Let's kick off the New Year with some fixes for EA 0.7!

Firstly - we've seen the reports of some players getting stuck in the loading screens. With this patch, we've made a few changes to the loading system, which we're hoping greatly reduces the issues people are having here!

If you're still having issues launching, scroll to the bottom of this post for some suggestions!

• Fix couldn't enter 8 12th Street warehouse
  
• Fix can skip time repeatedly using the hotkey
  
• Fix player working doesn't stop skipping time when an employee shift starts
  
• Fix can't rent player-owned building
  
• Fix Manhattan Movers not initialized correctly
  
• Fix some old savegames can't enter gas stations
  
• Fix electric scooter despawning too soon
  
• Fix cars taking damage in ramps
  
• Fix loudspeakers desyncing
  
• Fix customer complaint after trying to buy overpriced items
  
• Fix chance of AI seeking trash bins
  
• Double speed of throw-away-trash animation
  
• Fixed issue causing corners to become unpainted
  
• Fix interior design floor/wall folding mode issues with new design
  
• Fix unable to place objects on rugs
  
• Fix stage lights stacking on other objects
  
• Fix issues that happen when you pass out while holding mop or cleaning
  
• Fix vehicle/garage collider, especially when reversing a freight truck into a warehouse
  
• Fix cash registers containing unneeded paper bags
  
• Fix can't interact with paper bags on workstations
  
• Fix wrong average player business income (BizMan & Rivals apps)
  
• Fix sitting pedestrian in benches triggering hider
  
• Fix business logo generator not matching custom logo settings
  
• Fix employee getting stuck if can't reach an item they are trying to get
  
• Add compact fix for IRS with wrong business type
  
• Fix slot machine texture
  
• Fix interior installation firm and furniture delivery message address not being localized
  
• Fix vehicle taking damage when leaving NY Distro
  
• Fix blueprints Min/Max Price sorting not working
  
• Update treadmill Icon
  
• Fix can walk around on Casino while playing games
  
• Fix incorrect supercar capacity calculation
  
• Fix issues with employee tasks and objectives and calls
  
• Fix Tall Potted Plant can be placed in tables
  
• Fix incorrect layering in the object placement system

If you're still having issues getting the game launched, here are some suggestions that might help.

Firstly, make sure your computer drivers are up-to-date!

Also, keep in mind that if the game crashes while loading on a slower system, that's a good thing! Launch again, and the game should detect that it crashed, and should lower the settings!

If that still doesn't get the game working, you can try to add these launch parameters:

• On Steam, right-click Big Ambitions and go to "Properties".
  
• In the "General" tab, add this to the "Launch Options" section:
  
• -screen-quality Low -screen-fullscreen 0 -screen-width 1024 -screen-height 768

However, some of these issues are from Mac computers, and the issue seems to be between the Mac OS and Steam. But we have a few methods that have helped several people as well:

1. Disable "Game Mode" for the Mac, as that can sometimes cause issues.
   
2. Restarting the computer sometimes fixes it, and if not, reintalling the game often does the trick.
   
3. If it's still not working, reverting versions might clear the issue:
   
   • On Steam, right-click Big Ambitions and go to "Properties".
     
   • Under "Betas", choose "EA 0.5".
     
   • Then let the game update back to EA 0.5.
     
   • Try to launch the game, then exit the game.
     
   • Go back to "Properties" and select "None" to switch to the current version.
     
   • Let the game update to the latest version.
     
   • Try to launch the game.

If that still isn't solving the issue for you:

Please email us at Support@Hovgaard.com so we can take a look!

Please include:

• Your operating system / version
  
• Your GPU / graphics card drivers
  
• The PlayerLog ("Player" and "Player-prev") files and anything in the "Crash" folder (located in the folder nested above the save games)

---

As always, we greatly appreciate your feedback and motivation as we continue improving the game!

~Hovgaard Games, and the Big Ambitions team!

Happy New Year everyone.

I failed to post my next Dev Log before the end of the year, sorry for that.
December was pretty busy with all the holiday stuff going on and I put every available minute into developing the next chapter.
But I'm now (finally...) back to my normal working schedule.

Both PCs were pretty much rendering all through the holidays which kept my office nice and warm at sub-tropical temperatures (read: way too warm!).
They're still busy rendering the remaining images and animations for the scene I was working on but once they're done I can build my next internal test build and then finally move on to the next scenes.

I have a post-winter sale running for those who missed the platform sale due to being busy with their family (how dare you?). :-)

The current version of Chapter 6 contains 1316 renders and 42 animations.

Have a good start to the new year.

Cheers,
Ceo

2024 has been a huge year for us, we've now been working on the game for 2 years since receiving the Prototype Fund from UKGF back in January 2022. A lot has happened and changed in that time.

Funding
We've been lucky in the last 2 years to raise:
-£30k from the UK Games Fund
-£9k through Kickstarter
-£50k through Innovate UK
-$30k through ID@Xbox

For a small indie team this has really enabled us to do a lot, even though it's a small budget compared to a lot of big AAA games, for us it's more than we ever could have imagined.

Dialogue
As a narrative focused game, dialogue is really one of the most important aspects of the game to get right. We record almost everything in person at a London Recording Studio (excpet for a few small phone conversation bits). We also work with 6ft From the Spotlight to make sure there is always a wellbeing facilitator present whenever we can afford it (some of our grants don't accept this as development but it's hugely important to me given the game content to have this for more challenging sessions).



We've done around 65 hours of recording with 15 actors so far and we're still going! We're very lucky to work with such talented actors:
-Emily Burnett (Hollyoaks, Metaphor: ReFantazio) as the lead role of Alice
-Dave Jones (Baldur's Gate 3) as Alice's father
-Iestyn Arwel (Right Now) as Patrick
-Anthony Howell (Foyle's War, Elden Ring) as DC Wainwright
-Elsie Lovelock (Warhammer 40k, Planet Coaster 2) as Miss Smith

Music
Another huge milestone was recording our soundtrack at Abbey Road Studios in London over 2 days back in August 2024. While I can't tell you just yet what some of the music is, there will be some exciting announcements about this very very soon, keep an eye (or ear) out!



Awards
Despite the game not even being out yet, we've also amazingly been nominated for the Performance Spotlight Awards at Indiecade as well as winning:
-Best Narrative at GDLX
-Innovation in Games at Barclays Entrepreneur Awards



We're now working very hard as 2025 hits, to pull everyone's hard work together to be able to play through the game from start to finish. We still are attending a few events in person but the main focus is getting the game to a place where we can start play testing. As we start to add polish and pull levels together, I'm also really keen to start cutting together a new trailer, as there's so much new to show off. Can't wait! Thank you all for your unwavering support so far and all the feedback and lovely comments we get. It keeps us going!

Alyx

This time, we want to tell you all about how moving around the ship will look. Get ready for a mix of adventure, parkour, and… danger!💀

There’s no room for boredom on this wreck. In addition to classic exploration, you’ll face challenges that will fill each step with adrenaline and strategic thinking🏴‍☠️



Jumping on Containers – In some areas, you’ll have to jump across containers to reach hard-to-reach spots. Sometimes, to get to treasure or rare items, you’ll need to climb to the top of a container stack! Just be careful with your balance and agility – some paths will require the skills of a true acrobat.


Escaping Animals and Pirates – The wreck is home to various wild animals, and sometimes even hostile pirates. While traversing the ship, you’ll occasionally need to make a quick escape or find a shortcut to avoid danger. It’s light parkour where every second counts!

Dark and Narrow Passages – Some areas on the ship will force you through tight, dark corridors. You’ll need to move carefully, as these places hold plenty of surprises – from aggressive animals to lurking pirates. It’ll be a true test of courage!


Survivors, tell us what you think about this mix of parkour, exploration! Every step on the ship can be an adventure in itself. Do you like this vision full of action and challenges?

[App Store Package Price in JPY Purchase Adjusted]

Hello, this is Project Moon.

The Package prices when making a purchase in JPY in App Store has been adjusted to match the prices on Steam and Android versions of the game.

Attemping to make a purchase in the in-game shop will show the adjusted price.
If, when checking the prices for the packages, the prices haven't changed, please restart the game or attempt again after some time.

We once again deeply apologize for not informing you of the package price adjustments in time,
and in future instances of package price adjustments, we will be sure to inform you as soon as they occur.

We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.

Brave Ones, do you hear the call of adventure?

Conquering Singoru is a challenging test that not everyone dares to face. To support courageous adventurers, Goblin Bank, led by Mr. Goblin himself, has launched a sale on useful sets! With this assistance, you will surely be able to protect Singoru from the forces of evil!

In the Bank, under the "Recommended" tab, you'll find Sets for each location with a delightful discount of up to 80%!

The sets will be available in the shop until January 6, 12:00 UTC.

Note: These sets become available after unlocking the "Easy" difficulty of the corresponding location.


From January 3 to January 6, 12:00 UTC, you will earn more gold by completing any location! Grab your adventure pouches and head out to collect those precious coins!


May luck accompany you on your journey!

Repair
1. Fixed some issues that may cause defense levels to become negative, resulting in combat freezes
2. Fixed some issues where NPC behavior was ineffective
3. Fixed some other issues

🎉 Update Alert! 🎉
Say hello to the Rogue! 🗡️ The newest character in Choice Matters is here, bringing stealth, cunning, and a whole lot of tricks to the table. Are you ready to outsmart your foes?



✨ What’s New:

🕶️ Rogue character added with unique abilities and challenges.
🔧 Gameplay fixes for smoother and more balanced adventures.
🛠️ Bug squashing to enhance your experience.

• Fixed an issue where the bow shooting sound effect would disappear in certain situations.
  
• Fixed an issue where the Unbounded Counter effect would be misaligned in certain situations.
  
• Fixed an issue where Ji could get stuck and become unresponsive during the Ji boss fight

If you encounter any issues after the update, feel free to reach out to us on our Discord group. Thank you!

Today we'll tell you about the game we had the pleasure of creating this year. We wanted to break away a bit from Hank's dark vibe and try our hand at something more fun and perhaps a bit goofy, and that's how Tales From The Arcade: Fartmania came to be.


The plan was great at first, but very quickly there was such a... small... tiny... problem. We had absolutely no experience with platformer games. We had to re-test new mechanics and solutions, we often got lost and that's why it took us a little over... a year to produce the whole thing. Yeah. We know, it's a bit long for a simple platformer.



However, we wanted everything to be in it as we had planned. We decided that our project needs that extra time. In the end we are satisfied with the result. While playing Fartmania, you take on the role of Pinky, a little piglet with a farting problem. The whole village makes fun of him, but soon the inhabitants are kidnapped by aliens, and the only person who can save them is Pinky. The player must watch out for spikes, rescue the pigs, collect beans and finally defeat the aliens with his unusual powers.



We published the first version of the game for free on Newgrounds, GameJolt and other such sites. We wanted to see what players felt about it and whether our game is simply fun to play. The results exceeded our wildest expectations, as Fartmania was fired up more than tens of thousands of times, the feedback was also very favorable, so we refined the game, fixed bugs and then it was time for the real launch. We chose Steam and Nintendo Switch as the target media, because we like Nintendo Switch, and we always wanted Fartmania to be available on Nintendo Switch. It was a bit of “fun” to do this, because Nintendo's policies are terribly convoluted, but in the end everything worked out and Fartmania is now available in almost all regions of the world on Switch.



For the launch on Steam, we even held a contest in which the person with the highest demo highscore had the opportunity to become... an in-game character! The fight was fierce, but in the end the player with the nickname WikVenture won, and this is how his character, which you can meet in the game, looks!



A few months after its release, Fartmania sold in... 75 copies on Steam. After 900 wishlists. And 165 copies on Nintendo Switch overall. Whether that's a lot or a few, that's a question you can answer for yourselves, we are quite satisfied with this result and would definitely commit in this madness once again if given the chance.



As I said, Tales From The Arcade: Fartmania is now available on both Steam and Nintendo Switch, if you'd like to check it out for yourself you'll find a link to the game below, show it to your friends and compete with them for highest highscore, and remember: never give up. See ya!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2883610/Tales_From_The_Arcade_Fartmania/