[h3]Greetings and gather 'round, newsbearers![/h3] The presses are rolling, the news is hot off the wire, and today the 'Community Test Build' branch is now OPEN! As you continued showing tremendous support and engagement for News Tower, we have worked hard to make this playtest happen. In this beta phase, we are testing maaaany new additions and improvements that will be coming this month in the [b]'Employee of the Month' Update[/b], and we are gathering your feedback before we release it on the main branch. You can find a detailed list of what is implemented in this community test below! [h3][b]Here's everything you need to know:[/b][/h3] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/40684736/77a068ee6a5ce6beb79403a42ca57c37e16abf6d.png[/img] [h2]What's included in the Community Test Build?[/h2] [list][*][b]Employee Traits System[/b]: In this new update we wanted to bring some personality to your employees, and at the same time bring a skillful twist to existing pillar mechanics of News Tower. [*][b]Monthly Calendar[/b]: We added this calendar to unlock rewards in a cool new and interactive way. Our goal has long been to introduce something more connected to the yearly cycle, complementing the existing weekly and monthly gameplay. This Calendar is part of the perception bar system and adds this extra layer to it that it really missed. [*][b]Prestige System[/b]: Employees who now reach the max base level of 5 become senior and require Prestige to gain an extra bonus boost. Prestige works almost like comfort but requires different objects that make these employees' surroundings more prestigious. [*][b]New in-game year[/b]: There is also a whole new in-game year: 1934! This should give you plenty of time to enjoy all the new features we've included in this update. [*][b]Optimization[/b]: We've optimized the game by reducing loading times, improving performance for larger towers, and lowering memory usage by trimming oversized assets.[/list] These new features are thoroughly listed below in the changelog, and will be explained in detail by the devs themselves in the upcoming series of Dev Diaries! Please remember that this is an early preview build, so there's still room for improvement. Your feedback during this testing phase will play a crucial role in shaping the final version - thank you for your help! [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/40684736/bc77014ebb42ab9982afbda9a400c0648c7f145d.png[/img] Join the "Community Test Build" channels on the Discord to share your feedback and questions on this playtest: https://discord.gg/EX5YHAJaVK [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/40684736/a6ae5d7c08f064e5ceee816ff64ca0f6da1f4ee4.png[/img] [h2]Should I start a new game?[/h2] We highly recommend starting a new game with the introduction to fully experience the latest additions. If you continue with an existing save, you might miss out on important changes, such as trait assignments and managing employee prestige needs. Starting fresh will allow the tutorials to guide you step-by-step, ensuring you make the most of these new features! [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/40684736/985c1899b032d37b66e620c3bbd14b4363edd0f0.png[/img] [h2]How do I join the Community Test Build branch on Steam?[/h2] To access the "Community Test Build" branch, simply follow these steps: [olist][*]Open the Steam client. [*]Click on the "Library" tab. [*]Right-click on "News Tower" and select "Properties". [*]Click on the "Betas" tab. [*]In the "Beta participation" field, select "community_test". [*]Click on the "Close" button. [*]The game will now be updated to the "community_test" branch.[/olist] You're in! :) [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/40684736/31ab2015128ce790699eca84eb06cce7b07381cd.png[/img] [h2]KEY ADDITIONS[/h2] [h3]EMPLOYEE TRAITS[/h3] [list][*]Employees now possess Traits that can enhance your tower's performance beyond their basic levels. Here are just three examples of the many traits available: [list][*][b]Yearly Peaker[/b]: Gains a 2% speed increase on tasks every month, but resets in January. [*][b]Musical[/b]: Likes to sing and counters noise. [*][b]Perfect Angle[/b]: 50% chance of taking the perfect shot and adding one quality star to a photo.[/list][*]Traits are categorized into two types: Personality Traits and Trainable Traits. [list][*][b]Personality Traits[/b] are inherent to employees, adding complexity to the hiring process. [*][b]Trainable Traits[/b] can be unlocked through a calendar event or purchased at one of the Colleges and then taught to an employee of your choosing.[/list][*]Personality Traits are introduced in March 1930 when playing with the intro. Trainable Traits are unlocked when you first encounter one in the monthly calendar or when you purchase one at the Universities.[/list] [h3]MONTHLY CALENDAR EVENTS[/h3] [list][*]We’re introducing a Monthly Calendar that offers rewards to seize and risks to avoid. [*]Rewards include Trainable Traits, objects, Influence Points and money. [*]The Monthly Calendar Event unlocks in January 1931.[/list] [h3]PRESTIGE[/h3] [list][*]Employees who reach the maximum base level of 5 become senior and require prestige to unlock an additional bonus boost. [*]Prestige functions similarly to comfort but requires specific objects that enhance the prestige of the employees' surroundings. [*]Some of your older objects may need to be replaced with more prestigious variants. Prestige objects can be bought at shops and unlocked through the monthly calendar.[/list] [h3]1934[/h3] [list][*]We added a year of news items, breaking news and calendar events for you to enjoy![/list] [h3]OPTIMIZATION[/h3] [list][*]Loading times for starting a new game and loading existing games have been reduced. [*]Performance has been improved for larger towers. [*]Reduced memory overhead for some unnecessarily huge assets.[/list] [h2]IMPROVEMENTS & CHANGES[/h2] [list][*] Skill levelling speed has been reduced and may be further adjusted during the community test. [*] Hempstead district no longer has a photo chain lockout, allowing access to the Trait University that lies behind it without first unlocking the photo chain. [*] The Mirror now needs to be unlocked at the Ritz Theater. [*] Numerous bugs have been fixed.[/list] [h2]OTHER[/h2] [list][*] Although saves from previous versions are compatible with this update, we strongly recommend starting a new game with the intro to fully experience and understand the new features.[/list]