First off, thank you for a wonderful launch week! I appreciate all the support and it's been fantastic watching streams of everyone playing the game. Since launch there have been two sizeable updates and some minor hotfixes, but I wanted to show the big update I have planned for October based on your feedback.
Current Game Status
A lot of people have been enjoying the new campaign structure I've implemented for the sequel, and I just want to start off by stressing the fact that all of these new features are not impacting the new "Chef for Hire" mode or the CSD mode that is currently in the game now (more on that in a sec). These are simply fun new additions that I think enhance the game even more, but if you want to continue on your quest for all golds, go for it! These new features will not be implemented in that mode in order to preserve the balance I wanted from the start.
I am, however, constantly monitoring player feedback to make sure that there aren't any "impossible" levels in C4H, and will update levels accordingly (in the last two patches I've balanced the difficulty on a few levels.)
New CSD Modes: Classic and Stress Kitchen
The current "Cook, Serve, Delicious!" mode where you place your foods on the menu and play is now called Standard Mode. Nothing changes here from the game now: you can create some menus and hop right into a day without worrying about menu balancing, buzz, etc.
The second mode, Stress Kitchen, opens all 14 prep stations and 8 holding stations (which can be turned off or on), and allows you to adjust the buzz to whatever percentage you want (from 0% to 200%). You cannot earn any money, crates or YUM progression from this mode- it's just a fun way to experience the game.
Finally, the biggest new mode is called Classic. This is a unique mode that allows you to place foods and earn buzz, just like Standard mode. However, you will need to keep in mind several new features. The first are the additions of boosters and detractors.
These are traits that all 180+ foods have in the game. Some traits add buzz on your menu instantly just by serving the food, but others can decrease patience or buzz. If the weather outside is rainy, you may consider some Rainy Day foods that boost your buzz up temporarily. It's a whole new way to play that is expanded on from the first game. While some of these traits are already in the game (but are invisible to the player), I'm adding even more traits than I originally intended to to make the game that much more varied and fun.
Another feature is the addition of Equipment Upgrades. Like the preview pic above, you can upgrade your Toilet/Dishwasher/Trash/etc. by using the money earned in CSD or Chef for Hire modes to increase the amount of foods you can serve before triggering these chores, all the way up to level 10 on each piece of equipment. Some items allow you to add a base amount of patience, like a super cooling air conditioner, and others actually act as level modifiers, such as a scent booster that increases tips at the cost of patience. These kinds of upgrades can be toggled off and on, and all of the equipment upgrades are available in Classic or Stress Kitchen only.
Finally, the addition of a new Email client in the main menu will help provide you with what's going on around the tower. Most of the time it's random people just chattin' it up, but other times it could be a VIP reservation for a celebrity who was sighted to head up to your restaurant, or a food critic-bot that is scheduled to be arriving at a specific time. These people/bots don't have time to waste and have zero patience, but if you can pull off a perfect order, you will gain a ton of extra buzz! And if you don't...well, best not to focus on that too much.
There are hundreds of emails that will be delivered to you between days, done by the same team of writers that did all of the food descriptions in the game, and as you can imagine they contain a lot of info, lore, or...weirdness is probably the right word.
Even More Features
There are more features in this patch that I'll be sharing before it's released. Because I've expanded the scope of the email and booster/detractor system more than I initially planned due to player feedback, this update is going to take me a little longer than I originally planned (I'm now aiming for an early October release). Until then I'll also be releasing some smaller patches that add some new features by fan requests and fixes up any remaining bugs that have been reported. Once this patch hits I'm going to be adding even more requested features such as key binding support for all 180+ foods and prepping the game for localization options, so watch for that!
I can't wait to share more about this big update in the near future, and you can expect a ton more new content, Chef for Hire levels and foods in the weeks and months ahead!
CSD 2 v1.02 Hotfix Details
A hotfix has been issued for all platforms that fixes two bugs and improves stability for Mac and Intel HD 3000 users. Here are the details:
IMPROVEMENTS
Improved city rendering for Background FX Medium users
Improved stability for Mac and Intel 3000 users using Background FX Low settings, or for anyone who has had issues running the game on lower end hardware. (see below)
BUG FIXES
Fixed a bug that could cause a crash in the Designer under rare instances.
Fixed a scrolling issue with scrolling foods in My Pantry when using the Active Menu for CSD mode.
STABILITY IMPROVEMENTS
There have been some crashes with Mac users and users on lower end hardware towards the end of the day or when opening chests. Please download this patch. When you boot up the game, the version number should read "v1.02 h1" below the "press enter..." text.
Go to the options menu, and under Graphics, select Low for Background FX if you haven't already done so. This patch improves the Low mode and greatly reduces the memory footprint, which I believe has been the cause of crashing for certain Mac and PC users. (If you had not already had the Low setting applied, do so, quit the game and restart it).
For those who have had this issue, please try this patch and let me know if this clears up the problem. Thank you!
Cook, Serve, Delicious! 2!! v1.02 Released!
Hey y'all, I've been working hard all weekend to bring you another update! This build adds Steam Cloud support, adds a ton of new Designer features, and fixes a lot of bugs. Here's what's new:
NEW ADDITIONS
Cloud saves are now fully supported. They are handled separately from regular saves, and once you load a cloud save it will overwrite your regular local save. A backup copy of your local save is automatically created when using cloud saves.
Added 26 window presets for the Designer. These are not unlockable; they are available to use immediately!
Added Screenshot/Hide UI mode for Designer.
Added two exclusive music tracks when in Designer mode.
Added warning when using certain Designer elements using medium to low Background FX settings.
Added labels for certain Designer objects for a better visual scrolling experience.
Added a game save after leaving the Designer.
Added a Weather volume option under Audio.
Improved icons for all versions.
GAMEPLAY BALANCES
Added a side dish to Slammy's BBQ Shift 14
BUG FIXES
Prep station keys for 11, 12, 13 and 14 were not registering properly in some instances (rebinding the keys fixed this, but now this will fix the keys for everyone automatically.)
Perfect combos were not awarded correctly on the Day Complete screen under some instances.
Fixed bug with Designer that would not delete all objects when Delete All is used.
Fixed bug with Oooh Organic! Shift 06 that tried to serve Agedashi Tofu as a drink, causing aqua blue bar errors.
Fixed the wrong controller input label when selecting XB1 or PS4 controls on the Day Complete screen.
Changed "Load Game" to "Start Game" in opening splash screen.
When exiting the Designer, the game now defaults to the Campaign screen.
You can no longer exit the designer by right clicking, preventing accidental quitting.
Options are no longer accidentally saved when exiting Designer.
Adjusting Rush Hour music volume now works correctly.
Fixed mouse bug when selecting Delete Saves after selecting Local Saves, which caused you to load a save instead of deleting it.
Super Rush Hour achievement fixed.
Fried Shrimp Basket and Waffle keybinds changed for better consistancy.
Thanks again everyone, I'll be sharing in detail what the next big content patch is going to be this week. I've been reading and responding to the negative reviews and I hear your feedback regarding features you'd like to see in this game. Thanks and I hope you're enjoying CSD 2!
Cook, Serve, Delicious! 2!! v1.01 Released!
The first major patch for CSD 2 is now live for Windows, Mac and Linux! This adds a lot of the content I had to end up pushing back to fix some major issues we found days before launch. Here's all the details:
NEW ADDITIONS
Added mouse support across all menus for the game
Added the option to view HS statuses in the Active Menu for CSD mode
Rebalanced Buzz (see balance changes)
Improved font rendering.
Added some helper tips in the Designer.
Added splash page when accessing the Campaign for the first time.
Added Chef names.
Added a new Black Rice description.
Added fifteen additional achievements. More to come!
BALANCE CHANGES
Buzz has been completely rebalanced and capped at 151% (you will need to start a new day to have it adjust properly). In addition, negative buzz now deducts 10% of your total overall buzz, plus an additional 1% base. So if you get a bad order at 10%, you will be deducted 2% buzz. A bad order at 150% will deduct 16% buzz. Positive buzz has also been slightly decreased per perfect order. This should significantly help difficulty from ramping up way too fast, and I plan on making further adjustments as I see how players do with the new progression.
Added an additional side dish to Chinese Food Standard Shift 01
Increased price of Stew
BUG FIXES
Fixed bug from last hotfix that still did not properly cap restaurants at 151% buzz.
Fixed conflicting keys for Pasta that could result in a bad order.
Fixed conflicting keys for Tostadas that could result in a bad order.
Fixed bug with the textbox for descriptions in restaurants.
Fixed a few missing food descriptions.
Fixed a crash in the Designer that did not properly reset item selections when accessing a new object.
Fixed bug that caused infinite vibrations for controllers at the end of a day.
Fixed rare crash regarding customers walking in.
Fixed bug that only served one recipe from Agedashi Tofu and Hiy. Tofu.
Fixed some ingredient misspellings.
Fixed a few recipe titles that were misleading.
Fixed "Served 0 Customers" milestone text.
Fixed some grammatical errors.
Fixed bug that would allow users to place coleslaw on top of a pulled pork sandwich.
Fixed keybinds for all three Wok dishes to be more consistant with each other and Yaki Tomorokoshi.
Removed Chow Mein recipe that could not be completed.
Fixed two achievements.
Fixed CSD 2 Theme from playing outside the main menu.
KNOWN ISSUES:
Severe background glitching can occur with certain AMD cards. This can be fixed by toggling Background FX to Medium or Low. I'm investigating the issue.
Cloud Support is still not properly syncing saves. This is next on my priority list to fix.
Random crashes on Mac: I am investigating this issue as well and hope to have some solutions soon.
More updates will be coming very soon. Thanks again everyone and my apologies for the rocky launch, but now things can only get better from here!
CSD 2 Live Update Details
Hey everyone, with the game released I'll be pushing a number of small hotfixes and larger patches throughout the coming days. Instead of posting a bug fix announcement for each one, I'll be updating this post, so if you see an update come back here for all the details.
Hotfix v1.0 (Live now for Win/Mac/Linux)
<*>Buzz has been completely rebalanced and capped at 151% (you will need to start a new day to have it adjust properly). In addition, negative buzz now deducts 10% of your total overall buzz, plus an additional 1% base. So if you get a bad order at 10%, you will be deducted 2% buzz. A bad order at 150% will deduct 16% buzz. Positive buzz has also been slightly decreased per perfect order. This should significantly help difficulty from ramping up way too fast, and I plan on making further adjustments as I see how players do with the new progression.
<*>Pasta keys conflicting keys changed to prevent bad orders with Fusilli.
<*>Chicken Sandwich/Griddle Eggs descriptions fixed.
<*>A helper splash screen now appears when starting the Campaign for the first time.
<*>Small performance enhancements (I plan on making much more progress in this area in the coming updates).
A larger patch will be going out soon with more additions and fixes. Thanks!
UPDATE 9/15: Patch is live, I ended up doing a new page after all: http://steamcommunity.com/games/386620/announcements/detail/2888353506911799872
Cook, Serve, Delicious! 2!! Update
Note: the first hotfix is live, with more updates on the way: http://steamcommunity.com/games/386620/announcements/detail/2888353506906140274
Hey everyone, I hope you're enjoying the game! As I mentioned in the news feed in-game, this is the very first step in a long journey ahead, with lots of free new content coming soon. But before I do all that, I need to lock down all the reported bugs and issues.
This includes the following:
Crashing on certain Mac machines: I will be pushing out a build late tonight that I think may help resolve these issues.
Steam Cloud not syncing up properly: don't worry, these saves are separate from your local saves, so you can continue playing as I investigate this issue. Once it is fixed your local saves will auto-sync as usual.
Any recipes that prevent perfect completion (I think there are a few, but I will make sure to take care of these first so perfect days aren't ruined)
Any other outstanding bugs that I've seen on the Discord/forums/etc.
I'll be pushing hotfixes on a regular basis starting tonight. Thank you!
Cook, Serve, Delicious! 2!! Beta Details
As we now go into the extra three weeks I wanted to make the game even better, I now turn to y'all to get all the feedback I can get. It's time for a beta! Here's all the dates and info you need to know.
Rules and Content
You may not stream or share any part of this beta. It is a small portion of the game and does not represent the full version. If you would like an expanded version of the beta for your stream/website/video channel that can be streamed, please contact me at support(at)vertigogaming(dot)net for info.
Anyone streaming the limited private beta who was not on the press list will be issued takedowns on their channel. Again, this beta is different from the PAX build and streams you'll be seeing starting late next week.
This beta is for gaining feedback and looking out for any bugs, so a majority of features have been disabled, but it should give you a good idea on how the game's new mechanics play out.
The beta features several tutorials and seven levels from the all new Chef for Hire mode. You can play it single player or co-op in the beta.
Windows, Mac and Linux versions are available in beta form.
Dates
8/25: An extremely limited number of invites will go out.
8/31: Another round of invites, with a much bigger amount.
9/2-9/10: Invites will be sent as needed, targeting specific platforms and hardware (such as laptops or Linux OS). Random invites will also be sent out.
How to Join
Random people will be selected via the game's official Discord server. To join, simply click the link below and create an account if you don't have one already. Once you see the server, you're automatically entered to be randomly chosen for a beta key. There's no need to post anywhere or message anyone, you're in for a chance at the beta! (and while I appreciate the kind words that people DM me on Discord, it won't help your chances, gotta play fair. :csdsmile: )
https://discord.gg/h5sU58T
If chosen, a private message will be sent to you via Discord. Good luck and thanks everyone for the help!
CSD 2 Delayed to 9/13, Expanded Beta/Discord/PAX Details
Hey everyone. As the final stages of development for Cook, Serve, Delicious! 2!! wrap up, I have come to the realization that, despite working pretty much every waking moment for the last few months, I will not have what I consider to be enough time to balance, beta test and polish the game. So I’m sorry to announce that I’m delaying the game three weeks to September 13th.
While the common trend in game development these days is to release first and fix later, I feel like that would do a huge disservice to all the fans that have been waiting so patiently since I first announced the game back in 2015. The last thing I want is to have a rushed, buggy launch, and that’s exactly what would happen if I kept to the original August 24th deadline.
I don’t want to do that to you all. You deserve better than that.
When I first came to the realization that we would have to delay the game, I felt miserable, depressed and angry as I know I let y’all down. I am literally the only programmer for the game so that is 100% my fault and I take full responsibility. But know that the game is going to be even better with this extra time.
Official Discord Channel Launch, Expanded Beta Details
Now that I have more time for beta testing I’ll be opening up the game to more beta testers towards the end of the month. To sign up, all you have to do is be a member of our new official Discord channel!
The new Discord channel will be growing and expanding in all kinds of fun ways, so be sure to check it out even if you don’t want to be a beta tester. At the end of the month I’ll be choosing some random members that will gain beta access, which means a free copy of CSD 2.
PAX West
If you’re heading to Seattle this September, swing on by to try out CSD 2! While I won’t be attending as I’ll be busy finishing the game, the Indie Bros. will be there to showcase CSD 2’s new co-op and Cook for Hire modes. Here’s Erik from the Indie Bros. to explain more:
"We'll be showing off a pre-release build of CSD! 2!! at PAX West in Room 208 throughout the weekend (September 1-4) to all attendees interested in stopping by -- hope to see you in Seattle! (If you're a member of the press and would like to schedule an appointment, definitely contact us!)"
Thanks Erik, and I can’t wait to get impressions and feedback from the show!
On a Final Note
Again, I apologize for the delay, but as I get closer to finishing the game I’m realizing just how huge this game really is- it is on a scale that I didn’t plan for in the beginning of development. It is easily the biggest and best game I’ve ever made, and I can’t wait to not only launch it but support it with lots of post-launch content. Below are a few new screenshots to show off some of the new menus and designs of the game. Thanks and I’ll see you in the Discord channel,
-David
Cook, Serve, Delicious! 2!! is releasing Sept. 13th, 2017 at $12.99!
Oh man, it feels so good to have a release date. And stressful too, but nevermind that, because I have a brand new trailer to show you all! Check it out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoP53DTpbmQ
There’s a lot of new features I want to talk about today, so let’s go!
Restaurant Customization
Here’s a look at your starting restaurant. It’s not much of a looker…and in fact it has the basic minimum needed to even call it a restaurant.
In the first game you unlocked six different restaurant styles, but had no control over the design, or even a choice to choose one of the six. I wanted to radically change that for the sequel, so I’m proud to announce that Cook, Serve, Delicious! 2!! will for the first time allow you to customize your restaurant with nearly 1,000 unlockable objects!
At the end of each day you will get a random unlock from items ranging from walls and floors to ceiling lights, wall art, window placement, booths, tables and more. You can gain more unlocks by completing optional objectives and leveling up. Customers won’t really mind what kind of design style you choose- they’re just there for the food. You can go ultra luxurious or extremely cheap- it’s totally up to you! If you’re really lucky you’ll even unlock ultra rare foods and other rare objects. Keep playing and unlock it all!
NEW Local Co-Op Mode
If you watched the trailer above…and if you haven’t, what on earth are you waiting for, go go go!...then you noticed the big reveal of the all new local two player mode.
When CSD 1 was first released it didn’t even have any multiplayer components at all- I ended up adding it as a fun experiment later in development. I was caught off guard at how popular it was with many players, and made sure it was planned at the very first day of coding CSD 2. The problem was that, with the new mechanics of the game, it was much harder to implement the same style of multiplayer that was in CSD 1. I had to go back to the drawing board and figure out the best way of having a two player mode.
What I’ve found is that having two chefs in the kitchen is so much more fun than the expediter/cook mechanics of the first, and lends itself to having two different styles of play. If your partner isn’t quite as skilled at the game as you are, they can focus on taking care of the Holding Stations and doing the simple chores and drink stations while you handle the complex orders. If your partner is equal to the task, they can jump right into the complex orders when it gets crazy. You basically adapt to whatever situation you find yourself in, and it’s a blast.
One complaint that a few people had was the requirement for having a gamepad for local multi, so I added a new mouse and keyboard option for two players- one handles the mouse, the other the keyboard, no gamepad required! And of course you have the option of doing mouse/keyboard and gamepad, or two gamepads, whatever you like.
And best of all, aside from the tutorials, you can play the entire game in co-op mode. Player two can drop in and out between days and your progress continues. Feel free to play it however you want! And thanks to the adaptive difficulty, the game doesn’t change at all when switching between co-op and single player- if you find that you can get more perfect orders done as a duo, the game will scale up and make it a much more challenging day.
Developer Q&A
I’m going to be taking questions over on the Steam forums for the game, so feel free to ask me anything at all!
http://steamcommunity.com/app/386620/discussions/
I know some of you have been following all the updates since I’ve started them a year or so ago, and now that the game is nearly final I’ve added more gameplay features and removed others. I’ll be going more in depth on those features in the forums sometime before launch.
I sincerely hope that this game delivers on all of your expectations. I have spent a great deal of the money I made with CSD 1 into this game, and I hope it shows. I just wanted to make the best game ever. :csdsmile:
Let the countdown begin!
Update #5a: Update on Update
Hey everyone! I wanted to give a quick update as to what's happening and when the next big update will be.
Originally I had planned to do two more big updates before the game's release- one in May and the other in the summer. However with E3 right around the corner I've decided to push that update back and just make one big mega-update.
So, let's all enjoy the awesomeness that is E3 coming up in just a few short weeks! Then on Weds., June 21st I will be providing one last big update on CSD2, which will include:
A new gameplay trailer!
Release date and price!
Lots of new screenshots!
More new features revealed!
An AMA to answer all remaining questions about the game!
Not much longer to go now! Sorry I've been a bit quiet, but I've just been crazy busy working hard to finish up the game for the summer. I can't wait to share with you all the new features and new gameplay vids. Well, back to work! :csdsmile:
