Prison Architect by Introversion

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Re: Prison Architect by Introversion

Post by Rip »

tgb wrote:First of all a big THANKS to everyone who told me I was crazy if I didn't get this. After a couple of false starts, I went back to the Wiki and am starting to get my first prison off the ground.

My only question is if prisoners always arrive at the same spot on the map? In my current game they aren't appearing where I thought the would, so the only way to get them to the holding cell is to cut through the shower and then the yard :D If I make some adjustments will they be dropped off at a different spot next time?
They should be dropped off to whatever area you have zoned as deliveries. It isn't such a big deal the path to holding later on because when you have cells open they will take them there. I keep a fence down the road with only the garbage, deliveries, and export outside of it. Then I use two layers of road gates to make even that zone less vulnerable.

First thing I do when I start a prison is to build a fence around the perimeter with road gates at the top and bottom. Opening them is a pain but once you have remote control unlocked it is just another door for the guard at the console to control. About the only doors my patrol guards have to unlock is individual cell doors if needed.
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Re: Prison Architect by Introversion

Post by tgb »

Thanks. I didn't realize I could move the delivery and garbage zones, or that deliveries referred to prisoners as well.

Here's another one - foundations, how do they work? What's the difference between putting one down and just laying down a room and putting walls around it?
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Re: Prison Architect by Introversion

Post by Rip »

tgb wrote:Thanks. I didn't realize I could move the delivery and garbage zones, or that deliveries referred to prisoners as well.

Here's another one - foundations, how do they work? What's the difference between putting one down and just laying down a room and putting walls around it?
Consider foundations as actual buildings. You can't put any objects that must be indoors down unless it is a foundation square. I usually drag out a good size foundation building and then spit it into rooms/sections with walls. Walls without foundation is basically a dirt floored shed.

Also note when in the zone tools you can right drag to remove zoning.
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Re: Prison Architect by Introversion

Post by tgb »

Perhaps I'm missing it, but there doesn't seem to be any notification when you're done researching something in the bureaucracy screen.

Also is there any way to move objects after they've been placed without dismantling them? I want to redesign my canteen without disrupting the meal schedule.

Incident reports are starting to pop up. That sounds important, but I can't find a way to actually access them.
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Re: Prison Architect by Introversion

Post by Citizen »

You will hear a very subtle ding, like small bell when research completes

Workers must dismantle objects then move them. It adds some realism imo. If you try and move a door or a serving table then you might accidentally trigger an escape attempt or food riot while workers scramble to replace the object. Once my first batch of prisoners arrive, I try and do construction/rearranging at night when inmates are in lockup.

What do you mean incident reports?
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Re: Prison Architect by Introversion

Post by tgb »

Citizen wrote:
What do you mean incident reports?
In the log (I guess that's what it is - the place that lists the requirements for a particular grant) every once in a while I get a message that reads "You received an incident report from one of the guards", or something like that.
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Re: Prison Architect by Introversion

Post by Citizen »

Oh, okay. I think you mean the "to do list" that is in the upper left corner.

There is no additional information. That is just telling you that a prisoner needs to be taken to solitary or the infirmary or whatever. If you've researched contraband that will give you lots of intel on what's going on and also let you recruit confidential informants.
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Re: Prison Architect by Introversion

Post by tgb »

OK. Thanks.
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Re: Prison Architect by Introversion

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Citizen wrote:You will hear a very subtle ding, like small bell when research completes

Workers must dismantle objects then move them. It adds some realism imo. If you try and move a door or a serving table then you might accidentally trigger an escape attempt or food riot while workers scramble to replace the object. Once my first batch of prisoners arrive, I try and do construction/rearranging at night when inmates are in lockup.

What do you mean incident reports?
This is a big reason I put a fence with gates around the entire property. Even if I dismantle an internal door that gives them access outside the facility they don't "see daylight" and try to run for it. The minute prisoners can see an edge of the map without obstructions they will give you hell.

I also like to start with min sec prisoners as I get my basic facility built and until I have remote doors, cameras, and tazers. It is a lot easier to keep them stable at least until you can unlock psychology and identify what needs aren't being met well.
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Re: Prison Architect by Introversion

Post by naednek »

still waiting for your video... :P
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Re: Prison Architect by Introversion

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naednek wrote:still waiting for your video... :P
I've been distracted by playing Transocean and now NBA2K15. I will try to spend some prison time this weekend.

The biggest obstacle beleve it or not is me figuring out how to do a video and post it. I watch a lot of Twitch and Youtube videos but have never been inclined to make one or do any streaming. I guess I should do it if for no other reason than I keep seeing all that shadowplay and other services running and it kills me that stuff uses up resources and I don't even use it.
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Re: Prison Architect by Introversion

Post by jztemple2 »

Rip wrote:I've been distracted by playing Transocean
Looking forward to some impressions on this.

Regarding PA, I would suggest for a newbie that making multiple save games would be helpful. That way you can experiment and not completely screw up your game if you go down the wrong path. It's pretty easy to overspend (or at least it is for me :( )
My father said that anything is interesting if you bother to read about it - Michael C. Harrold
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Re: Prison Architect by Introversion

Post by tgb »

jztemple2 wrote:
Regarding PA, I would suggest for a newbie that making multiple save games would be helpful. That way you can experiment and not completely screw up your game if you go down the wrong path.
That's what I've been doing. I must have started half a dozen games in the day or so that I've had this. I always find something that I screwed up badly enough to make me want to start over.
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Re: Prison Architect by Introversion

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Alpha 27 video

Looks like a real good release.
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Re: Prison Architect by Introversion

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My father said that anything is interesting if you bother to read about it - Michael C. Harrold
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Re: Prison Architect by Introversion

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Alpha 28 has launched! Lots of good stuff there, including user interface improvements.
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Re: Prison Architect by Introversion

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My father said that anything is interesting if you bother to read about it - Michael C. Harrold
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Re: Prison Architect by Introversion

Post by Isgrimnur »

They sure don't sugar coat that tutorial at all. :shock:
It's almost as if people are the problem.
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Re: Prison Architect by Introversion

Post by mori »

Couple of questions I am sure have been covered.

I built a cell block but I cannot get prisoners to stay or return to their cells. I have the prisoner transferred to the cell and either the prisoner follows the guard right back out of the block, or another guard will come and transfer him back to the holding cell. How do I get a prisoner assigned to that cell and return to that cell when it is lockup time?

Bunch of prisoners got to rioting and got injured. How do I get them to the infirmary? A few of them are just bleeding in the shower and no one cares.

It seems a guard always needs to be in the canteen, even though there are no prisoners there. I got the room covered with cameras so I really do not need the room staked out 24/7. Why will he not move to a more suitable position? How do you assign a guard to an area. If they are not in the canteen or unlocking doors for prisoners and workers, they are lounging in the security offices.
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Re: Prison Architect by Introversion

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mori wrote:Couple of questions I am sure have been covered.

I built a cell block but I cannot get prisoners to stay or return to their cells. I have the prisoner transferred to the cell and either the prisoner follows the guard right back out of the block, or another guard will come and transfer him back to the holding cell. How do I get a prisoner assigned to that cell and return to that cell when it is lockup time?

Bunch of prisoners got to rioting and got injured. How do I get them to the infirmary? A few of them are just bleeding in the shower and no one cares.

It seems a guard always needs to be in the canteen, even though there are no prisoners there. I got the room covered with cameras so I really do not need the room staked out 24/7. Why will he not move to a more suitable position? How do you assign a guard to an area. If they are not in the canteen or unlocking doors for prisoners and workers, they are lounging in the security offices.
1. Are you sure it is counting it as a cell block? On the top right it should show prisoners/cells. Also you will probably want to mark cell block areas by the security of the area. I have found if you leave them as "general pop" a lot of times they will move around. Also don't be surprised if prisoners go shower in the holding cell shower rather than the one in their cell block. Not sure why but I have noticed they like to do that.

2. Select a doctor and send them to the injured guy. Guards will eventually transport them to the infirmary but they can be slow about it if they have other things to do.

3. Use deployment to assign guards to specific rooms. With the latest version you can even assign them only during certain hours. Of course you have to have deployment unlocked in bureaucracy.
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Re: Prison Architect by Introversion

Post by mori »

In the top right it showed 19/1. Evidently you have to build it out and furnish every cell before you designate it a cell. Before I built a foundation and then designated the space a cell.

Restarted.
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Re: Prison Architect by Introversion

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mori wrote:In the top right it showed 19/1. Evidently you have to build it out and furnish every cell before you designate it a cell. Before I built a foundation and then designated the space a cell.

Restarted.
Yes, and make sure the shower if you put one with each cell like I do is behind a door, otherwise it won't call it "enclosed" to register as a cell. Some areas like Common Rooms and the Yard can be in an open area and not closed of but cells for one must be contained by walls and doors.

Also another thing that is tricky is that drains must block the exit out of a shower or the water will leak out, FYI.
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Re: Prison Architect by Introversion

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What is the advantage to putting a shower in the cell? Seems the less time they spend in their cell the better. Less time for them to create mischief and more time for me to search the cell or give them a shakedown. Seems 80% of the SOBs are up to something.

Once I got my prison up and running, I notice that some of my construction orders are "queued" but never completed. I was building another cell block but I could not get electric cable through one tile. No explanation why.
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Re: Prison Architect by Introversion

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mori wrote:What is the advantage to putting a shower in the cell? Seems the less time they spend in their cell the better. Less time for them to create mischief and more time for me to search the cell or give them a shakedown. Seems 80% of the SOBs are up to something.

Once I got my prison up and running, I notice that some of my construction orders are "queued" but never completed. I was building another cell block but I could not get electric cable through one tile. No explanation why.

I do it because then they can shower even when in lockdown. I don't always do it depends on my mood.

Usually electrical cable problems come from trying to run them through a square where two perpendicular wall join. You can put them in a corner but not where the walls go all four ways from it. I usually stay away from running them down walls at all. In fact I like to run them in the same square as pipes right down the walkways and then put stubs that go into areas I need power.
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Re: Prison Architect by Introversion

Post by mori »

This square was in the open between two buildings. I eventually laid a cable in the adjoining square and the cable went through as originally intended. Bug I guess.

How much micromanaging do you do? I found that if I keep the cell block door to the outside open when the day routine starts, everything flows so much easier. Guards do not have to get off their lazy butts to go and unlock a door so the prisoners can move to the canteen, for example. But I have to remember to switch the door back to normal when it comes to evening lockdown. I am not sure that level of micromanagement is intended.
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Re: Prison Architect by Introversion

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mori wrote:This square was in the open between two buildings. I eventually laid a cable in the adjoining square and the cable went through as originally intended. Bug I guess.

How much micromanaging do you do? I found that if I keep the cell block door to the outside open when the day routine starts, everything flows so much easier. Guards do not have to get off their lazy buts to go and unlock a door so the prisoners can move to the canteen, for example. But I have to remember to switch the door back to normal when it comes to evening lockdown. I am not sure that level of micromanagement is intended.
I quickly unlock remote control and set many doors to use that. I have two consoles and both are wired to every automatic door so there is redundancy, each is also powered from a separate generator. Never needed it though. I even put a switch in so I can power all of the security room from either. About the only places that I have being actually opened by the guards is individual cells and solitary. I even put remote doors on the armory so that the only way to open them is from the security office. A guards keys won't open them.

The other "newer" feature I use to an extreme is dogs. Each prisoner is forced to go through several metal detectors and past numerous dogs. The outer area of each cell block is patrolled by dogs numerous times a day. If I start getting detections outside a cell block I shut it down and dismantle all the toilets.

I do lock some doors open though that are high traffic, like the yard.

They intend it not to need a lot of micromanagement, but a lot is there is you desire it. For instance in the latest version you can control what laundry cell blocks use or what canteen.

If you can think of it as far as patrols/schedules/deployments you can pretty much do it.
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Re: Prison Architect by Introversion

Post by Kelric »

This game is a massive timesink. Love it. One thing that is annoying the hell out of me though is my morning regime. I can't figure out how to make my prisoners stop crapping / pissing all over the place as they make their ways to the showers. Everyone has a toilet, but they like to wake up and use the floor of their cell as a bathroom before going to the shower / bathrooms I've given them. I've done Sleep / Lockup / Shower, Sleep / Shower, and Sleep / Free Time / Shower but none of the schedules seem to work for them. If they have free time or lockup right after sleep, 90% of them stay asleep.
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Re: Prison Architect by Introversion

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Kelric wrote:This game is a massive timesink. Love it. One thing that is annoying the hell out of me though is my morning regime. I can't figure out how to make my prisoners stop crapping / pissing all over the place as they make their ways to the showers. Everyone has a toilet, but they like to wake up and use the floor of their cell as a bathroom before going to the shower / bathrooms I've given them. I've done Sleep / Lockup / Shower, Sleep / Shower, and Sleep / Free Time / Shower but none of the schedules seem to work for them. If they have free time or lockup right after sleep, 90% of them stay asleep.
I've found you just about have to start the day with a shower because as you say they won't get up otherwise, which is good. If they are awake much during sleep time you are giving them too much sleep time. I do Shower/Free-time/Breakfast(2 hrs) then another Free-time.

I only do two meals a day, one first thing, and one followed by an hour of free-time right before bed. I make my mealtimes two hours though and try to separate them by exactly 12 hours.
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Re: Prison Architect by Introversion

Post by mori »

Do prisoners stop using their toilets when they start using them for clandestine endeavors?

I have a common room with toilets for the prisoners to use during work/yard/free time regimes so they do not have to return to their cells. Have not had a prisoner piss on the infirmary floor during drug rehabilitation since.
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Re: Prison Architect by Introversion

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mori wrote:Do prisoners stop using their toilets when they start using them for clandestine endeavors?

I have a common room with toilets for the prisoners to use during work/yard/free time regimes so they do not have to return to their cells. Have not had a prisoner piss on the infirmary floor during drug rehabilitation since.
Most of the time mine seem to use the holding cell toilets and shower if needed during the day. My common rooms are usually attached to the cell blocks so anything there isn't that far from returning to the cell anyway.

Never noticed pissing in the infirmary but I usually have a number of janitors that clean stuff up quick. I like having extra so they can help distribute laundry. I don't use cleaning closets (other than a few seconds to get the grant) nor do I let inmates into the kitchen. I find that really helps on contraband as does listening in on calls.

Not sure about using them once they start digging. That would be interesting to learn if it is so. Finding tunnel diggers can be a PIA now since searches don't always expose them. I keep extra cells now just so that if I am suspicious I can dismantle toilets and have somewhere for the prisoners to get relocated to.
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Re: Prison Architect by Introversion

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Rip wrote:I've found you just about have to start the day with a shower because as you say they won't get up otherwise, which is good. If they are awake much during sleep time you are giving them too much sleep time. I do Shower/Free-time/Breakfast(2 hrs) then another Free-time.
Even starting with the shower they use the floor of their cells as a toilet rather than using the actual toilet. With enough of them doing this my janitors and prisoner-janitors don't always get around to cleaning everything.
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Re: Prison Architect by Introversion

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Kelric wrote:
Rip wrote:I've found you just about have to start the day with a shower because as you say they won't get up otherwise, which is good. If they are awake much during sleep time you are giving them too much sleep time. I do Shower/Free-time/Breakfast(2 hrs) then another Free-time.
Even starting with the shower they use the floor of their cells as a toilet rather than using the actual toilet. With enough of them doing this my janitors and prisoner-janitors don't always get around to cleaning everything.
No big deal. Just an eyesore, as long as the prisoner is clean and he should be if he is in the shower. They don't care if the area is soiled, only if they are.
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Re: Prison Architect by Introversion

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Silly, but good to know. Thanks.
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Re: Prison Architect by Introversion

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Kelric wrote:Silly, but good to know. Thanks.
I figure it is one of those things yet to be added. Of course even then it makes sense for them to be more concerned with their own cleanliness than that of their surroundings.

Of course even more absent is any effect on staff from that or anything else for that matter. The staff are pretty much good Nazi soldiers they will do whatever you want to whomever and never have a qualm one about it. :twisted:
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Re: Prison Architect by Introversion

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one of my prisoners

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Re: Prison Architect by Introversion

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Wow, that makes me wonder if Conan actually bought the game and got the "name in the game" edition?

That would be cool.
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Re: Prison Architect by Introversion

Post by Island Dog »

Aside from searching the cellblock, any other good ideas to stop or detect tunnels?
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Re: Prison Architect by Introversion

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Island Dog wrote:Aside from searching the cellblock, any other good ideas to stop or detect tunnels?
K-9 units passing over them can detect them, so a couple patrolling the perimeter are a good idea.
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Re: Prison Architect by Introversion

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Sepiche wrote:
Island Dog wrote:Aside from searching the cellblock, any other good ideas to stop or detect tunnels?
K-9 units passing over them can detect them, so a couple patrolling the perimeter are a good idea.
Do they detect them inside, as well? At the moment I just have K-9s in the cell blocks.
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Re: Prison Architect by Introversion

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Kelric wrote:
Sepiche wrote:
Island Dog wrote:Aside from searching the cellblock, any other good ideas to stop or detect tunnels?
K-9 units passing over them can detect them, so a couple patrolling the perimeter are a good idea.
Do they detect them inside, as well? At the moment I just have K-9s in the cell blocks.
Tunnels will go directly from the toilet past the wall till it is exterior to the building. Thus the best place to patrol is along the outer wall of cell blocks. For contraband I place them at funnel points between areas where there is heavy traffic. No reason to send dogs into a cell block or hardly any buildings for that matter. The only time my dogs are inside is when they are passing through.
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