The following post is taken from our blog. For previous updates, please visit our website.
March
Month 10 of Landlord’s Super Early Access.
The majority of February was spent modelling the huge number of new furniture assets (coming your way next update). Yet, progress has also been made on new music and some bold mechanical changes. Read below to learn more.
Furniture damage, one of many new features coming to Landlord's Super.
Furniture Work (Again, again)
Furniture update continues to take longer than expected. The main issue is just workload. There's a lot of new furniture coming to the game with a lot of new functionality. We're not just bringing you sofas, ovens and beds. There's washing machines, radiators, medicine cabinets, washing baskets, dining chairs, grills, toilet carpets, over 100 types of kitchen sinks (That's not even including bathroom sinks!) and much more. Every piece also has colour variations and damage models. So it's a steady process.
Some - not all - furniture will have enhanced damage models.
Better Damage
Not only is furniture getting damage functionality, but we've also spent time reworking damage a little. We noticed players are getting frustrated seeing their property deteriorate too quickly. To help relieve this somewhat, damage will now have to pass a certain threshold before it shows visible wear and tear (currently set to 75%). While we're also working on how tenants damage the property, this is a good first step in ensuring your properties holds their value and stay beautiful for longer.
Another interesting feature we're adding is that scrap will drop from destroyed components. This will mean players have something to sell if a tenant completely destroys something. Scrap dropped from destroyed objects is also very compact, allowing players to cart around more value in their wheelbarrows.
New particle and audio effects are also coming to compliment the improved furniture visuals.
Crouch Reworked
Accessing low down screws or placing cement onto bricks higher than the player in the current game is a pain. One reason why is that players have no control over their standing height. In the furniture update, we've reworked crouch to address this.
Holding the crouch input will enter crouch state as before. Now, rather than walking, using the movement input will change player standing height.
Players can lower themselves to the ground to get a look under kitchen sinks, or stand right on their tippy-toes to see atop hard to reach bricks. That's right, you'll soon be able to stand on your tippy-toes in Landlord's Super!
Music
Jeremy is hard at work, more on this next month...
A new tool for you to play all your funky tunes on.
Community Highlight
More decoration this month, this time from @Nixinox over on twitter. And never one to let us down, Mar continues to impress with her wonderfully creative illustrations.
We're still hoping to get the Furniture update out to you all by April, but this is still subject to delay. As always, thank you so much for your continued patience and support.
All the best, Greg
Ciggies Removed
Removed the Ciggie packets from the caravan floor.
Accidently left them there for testing - this feature isn't complete yet.
Thanks!
Bucket Hot Fix
- Fixed typo2 "Wheels allow easy movement & poruing of the device" to "Wheels allow easy movement & pouring of the device" - Fixed buckets of water not being able to fill cement mixers (rounding error)
Just a quick patch to fix the bucket and mixer issue. Sorry this took so long, it's been a manic few weeks.
-Greg
February Dev Log
The following post is taken from our blog. For previous updates, please visit our website.
February
Month 9 of Landlord’s Super Early Access.
January is finally over. We’re still in a perpetual lockdown over here in Old Blighty. Though the motivation wains, we dig deep and plod on.
The Furniture update is proving to be a lot of content work. It’s a slow, gradual process, but eventually you’ll all be able to play with more sofas than you can shake a pint at. And if home furnishing is not your bag well, we’ve something else for you to look forward to…
Furniture is getting reworked with a huge amount of options.
Furniture Work, Again
A significant chunk of January was spent fixing the issues introduced in the previous update. Outside of that, we’ve been working on producing the furniture assets. This is likely to be the case for the remainder of February too. There’s a lot of them!
Variety is the focus. We plan to launch with 3 furniture catalogues that the player can unlock. Each one with it’s own sense of style. There will also be plenty of choice in the design and colour for each furniture piece within.
Damage has also been considered. Each piece will track damage. Players cannot repair damaged furniture, though damage visuals won’t be visible till a lower threshold has been passed on the piece (probably <30%). The hope is that this will make it feel more appropriate to replace the furniture, as it’ll have lived a longer lifespan, rather than having a magic furniture-fixing kit. Kind of like a wear & tear system.
Ruta has been hard at work concepting period-appropriate furniture.
Smoking
Alright Marlboro, man, it’s finally coming. The main purpose of smoking (in the game) is to act as a portable and convenient way to raise hygiene past the smelly threshold (30% – when flies start buzzing around the players head). No need to run back to the shower and clean yourself up after a hard day’s graft. Just light one up and the smell will be gone.
Why is smell important all of a sudden? Well, we’ll be adding unique interactions for talking to characters whilst smelly. Interactions you’ll probably want to avoid.
Be warned though. Smoking is a fool’s errand, and long term use may leave your character living with some nasty side-effects.
You may recognise the brands from another game we made… I think Eastern European cigarette brands make sense in the context that they’re probably knock-offs.
Soon, take up smoking! But be prepared to face the consequences…
The Road Ahead
There’s a lot of ambiguity in the roadmap I posted in January. That’s partly because we don’t want to over-promise and under-deliver. There’s been some notable releases in recent memory where the success has come from simply over-promising. We don’t want to add to this trend. Of course, that’s not the only reason. There’s always a risk that the pressures of performance, time and money can threaten to cancel a feature.
Regardless, We’ve been noticing the same questions and concerns popping up. So we thought we’d try to concerns a few of the more common concerns and requests.
Tenants Destroy the Property too Quickly!
Agreed. While this will inevitably be balanced at some point, there is a class system associated with tenants and house value. The solution then will come when “better” tenants are added. The better tenants won’t damage the property nearly as much as the Lout does, but dealing with the lout is the only way to work towards these better tenants. Patience on this one, trust us!
Energy Depletes too quickly!
Agreed. This is another one that will be solved ad the game naturally develops. Specifically Phase 2: Tea & Supper update. As the title implies, players will be able to buy ingredients to create lunches and dinners, or even brew a cup of tea for the purpose of refilling energy levels. No more going to the bed at 11:00am.
There isn't Enough to do Outside of Building
Again, agreed. The plan here is to add musical tape rewards given to the player if they fix up areas of the map (such as Tamsin’s Wall). We’d also like to add repeatable jobs, so there’s always ways to earn money using your tools. We also still plan on adding a Fruity (slots machine) to the pub. If these tasks don’t keep players busy enough, then designing and selling houses to the council (phase 3) will add endless late game content.
Add a Work Radio to the Game
Jeremy is hard at work on making a bunch of new music. Rather than the original plan of adding a work radio, which we worry would become too annoying to carry around, we’re planning on adding a portable tape player and headphones which attaches nicely to the players tool belt. Then, where ever you are in the world, you’ll be able to list to a variety of unlockable tapes. Maybe even a blank tape that which allows players to put their own music on…
Community Highlight
An impressive decorator, this month sees community member Horn showing off the flexibility and range of the in-game painting tools. Noice!
As always, thank you for your patience. I hope this answers some of the more common questions. We are committed to this game. With a great foundation and a solid roadmap, the future looks very exciting.
The next update is going to be very content heavy, and as such will take longer than probably expected. We're hoping to get the Furniture update out to you all by April, but this is still subject to delay.
All the best, Greg
In-Dev Patch 0.02.09 Now Live
Build 0.02.09 - New Character shader which softens the shadows and overall appearance of the townsfolk (People look especially better at night and in direct light) - Mixing different Cement / Mortar / No-Fines together now adjust the mix ratio - Fixed exploit where you could pour infinite Cement / Mortar / No-Fines mixtures from storage buckets - Updated notebook and Jimmy dialogue text strings to correctly explain the new plasterboard system. - Fixed issue where storage bucket colour would reset upon opening the lid - Mixing a different colour mix into a storage bucket now works gradually - Fixed shovel interactions with storage buckets not blending colour correctly - Fixed issue where mix colour would remain even though the cement mixer was empty - Fixed missing name issue with the loose scaffold boards at the church - Fixed a bunch of Jimmy typos and notebook typos - Fixed a save corruption caused by a couple of wooden pallets in the environment using the old damage system - Fixed issue where players couldn't pick up wallpaper delivery crates - Wallpaper now adjust value correctly after use - Wallpaper value & visual changes now saved - Fixed general lighting issue that would cause the house terrain to appear pitch black - Fixed Wallpaper pricing issues - Fixed issue with negative carpet value - Winston no longer un-audible while talking from truck cabin - Better lighting in the pub at night - Rebalanced and fixed carpet & flooring prices - Fixed kitchen wall cabinets not securing correctly - Fixed issue where drunk effects could continue after sobering up
A cheeky bug fix update for youz all.
Cheers! Greg
New Roadmap - 2021/2022
Happy Holidays and an even happier new year to you all!
With the old roadmap now completed, we’ve put together a new one to show where our focus is for this year. As always, keep in mind that game development is an iterative process, and the roadmap is always subject to change. Anyway, roadmap below:
We've got one more bug fix update to come, but following that the focus will be on Phase 1 of this roadmap, the Furniture update. Expect more news on this in the coming months.
Thanks! Greg
In-Dev Patch 0.02.08 Now Live
Build 0.02.08 - Fixed save corruption issue related to wood planks (you will need to start new save data if you are experiencing this issue, but it should no longer occur)
[Updated] Build 0.02.081 - Fixed issue where players could pour cement into paint cans, causing save corruption - Fixed paint can arrangement on shelves in the shop
[Updated] Build 0.02.082 - Fixed issue where cement bags wouldn't always pour as expected - Fixed issue where Wheel Barrow would become stuck in players hands if they tried using the bus stop at night - Fixed issue with corrupt models
Tracked down the cause of the save corruption which was related to placing a plank of wood onto an unsecured plank of wood, causing both planks to collapse. This was utilising some old code that failed to update the save system.
As this issue occurred during saving the game and not loading, it means save data cannot be recovered. If you've suffered this issue you'll need to start a new save. Though the save corruption will no longer occur.
Cheers! Greg
In-Dev Patch 0.02.063 Now Live
In-Dev Build 0.02.063 - Fixed issue where game would crash loading in (after player yawn) on some player's save data
Making a post for this as it's an important fix. This fixes the issue where the game would crash after player yawn for certain players save data.
The game will automatically clear up the save corruption while you play, though depending on how long this takes, you may now notice loose props spawning in while playing. This shouldn't take longer than a minute or 2, depending on the level of corruption. This is a background process, during which you're free to play as normal.
I'm still looking for the cause of the save corruption, but I have a feeling it's tied to the Automatic (red) cement mixer. I'll keep looking.
Hope you all had a nice break, and thanks for the patience while I was away.
Cheers! Greg
Paint & Decorate Update Now Available
Paint & Decorate Update Now Available
We're delighted to announce that access to the Paint & Decorate update for Landlord's super is now available on Steam Early Access. If you have Landlord's Super already purchased and downloaded on Steam, your game will automatically update. For everyone else, you can purchase Landlord's Super Early Access here.
The Paint & Decorate Update marks our arrival at Version 0.2, the second major content update for Landlord's Super. As per the last major content update, the Paint & Decorate Update introduces lots of new features, reworked systems and plenty of bug fixes.
Note: You may continue to use your old saves!
WALLPAPER & PAINT
The world is now your canvas. Draw upon plasterboard whatever the mind images, using the new Paint Brush tools. Pop the lid on your paint cans and wet your brushes, or pour them into your cement mixer to change the colour of your Foundations and No-Fines. Not keen on becoming an artist? No problem, we have plenty of wallpaper designs for you to throw up in no time.
PLASTERBORD CHANGES
Plasterboard has been streamlined to make it a much more enjoyable task to complete. There's now only one order of plasterboard which will auto-size to fit the housing segment as needed. You can now also plasterboard ALL interior walls. Oh, you can also use the Circular Saw to cut off any of those unsightly nails.
REPAIRING
You can now repair Foundations using a concrete mix and a shovel, and Plasterboard using another plasterboard. No need to destroy and rebuild after each tenancy!
STORAGE BUCKETS
You can now store any extra Concrete, No-Fines & Mortar mixes you have in storage buckets. You can even mix and store paint in them too.
CARPET, FLOORING & TILING
Lay carpet or wooden flooring. Tile the bathroom. These new supplies open up massive opportunities for interior decorating, and as a bonus, will protect other elements of the house from tenant damage.
PHONEBOX CHANGES
Finally, no matter the date, the phone box in Landlord's Super will now be period appropriate. We apologise for this issue being present for as long as it has.
And Much More...
Change List
Landlord's Super 0.2.06 Update (Painting and Decorating) New Content Added Paint Brush Set Can now paint plasterboard with the paintbrush set Added Paint Cans Added Primary, Ugly, and Pastel paint colours. Added ability to add colour to mortar, concrete and no-fines mixes (Change the colour of your house!) Added Mix Buckets Added ability to store and mix mortar, concrete, no-fines and paint Added Wallpaper Can now apply wallpaper to plasterboard Added Carpet & Flooring Can now apply carpet and flooring to foundations & plasterboard Can remove carpet and flooring with the Hammer Carpet, tiles and flooring now contribute toward the property value Added Tiling Added 3 new phone boxes, each appropriate to the year the player is currently in (1983, 1985, 1991) Added storage for wallpaper, carpets, flooring, tiles, paint cans, mix buckets Added "door-less" Door Frames
Changes Removed Jimmy license plate Can cut off nails with the Circular Saw Plasterboard Plasterboard has been reworked to make it much simpler, easier to use. Can only order one size of plasterboard, which will auto-resize to the preferred size for static walls, or allow player to resize for player built walls. Plasterboard now snaps into place automatically. N.B. The above changes were made to allow players to easily line up plasterboard "flush" with one another, so as to avoid any unappealing seams with painting. I was also really unhappy with how awkward the task felt before hand, and this implementation feels much more enjoyable overall. Bricks now have outline rendered when aimed at with the Circular Saw equipped Increased the damage threshold for bricks and shingles Some changes to how Cement Mixer highlights foundations to make it much more obvious of interaction options Can now repair concrete foundations with Storage Buckets, Shovel, and Cement Mixers (so long as they are containing a Concrete mixture) Can now load empty cement mixers with shovel mixtures Added nail removal animation and audio Hammer can no longer be used on screws. (While I figure out a fair way to have hammer interact with nails, the previous solution meant the screwdriver was basically useless) Resized some of the windows and window walls to help them fit nicely with tiles, the game should auto adjust your windows for you on first load. Mesh optimisation for brick mortar. Tenants will now damage carpet, tiles and flooring before damaging the foundation beneath Tenants will now damage plasterboard, tiles and flooring before damaging the no-fines or brickwork behind it Lowered likelihood of tenants damaging the roof Added save file location button to the front end Roof task now updated when tile is hammered loose Can now use the trowel to pick up mortar and no-fines from ground piles (puddles) Using the trowel on wallpapered walls now removes wallpaper Using plasterboard on a placed, secured & damaged plasterboard will now repair it Empty cement bags are now collected and placed into the skip when tenants are moved in Splash damage of sledge hammer reduced by 40% Energy consumed using sledge hammer reduced by 40% Splash damage of sledge hammer now deals reduced damaged based on distance from impact Rewrote how bricks are counted by the game to make it much more accurate. Removed the Chimney till it's actually implemented in the game
Bug Fixes Urine now shows correct colour based on what the player has consumed Urine puddles now show correct colour based on what the player has consumed Increased max pool instance of pee & puke puddle particles by 10x Pee and puke should no longer glow Fixed issue where Mitchell would continue to think the property was un-liveable Fixed missing fence collisions at Totter's Scrapyard Fixed issue where players could get stuck on black screen when moving tenants into property while having unpackaged deliveries in the garden Some minor optimisations to shadows Conducted a general optimisation pass Fixed save corruption caused by picking up the wooden pallets outside of Kashmiran's house Fixed issue where damage visuals wouldn't show correctly upon load Fixed a bunch of UI issues tied to the Tool Catalogue Fixed issue where could place ladder on top of one another in storage (This requires removing all stored ladders first) Fixed missing grass footstep audio for patch outside the property Fixed issue where players could get stuck washing dishes or sitting on the toilet Fixed shovel contents mesh normals Fixed a bunch of issues with the Cement Mixers Fixed issue where walking speed wouldn't return upon leaving the cement mixers Furniture placement optimised and improved Fixed toilet seat folding issue Fixed a bunch of player animations Fixed several bugs with storage Fixed issue with plasterboard not adding to the value of the property Fixed an issue where tenants would start to lose satisfaction daily, even if there wasn't any issue Fixed an issue where tenants wouldn't damage player-placed brickwork Fixed issue where tenants wouldn't damage shingles Fixed issue where shingles breaking wouldn't always mark the roof task as incomplete Fixed some issues tied to tool collection and storage Fixed issue preventing some plasterboards (windows mostly) from being repairable Fixed minor rendering issue with plasterboard repair Fixed brick task not always registering as completed Fixed issue where no-fines rubble would appear in the game world when waking up Fixed counting issue with roof task Fixed being unable to place storage buckets at on their storage space Fixed issue where tenant would tell you off for breaking something when they are out of the property Fixed issue with ladders, wallpaper, paint cans, etc being collected breaking storage Fixed wonky bricks registering as competing brick tasks Fixed Large mortar not causing bricks to be placed wonky Plasterboard placement should no longer be blocked by furniture
And finally, we'd like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who participated in the In-Dev access. Without your suggestions, bug reports and patience, this game might not be half what it is today.
Be sure to share all your pretty drawing, or unique house colours over on the steam community. We're really excited to see what players create with these added features.
Thanks, and have fun! Greg
In-Dev Patch 0.02.03 Now Live
In-Dev Build 0.02.03 - Plasterboard placement should no longer be blocked by furniture - Can now pour Mortar & No-Fines into Storage Buckets - Added a check to allow brick task to complete if player bricks up the chimney - Rewrote how bricks are counted by the game to make it much more accurate. - Removed the chimney till it's actually implemented in the game - Fixed wonky bricks registering as competing brick tasks - Fixed Large mortar not causing bricks to be placed wonky - Splash damage of sledge hammer reduced by 40% - Energy consumed using sledge hammer reduced by 40% - Splash damage of sledge hammer now deals reduced damaged based on distance from impact - Fixed issue where tenant would tell you off for breaking something when they are out of the property - Fixed issue with ladders, wallpaper, paint cans, etc being collected breaking storage - Empty cement bags are now collected and placed into the skip when tenants are moved in - Fixed being unable to place storage buckets at on their storage space - Can now take mortar & no-fines from storage buckets using the trowel - Fixed storage buckets not loading UI mixture details - Can now dump contents of the storage bucket onto the floor or foundation frame - Fixed shovel contents mesh normals - Fixed highlight rendering on doors with windows - Can now use the trowel to pick up mortar and no-fines from ground piles (puddles) - Fixed issue where no-fines rubble would appear in the game world when waking up - Fixed counting issue with roof task - Roof task now updated when tile is hammered loose - Can now transfer mixes between storage buckets - Using plasterboard on a placed, secured & damaged plasterboard will now repair it - Using the trowel on wallpapered walls now removes wallpaper
