City Services · Co-op & balance

A bigger crew needs a bigger job

By Karl ·

I’ve been working on six-player crews for the full game. That also means giving everyone something to do when they get out of the truck.

A City Services worker beside a sinkhole in a colorful town park
A town call in City Services. Existing Steam screenshot; it does not show a six-player development session.

In development

Six people standing around a pile meant for two isn’t much of a job. I’ve changed the calls so the amount of work and the target time adjust to the crew that showed up.

More hands, more work

If you’re playing alone, you get a little more time. Two workers keep the original target. After that, each extra worker makes the target a bit tighter.

Target time compared with a two-worker call
WorkersTarget time
1125%
2100%
490%
680%

The piles grow too. Depending on the call, that means more bags, branches, litter, confetti, cups, gravel, or sheep. The job’s cleanup and delivery counts grow with them, so those extra things count toward finishing the call.

Dispatch is getting impatient

I’ve also added more feedback as the deadline gets close. The last ten seconds tick, the music gets more tense, and dispatch checks in when you’re running late.

Once you pass the target time, you can see your time bonus draining away. At twice the target, the clock switches to OVERTIME.

There are a few new ways to earn a little extra too. Finish ahead of schedule or get through a call without breaking anything and you get a bonus. Throw a bag into the dumpster or put a sign up straight and that pays a little more as well.

These changes are in development alongside the larger crews. The demo still stays at four players.

Thanks for following along.

Karl · 84boxes

← Studio Notes