Update log
Full Project Prison update
The complete published notes, normalized for clean reading and source attribution.
Repeated intro
Hello everyone, it's been a while! My goal with this game has always been to create a truly living, breathing world where every action has its own set of consequences. I envisioned a sandbox, open-world experience where each character possesses a unique persona, background, needs, and ambitions. If you've played The Sims, you'll recognize the core idea: characters react based on their needs. I've implemented a similar system here, where all 300 prisoners have their own individual goals and needs, and their behavior reflects those. One of the most crucial aspects of this is the social activities that the AI can perform.
Extracted changes
- Gameplay
In the following video, you'll see us follow a prisoner as he moves from one area to meet his friend. They greet each other, have a chat, and then head off to do another activity. This could be anything from working out together in the yard to playing checkers or chess. There's a variety of social activities for the AI to engage in, like playing games and conversing. And if they're part of the same gang, you'll even witness a special gang hug animation—it's pretty cool! Also, prisoners now move using the "lobby" system which will improve immersion, unlike in the last video where they were disabled upon reaching a door.
As you can see, different prisoners are engaged in various activities, from lying in bed to doing crunches in their cells. You'll also often find gang members standing near ledges, keeping watch over their territory and dealing in contraband.
In the same way, you can witness a range of dynamic events unfolding in the game. For instance, a prisoner named John might purchase contraband from a dealer. Another prisoner, a bully, might then attack and steal John's stash, or maybe he'll hire the player to do it. Conversely, John could ask the player for a favor to help him get his stash back. There are currently 12-13 different quests, and while the complexity and animations limit the number for now, I'm planning to expand this significantly during early access. I hope this gives you an idea of the possibilities, as if the player defends John before he gets mugged, the bully might try to hire someone else (or a friend) to attack the player.
Each prisoner has a unique criminal history and background, and you will find a different set of dialogue options when interacting with them depending on the situation.
I've added varied dialogue options that change based on the context – for example, a prisoner sitting or showering will have different dialogue choices that will lead to unique reactions based on your selection. In the dialogue video, you can see these options, as well as some icons – this is the prisoner's log, a quick information sheet about them. It tells the player about the prisoner's background, the crime they committed, and their family history. You'll need to interact with them to uncover this information. This knowledge will come in handy when you need to blackmail them to smuggle contraband or extort money from them.
There are also 20-30 different crime types, each with its own severity. Prisoners will behave accordingly – for example, those who committed crimes against minors or assault will be treated badly by other prisoners, you'll see them spending their time alone and getting bullied.
There are subroutines and routines that the AI will also follow. They will only go to work, shower, or dinner during the times when these routines are active.
We've also added a running tackle mechanic to
Source