Realistic simulation of a 1930s-era vintage hydro-electric power station
Interact with vintage machinery and manage your fatigue levels
React to varying demands for township power and get rewards (or not)
Order supplies, monitor reserves and maintain oil levels and fuses
Research and apply at least a dozen unique upgrades to enhance the power station
Reputation system - your actions can have long-lasting effects!
House-keeping requirements - keep the place tip-top!
Almost endlessly-varied game play and multiple game-ending events
WELCOME TO HYDRO!
Get-to-grips with vintage machinery from yesteryear!
The local township has directed old No. 101 Hydro-electric Power Station be pressed back into duty and you're the sole custodian for the job!
Keep your wits: not only generating power quietly, without blowing fuses or starting fires, but also managing and maintaining your power station's supply levels (e.g. gear oil, fuses, battery acid) to keep it running smoothly.
You'll also need to manage your fatigue levels and work efficiently to stay profitable and keep your funding levels in the green - or risk shutdown by the township's council.
WHEN THE RIVER IS WILD...
Generate power day and night so long as the river is flowing fast. Your main goal in Hydro is to generate electricity for the Township whilst dealing with obstacles that come your way.
Work both day and night shifts, encounter unique events and township power demands based on the time of day.
CONNECT ("SYNC") TO THE TOWNSHIP POWER GRID
Use quick reflexes to connect to the township power grid! But be careful not to blow that Grid Fuse! Did you remember to order a spare grid fuse?
FEED POWER TO THE TOWNSHIP
The township is hungry for power, so Hydro must be ready to deliver! In addition, sometimes they'll need a helping hand with delivering peak-load power demands; thus, you'll be receiving 'Township Demands' from the township when there is a power shortage, to help power all sorts of events from Mayor Press Conferences and Town Carnivals all the way to popular radio shows in the evenings.
Ensure your machinery and components are in tip-top shape and manage fatigue levels so that you can stay on-shift for the duration and generate the required power, otherwise you'll miss out on much-needed funding to stay afloat.
REPUTATION SYSTEM / NEWSPAPERS
As sole custodian of Hydro, start your career with the full support of the township! However, your shiny reputation rating is in danger of being chipped-away if you fail to make the grade.
Claw-back your reputation rating with careful management of the power plant!
Your negative actions may land you in the township's newspaper. Conversely, if you do a good job, you may just hear about it, too.
KEEP THE LIGHTS ON
Your power station will need its on-site battery accumulators charged so you can keep your own lights on. You'll be leaning on your trusty old generator once again to help make this happen.
Accumulators are not endlessly robust resources - they need care - charge them too fast and their 'condition' rating drops, meaning they won't charge efficiently (and in the worst case, will struggle to charge at all). As you charge the accumulators and run the local services such as power station lighting, you'll be wearing-out the local power fuses which will also need attention...
APPLY UPGRADES!
You'll be dealing with a lot of antiquated machinery, so by using your 'Upgrade Blueprint', you'll be able to bring the old power station into the modern age (almost), and make it perform better than ever before!
SHIPS PASSING IN THE NIGHT
At times you'll receive word a ship may be passing through the area at night. Because of your bulky machinery (e.g. the massive water wheel!) and narrow river banks, ships will need lighting guidance in the form of marker lights along the river bank, which you'll need to manage.
The lighting guidance is essential to ensure safe passage for the ships. Hopefully you kept your accumulators charged...
WHEN THINGS GO WRONG...
Watch that old Generator! It has a tendency to overheat and it may well just catch fire one day if you're not careful.
Destroying your generator ends your Hydro career. Emergency systems like the Generator Fire Control system - if primed and used promptly - might save your generator...this time.
Fail to lubricate machinery and the power station becomes host to a shower of sparks and a cacophony of noises and you may get noise complaints, some with monetary fines attached (but always affecting your reputation rating).
Fail to keep the accumulator maintained and it will struggle to take a healthy charge...this will have all sorts of ill-effects on your on-site power requirements.
Fail to generate sufficient funding and end up in excessive debt and you may find the township treasury department will take a keen interest in your power station and you'll even risk complete power station shutdown.
HOUSEKEEPING
You're responsible for the keeping the place presentable! Clean windows and wipe up oil stains...and maybe the occasional graffiti tag...
CALM DAYS / AUDITORS
On calm river days, perform maintenance like replacing or fixing fuses, researching part upgrades, cleaning the air filter, oil stains and windows and keeping the machinery oil levels topped-up.
But keep an ear out for the auditor(s)! They'll fine you every chance they get if something isn't quite right. Some are more strict that others. Use some creativity to keep them at-bay...
MANAGE YOUR FATIGUE
As the sun dips down towards the horizon, you'll find a sleeping quarters to rest and recharge between shifts. Use the opportunity to address your fatigue levels and start the next shift...maybe take another stab at keeping the township powered-up?
(ALMOST) ENDLESSLY-VARIED GAMEPLAY!
In Hydro, things never go to plan and nothing ever happens the same way twice. Some fuses might wear faster than others, your oil levels may consume faster sometimes (and sometimes not), supply costs will fluctuate, funding rewards will vary and even Mother Nature will at times throw a curve-ball with its ever-changing river flow speeds which will affect your Generator's operation.
Resting in between each shift (day or night) will randomly generate calm or fast-flowing river conditions in addition to the usual day/night cycle change, so no play-through of the game is ever the same!
May the waters flow forever fast and your fuses last forever long...
