I'm thrilled to announce the release of the February Update for Oil Sheik!
This update focuses on laying a solid foundation for the future,
with improvements to core gameplay, player experience, and a
peek at what's coming next.

Key Additions & Improvements:

• New Player Tutorial:
  I've implemented a basic tutorial to guide new players through the core
  mechanics of Oil Sheik. This will ensure a smoother learning curve and allow players
  to quickly grasp the playstyle.
  
• Revamped AI Opponents:
  The AI has received a significant overhaul.
  AI opponents now utilize multiple, dynamic investment strategies, adapting their tactics
  based on the evolving game state.
  
  [list]
• The "Very Easy" AI difficulty has been tuned to provide a more
  accessible experience for players practicing mergers or aiming for high scores.
  
• "Medium" and "Advanced" AI difficulties now offer a significantly more challenging
  and strategic experience. I plan further AI improvements for future updates.
  

Player Customization:
Express yourself with new customization options! Players can now personalize their
experience with selectable card backs and profile pictures.
A selection of initial options is available, and I have implemented
a test of the in-game shop, with low placeholder prices in exchange for in-game currency,
awarded with every game played.

Expanded Input Support:
Oil Sheik now features full support for keyboard and controller inputs, in addition
to the existing mouse/touchpad controls. I've personally spent over 50 hours testing
to ensure a smooth and responsive experience across all supported input methods.
I encourage players to report any encountered issues. This is a key step towards my goal
of full Steam Input integration and Steam Deck support in the near future.

[/list]

Tariff Wars (Game Mode) Adjustments:

• Ronald Dump Tweet Frequency:
  The frequency of random tweet events from Ronald Dump has been reduced
  to approximately 8% per turn, resulting in a less disruptive flow of gameplay.
  The probabilities for positive (10% per turn) and negative (20%
  per turn) dividend effects remain unchanged.
  

Other Notable Changes:

• Visual Updates:
  Company icons and various UI elements have been refreshed for improved
  visual clarity and appeal.
  
• Steam Cloud Synchronization:
  Game progress and player statistics are now seamlessly synced with
  Steam Cloud, ensuring data persistence across devices.
  
• Steam P2P Networking Preparation:
  Significant progress has been made on the underlying code to support Steam P2P
  networking. While originally slated for this update, additional testing is required to
  ensure a stable and reliable experience.
  P2P networking remains my top development priority and will be available in the next
  update. (End of March 2025)
  
• Improved Card Distribution:
  The algorithm for card distribution has been refined to ensure a more randomized and
  balanced tile pool for players.
  
• Extensive Bug Fixes and Improvements:
  Over 100 individual tasks, including hotfixes, bug fixes, and animation
  improvements, have been addressed to enhance overall game
  stability and performance.
  

Looking Ahead:

My top priority continues to be the implementation of P2P networking.
Beyond that, I am committed to expanding Oil Sheik
with exciting new features and gameplay mechanics.
I'm excited to begin introducing these additions now that the core game
systems are robust and (hopefully) reliable.

I appreciate your continued support and
feedback as I continue to develop Oil Sheik!

Cheers
steamhappysteamhappysteamhappysteamhappysteamhappy

[ 2025-03-03 18:35:36 CET ] [Original Post]