Jul 29, 2023

Computer Tycoon - Progorion

Hello Tycoons,

I wanted to give you an update on the progress I'm making since the last update was quite some time ago. I don't want you (especially those who are not on my Discord) to think that the game is dead. I acknowledge that I should communicate more frequently, and I promise to try!

The current state of the Steam Version

To understand what and why I'm changing and adding to Computer Tycoon, it might be helpful to discuss the current public version of the game. While CT is already enjoyable, certain areas could be improved easily. In the last updates, I aimed to make the game more balanced and interesting throughout the entire gameplay. I added aspects that allow you to use more strategies and introduced managers, which brought in more late-game elements and possible strategies. However, it also made the game "harder," especially for players returning after a long break. The reason for this is that managers can significantly increase your PP, RP, and LP output. So, if someone is not experienced with using managers, the increased output will be missing. While this isn't inherently a bad thing, it should be more suited for the "Hard" difficulty level rather than Normal. The game was already complex, and managers added even more complexity, which means the difficulty curve should be lowered to allow players more time to adjust.

The Manager bonuses need rebalancing for sure. I will likely halve the bonuses you get with the passive skills and, of course, lower the difficulty in other areas, mostly through adjusting prices and costs. This change will not only prevent the game from being excessively punishing when managers aren't used but also create more room for different strategies.

On the forums and Discord, I often mention that I know the game's balance could be improved. However, as long as I keep adding major features, I will have to redo the balancing again and again. So, there's that. I will rebalance things again with the next update. Eventually, when we have a set of difficulty levels, I will also consider implementing a custom difficulty option. But for now, the priority should be the presets as it will be really hard for me to collect feedback and data without them. New players need to play a few games first before they can effectively tweak the settings. (Additionally, I would like to have leaderboards later, and for that, we will need the presets too).

Sure, but what will be really new?

Okay, so I will have to balance things, for sure... but what else?

So... the last updates added new late-game elements, which is nice. But still, what do we do in CT? What are the "main activities"?

1 - We expand on the world map.
2 - Build infrastructure.
3 - Hire managers.
4 - Research technology.
5 - Look for games and software.
6 - Build better and better computers.
7 - Profit. GOTO 1.

I think these are the main activities, not counting stealing technology or spreading lies about our competition, etc. The most interesting/enjoyable parts of the game, I think, are the expansion and research. But after a while, you have already expanded into all new markets, and research slows down. Also, you won't need to build much anymore.

While your maximum manager count increases as you progress, you are only looking for a few new managers. You still have to manage them (if you are not using all of them passively), but still... you are left with:
4, 5, and 6.

This is not ideal. The game becomes a game of "waiting." So... I'm working on how this shouldn't be the case...

To the point, please... What will be new?

Please bear with me! :)

So to keep the player making decisions and "playing," I could either add new features or optimize those that we already have. I will do both.

Optimizing what we have is practical since the game is already complex. I know that for many hardcore simulator/grand strategy fans, the game is not that complex, but for a significant percentage of the player base, it is. Complexity is nice, but depth is not equal to complexity... so I don't want to add things to the game that are not improving its core concept anymore. What I consider to be the "core" here, I will explain a bit later.

The most evident optimization possibility is changing how fast you can build out your infrastructure. Right now, all departments and all levels are done in the same amount of time... it is just that they are more and more expensive. This should change. If you can't have enough PP economically in the shortest amount of time when you need it... then you will expand slower. This means that you will both expand slower and develop your infrastructure longer. So... two of the "main activities" of the game will keep you busy for longer. At the same time, they will hopefully feel less of a chore (please guys, don't forget that you can build your infrastructure by using the sites window, you don't have to use the 3D view).

This will also make the game a bit more realistic, doesn't it? Well... I know that the more people I talk with the more opinions I get about everything haha. But even if it is not more realistic in your opinion (that bigger building upgrades should take longer than smaller ones), realism shouldn't be the only and primary goal of CT. Please remember that it is a hybrid game, a very unique one actually that mixes grand strategy and business simulation -> so I refer to it more often than not as a Business Grand Strategy.

So it is time to talk about the "core" of the game - and what a Business Grand Strategy is

The first/original Early Access version of the game was extremely barebone compared to what we have right now... but it had the same core. It was already combining "Grand Strategy" and "Tycoon" elements.

What is a Grand Strategy Game? You ask...

A grand strategy game is a strategy war game in which you manage the resources of your empire/kingdom and spend most of your time on a map and analyzing data and potential decisions in order to achieve political or military victory.

Okay and what is a Tycoon then?

I think the best way to decide if we are playing a Tycoon game is (as there is more than 1 view on this...) to see if we are running a business or not. It is that simple. Are you running a business? Then you are playing a Tycoon game. It could be either developing a software company a game company... or running a coffee shop or an amusement park - hack even a dinosaur park. :)

And... what is a Business Grand Strategy then?

A game where you run a business entity (a business empire if you like), manage its resources from a top-down view (no logistics micro, no production micro, etc), and spend a lot of time on a map where you see your empire/company grow and analyzing strategies to win.

And... the first version of Computer Tycoon was already doing that. Though you couldn't see the exact computers that your opponent made, you had a very different marketing system, you didn't have managers/offices, and you had a completely different expansion system... it was already fulfilling that description.

Then the community came and gave me a lot of motivation and feedback... and here we are... should I even list the additions of the past years? Please, don't ask for it, just look at all the updates. It feels kind of like an endless list already...

So what is missing then?

Well, other than the mentioned "waiting game" or "luck of things to do," basically that I hope to manage with the above changes... the game lacks immersion (!) the feeling of being there, being a CEO, AND something that is very important in Grand Strategy Games...

Player Interaction/Diplomacy

Aka "The CEO Negotiation System".

If you are following my development posts, I'm sure you already know what this means here. But after all that long introduction, it is basically what you have in Civilization games or in Stellaris, or Master Of Orion 2... you will be able to talk with your opponents and make deals with them. Since this isn't a wargame... You can't declare war... but you will declare "rivalry"... or can sue your opponents if they steal technology from you, trade blueprints and technology... etc.

This is something that I still consider a core element of this new little genre I've created... and of course, an element of Computer Tycoon.

Why is it good? What does it look like?

Well, if you are not already inspired, just imagine... that you steal technology from Big and then sell it to everybody else... then he is upset, of course, and sues you... but you bribe the jury and his managers... and he is losing the case. Damn! Or he wins it!? And you go bankrupt because of this little maneuver... Is this familiar to you? Have you ever heard about that guy called Bill starting a micro company working in a garage? I think he might have lent a few ideas from his previous co-workers...

Or imagine that you are the market leader... you have the most advanced technology around... but then suddenly your previous research partners (Big and the other folks) tell you that they won't research with you anymore so they break their contracts with you... and as you are the only one who is left out... they slowly catch up... what's your next move? Maybe you should try to build better relationships with a few of them in hopes of contracting again. Or should be more offensive? There are battles you can't win by sword.

What if you could have some nasty market allocations? How about not selling in the USA anymore in return for another player not selling in a few other countries? Or... promising that you won't sell Home Computers... (while you didn't plan it anyways... hah, free money, right?) But then another player sues you for market allocations...

I think there is no other game that would let you do anything like that. In most other management kinds of games, you don't even see the products of your opponents, not to mention this. And this is my goal with the next update.

So... just more and more ways to make money?

Yes, but... but with the "CEO Stuff" feature, you will be allowed to burn all your hard-earned money... just as you could in real life... You will be allowed to buy a lot of stuff... like cars... airplanes... a house and a yacht and all that sweet stuff. Be aware they are expensive... and they do not affect the game in any way... other than wasting your money. But hey! Now you can't say that the only thing you can use your money for in a game is to make even more money... right? Will you be disciplined enough not to ruin your business to have all these useless items? We will see.

(I feel like this is a risky feature haha, I fear those who will hate me for adding something like this, but it is just something I wished for in so many games... and I've seen these wishes only, too... so... yeah, if you don't like this, just ignore it, please! The only thing that really happens is that you waste money and get a few compliments from the other CEOs, but your relationships with them won't be affected!)

And how is the development going?

I will post a few screenshots for you, but in a nutshell... unfortunately yet again it takes more time than expected. I'm really sorry about that, but I would like to deliver something good. If you are interested, you can join my Discord server where I will make a closed test as soon as it is possible (I will upload a development version into a beta branch on Steam).
The CEO Stuff System is already working, but the CEO Negotiations is still around 40-50% I'd say. The trading part works, and I'm adjusting things now around the research contracts. Then I will have to work on Gifting (but that is basically a barebone version of trading), and then on Market Alligations, Rivalry Declaration, and Friendship (Partnership if you like) Declaration, plus some extra windows, and then I will face at least again as much work as all these with the Jurisdiction/Suing mechanics.

I have documentation for myself for all these, so the system is more or less thought out already, but still, a lot of balancing will be needed and I'm changing things here and there. This is why I will also ask my community to playtest before I release anything on Steam.

Gameplay wise it means new ways to get technology, more ways to specialize, more ways to stay in business when you are in trouble, more ways to generate income, and more importantly... more feeling to the game, more immersion, more of that "I'm the greatest tycoon" feeling.

When it is done, I will focus on all the smaller tasks that are still left, (I wrote a lot of texts for the CEO Negotiations, and I'm still double checking them with a native speaker writer friend, but hopefully, it will be done at the end of testing). I will still have to do something about a lot of smaller aspects of the game (scenarios, random events), but we are slowly getting there...

to the beta.

The beta... in which you manage a computer empire, negotiate with your competitors, handle your infrastructure and your managers, coordinate your research, and design your products all from a top-down view in a living world-scale market while you relive computer history - with lots of humor and nostalgia.

This post is already super long, so I will just leave you here with a few pictures. If you have any questions, I'm at your service, guys! Thank you so much for all your patience and support, it means the world to me! Enjoy!

Holy! The game's text file is already longer than the first Harry Potter book... If you'd like to know more about localizations:
LINK

Heartfelt thanks to all of you and have fun! :)

* Also please, if you like my work, leave a review, it helps a LOT! *

Some earlier pictures, just because they are nice to look at! :)