ALPHA 0.8.10: Free Agency

I read what I write for Free Cities many times before it goes out in a public version. (The less said about the spelling and grammar errors that make it out despite this, the better.) It's rare that I get much meaning through all these iterations; any impact gets diluted quickly, especially for the original author. And yet, during playtesting, a senior slave with input on an arcology's future society choices pushed it towards Body Purism, because she'd experienced serious drug side effects earlier and didn't want other slaves to go through what she had suffered. I felt bad.

Download: Dropbox, Mega. Saves from previous versions are incompatible, but 0.8+ saves are eligible for New Game Plus. Latest hotfix is 0.8.10.4 (2030 PST October 28), completely save compatible.

0.8.10.4 changelog

Changes and fixes by CornCobMan

• RA bugfixes.
• Added support for custom titles being lisped.
• Revised the stat caps on starting slave customization.

Other changes and fixes

• Reverted optimization that was preventing the wealthy refugee aid event result from firing.
• Addressed an issue with buying and selling arcology shares with the neighbor view expanded.
• Fixed an oversight in the economics code that could lock neighboring arcologies into extremely long recessions.
• Forwarded the revised economics code to the European Union.

0.8.10.3 changelog

Changes and fixes by CornCobMan

• Fixed RA facility deselection inconsistencies.
• Fixed the RA not selecting/deselecting rules based on slaves' stats changing.
• Added automatic rules application for  slaves acquired through events.
• Removed the extra 'the' for facility names.
• Other minor fixes.

Other changes and fixes

• The new combined sexual count and virginity loss code should now remove virgin status. 
• Corrected qualifications for several slave introductory options.
• Fixed an issue with the cheat start slaves that was generating odd outcomes.
• Corrected surgery reactions for anorexics.
• Attempted to address the ongoing issue with unlimited FS choices.

0.8.10.2 changelog

Changes and fixes by CornCobMan

• Restricted starting slaves' breast size properly.
• New slaves will have the RA applied to them if automatic application is on.
• Fixed the Apply Rules link from slaves' individual menus.
• Cheat mode fixes.

Other changes and fixes

• Removed improperly duplicated game start code that was running every week.
• Prevented hostile takeovers by the PC from firing if the arcology is already controlled.
• Restricted starting slaves' breast size properly.
• Addressed a code oversight for coursing that was preventing full outcome variety.
• Birth event fixes from Anon.
• Fixed the fetish interest events.
• Addressed a potential compatibility issue with unlocking FS choices.
• Fixed retrieval from pit fighter and courser statuses.
• Minor descriptive fixes.
• Spelling and grammar corrections, with the usual help from Boney M.

0.8.10.1 changelog

• Decreased interarcology future society influence efficiency when applying weekly influence from stored influence.
• Fixed a slave generation issue that was giving XY slaves buggy shoulders.

0.8.10 changelog

CornCobMan's modding

• Made it possible to exclude facilities and assignments in the the Rules Assistant.
• Changed the way smart piercing settings are applied in Default Rules.
• Added a 'none' option for collars in the Rules Assistant.
• Added lines to show which rules are applied to slaves in Slave Summary and Slave Interact.
• Addressed some position inconsistencies in the vaginal sex miniscene.
• Updated the cheat edit slave menu for the new attraction values.
• Bugfixes.

Anonymous modding

• Public impregnation initation option for captured rivals.
• More pregnancy support for the Dairy.
• Additional pregnancy and blindness mentions in many random events.
• Clitoral reduction surgery, akin to labiaplasty.

Secondary Arcologies

• Arcologies no longer have to go into decline before experiencing hostile takeovers: any majority minority situation will initiate one.
• The chance of hostile takeover success is based on the margin of control, making narrow takeovers long and ruinous.
• The player can take control of any arcology using exactly the same mechanism as minority parties.
• Generic trustees help run the arcology in the PC's absence by default, with the high efficiency of an oligarchy.
• An excellent slave can be appointed as an agent to lead an arcology in the PC's stead, with the optimal efficiency of an individual.
• Agents are technically free, but can be recalled into slavery if desired, returning them to normal gameplay.
• Slaves in a committed relationship with agents can be sent to live with them and can be recalled with the agent.
• Agents are treated as an individual arcology leader in most cases, but can earn bonuses if well chosen.
• Agents have input into future society adoption by the arcologies they lead, based on their individual predelictions.
• Agent characteristics that mesh well with future society models can speed adoption in the arcology they lead.
• Secondary arcologies can be forced to abandon their future society choices at will.

New events

• Random event in which a slave delivers refreshments to the PC.
• Random event for emotionally bonded slaves in which the PC is told that he or she is loved.
• Random inspection event for slaves with hypermassive tits.
• Random management event in which a shipping container full of people arrives without documentation.

Other Updates

• Delayed the effects of menial slave purchases on the slave market until the end of the week.
• Reduced the threshold for arcology purchases to impact the arcology share price.
• Five new introductory options for slaves, several of which can reveal less readily discoverable fetishes.
• Reworked several herm mechanics to better reflect biology: in a hermaphrodite having both a clitoris and penis would affect function.
• Recoding for better performance, with major contributions by Bane70.
• Bugfixes.

ALPHA 0.8.9: Foreign Investment

I've been dissatisfied with how easy it's been to change slaves' sexual orientations for a while now, and this update makes it much slower and less random. Sexuality changes now join interest rates as being lower, but still well short of realism. This is still a game, after all. My slowly improving code skills also made it possible to offer more potential changes to sexuality during a single week without slowing things down, mostly because the original code was atrocious.

This update takes another step towards takeovers of other arcologies by allowing the player to purchase partial ownership of any arcology. It's not possible to purchase a controlling interest, and the system is extremely easy to abuse for quick profit; both of these are temporary code limitations that I intend to address as soon as possible. Interestingly, since it's currently impossible to buy enough of an arcology to take it over, buying shares in a neighboring arcology can actually protect that arcology against changes of government, since it reduces the margin other minority actors have to try for majority control.

Download: Dropbox, Mega. Saves from previous versions are incompatible, but 0.8+ saves are eligible for New Game Plus. Latest hotfix is 0.8.9.3 (1315 PST October 21), completely save compatible.

0.8.9.3 fixes

• Rules Assistant updates and fixes, by CornCobMan.
• Minor UI revisions and fixes, by Qotsafan.
• Birth and pregnancy fixes, by Anon.
• Addressed an issue with hostages in NGP playthroughs.
• Minor descriptive issues.

0.8.9.2 fixes

• Backwards compatibility mod updates, by CornCobMan.
• Rules Assistant fixes, by CornCobMan.
• Fixed non-lethal pit P-Limbs description error message.
• Addressed Head Girl's girl error on end week report.
• Minor descriptive issues.

0.8.9.1 fixes

• Caesarian section scar removal reaction, by Anon.
• Unlocking the bunny and Egyptian collars should now work properly.
• Updated obsolete nurse outfit tags that were causing issues.
• Error message on sexuality reveal due to permissive masturbation rules.
• Error message for devoted slaves wearing nice collars.
• Fixed other minor clothes bugs.
• Typos.

0.8.9 Changelog

Anon's modding

• Added Caeserian sections, resultant scars, and removal of those scars.
• Provided more descriptive support for births, including bad outcomes.
• More pregnancy and blindness mentions in events.
• More mental and physical effects from pregnancy.

Sexuality rebalance

• Made the stats that handle sexuality much more granular and broadened their effective range.
• At the extremely high end, sexuality effectively has a new descriptive and mechanical level, which is valuable but difficult to create.
• Reworked the way sexuality is generated to produce somewhat more natural results.
• Rebalanced all existing changes to sexuality, making them less random and much slower.
• Reworked existing organic sexuality changes so that they are no longer mutually exclusive during a single week.
• Added several new organic sexuality changes.
• Reduced the impact of devotion on changes to sexuality.

Arcology ownership

• Buying and selling arcology shares will now impact the short term arcology share price.
• It is now possible to purchase shares in neighboring arcologies, which will produce rent as normal.
• Holdings in other arcologies are limited to a minority share, a limitation that will be lifted once the game can handle annexations.
• Defeated rivals will now offer to turn over their arcology holdings in return for being allowed to escape.

Other updates

• Various improvements and fixes by CornCobMan.
• Lesbian lovemaking random event for devoted fucktoys serving a PC with a vagina.
• Alternative milking random event that can handle a broader range of cows.
• When set to automatic mode, the Rules Assistant will run once at week end, instead of firing constantly on the main menu.
• Major menial slave purchases and sales will now affect the market price of slaves.
• Other minor slave market refinements.
• UI refinements.
• Bugfixes.

ALPHA 0.8.8: Devil in the Details

I've gotten some criticism in the past for expending effort on recoding, and this update is likely to receive more. The majority of my time on this one went to reworks of existing code, mostly to do with the UI. I understand the arguments, and in some cases I agree and leave bad code as it is because improving it wouldn't be worth the time. However, my gradually improving skills do mean that it's sometimes worthwhile to make another pass over old code, especially where some of the worst UI elements are concerned. Since the FC code is, without exaggeration, 99% of my coding experience, recoding something I added in 0.2.x means that I'm looking at it again with many times the coding experience I had when I wrote it.

This is also a good time to repeat what I've said in the past about requests, since this update includes some really niche stuff. The coding difficulty of fulfilling a request plays a dominant role in how soon or even whether I fulfill it. I'm reasonably certain the requests for foreskin restoration came from a single player, and the option will be used by a few players at most, but it was actually quite an easy add. Coding difficulty isn't necessarily obvious without looking at the code, especially where I have similar, preexisting code to draw on.

Download: Dropbox, Mega. Saves from previous versions are incompatible, but 0.8+ saves are eligible for New Game Plus. Latest hotfix is 0.8.8.2 (1315 PST October 14), completely save compatible.

0.8.8.1 fixes, with assistance from Anon, Bane70, and Boney M

• Corrective eyewear will now remove the nearsighted tag in slave summaries
• Addressed the policy cost issue
• Rescued hostage mental effects error message
• Included unintentionally omitted mod content for blind lurchers
• Addressed several virginity issues from personal training
• Fixed the retirement collar error message
• Various fixes for the walkpast miniscenes
• Many spelling corrections

0.8.8.1 changes from CornCobMan

• Added options to edit neighboring arcologies in the Cheat Edit Arcology menu
• Added a facility to construct limbs which now take time similar to organs
• Added an option in the remote surgery to detach P-Limbs
• Added cybernetic prosthetic limbs, with vignettes and other descriptions
• Cyber P-Limbs heavily increase deadliness
• Added the option to set relation rules to 'just friends' in the RA
• Updated RA collar support

0.8.8.2 fixes and changes

• Fixes from CornCobMan to his contributions to 0.8.8.1 and to the RA
• Refinements to the new UI mechanics, from CornCobMan
• Reductions to RA reloading, from CornCobMan
• Fixes to several miniscene issues, from Bane70
• Master Suite decoration error messages
• Submissive servants should now receive their intended advantage from their fetish
• Corrected application and reporting of nearsighted and blindness upkeep costs
• Several minor corrections to beauty calculations
• Spelling corrections

0.8.8 Changelog

UI improvements

• Recoded slaves' individual menus to avoid a page reload for most changes, with a manual update link to incorporate changes into the long form description.
• Recoded the starting slave customization menu to avoid a page reload for most changes, allowing more comfortable selection of multiple changes.
• The new starting slave customization menu requires a manual page update before committing a slave to allow reconciliation of certain stats. 
• Improved archetypes.
• Other minor UI refinements.

Integrated content from Anon

• Massive content pack for the rivalry hostage, with hundreds of possible miniscenes that will affect the hostage.
• Captured hostages and rivals may be inclined to pursue a slave relationship, if not forbidden from doing so.
• Captured hostages will experience long term mental effects due to their experiences.
• Support for blind lurchers.
• Descriptive refinements in random events.

Other updates

• Continued RA improvements from CornCobMan.
• Four new outfits from Circle_Tritagonist.
• Random event involving some speculation about the potential problems of a 60cm dick.
• Added foreskins to the organ fabricator.
• Recoding for efficiency and consistency.
• Bugfixes, with heavy support from Bane70.

ALPHA 0.8.7: Controlling Interest

This update includes a couple of major mechanical changes that I'd like to explain briefly, since they may not make a lot of sense in isolation. First, arcology ownership shares are now modeled. The player starts with a narrowly controlling interest in their new arcology, and there are a variety of different effects of buying and selling parts of the arcology. This is something I've intended to add for some time, since this is the way such things often work in real life: modern captains of industry have usually sold a share of their big project to someone or other, and how they manage that relationship is a potential source of benefit or danger. In isolation, though, this may seem like an unnecessary complication. However, this is going to become a way to assimilate neighboring arcologies by hostile takeover. In any case, the system has been balanced to reproduce preexisting gameplay if the player chooses to ignore it. The starting position is safe. Selling ownership interest is dangerous but profitable, while reaching for total control gives bonuses.

Second, slave population mechanics have been updated and tightened. This is another change that's been on the list for a while, simply because the penthouse was an absurd Dormitory of Holding that could house an infinite number of slaves immediately. The new mechanics put soft limits of slave populations by making successive population limit upgrades increasingly expensive on a simple linear scale. There's a fine tradition in games design of using soft caps to disguise coding or hardware limitations, and this is an example of that. Huge numbers of slaves will slow the game down, and this update makes it more expensive to keep huge numbers of slaves.

Download: Dropbox, Mega. Saves from previous versions are incompatible, but 0.8+ saves are eligible for New Game Plus. Latest hotfix is 0.8.7.1 (1920 PST October 5), completely save compatible.

0.8.7.1 fixes

• Bugfixes and minor updates from CornCobMan, mostly focused on the RA
• Tutorial for the new RA functions, from CornCobMan
• Fixed application of mammary intercourse demand weight
• Removed surgery outcome duplication
• Fixed slave selection issue in the date request random event
• Removed erroneously visible debugging variables
• Addressed issues in the Market Assistant logic that could produce negative results
• Fixed application of cellblock capacity upgrades
• Minor description issues
• Corrected version number to 0.8.7

0.8.7 Changelog

Slave housing

• All facilities now use the same capacity system.
• Overcrowding facilities other than the Arcade is no longer possible: facility capacities serve as a hard cap.
• Subsequent capacity upgrades become more expensive each time one is purchased.
• The penthouse dormitory now has a capacity, and exceeding it will cause escalating penalties for slaves there.
• The individual rooms now have a capacity, which is a hard cap on the number of slaves that can be given luxurious living standards.
• Slaves in committed relationships will automatically share a room, reducing the number of rooms required to keep them in luxury.
• Updated the RA so that it will do its best to obey instructions while respecting this system.

Arcology ownership

• All arcologies now use a percentage ownership system, with arcology leadership being the party that controls the largest percentage.
• As a new owner, the PC starts with a safe controlling interest in the arcology, and can buy and sell ownership by the percentage.
• The ownership price is determined by the arcology's current prosperity.
• The percentage owned by the largest single minority owner is tracked, and if this rises over the PC's, the game is over.
• Minority shares in arcologies rise more slowly with increased arcology prosperity.
• Neighboring arcologies use a simplified version of the ownership system.
• Changes of government in neighboring arcologies now occur when the largest minority owner controls more of the arcology than the current leadership.
• Added ownership and other economic information to the sidebar.

Personal assistant upgrades

• Split computer core upgrades into their own tree, which is currently limited to two upgrades only.
• The first computer core upgrade provides all the benefits associated with the old upgrade in the arcology upgrade tree.
• The second computer core upgrade enables a subsidiary Market Assistant, which can play the menial slave market automatically.
• Provided an announcement event that introduces the new capability as soon as it becomes available.
• Highly characterized personal assistants' avatars can simulate a sexual relationship with the Market Assistant's avatar.

Other updates

• Pit fight support for sightless slaves, by Anon.
• More pregnancy descriptions in random events, by Anon.
• Split some options off the excessively long Manage Arcology menu into a new Manage Penthouse menu.
• Boosted the cost of policy upkeep to make certain policies less overpowered.
• More slave introduction options, including convenient options that place slaves directly into the Industrial Dairy or the Arcade.
• Added ballsacks to the organ fabricator.
• Code revisions for better performance.
• Bugfixes, with powerful assistance from Bane70.