Hi everyone,
Just finishing off another busy week (as always!). I was considering postponing this devlog, but I’m really eager to show you the new negotiation feature!
Beta 17 has really come together these last couple of weeks. The new features are in place and I’m now entering the test and balancing phase.
The devlog gives a sneak peek into what has been developed on the game over the past week. It is not a new release and is not available yet. New features are always released as official Beta releases.
Sales Executive: The Negotiation
Beta 17 introduces new revenue-based features, including Text Ads, Banner Ads and Video Ads. Adding any of these features to your product allows you to sell ad space on your product to generate revenue.
To sell this ad space, you need a Sales Executive to search for deals (just like the old contracts feature). Once a deal is found, you’ll have to do the negotiation. When dealing with a customer, it’s important to consider both their mood and the offers they submit. If a customer becomes too angry during the negotiation, they will simply leave in a huff. On the other hand, if you negotiate correctly, you can get much better deals, leading to higher revenue for your product.
The feature is very complicated so I won’t go into too much detail right now. If you’re worried about having to do the negotiation manually every time, I can assure you that this won’t be the case. Once a deal with a customer is in place, you can stick with the agreed price in the future.
“Contract Work” removed from Startup Company
Yes, you read that right. Contract work will not feature in Beta 17. Shortly after I released the feature, I had the feeling that it didn’t quite match my vision for Startup Company. After investors were introduced to the game, it became very clear that it was completely unrealistic that a company funded by investors would start doing contract work for other companies.
To be honest, I’m a bit fearful of the reactions to this. There is a large portion of my playerbase who are only generating revenue through contract work. Beta 17 will definitely be a huge change for them.
Updated Roadmap
I have updated the roadmap to match the latest progress. As it shows, Beta 17 is planned for release in two weeks. While this isn’t a guarantee, as we’ve still got a ton of work to do, I think it’s a realistic timeframe.
Do you have suggestions or ideas for the game?
Check out our Conflux board.
Thanks for reading!
Best,
Jonas