v0.4.0: Rival Cartel

Hey everyone,

Before I get into the details about this update, I'd just like to apologise for my lack of timeliness with this update. This is releasing about a month later than I originally intended - due to a variety of factors, but mostly me underestimating the amount of work involved in implementing certain features, as well as me deciding to add more stuff (graffiti, pump shotgun, etc) at the last minute. I've also been moving house and getting through my University exams - safe to say it's been a hectic couple of months!

Thanks for your patience as I've gotten this update wrapped up. In the future, I'm going to try my best to provide due dates only when I'm really confident that I'll actually be able to make that deadline.

Additions

• Added the Benzies family - a powerful rival cartel in Hyland Point. You will first encounter them once you have unlocked a number of customers in Westville. Interactions with them include:[list]
• Cartel-player deals (only while truced)
• Ambushes
• Dealer robbings
• Dead drop theft
• Cartel-customer deals

Added new purchasable property - Hyland Manor. Keep in mind that the Benzies' family storyline must be completed before this can be purchased.

Added new vehicle 'Hotbox'.

Added graffiti system. You can spray graffiti on various surfaces around the map to reduce cartel influence and gain XP.

Added spray paint item. Purchaseable at Gas Mart. You can purchase 1x spray can each time you rank up.

Added graffiti cleaner. This can be used to remove graffiti from a surface.

Added pump shotgun.

Added shotgun shell.

Added 'close buzzcut' hairstyle.

Added 'Tony' hairstyle

Added 'long slicked back' hairstyle.

Added 'setgravitymultiplier' command.

Added 'setregionunlocked' command.

Added 'forcesleep' command.

Added an automatic save game backup feature. This will automatically generate a backup of your save file when you first load it on a new version of the game. This is enabled by default, and can be turned off in Settings -> Other.

Added some more loading screen hints.

Added 'Urban Artist' achievement.

Added 'Finishing the Job' achievement.

Tweaks/Improvements

• Changed how you unlock new regions. Each region now has a 'cartel influence' level associated with it. You must reduce this influence to a certain level before you can progress to the next region.
• Stan now uses a shop interface instead of dialogue for selling weapons.
• In multiplayer, you can view the dialogue of other players talking to NPCs.
• Deals are now cancelled when the assigned dealer is dead/unconscious.
• Unconscious NPCs who drop into the ocean are now killed.
• Dead/unconscious NPCs can now be pickpocketed.
• You can now pickpocket police.
• If you attack a customer, they will not order from you for 72 hours.
• Tweaks the braking properties of all vehicles.
• Non-police NPCs can now use ranged weapons.
• Police and NPCs in combat will now sometimes predict future target position instead of pathing directly to the target.
• Tweaked flashlight brightness.
• Turned off JSON pretty-print for the trash save file, offering a reduction in file size.
• Reduced the resell multiplier of all weapons.
• You can now interrupt an incremental reload (revolver + shotgun) by clicking the LMB.
• Customers now carry the cash that is required to pay for an upcoming deal.

Bug fixes

• Fixed various mislabellings in employee tutorial quests.
• Fixed two light beams being visible when the flashlight is equipped.
• Fixed scuffed NPC ragdoll LODs/culling.
• Fixed some missing walls at Hyland Medical.
• Fixed third-person recoil animation for the M1911 and Revolver.
• Fixed the networth calculator algorithm not factoring in some item quantities.
• Fixed vehicle impacts doing too much damage to NPCs.
• Fixed some missing fonts.
• Fixed textured z-fighting on the northern waterfront.
• Fixed dealer/supplier recommendation dialogue starting even if the customer was served by a dealer.
• Fixed a bug where item stock limits could be ignored by using the custom amount selector.
• Fixed missing colliders at the car wash.
• Fixed Tobias' name misspelling.

I'm flying from Australia to Seattle later today to attend PAX West, and I'll be in the US until mid-September. We'll be running another community vote next week, and I'll get to work on the winning update as soon as I'm home next month - lots more cool stuff coming this year. I'm also looking into getting some office space and bringing on one or two full-time developers. Stay tuned!

Thanks for reading,

Tyler