Prison Architect

Ha! I guess that helps against the mad dash to get something somewhat secured before prisoners start wandering in as in the Giant Bomb Quick Look.

LiquidMantis wrote:

Ha! I guess that helps against the mad dash to get something somewhat secured before prisoners start wandering in as in the Giant Bomb Quick Look.

Yeah, I usually give myself 2 full days to get my layout and buildings set up.

Gonna kepp an eye on this one. that Giant Bomb video has made me want to play this. Might wait for it to be more polished though.

Prozac wrote:

Gonna kepp an eye on this one. that Giant Bomb video has made me want to play this. Might wait for it to be more polished though.

Same here. I'm just waiting until it's done, or considered fully featured at least. I did that for Don't Starve and it was worth the wait.

Tamren wrote:
Prozac wrote:

Gonna kepp an eye on this one. that Giant Bomb video has made me want to play this. Might wait for it to be more polished though.

Same here. I'm just waiting until it's done, or considered fully featured at least. I did that for Don't Starve and it was worth the wait.

It's not a bad idea...

The in-game economy needs a serious rebalance, but the basic mechanics are coming along quite quickly.

If I had to guess, this won't be 1.0/full release until about early 2014...

AP Erebus wrote:
Tamren wrote:
Prozac wrote:

Gonna kepp an eye on this one. that Giant Bomb video has made me want to play this. Might wait for it to be more polished though.

Same here. I'm just waiting until it's done, or considered fully featured at least. I did that for Don't Starve and it was worth the wait.

It's not a bad idea...

The in-game economy needs a serious rebalance, but the basic mechanics are coming along quite quickly.

If I had to guess, this won't be 1.0/full release until about early 2014...

This is true, even with modding in significantly more grants I eventually hit a point where I have to wait for cash to expand, which sucks.

boogle wrote:
AP Erebus wrote:
Tamren wrote:
Prozac wrote:

Gonna kepp an eye on this one. that Giant Bomb video has made me want to play this. Might wait for it to be more polished though.

Same here. I'm just waiting until it's done, or considered fully featured at least. I did that for Don't Starve and it was worth the wait.

It's not a bad idea...

The in-game economy needs a serious rebalance, but the basic mechanics are coming along quite quickly.

If I had to guess, this won't be 1.0/full release until about early 2014...

This is true, even with modding in significantly more grants I eventually hit a point where I have to wait for cash to expand, which sucks.

Just change your save file to edit your balance...

I always create a prison with $1,000,000 as a starting balance so I can test stuff out without worrying about money.

So the new Alpha dropped today, it looks awesome!

http://www.introversion.co.uk/blog/

Plus the features, a couple of amusing and helpful bug fixes

- Fixed: The navigation system would fail when trying to plot routes to the very edges of the map (THANK GOD!)
- Fixed: Prisoners assigned to work in the Kitchen would sometimes try to bring ingredients in from outside, resulting in an immediate escape attempt as soon as they were out the front door
- Guards and staff can no longer see through walls (ie do not reveal fog of war)
- You can no longer build on the very edges of the map, or anywhere on the road

AP Erebus wrote:

So the new Alpha dropped today, it looks awesome!

http://www.introversion.co.uk/blog/

We’d like to start by welcoming all you lovely new Linux users to our game. We are now supplying builds for Linux via steam and as a standalone download from our website. (Free to all users of course). The game should be widely compatible across the various Linux distributions, but please let us know if you have problems by logging bugs in our bug tracker. We have targeted Ubuntu 12.04 (32 bit and 64 bit) as a starting point, and we anticipate wider compatibility in later alphas. Please note that we do require glibc 2.15 or later, which unfortunately means Prison Architect does not currently work on Debian Stable.

Woohoo! Time to buy it!

Bought it and got it running on Linux through Steam with no hassle. Runs great on my 1.6 ghz i5 Dell XPS in Ubuntu 13.04

trueheart78 wrote:

Bought it and got it running on Linux through Steam with no hassle. Runs great on my 1.6 ghz i5 Dell XPS in Ubuntu 13.04 :)

Woop Woop!

AP Erebus wrote:
trueheart78 wrote:

Bought it and got it running on Linux through Steam with no hassle. Runs great on my 1.6 ghz i5 Dell XPS in Ubuntu 13.04 :)

Woop Woop!

It's a bang up!!

It was fascinating, watching the latest video, how the violence of the riot kind of transcended the light-hearted, cartoon graphics of the game. I started to feel ill at ease watching as the prisoners mobbed and killed guards and stole their weapons and keys, taking over parts of the prison. I think I even saw some of the staff get killed. Then the shielded riot police came in...

I haven't played around with the alpha for a long while, but I think they're making an amazing, thought-provoking game here -- one that also looks fun to play.

Alpha 11 is out (video is NSFW).

Change list:

= Performance improvements & memory leaks
- Fixed numerous large memory leaks
- Water simulation significantly optimised
- Fixed performance bug in object rendering (calling profiler from within inner loop)
- Rendering soft material edges has been improved and optimised (eg grass growing onto pathway)
- Rendering garbage bags was sometimes very slow, is now quicker. Weight caption removed
- Nameplates now fade out as you zoom out (less clutter + quicker to render)
- Fixed performance bug when ordering large areas of construction

= Land expansion
- You can now purchase neighbouring plots of land, and thereby expand the area of your prison
- Must be unlocked by the accountant in the beauracracy screen
- Expanding to the right of the road is experimental, and is likely to break everything

= TimeLapse recording
You can now record a timelapse video of your prison during construction
Use the Options -> Timelapse menu to set the frame interval and the playback rate of the video
Start and Stop recording from the main menu
Whilst recording you will see a red circle icon in the top right of your screen
NOTE: Timelapse videos will be saved to your PA saves folder, subfolder 'Videos'
NOTE: We export the videos as OGV (ogg video) format
- Intelligent toolbar highlights
Icons in the main build toolbar will now highlight when appropriate, based on the rooms visible on screen
Eg if you are looking at a Workshop, the Saw/Press/Table will all highlight.
Eg if you are looking at a row of jail cells, the Bed/Toilet/JailDoor icons will all highlight
- Prisoners now count down their remaining sentence whilst in your jail.
Once they have served their full jail term they are automatically released.
They will walk to the exit and be allowed to leave by your guards.
Their nameplate will flash "RELEASED"
NOTE: We count down sentences at an accelerated rate - otherwise nobody would ever be released
NOTE: We do not yet support early release due to Parole
- Guards assigned to a sector will no longer group together at the very centre of the sector.
Instead they will walk randomly around the sector.
Similarly, prisoners assigned to work within a room will now wander around the room if there is
nothing to do, instead of grouping together at the centre like chumps
- Hearses will now come to your prison to take away your dead bodies (four at a time)
- Dirty clothes will no longer lead to riots
Not all needs will push prisoners to physical violence
Currently Exempt: Clothing, Comfort
These needs still prevent those prisoners from feeling "well treated", but will not push them to anger
- Doctors/Paramedics will now prioritise Guards and Riot Police, and will not heal fighting/rioting prisoners
- Running the game in SAFE MODE now automatically scales the game spritebank down to 2048x2048
This should fix the missing/corrupted sprites bugs on some graphics chips (eg Intel HD 3000, Macbook Air etc)
- Prisoners now walk a bit faster when pushing laundry baskets
- Fixed: The clone tool was broken in alpha 10
- Fixed: The doctor/paramedic healing sound was looping forever
- Fixed: The Lockdown claxon would loop forever, annoying everyone who heard it
- Fixed: Prisoners will no longer attempt cleaning jobs in staff only areas (they became stuck when trying)
- Fixed: Prisoners will immediately stop doing a job if their room is set to Staff Only
- Fixed: Prisoners will no longer drop their dirty uniforms in the wall where they can't be retrieved
- Fixed: You no longer need to hire a Doctor before you can create an Infirmary

Looking forward till after my move sitting down and putting a ton of time into this. It's getting better and better!

Don't let me down, Steam Sale!

Alpha 12 has been released.

= Theft and Contraband
Many rooms around a prison are now a source of dangerous contraband
Prisoners will sometimes steal contraband and try to smuggle it back to their cell for safe keeping
Prisoners are less likely to steal metal items if they know they have to pass through a metal detector on their way back
Prisoners carrying metal items will avoid Metal Detectors as best they can
There are four categories of contraband:
- Weapons: Used during fights. A high "Danger Level" within your prison will drive a high demand for weapons
- Tools: (Eventually) Used by prisoners to assist escaping
- Narcotics: (Eventually) Used by prisoners who are bored or uncomfortable, or dealing with addiction
- Luxuries: Items that make prison life a bit more bearable, such as mobile phones, alchohol etc

Note: Prisoners currently only make use of Weapons, but they will still steal the other types of contraband

= Contraband overlay
There is a new Contraband overlay in the main toolbar, unlocked by the Chief in Bureaucracy
Shows all potential sources of contraband within your prison, and also all recently found contraband
You can select any recently found item to see a trail of where it was stolen from, where it was hidden etc

= Contraband Supply and Demand
You can see the market demand for any item in the new Contraband Report. High demand means many prisoners want this item
This screen also shows the supply of these items, representing how many of those items are owned by the prisoners
Prisoners who want something they can't get will steal an item with high market value instead, so they can trade for it later

= Searching powers
You can now order a search of a prisoner or his entire cell, from his Rap Sheet
There is a new emergency button on the toolbar: Shakedown, which searches every cell and prisoner in your jail
Note: Searching prisoners really pisses them off, raising the danger level of your prison
Metal Detectors automatically trigger a search of a prisoner when they detect something
Metal Detectors now fall out of action for 3 seconds after detecting something
They also incorrectly detect something a small percentage of the time, resulting in unnecesary searches

= Status Effects
All prisoners can now be affected by Status Effects, which change their behavior for a fixed period of time
You can see status effects on a prisoner by highlighting him.
Current status effects:
- Suppressed: Prisoners locked in Solitary Confinement will become suppressed and compliant due to their harsh treatment.
These suppressed prisoners are much less likely to cause trouble.
- Well Fed: Prisoners who eat well will become "well fed", contributing to the good feeling in the prison.
Well fed prisoners are much less likely to cause trouble.

= Needs System
- Extensive performance improvements
- The needs system was one of the slowest and most laggy parts of the game
- Fixed: Prisoners sometimes can't find any need providers if the framerate is too low, and just stand around instead
- Prisoners due for release within the next six hours are now listed on your todo list
- New audio work for the Bureaucracy screen and the Reports windows, and new searching powers
- Changed the way Guards follow patrols, so they should no longer clump together
- Contraband found by guards is still dropped on the floor, but will now auto-vanish after 10 seconds
- Fixed: Released prisoners are now permitted to route through Staff-Only zones on their way out
- Fixed: Sometimes garbage would never be collected
- Fixed: Callout units will now show their assigned route even when off screen
- Fixed: Drains will no longer block doors from closing
- Fixed: The time buttons on the clock will now highlight the currently selected speed correctly

That video is fantastic. Such a great implementation of that system.

Alpha 13 has been released.

= Escape tunnels
Prisoners can now dig escape tunnels when they are supposed to be sleeping
They will dig from the toilet in their cell outwards, avoiding buildings and walls as best they can
They will tend to dig along water pipes, especially large pipes, because these make the job much quicker
They require a digging tool stolen from somewhere in the prison, and will stash this in their cell
Searching a prisoner or his cell whilst he is tunnelling will reveal the tunnel
Prisoners are motivated to dig escape tunnels if they fear for their lives (dangerous prison AND non-violent inmate),
or if they have a very high Freedom need, meaning they've been locked up in their cell for days

- New material: Perimeter wall
This is an EXPENSIVE new wall type designed to prevent escape tunnels - a very high and very deep wall.
Tunnellers will do their best to dig around it. It can be tunnelled through, but it will take much longer than a normal wall.
Note: You cannot build utilies through a perimeter wall, and building one will sever any existing utilities in those squares.

- You can remove tunnels you have uncovered by using the new material "Remove Tunnels"

= Policy report
You can now control the punishments handed out to prisoners when they fight, escape, destroy things etc.
This is unlocked from Bureaucracy by the Chief, and gives you a new "Policy" report.
You can also request automatic searching of the prisoner and/or his cell when misconduct occurs.
Eg a prisoner caught with a tool may be digging escape tunnels, so you can auto-search his cell

- Needs system continued
- Prisoners now have an Environment need, representing the cleanliness of their surroundings. Hire Janitors!
- Prisoners now have a Privacy need. This can only be discharged by them spending time alone in their own cell.
- The previous "Defense" need is now called Safety. It charges up when they feel in danger.
As a result of these changes, all Prisoner Biographies will be re-generated when you load an alpha-12 or earlier save game.

- Cells, holding cells and solitary cells must now be "Enclosed", which means surrounded by walls and doors.
There will be no more building tons of open cells in a giant indoor area without any walls seperating them.

- You can now perform several different types of search on any object or prisoner:
- Search Prisoner/Object : Simply searches the prisoner/object and nothing else
- Search Cell : Searches the prisoner and his cell
- Search Cell Block : Searches all prisoners and hiding places within the current cell block

- Patrol system update
We are changing the patrol system to work differently and better.
Previously Guards would auto-follow any patrol within their own sector, but wouldn't go outside the sector
In this new system, you must assign guards to a patrol manually by clicking on an existing patrol square
The immediate advantage is that you can specify exactly which patrols are walked, and by how many guards
Patrols can now go through multiple sectors as they are no longer connected.

- Popup Markers have been disabled for Alpha 13, because we broke them really bad
- It now takes 50% longer to serve one year of a prison sentence
- Nav system changes: There should be a lot less failed routing, and entities should now perform better when cut off from the rest of the world.
- The deployment screen now highlights innaccessable areas of your prison in a flashing yellow colour. Build doors!
- The Steam Workshop window now produces the list of subscribed prisons much faster than before. Great for those of us with 50 odd subscriptions!
- Fixed: The starting Deliveries and Garbage zones were being defined wrongly (each square added several times to the room)

The game is the weekend deal on Steam at 40% off ($18).

My willpower has held firm so far, but I pulled the trigger now. As the game is still unfinished, I plan to wait at least until it reaches beta phase before playing it. But because it's 40% off and I know I'm going to play it at some point, I figured now is a good time to buy.

Oooo, I forget what it was discounted during the Summer Sale, but I passed then. Now that my wallet isn't reeling from that I'll buy in at this discount.

Alpha 14 Has been released (NSFW)

Change Log:

= Guard Dogs
You can now hire guard dogs from the staff menu. Every dog has a dog handler.
Dogs will sniff any nearby prisoners or hiding places, and will detect drugs, cigs etc
Dogs can sense escape tunnels and will scratch at the ground when they find one, giving the player a strong hint
If a dog smells a prisoner digging under them, they will dig up the prisoner and reveal the entire tunnel
Dogs are fast runners and are very good at chasing down escaping prisoners
Note: Dogs smell drugs and detect tunnels incorrectly sometimes
Note: If either a dog or his handler is killed, the survivor will act unpredictably for a while, before leaving the prison

- Dogs can be assigned to patrols just like Guards : From the Deployment screen
Click on "Dog Patrols" then click on any existing patrol to assign a dog to it

= Kennels
New room type. Requires dog crates for each dog to sleep in
Can be outdoor, but must be surrounded by walls or fences or doors
Dogs have an energy level represented by a green bar under their body, which discharges as they work
When they become exhausted they will return to a Kennel and sleep in a dog crate to recover
They will also heal any injuries sustained in the line of duty

= Prison Sale
You can now sell your prison from the Valuation report screen, and use the profits to start a new prison with a large bank balance
You require an Accountant on site, a minimum positive valulation of $50,000, and at least 20 prisoners to be eligable for sale
You can always return to a prison you have previously sold and continue managing it, but you can only sell a prison once
Note: You cannot sell someone elses prison shared via the Steam Workshop, for obvious reasons
Note: We are aware this system is highly exploitable, and it will remain that way until we balance the financial side of the game

= Major performance optimisations
We have resolved numerous performance glitches and done a great deal of optimising for this alpha.
Areas optimised : Sector system, Work Queue, Rendering
The navigation / route planning system has been multithreaded and will now run on a second processor core
On large / heavily populated maps the average frame rate is now significantly higher

- Escape tunnels have been nerfed and are now much more rare.
- Only prisoners with the "Clever" trait will even consider escape tunnels (10-20% of your inmates)
- They need to have a stolen digging tool within their possession
- Motivations for digging: Fear for life, High freedom need, Misses family
- Prisoners caught digging will have the punishment for "Escape Attempt" automatically applied

- Deliveries and Garbage rooms can now be placed anywhere on your prison site, including behind locked doors
- Delivery trucks will stop and load/unload when aligned with delivery/garbage rooms
- Prisoners will get off the truck immediately if they can walk to deliveries easily
- However if your deliveries zone is within your prison they will be escorted in by a guard

- The Load / Save dialogs now have the option to sort by "Date modified" as well as by filename.
This is very useful for quickly finding your recent prisons.
Click on the column headings to toggle the different sorting methods

- There is now much more variety for many of the existing staff types:
Male and female versions of many staff types
Body shapes and sizes vary
Skin tone also varies

- Planning Mode continued
We have extended the planning mode to permit three different types of materials:
Walls : Plan where your walls will be
Objects : Drag out any size of object to show where you plan to place the furniture
Paths : Use this to mark your planned outdoor pathways

- Fixed: Workers will no longer load and unload garbage in an endless loop
(This happened when you had the Garbage zone above the Deliveries zone)

- Fixed: The tooltip regarding guard patrols was being displayed in all kinds of wrong places

- Fixed: All entities would drop whatever they were carrying after loading a saved game

Awww...doggies!

I'm glad they finally got the guard dogs figured out and it's very nice to see that they're finally doing some optimization.

OG_slinger wrote:

Awww...doggies!

I'm glad they finally got the guard dogs figured out and it's very nice to see that they're finally doing some optimization.

Yeah, and the selling of the prisons, while very rudimentary, does give a nice gameplay loop.

Build a small prison, sell. Builder a bigger prison, sell. Rise and Repeat.

Definitely jumping back into this one

Saw this at RPS: a special Halloween treat.

If you’d like to reproduce this brilliant bite of jail yard rock, you’ll need an area large enough for roughly 30 prisoners. Beyond that, you need only wait for the space to fill up, and then your prisoners will handle the rest.

You probably ought to get around to that soon, though, because as Introversion’s Chris Delay told Eurogamer, this is a lawsuit lightning rod. "After [Halloween] we will probably patch it out before we get sued into oblivion."

That's awesome.

That is f*cking terrific

Man, it's kind of sad that the guy is fearing being sued because he has prisoners dancing in unison on Halloween. How messed up is that?

MeatMan wrote:

The game is the weekend deal on Steam at 40% off ($18).

My willpower has held firm so far, but I pulled the trigger now. As the game is still unfinished, I plan to wait at least until it reaches beta phase before playing it. But because it's 40% off and I know I'm going to play it at some point, I figured now is a good time to buy.

I said that back on August 30. The game is technically still in alpha, but with the additions made in Alpha 14 (K-9 units and the ability to sell your prison), I started playing. I've put in 35+ hours over the last 6 days. I had a strong feeling that I would really enjoy playing this when I first saw it, and I was correct.

I sold my second prison for $230,000 and used that to build this.

Day view
Night view

The only part of the design I would change if I redid it would be to put the kitchen at the bottom of the building in which it exists, so that it's closer to the canteen. Besides that, I'm happy with this layout, which has a capacity of 50 prisoners and uses less than 2/3 of the available space on the small map.

Anyone else have a prison they'd like to share? If so, make with the screenshots.

[edit]

The game is currently at its lowest price to date - $15 (50% off) - on the newly launched Humble Store.