The Outpost feature has been on our minds for a long time but with all the other pressing matters – namely, our new DLC and the related coding –, it kept getting pushed down our priority list. In the end, however, we were able to dedicate a week to making improvements, focusing on adding clarity and showing more information to players. Please note that these changes are actively being worked on and will first come to the Steam Public Beta branch. Later, after being thoroughly playtested, they will go live on the default branches on all platforms.

To better understand all of the Outpost’s issues, we asked our players on the various forums and on our Discord server to provide feedback. This has been extremely useful, as it has flagged multiple areas where the design was already covered but the game did not communicate it sufficiently. One good example is the consumption of Supplies at the Outpost. Due to its location in an extremely desolate environment, Scouts have little to no chance to hunt and provide for the crew there, which was never intended to work like that. As a result, players believed they needed to keep hauling Supplies to the Outpost themselves. For many, this turned its Upkeep into a chore, as they would never be able to journey far from the Outpost’s proximity. This, however, was a matter of miscommunication. The reality was that the crew automatically bought any missing Supplies to run the place from nearby comitati in the background and the UI failed to communicate that fact.

Realizing that we had to remedy that created an opportunity: one that allowed us to include an option for players to choose where their Outpost gets their Supplies from. There are now multiple options (from cheapest to most expensive):

• From nearby settlements (requires to have Beasts at the Outpost)
• From passing comitati for a higher price
• From Factions based nearby, which is even more expensive but will in turn help raise your Reputation with them

We have also added a new element called Work Shifts. Work Shifts allow players to set an amount of hours per day that their workforce will toil at the Outpost. Generally speaking, longer hours increase production but take a heavier toll on the crew’s Vigor, Morale, and Obedience. They also increase the potential for accidents or mishaps at the site, essentially offering the player another risk versus reward scenario for their operation. For this reason, we advise that you only set higher Work Shifts when the comitatus returns frequently to the Outpost and can take various measures to ameliorate problems if needed.

Along with the elements mentioned above, several other improvements are planned. These will focus on getting more accurate and better information across through the UI. Equipment that affects the Outpost is now highlighted in the Equipment section under the Warehouse tab and the length each such Equipment covers the needs of the Outpost for is also displayed. Green is used for anything beyond a year, yellow for half a year, and red for anything below. Equipment lost due to getting broken, eroded, or expired (in the case of animals) is indicated on a pop-up screen to the returning vagrus so they can bring replacements on their next arrival.

Players were instrumental in helping us decide on several further changes, and to that end, we’d like to offer our thanks. Though far from an exhaustive list, these changes include the following:

• Scouts now decrease the chance of the Outpost getting attacked
• The number of Equipment that affects the Outpost in some way has tripled
• We went through all the UI panels to add missing tooltips and/or extend them with further information

While additional changes may still be on the cards, we are satisfied with the areas we’ve covered thus far, and we believe that all mechanics are now communicated in a much clearer fashion. If you’re interested in checking them out or testing them, you can do so via joining our Public Beta on Discord, or, by simply playing them when they go live. Otherwise, as always, stay safe, stay vigilant, and conquer the wasteland!

– The Lost Pilgrims Team

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