I’ve been really happy with where the game has been going, but wanted to add a few more resource management elements to the game to increase the challenge. Until now, generators in the game only cost money to build and run. As my aim for Power Network Tycoon is to make it as close to real world power engineering as possible, I needed to add a fuel source for these power generators. I added a requirement for oil, bringing a whole new layer of strategy and resource management to the game.
To support this shift, I’ve introduced the Oil Market. There are a number of factors to keep an eye on when playing the game now. First, the amount of oil stored vs the amount of oil consumed by your island community. The more loads, the more oil required, so your hourly and daily usage rates become something you want to keep an eye on. When you’re running out of oil, you’re able to order more, but it will take 24 hours to arrive as it needs to be shipped to the island. There is an emergency airdrop feature which is instant if things get desperate, however this comes at a much higher cost. You’re able to upgrade your storage capacity through research, which becomes useful as your island community grows. Just like the real world Oil prices fluctuate, meaning you’ll have to decide when to buy and how much to buy. You’ll notice there is also a sell option as well, giving you another avenue to make some money.
I’ve also introduced oil pumps to the game for two reasons. 1) to offset having to purchase oil constantly. They pump a varying amount of oil and add it to your stored oil. 2) to get you to expand your network from where you were originally planning. These oil pumps spawn in random locations on the map, and don’t necessarily fall within the zone of a substation. They’re not permanent, they will become “depleted” and disappear over time. They also don’t come without risks. Faults can occur, leading to big explosions that can damage nearby assets. You’ll have to be smart and think about how you protect your network.
With the addition of oil and the oil market you have to think ahead about transitioning your energy from being reliant on oil to other sources like wind and solar options that are also in the game. But what about other resources? I’m thinking of expanding into coal and nuclear power in future updates. These new energy sources will bring their own challenges and opportunities. What do you think? Would this be something you would want to see added to the game?
As always, thanks for playing and being part of the Power Network Tycoon community. I’m looking forward to hearing your feedback on this latest change. I welcome you to try the game on Steam or itch.io.