Content update #11
- Nov 30, 2022
- 2 min read
Content update #11 introduces new metro and tram transport infrastructure as well as the community requested ‘Realistic Mode’, realistic borders and a new water erosion tool for the editor.
The community requested Realistic Mode will bring an additional difficulty level for players making the game more systematic and management heavy. Realistic mode will remove all options to purchase goods and vehicles inside facilities directly and remove the option to complete construction using money. This brings several new challenges for the planning process as every resource needs to be transported to your storage facilities from customs house at the border and every vehicle needs to be able to get to the depot from the border under its own power. There will be no sudden appearance of resources inside buildings and no magically appearing infrastructure or buildings. Of course, this mode will be optional as you really need to be very familiar with the game mechanics and be successful when starting a new Republic.
In addition to the Realistic Mode comes the new Realistic Borders update. Previously we only supported square borders, meaning your Republic was always square. The new Realistic Borders update allows you to edit your Republic’s border adding a new level of realism. We have also developed the first map - Slovakia - using the new Realistic Borders feature to showcase what can be done in the editor.
We have also produced the new Water Erosion tool for the terrain editor which will change the random generated terrain into something more realistic. It can also be used to smooth out imported maps
Two of the key new improvements to your Republic’s transport infrastructure are the Metro and Tram updates. We were able to create models for surface metro stations and a new surface metro and railway end station to enable you to plan your public transport network easier. There will be two surface metro stations with varied sizes available as well as an end station which you will be able to use for metro or normal trains.
We have also been working on the basic structures required for trams to operate. For this update, we have added new tram stops, one bigger and one smaller as well as a new way to connect between tramrail road and rails.
Content Update #11 main features:
Build underground stations and tracks with the new Metro infrastructure system.
Trams infrastructure with new tram stops and connection systems.
Super realistic mode
Water erosion for terrain editor (for faster smoothing of terrain)
Realistic republic borders are now implemented.
New Slovakia map with realistic borders
Other notable changes:
fixed vehicle movement in mirror buildings
utra high shadows settings.. ultra low shadows setting
longer city names
tunnel boring machine
limit for loans
construction of pipelines or wires not directly connected to end buildings
pedestrian pass displayed on the road only when on both sides pedestrian
export/import via the ships/airplanes or helicopters not affecting the prices so much
panel road
merging unfinished infrastructures into bigger pieces (as in blueprint mode)
Possible to use custom house with construction office
Possible to use foreign workers from custom house
Realistic borders is honestly huge for replayability; square republics always made map planning feel a bit samey once you learned the meta routes. If Slovakia is the first showcase map, I’m hoping we’ll get more “awkward” borders that force interesting rail/metro layouts instead of perfect grids. This whole push toward constraints feels like how StyleLookLab talks about working within a palette — limitations that actually make decisions clearer.
The “vehicles must reach the depot under their own power” bit is the one that’ll catch people out, in a good way — it makes early-game choices feel way more consequential. Also curious how the water erosion tool behaves on long slopes; does it tend to create playable valleys or just cosmetic gullies? Side note, the way people chase a “style” reminds me of stuff like ghibli ai, except here it’s a whole simulation ruleset you’re opting into.
Realistic Mode sounds like it’ll finally force proper logistics planning instead of “oops I forgot steel, I’ll just buy it in the building.” It also makes borders feel like they actually matter, especially with the new non-square maps. Random tangent: I once used a binary translator to sanity-check some game save data, and this update has the same vibe of “no magic, show your work.”
This looks like a fantastic update. It's great to see developers listening to community feedback and adding features that increase realism and creativity. That focus on continuous improvement is one of the reasons games like Drift Boss remain engaging, as players always have new challenges and goals to explore.
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