Development has been going really well with the game world recently. I’ve had a good patch, the game is finally taking some serious shape and I’ve even been chatting with a couple of production teams to start planning some details for the launch. Although that is still years off. During this good patch I ironed out some kinks in the house building mode and made construction and furnishing a far more complex and thus satisfying process. I had a breakthrough when I was coding the various exterior options for home builders. I realised it would be great if homeowners faced domestic challenges, much like in reality. Simple things of course like chipped paint and blocked drains. Melbourne is a city filled with building niggles and servicemen just waiting to repair them. Why should this be any different in a virtual world?

I needed to do my research. I wanted to replicate actual drainage issues and provide multiple options for recovery. I spoke to various drain specialist companies throughout Melbourne to see what I could find. That’s when it hit me. I had to build a drain mode. Turns out when there is a blockage in your drain professionals can actually use cameras to carry out drain inspections. Melbourne is a hub of drain expertise just waiting to be assimilated into virtual reality. I figured as well as gamers experiencing domestic issues like this why not let them actually see inside it. With drain mode, users would be able to not just solve the block but actually see inside it. Extra rewards will be available to those that can correctly identify the cause of the blockage. I wanted this to be as immersive as possible so I even programmed some extras such as audible gurgling from drains and sinks within homes and a signalling system for when there is an odour produced from blocked sewers. This will delay a release of the game by at least 6 months but I think it is essential in order to create the ideal gaming experience.