Devlog #28 – A Spiralling of Small Plans
With work on the vehicles update taking priority over all else, we hadn’t planned a lot for June’s release schedule, but sometimes small things can grow into big changes and what began life as a few tweaks morphed into something altogether more exciting.
So, buckle up and let’s see what’s been making the headlines in 2090’s Cincinnati this month.
Flex me up
First off, we’ve added a lot to how you control your outfit and wardrobe, giving you more options and flexibility when it comes to how your character looks and is perceived by the rest of the world. For example, you can now wear a hood over your beanies, carry your coat if you’re getting a little sweaty and wear pendants if that’s your jam.
Speaking of clothing, we’re just starting to drip feed over 100 brand new items of clothing into the game – everything from jewellery to underwear! We’re also adding more options for how you wear each item of clothing and even plan on implementing more specific changes, such as the perceived temperature applied by each item of clothing. And yes, you now have a quick button that lets you remove your mask on-the-fly. You spoke and we listened.
In a month packed with changes, however, perhaps the one most players will be excited about is something we’ve been meaning to wrap up for a while now (literally years, in fact). From this month onwards, you’ll finally be able to finish Ann’s Secret. We won’t say anymore about it here (spoilers are the devil’s work) but if you’ve been wanting to see this story through to its conclusion for a while now then fill your boots!
Tooling around for real
Since the last release, we’ve spent a great deal of time honing how you access mechanics tools, making the experience more immersive and less ‘gamey’. The idea, as ever, was to enhance immersion and introduce meaningful decision-making without hindering gameplay. Previously, the system fell short of this goal, but now, rather than always having all your tools readily available, you now must choose what you carry.
If you’re heading to the dump or bordertown, for example, it makes sense to load up a vehicle with as many tools as possible. However, when venturing into the Projects, it might be wise to limit yourself to what can fit in a small bag. These adjustments extend beyond mere numerical tweaks. The storage capacity for boxes has been significantly increased, allowing you to possess a total of six, including new types – expanding the possibilities and making it more worthwhile to gather a few boxes before visiting a workshop to unlock their contents.
The value of the boxes has been substantially raised too and we’ve changed how you open them. With the appropriate tools in hand, opening all but the most challenging boxes should be relatively straightforward while on the go, while the toughest ones will require a workshop. But there is still more work to be done. Workshops will be introduced in all areas of the game, each with unique acquisition methods. The highly anticipated big vehicles update is currently undergoing testing and promises to provide various benefits. Looking ahead, we also plan to introduce more diverse tools and explore different ways to utilise them.
As you’re probably aware, a game as ambitious as cyberpunkdreams is an always evolving perpetual work-in-progress, so there are hundreds of tweaks being made to the game for balance, quality of life and (of course) entertainment every month. This includes not-so-fun tweaks like typos and bug fixes, many of which have been caught thanks to your reports (thanks for that!).
This month, we’ve fixed various problems that were irking gamers. For example, we’ve made dozens of performance improvements and fixed hundreds of bugs. Some other notable tweaks and content additions include:
- More of both Irene and Ann (as previously mentioned)
- The ability to select whether or not you’re carrying a load of tools via Manage Your Life
- A bunch of new items and skills including lock picking
- Oh, and you can now buy and use a Fancy bong!
It’s always changing and evolving, and it’ll never stop. Trust us. You can check out the full list right here, on Steam.
Call & response
As well as all the regular activity in our Discord server, we host a bi-weekly (or so) writing prompt called Call & Response. We post a question or discussion topic, and you’re free to respond however you want. When each round closes, we reward the best and most creative responses with unique access codes. Recent prompts have included:
Who really controls crime in the slums? The Jags and Modes are only interested in selling drugs and spikes. The Triads and Yakuza confine themselves to Gamble Street. So who’s left? Tower? The various pimping syndicates? Someone else entirely?
Tower turns a blind eye to mutants in Interstate, even though it’s not a NoGo. Why? Perhaps they’re bribed, or know that the slums need at least one place where people can go without fear, and perhaps that means that they simply stay away, mutants or not. Or maybe something more sinister is afoot…?
Implants and biological modification are a common and expected part of modern life, and subsequently, the black shakes are common knowledge for most. But this condition’s existence and information is suppressed by corporate and government agencies. Why are officials afraid of it being acknowledged? Is it perhaps because they lack an obvious source, because we would turn on the technology as a cause, or is it something else, something more sinister? Or is it simply a case of not attributing to malice what can be better attributed to incompetence?
Don’t be afraid to say hi
As ever, if you have something to say about the changes, have any ideas or questions, or just want to share your experiences in the Projects or the Bordertown, we’re here to absorb your feedback. Who knows, we might even act on it in the next update!
Feel free to join us in our discord server or on Twitter, where we’re always active with little snippets from the cpd universe.
Until next time!