Cattle Call has finally left Early Access and stepped on a larger stage.
To celebrate this milestone, a launch discount of 15% has been instigated.
Once again, I’d like to thank everybody who have bought the game!
A huge special thanks + a lot of love and appreciation to those who helped us make the game better with their feedback and encouragement! I’m very grateful to you guys, your support meant much more than you’d imagine.
We’ll continue supporting the game with bugfixes, tweaks, and (hopefully, if we can afford) additional language versions.
Besides, I’m also planning to release a couple of modding tools and guides shortly (for free, paid DLCs are not endorsed by me), so you can tweak random events/write your own events, edit your actors’ stats and more.
Thanks again for everything and let’s celebrate this milestone with the unforgettable Andrew Sachs from one of the greatest TV comedies of all time:
Version 2.0.0 has been released!
Dear All,
After a lot of blood, swear(ing) and tears, I’m happy to announce that the new version is finally live on Steam!
I named it 2.0.0 because I felt that the speed boost the game received sort of elevated it to new heights (from a molehill to a termite castle :)
So, speaking of speed boost - by far the most important “feature” of this build is that the Load Game/Save Game time were reduced to mere seconds as opposed to about 40 seconds and more in year 3 onwards in the previous versions!
Aside from this key improvement, several bugs were squashed, quite a few tweaks and polish were applied.
Let me list the major changes, I’ll leave the rest to you to discover :)
Remember, some of these changes only come into effect when you start a new game!
Load Game / Save Game time have been reduced dramatically
The time of the turn where the Box Office Gross is calculated and hence the access time of the Box Office Chart have been reduced epically (this was a nuisance after 1-1.5 years into the game)
The bug where A-lister and Notable actors did not join your agency despite accepting the contract has been fixed
When you win or lose a Chat, that option will be immediately deactivated, not only in the next turn (so you can no longer nag the actor and code until you get what you want)
Mutual termination event was added – if an actor is “Depressed” there is a chance from time to time that he/she will request mutual termination (which you can accept or decline)
“Victory event” added – you win the game upon unlocking “Major” reputation (but you can play on in “Endless Mode” nonetheless). Aside from giving all of us a sense of achievement, I wanted such an event for the prospective Steam Achievements.
Several “award events” were added – I made quite a few award events to fill the void their absence caused. It’s not the epic/complex awards system I envisioned/designed but I have to bow to reality (see my separate post about the future of the game).
Morale fix and tweak – less depressed actors, more shiny, happy people. I hope I did not make it too easy now...)
Actors only had one birthplace per nationality - fixed
Update news - Gaining some (actually, a lot of) speed
Hello Pretty Peopleses,
Some great news from behind the (disintegrated) iron curtain. Mr. Programmer has finished (or at least he thinks he’s finished) refactoring the load/save system and the initial results are more than promising.
The loading and saving time of a 30 Mbyte savegame has been reduced from around 40 seconds to 2-3 seconds on my ancient computer.
This, I believe, is an extremely important “milestone” for Cattle Call, because the long load/save time turned the game into a somewhat masochistic experience after 2-3 years. At least on my reliclike PC but I assume it’s not much better on faster computers either.
Now, I’m going to spend as much time as possible on testing the new version to make sure the optimization did not ignite bushfires elsewhere in the game.
If anything goes well - or at least doesn’t go horribly wrong - we’ll release the new version in 1-2 weeks.
Aside from the lightning fast load/save, the new build will also include a good number of bugfixes, tweaks and additions.
Thank you for the attention and the loud round of applause :)
Sitrep and a little personal update
Dear Peoples,
I just wanted to let you know that we have started to work on optimizing the load/save system and on some other principal parts. These require major “rearrangements” in the code, so there won’t be any major updates in the next couple of weeks at least.
That said, I’ve been testing an “interim” build for a few days (compiled before work on the major update started) that addresses some issues and applies some tweak-lubricant to the machinery. I’m planning to upload this version in the next few days unless I run into something hideous during testing.
Finally, allow me add a little personal layer to the “Cattle Call story”. Not because I want to burden you with my uninteresting private life but because it has some effect on the game as well, so it’s kind of relevant to the topic.
Since the game isn’t selling good enough to sustain a 2-men studio (besides, I also have to feed 3 kids and a few other exotic animals too :), I need to do some side gigs to keep the ship afloat. Just some regular stuff - selling my body on the streets, performing as a clown at birthday parties, etc.
While I’ll still try to spend as much time as possible on my (not so) little creation, it inevitably hurts our speed of progress to some extent and I may also be slower to respond to questions on forums, emails, etc. at times.
Apologies for that in advance. Then again, I’ll do my best to minimize these lags.
As always - thank you for your attention and flattering interest in Cattle Call!
1.0.2 Update has been released!
Dear All,
If everything goes right (I’m a little nervous/unsure as I’ve been having a little struggle with Steam’s upload system...), the 1.0.2 build should be live on Steam.
A bit earlier than promised but I hope you’ll forgive me for desecrating the ancient developer tradition of “Never meet dedlines, so you can then coolly say: A delayed game is eventually good, a bad game is bad forever.”
Just to recap what’s new/has been changed in this version:
Please read Customize.txt for instructions. The file is in the game’s root folder (by default: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Cattle Call\Customize.txt)
Natrually, customization will be made much more softcore in the future. This was the fastest way to give you this weapon quickly though.
A bunch of new random events
About life, the universe and everything. These will only spawn (under the right circumstances) if you start a new game.
Close windows by pressing ESC „feature”
You can close the windows by pressing ESC now aside from clicking X or CLOSE. Mind you, there are some windows that cannot be closed – but that’s not a bug, it’s just the deed of a passive-aggressive designer.
BUGFIXES
„Load Game&New Game vs Quit to Main Menu aka multiplied messages” bugfix
This should finally rid the game of the „multiplied messages/events” bug as well as crashes stemming from this issue.
„Too few movies during September-December” bugfix
December is still more quiet but the rest of the year is okay. And “silent December” is actually realistic.
+ some smaller ones
TWEAKS
A few of those, too, yes.
Next Version (1.0.2) ETA: 18 January
Dear Peoples,
The 1.0.2 update is planned to be released by the end of next week.
I’m currently testing it like a madman (and reporting my findings, accompanied by some obscene insults, to Mr. Programmer) and will continue to do so in the following days to (try to) make sure no nasty new bugs will be introduced like it happened in the build of 22 December (scout and script consultant crash after loading a savegame...).
While this next update still primarily focuses on bugfixes, it will also include several new random events as well as a couple of good tweaks and a nice surprise (manager customization).
I hope that once the new version is uploaded, we can finally start working on some meaningful/bigger new features, based also on your invaluable feedback.
– by popular demand. It won’t be a flashy ingame stuff but you will be able to easily change your character’s name (and the agency’s name) in a settings file + you can change the character’s photo and the agency’s logo, too.
„Load Game&New Game vs Quit to Main Menu” bugfix
: this will rid the game of the „multiplied messages/events” bug as well as crashes stemming from this issue, without needing to quit to Windows/restart game before loading a savegame or starting a new game.
„Too few movies during September-December” bugfix
– from 2019, the number of new movies dramatically decrease from around September (and only get back to normal the following January). This was due to a reckless randomizer algorithm, which we’ve finally managed to tame.
A bunch of new random events
– bunch of new random events from our critically berated writer.
Close windows by pressing ESC „feature”
– people have started to sue us for getting bad tendonitis in their hands from having to click so much and we have no money for legal fees – hence the addition.
Contract- and other tweaks and fine tuning
– tweakle, tweakle, little star.
Bugfixes
– and some new fix bugs (just joking).
Happy New Year!
Gentle People,
Let me wish all of you a very happy and prosperous 2019!
Let's make Cattle Call great again together :)
New update released – trying to leave the crash course
Dear All,
I’ve uploaded a new build with the following fixes, thanks to all those fabulous people who sent me their savegames and helped us immensely to get to the bottom of the issues:
Clicking “Scout Actor” on an actor’s profile or any ongoing scout report caused the game to crash after you loaded a savegame – FIXED
Clicking “Hire Script Consultant” on a casting notice or any ongoing script consultant report caused the game to crash after you loaded a savegame – FIXED
An “invisible” ai actor schedule conflict could cause the game to crash on a fixed date – FIXED
+ some additional smaller fixes
Should you still run into any “locked” crashes (i.e. happens all the time on a certain day) please keep sending me the savegame to zsolt.tatrai@funnyanglegames.com
WARNING! Unfortunately, the scout/script consultant fix kills all previous savegames...I’m really sorry about that. I promise I won’t make any “savegame-killer updates” in the next few weeks unless it’s absolutely inevitable (I considered the bugs fixed in this current update critical, so I couldn’t postpone the new version).
Appropriate season's greetings :)
1.0.1 update finally released!
Dear All,
The updated version has just been released (the version number was also increased to 1.0.1, something I forgot to do with the previous updates...).
We fixed several bugs as well as (tried to) apply some fine tuning/tweaking to enhance the experience.
While I successfully loaded a few savegames you sent me via email earlier, the changes might cause issues later in previous savegames (they shouldn’t but my paranoia and previous experience is whipsering to my ears).
In any case though, most of the changes in the update will only take effect in a brand New Game.
Thank you for your attention and...you know...for everything :)
Bugs Fixed
If you have gone bankrupt and then started a new game from the main menu (instead of quitting to Window and run the game again), it continued on the day of bankruptcy with “negative money”. - FIXED
The game did not save your agency’s reputation earlier (always stayed Minor when you loaded the savegame in) - FIXED
Due to a script bug, Major reputation was unlocked when you earned 2M USD and at the same time, it also deducted 2M USD from your account (...) – FIXED, MAJOR REPUTATION IS UNLOCKED WHEN YOU EARN 10M USD
We incidentally left the (old, incompatible, untested) Actor Properties (Actor editor) in the game. Using it dissected the game in many creative ways – FIXED, REMOVED
On random occasions, after a few days into the game, actor heads got mixed up: actors got female portraits, actresses got male portraits - FIXED
Almost all Ai actors became free agents in the game after a year or so - FIXED
Sometimes the casting notice on the very bottom of the casting screen was barely visible - FIXED
Quality of Life Improvements (there are more, these are just the “A-listers and Notables”)
The Submit Actor button is dectivated on the casting notices if you have zero submittable clients for the specific role – HALLELUJAH, WE SAVE YOU A LOT OF POST-IT MONEY :)
The Mob will only collect their 50k on 10 December to give players a little more time – BY POPULAR DEMAND
Actors got more antidepressants and are now a bit more grateful for your good work – THEY ARE A BIT MORE REASONABLE NOW, REALLY
I squeezed a “Quit” button into the game, you can use this, too, beside the ESC key – I WAS CALLED MANY NAMES FOR THE LACK OF THIS BUTTON, OF WHICH “ARCHAIC S.O.B.” WAS THE FRIENDLIEST
