Software Company
Dev-Diaries #4: Health, Unity and the next chapter of "Software Company"
The new year has begun, and I would like to take a moment to reflect on the past months and share the challenges I've faced.
First and foremost, your support has been invaluable, and I owe you an explanation for the lack of updates and communication recently.
A Year Full of Surprises and Challenges:
The past year has been a rollercoaster of surprises and challenges. I was deeply impressed and, to be honest, surprised by the positive reception of "Software Company." Your enthusiasm, feedback, and participation have exceeded my expectations, and I am truly grateful for your ongoing support.
Personal Challenges and Temporary Setbacks:
Amidst the highs, I've experienced unexpected lows. Personal health issues, including a mild heart attack, have impacted my ability to provide regular updates. Your understanding during this challenging time means a lot to me, and I appreciate the patience that most of you have shown.
Changes in Unity's Monetization Policy:
Simultaneously, changes in Unity's monetization policy have increased the complexity of my development strategy. Adjustments to fees and their impact on project budgets made me reflect intensely on whether Unity should continue to be the engine of choice for small developers like me in the future.
Trust is crucial in any partnership, and such changes inevitably raise questions.
While I continue to consider alternative engines for future projects, I have decided to continue the development of "Software Company" within Unity.
My commitment to providing the best gaming experience remains unwavering.
Resuming Development and the Road Ahead:
I am pleased to announce that development is now back in full swing. The upcoming update, expected in January, will primarily focus on improving the internal data processing and memory management of the game. These enhancements aim to lay a solid foundation for a smoother and more immersive gaming experience. In addition to these improvements, I will address balancing issues and introduce minor features to enhance your gaming experience.
Although I cannot provide an exact timeline for the next update, I assure you that I am committed to releasing it as soon as possible.
Once I have a clearer picture of the future, I will publish an updated roadmap outlining my plans for the continuous improvement of "Software Company."
Catching Up on Missed Time:
Looking ahead, my main priority is to make up for the missed time in my development schedule. After the release of the upcoming update, the focus will shift to implementing the missing features in "Software Company," steering the game back on track toward a full release.
I will definitely keep you informed of the progress.
As we embark on this new year, I wish you joy, success, and exciting new adventures. Thank you for being part of the "Software Company" community.
Sincerely,
Sascha
Dev-Diaries #3: Bigger Office, Better Experience!
First of all, I wanted to take a moment to - AGAIN - express my sincere gratitude for your unwavering support and enthusiasm throughout our early access journey.
Your dedication and valuable feedback have been instrumental in shaping the development of the game and making it the small success it is today. I'm thrilled to provide you with an exciting update on the current state of the game and give you a sneak peek of what's to come.
If you're new to "Software Company", let me give you a quick rundown. It's an early access game available on Steam that allows you to experience the exhilarating world of managing your very own software company. You get to hire talented developers, create cutting-edge software, expand your office space, and navigate the challenges and triumphs of the software industry.
Now, let's dive into the juicy details of our upcoming content update planned for the last week of July.
I'm absolutely stoked to announce that I'll be introducing a new and significantly larger office map. This means more room for you to expand your company's operations and take on bigger and more ambitious projects. The new map is packed with additional workspaces, giving you the freedom to hire more developers and supercharge your productivity. I've also made significant investments in modern equipment, so your team will have access to the latest technology, boosting efficiency and innovation.
But wait, there's more! I understand the importance of work-life balance, so I've created a recreational area within the new office map.
It's the perfect space for your hardworking employees to unwind and recharge. Take a break from the demanding software industry and enjoy some leisure activities that will undoubtedly boost morale and unleash your team's creativity.
Now, let's talk about the nitty-gritty. I've been working tirelessly to address performance issues and bugs reported by this amazing community, and I want to give a special shoutout to players with lower-end systems.
Your feedback has been absolutely priceless in helping me identify areas for improvement. Thanks to your input, I've been able to optimize the game and make it more accessible and enjoyable for players across a wide range of hardware configurations.
I'll be honest with you, like any game in the early access phase, "Software Company" may still have some rough edges and flaws. But rest assured, I am fully committed to ironing out these imperfections and delivering the best possible experience.
I can't do it without you, though! Your continued support and feedback are essential to shaping the future of "Software Company" and ensuring its success.
As we move forward, I kindly ask for your patience and understanding. Game development is an iterative process, and it takes time to implement and refine features, optimize performance, and address any issues that may arise. But I promise you, i am dedicated to pushing the boundaries and delivering updates that will hopefully even exceed your expectations.
In closing, I want to extend my deepest gratitude for your involvement in making "Software Company" a better and more enjoyable experience for everyone.
Your passion and dedication have been the driving force behind the game's growth, and I'm genuinely excited to continue this journey together.
Let's keep building the ultimate software empire, one line of code at a time!
Thank you,
Sascha
Patchnotes v0.8.6.12
Fixes
- Fixed an issue where some back buttons would not lead to the correct window or wouldn't do anything at all.
- Fixed overlapping fonts in certain UI windows.
- Resolved an issue where some news texts displayed a standard "lorem ipsum" message instead of the actual news text.
Changes
- NEW: Added the display of the total development costs, total advertising costs, and the total profit of a game to the individual game overviews.
Keep developing and stay tuned for the next content update, which will include the new office building! Thank you for your continued support!
Regards,
Sascha
Hotfix 0.8.6.111 online!
Just a quick fix for some problems when trying to call a new employee, when you want to hire them. I will be taking a deeper look into this issue in the upcoming week to implement a "cleaner" solution. For now, calls should be made correctly though - with the small downside, that the "worker cam" stays deactivated and the window where you would see the employee's image during the call mostly stays black.
But calls can be made again, wich was more important and broke the game in a way.
Enjoy.
Warm regards,
Sascha
Patchnotes for Hotfix 0.8.6.11
Fixes
- Fixed an issue where certain close buttons for UI windows didn't work properly. If you are still experiencing issues, I kindly ask you to send a bug report either via the game's Discord server or the Steam community page.
- Resolved scaling problems in the alert window that resulted in pixelated text on some resolutions. The issue has been fixed, resulting in much crisper text on lower resolutions.
- Corrected an issue where the "My Games Overview" window was offset too far to the right on certain systems. It should now remain in its intended position.
- Rectified button color inconsistency on the UGN website, where some buttons didn't change colors when selected or hovered over.
- Fixed an issue where the user settings save file appeared in the "Load a Game" save games list.
- Saved games are now sorted based on the last time they were played.
- Well, as some of you might have noticed, Little Walter managed to sneak his way from the tutorial into your company as an employee. This mischievous little bugger was NEVER intended to work for you! Moreover, he caused the game to malfunction when assigned specific tasks. So it's BYE BYE for him again... back to explaining things, Walter!
Patch 0.8.6.1 is online!
Greetings, fellow game developers!
I'm thrilled to present the latest patch for "Software Company", where I've been hard at work fixing bugs, implementing exciting features, and incorporating valuable feedback from our passionate community.
Let's dive into the details of Version 0.8.6.1.
Bug Fixes
- I've resolved an issue where certain buttons were unresponsive, ensuring smooth navigation and uninterrupted gameplay.
- I've tackled problems related to UI font scaling and tooltips appearing out of place, resulting in a visually cohesive and polished user interface.
- Previously, reviews were only generated when players accessed the review page directly. Now, reviews will be correctly instantiated when browsing the UGN Website, creating a more realistic game environment.
Enhancements and Additions
- To assist you in improving your game design skills, I've added helpful hints to the review-overview screen. These hints will provide subtle guidance on which slider settings were effective and which ones could have been adjusted differently. With these clues, you'll gain valuable insights into creating more successful games.
- I understand the importance of feedback in honing your skills. Therefore, I've introduced a Feedback section on the review-overview screen. This feature will provide information on good, missing, and unnecessary features in your games. Leverage this knowledge to refine your game development strategies.
- Introducing the Company-Charts page on the UGN Website! Now, you can easily track your progress and compare your studio's performance against others. Witness the fierce competition in the race for the title of the best video game studio in the world. Furthermore, each AI studio now boasts its own unique company logo, enhancing the overall visual experience.
Upcoming Changes
I've heard your suggestions and I'm actively working on making exciting adjustments to the game's economy and i have started to implement a random-event system to keep you busy while waiting for your neweset creations being finished.
Further, the introduction of the company-charts is a base for a soon-to-be implementation of an ingame stock market, where you can invest in other software companies or buy them up all together.
These changes aim to introduce more excitement and variety in multiple playthroughs, ensuring each session feels fresh and engaging. Stay tuned for more information on these upcoming enhancements!
As always, I sincerely appreciate your continued support and feedback throughout the development of "Software Company." Your dedication and enthusiasm inspire me to deliver the best possible gaming experience. As always, please keep sharing your thoughts and suggestions on Discord and the steam community page. Together, let's shape the future of game development!
Stay tuned for more updates and happy game developing!
Sascha
HOTFIX 0.8.6.01 online!
- FIX: UI-Windows for the "Create a new project"-Tab now stay on screen.
Patchnotes 0.8.6.0 - The first content Update is here!
Hello players! I am excited to bring you the first content update for "Software Company". This update includes various fixes, changes, and new features to enhance your gameplay experience.
Thank you for your continued support and valuable feedback. Here's what's new:
Fixes
- Fixed an issue where multiple of the same resolutions were displayed in the resolution settings dropdown. Additionally, the minimum resolution for the game is now capped at 1280*720 pixels.
- Addressed a bug where some data was carried over from a previous game when starting a new game after returning to the main menu.
- Resolved an issue with loading saved games from the in-game load menu. Players can now correctly load saved games without having to go back to the main menu or quit the game.
- Fixed avatar generation for all character models. These avatars will be used in various areas throughout the game.
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Changes
- NEW: Complete UI overhaul with a sleeker design, new graphics, and more!
- NEW: Added an "UI-Scaling" option in the settings menu. Now you can scale the UI up to improve readability on lower resolutions.
- NEW: Introducing a 25x game speed option. Please note that this option is highly experimental and might cause glitches on weaker systems. Use with caution!
- NEW: Select the box art for your games in the "Create new project" menu. While the game still assigns colors randomly, you can now choose the background picture, font style, and font shape of your box art. Enjoy the new level of customization!
- NEW: Cancel games in development. If you change your mind or encounter unforeseen circumstances, you now have the option to cancel a project.
- NEW: Add or remove developers during active development. Adjust your team as needed to optimize your projects.
- The version of the game when a save file was created has been added to the save game information displayed in the load screens.
- User settings are now stored in a separate file. Your preferences will not be reset with each game update.
- Several new conversations have been added to enhance the overall experience.
- The "release" button from the contact window has been removed. Players are now required to call the employee they wish to release and confront them personally, dealing with their guilt in person.
Known Issues
- The new font may encounter difficulties displaying country-specific characters and may revert back to a fallback font.
- Extended gameplay sessions, especially on weaker systems, may result in decreased performance. This is caused by background logging to facilitate bug and error identification. We will gradually remove most, if not all, of these logging protocols in future updates. For now, if your game's performance becomes sluggish, simply save and restart the game to reset the logging scripts and restore smooth gameplay.
Thank you for your patience and support as i continue to improve "Software Company". I hope you enjoy the new update and look forward to bringing you more exciting features in the future!
Regards,
Sascha
Dev-Diaries #2: The first Content-Update is around the corner!
I'm thrilled to bring you the latest developer update for the highly anticipated content update, version 0.8.6.
As you know, "Software Company" is currently in its early access phase, and I want to express my gratitude for your incredible continued support and valuable feedback. Your passion for the game has been the driving force behind my continuous efforts to improve and expand the experience.
One common theme in your feedback has been the desire for more content. I've heard you loud and clear, and I'm excited to announce that significant progress has been made in resolving the savegame bugs that have been causing frustration among players. I'm happy to inform you that these issues are now almost completely fixed, ensuring a smoother and more seamless gaming experience. Your progress is now in safer hands!
Now, let's delve into the key features of the upcoming update, starting with a complete UI overhaul. I've transformed the game's user interface from a functional design to a cleaner and more modern look. This new UI not only provides a better visual experience but also offers more intuitive control over the game.
I've taken the time to relocate certain elements to more logical positions, enhancing the usability and making it easier for you to navigate through the different aspects of running your software company. I can't wait for you to see the improvements!
In addition to the UI overhaul, I'm introducing exciting new gameplay features in version 0.8.6. One of the most significant additions is the ability for you to add or remove developers from ongoing game developments. This feature empowers you to adjust the quality of a game by allocating or reallocating your development resources.
Whether you need to free up developers for other projects or want to give that extra boost to a particular game, now you have the power to do so. Flexibility and control are in your hands!
Another much-requested feature is the ability to cancel game developments. I understand that the market can be unpredictable, and sometimes you need to react swiftly to market changes. With the new update, you'll have the option to cancel a game's development if you see that it no longer aligns with your strategy or if you spot a new trend that demands your attention. This addition allows you to adapt and make strategic decisions in real-time, maximizing your chances of success in the dynamic software industry.
Of course, version 0.8.6 also includes several other bug fixes and improvements based on your feedback. I've resolved the bugs that occurred when starting a new game after returning from a loaded one to the main menu, ensuring a seamless transition between different game sessions. For a complete list of all the bug fixes and improvements, I'll provide detailed patch notes upon release.
I'm incredibly excited about this upcoming content
- which will go live on the upcoming weekend -
update, and I want to express my deepest gratitude for your support and patience. Your feedback has been instrumental in shaping the game, and I'm committed to delivering the best possible experience for you.
Stay tuned for more announcements and release details. I can't wait to see you dive into the improved world of "Software Company" in version 0.8.6!
Thank you once again for being part of this incredible journey with me.
Best regards,
Sascha
Changelog: Hotfix 0.8.5.142
Nothing fancy this time. Just getting rid of some minor annoyances. Enjoy!
#Fixes
- Fixed an issue where some UI Elements (e.g. buttons for hired employees, graphics on the UGN-Page) were not loaded correctly or missing completely after loading a saved game.
- Fixed an issue where calculations for calculations for sales data for finished games from AI Companies was slightly more linear after loading a saved game, then it should have been.