Blimey, I haven't posted here since October 2011!
Well, the good news is that I am still working on this project
The map is still very much "under construction", but currently I've expanded the commercial district and re-imagined the WIP Industrial District.
Here's a look at the trendy square and new, upcoming TV studio:
Not far from this is the powerful
Financial District:
A shopping centre next to one of the many parks in the city - perhaps a powerful place to start your business empire?
A science park, a few of which are dotted about the place:
A look at the new face of the
Industrial District:
The telephone wire "rivers" will one day be changed into chain-link fencing.
Finally, a look at the historic harbour next to the revamped modern port. You can also see the
Old Brewery, the oldest one on the island:
I've also been working out some new gameplay features.
In the city exist many smaller companies which, for whatever reason, aren't taking part in the local shenanigans. Open a new building on their location and you can buy them out, bringing in a new
Subsidiary into your business empire. Subsidiaries are basically powerful great wonders which grant strong bonuses. Many of them produce units. For instance, the
Old Brewery produces, among other things, exploding kegs. Get the troubled
Wolrich Football Club back into business and it'll produce a Football Player every so often.
There are many subsidiaries in the game, and each of them is, as I said, very powerful if you can invest your productivity into getting them up-and-running.
Pollution is going to be rampant in this scenario, though easy to clean up. It represents all kinds of workplace hazards and issues, and overcrowding, and many (if not most) improvements produce a little of it. The good news is that there are a lot of improvements available to combat it. Get some
tools together and you'll be able to build the important
Building Maintenence improvement, which cuts a huge chunk out of workplace safety issues. HVAC systems, plumbing maintenance, staff restrooms, even a simple water cooler, they all help chip away at workplace hazards if you can get them all installed and up and running. Finding the correct balance adds a new challenge to the game.
After the early stages of the game,
Hacking and cyber-crime become real issues.
Hackers will be able to disable (destroy) building improvements, requiring significant work to get them back up and running. Establishing cyber security in your smaller buildings and employing your own hackers to seek them out (with stealth attack) and eliminating their threat will be order of the day. Also be weary of the
Underground Brotherhood who will think of nothing employing many
hidden nationality hackers to wreck havoc on the unjust businesses in the late game!
Late for work? I don't think so, buster - not when the subway opens up in early Era 2 allowing units to use
Subway Access (airlift) to other buildings in a flash. The
Public Transport Bureau also operates a similarly functioning bus network from their
Bus Station from the beginning of the game - which anyone can wrestle from them! There are also a myriad of transport units available -
Buses,
Cars, and
Taxis line the roads; of if you'd prefer to avoid all the congestion then
Private Yachts and
Executive's Helicopters are also widely available for the super-rich who descend upon Wolrich.
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I'm currently going through a major reworking of the tech tree to add faction-specific techs. This means that
the Mafia will foray into carjacking, gun-running, and bank-robbing, while businesses such as
Business Inc. will be developing copyright, blueprints, and a good honest sense of Corporate Pride. The core tech tree will, however, be shared by all.
Requests:
Many units are still needed. Some I'll try to develop myself some day, but currently, it's not possible.
For the businesses, an
Office Messenger is needed. He'll mostly be used as a scout, zipping about the place all fast and such. I was working on one, but since I don't have Poser anymore and the files are on my (now external) zombie-like dead hard-drive, getting round to it will take a little while.
Another which businesses need is a
Supervisor (like my Office Manager, but perhaps his hair hasn't fallen out yet), an early-game defensive unit. An unarmed
Security Guard would also be a great help. I imagine him to be fat, having a hard time catching those darned kids shoplifting in the store, and maybe with a torch.
When things start really kicking-off, there will be
Notepad Hurlers,
Chair-Wielders and office guys armed with
Fire Extinguishers.
Army units are going to be
Secretaries, so an army/leader Secretary is required.
The Public and the Underground are going to need an industrial
Picketer, striking over low wages and tough working conditions.
Some naval units will be needed as well such as a
Glass-Bottomed Boat which sails around the natural lagoon giving tourists a delightful day out, or a simple
Security Boat for a non-military vessel that companies might use to keep their waters safe in the early game. A
Lifeboat so that the
Authorities can rescue troubled souls at sea.
Other than units, I currently need rivers which are turned into a
chain-link fence, protecting lots in the Industrial District.
