Putting the 'role' back in role-playing games since 2002.
Donate to Codex
Good Old Games
  • Welcome to rpgcodex.net, a site dedicated to discussing computer based role-playing games in a free and open fashion. We're less strict than other forums, but please refer to the rules.

    "This message is awaiting moderator approval": All new users must pass through our moderation queue before they will be able to post normally. Until your account has "passed" your posts will only be visible to yourself (and moderators) until they are approved. Give us a week to get around to approving / deleting / ignoring your mundane opinion on crap before hassling us about it. Once you have passed the moderation period (think of it as a test), you will be able to post normally, just like all the other retards.

Preview Fooling around in Alpha with Prison Architect

DarkUnderlord

Professional Throne Sitter
Staff Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2002
Messages
28,344
Tags: Introversion; Prison Architect

Ever wanted to design and run your own maximum security prison? Want to get in early on a developing game? Well, in Prison Architect, you sort of can:

You can buy Prison Architect on Steam right now for $30 USD. If you like, you can even pay a bit more and get the chance to name a prisoner and write his bio (IE: Put yourself, or someone you maybe don't like, into the game). You might want to think twice before you buy the game though because Prison Architect is a horribly buggy, incomplete prison building sim full of game breaking bugs, glitches and errors. But that's ok, it's supposed to be.
[...]
Your prisoners will try to fulfil their needs as they can, based on their daily regime and the facilities you have available. Finding our what specific needs are unmet for any prisoner is as easy as hovering over them with the mouse. Their list of current needs appears along with an indicator telling you how much they want something. These needs will change depending on what facilities you have available and how well your prison runs.
[...]
However, despite being an alpha, the game is kind of fun - if you're into those building management type things. The graphical style is also quite nice and suits the game well. Rather than going for a fully 3D and bloomed up the wazoo environment, the 2D works well. Characters are simple shapes with basic facial features and they go about their tasks with appropriate tools in hand. Plus it's kind of cute to see Guards beating prisoners into submission this way.​

Read the rest in our look at the Alpha.

Read the full article: Fooling around in Alpha with Prison Architect
 
Joined
Apr 2, 2008
Messages
3,001
Location
Treading water, but at least it's warm
Nice preview; I've been wondering about this game, though the Bullfrog reference sadly reminds me I've never been able to finish Dungeon Keeper 2 because of it's numerous Windows incompatibilities. This definitely looks like it has potential, it's just a question of how much they can deliver. At the devs seem to have a good upfront attitude. Hopefully they have plans to add some more interactive things like some sort of equivalent for DK graveyards, prisons, and torture chambers.
 

Dead Guy

Cipher
Joined
Sep 12, 2012
Messages
281
I've encountered very few bugs myself, actually. Except workers being unable to collect rubble that somehow gets stuck when they construct a corner on top of it or something. The laundry also doesn't work well, if you have two, all the laundry is done in one of them. It seems two rooms of the same type cause problems in general, except showers and cells. I was lucky to place my second workshop right next to my first one, because as mentioned they run back and forth all the time with materials. Also they store all the finished plates in the first workshop =).

The worst problem I'm having is that prisoners assigned to work in the kitchen, which makes a huge difference on how much food you can cook it seems, for some damn reason decide to take the job "load ingredients into cooker" when the ingredients are outside the prison walls, by the road. If you remove that delivery area you can't receive any deliveries, as was also mentioned. I'm not sure if it's possible to design your way around this, I've left myself little room to do it, but a "staff only" area on the way out through the gates doesn't seem to help. Guards will happily unlock the front gates for the prisoners and let them walk out, and then they suddenly have to chase them when they attempt to escape. Surprised, bro?

Did you encounter that, DarkUnderlord, or did you manage to avoid it somehow?

My previous concern about having to re-assign guards all the time has turned out to be kind of unfounded. When you get enough workshops running you can afford to have guards constantly assigned to rooms, and once they adjusted the clothing need in alpha 11 my kind of dysfunctional laundry didn't cause a disaster anymore.
 

Dead Guy

Cipher
Joined
Sep 12, 2012
Messages
281
oh hi there, IDtenT?

WP0R6jy.jpg
 

DarkUnderlord

Professional Throne Sitter
Staff Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2002
Messages
28,344
Did you encounter that, DarkUnderlord, or did you manage to avoid it somehow?
Yep. I had prisoners who would routinely make for the delivery area, often times to turn around before getting there because a Cook would pick up the box instead. Only counter I found was to hire loads more cooks so that they always managed to get the food into the Kitchen before the prisoners started work.

I had thought of fencing in the delivery area, but wasn't sure if workers would still be able to take deliveries off the truck.
 

Dead Guy

Cipher
Joined
Sep 12, 2012
Messages
281
I had this side door into my visitation, because I though that'd be neat. So when I put that staff only area on the exit there, that might've been why it didn't stop prisoners from going out. Since I removed it I haven't had any kitchen workers go for the deliveries anyway but it could be coincidence. The side effect is that released prisoners will stop dead in their tracks on their way out because the only way out is staff only, I presume. So now I instead have to do a little prisoner release event where I change the restriction on the entry area during free time so they can make it out the gates without anyone fetching anythin.

IDtenT, you also injured my staff, you bastard! And managed to get convicted at the age of 13, apparently. Time is pretty weird in Prison Architect.
 

Burning Bridges

Enviado de meu SM-G3502T usando Tapatalk
Joined
Apr 21, 2006
Messages
27,562
Location
Tampon Bay
The game is fucking amazing. Despite the bugs it has very solid pathfinding and coding. But it's better to wait for the release, right now there isn't much of a long term goal, as DU pointed out.

Also requires a lot of reloading / saving because if something doesn't work you're fucked. I have actually made up to 30 saves until I could accept the first prisoner.

For example when I placed the garbage over the deliveries area, the garbage would never get carried away, because the algorithm begins collecting garbage from the top left corner, loads it to the next truck, but then it gets unloaded to the delivery area and finally the stuff is carried back to garbage. One of the many examples where the clever algorithms don't work yet.

Prison Architect 2013-07-14 21-49-45-34.jpg
 

Burning Bridges

Enviado de meu SM-G3502T usando Tapatalk
Joined
Apr 21, 2006
Messages
27,562
Location
Tampon Bay
Does somebody know if prisoners can build escape tunnels?

I read that it was planned in an earlier build, but never noticed anything. But one prisoner already escaped even though there are several guards on patrol, on the only exit.
 

DarkUnderlord

Professional Throne Sitter
Staff Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2002
Messages
28,344
Not that I've seen but the fuckers are pretty sneaky. I've had a few wander out when I wasn't looking, when I have noticed I've seen them out-running the guards. Seems they get the keys off a guard somehow, then just run through all the locked doors to freedom. Be nice if there was an electronic door or something that only opened from a control point you could put in another room, manned by a guard.
 

Dead Guy

Cipher
Joined
Sep 12, 2012
Messages
281
It should at least be possible to station guards in an area outside the gates by the road, since it seems they wont give chase until the prisoner is outside the walls. As it stands you can only station guards within the walls I think.
 

Burning Bridges

Enviado de meu SM-G3502T usando Tapatalk
Joined
Apr 21, 2006
Messages
27,562
Location
Tampon Bay
I think there are many possibilities, like a wall around deliveries with guards inside, but it will probably fuck up deliveries.

The problem is there are so many possibilities but it's hard to find out if they work. Some things work, but if they don't they may lock up the whole prison.
 

Burning Bridges

Enviado de meu SM-G3502T usando Tapatalk
Joined
Apr 21, 2006
Messages
27,562
Location
Tampon Bay
I think it's actually happening.

http://prison-architect.wikia.com/wiki/Large_Pipe

Some claims state that prisoners can dig tunnels under toilets and escape through large pipes, for this reason it is important to use small pipes to connect to toilets, and to fence off the pump station. These are yet to be verified but it is referenced in the item description in-game.

That's interesting, because one of my "innovations" was to use a large pipe to connect all toilets and showers.
Perhaps not such a great idea :roll:. (cells were also flooded quite frequently, could be a problem with water pressure)

Prison Architect 2013-07-17 22-08-36-31.jpg
 

Burning Bridges

Enviado de meu SM-G3502T usando Tapatalk
Joined
Apr 21, 2006
Messages
27,562
Location
Tampon Bay
Another problem I had was that a laundry machine flooded, and was responsible for three deaths, including my janitor. They showed up as unsolved murders. Therefore I now surround every machine with drains.
 

titus

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Sep 28, 2011
Messages
1,719
Location
Romania
Laundry room also causes electrocution when the machines break. You should put in an electric switch on the power line to stop the electricity. Or not :troll:
 

DarkUnderlord

Professional Throne Sitter
Staff Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2002
Messages
28,344
I suspected they'd do as much with Large Pipes. It's why I have a fence around all of them and only use small pipes in areas prisoners can access.

I think there are many possibilities, like a wall around deliveries with guards inside, but it will probably fuck up deliveries.
Don't know if you tried it, but it does fuck it up. I took deliveries away from the road. The end result was no deliveries.
 

zwanzig_zwoelf

Guest
Can you put an automated turret in the end of the corridor and then open cages to clear some cells for new arrivals without building additional ones? :troll:
 

Metro

Arcane
Beg Auditor
Joined
Aug 27, 2009
Messages
27,792
I want this game. Just not $30 or even $20 or even $14ish Russian pricing want it. Plus I hate playing alphas/betas. Hopefully they get this into release state sooner rather than later.
 

As an Amazon Associate, rpgcodex.net earns from qualifying purchases.
Back
Top Bottom