Redshirt Beta v0.7 released! (for Windows & Mac)

I’m really pleased to announce that Redshirt Beta v0.7 is NOW OUT. This is a particularly HUGE UPDATE, as you can see from the changelist below. There have been lots of changes to NPC behaviour etc in particular, so please do check it out.

As usual, existing beta testers can redownload the game using the original link in their email, or, if you haven’t yet joined the beta, why not do so by preordering the game from http://redshirtgame.com?

Please note: As the game is still in beta, any old saves will unfortunately not work with this new version.

We are considering this to be the feature-complete build, very excitingly! All that’s left to work on for the most part is extra content, such as Spacebook events, status updates & posts, sound effects, voiceover, and some final bits of balancing. But, not long to go now till the official release!

Check out the changelist below, and let me know your thoughts!

Redshirt Beta v0.7

  • Now reduced to 160 days till the end of the game.
  • NPCs now have a variable for how often they check Spacebook. This defines responsiveness to status updates/wall posts/private messages.
  • NPCs will now check their Spacebook messages and sent friend requests more often!
  • Spacebook flirting consequences fixed!
  • How NPCs are feeling is now made more clear, especially after events/work/end of day.
  • Higher likelihood of receiving a Spacebook message from NPCs.
  • NPCs are no longer so hesitant about how many times they post about one person in a given day.
  • Romantic partners feel neglected if you don’t go on specifically romantic dates with them – they might message to let you know!
  • Now possible to die from too many sickbay visits close together.
  • NPCs get upset about one-way messaging the player.
  • Fixed end-game screen.
  • Station settings page on character creation – ability to define personality breakdown of NPCs (now have 5 fixed personality attributes in addition to previous 6 variable ones.) – personality attributes reflected on profile page.
  • Ability to define how often away missions happen, and how overzealous the holodoctor is in monitoring your health. :slight_smile:
  • New NPC personality attribute: Bigotry affects:
  • – applying for jobs if you’re the wrong species.
  • – all relationship adjustments are reduced by 75%.
  • – liking a bigoted status means relationship minuses with friends of targeted species and other non-bigoted friends.
  • – whether they accept your friend request.
  • – how they feel about going to events with people of a different species, etc.
  • New NPC personality attribute: Chattiness affects:
  • – How likely they are to post statuses & messages.
  • New NPC personality attribute: Vanity affects:
  • – Whether or not NPCs feel offended that they weren’t invited out (only vain NPCs get upset now, no-one else.)
  • New NPC personality attribute: Quirkiness affects:
  • – How likely NPC is to do an event which they’re not usually interested in.
  • New NPC personality attribute: Fickleness affects:
  • – Makes for a more extreme personality – adds modifiers to everything!
  • – More likely to fall in love.
  • NPCs have one interest which they are very unlikely to ever change.
  • NPCs are now more likely to fall in love.
  • Being more effective at work doesn’t mean you get modifier to negative attributes!
  • SHOP & Inventory:
  • – Fixed free repairs bug! Repairing items now actually costs money
  • – Inventory arranged alphabetically.
  • – Added ‘repair all’ button to inventory
  • – FIXED BUG: Repairing item in SHOP doesn’t send you to top of SHOP.
  • – Ability to recycle items for 10% of their value if used up, or for however much time is left before it expires.
  • NPC rejecting an event invitation no longer gives two seperate hits to relationship.
  • Dead NPCs no longer invited to events!
  • Hurting someone you’re friends with (insults, romantic infidelity etc) now adjusts relationship proportional to how strong the relationship used to be.
  • Can now buy extra actions at any time of day.
  • Raised total rank cap to 14 (7 career, 7 charisma)
  • Fixed bug: new characters would sometimes accidentally share profiles with other characters.
  • Ambassadors are now rank 15.
  • Filled out all remaining content for random work shift occurrences.
  • Aspiration window now shows the rewards for completing the aspiration.
  • All Spacebook events are now listed in order of Action Points
  • Fixed ‘yellow alert bug’
  • Properly calculating interrelationships between invitees at events
  • Ability to navigate through older Spacebook entries (link at bottom) – can also use left and right arrows
  • ‘Get in a relationship with’ aspiration no longer gets triggered if you’re in a relationship with someone with a shuttle ticket
  • Fixed NPCs posting to someone’s profile/wall/timeline
  • Fixed bugs with switching recipient of a message while on message compose page.
  • Buying SHOP items now takes up 1 action point.
  • Visible SHOP Items and events are now limited by your current rank.
  • Linked skill/interest/etc requirements from career tree window.
  • Spacebook events/work outcomes text now skippable.
  • Being in a supervisor position adjusts relationship with the coworkers supervised.
  • Playing as Asrion means extra unwanted attention from various characters.
  • Being tagged in Spacebook status of any kind now properly adjusts relationship.
  • First instance of ‘What is this thing called love?’ aspiration to be in a relationship with already-friended NPC.

I hope all of that makes sense! Once again, if you have any questions, please do post and let me know below. I’ll be recording a new dev log video (finally!) tomorrow, so I may address some of your questions there, too.

I uploaded a new Developer’s Log video yesterday, going over just some of the new features in this version!

Here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDf54nz4JFQ&hd=1

Thanks for yet another update :smiley:

I think i found a bug, Nothing game breaking its just a visual bug.

Clicking to write on someones timeline then switching to inventory, career or skills and interest does not make it disappear, it will stay there and you are still able to click the three options.

Other then this i cannot seem to find any other bugs, will keep looking though to help! keep up the good work.

Ah, thanks for letting me know! I missed that, but luckily this is an easy fix, I will make sure the update/post window closes properly when you switch away from Spacebook. :slight_smile: Thanks again!

I was excited to have this version download itself on Steam for me. You might want to mention that, for people who’ve received their Steam key but not tried to activate it yet.

Sorry to post again within such a short time, as i am unsure if this is a bug.

Aspiration 1 was to get in a relationship with someone, when i accomplished this i got another aspiration to get into a different relationship with some other person, im wondering if it is a bug or a scripted thing to make you skip them for karmacreds or see if you will dump them for some rewards :stuck_out_tongue: ?

Picture here for clarification imgur.com/0uevV0Z

Ooh, actually this was unintentional! It was just supposed to be myself and Cliffski who were able to see the version on Steam. :smiley: But, I’m glad it is working for you too!

Ah yes – if you are in a relationship with a relatively low-ranking character, you’ll still receive aspirations to get into relationships with higher-ranking characters. :slight_smile:

Could we get this info’s about Bigotry, Chattiness etc. as mouse over in the game?

I have already added this ready for the next update! Sorry it wasn’t in the last one. :slight_smile:

I’ve been playing through the steam version as well, didn’t realize it being on steam was accidental at first.

Another question, you aren’t ever planning to add an Endless mode, or option for endlessness are you Mitu?
It just puts a bit of a damper on things when playing when I know my game can’t last ‘forever’.
As an example in Kudos 2 the main game lasted only 10 years, but you could continue past that as long as you want, it’s like a soft-ending instead of a hard one, like your game has.
Could you at least consider a soft-ending? Please.

It’s no problem, it’s the same build, so I’m glad it’s working for you!

Unfortunately this isn’t possible at this point, I’m afraid. Though it’s interesting that you ask, because for the first almost-year of development, the game had the kind of ‘carry on forever sandbox’ vibe you talked about, but it was decided that the experience is much more interesting and theme-appropriate when you have a pressing time limit by which to shed your metaphorical red shirt! As we know, they can’t last ‘forever’, so you need to climb that career/social ladder faster!

Do feel free to play around with the newly added options when creating a game at the beginning though to see how they affect the outcome on multiple playthroughs, and try out different tactics for ‘winning’ the game!

Just a thought, mind, but what about adding an option for a lengthier (not endless) game which at the same time requires you to select one from several significant starting drawbacks? That would enable the longer playing period for those who want it, without sacrificing the important edge of a constant challenge throughout.

Another thought. I’ve yet to anticipate an upcoming away mission without wincing in advance. (My wife just glowers and stops playing at that point, returning to strategic time sims.) That means I really like the addition of choosing from several settings for them: thanks! What about adding a small but still sizable chance (15%? 20%?) of an away mission yielding nothing but a good result? This would tempt players who don’t like them at all to consider the higher settings because of the tradeoff. Mind, if you have good optional results in there right now, I apologize in advance. I’ve just never discovered them, and neither has my wife.

Sorry if this is the wrong location, but I cant find a dedicated thread for bugs.

(If this is even a bug)

I had an aspiration to be romantically involved with someone, I accepted their romantic relationship request - instantly the away mission pops, and the love of my life then died on an away mission. Right after this, a co-worker out of the blue sent me a message saying they wanted to be romantically involved. I accepted. Things were going fine. One day though, the co-worker “left” me for my boss. Then immediately sent me another relationship request to get back together again. I accepted, and then the boss was pissed at me for stealing his “gurl”.

Edited to add: I keep on getting angry co-workers for turning down events. Either they are very invisible, or somehow I am missing seeing them. I’ve noticed one pop up in the top right of my screen (while usually I watch the spacebook screen and spam some things)

Third edit: The first job aspiration is the job of transporation cleanup supervisor. My boss keeps on telling me he thinks I am not suited for the position. Multiple attempts, friendships with the boss… in the end I gave up and just replaced the aspiration and tok the job above that.