Prison Architect Alpha 18

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Chris
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Prison Architect Alpha 18

Postby Chris » Fri Feb 28, 2014 4:45 pm

Alpha 18 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 haven’t already done so, please register your game here to gain access to the builds, the private forums, the bug database and the wiki.
http://www.prison-architect.com/register

Here is our video demonstrating the new features:


It’s been another massive month, with several major successes. This month we tackled one of our big end game features : prisoner reform. You can now run prisoner reform programs which aim to train, educate and reform your inmates. Reform programs are expensive to run, take a long time to complete, and the success rates are often very low unless your prisoners are very well taken care of. Some bring substantial benefits to your prison and the inmates that take part, others are a longer term investment in your prisoners that may provide little short term benefit.

Image

All prisoners must now complete a workshop safety induction, or a kitchen hygiene program, before they are permitted to work in the workshop and kitchen. We felt it was unrealistic that you could just dump 20 brand new prisoners into a dangerous workshop with heavy machinery and have them start stamping out number plates. Violent prisoners can be sent to the prison psychologist for some anger management. And the more academically minded of your inmates (maybe those convicted of fraud or computer crime ;) can work towards new education qualifications in the new classroom. The teachers are a new type of staff member that you do not hire directly - instead they come in from the outside every day to teach their course, then go home in the evenings.

Once prisoners are trained and working in the workshop, you can put the most skilled of them through a carpentry apprenticeship. Once completed these prisoners will be able to make high quality wooden furniture on the new carpenters table. This furniture can be sold for increased profits on the raw materials. In future alphas we’ll be making use of this furniture.

We have continued to expand the armoury originally introduced in alpha 17. You can now unlock tazers for your armed guards, and eventually issue them to all the guards and dog handlers in your prison. These are non lethal weapons that instantly incapacitate a prisoner without causing any damage, however they can only be fired once before needing a full hour to recharge. Perfect when a prisoner is smashing up his cell, not so great when outnumbered in a riot. We have also added new stab vests to the armoury, which give your guards extra protection in a fight, but slow down their movement as well.


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There’s lots more in the full change list below. We hope you enjoy the new features, and we will see you all in a month with alpha 19. Thanks!


Full change list

Code: Select all

= Reform and training programs
    You can now run daily programs to train, educate and reform your prisoners
    These are administered from the new "Programs" tab in the reports interface
    Each program runs during a scheduled time during the day, and costs money per session
    Different programs provide different benefits to you and the prisoner
    Prisoners may only take part in one program at a time, and may only attend one session in that program per day
    Most programs are voluntary. Prisoners will be less likely to volunteer for programs if they are badly treated
   
    Available reform programs:   
        - Foundation education program
        - General Education qualification
        - Workshop Safety Induction                 <- required to work in the Workshop
        - Carpentry Apprenticeship
        - Kitchen Safety and Hygiene                <- required to work in the kitchen
        - Behavioural Therapy
   
    - Prisoners must now complete the workshop safety / kitchen safety courses before they can work in those rooms
   
    - New : Classroom / School desk / Teacher
      You require a functioning classroom before you can begin educating your prisoners
      The teacher is an external freelancer who will enter your jail to teach his class, then will leave when done
      Some prisoners have more affinity for academic topics than others.
      In addition, the level of concentration of your prisoners is a major factor on their chances of success
        (Prisoners concentrate best when all of their needs have been taken care of)
     
    - New : Carpenters table
      Prisoners who have a natural afinity for practical work can attempt the Carpentry Apprentiship.
      If successful they will be able to use the new carpenters table in the workshop
      They will use stacks of Wood to produce high quality furniture (currently a high quality wooden bed)
      Full production chain : [Gardener] -> Tree -> [Cutdown] -> Logs -> [Saw] -> Wood -> [Carpenters table] -> Furniture
         
    - Behavioural Therapy is run by the prison psychologist
      Prisoners are automatically referred to this program if they behave violently within your jail
      Prisoners who successfully complete the Behavioural Therapy program are less likely to cause trouble in future


= Prisoner experience
    Experience is now being recorded for all prisoners during their stay in your prison
    You can view this data by clicking on them to bring up their rap sheet, then click the new "Experience" tab
   
    - Activity  : Shows the breakdown of their time within your prison, and what they were doing during that time
    - Mood      : Shows the amount of time spent in a good / bad / neutral mood. This is a simplification but a useful one.
    - Condition : Shows how long the prisoner has been suppressed, injured etc.
   
    - You can also see the progress of their current reform program - their attendance and chance of "passing" the program
    - All programs completed are listed at the bottom of this page, showing if they passed of failed the program


= Armoury upgrades
    You can now purchase additional weapons and equipment once you have an armoury on site.
    Your guards must return to the armoury to pick up their new equipment as you unlock it,
    and there is a cost to pay per item equipped.

    - Body Armour : Available to all guards, armed guards and dog handlers.
      Absorbs 50% of all damage taken, but slows down your guards by 30%
      You must pay an additional $100 per guard for body armour.
       
    - Tazers : Available for all Armed Guards. 
      This is a non lethal weapon which instantly incapacitates the target, without causing any damage.
      Can only be fired once, then the battery must recharge before it can be used again (1 hour recharge time)
      There is a cost of $400 per tazer to be paid as the armed guards collect their new equipment.
      Note: Armed guards will use their shotguns instead as soon as you give the "weapons free" order
     
    - Tazer Rollout : Equips all guards and dog handlers with Tazers as well as your armed guards.
      There is a cost of $400 per tazer to be paid as the guards collect their new equipment.           

- User Interface scaling
    Work continues to make the game scale correctly to any resolution and any size of display
    The is now a 'UI Scale' override setting to adjust the size of all onscreen elements to your taste
    Use the PLUS and MINUS keys to adjust this value in game, or edit it directly in preferences.txt
   
- The rooms toolbar now shows the number of each room type that already exist

- The fog of war effect is no longer rendered into timelapse videos

- Status effects like Suppression no longer cause such massive drops in walking speed

- Visitation will now come to an end immediately during a riot or a bangup

- You can now build utilities under the road : Electrical cable, Small pipes, Large pipes

- Tweaked the routing system - entities should get stuck on walls much less frequently

- Fixed : Sometimes very small Laundries / Cleaning Cupboards would not show up in the Deployment/Jobs screen,
    meaning you could not assign prisoners to them even though they were perfectly valid rooms

- Fixed : Armed guards now (sometimes) shout warnings at inmates before firing,
          unless those inmates are attacking staff or about to escape

- Fixed : Face-in-the-game entries are now sorted to the top of the community biographies list

- Fixed : Sun shadows on trees were sometimes rendered much too large

- Fixed : Dogs were unwilling/unable to enter staff only zones

- Fixed : You can no longer build road gates over lakes, or at the edge of the map

- Fixed : Actors no longer get tired (Eg edward, his guards etc)



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thekillergreece
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Re: Prison Architect Alpha 18

Postby thekillergreece » Fri Feb 28, 2014 5:02 pm

School Mod: Cancelled.

Education! Yipeeee! Tazers! Hehe!
acegamer08
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Re: Prison Architect Alpha 18

Postby acegamer08 » Fri Feb 28, 2014 5:02 pm

18 is out...nice.
computermania2345
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Re: Prison Architect Alpha 18

Postby computermania2345 » Fri Feb 28, 2014 5:41 pm

When are you actually going to finish incomplete projects such as the execution chamber and the security room. Both rooms have been completely useless and have been neglected for a while. I appreciate the new features but it would be nice to actually fix rooms that do nothing. I am not sure where this game is actually going. I Stopped playing until you decide to fix what is in the game before adding new features.
KingNasty
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Re: Prison Architect Alpha 18

Postby KingNasty » Fri Feb 28, 2014 5:46 pm

Looks like a great alpha!

I guess my question is what's the incentive for the general education classes?
Is there some sort of government payment for releasing prisoners who have been rehabilitated with additional education?
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Re: Prison Architect Alpha 18

Postby Bacil » Fri Feb 28, 2014 5:46 pm

Alpha = adding new features
Beta = debugging
The Chosen One
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Re: Prison Architect Alpha 18

Postby The Chosen One » Fri Feb 28, 2014 5:53 pm

That is absolutely true. This is first and foremost an alpha/early access title.
And many people don't get that and want a fully playable unbugged title right away. Which is not feasable.

However I do would like to see a little more focus (perhaps a special update month?) on a certain number of bugs/annoying 'things'. E.g. the utilities being able to placed/viewed seperate from eachother instead of pipes/power together and making placing/removing stuff really hard. And there is other stuff aswell ofcourse.

As said above its an alpha but this is a different kind of alpha then "before" (read years back), even though you shouldn't just do whatever people demand making sure the game is somewhat enjoyable (PR reasons and many more) is important too.

I have a big feature/bug/wishlist myself which I'll place on the forum soon (more to be viewed/discussed a little on the forum first and then for the devs next) which include said above annoying 'thing'.
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Re: Prison Architect Alpha 18

Postby Kolchak » Fri Feb 28, 2014 5:57 pm

"Dogs unable/unwilling to enter staff only zones" - the spirit was willing but the spelling was weak! Perhaps a General Education Course for someone...? :D
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Re: Prison Architect Alpha 18

Postby PsychoShade » Fri Feb 28, 2014 6:03 pm

As always love the video, simply because Mark asks questions I find myself asking and pretty nice new features added! Would definitely love to see more Prisoner Depth, and possible gangs and stuff! All together great work! 8)
pipeek
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Re: Prison Architect Alpha 18

Postby pipeek » Fri Feb 28, 2014 6:20 pm

Whoa.. This alpha is making game a huge step to becoming the best tycoon game ever created ;)
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Re: Prison Architect Alpha 18

Postby lord_joshi » Fri Feb 28, 2014 6:24 pm

computermania2345 wrote:When are you actually going to finish incomplete projects such as the execution chamber and the security room. Both rooms have been completely useless and have been neglected for a while. I appreciate the new features but it would be nice to actually fix rooms that do nothing. I am not sure where this game is actually going. I Stopped playing until you decide to fix what is in the game before adding new features.


Good point. But maybe they need other things first to be able to make those rooms working as they should. Don't know but would be nice to know at least.
robotmp6023
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Re: Prison Architect Alpha 18

Postby robotmp6023 » Fri Feb 28, 2014 6:53 pm

Hello guys.

I am having quite a few problems with A18.

First, Crewman are not installing electrical cables correctly, If I give them a Straight Line say 50 units long, they install a roughly random set of 40, (The Electrical Cable line is not running under any walls.)


Second, When I try and Start a Kitchen Training Program, it says all Rooms Booked. I have not started any programs, and have a Classroom that is not scheduled for anything, and I have 10 Chefs when only 4 are needed for the Kitchen, so I have no idea what is causing this but it is a Problem.

Thanks

Marco

PS. I was going to send you the Saved Game File, But I don't know where it is located, if you can tell me where, I can upload it to Google Drive and send a Link, (or send it another way if someone has a better suggestion)
RGeezy911
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Re: Prison Architect Alpha 18

Postby RGeezy911 » Fri Feb 28, 2014 7:09 pm

A small suggestion for Chris or Mark. Would you kindly format the Builds Page differently so it won't take a tremendously long time to load it because of the YouTube videos? Not sure if it's Firefox unable to handle the embeds, but it does lock up the browser for a few seconds as I load the page.

Thanks for the update, I will try getting the wiki up-to-date along with the help of other contributors.
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AppealPlay
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Re: Prison Architect Alpha 18

Postby AppealPlay » Fri Feb 28, 2014 7:41 pm

TASERS!!! My prisoners are going for a ride. :twisted:
zaroba
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Re: Prison Architect Alpha 18

Postby zaroba » Fri Feb 28, 2014 9:14 pm

Wooo, thanks for the schools :)


And I must say that I find myself eagerly anticipating PA updates near the end of every month.
Love the game :)

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