Hi everyone!
The community center is complete… I described it a bit in the last update, but here’s a quick rundown (this post contains minor spoilers):
- No time limit to complete the community center.
- Community center is divided into 6 “rooms”.
- Each room requires the completion of a certain number of “bundles” to be restored.
- Each bundle you complete earns you a small (but useful!) reward.
Here’s the menu for a single bundle, the “Artisan Bundle”… on the left is the player inventory, on the right the list of ingredients accepted in this bundle and the bundle slots that need to be filled.
- When you complete all bundles in a room, that room is restored. As a reward, a positive change happens in the game world (more info below).
What are these “positive changes to the world”?
Well, for example, the repair of this bridge:
And the steam power required to get this minecart transportation system back up and running:
Just to name a couple.
Now, about Joja Corporation… I’ve decided not to impose a time limit on players. Here’s my new Joja concept:
JojaMart already exists when you arrive in town. In fact, Joja’s presence is the reason the community center has fallen into disrepair, and why the local mom and pop businesses are suffering. Some townspeople long for the old days, when local businesses were thriving and the town had a strong sense of unity. Others welcome the convenience and affordability of the JojaMart.
The player can proceed in multiple ways:
1. Do nothing. Joja mart will stay in business, and the community center will stay dilapidated and unusable.
2. Restore the community center by completing bundles. Make positive changes to the game world along the way. When this is complete, the local JojaMart will go out of business, and the community center will be restored to its former glory.
3. Ignore the community center and instead help expand JojaMart by spending money. Joja Co. will make positive changes to the game world for a fee. The community center will be demolished forever. The player will receive discounts on Joja products.
This allows players to proceed at their own pace and choose a pathway that suits their own gameplay style and philosophical preference. For players who want more of a challenge, there may be achievements and/or rewards for completing these paths within a set time limit.
What’s left?
Joja Mart Building
Domestic/Family life
Finalizing multiplayer
Lots and lots of polishing, fiddling with gameplay, and tying up any loose threads
Fun little touches and secrets
More Testing
Release
Summer is drawing to a close, which is good. It’s a lot easier to be productive when the day is cool and dim.
Thanks for reading!
-Ape