Stonkers
We've been hard at work on the roadmap internally, but it's been a while we haven't announced any of its update.
As I noticed many of you spent some time going over it during your steams, I thought the least we can do is provide updates as to where we are with it, and what our vision for the announced roadmap is.
Of course, we are not dogmatic about specific features, but are stubborn with our vision. So we'd love to hear from you, and adjust as long as it makes sense and is within our vision.
It would be nice if you could give us an indication of priority as I am listing them below just as we had listed them on the main menu of the old demo.
✅Unboxing Collectibles that "fell off the truck"...
Done. To be deepened.
You may have noticed the lore on this one is the mafia goons who sometimes happen to hijack trucks, our beloved truck being an integral part of the game.
We noticed that some of you enjoyed the engagement with this part so we're putting some more efforts in making it deeper and giving you more agency:
- More rarity properties
- More meaningful pricing
✅Online Orders...
Done. To be updated.
We have our own thoughts on what needs be done with the delivery system. We did spend time watching you play it, and are listening to suggestions.
I do not want to give more details on this at the moment so we keep your suggestions unbiased.
❌LAN Gaming...
To be cancelled.
We decided to remove this system as it will be replaced by the employees system. Sounds weird, right? Hear me out.
The reason we want a LAN Gaming system was to allow customers to walk in, sit on gaming stations that the players has deployed in the store, and leave when done.
It's a great way to have an idle loop where the player has agency to balance between tedious work with the game sales, or more idle strategic experience with LAN Gaming's passive income.
Well, the employees will provide just that idle strategic experience, baked into the regular game sales loop.
LAN Gaming felt therefore redundant, and we're working on the lore and vibe of the store to be more like a video game store as a opposed to a gaming cafe.
We even programmed and modeled what is needed for the LAN Gaming behavior, but will keep it out.
🟠Trade Ins...
Still on roadmap. Didn't have the chance to give it enough thought yet. We really want to elaborate the retros loop before we bake this system meaningfully into it.
✅Multiplayer...
Done. To be polished.
Well that was the aspect that we thought "will catch you off guard" since initially we said we would only do it after a successful EA.
However, the requests for multiplayer were overwhelming, and we thought eff it let's just prioritize it.
Ngl it cost us a lot of time to get it ready on time.
An important point related to multiplayer here was that we didn't just want the store to be a place for hang out, but wanted to include a meaningful gameplay where collaboration, synchronization, and division of labor are important, while at the same time maintaining a clean solo experience.
This is where the deliveries system comes into play. Some of you who tried it may have noticed that it is too cumbersome to play the deliveries solo (though not doing them is not punitive at all), and some straight away went into play the deliveries with friends.
✅Meaningful Store Rating...
Done. To polish readability and response.
We did multiple iterations on the store rating. Most of the times it had an important impact on the gameplay, but lacked readability where the player was unable to grasp what cause the store rating, and what were the consequences of the store rating.
We believe we found a simple and elegant meaning to it: the rating tabs in the daily reports explains what is affecting it, and it impacts some customers changing their mind and walking away due to the rating.
🟠Goals for your significant other...
This was an abstract title was a bit misunderstood by some. The idea was to provide some form of longer term goal setting to the player. Your significant other comes to you, fledgling game retail entrepreneur, and encourages you, and depending on your all time high balance every 30 days or so, we give you a 1-, 2-, or 3-trophies rating.
You can tell that this system may clash with the Lose Condition, as it provides more of a long-term tycoon experience, while the Lose Condition should have binary objectives (win / lose).
We have a design for the Lose Condition where you won't make you necessarily repeat the whole game and still be able to build up your empire over time, but we have not decided which system we will go with.
Most likely the Guild of Experts playtests will give a lot of guidance on this.
🟠Chronological release of games by generation...
Will have to do with the Goal Setting or Lose Condition . So pending.
🟠Lose Condition...
All I can say now that if you miss too may orders, something bad may eventually happen. But you can have control over how many orders you are allowed to miss until that cataclysm occurs.
🟠NPC and NPC behavior diversity...
Currently most NPCs have more or less very similar profiles: patience, basket size, chance to be a thief, speed, store browsing duration, health, defense, loot.
They all share physiological features and behave similarly when hit.
We have a chance for a huge diversity there, and a variety of behaviors, disagree?
Staying on roadmap.
🟠Weapons...
Self explanatory but not too meaningful until we have at least some diversity in NPC behaviors.
Staying on roadmap.
🟠NPC loot...
To be elaborated.
Most were positively surprised when receiving a large sum from the NPC loot but also when dropping items. To be elaborated.
🟠Shelf skins, counter skins, wallpapers...
Definitely. But you gotta earn them.
🟠Upgradable bank...
As you become a tycoon, the loans or deposit sizes may be meaningless to you. You need to be able to upgrade the bank, but earn the upgrades by using the bank, otherwise it creates exploits where in the early and mid-game, you may effectively have infinite money if we unlock large amounts early on.
🟠Dialogues with NPCs...
For God's sake, stop dancing around the NPCs as they walk by the store!! They still can't react to your buffooneries
🟠Buffoneries...
As we go
✅Renaming your shop...
Imminent
Wish you health, blessings, and peace with every update
Use the bat responsibly!