Core Engage and Daedalic Entertainment have revealed a new gameplay video taking a closer look at how production chains and your settlement’s inhabitants come into play in New Cycle, their post-apocalyptic survival city-builder coming to Early Access this week.
As the leader of a group of survivors emerging from a global catastrophe caused by devastating solar flares, the responsibility falls on your shoulders to rebuild civilization. Your initial options are limited, as are the resources available, however, the most critical resource remains constant from beginning to end: your settlement’s inhabitants.
At the start of the game, you begin a new era for humankind, a new cycle. You have a rudimentary habitat, a few citizens to aid you, and a land rich with resources for you to harvest and process. Your primary goal is to advance your settlement and establish a foundation for survival while gradually advancing your capabilities through re-discovered knowledge and research. With each new level of technological advancement, your possibilities expand. However, as you advance, you must contend with the demands and risks inherent in the challenging task of rebuilding.
New Cycles Bring New Challenges
Despite meticulous planning, raw material shortages are unavoidable as you harvest the vicinity of your town. To avoid bottlenecks that harm your complex production cycles you have to adapt quickly to such changes through the introduction of new technologies and through expeditions into unexplored regions. A continuous income of basic resources will keep your steadily growing population fed and happy. But no matter how carefully you plan your production chains, random events, and disasters can strike suddenly, including debilitating sandstorms disrupting power supplies, rampant flu outbreaks decimating your workforce, or an old warship showing up in your bay with its mysterious crew threatening your town.
Unhappy Workers Means Poor Performance
In order for your city to succeed you must recognize the well-being and health of your workforce in production planning. Overworking residents leads to dissatisfaction, generally higher susceptibility to illness, and more errors while working, which can lead to fires. A dissatisfied population with low morale performs suboptimally, leading to supply and production bottlenecks over time. Ultimately, if the working conditions stay unacceptable for too long you also have to deal with residents leaving your town, so it’s best to always check on your worker’s morale.
New Cycle is a dieselpunk-inspired city-builder with an emphasis on survival. You are the leader of a small group of settlers seeking refuge after a catastrophic solar flare desolated the Earth. You start with only a basic settlement, a few hungry workers, and many unfulfilled needs. Over time, as your population grows, new challenges for your colony will emerge — fluctuations in morale, disease outbreaks, power losses, and resource demands will all test your capabilities as a leader. Nothing is ever certain, but each new day is another opportunity to rebuild what was lost and return humanity’s dominion over the earth.
Check out the trailer for New Cycle at the bottom of the article. Future New Cycle colonizers can wishlist the game on Steam.
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