Added a new placement shortcut today:
Dropping a device onto an existing Ethernet run now splices it directly into the cable path. The original run is replaced by two segments routed through the new device, consuming one matching-tier cable from inventory.
This makes incremental network expansion much faster, especially when reorganising an existing topology.
Wi-Fi links deliberately don’t support this behaviour — there’s no physical mid-segment to cut into.
Closed the “feels too far away” gap on the camera today.
The max zoom-out is now 2x larger, and world-space text re-rasterises at the displayed pixel size every frame. Cable labels and badges stay crisp instead of dissolving into blur as you pull back.
Small implementation change, but it changes how readable the whole network feels at altitude.
Below: the new maximum zoom level compared with the previous default zoom level.
Wired up two independent build switches:
• demo vs full game
• playtest vs standard
Both are driven by OS feature tags, plus a debug-only override so I can swap combinations without re-exporting.
Demo trims the level set.
Playtest layers in extra UI.
One project, four shippable variants.
Sure I'd found a port-allocation bug in Network Architect. Wrote a test before touching code. Chamfer fine, slot caps fine. Real culprit: A*'s turn penalty outweighs approach direction. First theory wrong — 30 min to verify saved a day on the wrong fix.
The loss condition changed in Network ArchiTECt.
It used to be a drop budget. Burn through N dropped packets and the run ends. Replaced it: a node now fails the run when its queue stays saturated for 14 seconds. Drops still count for score, but they no longer fail you on their own.
Back to working on the game’s Steam page today.
Store pages are a whole project of their own 😅
What do you think so far? Anything you’d change?
Rebrand update: my game is now 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗧𝗘𝗖𝘁.
Sharing a 𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘷𝟣 (very much an early direction). If you saw this in a feed/store page, what would you expect the game to be? And does the logo read more “network” or “architecture”?
Packet Panic began as: "make networking visible."
Build routers/APs/cables → demand spikes → queues fill → packets drop → you reroute before collapse. Real-ish routing + failover, not fake difficulty.
Steam page + demo soon (Steam Next Fest).
