Shady Deals v0.13 Progress Update

Heyya!

Version 13 will bring a new cash grab minigame, a proper debug menu, quick/custom start options, the casino heist, and a few smaller features on top.

So, let’s start with the introduction of the cash grab:

Interface and numbers are still WIP, just placeholders for now. The finished version will most likely look a bit better. At the very least i want the buttons to fade in and out instead of just popping, and maybe even move around a little. Like links dodging away from the mouse. I’ll test it out, and if it’s not too annoying, i’ll implement it.

Anyway, the core idea is simple: it’s a minigame with a timer where you have to click the right links, or the timer goes down. Of course, there'll be traits and difficulty modifiers affected by cunning.

This minigame will be used in big heists such as the casino job, and i’m also thinking on where to add it outside of the heists. Right now i’m deciding between using it as somekind of street robbery weekly action that you can launch by getting a tip-off from the internet, or maybe as a random encounter.

Alright, let’s not get too far from cash grab, because the next feature is a proper debug panel. I’m considering locking it behind a Patreon code. That’s about the maximum amount of """paywall""" content i’d ever add, but honestly, giving patreons a bonus stuff like that feels... fair? And yeah, it’s kinda ironic and funny to release it alongside a “cash grab” minigame. If I do lock the debug behind Patreon, i’ll update the cheat panel in the Harbor though. Otherwise, the old cheat panel will simply be replaced with this:

The debug panel covers a lot. It’ll let you tweak basically every important parameter: exp, cooldowns, spawning items, checking the gang yapping array, etc.

Next up, something that really should’ve been in the game long ago - a custom/quick start option with or without a gang:

Nothing too fancy here, just a quick start. Maaaaybe later i’ll add more scenarios, but we’ll see.

So, what’s left?

• Finish the cash grab UI and implement it outside of heists as a additional job with its own traits.

• Casino heist - i’ve made a rough draft, but first I need to finish and implement the cash grab. Also, UI of heist menu was slightly updated too.

• Update the casino escort job (i forgot how placeholder-ish it still is).

• Add some street molestation events similar to the accomplice system, with ways to react.

• New sidebar icon for health. The sidebar’s honestly a bit too busy right now, so i'm not sure where to fit it in. That’s why it’ll be toggleable.

• Misc stuff if there’s time: update the lab UI, add more special interactions with rich NPCs, and expand interactions with accomplices recruited with "benefits". (yeah, i mentioned the same thing in the previous progress update, but it’d be clunky if i just slapped a few extra conditions onto the existing crew chatter, so i’m trying to figure out a cleaner or different solution.)

Still a lot to do - i’ve mostly been working on the debug panel and figuring out how to implement the cash grab minigame (turned out to be much simpler than i expected). I’m hoping to finish by next weekend.