What should we focus on next?

[Chris]

Hello,

Now that Alpha8 is released, we are already working on some cool new stuff. We want to survey the community and get a sense of where you think we should be focussing our attention next. As always, this is just a survey - we will not necessarily be doing things in the order shown by the results, but we do want to know what you think is important and exciting.

Here are some notes on each option:

- New Prison Facilities: What do the prisoners do when they aren't eating? eg Workshops (employment + skills), Family visitation, Laundry, Staff rooms, Prisoner Shop, Chapel, Libraries etc. We consider this "Midgame content", ie the sorts of facilities you turn your attention to once the basics are in place. Prisoners would be much more busy during the day.

Threats / Dangers / Contraband: Many objects and rooms become a source of danger. The infirmary gets a medicine cabinet, cleaners get a cupboard full of chemicals, gardeners get a shed with tools, the kitchen has knifes, etc. A new overlay shows all these sources of danger, and tracks which ones are missing. Prisoners intelligently attempt to steal things they need.

Prisoner Pipeline: Prisoners arrive and are searched, then graded and assigned a cell. Their security level is reviewed by you regularly. They serve their time and eventually come up for parole, and get discharged (or not). The time left to serve has an impact on their behaviour: Longer = more willing to misbehave.

Guard equipment + progression: You can unlock weapons such as tazers, shotguns, rifles, and train some of your guards to use them. New Armoury room, extremely high risk. "Lethal Force" zones to prevent escape attempts. Watch towers. Perhaps your guards gain experience over time and become better at their jobs. Deployment screen used to control which guards go where.

Full segregation support: Continuing the Deployment screen zone work, make it possible to totally isolate different segments of your population. Separate regimes, meal settings, punishment policies, and guard routines for each segment.

Riots, Escapes: Fights can escalate into riots under the right conditions - a high tension level within the prison + low security in a zone. Rioters barricade themselves in. Riot Police + Paramedic special units to deal with this. Prisoners dig escape tunnels at night if properly equipped.

[DaHui623]

Is there an "All of the above" option?

[trilliarden]

Imho cool escapes would need contraband or stolen items from facilities, so (while already voted for escapes) i think those are needed before there are thrilling jailbreaks. If those escapes are going to start, we sure need some better skilled guards

Segregation would be nice to have, if you go for all three sorts of prisoners.
Speaking of segregation and different regime-charts.. are we going to get a common-room-time or something like that? could be usefull if you want to have a litte more community-time, but doesnt need you to guard all the giant yard. (if you choose freetime, they are allowed to run everywhere.. i would like to have some kind of counterpart to the yard-time. (also: this)

keep up the good work! :thumbup:

[furrot]

I picked Riot and Escapes. The mid-game could use a few more things to do that actively engage the player. Plus it always feels like that behaviour is being "stopped" by the AI manager and there is no consequence or followthrough on bad design/management. It also seems like it would let the other fleshed out Guard and prisoner features matter more like the armoury, contraband and kill zones when there is a real threat to try to control and contain.

[Mas Tnega]

Segregation support. You've got different security level inmates, you're meant to keep them apart. It would be nice to be able actually achieve that.

Other features honestly sound cooler but this is the one that seems the most urgent to me.

[Taragashi]

Riots, Escapes

I hope "Gangs" will be a part of Prison Architect as well (soon) !?

[DEADGIN]

although all options are great this is meant to be a prison

so until inmates can be released at end of sentence it eventually means you run out of space on map

the only real option at this time means the pipe line is the most important feature so as to allow you to release prisoners amd then get new ones in

[gmyx]

My preferred order would be the Prisoner Pipeline followed by new facilities. Those would dramatically change the style of game versus the others that (to me) fell like just extensions.

[Thorwan]

I voted for the Prisoner Pipeline to get some flow and variation into the later game. My second favorite would be the new Facilities. Great job on Alpha 8, btw.

[G4MR]

Should make this multiple choice as some people would favor more than one thing over others and it would be a bit more accurate I think in the votes. Going forward that is.

[kongoman]

I love where this is going and what we have ahead of us.
As a first step I vote for new facilities, laundry and perhaps license plate manufacturing ?
As step two, prisoner pipeline handling including a parole board.

Keep up the good work Chris !

[Shadowclaimer]

Recently built a prison, spent a fortune, pulled all my grants.

Only to realize I forgot to hire cooks and didn't have enough cash to do it.

It took me like 3 days ingame time (which is a long time to sit and wait) before I managed to get enough to hire a cook. I would love to be able to use my prisoners are temporary labor to help build or cook or such.

[Sliver59]

Reading this list gets my giggly waiting for all of these things to eventually be in the game.

You guys are really onto something here, and I think Prison Architect may be one of my favorite games.

[UKBenz]

I can't wait for all of these to be put in, they sound brilliant.

I initially voted for Prisoner Pipeline as I would like them to get out on parole and such however, looking back at it Facilities would probably be better to an extent, giving them more things to do other than eat, shower and fight.

[rsdworker]

Full segregation support - i like this and also New Prison Facilities

both is needed

at moment we have guards that not assigned to anything - they wander around - i could provide a staff room where staff hang out there for while

and we love to have Muilt floors - currently when i expand prison - all always on ground floor - squeezing all in one place - i prefer have floors to hold the more prisoners

and pipeline looks good but i prefer manual - i don't like alot of reviews - i would see prisoner being escorted to speical room where searching then to holding room and once the cell is assigned (automatic like now) - and if high prisoners - they will have no access to cateen to eat - guards would bring them to them

fire alarms is needed - this feature could help guards and prisoners to evacuate area more quicker rather leaving them in buildings that are burning down