Dev Diary 10/2024: Endless Studio 2024.2 is here

Our second update of 2024 is now available on the App Store!

We're thrilled to continue our journey on the development roadmap of the eagerly awaited Manage Your Own Network feature, chosen by our fans, by introducing the Library, along with an exciting surprise feature — Promo Images for shows!

This update, along with the January release and the next one, lays the foundation for network management without yet integrating new network-specific functionalities. This phased approach leads to the major 2024.4 update, which will fully unlock network management capabilities. We've opted for this strategy to keep you engaged with regular updates.

So What’s New in This Update?

New Early Access Features

For our Level 2 Supporter Subscribers, we're introducing the following features, that will be available to everyone in the next feature update:

• Introducing the Library: A robust replacement for the current Shows screen, located in the Management Room.
• Show List Screen: An enhanced list within the Library, with detailed information about shows. It features both your own shows and those from competing studios, with extensive filtering and sorting options for comprehensive insights.
• Show Detail Screen: Revamped with new functionalities and crucial new information, such as studio name, show status, logline editing at any time, release date, total viewership, average episode score, and management options.
• Episode List Screen: Offers detailed information for seasons and its episodes.
• Episode Detail Screen: Updated to include viewership numbers and release dates, even for scheduled episodes.
• Promo Images for Your Shows: Over 100 images per genre, totaling 1566, to select distinct, theme-aligned promotional images for each show, enhancing uniqueness and fun.

New Features for All Players

• Genre Popularity Indicators: View current popularity on the genre selector when starting a new show.
• Easier Pitching: Get an increased chance to pitch your first show, plus a significantly higher pitching chance for all shows with the easiest pitching difficulties.
• Talent Lounge Boost: Slight increase in episode performance when a Talent Lounge is present.
• Ad Improvements: Reduced skipping time for ads, plus a more informative 'Traveling Salesperson' event text.
• Logline Texts Update: Refined and improved logline texts.
• Expanded Bug Reporting: It now includes fields for your email address and a detailed description.
• Tutorial and Knowledge Base Refresh: Updated with the new Library room and changes to the Talent Lounge.
• Enhancements and Bug Fixes: Multiple taps on the start game button addressed, along with other minor bug fixes.

Previous Early Access Features

Additionally, the following features previously exclusive to Level 2 Supporter Subscribers are now available to everyone:

• Briefing Room: A new room consolidating action-assignment and decision-making tasks. This room allows you to manage all actions and decisions in one place, instead of in different rooms and popup screens.
• Pulsing Icon: The Briefing Room's door displays a pulsing icon, alerting you to unused action slots and pending tasks in the current turn, ensuring you easily notice them.
• UI Enhancements: We removed the decision button from the footer, and action management from the Management, Showrunner and Marketing Offices, replacing them with information on the current activities of showrunners and marketing managers, mirroring the functionality of the Recording Studio, Editing, and Test Screening Room.
• Starting Fresh: New games will now begin with the Briefing Room as the initial room, providing a centralized hub for all your actions from the start.
• Cash Boost: For ongoing games, we've added an extra $10M to kickstart your Briefing Room setup and initiate new actions. IMPORTANT: After updating, you'll have to establish a new Briefing Room in order to assign new actions and make decisions!

Next Time On Endless Studio…

Progressing on our roadmap, our next step will be to develop the final preparatory update (2024.3) for the Manage Your Own Network feature set. This update will unveil a new room, Scheduling, taking over the role of the old Schedules screens. Not only will it display schedules across all networks, but it will also become a pivotal tool for orchestrating your own network's schedule. Furthermore, we're going to roll out a comprehensive revamp of the Networks screen to seamlessly integrate with the forthcoming network management features.

Feature Voting Status Report

Results for Feature Voting 🗳️ Season #3, Week #13 are in, revealing the following Top 5 features:

• Planned Show Ending: 1263 votes
• Critics & Awards: 1261 votes
• Feature Movies: 407 votes
• Producing Whole Seasons: 339 votes
• More Talent Variety: 200 votes

If you haven't already, consider subscribing or upgrading to the Level 2 Supporter Subscription to ensure your voice is heard! Voting will conclude when the Managing Your Own Network feature set is completely released, at which point we'll announce a winner and start a new voting season.

We're grateful for your support and excited for you to experience these updates. Continue building your studios, and stay tuned for more thrilling developments! 📺