Hello everyone!
Summer's here, so I'm easing off a bit. I admit I haven't been very productive on the development front lately. Lots of small fixes, some rather old bugs and a few small visual improvements.
Community-wise, as always, I've been present, I've read you, and you've come up with some great ideas for the banker. Thank you for the ideas you've shared, and let me tell you what's going to be added for the banker.
For the easiest difficulties, the banker will offer you some nice choices, but not without consequences.
Following on from your ideas, in the first three difficulties, the banker will suggest that you sell your game engine, if that's possible of course.
Or maybe sell your console, or your competitors' shares. He may also require you to work with a competitor to publish one of their games.
Granted, these aren't always pleasant choices, but a banker is still a banker, and a banker rarely gives you good news.
OK, let's move on to higher difficulties. The banker will force you into more painful choices. He may force you to close one or more studios and lay off all its employees. You're going to give a good impression of a responsible manager who pleases his creditors. The banker may ask you to resell one of your games to bail out the company. He may also demand that you sell your dematerialized store, which you can only get back in exchange for a substantial fee.
In short, implementing the banker's discussion is easy, though it's the choices he'll give you that give me a hard time. There's nothing in the game about disabling certain features, or reselling a game, console or game engine. However, closing studios is already an easier thing to do, as is laying off employees, selling market share or even working for a competitor.
As for the banker's face, it may change and I may draw a more contemporary one.
Next week, I'm going to start reviewing bankruptcy management in depth.
Until then, take care.
Xavier aka Binogure