Hey guys, just a quick post to let you know the latest with the game.
Dev away for 2 weeks
The first news is I'm going to be away for a couple of weeks from today so I won't be able to answer any questions via the forum or email until I return on 23rd May. Hopefully other players will be able to pitch in and help any new players to the game. :)
Steam Workshop
But don't worry, the next update is already well underway. One feature that has been highly requested ever since launch is Steam Workshop.
I'm happy to announce that the next update will include support for this. I'm about half-way through implementing it and I'm looking to release a beta with the new features soon after I return.
This will give a chance for our enthusiastic modders to populate Steam Workshop with new and interesting mods so that when the official release comes there'll be lots of new things to try out.
As part of this I'll also be releasing a basic modders guide to cover the basics of modding the game. You'd be amazed at the sorts of things you can add with just basic text and image editing skills; things that can have significant gameplay impacts.
I'm really looking forward to seeing what people create.
And after that?
I can also announce that I am in the early stages of working on the next batch of official content for the game.
I can't reveal all the details yet but I thought players would appreciate knowing that something new is in the works.
That's it for now but stay tuned in the coming months for lots more exciting stuff in the world of Megaquarium. ːsteamhappyː
Patch v1.3.5
Few more bug fixes. ;)
Changelog
Fixed issue where new point meshes (introduced in Feb update) were not cleaning up after themselves causing crashes for some players.
Made improvements to blended mesh animation code to reduce game's memory allocation.
You can no longer delete rubbish.
If you notice any new issues let me know in the normal way! :)
Patch v1.3.4
Another set of bug fixes for you. :)
Changelog
Reverted back to an earlier build of Unity (2018.2.21f) because the newer version still seems to be causing the odd crash.
Another attempt at fixing the animal counts going out of sync. They seem to be working well now, but let me know if you see it go out of sync again!
Any issues just let me know! :)
Patch v1.3.3
Another little patch fixing a few things.
Changelog
Fixed bug where object counts visible in build/buy menu would go out of sync when you traded an animal away.
Fixed issue where if an error is logged from a worker thread the game would crash (*shakes fist at Unity developers ːsteamfacepalmː*).
Modders only: Fixed bug where when the game generated a new tc3d from a new fbx file it would fail in countries where ',' is used as a decimal point.
Patch v1.3.1
Small patch fixing a couple of things.
Changelog
Fixed so that animal mods which are missing a string for their id don't crash the game when added to a tank.
Fixed so that animals swim again when hovering over them in the menu.
Regarding the first fix, it is still highly recommended that mods are created with string files to avoid populating the logs with errors. If you are using other people's mods, make sure you remember to add the .json file to the strings/en folder of the game.
March Update! v1.3.0
Hi guys, the latest update is here. Here are the big hitters:
Additional staff orders
This month's update comes with two new features increasing the possibilities for staff management.
The first is the ability to disallow your staff from using certain items or tasks which 'require skill'. The most immediate use of this is prohibiting your less experienced staff members from taking on the tricky jobs such as 'high skill required' tasks and supplements.
You can find these new controls under the Advanced tab after selecting a staff member. You can also right-click on a staff portrait directly from the staff management window.
I'm looking forward to seeing what other uses players come up with for using this new feature!
Important tasks
The second new feature is the ability to mark a task as 'important' by clicking on its task bubble.
This will make staff prioritise this task over all others regardless of distance away. However, it will not overrule the role priority or zoning orders. Therefore, if a staff member has the feeding role set to a higher priority than the fixing role, they will still do all feeding tasks before fixing tasks, even if one of them has been flagged as important.
Auto-feeder change
The Auto-Feeder has undergone a significant change. It now refills automatically at the beginning of each day so it does not have to be filled by staff anymore.
To make up for this, they will break down from time to time and the associated fixing staff is 'very high skill required' so it will be awkward to use unless you have skilled fixing staff available.
In addition the Auto-Feeder can no longer feed animals which 'require skill' or feed Supplements to any animals. Both these types of feeding task still need to be done by hand.
I like this change quite a lot. The Auto-Feeder clearly works best to replace the role of low-level feeders. It can handle large quantities but struggles with higher level animals which 'require skill' and supplements.
At the same time it puts additional pressure on your skilled fixers so there'll be some interesting decisions to make here.
It also might add interesting curation decisions: will you design a tank that can be fed 100% by Auto-Feeders at the cost of leaving out that show-stopping fish?
Prestige tweaks
This update brings some tweaks to the prestige generation formulas which I believe bring it more in line with what you would expect from a real-life aquarium.
More information in the changelog below and also in the latest dev vlog.
https://youtu.be/N_dGVIxXSv0
Full changelog
Tweaked prestige generation rates so that larger animals have a greater success chance than small animals. In other words, you need less in a tank for them to be seen.
Likewise, larger decoration items have a higher chance to be seen, reducing the need for many large items in a single tank which could look less appealing. Groups of small items are still encouraged.
Tweaked the prestige generation rates so that you get diminishing returns, the more animals of the same type you add to a tank. This encourages more smaller groups of small fish in different tanks.
However for large animals a single group will continue to be sufficient.
Added a more detailed tooltip when you hover over the prestige icon on any animal so that it communicates the prestige generation mechanics better, allowing the player to make more informated decisions.
Added option for window to close when you click a second time, this is also now the default option but can be switched off in the settings.
Changed "requires skill" icon to military chevrons. Added this indicator to task bubbles so you can see the skill level of a task at a glance
Auto-feeder changes color depending on what food it is feeding.
Reduced some animal aquascaping requirements. Many of these were increased in the February update but I believe they threw the balance off especially for small animals which need to be kept in larger numbers to fulfil their prestige potential.
Added additional details to the task bubble tooltip so that it lists the skill level and a breakdown of the animals that need feeding in the tank (for feeding tasks only).
Added load game confirmation dialog if a game is already in progress.
Facilities apply their effects to guests instantly now, rather than over time.
Fixed paint glitch
Stopped guests dropping rubbish straight after looking at something
Added reset to default key bindings
Increased cave value for gaping cavern
Increased rock value for rubble and live rubble
Increased starting money for level 3. Elmshorn
Fixed so the search menu doesn't come up when you finish naming something.
In sandbox, all side objectives, trades and merchants appear on the way to rank 12. Before they continued to appear above Rank 12 but this led to some confusion and missing some events.
Sped up zooming with keys.
Fixed a pump UI error.
Refresh message count immediately when you delete group of messages.
Fixed 'running on spot' bug when auto saving and returning to menu.
Fixed bug where supplement feeding times were sometimes over-calculated.
Fixed ground dweller eating animation.
Shows skill numbers when you hover over skill bars in the manage tab.
Fixed the positions of the skills in manage tab so they are always in the same places.
Fixed bug where it would show "When fully grown" eat/damage information on animals even when no numbers change as they grow. For example, when an animal will damage Gorgonians or Stony Corals.
You can open the advanced tab by right clicking on the portraits in the staff manage tab.
Cursor texture only loaded once
Decreased some coral sizes (affects food consumed, bioload and prestige generation rate). Note: growing corals to full size now has large effect on prestige because size determines the prestige generation chance.
Added '=' as alternative to ':' in search box.
Added 'equipment' as a search criteria to differentiate to animals.
Fixed bug where end game credits could be interupted by pressing escape.
Fixed bug where end game credits would be in 'fast-forward' mode if you were at that speed when you completed the game.
Fixed bug to do with info/task bubble positioning on some objects.
Fixed coral food box which had the wrong icon on it.
Fixed Power Light so lights are in the correct position.
Dropdown menus go in front of other information windows.
Improved platform laying tool so it guesses the height your require more intelligently.
Upgraded to Unity 2018.3.
Patch v1.2.1
Mini patch with a couple of things that didn't quite make it into the big February update, plus a couple of bonus fixes/features. :)
Changelog
- Upgraded underlying Unity version which should hopefully fix the 'Citrix workstation' bug. Let me know if you still encounter this issue.
- Added 'Exclusive fullscreen' mode.
- Added tooltip to point button toggle in top right.
- Fixed bug where messages don't reload if you drop an animal with the message window closed.
- Fixed bug where floor arrows blocked 'attraction aura'
For the next couple of weeks I'm going to be working through the backlog of small and medium sized feature requests that have built up over the weeks and months and making some headway through that.
I'm also going to be experimenting with some tweaks to the prestige generation formula and the way that this information is communicated to you. ːsteamhappyː
February Update! v1.2.0
Hello all, a new update has just gone live with a bumper crop of new features and improvements. Let's take a look.
New search menu
You can now bring up a new search menu in-game which allows you to filter the contents of the build menu to just the items you are interested in!
For example: by writing "tropical shoaler count:0" you will see only tropical animals with the shoaler care requirement, which you currently have zero of in your aquarium.
For more examples check out the latest episode of the official Megaquarium vlog:
https://youtu.be/BKINwrUdP9U
You can bring the menu up by pressing the Return key (this is rebindable) or by clicking the search button at the top of the build menu.
New plants
(Click on thumbs to enlarge)
5 new plants have just been added to the game. The focus here was adding more large plants and also adding more variety in terms of the gameplay purpose of each plant.
For example, the all new 2x3 Shellweed is only worth a few additional plants but adds a lot to the rock count and a whopping 50 filter power!
Meanwhile the Velvet Horn is more balanced with a mixture of plants, rocks and filter power.
I've also rebalanced some of the existing plants to make the differences between them more drastic. Some are excellent for plant count, while others are strong passive filterers and then there are the ones which give a range of minor benefits.
New sandbox modes
The final big feature is an expansion to the sandbox mode. There are now additional options which allow you to unlock all animals and equipment from the start of your game, as well as toggle access to unlimited money.
I know some people have missed having a fully "creative" mode with absolutely no restrictions and these new settings allow you to do that.
I've also added a set of new presets to challenge you to try the game in different formats. Let's take a look:
Full unlock - here you have access to everything from the start but don't have unlimited money, so you still have to create a balanced aquarium. It's harder than it sounds!
Research mode - here you have unlimited money but you still need to work through the ranks to unlock all the animals and equipment. This is definitely a relaxed mode where you can proceed at your own pace however it does reduce the burden on managing your staff efficiently.
Creator mode - the ultimate sandbox experience. Everything is unlocked and you have unlimited money.
Just like all the other presets you can tweak individual settings to your own preferences.
And the rest...
That's the major stuff out of the way, but the update comes with all these minor improvements/fixes too:
Added drag-to-paint for tiles.
Added rebindable hotkeys for all the buttons in the top left.
Rebalanced plant/rock/cave lover requirements. Some are also worth extra prestige.
Added info panels for any animal given to the player as a gift in the campaign so you can see what its needs are before picking it up.
Added difficulty to save game info.
Switched to proper fullscreen borderless window mode. If you click on your other monitor it won't minimise the game.
Fixed animation speed going faster than simulation.
Optimised build menu so that it loads quicker.
Optimised animations in general for better FPS in large aquariums, especially on low detail mode.
Redesigned point bubble system to increase performance.
Optimised objective checking to increase performance.
Zoning interface now scales/wraps when it gets to full.
Slightly increased opacity of build menu UI.
Added feeding skill requirement to Blue Spotted Ribbontail Ray.
Striped boxfish no longer eats starfish.
Danger to tooltip now says "Starfish with size x or less".
Fixed bug where tank counts were calculated incorrectly.
Slightly increased size of tooltip text and width.
Fixed mega light lights.
Megalopolis tank enquiry objective tells you to check log.
Fixed objective tooltip in level 1 tutorial with incorrect description of button.
Tweaked active swimmer icon so that it always says the required volume even when met.
Added rounded tank and kreisel tank icons.
Fixed minor display bugs for needs rounded, needs kreisel and congeners only icons.
Fixed supersonic walking bug.
Fixed issue where tooltip hangs over edge of screen on higher than 1080p resolutions.
Added kreisel tank description.
Fixed a number of portraits positions.
Fixed double unlock of some science items in sandbox modes
If you have already unlocked everything at a new rank it skips the "newly available" screen.
=Modding=
Animal mods can create a new animal category without updating gui.data, see Azure Demoiselle for example.
Game is slightly more resilient to mods being added/removed midgame
Hope you enjoy the update guys, please let me know if you notice any bugs via the Steam discussion forums as usual. https://steamcommunity.com/app/600480/discussions/0/ ːsteamhappyː
Patch v1.1.7
Hey all, quick patch with a few bug fixes.
Changelog
- Fixed bug where one of the Chicago tanks was always available regardless of the rank you started at. Unfortunately the fix only affects new sandbox games. Sorry about that!
- Cursor is now hidden in first person mode.
- Altered the way the game calculates whether a deep tank has been correctly connected to the floor in level 3.
- Fixed a minor graphical issue caused by moving stairs.
There's still a ton of smaller tweaks/features that I'm itching to get into the game over the next few weeks but the next major feature I'm planning to work on will be some kind of smart search/filtering system for the build menu to make it easier to find things (especially animals) in the later stages of the game.
Exciting stuff!
Winter Update! v1.1.6
Howdy all and happy holidays!
The brand new Winter Update for Megaquarium is brimming with new features, improvements and even some new stuff to build!
New and improved Staff Management
Managing your staff just got a whole lot easier with a new and improved 'Manage' tab and zoning tool
The new 'Manage' tab shows your staff in a vertical list rather than a grid. Each row has enough space to show useful information such as what they are currently doing, which zone they are assigned to and what their skill priorities are.
What's more, you can directly adjust the skill priorities right from this tab, rather than having to bring up each individual staff window.
You can also get directly into the new and improved zoning tool by clicking on the zone button itself...
I'll be the first to admit that the old zoning tool needed some improvement, but I'm really proud of its replacement!
As you can see in the screenshot above, all the zones are shown at the same time and in different colours, so it's way easier to get a overview of how your zones are set up.
Even better you can now directly edit zones and reassign staff with a few easy clicks, all from inside the tool, no more having to go find each individual staff member just to edit a few zones.
The Chicago tank!
Players have been calling out for a new rounded tank that is larger than the Belfast or Small Tunnel Tank but not quite as big as the Mega Tank. One that comes out early enough in the ranks for your fully grown Spotted Eagle Rays.
Well, I listened! Introducing the brand new Chicago tank. Rather than just being a large version of the Belfast tank, I've tried to design something interesting.
This tank comes in two variants, one with the access on the inside edge, and one with the access on the outside. This means it can be used as an internal or external corner of your wall of tanks.
New large decorations
The update also comes with 6 new decorations spanning sizes between 2x2 all the way up to 6x3.
I'm also planning to add some brand new plants in the early part of next year. They are fully designed, I'm just waiting on the assets from my artist.
Steam cloud support
Some of you might wonder why the game didn't release with Steam Cloud support. The truth is that I had a fully functional version working pre-launch using Steam's own "auto-cloud" feature.
However, literally days before launch I discovered that the system had serious flaws including being unable to delete saves from the cloud, once they were up there. For me, this was totally unacceptable.
Therefore, I waited until now, when I had some more dev time, to implement a really robust version using the more complicated Steam Cloud API.
The bonus news about this is: with this in place, I'm halfway to implementing Steam Workshop, which should also land in the early part of next year!
Other changes
Added information about the max size an animal can eat when fully grown to its tooltip.
Slightly reduced volume of small tunnel tank.
Swapped Angel and Lemon shark ranks so that you have access to the Mega Tank at the same time as the Lemon Shark
Added difficulty tooltips on the main menu.
Redesigned animal animation system to avoid clipping issues and weird movement of larger animals.
Fixed various issues to do with animals eating each other.
Fixed bug where negative prestige would not show on prestige bar on load.
Fixed various minor graphical bugs.
As always, please let me know if you notice any bugs. I'm around until this Thursday and then I'm on my hols for a couple of weeks.
