I have played though a few times over the past few days and I never created a custom engine to use. I have finished the game a couple of times without ever making one. I used 2Dv1 the entire game with no problems. Seems making a custom engine is a waste of time and money. It has had no effect on ratings or selling of a game, I have opted out of making an engine right now if there is no point in it. This is probably something that should get fixed.
It’s not broken, so why fix it?
making engines adds a lot of gameplay.
There are so many things in the game you don’t have to do and still be successful.
Besides that, i don’t know any real life AAA game with 80’s 2D graphics.
Really if you don’t it is harder to be successful. How much money did you make in the end? I made around a couple 100 million the last round.(considering the price of my most expensive engine was 2 m to make not bad)
I made a couple hundred million every play through. This last one I didn’t even research custom engines and the only thing I couldn’t do was create a custom console. It allowed me to make it but no points ever accumulated. Not having a game engine affects gameplay in no way. My last play through last night I created games with 10’s multiple times, I would have created a custom console prior to year 35 if it had accumulated points. I am getting better at playing the game the more I play through but then I am also no putting time, money, or RP into custom engines at all. I am just saying that you should have to research the graphics to make better games as the game progresses. Why would I research something that is not affecting gameplay and is not even needed to make the game progress and it seems just uses money, time, and RP, Just because it is more life like?
Your assumption that it does not add gameplay is completely wrong.
Engines are a feature to allow players tweaking the games they make. Adding more Design or Tech points if they need to.
You might as well start playing the game without ever training your staff, or just don’t hire staff at all.
Even better don’t leave the garage or research any topics, because you do not need all that to have a successful company.
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Point Taken
If you do not research Custom engines there is little to research down the road. You do have to move from the garage and from the office to progress the game; If you do not have more people you cannot make successful large or medium games. I thought the point of the game was to produce successful games, make money, and get fans. If custom engine making has no bearing on any of that then it seems to be a useless addition to the game. I am saying it should have more bearing on the game and it should be changed to reflect that. It does have some bearing on game play but it is very little. If it only adds some tech or design bubbles during the game and I can achieve the same effect with a round or two of trainings then it seems that making a custom engine would be a poor choice of time and money, comparatively.
It does have more bearing.
Large games and AAA games get penalized if a low tech graphics is being used.
Its great that the game offers more then 1 method to improve your games. Training and Engines
Also making successful sequels will be very difficult without making new engines.
So far i only see you complaining that engines are useless, but not coming up with an idea that would make engines a dominant part of the game.
You could say that the devs should solve it, but it seems that you are the only one having problems making engines.
I can do all that while staying in the garage with just 2 topics and 1 genre.
Does that mean that everything else is useless?
I cannot say anything about AAA games (I haven’t tried making one), but I do know that Large games do not get penalized for 2Dv1 graphics. Yeah If you make sequels then an engine could mean something. I have not been asked what solutions I could come up with to remedy this situation, but from what I have read on the forums it wouldn’t matter as changes are no longer being made to the game. If I was asked about it I would probably implement a system that would dock rating points based on the year and graphics engine used. The lower the system, later in the years, the more points docked. Something like that is the first thing I can think of off the top of my head.
If you would dock rating points based on years and graphics used it will take away most of the choice players have.
Forcing them to use higher level graphics.
How many large games with 2Dv1 have you made, with a review score over 7?
Maybe phase out lower level graphics below 2Dv3-4 as years progress and then same with 3D up to version 4-5 towards the end of the time frame for the game. Something to push people into creating engines with better graphics as part of them, the WIKI already directs people to create a new engine when they can after researching a new graphics level, so just make it so people have an actual incentive to do that.
I have probably made a dozen or so over the past 3 games I have played over the past week.
One of the great things about Game Dev Tycoon is you can make the game as small and simple or large and expansive as you want.
If you want to stay in the garage for the entire length of the game, make small, simple low end 3d games using only 2 topics you can.
This is kinda like being a small time indie dev who never makes it big.
If you want to utilize everything the game has to offer, full experienced staff, release games across multiple platforms, RnD and HW labs and release award winning engines that are so good your fans ask if you will give them away then you can. This is kinda like becoming the < Insert game company you love >.
Engines add a whole depth of gameplay. Not using them keeps the game simpler. But it excludes a whole wealth of gameplay, income and fans.
It’s not broke, it’s working as intended. Many casual gamers do play Game Dev Tycoon and they only use a few of the games assets. While many veteran gamers love the fact that in the last office its a tad chaotic while they juggle every aspect possible.
Game Dev Tycoon is a very dynamic and flexible game. Play who you want, How you want! 
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Sounds like your company found a niche as a retro games developer.