How to get early access to the next playtest!

Thanks to everyone who gave feedback during the last closed playtest for Captain Contraption’s Safari Park.

I’ve been hard at work implementing a bunch of changes based on your feedback (all listed below) and we’re ready to run the third, and likely final, playtest!

Things are going to run a little differently this time and we will be running a closed playtest followed by an open one. Those who have activated a Steam key for the playtest will get early access on Wednesday 24th June, then we will open up the playtest signup on Steam for everyone on Friday 26th June. The playtest will then close for everyone on Monday 29th June.

If you want to get into the playtest early and haven’t already activated a Steam key sign up to our mailing list here https://www.pillbug.zone/

Before you read the patch notes, if you haven’t already wishlisted the game please do so. It helps the algorithm notice us which will help us get some more playtesters next weekend and that means better data and a better game!

Captain Contraptions Safari Park Thanks

Sean

Patch Notes

New Features

• Added graphs which update in real time and can be used to monitor population of animals and plants

Path System

• Fixed a bug where after editing a figure of 8 type loop the path would be invalid and appear to break

• Fixed bugs where occasionally the guide would stop after a mid tour path edit

• Added a UI pulse to show the direction of a path while editing to help players determine if paths are valid loops

• Changed some of the UI path elements

• You can now cross paths from different visitor centres

• Fixed some bugs with the guide and visitor path finding which means they sometimes fell behind in the queue

Bug Fixing

• When mouse is over a UI element it returns to normal state

• Camera does not zoom when scrolling a UI element

• The volume slider UI number now rounds correctly

• Fixed some pathfinding bugs in the creature behaviour

• Fixed UI issues for ultrawide monitors

Balancing

• Creatures now have the concept of a territory anchor which initially starts where they are born and slowly moves towards areas they find food or other creatures in their same species. They will move towards this anchor if they wander too far away.

• Decreased the goop cost of plants

• Visitor ticket prices now have a proportion which is based on the total length of their visit to make long routes less punishing

• Research grants now give a choice between a cash injection and extending the run timer

• The number of new creatures you unlock increases every time you complete an objective. This means that you can get through multiple types of animal in a single run.

• Rebalanced much of the ticketing price system.

Quality of Life

• Audio mutes when window is not focussed

• Game no longer detects input when window is not focussed

• Every input now has a keyboard binding (e.g. camera drag can now be done with a button rather than middle mouse)

• Reduced intensity of main menu animation

• Doubled length park visitor messages stay on screen

• Make the “Auto Buy Goop” checkbox clearer

• Changed fonts throughout to improve readability

• Building buttons now grow on mouse over to make it easier to read the cost

• Removed songs which have lyrics from the placeholder soundtrack

• To build a building you now have to hold the button for 0.3 seconds before it places. This time can be edited in the options menu (and turned off).

• The UI now displays the cost of each goop barrel

• Added a sprite which indicates which building you have selected in the inspector

• Added more zoom levels

Tutorials

• Tutorial messages time out after 60 seconds so you can’t get soft locked

• Tutorials which are related to player inputs now have a button for remapping controls

• Tutorials with tasks now have a progress bar so players know how long to perform an action to complete it

• An arrow points to UI elements described in tutorial text

• Added conditions which need to be met before some tutorials are shown. This means less up front text and more tutorial messages at times which make sense.