Chapter 46: Developer's Diary: Alpha 0.3!
[Wasteland Online Alpha 0.3 Version Update Announcement]
[Major update]
[1. The number of closed alpha players has increased to 50.]
[2. Brand new economic system.]
[3. Brand new honor system.]
[Optimization]
[1. Several mutant models have been added.]
[2. Richer tradable resources.]
[3. Fixed a few bugs.]
...
After the announcement, Chu Guang didn’t remain idle and continued to pin his pre-edited posts on the official website forum.
Major updates like that concerned the interests of all players. Therefore, of course, he had to use the identity of the game designer to have a good chat with the players.
[Developer's Diary: Alpha 0.3 Version]
Hello everyone, I am your dearest game designer. Thanks to our hard work and the closed alpha players who check in on time every day, the development progress of Wasteland Online has taken a big step forward!
I’m not trying to boast here, but the 0.3 version update will be the most significant update since the start of the game's closed alpha test!
There have been complaints from some players before that contribution points settlement is too cumbersome as they could only check their points after logging out. They can’t feel the joy of counting money in a game, and they’re always worried about hidden deductions by NPCs… In fact, this is a completely unnecessary worry! The Administrator of Shelter 404 is a novice guide and is an honest and upright person! He will never deduct any points in secret. This, I can guarantee!
However, although there is no problem with the honesty of our Administrator, there is indeed a problem with the contribution point settlement process. I agree that it’s too troublesome. After receiving your feedback, our game design department held a meeting that lasted three consecutive days before finally reaching the conclusion that we shouldn’t sacrifice fun for the sake of realism.
Therefore, we've decided to design a new set of currency to replace the original contribution points as the main rewards players get from missions.
It’s a convenient currency and they have a face value of 1 and 10 respectively. They are in copper yellow color and silver white, and they can be used to buy food, equipment, and other services and goods.
That’s right! After this update, food will no longer be provided for free. You will need to spend in-game copper or silver coins to buy them. At the same time, players will receive money as reward for missions. Doesn’t this sound fun? Aren’t you eager to try it?
On the other hand, after the alpha 0.3 update, the shelter will allow its residents to own their own private property! Garbage, or equipment that you collect will belong to you. They can be traded with other players or sold to the shelter in exchange for rewards.
In order to implement this, we have specially introduced an additional warehouse system, located in the airlock room at the entrance and exit of the shelter!
There is now a row of lockers where you can set a password of your own. You should have noticed them in the past, but they’re finally functional now. Both money and weapons can be stored. The only things you cannot store are dangerous goods that are prohibited from entering the shelter.
Oh… Are you wondering if it’s going to be free? Of course not! However, fret not, they are cheap to rent and everyone will be able to afford them.
In addition, players who hold a large number of contribution points don't have to be discouraged! Although contribution points are no longer used as currency, NPCs have seen your contributions to the shelter and the entire civilization.
After some research by our game development department, we decided to incorporate contribution points into a new Honor System!
This system and the economic system are independent of each other. The Honor System is mainly related to the privileges that players enjoy in the shelter... Simply put, it can be used to exchange for identities and titles!
The initial status of all players is a shelter resident by default. You can upgrade from a resident to a Citizen by spending two thousand contribution points. In Shelter 404, residents only enjoy basic human rights. Only Citizens can own private land.
Currently, only Citizen status exchanges are open. The first-level citizenship only supports the purchase of 5 square meters of private land. This number will increase as you promote.
More identities and titles will be released in subsequent updates based on the test progress.
At the same time, the mercenary, caravan, guild, legion, and other systems that are being designed also have certain requirements for identity and contribution points.
After Alpha 0.3, money will be the main reward for daily tasks. Only actions that contribute to the overall interests of the outpost can be rewarded with contribution points. This includes but is not limited to working as civil servants, solving emergencies, and making great creations and inventions, etc.
Please keep these in mind!
…
After the post was posted, it did not blow up immediately. However, it was what he expected anyway.
It was three o'clock in the afternoon in the wasteland, and it was early in the morning in the real world. It was too late for netizens who did not qualify for the test, and too early for the players in the game.
When they went offline, they would naturally see it.
Stretching, Chu Guang was about to turn off his computer but suddenly noticed several replies.
Yaya: What's this?! It’s updated?! I missed the entire 0.2 version?! QAQ
Chu Guang was shocked by her reply.
It seemed as though she really wasn’t going to sleep unless she could log back into the game! It was a shame he couldn’t help her.
If possible, Chu Guang also hoped that the players' resurrection cooldown could be shorter, but unfortunately, it would take a while to develop a clone from an embryo.
Just wait a little bit longer, you will be able to log into the game tomorrow…
Ignoring the hapless little player, Chu Guang turned off the computer, got up, and went outside the shelter.
Since the last time he bought a batch of tools from Brown Farm, the players’ work efficiency improved a lot compared to before.
It had only been two days since the third group of players entered the game but the concrete wall around the nursing home had been almost repaired.
Not only that, but Chu Guang also found that under the leadership of Sword Execution, some players had been digging a foundation in the open space in front of the nursing home, laying down yellow mud bricks and smearing cement on it.
It looked as though they were building a house!
Chu Guang stepped forward and asked a player who was carrying some bricks, "What are you doing?"
The player explained with a smile, "I heard that the new NPC is a weapon merchant, so we are building her a weapon store!"
What?
Chu Guang was shocked. How kind can those players be?
Although he did disclose information about the new NPC to Ample Time, he never told him to build a shop for her.
Those players were seriously hard working.
With an expressionless face, Chu Guang looked at the foundation they built and continued to ask, "What about the other one?"
The player replied with a smile, "That’s a bathhouse!”
"We tried to take a bath in the lake, but we found out that it wasn't safe at all. Old White's little brother almost got bitten off by a catfish yesterday, so we discussed what we should do and decided to build a public bathhouse."
Pfftttt…
No wait… I can’t laugh.
Chu Guang held his urge to laugh and nodded with a stiff expression. "Ahem, you guys can carry on. Paying attention to hygiene is a good thing..."
The player said with a smile, "Okay! Then I'll carry on moving bricks!"
"Mhm."
Ample Time soon arrived in the evening.
Tomato Eggs set up an iron pot in the open space, throwing in a piece of hyena's fat to get oil before throwing sliced meat and vegetable leaves from unknown sources into the pot. He started to stir fry everything while sprinkling some salt for seasoning.
The recipe he was making that night was fried reindeer meat with green vegetable leaves and lightly boiled green wheat porridge.
Thanks to the reindeer Chu Guang hunted, the players could finally eat better food.
"Where did you get that iron pot?" Chu Guang was curious when seeing Tomato Eggs holding the unfamiliar kitchenware. He turned to Old White who was the closest to him for an explanation.
"You mean that? It was made by me and Ample Time." Facing the administrator's inquiry, Old White said with a smile.
"You did it?" Chu Guang glanced at him in surprise. "Is your blast furnace finally working?"
"It is! Although the quality of the refined steel is only average, there is no problem in making some tools." Old White smiled proudly before he continued, "I wanted to report earlier, but I couldn't find where you were, hehe."
Who would have thought that those players would even master primitive steelmaking technology?
Although the quality of steel produced may not be satisfactory, technology always matured step by step…
Now that they started to produce some, there was no need to mention combat effectiveness! Their productivity could even rise to a higher level!
Chu Guang sighed with emotion, his face full of admiration.
"You have done a good job, and I will report your contributions to the organization."
"Both you and Ample Time will be rewarded with a thousand contribution points as a commendation for solving our need for steel.”
Old White was overjoyed and quickly replied, "It is my honor to share your worries!"
Chu Guang shook his head. "You deserve those points."
Those players were talented and they were all very obedient. As an administrator, Chu Guang almost felt bad for using them.
When Chu Guang was on Baker Street back then, he heard from Old Charlie that most shelter administrators did not meet a good fate.
The residents of those shelters were far more difficult to serve than the survivors on the wasteland. Even if they were full and warm, they would still complain about the bad situation they were in and make some unrealistic demands.
Few marauders could break the almost indestructible wall of the shelters head-on. Their weak weapons almost couldn't leave a single scratch on the gates, and most shelters failed because of internal conflict.
When he heard what Old Charlie said, Chu Guang felt that the old man was feeling a little melancholic.
It was as though he was narrating from experience.
When he just took over the management authority of Shelter 404, Chu Guang actually felt a little nervous. He was worried that he would not be able to do the job well and he kept leaving a way out on Baker Street while getting Xiaoyu to help him look after his shack.
Now… He no longer had any reservations.
Similar things may happen to any other shelter, but it would never happen to himself!
Eventually, he walked over to where Tomato Eggs was.
Chu Guang held a bowl and looked at Tomato Eggs who had just finished frying his dish.
He asked, "Can I have a bowl too?"
Tomato Eggs looked surprised.
From what he knew, the Administrator had never eaten with them! It was so much so that he once suspected that the NPC didn’t have to eat!
Could his artificial intelligence be upgraded?
"Let me help you!" Teng Teng, who was waiting by the stove, took the bowl diligently. She filled it up with green wheat porridge before handing it to Chu Guang.
"Be careful, it's hot."
"Mhm."
Chu Guang nodded and thanked her before asking Tomato Eggs to scoop him a spoonful of fried meat. He placed it directly over the thick porridge before turning around to walk back to the elevator that led to the shelter.
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