Dear players,
Welcome to part one of our ‘Rail Nation Route 2019’. With this and some upcoming blog posts, we’d like to tell you about some of the big topics we’ve planned for 2019.
An era will end in 2020, as the Flash Player will no longer be available. That’s why the first topic we need to discuss is the HTML5 version of Rail Nation.
This will not involve complete redevelopment, but rather porting the current client so that after the Flash plug-in is switched off in 2020, Rail Nation can still be played in all common browsers. Porting essentially means transcribing the game into new code.
This future-proof version of Rail Nation has been in the making for some time now and the release is planned for the second half of 2019.
Besides this really important background change in Rail Nation, we’d also like to talk about some changes that will arrive much sooner, namely Update 4.13.
Apart from the usual little bits and pieces, the update will focus on improvements in three areas that we’d like to explain in more detail:
- Redesigned association window
Associations are a crucial part of the gaming experience for most players. For this reason, we have revised the complete association screen. It will be available from Update 4.13 on all game worlds and essentially makes changing your association much easier. For example, this will make it simpler for new players to change over to a new association that they can call their home after having previously chosen a more or less random association during the tutorial:
- The association window is now also available as a centered window.
- It will now be possible to apply for a new association without leaving the current one first. If accepted, the old association will automatically be left (restarting game worlds only).
- If accepted by one association, other open applications will be deleted.
- All association features combined will now be available in one window.
- As Chairperson, it’ll be possible to spot potential members more easily.
- It will also be possible to automatically accept new applicants, as long as there is still room (restarting game worlds only).
- Balancing
Update 4.13 will also bring some changes to the game balancing, based on your direct feedback, user surveys and data taken directly from the game itself.
- The prestige received for halving waiting times will be reduced (restarting game worlds only).
- The prestige received for investments in industries will be reduced (restarting game worlds only).
- Steam over Europe: Region scores for landmarks will be reduced from 2,000 to 1,500 points (restarting game worlds only).
- Collecting trainspotters will be less frustrating!
- Trainspotters will only appear every 60 minutes instead of 30.
- The trainspotter rewards will be increased accordingly.
- Petr and friends will be less shy! Rare trainspotters will appear more frequently.
- ‘Bad Luck Protection’: A trainspotter still missing in your collection will appear no later than after 20 already collected trainspotters.
- Performance improvements
We kept the best for last, as we’re really happy about this announcement: Update 4.13 will bring some changes that will dramatically improve the performance for many players! Most of our updates contain changes that in some way improve overall performance. Not all of these changes can be felt directly by players, because they may only affect certain groups of players, they may be minor improvements or take place in the background.
This time is different as the improvements concern core features of the game, making them very visible indeed!
Both the train and the waggon list have been optimised and will now work more fluently, while putting a considerably smaller load on your internal memory. The waggon list will also appear with a new interface. You can take a look at the difference in performance in the following videos.
Update 4.13 is currently scheduled for March.
By the way, this is only the first part of the ‘Rail Nation Route 2019’. We’ll keep you posted about our plans in the coming days and weeks.
Until then,
Your RN Team!