Hey everyone!
The playtest ended 2 weeks ago, and all this time I've been going through the feedback you left. Thank you all so much, it gave me a lot to think about and tweak.
In this update, I want to share what I've managed to get done for the demo release, which is scheduled for May 20th.
What's new in Update 0.44?
For the last two weeks, I've been focusing on making my game a bit easier to understand and a bit prettier for the players. Let's start with the main thing:
1. I slightly redrew the in-game graphics:
I added shadows, drew the furniture in a bit more detail, and created textures for the floor and walls. In general, I flexed my creative skills as best I could. I tried to give the game a bit more depth.
I actually enjoyed the drawing process for Project Manager SIM (even though I usually don't like to draw). In the future, I plan to draw more objects and play around with the lighting to better convey the office atmosphere.
2. Looking for a different approach to UI:
In the feedback, I often saw comments that many things in my game are unclear. I agree with this. You know how it is: when you make something yourself, every tiny detail makes perfect sense to you, but to others, it doesn't.
Many also noted that the UI is sometimes very boring and unexpressive. I tried to fix this, so far only using three interfaces as an example. I added more UI chips, color accents, prominent headers, and additional tooltips with hints. Ideally, all these things should help the player better understand the mechanics without having to dig into the encyclopedia.
3. Updated the trailer and store page description:
You can already watch the new trailer on the game's store page. I think it looks much cleaner now and does a better job explaining what the game is about and what you need to do in it.
4. Tweaked the game balance:
Based on your feedback, I adjusted a few things:
The number of skill points per level for the player.
The amount of experience required to level up.
The cost of some items from the boss.
The amount of loyalty points and the duration of boss events.
Removed the degradation of loyalty and relationships between employees over time.
5. Changed the UI for Support projects:
I'm starting to play around with presenting projects as a Kanban board instead of Gantt charts. So far it's going well, although I plan to keep working on this interface. Considering that I plan to add other types of projects, a working Kanban board will definitely come in handy.
6. Fixed a lot of bugs, both minor and major.
The Demo drops on May 20th!
I am currently making the final adjustments to release the demo on May 20th. For those who participated in the playtest, there won't be a ton of changes to the mechanics, but the updated graphics and balance might offer a fresh experience.
I'll be waiting for all of you to come and play! As before, the demo will feature 3 months of playtime. There is currently enough content in the game to fully spend that time in it. I wonder if anyone will actually be able to complete all the boss quests?
A quick tip from the developer:
By the way, after the playtest, some of you asked: how do I complete the first boss quest for profit? Earning $1000 in the first month seems impossible, but it is totally doable.
The main expense is salaries, right? So the first thing a player should care about is: don't keep people on the payroll if there's no work for them! The game is specifically designed so that it doesn't guarantee you projects for all the employees you've hired. It is quite possible that you go to the boss on Monday, and he simply doesn't have any projects for Business Analysts for the whole week.
At first, it's better to use freelancers. You can fire them without severance pay at any time as soon as the work for them runs out. And you can always quickly hire new ones.
You should only hire contractors when you've gotten a little stronger. Wait until you get more global reputation and the boss brings 10+ new projects every Monday (check the Clients screen). Ideally, the simple project type should be unlocked with some clients—then you're almost guaranteed to provide a full workload for your contractors.
And one more thing: should you hire contractors whose dismissal will cost you a pretty penny when you don't even know what they're like yet? No, you shouldn't. It's better to invest at least one point in the "Reading People" skill first. A single hidden trait like fragile can be fatal...
In short, look for the ways, they are out there!