Applicant [Ongoing] - Version: 0.37

What's New in Applicant Version - 0.37?

v0.37a — “Career, Credit, and a Good Start”
The economy has been redesigned: challenging for newcomers, but fair; it becomes easier as the heroine grows.

Work is a career, not a grind.

Wages now depend on the position, not on infinite skill growth. Skill affects shift reliability.

Promotions — small scenes after shifts (cafe: $35 → $55 → barista; bar: $45 → $70 → “Nick’s right-hand man” $100; library: +$10 “senior assistant”).

The “harder every day” penalty has been completely removed.

The city runs by the clock.

Cafe — morning/afternoon, bar — evening. One shift per location per day. Maximum of 3 shifts (morning + afternoon + evening).

Soft Start (not a freebie)

“Beginner’s Fervor”: +1 Energy in the mornings for the first 10 days.

For the first 10 days, catastrophic shifts are mitigated; failure never results in $0 (minimum 30% of the bet). After a failure, a bonus is added to the next roll.

Jack’s Notebook: For the first 10 days, you can borrow a night’s lodging (max. 2 nights), which can be repaid with money or cleaning (4 cleanings = a night). If you have no debt, you can rent a private room.

Honest Loan (complete redesign)

Reverse Interest: $500 → 5%/night, $1000 → 3.5%, $1500 → 2.5%. A small loan is expensive, a large one buys you time.

Collectors come when the debt grows to 1.65 times the amount borrowed. Each loan has its own limit and overnight reserve (~8/11/15).

Full terms are shown before signing. The sleep screen shows the debt growth and the reserve until the “line.” Partial repayment extends the deadline.

“Strikes” are melting: 4 nights below the line = minus one warning.

New expenses – energy and time for money

Energy drink at the supermarket: can $30 / 6-pack $150. Drink anywhere (+1 energy, no more than 2 per day).

A private room gives +1 energy in the morning.

Tutor in the library ($150) – quick intellect.

Personal trainer in the gym ($150) – guaranteed physical training.

VIP spa in the salon ($520) – luxury treatment.

New meeting with Rada
Completely rewritten: coffee without asking, “rule one – nothing is free,” a quarter’s debt, advice about Leonard.

+15 thoughts on the sleep screen
Adapted to the new economy: city schedule, promotions, Jack’s notebook, credit, energy drinks, tutor, warning about the end of “beginner’s fervor,” and more.

Fixes (including critical ones)

Crash with any outfit other than the starting one (fixed in 12 locations: bar/cafe/library).

Softlock in the shower (two branches were draining energy and preventing you from leaving).

The character journal now displays quests and hints.

Character colors are now consistent with canon, negative balances are eliminated, and purchases require money.

Grid in the wardrobe and clothing stores.

Old saves now support all new variables (including through the “Mending Threads of Fate” fortune teller).

v0.37b — “Hotfix: Broken Scenes”

The “Drink” and “Find a Sponsor” buttons in the bar were displaying errors and resetting all text and images. The problem was systemic – the entire project and bar were cleared.