Builders, here comes the March update!
It's been a while since the last update, but as promised – here’s the big March update. The weekly patches have been temporarily put on hold because… well, I decided to overhaul the game’s code. More details on this madness below.
Why a code overhaul?
Let’s not sugarcoat it – the game has a lot of quality issues, and we all know it. Many players don’t enjoy it, and there are many reasons for that. Some mechanics were never fully developed, some ideas remained unfinished, and others simply don’t add enough value. All of this resulted in a chaotic mix of different functions that have been tweaked over time but were never properly restructured.
As you can imagine, fixing anything in such an environment was a nightmare, so I made the decision to rewrite most of the code from scratch – this time, the right way.
The worst parts of the code have already been rewritten and are included in this update. This primarily concerns Stockpile, Granary, and Bazaar, as well as most systems related to resource management. The result? The code is now 2x to... 19x faster and more optimized. That’s a significant difference, and you should already feel the impact, especially in larger cities. Of course, this doesn’t completely solve the game’s performance issues – they are complex – but removing inefficient code is a solid step in the right direction. This also dramatically improves the stability of the game and the correctness of the parameters when loading the save game.
What am I aiming for?
I won’t promise miracles. Strategy Labs has shut down, and nothing will change that. But as long as I’m here, I’ll fight until the end. My goal is to improve the game’s ratings – a tough task, but I hope that with each update, at least some of you will reconsider your opinion.
The game has many problems, and most of them can only be fixed by restructuring large parts of it. Thanks to this update, I can finally add new features to Stockpile, Granary, and Bazaar – something that was previously impossible due to how the code was written. Now, I can implement sorting with minimal effort, which was unachievable before. And this is just the beginning – more features are already in the pipeline.
All these changes are leading to a bigger goal – a potential engine upgrade.
Why change the engine?
Because some of the game’s biggest issues come from the fact that it's running on the now outdated Unreal Engine 4.25. Many of the plugins I rely on are no longer supported, and their bugs will never be fixed. Upgrading Unreal Engine is always risky (the "if it works, don’t touch it" rule), but in this case, a lot of things… just don’t work.
At this point, I have nothing to lose, so I’m going to give this path a try.
Thank you to everyone who is still here and supporting the project. The fight continues! ????
Now, let's get into the update details!
For two reasons, this patch will initially be available on the test branch.
Why the test branch?
1. Massive code changes and save game compatibility
The scale of the code overhaul means partial incompatibility with existing save games. The entire system handling goods management has been rewritten, so after loading an old save, Stockpile, Granary, and Bazaar will be empty. Additionally, the trader may have incorrect values when loading a save, potentially causing unexpected issues.
So, it’s best to finish your mission before updating or start fresh.
2. I’m the only one left testing the game
Unfortunately, I no longer have access to QA, so I’m testing everything myself. Until I’m 200% sure everything is stable (which I’m not yet), the update will remain on the test branch. In view of this, my request for understanding of any bugs that cause regression against the default version - everything will be fixed asap.
3. How to enable this update? You need to change in steam game properties from default to patch_test. There is also a branch there with the previous version of the game should something go wrong.
Changes in this update:
- Added 4 quick-access shortcuts to selected locations on the map. Press Ctrl + 1/2/3/4 to set a location for quick access.
- Click on the map to teleport to that location (works when zoom on the minimap is disabled).
- Added sorting for goods in the player’s goods panel, Stockpile, Granary, and Bazaar.
- Fixed several trader-related issues.
- Fixed most issues related to goods, such as not being able to send sandstone when requested by another city.
- Increased the number of goods purchased by traders.
- Modified some land availability colors (still in progress).
- Changed Stockpile behavior – "Collect" and "Export" no longer exclude each other. (Experimental, testing to see if this feels better.)
These are the major changes – I won’t list the small ones because time is better spent working on the next features! Next in line, in addition to the UI changes, are fixes to the monuments (I've been getting a lot of save game lately - thanks everyone!) and a complete overhaul of the notification system, another programming horror story that has been dragging on since the very beginning of the game.
Take care, and see you in the next update! ❤️
