×1200
2560×1440
3440×1440

Stability

Fixed an issue where Players could lose keyboard input in the interaction with the GunSmith in Cluster 13.
Fixed rare crash that could occur when taking a Taxi from “CorpZone” to “Arcology: Highstreet”.

Co-op

Resolved an issue where EN bar recharge sometimes wouldn’t appear for Client Players.
Fixed an issue where the Host might be unable to skip a cutscene if they disconnected their controller in the loading screen & tried to reconnect before the loading was over.
Fixed an issue where Cyberdecks stopped functioning for the Client Player in some circumstances.
Resolved an issue where the Client Player could lose all equipped items including Cyberdeck if they hotjoins when a Host Player triggers the elevator.
Fixed instance where the Papa Feral’s Health Bar failed to appear for Client Players if certain conditions were met.
Addressed an issue where it could take several seconds until the Co-op Player’s weapon appeared after a Host Player takes a taxi, when in different zones.
Fixed an issue in Local Co-op where one Player taking the elevator in Lanier’s Apartment with another Player staying behind could cause world textures to unload.
Addressed specific instances where players in a Co-op session would hear the music from Coder’s Cove while in combat in Black Lake Towers.
Fixed a bug which could allow Local Co-op Players to temporarily take over the other Players’ vendor browsing.
Fixed an issue where spamming “Switch Character” while loading into an Online Co-op game could cause the “Select Profile” tab to become stuck on screen.
Fixed instances which could lead to a “Failed to join the session” becoming stuck on screen after accepting an invite to an Online Lobby.
Fixed a bug which could see NPCs in interior areas multiply for Online Co-op Clients if repeatedly entering and exiting interior locations while the Host remained in an outside location.

Gameplay

Resolved a couple issues preventing the ‘Exotic Dinner’ Side Mission from being completed under set circumstances.
Fixed an issue where additional incorrect enemies would spawn in the Papa Feral fight during ‘Arcology Blues’ (Mission 1)
Addressed a potential progression blocker in ‘Liberation Operation’ Side Mission where after killing the Foreman the mission wouldn’t progress.
Fixed an issue in ‘Empowerment’ (Mission 4) where you could engage the Megarachnoid boss in combat before the cutscene had played, resolving a potential progression blocker.
Addressed an issue where utilizing Propulsion Leap against the Megarachnoid boss in ‘Empowerment’ (Mission 4) could under certain circumstances put Players in a state of invulnerability and unable to inflict damage.
Fixed a rare instance where rushing at the start of ‘Boardroom’ (Mission 10) could create a progression blocker.
Addressed instances where Ferals could get stuck in the environment, preventing completion of “Survive the Carnage” objective during ‘The Champ’ Side Mission.
Fixed an issue in ‘Empowerment’ (Mission 4) where the mission objective may not be updated after completing the ‘Boost Cooling System’ objective when the Host Player is far enough to get teleported by the Client Player.
Fixed an issue in ‘The Champ’ Side Mission where quitting the game mid-mission could cause no Feral’s to spawn upon resuming.
Fixed a navigation trail issue in the “Bubble Trouble” Side Mission at the ‘Search for Udina’ objective step.
Fixed an edge case progression blocker caused by Propulsion Leap in ‘Foreign Code’ (Mission 6).
Fixed several instances where Players utilizing the Propulsion Leap when attacking the Siege Mech enemy, including ‘Gun-Dolph’ could get stuck inside the Mech.
Resolved a potential progression blocker that could occur if quitting to Main Menu right after ‘Speak with 438 Hung’ mission step during ‘Trading Places’ (Mission 3).
Fixed an issue where Players could cause the ‘Gun-Dolph’ enemy during ‘Root Access’ (Mission 11) to glitch when attacked with Propulsion Leap.
Fixed a bug where holding the default “Confirm” button/key could lead to accidentally skipping of NPC dialogue.
Kira’s messages about civilians no longer play after ‘Unhandled Exception’ (Mission 12).

Audio

The “Interruptor” weapon now delivers a more satisfying sound.
Addressed Kira IMP Voice Over dialogue being delayed.

Translation

Improved translations for all languages.
Fixed various minor localisation issues.

Fixes

Lots of assorted & minor collision issues.

Aug 18, 2022

PowerWash Simulator Research Edition Live - Oxford Study Branch

PowerWash Simulator - Josh FuturLab

Hey everyone!

We’re excited to offer an opportunity to take part in a unique collaboration between FuturLab and independent researchers from the Oxford Internet Institute (part of Oxford University).

Plus, get clean exclusive cosmetic items for doing it! (cosmetics coming soon)

In short, play for science and more stuff!

This is a one-of-a-kind anonymous research study centered around the well-being of PowerWash Simulator’s players and also aims to deliver insights into the larger discourse of gaming and mental health. For more information on the study and previous studies, see our main page here.

The most significant difference from the main game is that both Multiplayer and Non-English language support have been disabled in the Research Edition.

A new ‘character’ has been introduced in the Research Edition which allows our researchers to contact you, the player, as if they exist in the game’s universe. They will get in touch throughout the study and occasionally ask questions about your experience. These questions are extremely short (they’ll take you less than a couple of seconds to answer) so shouldn’t disrupt your game experience.

The study questions will not be asked in challenge mode, as they would be disruptive to this mode’s gameplay.

Rewards will be available later, but the system to unlock them has been implemented so that progress will be counted towards them. You’ll see this progression reflected in the ‘Rewards’ pop-up in the game.

Please note that campaign progress will not be carried over between the Research Edition and the main game. This means that opted-in players will need to start from the beginning of the game and any progress in the Research Edition will not be shared with the main game. This is to ensure the study can be delivered in the most consistent way possible while also avoiding potential issues with saved progress on the main game.

Please read our FAQ for more info on the study and the Opting In section for how to join. :)

Opting In

It’s easy to start participating in the study. The Research Edition of the game is available to any existing owners on Steam through a publicly accessible beta branch.

All you need to do is follow these simple steps to get started:

1. Navigate to your Steam library

2. Find PowerWash Simulator and right click on it (if you can’t see it, ensure you don’t have any filters set which might be hiding it)

3. Select ‘Properties…’ from the right click context menu

4. Select ‘BETAS’ from the left hand menu

5. Click the dropdown, and select ‘research-edition – Research Edition 2022’

6. Steam should now start downloading the new branch

7. Once the download is complete, simply launch it in your usual way, you should see the Research Edition logo on the intro title screen

FAQ

Q: I have PowerWash Simulator on a platform other than Steam, can I still participate?
A: The Research Edition is only available for owners of the game on Steam.

Q: How do I opt in or Out?
A: See the Opting In and Opting Out sections!

Q: Can I have the Research Edition installed as well as the main version?
A: Unfortunately, no. Due to the nature of Steam’s beta branches, you can currently only have one version installed at a time. Switching to the Research Edition (or back) will trigger a download and re-install of (most of) the game. This should be around 5GB.

Q: Is save data from the main game separate?
A: Yes, the career progression is separate but game settings will be shared between both. You will have a fresh save on the study branch but can return to your current main game save at any time by opting-out.

Q: Will I lose any progress on the main game for opting in to the Research Edition?

A: No, all campaign progress on the main version of PowerWash Simulator will be retained as the Research Edition uses a separate 'save file'. All progress from both branches will be kept when swapping between branches on Steam.

Q: Why should I get involved?
A: Because it’ll support extremely important research on video games! This is a first-of-its-kind research study which will be important in understanding the effects videogames can have on their players. We also have a few rewards planned for participants, which will arrive at a later date!

Q: How do the participation rewards work?
A: During gameplay, the researchers will periodically get in touch with the player via an in-game character. These will usually be followed by a popup with a question about the player’s experience and wellbeing. These questions are always optional, but answering them will yield progress towards unlocking the next reward.

The rewards will be released at a later date. In order to claim and use them once they go live, you will have to launch the Research Edition and use the in-game rewards popup to claim any you have unlocked. Once these have been claimed, you will be able to equip them on both the Research Edition and the main version of the game on Steam only. Equipped cosmetics will be visible to all players during cross-platform multiplayer.

Q: I have an issue with the Research Edition, how can I report it?
A: Please use this thread on the Steam discussion boards.

Q: I would like to ask the researchers a question, how can I do this?
A: Please get in touch via their dedicated email address.

Q: Will the Research Edition be available in my language?
A: At this current time the Research Edition is only available in English.

Q: Can I play the Research Edition offline?
A: While the core gameplay will still be functional when offline, the data from the study can only be sent to the researchers while you have an active internet connection so we do encourage trying to retain online connectivity whilst playing on the Research Edition as much as possible.

Q: Will the researchers know who I am if I participate?
A: No, the data being collected are being de-identified so that no one at either FuturLab or Oxford Internet Institute will be able to re-identify you as a participant.

Q: What will you do with my data?
A: In the Research Edition, there are two types of data being collected.

The first is the ‘base’ telemetry - metrics for player progression, shop purchases, general gameplay activities etc. This will be both kept by FuturLab and provided to the researchers for analysis in the study.

The second type of data is made up of the responses from the Research Edition-specific popups (aka the questions that the researchers will ask you). Any question that you respond to from the researchers will not go to FuturLab, and will be sent securely from the game client to the researchers’ own database. No-one except the researchers will have read access to this sensitive information—and like your telemetry, these data will be de-identified.

Q: What is the difference between the Research Edition and the main version?
A: The Research Edition has the same content as the main game except for the following:

- Multiplayer has been disabled
- Non-English language support has been disabled
- A new launch sequence will allow first-time players to opt-in if they agree to the terms
- A new Opt Out button on the main menu provides players with instructions on how to transition back to the main game and remove their progression (and sensitive data) if desired
- A new Tell us how you feel button in the menu allows players to optionally give the researchers feedback about their experience once every 30 minutes
- A new Rewards option in the menu allows players to track their progress towards unlocking the new cosmetic reward for participation. Though these aren’t yet available for claiming, progression will be tracked and saved - don’t worry, you’ll be able to claim them when they release
- Throughout gameplay, a new character will periodically contact the player with communication about the study, often closely followed with a question about their experience

Q: How long will the Research Edition be available?

A: While we don't have a solid end date in mind yet, the branch will be available for at least three months from launch (which was 18th August 2022).

Q: Is there an age limit?

A: Unfortunately due to data protection and handling laws, participants must be aged 18 or older.

Opting Out

Once you have opted into the Research Edition, Steam will have automatically downloaded that version of the game and you will be able to run it from the Steam listing of the game in your library.

To return to the main game, you must follow the same process to get to the beta branch selection dropdown, then select None.

This should trigger/queue a download in Steam for the main version of the game, to replace the Research Edition.

Thank you for your interest! We hope you will consider joining us in the Research Edition of PowerWash Simulator.

Until next time!

Keep up with everything PowerWash Simulator by following our channels:

Discord: https://discord.com/invite/powerwashsimulator
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PowerWashSim
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/futurlab
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@powerwashsim?
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/powerwashsim/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/powerwashsim
PWS Wiki: https://powerwash-simulator.fandom.com/wiki/PowerWash_Simulator_Wiki

Aug 18, 2022

Construction Simulator - Multiplayer Trailer

Construction Simulator 2 US - Pocket Edition - PsychoCow

The latest part of the Construction Simulator® series impresses not only with its enormous scope, its modern graphics and the largest vehicle fleet in the history of the game series, but also with its sophisticated, cooperative multiplayer mode for up to four players. As individual players work their way up from a small construction company to the largest construction giant of the area by playing the respective campaigns of the two lively maps of the game, they always have the opportunity to open their current game for a multiplayer session in order to work together as a team. When doing so, the invited "guests" act as co-workers of the “host’s” company. While the players get to work together, the "host" earns money for his or her company and the "guests" earn a share at the same time, which is then credited to their own profile on their personal save game.

https://youtu.be/aDddf1V-pzA

When playing in multiplayer, players can always decide among themselves who fulfills which of the tasks. Be it a division of responsibilities, in which one player takes care of the preparations on the construction site, while their workmates set out to organize the required vehicles, machines or materials, or all players using their excavators to dig up the soil together – when it comes to the distribution of tasks there aren’t any limits!

To ensure that the tasks will not get too easy, especially in multiplayer, players can select the level of difficulty for the respective construction contract when accepting new missions. This not only affects how many subtasks a mission has in total, but also how much soil has to be excavated to fulfill an excavation task, how much material is needed before a job is considered as completed etc. – the higher the level of difficulty, the more work is waiting for the players!

Pre-order Construction Simulator - Extended Edition (including the Car & Bobblehead Pack and the Customization Kit DLCs) now and save ~10%:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1273400/

Aug 18, 2022

Construction Simulator - Multiplayer Trailer

Construction Simulator 2015 - PsychoCow

Aug 18, 2022

Construction Simulator - Multiplayer Trailer

Construction Simulator - PsychoCow