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Prison Architect Alpha 11

Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2013 2:13 pm
by Chris
Alpha 11 has been released! Steam users will be automatically updated. Non-steam users can download the latest version from the builds page here:
http://www.prison-architect.com/builds.html

You need an active forum account to access the builds from our website. If you are having trouble please click click here for more information, or email us at support@introversion.co.uk

Here is our alpha11 video demonstrating the new features:


We spent quite a lot of time this month working on performance enhancements and bug fixes. We found a lot of memory leaks and performance bugs and fixed them, and the end result is the game is running quite a bit smoother. There’s still a lot of work to be done here but things are definately improved.

You can now purchase neighbouring plots of land. Your accountant has to research “Land Expansion” and then you can click on any edge of your prison land to buy up the neighbouring plot. You can do this as many times as you like, money permitting. We should warn you that we haven’t fully tested what will happen if you expand to the right of the main road. You can build here but there will always be a section of road on which you cannot build, so you’ll never be able to join up the two sides. You might find prisoners on one side decide to walk to the other side, then escape when they find themselves on the road. But try it and see!

We’ve updated the Objects toolbar to intelligently highlight objects that might be useful, given what you are looking at. So if you are looking at a kitchen, you’ll see the cooker, fridge and sink are automatically highlighted. As we add more objects to the list the task of finding what you want is getting harder, and this was our shot at fixing that.

Finally we have an entirely new Timelapse recording feature. You can use this to record timelapse videos of your prison being built. You’ll find the options to control this under Options -> Timelapse, and you can set how often a frame is captured, and the playback rate of those frames. We export videos to your save folder in OGV (ogg video) format, which can be played by VLC, or imported into youtube, etc. Here’s an example of the sort of video you can create:



There’s also quite a few bug fixes, and we’ve fixed the issue of Clothing needs leading to riots. It was almost impossible to have a laundry functioning before your prisoners rioted due to clothing, which seemed a little unfair. This won’t happen anymore.

We hope you enjoy alpha 11 - we’ve got some big things planned for alpha 12 and alpha 13, and we’ll see you in a months time with that. We also did our first ever development livestream during alpha 11, and we are hoping to do more during alpha 12. Sign up to our twitch.tv page to stay notified and watch us developing the game live: www.twitch.tv/introversionsoftware


Full change list

Code: Select all

= Performance improvements & memory leaks
    - Fixed numerous large memory leaks
    - Water simulation significantly optimised
    - Fixed performance bug in object rendering (calling profiler from within inner loop)
    - Rendering soft material edges has been improved and optimised (eg grass growing onto pathway)
    - Rendering garbage bags was sometimes very slow, is now quicker. Weight caption removed
    - Nameplates now fade out as you zoom out (less clutter + quicker to render)
    - Fixed performance bug when ordering large areas of construction
   
= Land expansion
    - You can now purchase neighbouring plots of land, and thereby expand the area of your prison
    - Must be unlocked by the accountant in the beauracracy screen
    - Expanding to the right of the road is experimental, and is likely to break everything

= TimeLapse recording
    You can now record a timelapse video of your prison during construction
    Use the Options -> Timelapse menu to set the frame interval and the playback rate of the video
    Start and Stop recording from the main menu
    Whilst recording you will see a red circle icon in the top right of your screen
        NOTE: Timelapse videos will be saved to your PA saves folder, subfolder 'Videos'
        NOTE: We export the videos as OGV (ogg video) format

- Intelligent toolbar highlights
    Icons in the main build toolbar will now highlight when appropriate, based on the rooms visible on screen
    Eg if you are looking at a Workshop, the Saw/Press/Table will all highlight.
    Eg if you are looking at a row of jail cells, the Bed/Toilet/JailDoor icons will all highlight

- Prisoners now count down their remaining sentence whilst in your jail.
    Once they have served their full jail term they are automatically released.
    They will walk to the exit and be allowed to leave by your guards.
    Their nameplate will flash "RELEASED"
        NOTE: We count down sentences at an accelerated rate - otherwise nobody would ever be released
        NOTE: We do not yet support early release due to Parole

- Guards assigned to a sector will no longer group together at the very centre of the sector.
    Instead they will walk randomly around the sector.
    Similarly, prisoners assigned to work within a room will now wander around the room if there is
    nothing to do, instead of grouping together at the centre like chumps
   
- Hearses will now come to your prison to take away your dead bodies (four at a time)

- Dirty clothes will no longer lead to riots
    Not all needs will push prisoners to physical violence
    Currently Exempt: Clothing, Comfort
    These needs still prevent those prisoners from feeling "well treated", but will not push them to anger
   
- Doctors/Paramedics will now prioritise Guards and Riot Police, and will not heal fighting/rioting prisoners
   
- Running the game in SAFE MODE now automatically scales the game spritebank down to 2048x2048
    This should fix the missing/corrupted sprites bugs on some graphics chips (eg Intel HD 3000, Macbook Air etc)
       
- Prisoners now walk a bit faster when pushing laundry baskets

- Fixed: The clone tool was broken in alpha 10

- Fixed: The doctor/paramedic healing sound was looping forever

- Fixed: The Lockdown claxon would loop forever, annoying everyone who heard it

- Fixed: Prisoners will no longer attempt cleaning jobs in staff only areas (they became stuck when trying)

- Fixed: Prisoners will immediately stop doing a job if their room is set to Staff Only

- Fixed: Prisoners will no longer drop their dirty uniforms in the wall where they can't be retrieved

- Fixed: You no longer need to hire a Doctor before you can create an Infirmary


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Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2013 2:17 pm
by Alex_D20
:D :D

Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2013 2:18 pm
by thekillergreece
AWESOME!

Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2013 2:30 pm
by Nicotin
There it is. Waited for the announcement since my steam updated PA :D

Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2013 2:41 pm
by thekillergreece
Heh...Hearse vehicle is Ambulance vehicle..Hope it will be changed..


Hope for Gangs, guard towers and escape tunnels next alpha versions!

Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2013 2:42 pm
by Namro
Awesome! Gonna do a time lapse! :D

Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2013 2:42 pm
by RutgerM
Thanks for the awesome fixes and features with each update!
Keep up the good work! :D :D

Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2013 2:48 pm
by wildbillhdmax01
YES! Good work guys!

Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2013 2:49 pm
by Profit
I guess the armory and dogs are in for alpha 12. Good update nethertheless!

Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2013 2:57 pm
by Citizen
Hearts.

Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2013 3:16 pm
by kongoman
Very nice, thanks for saving my weekend... :D

-keep up the good work !

Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2013 3:20 pm
by paktsardines
Huzzah! Nice to see this one on this list:

Fixed: You no longer need to hire a Doctor before you can create an Infirmary

Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2013 3:21 pm
by Saranis
I have been waiting to play since Alpha 4 for prisoners to be released. THANK YOu!!!

Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2013 3:59 pm
by scottystreet
Fantastic! For me, the most exciting talk is that of the story behind the game. Mention of the endgame, and the fact you guys are considering it is good. I'm intrigued to see what the story of the game becomes.

Once again, great new features, and nice that you finally squashed out some of those bugs!

Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2013 10:15 pm
by Dosedmonkey
Timelapse sounds very interesting!! Good idea.

You released this in perfect timing. Flying away tonight to the Falklands, to join a ship to work in antarctic one and a half months. So this will keep me well entertained! Will notepad bugs. :lol: :P

PS. please change hearse to coroners. :lol:

Image

Some discussion on this guys comment, he has a point, despite being negative voted by kids.
http://forums.introversion.co.uk/prison ... php?t=3242