I really appreciate your time taken to answer this, but it just points out the error in game design:
If someone needs to come and explain things, if EVE Online is more accessible, then you have done something wrong.
You mention that this “is supposed to be a realistic simulation of the life of a game dev studio”
When I bought it I thought it was a game, something supposed to be fun.
I can only recommend you and the devs to watch: http://www.penny-arcade.com/patv/show/extra-credits
You are of cause welcomed to make a “game dev simulator” that is 100% realistic, but why not make a game that is fun?
One that gives challenges in a way where the user is able (without going using the forum) to overcome them?
Progress is an important factor, you see the leveling scheme in the game too.
Making the same thing over and over again is tireing, having a “play it safe, do the same thing over and over, grind the game”
Should -not- be how a game is played, have a look at this episode:
Again that is just my, and apparently quite a few other people’s feedback:
They were expecting a challenge they could overcome with aid from the interface/software itself.
They were expecting a game.
You are 100% in your right to make a simulation that does not give feedback to the user.
But then you should also expect people to tell that to their peers and in reviews.
and in my opinion it should also be a bit more visible on the front page, that it is intended that people know all the trivia of people published the last 3 decades and should not expect any assistance via game mechanics if they do not have that knowledge ready.
A Tycoon game, by definition, is a simulator of something in real life. If you come into the genre not expecting realism, then you’ll be shocked, no matter which game you play.
There is a demo, and it shows you what you can expect from the game. You weren’t forced to buy the game at gunpoint; you were given a trial run to see what it’s like. If you found that it wasn’t for you, you didn’t have to buy it.
You don’t need to make the same thing over and over again. There’s specific aspects of the game which actively discourage this. Making the same genre/type combo twice in a row will net you horrible reviews, and new combinations will give you extra experience. The game is meant to have you try out new combinations and see what works and what doesn’t.
You also don’t need to know what happens in the real world, but it doesn’t harm you to know things. It’s useful to think about the general userbase of the Xbox 360, for example, if you want to develop a game for the mBox 360. I did fine without using explicit knowledge of what games did well.
So, all in all, I think you’re overreacting to the whole thing. The game isn’t easy, and I’m sorry if you came into the game expecting it to be served on an open platter, but that’s not how most games work. There’s inherent difficulty in all Tycoon games as you get used to the mechanics of the game.
PS: I’m not a dev, I’m just another user who happens to also have moderating powers. I don’t speak for the devs, but my own opinions.
I would expect someone playing a game about game development to know a little bit about computer games.
You don’t need a 30 year overview (I’m only 30 myself). Think back in the last 5 years: Minecraft, CoD:14-MW10, Angry Birds, Gran Turismo, Fallout, Half Life… Just games any gamer will have head about, played, know about what makes them work. Thinking about why games were sucessful or what you’d like to play is the challenge.
I do agree, it should be made more obvious that there is a compromise to be struck in the sliders, and that putting them all to the top will not make the best possible game, because lifting one slider actually harms the quality of output on another slider. Go by the bar at the bottom, not the sliders themselves.
But even now - Fallout does not have best in class graphics, The story of Gears of War is forgettable, and Forza 4 does not ahve a storyline. Forza horizons tried to do open world/MMO, and guess what? It sucks! Use bits of knowledge like that to help you be successful in the game.
Or go find something else to spend $8 on, like a sandwich and a bottle of coke.
It’s $8 at the end of the day. I’ve played it for 10 hours or so. I’ve spent a lot more to have a really crappy 90 minutes at the cinema.
Yes the key is to take it real slow. i had like 5 million when left the garage. In the end taking time and playing out when to make games helped. I made 150.3 Million in the End I how this helps sorta.
I have this problem as well. I usually leave the garage around 2-5M,and I do good for a short while. But eventually, My games get lower scores for some reason. I eventually go bankrupt by the time the playsystem 2 comes out.
in my first 3 games i had the same problem. i had 2-3 good games wich boosted my credits wich i lost due to mediocre ones that gave me little profit wich was wasted on research.
now i’m insanly rich. what really helped me in office stage was doing one publishing contract work. the game sold 44M.
i didn’t get rich through that but it gave me a huge fanbase wich helped boosting my future profits.
the real money (talking about Billions per week) is in the broken MMO mechanics. but that feels like cheating
Sorry that didn’t help me at all. I created games with the help of the wiki guides, other guides and lots of advice from other users… but it’s frustrating.
Only every 3rd game I can avoid the contract penalty cause I get such low or mediocre scores and I just don’t know why…
A simulation that was incredibly successful in the first year of Game Dev Tycoon was a terrible flop in the 13th year, with the exact same slider settings…
This game is really frustrating, I’m sorry that I have to say that. The monthly costs really “eat you up” when you don’t know what the game wants from you… And I had 8M when I switched to the office…
I think a reason for this is an “old” engine, but I just don’t have the money and the time for researching every new technical aspect of the research possibilities, how should I survive that???
Alright, my mental checklist when starting up Stage 2 is:
Get two employees - can be level 1 each to save money
Have spent enough time in Stage 1 to research a few engine mechanics without the added monthly cost
Immedately take the financial hit to build said new engine
Research ‘Medium Games’ ASAP - preferably with the Research points from developing the engine
Take publishing deals that you know should work for that system (i.e. a dance sim on gameling with an expected 6 review… I’m not joking that’s what UmbiSoft had the 'nads to try and have me make…), the new engine should be enough to wow enough fans for the first two or three
During the money making phase research a new engine part, preferably a new topic, and do so misc contracts
Get another publishing deal - if none look profitable take contracts and make a small game (you will see enough money to reach new Publishing deals).
Rinse and repeat until you have excess of 100K fans, enough engine mechanics to outstrip your current one and the money to develop new engine.
Thank you again for the advice, it indeed helps.
But the problem as noted is that this is outside of the game.
When you play the game, you get the popup saying that you goal is to move at 1 million in the garage.
and you get messages about moving ever so often.
That game mechanic makes people move too early compared to all the guides here.
It is in my opinion a very bad game design that the in-game information is so “wrong” that all guides recommends doing something other than what is shown in-game.
More tool tips on the sliders, more feedback from the critics
…or to those saying “this is a real simulation critics will not help you” then have a “beta-tester” or “focus group” mechanic giving the player feedback on what is missing.
You have a stage where you can trash or publish the game.
That would be a great pace for that user-feedback.
It would make the gameplay experience so much better.
Also explaining why you get more competition when you hire an extra person (and again at 3) in the office, as that is not explained anywhere.
Without reading forum guides, players just fail.
Game design on the side of informing players on the mechanics is up for improvement.
for me, the trick is:
don’t make custom game engins everytime you finish a game
don’t hire too many staff- get only 2 and stay like that until you move to the HQ
think about the sliders during the dev stages. don’t just move them around without any thought.
use boosts effectively
When you release a hit game, which you probably will, save a good sum of money. If you can’t check this link, it will help you a lot making hit games! Wait until you have a lot of money as I said then you need to be at least level 3 to your developer advance to the next level. When you have an office, contract 2 guys like this: 1 st guy Complex Algorithms the second Showreel. Spend 100K on the budget and find a really really good guy. Level 2 minimum and at least 200 on the thing that he’s good. I had a guy 555 design level 3 contracted and a level 2 400 tech both of them are really really good employees. Don’t worry too much on the salary it won’t matter. Research medium games. Then start making them as the link that I gave you a while ago. With this you’ll be able to make top games!
My friend recommends making an engine every 2 or 3 years for all features. May seem expensive but the good thing is that you can change the features using in development. I think it’s a great idea!
I’m on my 3rd game (finished my 2nd with $3 billion) and the best way to play until now is to create a new game engine when you have several things researched. No need to create an engine every other year, just research at least 1 thing on every category, then create a custom engine. Like that, you have new options for your new games. I always implement everything in my custom engines, because you could also want to create a sequel with the same setting. I don’t get any game UNDER a score of at least 7. It’s all about developing the game with the right slider setting. So far I use this (in percent):
-Simulation/Strategy/Action:
Stage 1 100/75/0
Stage 2 0/60/100
Stage 3 90/100/90
-Adventure/RPG:
Stage 1 0/100/100
Stage 2 100/50 or 60/0
Stage 3 100/90/100
Casual I never do so I can’t say and MMO is just the same as above.
I tried this checklist and it actually works out really well. I didn’t even think of doing that before, but wow it works. I’m already halfway to 100k fans and have researched a lot of engine parts and have made like 5 publish deals with my engine, lol.
Contrary to what everyone else seems to do i actually rushplay and generally get around 60-70ish million in points at the end and do fairlly well… i prefer the 35 year one though (especially at later years new consoles seem to just get dogpiled in). My ‘strategy’ is as follows:
Before anything think of what type of a game developer you want to be more specialized in. While using the same topic over and over again will result in you failing, using the same genre and a different topic works very well and usually allows you to specialize your development company.
Decide what you want (I do Strategy+Sims until mid 2nd stage then diversivy using both and mixing in casual)
Make about 3 games until you get around 65 research points.
Research creating a game engine and also research one topic (if you do strategy, immediatlly get either scifi or fantasy)
With your 3 games (and if u use the wiki to adjust your sliders to approaiate levels) you should have ~3-400k cash. Use this to make a basic engine; 2dV2 graphics, save function, mono sound, and (i believe but forgot if it is) better A.I. Otherwise get the former 3. This should cost around 120k. Build the engine and create a new game with your engine and the new topic.
The game should round well. Keep using the engine, chrun out as many new games with new topics that fit.
Once you reach level 4, move out. Do not move out before hand.
If you play your cards right and do well you should be have around 7 million in cash and be at level 4.
Do staff training and hire all 4 staff as follows:
2=510k Devs
2=490k Designers
This will cost 2 mil. Only research new topics if applicable or let time pass until all employees regain there efficency.
make some small games and get some fiscal ground back. If your scores start to fail, its time to make a new engine with a heckton of new features once you finish researching all the topics.
Take publishing contracts to make new games that you think will work and you can accomplish. Do this ALOT. You will windup making a good amount of cash and fans if you keep chruning out good games.
Once around 150k-200k fans make some medium games independentlly and start with publishers large scale games.
Play your cards right and at around year 18 - 20 you can move to stage 3.
From here on out its just making points. Make ~3 MMOS maintain them keep it upbeat and you should get a steady stream of new fans, make large games, and create a console…
Do everything right you can easilly get 75 mil and the game goes from “impossible” to “extremlly easy”
