Hi everyone! steamhappy We would like to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you for your unwavering support and enthusiasm throughout the development journey of Hobo: Tough Life. Your dedication and feedback have been instrumental in shaping the game into what it is today. As we continue to grow and evolve as a company, we want to be transparent about the current status of Hobo: Tough Life. After 8 years of development, we have reached a point where the development of the game has transitioned into a support phase. This means that while we will continue to address critical issues and provide necessary updates, our focus has shifted towards exciting new projects. Today, we are thrilled to announce the first of these new endeavors: Kromlech! An action-adventure game with RPG elements and meta-progression mechanics. Check out our trailer and steam page for more information. [previewyoutube=vYF3AyuU8Ok;full][/previewyoutube] But that's not all! Tomorrow, we are releasing our second new project called Kvark in Early Access. Kvark is an FPS game set in a fictional version of the 80s Czech Republic. In the development of Kvark, we primarily fulfill the role of a publisher, but we are still heavily involved in the making of the game. [previewyoutube=lFVgP9AyWUI;full][/previewyoutube] With the expansion of our game portfolio, we have made the decision to migrate our Discord server to a brand new home that will encompass all of our projects under one roof. This means that you will have the opportunity to connect with fellow players, share experiences, and receive updates not only about Hobo: Tough Life but also about our upcoming titles, Kromlech and Kvark. We believe that this unified community space will foster even greater interaction and collaboration among our passionate players. So, get ready to join us on our new Discord server: [url=https://discord.gg/5Y2p9kNkk4]https://discord.gg/5Y2p9kNkk4 While we embark on these exciting new projects, we want to assure you that our commitment to the Hobo: Tough Life community remains strong. Your feedback and support have been invaluable to us, and we will continue to provide necessary updates and support for the game. Thank you once again for being a part of the Hobo: Tough Life journey. We are incredibly grateful for your ongoing support and can't wait to share more exciting news and updates with you in the near future. Stay tuned for more adventures and have a great day! - Perun Creative

[ 2023-06-01 16:07:58 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello, everyone! steamhappy Version 1.20 is now publicly available after more than a year of hard work since the release of the 1.0 update. Big thank you to all of our customers as well as people who were testing the new version of our game. You are our heroes! The update brings a lot of changes to the game, hundreds of fixed bugs and issues as well as some upgrades. If we were to list every single thing, the list would be way too long. Here is at least selection of the main changes in this new update. Multiplatform support Starting today the game is also available on Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck. Xbox and Playstation versions are awaiting final certification from platform holders. [previewyoutube=Hvm43hovupM;full][/previewyoutube] Networking and crossplay

• Cross-platform play support (Steam, Xbox One, Xbox Series, PS4 / PS5, Switch)
• A number of synchronization issues fixed - fire barrels burning out too fast for clients, issues with player-to-player trading and more
• Overall connection / disconnection stabilization (more robust system for handling unexpected situations - Internet failure, speed drop, etc.)
• Possibility to kick, mute, and report other players
• Steam backend replaced with Epic Online Services

No external account is needed, everything works with your existing Steam accounts. The only thing that has changed from the player's point of view is the lobby system, which is no longer divided into public lobbies and private/friends' lobbies. The lobby system now consists of cross-platform lobbies (lobbies that can be accessed from any platform) and single-platform lobbies (for example PS4-only lobbies). Lobbies can now also be password protected. By setting a password for your game you will be able to connect with friends outside of your Friends list (eg. playing on different platforms) without strangers joining your session.
Gameplay

• Complete redesign of the player and camera control (fixed issues with stuttering, smooth movement without lagging, correction of screen tearing and many other problems related to camera and movement)
• Complete rework of the save system to make it more stable and reliable
• Fixed the Ritual of the Last Boozing and improved the overall function of this mechanic
• Fixed the disappearing interaction icons
• Fixes in the combat system (disappearing options, incorrect collision detection)
• Redesigned input system allowing for more unrestricted key rebinds
• Improved controls during dumpster diving
• Notification system improved
• Fixed hundreds of smaller bugs reported by the community (in quests, conversations, UI)
• Some slight balancing changes, most notably increased spawn rates of some harder-to-obtain items, and small adjustments to help wean some hobos off of caffeine ;)

Graphics and optimizations

• Overall reduction of game requirements
• Asynchronous GI (Global Illumination) and environment streaming (RAM savings)
• Asynchronous NPC streaming (RAM savings) and redesign of NPC internal operation (CPU load reduced on average by 60 %)
• Faster loading (especially on devices with HDDs)
• Faster generation and rendering of dynamic reflections
• Change of the default FOV from 60 to 75
• Fixes of various graphic bugs (glitched props, holes in models, artifacts)
• Fixed LOD dependence on FOV (render distance no longer decreases with higher FOV)
• Redesign of HLOD switching system (hierarchical LOD, high-poly -> low poly), which results in faster rendering and less noticeable pop-in
• Hundreds of micro-optimizations in the code, removing remnants of the early access code.

[previewyoutube=nAy14PNoPbA;full][/previewyoutube] Localization

• Fixed overlapping of texts and other visual issues with text
• Fixes and additions in English, Chinese, German, Russian and Polish translations
• Added new translations into Japanese, Spanish, and French.

Whats next?

We have already two new projects in development on Unreal Engine 5. In order to bring you the best possible quality we are continually doing reinvestment of acquired funds into our development. We have built our own mo-cap studio, own cloud infrastructure, team growth significantly (we are not indie anymore) and much more. We can't wait to show you more in Q1 of 2023 :)

- Perun Creative

[ 2022-08-18 15:45:53 CET ] [ Original post ]

Bug fixes

• Selling items to NPCs.
• Unstuck option in Draxs area not working properly.
• Scale for female models (there was an unintentional reduction in size of about 30% during optimizations).
• The error of freezing the screen and items disappearing in the buyback screen.
• Player collision with the environment (fixed "flytraps").
• Warehouse upgrades not showing in HC mode.
• Duplicated hints in the dialog.
• Upgrade options even if the player has a bonus in the hideout at max.
• GUI getting stuck when selling/ buying.
• Quest and character tracking on the map.
• Defecating notifications.
• Cap reduction of defecation from 100 to 99.
• English label of cardboard bedding in Czech version.
• Graphic bugs fixed.
• Zookeeper achievement fix.
• Sweet Home achievement added.
• Influencer achievement gained, when earning reputation with NPCs over 100.
• Added indication of achieved level at level up.

Correction/update of texts

• Crazy reconciling with Zachy.
• 2x carnations with toilet attendant.

Rework and optimization

• Achievements (complete refactor of the internal system)
• Sound optimization and quality tuning
• Rendering optimizations
• Scratch off card scratching optimizations
• Compression improvements (smaller size especially on Nintendo and Playstation)
• 3D character models
• Improved texture loading, it no longer happens that the textures are loaded asynchronously and for some time they seem blurred
• NPC spawning
• Occlusion culling and related light issues.
• Reflection rendering
• Light quality improvement
• Vegetation (multi-level system according to quality settings)

Unexpected snags/things that caused delays in updates

• The need to add a system to re-initialize internal systems when going from offline mode to online. (If you do not have a paid mode on the console the game is in offline mode by default. When purchasing online you have to switch to online mode to which all systems must respond)
• Complete rework of saving options
• Correction of intro playback - correction of termination/skipping, solving the problem with playback on consoles. Different quality versions are added according to the hardware, etc.
• SDKs (EOS, Nintendo) update needed and fixed incompatibility of existing code
• Complete asynchronous scheduler refactoring due to differences in working with threads on different platforms
• Problems with memory allocation in multiplayer on non-windows platforms. Re-allocations from C# code to native plugins tailored to the platform needed (One of the two biggest delays. It was not known where the problem was, it was solved with Epic, Unity, Nintendo, and Sony and in the end, we managed to find out where the problem is and how to solve it.)
• Unity version was downgraded due to performance degradation caused by some of the fixes in the engine.
• Fixed various rare errors with the save system on Playstation.
• Fragmentation of streamed parts of the city is needed for better memory management and faster/more efficient loading
• Problem with depth rendering (depth buffer) solved on the PS4 base (necessary correction/intervention by Unity into the engine).
• The solution to the problem of continuous freezing during the game (the second of the two biggest delays; was noticeable, especially on PS4 and Xbox One).

[ 2022-05-13 13:49:14 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello and good day everyone! steamhappy The experimental beta is here and you can finally try it for yourselves! Let me remind you that this is not an official release of the patch. Despite our rigorous testing there might be bugs, occasional crash, or you might experience surprising behavior from the game. However, it is an important step in the development of both the console version and the better version for the PC, and wed be very grateful for your help with the testing to help us make the game as polished as possible. You can download the experimental beta following the steps in the GIF below or these instructions: Right click on Hobo -> Properties -> Betas - > Enter beta access code kdyuztobudepublic -> Check code -> Select experimental_unstable
If you do decide to check the experimental beta out, please let us know if you find any bugs, translation errors or other issues. Use our Discord channel, Steam discussions, Reddit or email support@peruncreative.com to report your findings. There is also one more thing we would like to be honest about and clear up up front. With the public release of the new patch the base price of the game will increase from 20.99 EUR to 24.99 EUR. Changes done to the game in the new patch, especially in terms of stability, optimizations, and future-proofing, would not have been possible without the new talent and technologies we have acquired. Unfortunately, as our studio grows, so do our operating costs. It is a step we do not want to make, but need to.

Patch notes 1.14.00X (experimental beta)

This list of changes is by no means final and more fixes and features will be rolled out throughout the testing period (over the next month or so). Localization:

• Fixes and additions in English, Chinese, German, Russian and Polish translations.
• Added new translations into Japanese, Spanish, and French.

Networking:

• Cross-platform play support (Steam, Xbox One, Xbox Series, PS4 / PS5, Switch)
• A number of synchronization issues fixed - fire barrels burning out too fast for clients, issues with player-to-player trading and more
• Connection / disconnection stabilization (more robust system for handling unexpected situations - Internet failure, speed drop, etc.)
• Steam backend replaced with Epic Online Services

No external account is needed, everything works with your existing Steam accounts. The only thing that has changed from the player's point of view is the lobby system, which is no longer divided into public lobbies and private/friends' lobbies. The lobby system now consists of cross-platform lobbies (lobbies that can be accessed from any platform) and single-platform lobbies (for example PS4-only lobbies). Lobbies can now also be password protected. By setting a password for your game you will be able to connect with friends outside of your Friends list (eg. playing on different platforms) without strangers joining your session. Multiplatform Support:

• Steam Deck support
  • Automatic quality adjustment has not yet been implemented. For now, we recommend setting the details to medium for the best experience. In one of the following updates, we will add a customized profile for the Steam Deck (eg. some details from higher settings are too demanding for the steam deck and some on the medium are unnecessarily downplayed)
  • Complete support (controls, UI, graphic effects) + the ability to scratch off lotto tickets using the touch screen
  [previewyoutube=Hvm43hovupM;full][/previewyoutube]
• Replacement of OpenGL with Vulkan API on Linux (and Steam Deck)

Optimalizations:

• Asynchronous graphics streaming (RAM savings)
• Asynchronous NPC streaming (RAM savings) and redesign of NPC internal operation (CPU load reduced on average by 60 %)
• Asynchronous GI streaming (Global Illumination) -> RAM saving and, thanks to more memory space, an increase in the data resolution itself (better lights, fewer artifacts, etc.)
• Faster loading (especially on devices with HDDs)
• Acceleration of dynamic reflection generation
• Optimization / improvement of grass rendering (larger draw distance, especially on weaker platforms)
• UI element animation system refactor (HUD, inventory)
• Faster loading of text files (conversations, quests)
• Acceleration of database loading (item database, config files)
• Physics optimizations
• Hundreds of micro-optimizations in the code, removing remnants of the early access code

[previewyoutube=nAy14PNoPbA;full][/previewyoutube] [previewyoutube=kFe3xrkHE44;full][/previewyoutube] Gameplay:

• Complete redesign of the player and camera control (fixed issues with stuttering, smooth movement without lagging, correction of screen tearing and many other problems related to camera and movement)
• Fixed the Ritual of the Last Boozing and improved the overall function of this mechanic
• Fixed the disappearing interaction icons
• Fixes in the combat system (disappearing options, incorrect collision detection)
• Redesigned input system allowing for more unrestricted key rebinds
• Improved controls during dumpster diving
• Notification system improved
• Fixed hundreds of smaller bugs reported by the community (in quests, conversations, UI)
• Some slight balancing changes, most notably increased spawn rates of some harder-to-obtain items, and small adjustments to help wean some hobos off of caffeine ;)

Graphics:

• Change of the default FOV from 60 to 75
• Fixed LOD dependence on FOV (render distance no longer decreases with higher FOV)
• Fixes of various graphic bugs (glitched props, holes in models, artifacts)
• Redesign of HLOD switching system (hierarchical LOD, high-poly -> low poly), which results in faster rendering and less noticeable pop-in
• Fixes and tuning of the player's animation
• Improvements to the player's camera positioning
• Replacement of FXAA with MSAA

Save System:

• Complete rework of the save system to make it more stable and reliable
• Save / load acceleration
• More robust backup system
• Save file size reduction (orders of magnitude smaller files on the disk)

Other:

• Added illustrated loading screens during transitions (loading times on SSDs are almost instant, in a matter of seconds on HDDs)

[ 2022-04-01 16:43:03 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi, everyone! steamhappy As promised in the ancient times of 2 months ago by a different guy, Im bringing you the anticipated news from our studio. Peter, our previous community manager, has been assigned to our new project and decided to focus more on design and project management. Thats where I come in. So, let me introduce myself. Im David, or Ireas as my friends and co-players knows me. I am the new community manager at Perun Creative. If I should mention a few things that describe me Id say hectoliters of black coffee, an obsession with renaissance Venetian schiavona swords and an unhealthy relationship with the Warhammer 40k lore. You can reach me every day on Hobo: Tough Life discord server and I will be responding to you in our other communication channels as well. But enough about me and lets see what our dev team has prepared for you. Before I start, please accept our apology for not reaching out to you sooner. Our making of the console ports in-house, while also learning on the job, makes it difficult to set specific time frames, as some possibly unforeseen problems can easily lead into delays. Anyways, good news is that the console ports are basically done by now and we are dealing mainly with stability checks and improvements for the Steam version of the game.

Experimental Beta

The experimental beta should be ready in the second half of March, likely closer to the end of the month. The best case scenario for the public update release is the end of April, but thats only if absolutely everything goes according to plan. A release in the first half of May is more likely. That said, we all know how plans go, so take these dates as my personal qualified guess based on my knowledge of the internal procedures. The final date of the release depends on testing results and validation from platform holders (Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo). The release can be postponed by a week or two if the dev team finds any major issues during testing. We would like to deliver the best possible version of the game we can. Thank you for your understanding and patience in this. It wont be much longer.

Localization

You can expect updates for Chinese, German, Russian and Polish translations. We would also like to announce that we will add Japanese, Spanish and French languages into the game. Wed be very thankful if native speakers of any of the newly added languages decided to check out the game and let us know about any issues they find! The new translations probably wont be complete in the experimental build, as their deadline is at the end of March, but well make sure to update them during the beta test.

Networking

To ensure cross-platform support as well as availability on other gaming platforms we had to move from Steam backend to Epic Online Services. Through this technology we can deliver to you the possibility to play on all major consoles (Xbox One, Xbox Series, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch) as well as on the PC together. If youd rather stick to your own platform, there will be a cross-platform filtering function, which will allow you to block any of these platforms in your matchmaking. Another big improvement we are going to add to the game is a ban/kick/mute system for the multiplayer. Thanks to this tool the host will have more control over their game. Weve also been hard at work fixing loads of synchronization issues and problems reported post-launch. Clients should no longer see their fires burning out in seconds, and items should no longer disappear into the void during trades, among other things.

Steam Deck Support

If you are one of the happy owners of the new Steam Deck, we have some great news for you! The experimental update will include Steam Deck support, so make sure to check it out and let us know how it is.

Other Improvements and Better Optimization

As usual for almost any update in any game ever we will bring you more performance improvements, bug fixes, and optimizations, including faster load times, better memory management, more frames-per-second, and fixes to various graphics issues. To top all of that off weve also added some quality-of-life improvements and some new features to the game. [previewyoutube=nAy14PNoPbA;full][/previewyoutube]
And thats all for this update. We are looking forward to your feedback if you decide to test the upcoming experimental build. Stay safe and healthy in these trying times. You will hear more from us soon! David Ireas Kubek

[ 2022-03-13 14:01:02 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello everyone! steamhappy We hope you had wonderful Holidays and properly celebrated the end of 2021. New year is here and weve got some exciting news to share with you all! We know we tend to go radio silent for longer periods of time, but the game is far from abandoned and weve been working tirelessly on the project to meet our internal deadlines.

Experimental Branch

New update should come into the experimental branch of the game relatively soon. However, its still too early to set a specific date. Well need to test all the changes weve made before going live and the experimental branch is the way to do it. Youll get to play the update early (albeit in potentially unstable form) and your feedback will help us find bugs and problems. Well keep you posted about the availability of the experimental branch of the update. Weve been working on many behind-the-scenes changes in networking, save game stability, optimizations and other features. The update should hopefully once again improve performance considerably across the board. More bug fixes and new features will be gradually introduced throughout the testing period leading up to the console release in April, which will correspond with the public release of the update on Steam.

New Translations

Together with the release on consoles, we are also planning on having the game translated into more languages. We can guarantee a Japanese translation with more languages currently being in the talks. At the moment, theres no telling how many more translations well manage to secure in time for the console release, but well do our best to get as many of the most requested languages as possible.

The State of the Studio

As big of a success as Hobo is, it cant sustain our studio indefinitely. We need to look to the future if we are to bring more of our ideas to life. At the same time wed like to avoid a burnout from working on the same project for such a long time. Hobo and its console ports is not the only thing weve been working on in the past few months. Weve put as much (if not more) effort into improving our studio and internal infrastructure. We secured more office space, hired more talent, and acquired new technologies, all of which help us not only with the development of Hobo, but with our new next-gen project as well. Without sharing too much, we can tell you that our next project will also be a cross-genre hybrid. The following environmental concept art and sketches might offer some insight into the possible setting and overall atmosphere of the game:

[ 2022-01-07 11:01:01 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello, everyone! steamhappy Its been quite a while since our last update post. We apologize for this radio silence, but frankly theres not been much to update on. Until now

Console Ports

Possibly the most frequent question weve gotten post release was Console ports when? Well, we wanted to be done with the console ports by the end of the year. We now know that were not going to make it in time for that deadline. Weve been falling behind the schedule slightly for a while now, but we wanted to wait until the end of September to be absolutely sure. After some deliberation, we have decided to set the new deadline for the release of the console ports. This deadline is fairly lenient and should allow for enough QA to be done in order to deliver smooth gameplay experience on all the intended consoles. Console release of Hobo: Tough Life is now planned on the 13th of April 2022 - coincidentally a year after the PC version. That almost calls for a Year One Feature Update for the PC version, right? Which brings us to the next point

New Content

The second most frequent question we now get is New content when? Here is a bit of sad news. Unfortunately, there will assuredly be no new content until the release of the console ports. We realize that almost a year-long wait since the PC release is a bit too much to ask, but it is simply not viable for us to add to the project in its current state. We are simultaneously working on the console ports, cross-platform play infrastructure, and new cloud save system. Any changes and/or additions would require a project rollback, implementation, testing, release, and then reroll back to the current work copy. It sounds like a simple process, but a single instance of this could take anywhere from 1 to 3 weeks and there is a lot that could go wrong. Simply put, its worth neither the risk, nor the time investment. HOWEVER, that doesnt mean that PC players will be left empty-handed when the console ports release. We want the console versions to be the most feature-complete and polished versions of the game. That will of course serve to improve the PC version as well. There are still a lot of issues, bugs, and features that are on our to-do list. Console optimizations will improve performance on PC across the board as well. The Year One Patch is going to be big, we can promise you that. As for any new content past that, who knows. There have been talks about a DLC and mod support, but nothing specific yet. Truth is, Hobo: Tough Life has been in development for almost 7 years. That is a long time and we would like to avoid burnout, which is already slowly creeping in.

CEEGA 2021 Nomination

Now, to end on a good note, Hobo: Tough Life has received a nomination in Central & Eastern European Game Awards 2021! Next week, we will wrestle for the title of the Best Narrative with Mafia: Definitive Edition, Cyberpunk 2077, and The Medium in Pozna, Poland. Those are certainly formidable opponents so wish us luck! Part of our team will attend the event and keep you posted live on our social media.
That is going to be all for now, stay safe, and remember to stock up on medkits and lifebringers before the winter comes!

[ 2021-10-15 15:25:05 CET ] [ Original post ]

This patch will be lighter on the content, as explained in our Steam posts. Work on multiplayer security features still continues, but it's taking much longer than expected. However, fixes introduced in this patch will hopefully solve some repeatedly reported issues. Apart from fixes, we have also reworked the backend infrastructure for dialogue systems and the item database. It wont have any noticeable impact on the game right now, but it will help us with optimizations later down the line, especially for consoles. Fixes:

• * Fixed navigation in the quest "Secret," quest marker leading to Herold should now point to the correct building.
• * Fixed a bug that caused the pizza delivery quest to become stuck if the player was drunk during one specific delivery on one of the routes. (this however does not work retroactively, if you are already stuck, it will remain that way)
• * Some pizza delivery locations marked better on the map, added a marker for the "gas station" location.
• * The whole pizza delivery quest has been rebalanced. Customers are more agreeable, don't complain as often as they did, and requirements for "successful" delivery were made more forgivable. Mr. Kubik should be more happy with your deliveries now.
• * Reputation gain with the police adjusted. Now it should be possible to earn the Model Citizen achievement. (this however does not work retroactively due to the way how reputation is awarded)
• * Fixed a situation where the player might have befriended Bruno and his thugs before being asked by Moiser to beat them up, thus being unable to finish Moisers quest line. You can now ask Bruno during that quest to let his people attack you again for a while.
• * Fixed the issue where lootables would not refill if the player looted them during the calamity and ended the season before they could refill
• * Fixed the issue where it was necessary to read all 30 books in one sitting for the Oldster to unlock. The game now correctly keeps track of the books read and you no longer need to read them all at once.

[ 2021-07-27 11:46:39 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello everyone! steamhappy We are nearing the end of June and with it the next June update. Or are we? Unfortunately, we have hit a few bumps on the road and wont be able to finish the update on time. We will still release a patch addressing some more issues that we have managed to uncover and fix, but the major features that were supposed to be included will not make an appearance just yet. Main features of this upcoming update were supposed to be security measures and player management for multiplayer games. Firstly, guests would be able to interact with the host's hideout (both stash and placed items) only after a certain amount of time has passed. Secondly, the host would now have the option to kick or ban players, and also to override the time requirement if a trusted player joins in. This wouldnt be a whole lot difficult if we were working with the old matchmaking system. As we have promised earlier, Hobo will support crossplay between various platforms. Because of that, we have to move to a different matchmaking service. Heres when things get complicated. We want to first make the transfer to the new service, make sure it works, and then implement these features. However, the transfer is not going as smoothly as we had hoped. In addition to that, one of our programmers has suffered an injury that put him out of action for at least two weeks. We wanted to let you know that the main features of the June update will be postponed until July to ensure that we can properly implement everything. Bugfix patch will still release as scheduled. Thank you and stay safe!

[ 2021-06-27 10:15:53 CET ] [ Original post ]

Features: - Begging expertise and mastery perks rebalanced - Expert Begging now gives 30 % chance to get an item in addition to cash. Master Begging increases the chance to 70 %. That should hopefully result in less items cluttering the inventory of master beggars. - Early elections available - Now, if you've got enough votes, you can ask Herold to start the elections early, allowing you to become the king mid-season. - Difficulty balance pass - First season has been made a little bit easier (some parameters deplete slower, withdrawal drains less health), to compensate, seasons 2 and 3 are colder and a bit more difficult. Season 2 is mostly the same, Season 3 is a bit harder than it used to be. - Talisman of Recovery - replaces all the other recovery amulets. Recovers 10 points of all stat maximums lost due to dying. It is more expensive than the individual amulets previously, but considering it recovers all stats, it is actually much MUCH cheaper now to recover from death. - Stacking items in build mode - You can now stack similar items onto each other in the hideout. There are still some limitations, but to all who wanted to build walls from cinder blocks or worn tires, now's your time! If you delete an object with other objects stacked on top of it, they will be all placed in you inventory, so don't be alarmed if multiple objects disappear. - Conversations made more difficult - Success chances of further conversations checks beyond the first one have been reduced for early levels of the skill. It evens out at the level 5, but it makes the progress in the skill up to that point more noticeable. - Hardcore modes added - yes, there's multiple, mostly to avoid potential technical difficulties. You can enable hardcore mode when starting a new game. HC mode can only be selected when starting the game. Once you start a hardcore game, you can't change it later. Hardcore is meant to provide much steeper challenge than the base game and as such does not necessarily have to make sense or "feel realistic." Hardcore mode features: - Items can't be stored in the hideout storage. - Failure in the crafting minigame removes resources. - Character can't walk while overburdened. - Damaged equipment can't be repaired. - Healing consumables heal 50 % less. - Maisner no longer offers items for buy back after death. - 15 % more mess in the garbage bins. - Begging gives 50 % less cash. - Character can equip only a single luggage item. - Conversation starts at an effective level of 0 (you start with 0 % in all other dialogue options without using conversations). Hardcore+ mode features: - Same as the basic Hardcore mode, but you can't play in multiplayer and once you die, it's over (permadeath). Fixes: - fixes to some 3D models - fixed models of some upgradable items in the hideout - added missing Satanic altar in the quest "Moiser's Misery." There's 6 of them now, but you only need 5, so it should be easier to find them all. - multiple fixes to texture work, models, clipping throughout the city - adjustments to some areas where there shouldn't be snow (inside of the astronomical clock, Stink's hideout and others) - fixed exploit in a quest "A Little Pickpocketing" where the player could get an infinite amount of stealing XP. - fixed the issue where holding down LMB to confirm the "Continue..." dialogue option would immediately select the first option in the next step of the dialogue - fixes to some highlighter in hideouts - fix to where the local player couldn't see other players building unless they were in a build mode as well - fixed the possibility of reposition objects that were already being repositioned - fixed synchronization issues while connecting to a game with models in the process of building - fix of the cursed noodles from the bistro (ran a lot of errors in the background, potentially crashing the application) - added option to tell Tony quest information during the quest "Secret" even if Tony is angry at the player

[ 2021-06-01 17:04:48 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello, everyone! steamhappy We are back with another update on the situation of our game. Progress on the console ports is steady, but we still have a loooong way to go. Well share more once we have something more substantial. Sadly, we cant really show you any progress on tape as it is strictly under NDA.
However, we can share that on the next generation consoles, we can already run the game on the highest quality settings in 4k resolution maintaining a steady 60 FPS. The biggest problem is going to be the Nintendo Switch, which is currently lagging behind at 12 FPS. Console play will also support crossplay between all the gaming platforms involved so youll be able to play with others no matter where they own and play the game. That is also why its taking us this long to introduce better security measures for multiplayer to stop people from ruining others games by joining and taking all their hideout equipment and stored items in public lobbies. We plan on implementing a timer for guests that will make it impossible for them to mess around with the host's stuff until theyve played with them for a while. Host will also be able to manage the players on the server and kick or ban them. Wed have to reimplement these after changing the multiplayer structure to allow for crossplay, so wed rather just do it once. Wed also like to stress out that optimizing the game for consoles will help the game run smoother on PCs as well. Many changes and improvements we are currently working on will lead to shorter loading times (especially on HDDs), less RAM requirements and better stability.
Apart from console ports, weve also been working hard on implementing new features, based on feedback and requests from our community. You can read about them in more detail in the dedicated patch notes - especially about big fixes and smaller improvements. The biggest additions coming in this update are changes to calamities making them more intensive, but shorter, the option to call for early elections (if the player has enough votes), and optional hardcore modes for greater challenge. Yes, hardcore modes plural - basic hardcore mode eligible for multiplayer play, and hardcore+ mode restricting the game to singleplayer and featuring permadeath. Youll find more detailed information about the hardcore mode restrictions in the patch notes.
We are also getting a lot of questions about language availability and when the game is going to be translated into more languages. Thing is, our original system of community translations was very improvised and we definitely cannot use it on a larger scale. Currently, implementation of translations requires our input and a new build for any changes to take effect - managing that with multiple languages is going to get complicated. Right now, we are researching the possibility to allow for translations to be added as Steam Workshop mods. And who knows, maybe we wont stop with just translations ;) That is going to be all for May. See you at the end of June! - Perun Creative

[ 2021-06-01 15:10:49 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello, everyone! steamhappy We are back with another update on things to come. Our last statement addressed these issues somewhat, but we now have much clearer vision that we can share with you all! First, wed like to thank you for the awesome release. We are aware that it was a bumpy ride at times and we absolutely appreciate your patience, help, and cooperation with reporting and fixing bugs. Thank you. Well continue doing our best improving the game going forward. But what does that mean? We have a light roadmap here to help with the explanation.

Are there going to be more updates?

Yes. We are not done and plan on introducing new features, fixes and Quality-of-Life improvements to the game. However, beginning in May, the updates will be much less frequent - happening only about once a month. As much as wed like to deliver them to you faster, we need to multi-task and provide support while also working on console ports and a new project.

Whats the news on console ports?

They will happen. Well be making the ports ourselves (instead of outsourcing), so it will take quite a lot of time and focus away from other tasks. The game will be ported to all major consoles - Xbox (One, One X and Series X), PlayStation (PS4, PS4 Pro, PS5), and Nintendo Switch. It is an ambitious goal, but we already have some very promising attempts.

Hold up, new project?

YES! After almost a week of deliberations we have arrived at a consensus. We now have a clear direction for the new project and our designers are already starting work on pre-production. We cant tell you more at the moment, but it is going to be very exciting. As soon as we have anything to share, we will!

Whats going to happen to the developer streams?

We started streaming to showcase new updates and improvements prior to releasing the 1.0 version and leaving Early Access. They can obviously no longer fill that role, but weve found a solution. Our developer streams will now be officially charity streams! As with the updates, they will be less frequent (once every two weeks), but to make up for that, they will be longer. Our community manager will play through the game with various self-imposed challenges, and you can make his task even harder with donation incentives. We are currently raising money for Shelter. You can find details about the campaign here: https://tiltify.com/@peruncreative-b99629/perun-creative-for-shelter. Thats gonna do it for this post. Stay safe, people!

[ 2021-05-03 17:54:39 CET ] [ Original post ]

Features: - added new NPC "Stink" that sells some of the most coveted items (for outrageous prices). You gotta find him first though. - lightning near Drax and Shrug improved - added animation to a character change and fixed the activation spot - added a conversation option to not ask drunk Hobos for money (for RP reasons) Fixes: - fixed some colliders and poorly placed props - issue with dumpster diving UI getting stuck on screen if approached by an NPC fixed - issues with unresponsive combat fixed - playpen fixed - some floating interact icons fixed - fixed containers in Guzzler lair - exploit where clothing would be repaired after intentionally failing the minigame - hideout stash fixed and it is now possible to place more than 100 in the stash at once - fixed replacing props in hideout - season transition no longer removes Luke's addiction - fixed issues after choosing a character and connecting to a game - fixed the price of coke in the bistro - fixed issue with getting beat up while trading with other player - fixed Bruno's request of Calling Off the thugs - unused lockers deleted - Payour now pays only once during the shakedown quest for Leos - tooltip about permanent bonuses from Fester's recipes removed - Ski Mask removed from the player inventory if it is not used as evidence against him - fixed activation triggers for royal quests - fixed navigation and activation triggers for Praslavian Legends quest

[ 2021-05-03 17:53:32 CET ] [ Original post ]

Features: - smoother camera transitions - slight improvement to loading times - loading bar added before intros - added option to adjust brightness - added option to adjust FOV - added option to lock FPS - adjusted the volume of the intro movies - Maisner now teaches recipes during his quests like he used to - improved global illumination and reduced the number of lighting artefacts - added option to change audio source (stereo, quad, 5.1) - added more portraits to 2D interiors Fixes: - TO UNLOCK OLDSTER: You have to read 30 books while using the Study hideout equipment. There is a mistake in the description and will be fixed as soon as we can add in new translations. - fixed display of the number of days in the diary - Early Access banner in the menu removed (big oof there) - fixed visuals of the conversation minigame - fixed sleeping on a bus stop near the train station - some NPCs repositioned - fixed location reset in quest Praslavian Legends - fixed keybind tooltips not updating until the game reset - fixed inability to sell canned beer in bulk to Jenkins (please report any other items that cannot be sold in bulk to him) - fixed interact button at the car wreck in the pit - fixed issue when opening inventory from the organizer (map screen) that would lead to a GUI lock - conversation with Frank fixed - selling to Anatoly made more convenient, selling now does not return you to the root menu, but only to the item selection menu - fixed the requirements for the use of the Strategy perk in the conversation with a police officer - fixed the incorrect position of the map marker for the sewer clean up temp job - unused interaction icons for removed loot locations deleted - soft lock with the Martyr quest fixed by using alternative way to obtain the Golden Cross from Marty (high level stealing required) - Playpen fixed - fixed the issue with number 11 disappearing in the construction menu - fixed issue where current (not max) willpower would drop to 2 if player had more while quitting the game - fixed Discord link in the menu - *spoiler alert* fixed the quest Praslavian Legends where the quest would not continue after taking picture of the Golem - fixed issue where the client players couldn't select a character - fixed behavior of the bus stops on the gamepad - fixed issue with video encoding of the intro movies on Windows 7 - fixed lightning in the pit - fixed issue with doubled dialogue when asking about the Legendary whiskey at the bar Spark

[ 2021-04-21 15:44:15 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello, everyone! steamhappy The day has come! We are proud to announce that Hobo: Tough Life is leaving Early Access after almost 4 years of development. Version 1.0 is now publicly available for everyone to enjoy. What has changed since the 0.9 version released more than half a year ago? If we were to list every single thing, the list would be way too long. You can look forward to an expanded soundtrack, improved graphical fidelity and visual effects, a plethora of new ambient sounds, new areas of the city and much much more! Important disclaimer! Although saves from older versions of the game are technically compatible, we cant guarantee they will work 100 % correctly in all cases. Version 1.0 uses a different version of the engine. Many mechanics/quests have been adjusted or reworked, and numerous items were either removed or changed. We STRONGLY suggest starting a new game, especially if you are interested in earning achievements (as some of them do not unlock retroactively). We realize this might be inconvenient or disappointing to some of you, but it is simply impossible to account for every possible save game scenario out there. Does this mean that we are done with Hobo? Not at all! Well most likely take a short break following the release to recuperate. Once we gather our strength, well be back with more updates, patches, and bugfixes. We would like to get the game translated into even more languages (let us know in the comments which languages you would like!). Well be adding more improvements and features based on player feedback that did not make it into this version. These updates probably wont be too frequent or loaded with features as much as the early access updates were, but they will come! Well also be working on console ports. They should be done by the end of the year, if everything goes according to plan. Parallel to our post-launch support for Hobo, well also be starting work on our next project soon. We cant really share any details right now, but there are a couple of ideas already floating around the office. All in all, we have learned much while working on Hobo. It was our first project and it definitely wont be our last. Well do our best to learn from our mistakes and do our best in the games to come! It has been an exhausting journey and we would not have made it without the support of our families, friends, and you, our fans and players of our game! To every single one of you - THANK YOU! We are grateful for all your help. Well see you once we have had a bit of sleep and a meal or two. Stay safe!

[ 2021-04-13 04:16:58 CET ] [ Original post ]

Join us in our today's last pre-release lives stream! steamhappy Our community manager will playthrough the game, while answering your questions regarding the game.

[ 2021-04-07 13:54:03 CET ] [ Original post ]

New features: - optimizations for the Ludicrous graphic level - optimization of vegetation for low and medium settings - improved vegetation rendering for all quality levels - tree colliders slightly improved - optimization of vegetation (15-20 % improvement in FPS) - added decals and decorations into the Hall of Kings - added fire barrels and banners into the Hall of Kings (banners during the elections) - added decals in the Fort - added decals in Marty's den - added decals in sewers - added "decor" in the sewers, clean up tied to a minigame - added decals around Ghaul's shack - added new temp jobs in call center and in sewers (rest of the new temp jobs should be correctly locked for now) - increased luminosity of the flashlight - volumetric effects (lights for example) now slowly fade in and out - clock added to default HUD, in inventory you can also see the current day - new menu scenery - including different character positions during rainstorms Fixes: - fixed positioning of oysteroids and Mr. Mrazek to avoid collisions with the new greenery - fixed NPC positioning at Drax's place - fixed a hole in the map near the edge of the pit - fixed combat near the train station - fixed error when changing from regular announcements to the calamity announcements at the train stations - fixed collider near Furgrim - fixed a sheet of metal sticking through a wall - fixed some positioning and missing props - confiscated contraband should now correctly appear in Kvapil's "buy back" window - fixed LOD in the pit - fixed illumination of dynamic objects (NPCs, trees, etc.) - fixed Herold's voice - fixed props around Ghaul's place - fixed police (and NPC civilian guards) inactivity during player conversations - police now reacts to player stealing, selling drugs or attacking NPCs, as they should - cleaning up sewage in the sewer clean up temp job now adds stink - snowing now correctly lowers Dryness - fixed colliders (Shrug, building a toilet in the hideout) - fixed map navigation for Call Center and Sewage Clean Up temp jobs - fixed some missing quest progress rewards in the call center - industrial bin near Drax deactivated - fixed mapping of cars - fixed streaming of decals - fixed navmesh at several places that made the places hard to traverse and caused issues with lightning - fixed selling the good stuff to Tough NPC passersby - lowered the price of selling to Tough NPC passersby - quest Stand-in now adds reputation with Father Burian (first of a few fixes that will hopefully improve the vote situation) - fixed quick slot scrolling on gamepad

[ 2021-04-07 09:32:59 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello, everyone! The 1.0 release is approaching terrifyingly fast and we are working tirelessly to get everything done in time. We have a lot to share, so lets get to it! First off, we would like to thank everybody who took part in our beta testing and helped us find and fix many (MANY) bugs. We have received and cleared over 500 reports and we are still working on more fixes to ensure that the full 1.0 experience is as smooth as possible! We understand that not everybody was happy with our decision to grant the beta access through our Discord (link: https://discord.com/invite/p99X2H8s7t), but we did it in order not to get overwhelmed with reports and to centralize feedback in one place. If you decided to not get into the beta because of that, now you can do so without joining the Discord. The 1.0 beta is now available until 13th of April in the experimental beta branch on Steam. All you have to do is change your games version in the Betas menu. You can get there via the Properties menu from the Steam Library (after right-clicking on Hobo: Tough Life). Wed still be glad if the reports of any found bugs go through Discord, but we understand if you dont want to make an account because of that. We have also managed to produce a limited amount of physical copies of Special and Collector editions that will be available predominantly on Czech and Slovak markets. Distribution in other countries is still in the talks, but the global pandemic situation makes negotiations about any physical merchandise difficult. However, shops that will carry these editions in CZ/SK have international reach, so you should be able to order from them, if you are interested in owning a physical copy of our game. Retails you can already buy the game from: originalky, alza, xzone, jrc and czc! steamhappy
That said, here is a tiny bit of bad news. Games amount of content and polish have increased considerably in 1.0 version compared to the early development. Because of that, we have decided to increase the price of the final version from 16,79 EUR to 20,99 (or from roughly 20 USD to 25). That is all for now. Well see you on 13th of April! Stay safe!

[ 2021-04-01 18:13:53 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello, everyone! steamhappy The release of the experimental beta build is here! It has been available since Tuesday on our Discord, but to make the amount of bug report manageable, weve decided to make an official announcement only after we fixed some of the most glaring issues. It has been an ordeal, but we believe the build is mostly ready for rigorous testing. Bear in mind, not all features have been fully implemented and will be added gradually during the testing period. These include: Certain decals (e.g. leaves or manhole covers) Grass and shrubs (trees are in the game but have no colliders) Weather sound effects NPC voices and voice lines will be expanded and improved Some quests are not fully implemented yet. The pit is awaiting a serious face-lift Construction interface is temporary Expanded soundtrack with location appropriate tracks Gameplay balancing (will be adjusted based on player feedback) Now, the most important part. How do you get into the beta? Youll need a password. The password is available on our official Discord server. Youll find it in the 1.0 Beta Testing category. Once you have the password, youll have to open Steam, right-click Hobo, select Properties and then Betas. Put in the password there, click check and then confirm to enter experimental_unstable beta. The update will then be downloaded shortly afterwards. If you find any bugs during the testing phase, please report them preferably on our Discord in the appropriate channels. Thank you! Now, go play the game! - Perun Creative

[ 2021-03-12 08:59:58 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello everyone, weve got a bit of unfortunate news. Beginning yesterday, our government is prolonging the state of emergency and tightening lockdown even more. Up until now, offices could stay open, but under the new restrictions offices are being closed down as well. Home office is mandatory wherever possible. Citizens are not allowed to leave districts for any other than work or family related reasons. That means we have to get equipment from our offices, bring it home, and make sure everything works correctly. Additionally, we are working on tasks that require meeting in person (like doing improved voice work). That is no longer possible. We predict that abiding by the new restrictions will slow down our workflow somewhat. The state of emergency is said to be in effect for the next three weeks, but that is honestly something our government's been saying for the past six months. We are still on track for the public beta of the 1.0 update on 8th of March - that is still happening. However, the final release will have to be pushed back by exactly two weeks to April 13th to account for any possible delays. Believe us, we are not happy about it, but there is nothing we can do about the current situation. We will keep you posted and inform you of any changes that might come up. Stay safe, people!

[ 2021-03-02 10:23:05 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello, everyone! steamhappy We have some sad news to share. There is no point in beating around the bush the final release will be delayed by a bit. We would need a miracle to finish all the work still left on the game by the end of the week. However, it is not all just doom and gloom. There is a silver lining too we can now give you finalized release date! Hobo: Tough Life will launch in 1.0 version on March 30th, 2021. The new update will be available in the experimental branch on Steam around March 7th, so that anyone interested can experience the game sooner and help us deal with any potential bugs. We realize that many of you are eagerly expecting the new update and cannot wait for the changes it will bring. We apologize for keeping you in the dark for so long, but we simply could not pinpoint the new release date any sooner. Two months is quite a long time, but believe us, it is going to be worth the wait. With all the new additions, changes, tweaks and final polishings, Hobo will feel like a whole new game!


In case you missed it, here is our third Dev Diary that focuses on sound design of our game and how it all comes together: [previewyoutube=jhyILVmf5ss;full][/previewyoutube] Stay safe, people, and well see you in March! - Perun Creative

[ 2021-01-25 16:32:53 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello everyone! steamhappy We hope youve had pleasant holidays, however you chose to spend them. This year sure was a bumpy ride, but 2020 is nearing its end. Hopefully, 2021 will be much more agreeable and the situation improves worldwide. We at the Perun Creative studio were not left unaffected by the global pandemic. Some members of our team had to self-isolate and governmental restrictions did not make the situation any easier. That has caused some delays in our plans and difficulties that needed to be overcome. However, despite all of that, it has been a very eventful year for Hobo: Tough Life. In March, we made stealing from buildings a bit more interesting with the addition of interior locations for residential buildings and warehouses. The March update also introduced thugs into the game, which now make the streets of Praslav that much more dangerous. NPCs also started wearing weather appropriate clothes and put on more layers the colder it gets. The Narrative Update in August was our biggest update to date. At the first glance, it did not add much; just some quests, items and a bunch of texts, right? Well, let us put things into perspective. Currently, there is: 7 factions 165 unique NPCs 186 narrative quests 657 unique items 488 pages of text (164 351 words) Thats right, 488 pages! Hobo is basically an average Dickensian novel, down to the focus on the members of the lower classes of society. Our writers are actually crazy. Some people have questioned that amount of text in our game: Is it really necessary? It was always meant to be this way. Hobo was supposed to be primarily a narrative experience, survival game second. Wed like to think that we have succeeded in that and the game is full of small stories and personal dramas inspired by true events. After the release of the Narrative update, we immediately started work on the 1.0 version of the game. That has resulted in the current limbo-like state for the game. The updated version we are currently working on is no longer compatible with the public version on Steam. That means that even the smallest fixes now have to wait for the 1.0 release in January (hopefully). Following the Narrative update, we have also called upon the community to help us translate the game. We were humbled and honestly quite surprised by the response. It was heartwarming seeing the community come together to work on the translations for the game. We have learned much from that process as well, which will hopefully let us coordinate such efforts in the future more smoothly and clearly. Huge thanks to everyone who participated. So, whats next? We are currently polishing the game and preparing it for the final release. We don't want to spoiler all the surprises that we've added (or improved) since the last update, but here is glimpse of things which you can look forward to! New locations


Improved visuals - volumetric clouds [previewyoutube=WuNvMbO1UQ4;full][/previewyoutube] Improved visuals - new fire VFX [previewyoutube=n-QbOplJ2vM;full][/previewyoutube] Improved visuals - reworked flashlight [previewyoutube=I1CEYDfR6Go;full][/previewyoutube] Complete sound redesign, expanded soundtrack, new sound effects... [previewyoutube=Z5yLjoPmg-M;full][/previewyoutube] Achievements
New game mechanics like fast travel using public transport Enhancing visuals and adding more effects overall for more immersion Reworking character manager Redesigning buffs GUI polish Crushing dozens of bugs and so much more! 2020 has been a rough year for multiple reasons, but we made the most out of it. However, none of that would have been possible without you! Big thanks to everybody whos been supporting us along the way; players, fans, community translators, testers, streamers, youtubers, our friends and families. Thank you for all your support from the bottom of our hearts. This has been going for long enough. We are sure you want to get going and get ready for the New Years celebrations. Go right ahead and remember, take it easy.. Well see you in 2021, folks! steamhappy - Perun Creative

[ 2020-12-30 19:38:56 CET ] [ Original post ]

Join us in our today's lives stream! steamhappy Our community manager will playthrough the game, while answering your questions regarding the game.

[ 2020-11-11 15:12:39 CET ] [ Original post ]

Join us in our today's lives stream! steamhappy Our community manager will playthrough the game, while answering your questions regarding the game.

[ 2020-10-28 15:29:46 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello, everyone! steamhappy Many of you have been calling for non-English translations and some even offered help with the translation process. Originally, we wanted to first finalize the English translation of the game and then have that translated into various other languages. That process would take long and would not be done before the full release of the game next year. However, with your help, we can push the translations out much sooner! We would like to start with Chinese, Russian, and German. Depending on the success and interest in community translations, we might even add more languages in the future. If you are both fluent in English and a native speaker of any of the mentioned languages, we would more than welcome your help with the translations! We have decided to go with the community translations because that way we can get translations of the game out sooner. The translations in the final version will still go through professional proof-reading phase to ensure that players from all over the world can enjoy the game in their native language without being distracted by spelling mistakes and grammar errors, but this way rough translations of the game will be available sooner! If you are interested in helping us translate the game, you can get more information following the links bellow: This link takes you to our Discord: https://discord.gg/jggTSsU This link takes you to the Translations thread in Steam Discussions: https://steamcommunity.com/app/632300/discussions/0/4158467629226627353/

[ 2020-09-11 15:48:07 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi everyone! steamhappy

After 5 loooong months, the narrative update is finally here! An update that delivers a massive amount of new content to the game. [previewyoutube=qn0lDixBb08;full][/previewyoutube]

Story

For over a decade, no one has been able to bring the many factions of the homeless together. The throne of the Beggar King has been sitting empty for far too long. Who will earn enough respect and prove themselves worthy of uniting the homeless? Will you rise to the occasion? Almost two hundred new quests with various interconnections and outcomes were added to the game. All this packed into a rich narrative environment full of NPCs and intrigues. These quests come with a large number of new items and activities that you can do in the game. All the locations and NPCs that we were slowly adding over the past updates are no longer hidden (or inactive). Since the last update, we have also added multiple new indoor and outdoor NPCs together with two new locations (sewers and the throne room).

As with any story content, it is hard to share information without actually spoiling the experience. Therefore we won't reveal any further details about the actual story. We are leaving that up to you (For the best experience we advise you to start a brand new game)

New features

Elections are directly linked to the story and they are present throughout the whole game. There is now a dedicated category for that in the diary. There, you can see all the votes you have acquired and the remaining votes you need to get before the elections are held.
We have completely redesigned interactions with street NPCs. In the past, if you wanted to steal, beg, or trade with the NPC you had to go through randomized dialogues until one of those interactions popped up. This is no longer the case. After initiating a conversation with an NPC, all the desired options are immediately available. However, each option has a different probability of success (this is based on skills, perks, and difficulty of the NPC). The more you talk with the NPC the more it lets its guards down and success in stealing/begging/trading is more likely.
The minigame a point of contention for many players. Getting rid of it entirely would be nearly impossible without a complete rework of how our game works. But we have redesigned it and optimized it for more player comfort. Not only it looks different, but it also feels different. There is now only a single green field that gets bigger as you improve your skills, and the arrow has a slight sway to its movements. Green is good, red is bad. Simple as that.
NPCs can now level up. Yes, all of you serial bullies better watch out. NPCs will not let themselves being bullied and beaten in fights without a response anymore. They will now get stronger and acquire weapons to better defend themselves if you push them too hard. That way they can pose a challenge even later in game.

Other changes & Bug fixes

• Added story intro
• Improved and redesigned outro
• Fixed relocation inside of buildings
• Fixed detection of Xbox one controller
• Fixed camera offset while in dig animation
• Added usable rest places in Fort and Prison
• Fixed issues with the health of NPCs after load
• Fixed missing vehicles colliders in the pit area
• Fixed incorrect coins rewards after finishing a season
• Fixed English translation of conversations with drunk NPCs
• Fixed chasers behavior while the player is dead or beaten
• Removed probability of drunk NPCs during the first day in the game
• Fixed item inclusion after taking them from bins in co-op
• Some NPCs can now give you discounts in their shops based on your relations with them
• NPC retreats after losing a fight with the player
• Fixed system of gaining smell from gear
• Repair place in Mall shelter relocated
• Updated visuals of indoor characters
• Various improvements in map indication
• Improved visuals of conversation GUI
• Improved notification of negative statuses
• Improved visuals of side notifications
• Improved camera handling on a gamepad
• Added new vehicles across the city
• Added new lockers across the city
• Fixed NPCs being angry endlessly
• Fixed multiple props glitches across the city
• Fixed missing notification after buying an item from an NPC
• Improved performance of indoor NPCs
• Fixed the issue of shops not refreshing their stock
• Drinking animation randomized

Have a great day and enjoy the update! - Perun Creative

[ 2020-08-18 13:41:18 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi everyone steamhappy Hope you are doing great! We have been working extremely hard on the next update aka "the narrative update". Even though the update is content wise ready, we have decided to postpone the release date from July to August in order to have more time on bug fixing and polishing. The delay is caused by the complexity of the whole narrative content. We have added almost two hundred new quests with various interconnections and outcomes. All this packed in to rich narrative environment full of NPCs and intrigues.

Even though the update is labeled as narrative, the story won't be the only new thing in the game. Among other features we have completely redesigned interactions with street NPCs, but let's keep the details hidden until the actual update. It would not be a surprise then. Have a great day! - Perun Creative

[ 2020-07-30 14:08:17 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi everyone!

We hope you are doing well during these difficult times. Nevertheless covid-19 won't stop us from delivering what we have promised, so here comes the update steamhappy

Main new features

Indoor stealing via 2D GUI was transformed into 3D. This means that inside locations like residential buildings, warehouses... were replaced with 3D equivalents with residents, lockers etc.




In the previous version, combat was initiated only by the player (except situations when NPC was drunk). Players were thus safe wandering around the city. This is no longer the case. Around the city there are now thugs. Aggressive NPCs, who are triggered by your presence. If you refuse to give them what they want (money or some loot), they will beat you up.
We have added significant amount of new NPCs in to the game. This resulted in better variety among the characters in the crowd. Also thanks to the increased amount of models, NPCs are now dressed differently depending on the outside temperature. Newly added male models
Newly added female models
Newly added story characters
Prison has underwent many changes. Equipment in the cell is no longer only decorable, but actually usable. Once you enter the prison, all your personal belongings are taken away. After you leave the cell your items are returned to you. Except the illegal ones (like weapons or drugs), which are confiscated and stashed in the police station.
We have added two new perks. [olist]

Smuggler - Reduces amount of contraband confiscated if you get arrested.

Alcoholic - You are more charismatic while inebriated. [/olist] Also each perk has now hand drawn picture in the description

Story

We have added lots of new story related locations and NPCs. So far most of the NPCs are not intractable, but this is going to change with the upcoming narrative update.

Other changes & Bug fixes

• Added new bins and lockers around the map
• Added new inside location - post office
• Added vending machine synchronization
• Repaired issues with weapons trading
• Repaired issues with stealing using mouse
• Repaired inaccurate collider dimensions of other players, when they are inside building or dead
• Reworked save/load system of NPCs
• Removed outdated chinese translations
• Repaired broken state of NPCs (e.g. NPC permanently angry on the player for no reason)
• Fixed game crashing when exiting game while GUI is still active
• Fixed NPC behavior after combat
• Fixed crime detection by surrounding NPCs
• Fixed issues with selling equipped gear and weapons
• Willpower no longer needed for initiating stealing
• Fixed thread collisions in lockers synchronisation
• Fixed time issues after creating new game
• Fixed lost and found shop ("death shop")
• Fixed problems with ambient sounds after leaving inside location
• Fixed issues with bag equipment
• Fixed footsteps sounds in inside locations
• Fixed hints system while sleeping
• Stats maximum reduction after death decreased from 10 to 5
• Removed reduction of dryness after death
• Replaced interaction synchronization with more robust system
• Exit phrases of NPCs were moved from conversation to pop up messages
• Added system for re-positioning players and NPCs when they are outside combat area
• Added warning dialog for situations when steam connection failed
• Improved visualization of items with stock count over 999
• Repaired synchronization of bins content between players
• Smoother 2D images rendering (less pixelated pictures)
• Fixed issues with trade request icon
• Fixed rare error when triggering combat in coop
• Fixed possibility to set more hideout bonuses then actual maximum
• Fixed problems with hideout bonuses after death
• Repaired positioning of various props glitched inside near by buildings
• Reduced interaction distance
• System of weather calamities was reworked -> there is no longer weather calamity during first season, next two seasons are extremely hard and after these two there are no more weather extremes)
• Replaced legacy willpower icon in items description
• Fixed problems with health of inside NPCs
• Improved colliders in Zizkov area
• Improved overall game balancing
• Improved spawn distribution system of NPCs
• Improved garbage collection and memory managment
• Improved combat animations synchronization
• Improved depth of field
• Improved shadermaps
• Core code optimizations

Enjoy the new update! steamhappy - Perun Creative

[ 2020-03-29 18:09:12 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi everyone! steamhappy

Today we are going to look at what to expect in 2020. So let's get started!
As you can see in the roadmap there will be 3 main updates. Small updates between them are probable, but not certain.

March 2020

This update will primarily focus on new features. You can look forward for 3D indoor stealing (replacement for 2D indoor stealing), this means that inside locations like residential buildings, warehouses... will be replaced with 3D equivalents with residents, lockers etc.
In the current version, combat is initiated only by the player (except situations when NPC is drunk). This is going to change. Around the city there will be various aggressive NPCs. If you refuse to give them what they want (money or loot), they will beat you up. There will be multiple changes regarding prison. Equipment in the cell won't be only decorable, but actually usable. Illegal items (like weapons or drugs) will be confiscated once the player enters prison. But that's not all. There will be lots of various improvements, new NPCs, locations, tons of bug fixes and more. So stay tuned, because this update is almost here :)

Bare in mind that with this update the base price of the game will slightly increase.

July 2020

Main focus of this update will be narrative. Story is a feature that we have been working on since the beginning. There have been many iterations and changes through out the development, but we are finally working towards completion. With story the game will have finally a goal. You will have a purpose. Purpose to actually achieve something and not just survive as long as possible. We would love to share all the details, but... we don't want to spoil it. So please be patient. We will share more information once the update is bit closer for public release.

January 2021 - Version 1.0

Yep, final version. You are reading this correctly. This means leaving early access and delivering highly polished product. This will be the most challenging part of the development. Besides extensive bug fixing, optimization and polishing we will be working on things like tutorial, achievements, refactor of menu, full gamepad support... Simply on everything that has lower priority at the moment. The final version will also address issues regarding translations. We know that Chinese translation is not the best at the moment, but this is simply due to fact that the game has lots of texts and for our small studio it is really hard to keep everything translated during early access. However for the final version each language will have high quality translation with proper QA. We are planning to have the full version of the game in Czech, English, Chinese, Russian and German. Enough [strike]talking[/strike] typing and back to working! Wish us luck :) - Perun Creative

[ 2020-02-21 21:35:57 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi everyone steamhappy Christmas came early, because it's update time!!! But first let me take a selfie. I mean, let's look first at Game Developers Session 2019. On this conference we were showing our game and the feedback was awesome! Since this session was mainly for game developers and press, we have received priceless advice and suggestions. which will help us make the game even better!


Enough about GDS. Here comes the juicy stuff!

Graphics

With every update we are always trying to push the visuals even further without sacrificing performance. And as the old saying goes: Do or do not, there is no try! So we did. Thanks to some performance optimization in volumetric lighting we were able to add this effect to most of the street lights, thus creating better atmosphere during night.
We have also added effect called distance depth of field. This effect makes further objects a bit blurred, which results in more smoother image.
Icons for statuses, buffs, shelter perks, categories, addictions and willpower have been completely redesigned.

Story

We have added new story location.

Combat

It is finally here! Combat takes place in conversation mode. The system is turn-based. It depends on your weapon, strength, armor, health, oponent's health, etc. Combat can currently happen in these situation: [olist]

Bullying other hobos (attempt to get their stuff).

Being caught by chasers and policemen (attempt to avoid prison).

Dealing with drunk NPCs. From time to time, hobos can now get drunk and some of them can get quite aggressive[/olist] Currently there is more than 25+ weapons. Each weapon has its own durability, critical chance and attack and defense bonus. Weapons can be crafted, bought or gained through quests.
List of newly added perks: [olist]

Adrenaline - In combat, you can use willpower to heal 10 HP.

Weapon master - Durabilty of your weapons is drained at a slower pace.

Masochist - Getting hurt makes you feel good. Receiving hit in combat restores your morale.

Scrapper - In combat, you can use willpower to hit your opponent twice in a row with no retaliation.

Weaponsmith - You can craft makeshift weapons. [/olist] Example of combat [previewyoutube=_ycNXTCoaYQ;full][/previewyoutube]

Other changes & Bug fixes

• New outside and inside npcs
• New unique profile pictures for some inside characters
• Added healthbar of NPC to the conversation interface
• Fixed issues with selecting items in shops
• Fixed dislocated street lights near business area
• Fixed issues with texts after language was switched
• Fixed issues with idle animation during conversation
• Fixed possibility to crouch during conversation
• Fixed decals glitching around church area
• Fixed Drag&Drop in quick slots
• Fixed dislocated UVs on some buildings
• Fixed autosave error in lobby
• Fixed possibility to trade with players who are inside
• Increased number of default bandages from 1 to 5
• Improved texture resolution and mesh quality of pillars
• Cars replaced with higher quality alternatives
• Added new quests and services
• Added possibility to turn on double vSync
• Added notification for when a status is maxed out
• Added sound effect for fall damage
• Fixed disconnection of lockpicking sfx volume with global sfx volume
• Repaired missing props
• Reworked Drax surrounding
• Improved specularity of various materials
• Improved colliders in Zizkov
• Improved AI navigation
• Small code optimisations

Enjoy the new update and merry Christmas! steamhappy - Perun Creative

[ 2019-12-22 16:26:27 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi everyone! It's update time steamhappy

Story

We are currently focusing 100% on creating narrative part of the game. We have made huge progress in this area, but there is still lot to do. The story revolves around interaction with various factions (Guzzlers, Criminals, Baron, Junkies, Fort,...). Each faction has its own background story, unique characters and story line. In the past few weeks we've been working on implementing those factions in the game. This means creating 3D models, adding new locations, writing quests etc. Small part of this is already available in this update. However new NPCs are not yet interactive, because their narrative content is not finished. New location - Fort

New location - Guzzlers

Over 25 new characters. Others are already in the production.
Writers went crazy. 40+ new quests and that's far from all :D

Combat

We have news regarding combat, one good and one bad. Lets start with the less pleasant one. Due to a complexity and limited time we had to abandoned freeform combat system. We have worked on this for sooo loooong, however we were still far from completion and since our primary focus is story there was no time left for us to finish this feature in its original form. Nevertheless we came up with an alternative fighting system. Combat takes place in conversation mode. The system is turn-based. It depends on your weapon, strength, armor, health, oponent's health, etc. It isn't as great as freeform fighting, but on the other hand it opens possibilities to connect combat with dialogues e.g. options followed by threats, dealing with aggressive npcs etc. Also choosing this alternative approach means that combat will be in the game much sooner. This means weapons, new perks, fights with chasers, policemen, hobos and more in the next update steamhappy Sneak peek of weapons
Combat (Alpha version!) #1
Combat (Alpha version!) #2

0.74 Changes & Bug fixes

• Reduced CPU performance overhead of 3D characters
• Reworked system of 3D hobos (day/night behavior removed)
• Lots of small performance improvements in code
• Fixed issues with resetting animal's and hobo's data after changing worlds
• Fixed issues with missing hobos
• Improved hideout performance
• Added weapon slots in the inventory
• Improved conversation system (more robust and stable)
• Fixed possibility to start conversation while the player is beat up
• Improved reflections on multiple places
• Fixed light blending in prison
• Fixed world bounds around Zizkov
• Reworked response system of NPCs + new responses
• Reduced size of the fire barrel
• Improved fire barrel lighting
• Fixed incorrect position on map when inside
• Fixed issues of random talks with hobos
• Fixed possibility to buy already sold items for half the price
• Fixed issues with reduction of patience points in conversation
• Fixed problems with missing options after conversation minigame
• Fixed AI navigation under train station
• Lots of small game balancing improvements
• Added new services for Bear

Enjoy the new update! steamhappy - Perun Creative

[ 2019-11-06 14:45:40 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi everyone! it is update time steamhappy

Gameplay

One of the main new feature in this update are so called favours for other hobos. By completing those requests you will gain their trust, which unlocks you lots of new possibilities and actions.
We have improved color scheme in conversations so that it is easier to distinguish purpose of each option.

Other changes & Bug fixes

• Repaired game crashing after visiting laundry
• Fixed broken snow settings on some materials
• Fixed issues with character parameters after loading
• Fixed various props which were glitched
• Reworked synchronisation in hideout
• Added new quest sign in the map
• Various fixes in item database
• Improved vegetation LODs

Enjoy the new update! steamhappy - Perun Creative

[ 2019-09-02 12:23:33 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi everyone steamhappy new update is here!!!

Gameplay

"Aw Jeez! Where the hell is Fester? He's the one in the pawnshop? Oh no that's Anatoly. So maybe he is here! Nope that's not him either..." Does this sound familiar? Well you don't have worry anymore, because in this update we have improved map a lot. There is now new map mode called "organizer" in which you can see all your current quests, known NPCs and discovered points of interest (shelters, fire barrels, shops, doctor etc.). However there is one drawback for the current players. You have to "rediscover" NPCs and points of interest in order to see them in the map, because there was no possible way for us to back track your discoveries from the older saves.


Rest places in hideouts are now upgradable. This gives you the possibility to improve your parameters and make your hideout even cooler.
Speaking of hideout, we have added new decorables for hideout which generate light. No more darkness, no more stumble! steamhappy

Other changes & Bug fixes

• Added take all in bins
• Added possibility to upgrade components with resources from stash
• Reworked resources update system (for fixing typos in conversations, bugs in quests, game balancing...) with more reliable system which is network independent
• Fixed issues with removal of upgraded items from inventory
• Fixed returning of upgraded items to stash
• Fixed incorrect item titles after switching language settings in the game
• Repaired game crash after loading corrupted profile through steam cloud
• Repaired synchronisation of custom actions animations between players
• Repaired thread collisions between autosave and standard save
• Repaired rare thread collisions in hideout synchronisation
• Repaired shrapnel counter when multiple players are in the same bin
• Fixed collision between interaction icons and players
• Fixed exit animation of chasers on clients
• Repaired issues with stealing quest items on clients
• Fixed serialisation issues when having multiple hideout bonuses
• Fixed issues with synchronising position on Y axis of hideout components
• Fixed incorrect title in the trade dialog
• Fixed infinite money trade between players
• Fixed "Dog Walking" quest

Enjoy the new update! steamhappy - Perun Creative

[ 2019-08-13 14:34:35 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi, everyone, steamhappy you guessed it right. New update is here! So, let's get into it.

Gameplay

We have finally added trade between players. Feature that was looong time on our to-do list. You can not only exchange items, but also MONEY, yep you are reading it right. If you need to transfer part of your cash or some items to other players, then all you have to do is simply go to that player, initiate trade and once the other player accepts your invitation then the trade is on.

Another new feature which was for a long time in our pipeline is crafting from stash resources. Once you are in your hideout, crafting is taking items from stash into an account. This means that you don't have to manually take out resources from stash in order to craft some item.
Tick tock tick tock... have you ever wondered what the time is in the game? Well you don't have to anymore. We have added clock in the diary, so you can easily determine the current part of the day and how much daylight you have left.
Reputation system was redesigned. Currently this system is not used on all NPCs, but only on few of them (Fester, Furgrim etc.) The system will be fully functional in the next update.

Quests

We have added 24 new quests. Some of them are quite complex with lots of branching and alternative paths on how to solve them. The complexity of some of those quests was the main reason why we had to postpone release of this update. We had to greatly improve our internal tools and internal processes in order to achieve our goals while making sure the output is bug free and fun to play. Fun fact: since the last update our current quest map has grown so much, that it won't fit on our monitors anymore :D
Quest-related object interactions are now highlighted with yellow color. This helps players navigate through the world more easily when working on a quest.

Other changes & Bug fixes

• Fixed issues with opening multiple instances of the game at start
• Drinking lounge was completely reworked. It no longer gives items. Instead it increases your morale at a cost of increasing alcohol level
• Added new props and insides which were required for the new quests
• Added lots of new faces for inside characters
  
• Reworked spawn mechanism of chasers. Decreased spawn interval during the night
• Increased local detection radius of chasers
• Added pee behavior for dogs
• Fixed UV issues on models of craft bench, Valoun's shelter and Drax's shelter
• Fixed missing bottle in drinking animation
• Fixed AI's navigation issue around pit
• Fixed transitions issues between flashlight animation and other interactive objects
• Fixed typos in en version of the map
• Fixed slider issues when buying unique items
• Fixed possibility to interact with the environment when the map is on
• Fixed issues with stealing quest items from lockers
• Crafting bench near prior relocated directly into the hideout
• Fixed the issue of snow generating on interactive items
• Vending machines were rebalanced
• Improved GUI in crafting bench

Enjoy the new update! steamhappy - Perun Creative

[ 2019-07-16 14:12:32 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi everyone steamhappy new update is here!!!

Gameplay

In this update we have completely reworked stealing (pick pocketing, stealing from lockers etc.). Instead of the regular minigame it is now based on time. In order to steal something you have to be quick, before someone sees you. With every level you will get faster and better. On the streets there are now new types of NPCs. We are calling them chasers (various residents and workers of the city). They are spawned randomly and they can detect your crimes. If they catch you then they can call police on you and you might end up in the prison for your crimes. So you have to be careful and quick when stealing. If someone sees you while you are committing crime, they won't chase you right a way. First they will give you a warning and you have to immediately stop. If you won't stop or you will start stealing again after you were warned the NPC will chase you. This behaviour also applies to policemen.
Oldster was also reworked. He has charisma bonus, more trust points with street NPCs and perk tactic right from the beginning. However he has also slower stamina regeneration, takes more damage from all sources and has 0 cold resist by default.

Other changes & Bug fixes

• Fixed crafting bench GUI
• Added new quest - Dog handler in training
• Added few new indoor npcs and locations
• Added new perk called intuition
• Added new sounds when failing/winning minigame
• Fixed issues with synchronisation of interactive items after reaching maximum capacity
• Improved colliders in Zizkov and in business area
• Improved crime detection system
• Fixed issues in crime detection with multiple players
• Repaired head ik transition
• Fixed issues with smoking animation on clients
• Smoother movement of NPCs
• New interactive icons for lockers, bins and insides.
• Fixed incorrect LODs of dynamic trees
• Replaced two newsstands with snack stalls
• Fixed texture issues on various props
• Fixed incorrect label on locks when the player was missing perk
• Minor game balancing and tweaking
• Added missing charity sign
• Fixed incorrect exit point from prison
• Chinese translation greatly expanded, however still not on 100%

Enjoy the new update! steamhappy - Perun Creative

[ 2019-05-20 13:51:06 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi everyone steamhappy after 3 months we are releasing another massive update!

Game engine

Since the last update we have upgraded our engine from version 2017.4 to 2018.3, which is the latest stable version of the Unity engine. This upgrade fixed a lot of internal errors, which we were unable to fix in the previous versions. Also it allowed us to do better optimisation with the code. So as the result the game is now less CPU heavy, loading and saving is now even faster then before etc. We have also replaced our previous texture streaming technology with superior solution from Graphine. This replacement resulted in much better texture clarity, while maintaining the same or better performance.

Graphics

We have been working hard on improving overall visuals of the game. This means that we have been fine tuning our textures and their physical properties. Global illumination together with color grading have been improved. 3D models of Zizkov area, Church of Saint Maurice and Bridge street were replaced with improved and more high poly models.

Also dynamic puddles have been improved by adding rain droplets effect to them.

Gameplay

One of the new awesome feature in this update are dogs. There are currently 3 types of them: german shepherd, rottweiler and polish tatra sheepdog. To get a dog you must complete a new quest from Drax. Each dog has patience points (similarly to other NPCs) and bond. Interaction with the dog can give you various bonuses like increasing your morale, receiving warm buff etc. However these interactions cost patience points and require different amount of bond with the dog. In order to increase pp of the dog you must feed him. To increase bond you must train the dog. However the increment is not permanent and decreases over time. To see how the dogs look in action check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJ4x0wi-0_o Hideout in this update underwent massive changes. Stash is no longer individual per each hideout, but instead there is one stash which is shared between all of them. Hideout bonuses are no longer defined by the amount of components placed in hideout. Instead there is a new system of conditions/challenges.

Also we have added 56 new buildable hideout components in this update. From garden dwarf to arcade machine. There is a huge diversity between them.
And that's not all. Some of those components can be actually used. This means that you can build usable toilet, shower, kitchen, altar and more. You can watch all of them in this demonstration video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1s7zInhjco Crafting bench has been expanded. No longer it is only for gear repairing. You can newly craft here and dismantle items. In fact some of the new items can only be crafted here.

Other changes & Bug fixes

• Improved AI navigation
• Fixed errors with loading the same quests
• Fixed issue with unlimited lottery tickets
• Improved visuals of multiple props
• Increased amount of street trash in quest Street Sweeper
• Fixed loading and condition validation error in quests Street Sweeper and Digger
• Fixed floating quest items
• Trees are now affected by indirect lighting resulting in better visuals of the vegetation
• Repaired issue after leaving gear repair
• Improved 3D background in the main menu
• Fixed snow accumulation on collectable quest items
• Added new GUI for character selection when joining or creating the game
• Fixed OS language dependent issues in conversations
• Repaired errors in conversation with npc Valoun, Skrabisova, Master, Anatoly, Vanga, Kotler
• Repaired issues in clouds shader
• New error logging system with lower performance impact
• Fixed category switch in inventory on gamepad
• Fixed issues with spawning/removing NPCs in coop
• Fixed AI behavior of hobos on client
• Removed incorrect ambient sound from Anatoly's shop
• Fixed hideout stash synchronisation
• Fixed issues in multiplayer after player reconnecting to the server
• Improved synchronisation stability
• New randomised system for offered items in Anatoly's shop. Previous items can be now bought in the opposite shop.
• New 2D background in Anatoly's shop
• New and more robust system for saving/loading hideout
• Repaired drag & drop in inventory
• Repaired issues with unusable rest places after load
• Fixed issues with locker synchronisation after leaving them
• Fixed issues with hideout upgrading UI
• Improved visuals of the help HUD
• Improved colliders near the bridge street and business area
• Improved game balancing
• Updated indoor NPCs
• Repaired animation transition of conversation GUI
• Fixed lighting problem during transition from sun to moon
• Fixed issues with incorrect representation of health in HUD
• Fixed flickering in help HUD
• Added type icon on usable items
• Added new visual of hidden recipes
• Increased starting size of stash from 10 to 20
• Repaired problems with returning items once the stash is full
• Space between conversation options was decreased
• Fixed problems with re-initialisation of the game started outside steam
• Repaired icons of character parameters
• Increased gear durability
• Reorganised items sorting
• Lots of new items
• Improved flashlight animation
• Not awakening when freezing while resting in hideout was fixed
• Non-deactivating flashlight after removing from quick slot or after replacing with different item was fixed
• Fixed possibility to build components on the upper edge of the hideout area
• Fixed non rotating interaction icons while in building mode
• Repaired issues with notifications after closing minigame

Enjoy the new update! steamhappy - Perun Creative

[ 2019-03-31 20:35:01 CET ] [ Original post ]

Yep. The title is correct! Version 0.63 is truly almost here! steamhappy steamhappy And it will be big. I mean reaaally big! The update is already feature complete and since the last week we have been in the QA phase in which we are trying to polish and fix all the issues which we encounter. Stable public release will be released by the end of the week. However the update is already available in the experimental branch on steam. If you want to access the public experimental version before the stable version go to steam, right click on Hobo: Tough Life and select properties. In the properties window go to the tab called betas and select there experimental branch. Then just wait until the update is downloaded and you are ready to go! However bare in mind that in this branch not everything is 100% stable and polished. You might even encounter some serious bugs. So If you want the best experience wait for the stable version. Patch notes containing information about all the changes and new features will be published together with the stable version. But don't worry in the mean time we will be releasing plenty of materials (like videos, screenshots etc.). So don't forget to follow us on our social media like facebook twitter, youtube or discord -Perun Creative

[ 2019-03-27 01:28:50 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi everyone steamhappy today we are releasing another update! However this one is primarily focused on polishing and bug fixing.

Changes & Bug fixes

• Fixed minigame issues in conversations
• Fixed translation errors in conversations
• Fixed incorrect sound in the minigame
• Improved Netcode stability
• Fixed issues after disconnecting in coop
• Fixed error after adding bag to inventory
• Repaired reset of patience points, shop content etc. in next seasons
• Fixed drag and drop
• Fixed snowflakes color when using laser pointer
• Reduced freezing in the begging of the game
• Added crime detection after failed stealing from NPCs
• Fixed camera issues after leaving conversations
• Added possibility to register in the Labor Office without the quest from Maisner
• Repaired EN version of the map
• Improved Oldster 3D model
• Added VSync settings to the menu
• Fixed issues with stucked notifications
• Fixed minigame generator
• Updated texts
• Updated item database
• Improved game balancing
• Increased day length

- Perun Creative

[ 2019-01-08 13:45:02 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi everyone steamhappy Christmas is almost here, but that doesn't stop us from developing new features for you!

Gameplay

• Current lock picking was replaced with a brand new minigame.
  
• Stealing is now detected as a crime by near policemen. Once the crime is detected, the policeman will start chasing you. There are different levels of crimes. For example stealing from a locked bin is not the same as breaking the shop. If you are not careful enough you might end up in jail. Therefore it is wise to wait till the night and use other players as a watchers, who will inform you if the policeman is nearby.
  
• Finally we are releasing first part of the quests. These quests are mainly targeted for beginners and their main purpose is to learn core mechanics of the game.
  However this doesn't mean that these quests aren't for skilled players. Even the entry quests offer rich dialogues and brand new gameplay. For example one of the quests unlocks temporary jobs in the labor office. This means that once in a while you can clean trash in the streets or do construction work and for that you will get some extra money.
  

Other changes & Bug fixes

• Added blank map, so that you can use quest navigation even without map item
• Fixed incorrect rotation of the player in the map
• New and improved graphics of the map
  
• Diary and crafting notification system
  
• Reworked sleeping system
• Added new npc - hobo Maisner
  
• Instant teleport of npcs when starting conversation replaced with movement transition
• Added IK blending for npcs
• Added new movement animations to npcs
• Repaired outside map colliders near Prior
• Fixed lock state synchronisation
• Fixed takeall issues in coop
• Fixed issues with changing resolutions in options
• Fixed floating bins in business area
• Fixed hobo's drinking animation
• Added shadermaps for semi transparent objects
• Fixed mismatch between hideout's buffs Cure and Faith
• Faster and more stable synchronisation of lockers
• Faster processing and synchronisation of items
• Sprint on gamepad/controller is no longer activated by holding left trigger, but instead it is activated by moving the trigger to the max on Y axis
• Reveal of content in rubbish bin using willpower is now synchronised
• Fixed disappearing progress of other players in rubbish bins
• Added notification for start/end of weather calamity
• Added missing fences in Zizkov
• Fixed various errors related to NPC spawn in coop
• Fixed possibility to self send network message
• Fixed NPC spawn and navigation around Prior
• Fixed colliders in business district
• Fixed player fading when entering newsstand or fastfood
• Fixed npc's LOD fade
• Repaired showing of notification about entering end season zone, when you are not inside that area
• Polished bloom threshold
• Repaired empty output logs after game crash
• Fixed loading/saving problems with rest places in shelter
• Hobos no longer disappears during weather calamity
• Improved visualisation of level up notification
• Added alternative text on shops during weather calamity
• Key J now opens quests diary directly
• Improved quest diary visuals
• Fixed issues with help bar while comparing gear
• Added removal of addictions after death
• Updated item database
• Overall polishing of game mechanics and game balancing
• Fixed incorrect stealing difficulty of items on client
• Fixed GUI glitch when selecting non-active buff
• Changed behavior extrapolation on clients
• Repaired incorrect weather resistence when using Fahrenheit degrees
• Added quest sounds

Since the last update we have also released a new video about development. This time it is about our own text editor which we use for creating conversations and quests. So if you haven't seen it yet, you can check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8wMQds6BqE Merry Christmas and enjoy the new update! - Perun Creative

[ 2018-12-19 16:04:38 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi everyone steamhappy, since the first release we have released lots of updates, with many cool features, but the current update 0.46 is by far the biggest one yet! Before we get to the changes and features I would just like to inform you that we have started working on video series about the development and we have already released our first video update. It is about our upcoming Quest system. So if you haven't seen it yet here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXB30iE_otk And now to the new features!

Graphics

We have done huge overhaul of 3D characters. There is now already 4 times more characters than in the previous versions and many more are already in the production. Each playable character (Oldster, Lucky,...) has now its unique 3D model.

Animation

Animation system was completely redone. This change was crucial for the upcoming combat system. The system is now much more polished and robust. While working on it we were also able to add new animations for the player's character and the current one were upgraded. The fact that the player is freezing or has low health is now reflected in the animations.
Also when you are drunk your character behaves differently.

Audio

With this update we have been working also on polishing sounds in the game. We have added dozens of new sounds. Footstep sounds are now changed based on the surface you are currently on. There are sounds for dirt, concrete, wood etc. Footsteps are also affected by the current weather condition like puddles or snow. All this leads to a greater immersion in the game.

Gameplay

The biggest changes in this update were made in the gameplay. Hundreds of small details were fixed or improved alongside with some core gameplay changes and new mechanics.

• Willpower is the player's new parameter. It is used to unlock entrances, unlocking locks and conversation options, revealing every content in the bin, etc. Once this parameter was used, then in order to use it again you have to gain enough willpower first.
  
  
• New perks [olist]
• Guts - This perk allows you to enter residential buildings and ask the residents for help.
• Dumprider - You can find useful resources in garbage piles throughout the city.
• Burglar - This perk allows you to break into locked residential buildings.
• Shameless thief & Shameless thief 2 - Current perk Shameless thief was replaced by these two perks. Shameless thief reduces negative impact on player's morale by 80% and Shameless thief 2 doesn't decrease morale when stealing. [/olist]
• Detail of the item has been upgraded with lots of small graphical improvements like new icons for parameters.
  
• We have added possibility to compare selected gear with the currently equipped one. Also every selected item (not just gear) now shows its effect on your parameters.
  
• There is now possibility to buy back your items, which you have already sold, but not every NPC will allow you to do so. Also each NPC offers different items for buy back. Usually Hobo characters are more likely to have this possibility.
  
• Notification system was redone. It is now more compact and with better visuals. There is also a new skill notification.
  
• Mini game has undergone big changes. It has 4 levels of difficulty and It behaves differently based on actions you are currently executing. [olist]
• In conversation the mini game is time limited. Blue fields have disappeared and the result is based on when you will hit some green field. Having master or expert in conversation skill increases your time for the mini game.
• Mini game in crafting is not time limited, but you need to hit blue or green fields multiple times until you reach 100%. Each hit (regardless of the color) consumes energy. Failing the mini game no longer discards input resources.
• Unlocking rare item in bins is really similar to the crafting, but if you have failed instead of energy it increases your smell or damages your gear. [/olist]
  

Other changes & Bug fixes

• Added visualisation of NPCs difficulty to conversation
• Added possibility to change keyboard settings in the options
• Equipped consumable items in Quick slots remain equipped even after consuming all items on that slots, so that you don't have to re-equip after you gain that item again
• Starting items have been changed
• Changed price of damaged clothing
• Improved and polished content of lockers
• Item bought from Hobo is now removed from hobo's inventory. This item is then re spawned after some period of time
• Indoor Hobo characters can now be visited even during night
• Fixed GUI glitches on parameters when value is between 99-100%
• Success in upgrading of hideout components is now based on minigame
• Improved GUI of hideout upgrade
• Changed amount of items in lockers (small - 2, medium - 4, large - 6)
• Removed 99 stocked limit on items
• Possibility to sell and burn equipped clothing
• Information about potential addiction is no longer displayed in dialog, but in the notification. Active addictions can be seen in the player's HUD
• During weather calamities all shops are closed and locked
• Added continue button in the main menu for faster loading of the latest save
• Fixed incorrect scale on multiple 3D models
• Fixed issues with resetting locks after they were unlocked
• Repaired reset of reputation values
• Improved lighting conditions near hobos Monty and Rejsek
• Improved motion blur on moving characters
• Fixed missing characters in fonts
• Polished vegetation
• Removed initial dialog with resolution settings. This settings was moved to the menu under options
• Fixed floating trees in the park
• Fixed glowing texts
• Fixed issues with receiving gold coins after reaching max level
• Improved performance and visuals of weather particles
• Reduced light intensity of fire barrels
• Fixed spawn points in the shopping center near the park
• Fixed missing colliders in the pit area
• Repaired collider in the park
• Improved navigation of NPCs
• Improved reflections
• Improved ambient lighting
• Improved puddles quality on ground surfaces
• Street lights are switched on sooner
• Automatic language detection
• Fixed incorrect UV mapping on multiple models
• Removed guide in the inventory, because it was outdated. Replacement is coming soon

Enjoy the new update! - Perun Creative

[ 2018-10-30 22:20:31 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi everyone steamhappy, as you probably already know we have been working on combat system and quests for some time and we have done huge progress in those areas, but before we can make those features public the game needs to run as good as possible, because nobody is going to enjoy combat if there are frame drops. That's why we are now releasing update which is primarily focused on improving the overall performance. Optimisation is in the game development usually the last step before the game is released, because by that time everything is already finished and no changes are allowed. However our game is in early access, which means that every day we are making changes, so it is extremely difficult to make the game run smooth when everything is changed all the time. Nevertheless we are trying to do our best and with this update the performance has increased significantly. It is still not perfect, especially in the night, but it is far better then ever before. With this update we advice you to try different quality settings in the menu to find out what is the best performance/quality ratio based on your hardware.

In fact during the optimisation we were able to also improve the overall visuals. There are now lots of new buildings and other objects with increased quality as of result of more polygons. All the objects are having now much better and more natural looking reflections. Global illumination with indirect lighting was improved. Reflections are dynamic and based on current time of the day including the weather. Also there are now lots of new lights in the night.


Enjoy the new update and let us know what do you think! Perun Creative

[ 2018-08-25 22:19:16 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi everyone, we have just released a new update! Until this update the game was running on engine Unity 5.6 which is more than 1 and a half year old. To speed up the development and to use the latest features we decided to upgrade to version 2017.4. This upgrade broke lots of stuff and it wasn't easy to fix it, but it is now done and we can now fully leverage the new features in the engine to improve the game. As you probably now, we are working heavily on combat and quests. Since the last update we have finished our internal tool for writing conversations and quests. So we are now able to easily write and implement quests to the game. The background story is finished and we are working on individual quests. Regarding combat, we are currently reworking player controls to make everything more smooth. Even though we have done big progress with those features, they are still not available in the current update. However both of them are going to be added in the next update. In the meantime we will be publishing multiple videos of the combat and quest system so stay tuned!

The update which we are releasing is primarily focused on visual improvements and bug fixing. Other features which we are currently working on are not yet ready for the public release.

Graphics

Tube lights were added across the city. Thanks to this the game looks much better and believable during night.

With this update we have been working on improving reflections. There are already multiple buildings across the city with much better looking reflections as you can see in the image below.
We have also improved quality of multiple buildings across the whole map, so the overall visuals are now much better and we will continue to do the same improvements for all models in the upcoming updates.

Other changes & Bug fixes

• Fixed issues with generating of blue fields in the minigame
• Fixed capacity issues when playing as an oldster character
• Repaired NPC navigation problems around Prior area
• Fixed rare issues with highlighting in the building mode
• Improved terrain performance
• Added missing props across the city
• Fixed issues with switching music before other song ended
• Fixed problems with exiting inside buildings on the client
• Repaired minigame randomizer
• Fixed notifications
• Repaired glass artifacts on bus stops
• Improved props performance
• Expanded initial lines of NPCs
• Fixed issues with seasons points, when steam cloud was deactivated
• Transition from .Net 3.5 to .Net 4.6
• Improved normals on 3D models
• Updated textures
• Background icons for rare items
• Night music
• Auto re-synchronization system in coop
• Fixed issues with spawn in coop
• Fixed multiple synchronisation problems
• Repaired oldster reputation
• Fixed loading of automatic backups
• Updated item database
• Polished volume of sound effects
• Fixed issues with rest places in hideout
• Fixed issue of disappearing hideout
• Fixed hideout saving
• Fixed option selecting in conversations
• Fixed translation collisions in minigames

Enjoy the new update! - Perun Creative

[ 2018-06-30 16:33:16 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi everyone, it's finally here! Brand new update steamhappy It was quite some time since the last update so here is what we have been working since the last update and what was added/changed.

AI

One of the main reason why there was such a huge time gap between the last update and this one, was because we were doing big internal changes in the AI system. Those changes were necessary for the upcoming features, which are yet in the development like fight system, begging on the street, playing on the instruments etc.
Thanks to those changes there are now much more people on the streets and "no life" areas (e.g., Zizkov) have been populated.

Another plus from those changes is that we are now able to make the AI more alive and diverse. We have already implemented that NPCs can go smoking and Hobo characters are starting to have some basic day/night cycle (keep himself warm, have a beer, just chill or go to sleep). The NPCs are also detecting your presence and they are looking at you if you are near. Adding more behaviours is now quite easy and we will be adding new behaviours in the following updates.

Seasons & Characters

One of the biggest highlights of this update are definitely seasons. Each season last 30 days and than you can move on to the next season. However if you don't want to immediately start the next season, you can carry on in the current one and start the new season later. Each season is more deadlier then the previous one, because of dangerous weather calamities. These calamities are extreme storms with a freezing wind and deep fog. During those storms even NPCs are rather staying inside, so be careful. However if you will survive the season you will earn coins, which you can use in the brand new character system, where you can unlock or upgrade your characters. There are currently 4 archetypes which you can get (Common Hobo is the standard character which was used until now). Each character has its own specific gameplay style.

Every playable character has already its own 2D visualisation (in the HUD and in the inventory). However currently they all have the same 3D model, but we are already working on a specific model for each character. Hear is sneak peek of Smelly Jack, which is now in progress.

Quests

We have also been working on implementing core of the quest system. First glimpse of it can already be seen in the game, because ending of the season is made as a simple quest.
But before we can start adding proper and more complex quests we need to first finish our internal writing tool for the quest system. This tool is also used for other texts in the game like conversations.

Addictions

You can now became addicted on alcohol, drugs and ciggaretes if you are using one of those items too many times during small amount of time. Once you are addicted using those items will give you benefits, but if you aren't consuming items which are you addicted to, then you have to deal with withdrawal symptoms. Only way to get rid of those addictions is to survive long enough without consuming those items.

Music

Our music composer Ondej Morcinek created a lot of new unique music. The length of in-game soundtrack has expanded from 7 minutes to almost 35 minutes. The music is now more zone based rather then random. Tracks are played in different locations, based on mood of the song and mood of the place in which the player currently is. In the future the music will be also affected with other things like actual weather, current state of the player (if he is alive, ill,...) etc.

Languages

The game is now fully translated to chinese except of few texts, which were changed few days before release, but those few texts should be translated as well soon, so don't worry.

Graphics & Optimisation

Since the last update we have been working really hard on optimisation and graphics visuals. We have finished all our tasks regarding graphics optimisation and we can now move more on improving the visuals. However adding those changes to the public version of the game would take us another week of time, so we decided to release now this content update and the optimisation update with already improved visuals on certain places week later.

Other changes & Bug fixes

• Fixed non disappearance of warnings in the bin on the Client
• Fixed issues with creating the game, when playing offline
• GUI optimisation
• Fixed issues on rare monitor setups
• Improved crashing in rare situations
• Fixed problems with initialisation of Volumetric Lights after rare dll corruptions
• Day changes are now visible in lobby for other players
• Fixed opening of help screen
• GI optimisation
• Faster and more optimised NPC streaming
• Fixed indirect lighting around Zizkov
• Fade in/out of players that are inside
• Fixed using character on client from deleted world in different world if they have the same name
• NPC are now present even during nights
• Collider improvements and optimisation
• Dynamic resolution temporarily removed due to performance issues.
• Fixed issues with text bundles
• Added vending machine sound
• Added freezing sound
• Added poop sound

Enjoy the new update! - Perun Creative

[ 2018-04-02 02:03:23 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi everyone, it's finally here! Brand new update steamhappy It was quite some time since the last update so here is what we have been working since the last update and what was added/changed.

AI

One of the main reason why there was such a huge time gap between the last update and this one, was because we were doing big internal changes in the AI system. Those changes were necessary for the upcoming features, which are yet in the development like fight system, begging on the street, playing on the instruments etc.
Thanks to those changes there are now much more people on the streets and "no life" areas (e.g., Zizkov) have been populated.

Another plus from those changes is that we are now able to make the AI more alive and diverse. We have already implemented that NPCs can go smoking and Hobo characters are starting to have some basic day/night cycle (keep himself warm, have a beer, just chill or go to sleep). The NPCs are also detecting your presence and they are looking at you if you are near. Adding more behaviours is now quite easy and we will be adding new behaviours in the following updates.

Seasons & Characters

One of the biggest highlights of this update are definitely seasons. Each season last 30 days and than you can move on to the next season. However if you don't want to immediately start the next season, you can carry on in the current one and start the new season later. Each season is more deadlier then the previous one, because of dangerous weather calamities. These calamities are extreme storms with a freezing wind and deep fog. During those storms even NPCs are rather staying inside, so be careful. However if you will survive the season you will earn coins, which you can use in the brand new character system, where you can unlock or upgrade your characters. There are currently 4 archetypes which you can get (Common Hobo is the standard character which was used until now). Each character has its own specific gameplay style.

Every playable character has already its own 2D visualisation (in the HUD and in the inventory). However currently they all have the same 3D model, but we are already working on a specific model for each character. Hear is sneak peek of Smelly Jack, which is now in progress.

Quests

We have also been working on implementing core of the quest system. First glimpse of it can already be seen in the game, because ending of the season is made as a simple quest.
But before we can start adding proper and more complex quests we need to first finish our internal writing tool for the quest system. This tool is also used for other texts in the game like conversations.

Addictions

You can now became addicted on alcohol, drugs and ciggaretes if you are using one of those items too many times during small amount of time. Once you are addicted using those items will give you benefits, but if you aren't consuming items which are you addicted to, then you have to deal with withdrawal symptoms. Only way to get rid of those addictions is to survive long enough without consuming those items.

Music

Our music composer Ondej Morcinek created a lot of new unique music. The length of in-game soundtrack has expanded from 7 minutes to almost 35 minutes. The music is now more zone based rather then random. Tracks are played in different locations, based on mood of the song and mood of the place in which the player currently is. In the future the music will be also affected with other things like actual weather, current state of the player (if he is alive, ill,...) etc.

Languages

The game is now fully translated to chinese except of few texts, which were changed few days before release, but those few texts should be translated as well soon, so don't worry.

Graphics & Optimisation

Since the last update we have been working really hard on optimisation and graphics visuals. We have finished all our tasks regarding graphics optimisation and we can now move more on improving the visuals. However adding those changes to the public version of the game would take us another week of time, so we decided to release now this content update and the optimisation update with already improved visuals on certain places week later.

Other changes & Bug fixes

• Fixed non disappearance of warnings in the bin on the Client
• Fixed issues with creating the game, when playing offline
• GUI optimisation
• Fixed issues on rare monitor setups
• Improved crashing in rare situations
• Fixed problems with initialisation of Volumetric Lights after rare dll corruptions
• Day changes are now visible in lobby for other players
• Fixed opening of help screen
• GI optimisation
• Faster and more optimised NPC streaming
• Fixed indirect lighting around Zizkov
• Fade in/out of players that are inside
• Fixed using character on client from deleted world in different world if they have the same name
• NPC are now present even during nights
• Collider improvements and optimisation
• Dynamic resolution temporarily removed due to performance issues.
• Fixed issues with text bundles
• Added vending machine sound
• Added freezing sound
• Added poop sound

Enjoy the new update! - Perun Creative

[ 2018-04-02 02:03:23 CET ] [ Original post ]