This patch includes what we consider the “foundation” for rebalancing the difficulty gap between Choi Soon-ja and Im Seok-dae. We do not expect to solve everything in a single patch. We will continue correcting this balance through next week’s patch and the one after that.

In addition, Perks are being added. From now on, if you purchase every artifact shown on a single shop page, you will unlock a Perk, making future journeys permanently easier to enjoy. We expect this to both create stronger incentives to buy artifacts and help offset the issue of “polluting” the pool whenever you make a purchase.

Im Seok-dae’s win rate has been extremely polarized. Some players found him very difficult, while others found him too easy. According to the data, his win rate on Frost 3 was not very different from Choi Soon-ja’s, but his base difficulty was so much easier that there was effectively more than a twofold gap. Based on this, the dev team concluded that our first character, Choi Soon-ja, should become easier than she is now, while Im Seok-dae should become harder than he is now.

Choi Soon-ja will now have an easier time pushing through the late-game Contaminated Zone sections, and the strength of the Overpopulation debuff will be reduced.

• Contamination Stage 3: -96/sec → -81/sec

• Contamination Stage 4: -166/sec → -132/sec

• Overcrowding: Move Speed -0%. This value increases by 2% for each passenger above 12 → Move Speed -0%. This value increases by 1% for each passenger above 12

The main reason Im Seok-dae’s win rate is so polarized appears to be the effect of his trait, Strongman. We are reducing the variance caused by this trait while readjusting the relative difficulty of the Frost sections that become harder as a result.

• Strongman: Whenever you level up, gain Supplies equal to your level → Whenever you level up, gain 3 Supplies

• Great Famine (Frost Stage 2): Gain Supply Shortage x3 every 3 days → Gain Supply Shortage x3 every 4 days

Academy has had high consistency, but struggled with low raw scaling. However, if a highly stable synergy also gains high raw power, the metrics may become dangerous, so we intend to buff it very gradually and monitor the results.

• The overall raw power of Academy carriages has been increased by an average of 10%.

The Shadow Traders Association has the advantage of selectively securing a variety of artifacts, but its own raw scaling is low and its artifact supply is not stable, resulting in a poor win rate. We are improving its shop artifacts to compensate for this.

• Cheap Liquor: Happiness output of Shadow Traders Association carriages +15% → +25%

• Whiskey: Happiness output of Shadow Traders Association carriages +23% → +35%

• Nectar: Happiness output of Shadow Traders Association carriages +30% → +45%

• Clay Statue: Overperformance output of Shadow Traders Association carriages +3% → +5%

• Marble Statue: Overperformance output of Shadow Traders Association carriages +6% → +7%

• Coin Pouch: Mileage output of Shadow Traders Association carriages +1 → +20%

• Coin Chest: Mileage output of Shadow Traders Association carriages +2 → +30%

The Brotherhood almost guaranteed a clear at very high rates if you managed to complete the 9-synergy setup, but was unusually weak otherwise. We are improving its lower-stage scaling to address this issue.

• Fuel and Hammer Brotherhood (3): No longer loses Happiness → No longer loses Happiness. Whenever it produces Happiness, produce it 1 additional time

• Fuel and Hammer Brotherhood (5): Whenever it produces Happiness, produce it 2 additional times → 3 additional times

• Fuel and Hammer Brotherhood (7): Whenever it produces Happiness, produce it 5 additional times → 6 additional times

• Culture (2): +5 → +4

• Culture (4): +13 → +14

• Culture (5): +20 → +22

• Culture (6): +29 → +32

• Culture (7): +40 → +44

Children of Engine had shown “strong” performance for a very long time, but its win rate appeared to normalize somewhat in the previous patch. However, most of that win rate is concentrated in the 6-synergy threshold, so we want to ease that concentration slightly.

• When receiving a gift, Faith requirement +40, and when declining, -10 → When receiving a gift, Faith requirement +30, and when declining, -10

• Children of Engine (5): Faith requirement -40% → -30%

Players widely use either the full 6-piece Knights of the Red Frost setup or a minimal setup using only two carriages, Control Center and Headquarters. This is not inherently bad, but the mid-tier synergy steps offer too little incentive. We want to address that.

• The amount of Training gained overall has been reduced by 20%.

• The maximum amount of Training that can be accumulated has been reduced by about 16%.

• Knights of the Red Frost (4): Deployed Knights of the Red Frost carriages gain 300% additional Training → 400% additional Training

Train Power has been... consistently strong for quite some time. We buffed it once in the previous patch, and it ended up showing completely broken metrics across all stages. We are correcting that again.

• Train Power (3): Speeds up by 1% each cycle, up to 21% → Speeds up by 1% each cycle, up to 15%

• Train Power (4): Speeds up by 3% each cycle, up to 42% → Speeds up by 3% each cycle, up to 35%

• Train Power (5): Speeds up by 5% each cycle, up to 63% → Speeds up by 5% each cycle, up to 55%

The Central Supply Bureau has been consistently strong from the first game through now. We are making a slight adjustment.

• Central Supply Bureau (6): Cycle time -5 seconds → -4 seconds

Security is a simple but powerful synergy that performs well on the basis of raw stats alone. But... it looks a bit too powerful. We are lowering its performance slightly.

• Security (3): Dept of Signal Interception: Happiness +28 → +22

• Security (4): Central Intelligence Agency: Happiness +68 → +54

• Security (5): Ministry of State Security: Happiness +164 → +136

• Tropical Globe: Happiness output of all carriages +30% → +40%

• Billionaire: Happiness output of all carriages +0%. This value increases by 1% for every 2 Supplies you own → Happiness output of all carriages +0%. This value increases by 1% for every 1 Supply you own

• Crown of Thorns: Reduce deployable carriage slots by 2. Quest: Survive for 300 seconds. Reward: Increase deployable carriage slots by 3 → Reduce deployable carriage slots by 2. Quest: Survive for 180 seconds. Reward: Increase deployable carriage slots by 3

• Excavator: Gain 1 Artifact Drone Supply every 12 visits to unvisited nodes → Gain 1 Artifact Drone Supply every 10 visits to unvisited nodes

• Residential Conversion: Lose 6 passengers. Increase deployable carriage slots by 1 → Lose 5 passengers. Increase deployable carriage slots by 1

• Process Automation: Whenever 3 passengers enter a carriage, produce Happiness 1 additional time. Final Happiness output of all carriages -15% → Whenever 3 passengers enter a carriage, produce Happiness 1 additional time. Final Happiness output of all carriages -17%

• Elitism: Platinum → Gold / Your base passenger count is halved. Happiness output of all carriages +100% → Your base passenger count is halved. Happiness output of all carriages +120%

• Eyed Basket: Gain 1 random artifact whenever you obtain 14 Supplies → Gain 1 random artifact whenever you obtain 8 Supplies

• Value Investing: After 10 days, Happiness output of all carriages +25% → After 10 days, Happiness output of all carriages +35%

• Ominous Seed: 50% of stacked value is converted → 60% of stacked value is converted

• Curious Spectacle: Happiness output of all carriages +12% → +15%

• Buddy System: Happiness output of all carriages +0%. This value increases by 2% for every 3 passengers you have → Happiness output of all carriages +0%. This value increases by 5% for every 5 passengers you have

• Ice Miner: Gain double Supplies from Frozen Supply Bases, Discontent +10% → Gain double Supplies from Frozen Supply Bases, Discontent +20%

• Beta: Lose 2 passengers. Omega can now appear in Artifact Drone Supply → Lose 3 passengers. Omega can now appear in Artifact Drone Supply

• Bronze Resolve: Quest: Obtain Bronze carriages 8 times. Reward: Happiness output of your Bronze carriages +30% → Quest: Obtain Bronze carriages 8 times. Reward: Happiness output of your Bronze carriages +45%

• Bound Rope: Gain 2 passengers, Happiness -11/cycle, maximum hand size -1 → Gain 2 passengers, maximum hand size -2

• Soft Pillow: Gain 2 passengers, Move Speed -4% → Gain 2 passengers, Move Speed -5%

• Jury Rigged Engine: Move Speed +4%, Happiness output of all carriages -3% → Move Speed +4%, Happiness output of all carriages -6%

• Donut: Gain 1 passenger, EXP +2, Move Speed -1% → Gain 2 passenger, Move Speed -4%

• Completion time for Im Seok-dae Transcendence-related Decisions has been increased.

• Completion time for Im Seok-dae Dominion-related Decisions has been slightly reduced.

• Two Heads Are Better Than One: If a carriage has 5 or more passengers, Overperformance always triggers → If a carriage has 4 or more passengers, Overperformance always triggers

• Expanded Passenger Revival Plan: Gain 1 passenger for each deployed Poor Carriage → Gain 2 passengers for each deployed Poor Carriage

• Domestic Market Reinforcement: Final Happiness output of all carriages +5% → +4%

• Perks are being added. From now on, if you purchase every product on a single page of the unlock shop, you will gain the corresponding Perk. Perks are permanently applied to all runs and help make the game easier to enjoy.

• “Decision” has been renamed to “Decision: Doctrine of the Train.”

• Illustrations for 5 general events have been updated.

• Unlock shop prices have been slightly discounted.

• There were no reported bugs this time. If you find a bug, please contact the dev team through one of the following channels. We will do our best to fix it.

  • Discord channel[discord.gg]

  • Email[gmail.com]

  • Steam discussion board

Thank you!

This update is focused on making Choi Sunja’s game easier to play and smoothing out Im Seokdae’s difficulty curve across the full run.

Previously, the game may have felt as though it applied too much pressure too heavily in the late game, which could have made progression feel “unfair.” We want to alleviate that.

This update includes a large number of changes, so there is a risk that we may not have tuned the difficulty perfectly. This update is by no means final or permanent, and depending on the data, we may make the game easier or harder through follow-up patches. So... we’d really appreciate lots of feedback!

Choi Sunja is getting buffed. It is time for this brilliant engineer from the academy to deliver an even better performance.

• Illicit Asset Recovery: Gain 1 Backlash, gain 3 Artifact Drone Supplies. → Gain 2 Backlash, gain 3 Artifact Drone Supplies.

• Deregulation: Lose Job Scarcity. → Lose Job Shortage, gain 1 random Artifact.

• Meritocracy Adoption: All carriages produce +20% Happiness. This effect is active when you have at least 2 Backlash. → All carriages produce +30% Happiness. This effect is active when you have at least 2 Backlash.

• Easy Dismissal: All carriages produce +30% Happiness. This effect is active when you have at least 4 Backlash. → All carriages produce +35% Happiness. This effect is active when you have at least 4 Backlash.

• Trickle-Down Effect: All your carriasges with 4 or more floors produce 20% more Happiness. → All your carriages with 4 or more floors produce 30% more Happiness.

• Domestic Market Reinforcement: All carriages produce +15% Happiness. → All carriages gain +5% Final Happiness Production.

• Population Control: Lose 1 Passenger, EXP +11. → Lose 2 Passengers, EXP +19.

• Labor Cost Reduction: All carriages produce 4% more Happiness per Slum Car. → All carriages produce 6% more Happiness per Slum Car.

• Command Hierarchy Establishment: If Train Length is 6 or higher, all Trains produce 3% more Happiness. This increases by 3% for each additional Car. → If Train Length is 6 or higher, all Trains produce 4% more Happiness. This increases by 4% for each additional Car.

• Balanced Growth Plan: All carriages produce 5% more Happiness per Floor. → All carriages produce 8% more Happiness per Floor.

• Monopoly: The frontmost carriage produces 40% more Happiness. All other carriages produce 10% less Happiness. → The frontmost carriage produces 65% more Happiness. All other carriages produce 5% less Happiness.

• Supercritical CO2 Recirculating Turbine: Speed +7%. → +8%.

• Material Extraction: Gain 2 Supplies upon arriving at an Exploration Zone. → Gain 3 Supplies upon arriving at an Exploration Zone.

• Parallel Multiprocessor Array: Speed -2%, EXP +10. → Speed -1%, EXP +10.

• Rebuild Infrastructure: Speed -2%, EXP +13. → Speed -2%, EXP +20.

• Standard Exploration System: Gain 2 EXP upon arriving at an Exploration Zone. → Gain 3 EXP upon arriving at an Exploration Zone.

• Telescoping Observation Mast: Vision +2. → Vision +1.

• Arc Lamp Serchlight: Move Speed -4%, Vision +1. → Speed -3%, Vision +3.

And… Im Seokdae is being adjusted as well. Until now, it has been too difficult to relieve Tension. This rigid atmosphere needed to loosen up a bit.

• Remember History: Lose 1 Tension. → Lose 2 Tension.

• Cooperation Declaration: Lose 2 Tension, gain 6 Supply Shortage. → Lose 2 Tension, gain 8 Supply Shortage.

• Infrastructure Improvement Pledge: Lose 2 Tension, lose 2 Backlash, Speed -5%. → Lose 3 Tension, lose 3 Backlash, Speed -9%.

• Bill of Rights: Lose 2 Tension, Cycle Time +1 second. → Lose 3 Tension, Cycle Time +2 seconds.

• Soul Binding: Whenever you gain 2 EXP, gain 1 more. → Whenever you gain 3 EXP, gain 1 more.

• Gradual Power Transfer: All carriages produce 20% more Happiness. → All carriages produce 25% more Happiness.

• Separation of Powers: All carriages produce 35% more Happiness. → All carriages produce 40% more Happiness.

• Constitutional Revision: All carriages produce 50% more Happiness. → All carriages produce 55% more Happiness.

• Process Automation: Whenever 3 Passengers enter a carriage, it produces Happiness 1 additional time, and all carriages lose 20% Final Happiness Production. → Whenever 3 Passengers enter a carriage, it produces Happiness 1 additional time, and all carriages lose 15% Final Happiness Production.

• High Speed Growth Project: Whenever you gain 1 EXP, gain 1 more, Drone Supply choices are reduced by 2. → Whenever you gain 1 EXP, gain 1 more, all carriages lose 15% Final Happiness Production.

• Eyed Ossuary: Cycle Time +1 second, gain 2 Artifact Drone Supplies. → Cycle Time +1 second, gain 3 Artifact Drone Supplies.

• Eyed Basket: Cycle Time +1 second, whenever you gain 16 Supplies, gain 1 random Artifact. → Cycle Time +1 second, whenever you gain 14 Supplies, gain 1 random Artifact.

• Corrupted Official : Value increased by Embezzlement 3% → 5%.

• Bronze Resolve: Quest: Acquire 12 Bronze Trains. → Quest: Acquire 8 Bronze Trains.

• Catastrophe: All Carriages lose 45% Final Happiness Production, Speed -20% → All Carriages lose 55% Final Happiness Production.

• The following rewards from the “Retrospection” event have been changed.

  • Established Social Order: After 1050 seconds, gain 3 Artifact Drone Supplies. → After 1050 seconds, gain 2 Artifact Drone Supplies.

  • Excellent Infrastructure: Drone Supply choices increase by 1. Disappears after 600 seconds. → Drone Supply choices increase by 1. Disappears after 750 seconds.

• The following reward from the “Cleaning Up the Surroundings” event has been changed.

  • Lose 1 Passenger, gain 1 random Artifact. → Lose 1 Passenger, gain 2 random Artifacts.

• ‘Operation Prepration’ has been renamed to ‘Brotherhood Agitation’, and its effect has been changed: Happiness -150/sec → Happiness -70/sec. This increases by 20% per Tension you have.

• The following Artifact is now obtained from the “Counging up Blood” event.

  • Bad Cough: Happiness -0/sec. This increases by -1 every 3 days that have passed.

• The effect of the “Preparation of the Mind” event has been changed.

  • Lose Bad Cough

  • Lung Cancer: Happiness -100/sec → Happiness -0/sec. This increases by -2 every 1 day that has passed.

Im Seokdae’s Frost difficulty had too much variance between levels. We want to reduce that gap somewhat.

• Endless Winter: Blizzard moves 5% faster, Dissatisfaction increases by 14%. → Blizzard moves 5% faster, Dissatisfaction increases by 25%.

• Life Precipice: Start with 6 Tension, Dissatisfaction increases by 44%. → Start with 6 Tension, Dissatisfaction increases by 35%.

• The following languages are now supported. We don’t currently have enough manpower, so there may be some errors in the translations. Please report them through our Discord server or to https://nemonan.inc@gmail.com, and we’ll fix them as quickly as possible.

  • Spanish

  • French

• Tooltips now show why you received that specific amount when gaining Purple Coins.

• Lighting now looks a bit more natural. Trains now receive light as well, and tunnel interiors are darker. Along with this, the background colors of some terrains have been slightly adjusted.

• A sprite for the Reassembly Workshop has been added.

• Medal sprites related to Extreme Cold progression have been updated.

• The number of nodes on Im Seokdae’s map has been slightly increased.

• Fixed a crash that occurred on Im Seokdae Extreme Cold Stage 3 when Tension was reduced to 0 or below and the game was then saved/loaded.

• Fixed a bug where loading an invalid save file caused the game to remain stuck on a black screen.