Can't access dev/Alpha forum, Help with building as well

[Sonny236]

So I'm trying to report a couple new bugs that are starting to really irritate me, but I apparently don't have access to the alpha forum or bug report site. I've already registered my key to this account and I can't register it again (Says its already registered)

not sure what to do, but I need access to the dev forum. Currently the games pretty much unplayable, for one this happened...http://cloud-2.steamusercontent.com/ugc ... A3565C732/
So now the timers are fully bugged and I can't fix it. On top of that theres a couple other small things like menu's being stuck open, I've had to restart my game pretty often now. hopefully next months bug bash fixes all this, but i guess I have to restart my prison now to get this fixed.

I also for the life of me cannot make a 2x3 cell. I've had issues with this before but it just looks weird or too big to be a 2x3, I want as much space utilization as possible to have maximum cells in one area, i cant make a neat prison as it is, usually everything is all over the place. Any tips or help would be useful.

Thanks.

[MMZ>Torak]

Your Foreman is dead...

Also are you using mods? Disable them and try again...

[Sumurai8]

If you go to this url and log in, it should say "you already own prison architect". If it doesn't, you haven't registered your game with this account. Find out on which account you have registered your game then.

[Sonny236]

Your Foreman is dead...

Also are you using mods? Disable them and try again...

I had a couple mods installed but I unsubbed them on workshop. let me see if I can disable them ingame or something.

After making a foreman only one of the three have this bugged meter. I'm assuming the next person down leads to the other two being unlocked? http://cloud-4.steamusercontent.com/ugc ... 56829227B/

Thanks for the help. I'm still trying to get a good cell block going, i usually suck with this kind of thing...

[Sonny236]

If you go to this url and log in, it should say "you already own prison architect". If it doesn't, you haven't registered your game with this account. Find out on which account you have registered your game then.

Theres only email which I use for pretty much every main account. I tried any others that I would use, this is the only account I have here and its apparently unregistered, but my key was indeed used...

[MMZ>Torak]

Your Foreman is dead...

Also are you using mods? Disable them and try again...

I had a couple mods installed but I unsubbed them on workshop. let me see if I can disable them ingame or something.

After making a foreman only one of the three have this bugged meter. I'm assuming the next person down leads to the other two being unlocked? http://cloud-4.steamusercontent.com/ugc ... 56829227B/

Thanks for the help. I'm still trying to get a good cell block going, i usually suck with this kind of thing...

I'm pretty sure you can't research everything under each staff person at once. They will happen one after the other.

What kind of problems are you having with cell design? Are they just aesthetics or are you trying to fit too much in a 2X3? In my 2x3 cells I put the bed on the back wall with the head visable from the door and the toilet right next to the door. Put a drain in the doorway and a jail door and you're good. For bonus points add a window (for me its over the bed).

I don't have a perfect layout yet, but my newest design keeps the cells as far away from the edge of the map as feasible, putting all the Classrooms, Workshops, Laundries, Cleaning Cupboards, etc around the periphery; surrounding the cell blocks. My Canteen is usually the closest to the cell block.

[Sonny236]

Your Foreman is dead...

Also are you using mods? Disable them and try again...

I had a couple mods installed but I unsubbed them on workshop. let me see if I can disable them ingame or something.

After making a foreman only one of the three have this bugged meter. I'm assuming the next person down leads to the other two being unlocked? http://cloud-4.steamusercontent.com/ugc ... 56829227B/

Thanks for the help. I'm still trying to get a good cell block going, i usually suck with this kind of thing...

I'm pretty sure you can't research everything under each staff person at once. They will happen one after the other.

What kind of problems are you having with cell design? Are they just aesthetics or are you trying to fit too much in a 2X3? In my 2x3 cells I put the bed on the back wall with the head visable from the door and the toilet right next to the door. Put a drain in the doorway and a jail door and you're good. For bonus points add a window (for me its over the bed).

I don't have a perfect layout yet, but my newest design keeps the cells as far away from the edge of the map as feasible, putting all the Classrooms, Workshops, Laundries, Cleaning Cupboards, etc around the periphery; surrounding the cell blocks. My Canteen is usually the closest to the cell block.

Well for one I can't seem to make enough room for the cells.I've gotten the 2x3's made but they take up quite a bit of room, in a big room like the one below I can get maybe 6 or 7 cells on one wall, that just won't cut it. And I don't want to be making gigantic rooms just for cells, this is where the next part comes in, my designs are usually so messy that I think they look terrible in the end...

Putting stuff in them isnt an issue, its just getting room for them without making the prison anymore maze-looking. I wish I knew how to make it look organized.

Heres what I have so far: http://i.imgur.com/nlH3rhe.jpg

See how its really messy?

I just can't seem to get a neat prison, like the ones you see on the workshop. And i dont want to just have it done for me, thats too easy to just have EVERYTHING at once, no fun in that.

Bottom left room is where I planned on having cells, but its just too small to be effective.

[MMZ>Torak]

Make good use of the Planning tools, at least for build sizes. Take a look at this. This isn't my best work but look at the right side of the road, it's closer to what I want to do with the whole prison. I've only been playing this game for a couple of months so I'm not perfect. But I'm working on it!

[Sonny236]

Make good use of the Planning tools, at least for build sizes. Take a look at this. This isn't my best work but look at the right side of the road, it's closer to what I want to do with the whole prison. I've only been playing this game for a couple of months so I'm not perfect. But I'm working on it!

Jesus christ, that looks amazing compared to what I can do. I just can't seem to make something like that, and I've gone through maybe 5 or 6 prisons now and they all look the same in the end.

if I could make my prison anything similar to that I wouldn't be here in this thread, I'd be happy with what I have

I'll try using planning some more, before actually building. Maybe I'll have to copy from some videos, just to get a start. I don't know.

[MMZ>Torak]

Good planning and forethought are the key. Keep a large buffer between the prisoners and the edges of the map to hinder tunneling. I've spent quite a bit of time with the game paused, using the planning tool to sketch in buildings. My advice would be to focus on a single security level and design that block carefully and then use it as a template for the other security levels. Supermax is a different story all together.

[Merum]

Good planning and forethought are the key. Keep a large buffer between the prisoners and the edges of the map to hinder tunneling. I've spent quite a bit of time with the game paused, using the planning tool to sketch in buildings. My advice would be to focus on a single security level and design that block carefully and then use it as a template for the other security levels. Supermax is a different story all together.

Torak is right on the point. I've spent entire days in planning mode before putting down a single brick. It's like a zen garden.

Also, that room is way too small and oddly shaped for a regular cell block. Try this: build a 11x31 rectangle building (sketch it out in planning mode first!). this is exactly the right size for 20 3x2 cells with a single tile hallway down the middle the long way. Try to visualize it in your head without looking at pictures, then see below.

It should look like this

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Once you see how this looks and works, you can then decide whether you want to extend the block for a shower, make the center hallway 3 tiles wide and put the showers down the middle on posts (my favorite) or just let the block stand alone and have the prisoners walk outside to showers, etc. This structure will be perfecty suitable for min through max security.

Once you get the hang of this basic geometry it will become easier for you to scale and design your own variations, including building it inside another building.

Also, I'd recommend putting your admin in a separate building outside your main fence, except for the psychologist and foreman. Put the psychologist's office close to the infirmary. Put the infirmary close to solitary, so the docs will detect injured prisoners when they're dragged there, and put the foreman's office near the workshops. None of your other office staff ever needs to set foot inside the prison, if you give them a staff room next to the offices. Try a 12x11 square, subdivided into 3 offices and a staffroom, with a 1 square hallway down the middle, similar to a the cell block but smaller with 4x4 rooms.

Good luck!

[NeoThermic]

Try this: build a 11x31 rectangle building (sketch it out in planning mode first!). this is exactly the right size for 20 3x2 cells with a single tile hallway down the middle the long way.

I really dislike single tile hallways. They are a congestion point and in a fight (max-sec is so much fun!), the last thing you want is a delay in getting your guards to the fight.

Make it 12x31 and you can also enjoy the benefits of a two tile hallway.

NeoThermic

[xlr8films]

Yeah I was gonna say, they call them cell blocks for just that reason. Blocks. You have to get in a squared-off mindset when building. The only room in my current prison that is close to being L-shaped is the kitchen and that was cuz I overbuilt and didn't have enough room for more cookers/fridges. I learned the hard way about single tile halls too. Its very easy to eat up space in this game.

[Merum]

Try this: build a 11x31 rectangle building (sketch it out in planning mode first!). this is exactly the right size for 20 3x2 cells with a single tile hallway down the middle the long way.

I really dislike single tile hallways. They are a congestion point and in a fight (max-sec is so much fun!), the last thing you want is a delay in getting your guards to the fight.

Make it 12x31 and you can also enjoy the benefits of a two tile hallway.

NeoThermic

I hadn't considered this before, but I'm usually building three tile hallways with middle showers now. Good point!