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An Update!
This is an update to an existing mechanic! I’m going to share a bit about our new expanded construction mechanic that will really let you customize and expand your shelter. If you haven’t seen Part 1, you can check it out here!
Shelter Construction
In Part 1 I talked about the ways that kennel placement and layout factor in to a player’s TTR experience. Essentially, players are trying to maximize space as a resource while accommodating individual dog compatibilities. Since then we’ve expanded this mechanic to let you build your shelter up, room by room!
When the player reaches the third stage of the game and takes over the brand new, but unfinished shelter, they will gain access to shelter construction. There was only enough money initially to build the basics. A lobby for dog intake and adoptions, a medical room, a supply room, and space for some kennels. There is even a bit of land behind the shelter already zoned for expansion when the player has the funds!
Kennels
Just like before though, the player’s first order of business is to build some long-term kennels for the dogs arriving at the shelter. And already you can see there is a bit more variety than before at this stage!
Players have access to the kennel footprints shown in the last post, but now they come in 3 distinct tiers. Players can progress from using the cheapest kennels available to the nicest K9 suites that money can buy! More expensive kennels offer passive benefits like reduced cleanliness loss, and passive happiness boosts.
We’re also experimenting with unique kennels for special situations! ‘Dog Run’ kennels let you save floor space and give the dogs outside access for a nice happiness boost!
But the player won’t have the cash for those fancy kennels at the start, and that’s okay! A big conceptual aspect of this push for us was giving the player options in terms of how they use space as a resource. They will likely need to do both eventually, but now players can choose whether spend their money expanding the shelter, or improving it.
Let’s talk a bit more about the improvement approach first. The core of this mechanic is the kennels but we are exploring some other shelter-related upgrades. Maybe we will talk more about those in a future update, but in the meantime I want to talk about kennel upgrade slots!
So, in addition to building and upgrading different tiers of kennels, some of those kennels also have upgrade slots. Players can purchase these upgrades on a per-kennel basis to specialize their fancy kennels even further. Some of your dogs have a problem with stress? Get them some comfy cushions and a soothing radio to make sure they are nice and relaxed when they are up for adoption! New litter of puppies appear? Get some Small Dog Zone upgrades to increase how many puppies and small size dogs the kennel can hold! We won’t spoil all the potential upgrades yet, but they are a great way to specialize your kennels to get the most out of the space you have!
Rooms
So, we’ve talked about all the changes to the kennels, but what happens when you run out of room? Well, you build more! Rooms that is.
Players will be able to expand their shelter using room blueprints however they want! Build new wings to the shelter to organize dogs by size, breed, adoptability, or traits! To start players can build hallways, kennel rooms, and doors, but will also be able to place specialized rooms like supply rooms, medical rooms, break rooms, outdoor play-spaces, and more!
But what if you don’t like the default wallpaper and flooring? Well, you can customize that too! This is the first step we are exploring in letting players decorate their shelter a bit to really make it their own!
Expansions
So, now you’ve filled up the starting area with kennels and rooms but what the dogs just keep showing up! What are you going to do?
Well, there is plenty of empty land around the shelter. The city is even willing to give you a good price for it! When the player is ready, they can buy a new plot of land to build on. These expansions will be limited by expansion points that are doled out over the course of the game. Players can buy an adjacent plot of land to expand into with six times the starting area available. That’s a big shelter!
What’s Next?
Well, since Part 1 we’ve made a lot of progress! We’ve really honed in on the mechanics we want to represent with the construction system. Our goal moving forward is to refine and expand content for the existing mechanics. We want to make sure we have a good coverage of room blueprints and customization options as well as making sure the editor is smooth and easy to use.
So, do you have any ideas you definitely want to see as decor, shelter upgrades, or kennel upgrades? We would love to hear what you’re most excited about!
-Tanner