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Pepsi Ranger
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Post by Pepsi Ranger »

Amid the wave of new things I'm implementing these days, I've finally introduced a long overdue feature:

Atmosphere.

Even though they're just numbers at the moment, Hybrid City and its residents will soon have to deal with temperature and weather conditions, each of which can have a positive or negative effect on your business.

The temperature system is currently affected by season, weather, and time of day, and when fully implemented, each customer will have reactions to specific levels of heat (or cold, should the game venture into the winter months), as well as reactions to the temperatures of food and beverages, and, well, weather. Yes, weather will also play a factor in your daily success, especially when the rains come, or the severe heat waves, or, heaven help you, a hurricane (extremely rare).

This is a tricky system that I'll be modifying bit by bit, but the progression of heat throughout the day and its cooling off into the evening is currently working pretty nicely.

I've also got the early workings of a crime aura in place, where the comfort or restlessness of the city is reflected through its safety level. More on that in the future.

Due to all of these enhancements potentially altering the "fun factor" for certain players, I'll likely add custom selections for players who want to turn these features off. This way, if you don't want to keep track of customer heat tolerances when trying to figure out how hot to make your coffee, you won't have to. I know that some of the features I'm adding won't be universally welcome, so I'd certainly like to receive feedback on these ideas if you have anything to suggest.
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And notice it the next morning
And notice it the next morning
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And notice it cool
And notice it cool
coffee10004.png (12.2 KiB) Viewed 6684 times
Later, notice the temperature change
Later, notice the temperature change
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Just after noon
Just after noon
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Post by Mogri »

I'd suggest an option to display in metric.
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Post by TMC »

I second the request for an option to display temperature in Celcius. The conversion from Fahrenheit is just impossible for me to remember.

I think weather could help to make each day slightly more interesting rather than being too much. You haven't implemented anything visual yet?

When you say "trying to figure out how hot to make your coffee," are you referring to drinks cooling down after you make them?


BTW, I forgot to tell you that I optimised hspeak a couple months ago. On my machine, I managed to reduce the time needed to compile (an old version of) the Entrepreneur scripts from 76s to 20s, nearly 5x faster. (It's also possible to cut off another few seconds by building hspeak.exe with a newer version of Euphoria.) I think that with (considerably) more effort I think I can get close to another 2x speedup; diminishing returns for more work.

You don't need to download a nightly build of the engine, instead just use a nightly build of hspeak. It can be used with Etheldreme.
http://hamsterrepublic.com/ohrrpgce/nig ... ightly.zip

Should have mentioned it earlier, whoops!
Last edited by TMC on Fri May 11, 2018 5:01 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Post by Pepsi Ranger »

Mogri wrote:I'd suggest an option to display in metric.
Yep, way ahead of you. I scripted them together. I posted the screenshots of Fahrenheit only, but after I'd posted, I thought I should go back and take new screenshots in Celsius. Whoops. Anyway, here they are.

Just go to the main menu, select "Advanced Features," then "Temperature Setting," and then you'll be taken to the temperature menu. I'll probably also add a selection at the start of the game for metrics preferences to simplify the process.

Does anyone care about Kelvin? Any other metrics I should *seriously* consider?
TMC wrote:I think weather could help to make each day slightly more interesting rather than being too much. You haven't implemented anything visual yet?
No, and I'm not sure when I'm going to work on visuals. What I would like to do is convert the graphics through a filter to simulate heat haze at some point, but other than that, I don't fully know yet how I'm going to tackle it or when. I know rain and hail should be easy to simulate. The rest, especially at the 8-bit level, won't be so much. I may even hold off until I get the 16-bit version up and running. The alpha transparency would certainly help. Once I finish the current experimental version (1.2.2), I'll be spending more time on visuals, HUDs, and other related graphic features. That's when I'd like to start making moves in that direction.
TMC wrote:When you say "trying to figure out how hot to make your coffee," are you referring to drinks cooling down after you make them?
In that regard, sort of. As you may know, coffee cooling is already in the game and has been for a while. What I don't yet have is coffee reheating, so the next full update (1.3) will feature a microwave with different times and power settings to solve that problem. If the coffee, for example, is just lukewarm, and you pop it in the microwave for a length of time suitable for only dead coffee, or worse, a piece of steak, then you run the risk of burning your customer's mouth when he takes it (assuming he'll drink without testing the temperature first--something else I may script in now that I think about it). A lower setting would bring the coffee to acceptable levels, though nothing will ever beat fresh out of the pot. I don't know yet if the coffeepot temperature will be fixed, or if I'll even provide settings for that. For now, it's fixed, and shouldn't risk burning anyone's mouths. Reheating is more than likely where those risks will come into play. I'm not crazy about the idea of monkeying with the machines at this stage. Maybe the more advanced coffeepots, if there's something that would benefit from temperature settings, might have them. I don't know. I can't think of anything offhand.

Food temperature in general is something I'm implementing, but won't actually activate until I've got everything else working well. Once implemented, it will matter how it's served, and where it's stored. Ice cream should already be kept in a freezer, but have you considered the difference between a cold donut and a hot one? Temperature is going to change the way the game is played, I think. Contrary to what I publicize in this thread, some of these changes will actually be good for your customers.
TMC wrote:BTW, I forgot to tell you that I optimised hspeak a couple months ago. On my machine, I managed to reduce the time needed to compile (an old version of) the Entrepreneur scripts from 76s to 20s, nearly 5x faster. (It's also possible to cut off another few seconds by building hspeak.exe with a newer version of Euphoria.) I think that with (considerably) more effort I think I can get close to another 2x speedup; diminishing returns for more work.

You don't need to download a nightly build of the engine, instead just use a nightly build of hspeak. It can be used with Etheldreme.
http://hamsterrepublic.com/ohrrpgce/nig ... ightly.zip

Should have mentioned it earlier, whoops!
Nice. The new script already compiles in about 24 seconds. I should send you the current WIP so you can see how much faster it goes. In fact, I will. Check your email.

The one new planned feature I'm looking more and more forward to is plotstrings. As I prepare to move all of my stats displays to slices, I could definitely stand to free up some disorganization and cross-corruption of my current strings in use.
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Temperature now in Celsius
Temperature now in Celsius
coffee10010.png (12 KiB) Viewed 6655 times
Confirmation of selection!
Confirmation of selection!
coffee10008.png (14.2 KiB) Viewed 6655 times
Temperature Selection Menu
Temperature Selection Menu
coffee10007.png (15.4 KiB) Viewed 6655 times
Temperature in Fahrenheit
Temperature in Fahrenheit
coffee10006.png (11.99 KiB) Viewed 6655 times
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Post by TMC »

Pepsi Ranger wrote:Does anyone care about Kelvin? Any other metrics I should *seriously* consider?
No.
Nice to hear you're ahead of this suggestion.
What I would like to do is convert the graphics through a filter to simulate heat haze at some point
But you're still using a 16 colour palette right, so how would that be possible? Better to just tweak the master palette.

I don't think you should worry much about indicating hot weather, though I do think that would be good. I was thinking about rain when I asked that question.
you run the risk of burning your customer's mouth when he takes it
Was it already fashionable to sue over dangerous food in the 80's?

If you do add extra settings like coffee temperature to the coffee machines (which does sound overboard), it would be definitely great to only provide that on more expensive models, which the player won't get until they've mastered the basics.
The one new planned feature I'm looking more and more forward to is plotstrings. As I prepare to move all of my stats displays to slices, I could definitely stand to free up some disorganization and cross-corruption of my current strings in use.
Plotstring constants is definitely a feature for the G* release. And I'm really falling behind on OHR features.

Actually, the speed up from doing a compile with a newer versin of Euphoria is more considerable than I remembered - reducing from 20s to 14s, so probably quite a relief for you. However part of that speedup may be from being a 64-bit build, and I don't think we can easily provide builds for 64-bit Windows. I'll look into it.
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Post by Pepsi Ranger »

TMC wrote:But you're still using a 16 colour palette right, so how would that be possible? Better to just tweak the master palette.

I don't think you should worry much about indicating hot weather, though I do think that would be good. I was thinking about rain when I asked that question.
I'm actually using the NES palette now, and have been for about a year. I think the experimental version (1.2.1) uses it. But, I still wouldn't do anything crazy on that palette. I'm thinking about the 256-color version, or even 32-bit if we ever move into that territory, for the advanced weather effects. Simulation of haze (during rain events) would be nice, though.

Here's a list of the current weather effects I'm using. I'd actually like input on the order of how they transition from one extreme to another, and whether I'm missing anything that should be on the list:

Code: Select all

script,weather strings,str,value,begin
switch (value) do(
 case (-10,-9) $str = "Hurricane Warning"
 case (-8) $str = "Hail"
 case (-7) $str = "Thunderstorms"
 case (-6) $str = "Heavy Rain"
 case (-5) $str = "Rain"
 case (-4) $str = "Foggy"
 case (-3) $str = "Light Showers"
 case (-2) $str = "Overcast"
 case (-1) $str = "Cloudy"
 case (0) $str = "Partly Cloudy"
 case (1) $str = "Clear"
 case (2) $str = "Clear and Breezy"
 case (3) $str = "Clear and Windy"
 case (4) $str = "Humid"
 case (5) $str = "Sunny and Mild"
 case (6) $str = "Sunny and Warm"
 case (7) $str = "Sunny and Hot"
 case (8) $str = "Extreme Sunshine Advisory"
 case (9,10) $str = "Ultraviolet Radiation Warning"
)
end
I'm also working on indoor counterparts to these values, with a smaller range, and a focus on air-conditioning and ventilation.
TMC wrote:Was it already fashionable to sue over dangerous food in the 80's?
Well, the story takes place along the Pacific coast (probably California, but we'll never know for sure), so we could claim that the fashion began in Hybrid City. That said, I believe the first lawsuit I've heard about was against either McDonald's or Dunkin' Donuts, and I think that was early '90s. The '80s were all about the yuppies, though, and they were lawsuit connoisseurs, so we could say that it was.
TMC wrote:If you do add extra settings like coffee temperature to the coffee machines (which does sound overboard), it would be definitely great to only provide that on more expensive models, which the player won't get until they've mastered the basics.
I highly doubt I'm going to include temperature settings in coffee machines, basic or advanced. Part of the gameplay mechanic is to encourage making coffee amounts based on perceived business expectations, which means making only the number of cups you think you'll need to satisfy the next hour's influx of customers. Temperature should be a risk factor based on overproduction and an incentive to keep track of what you're making and when. To monitor the brewing temperature on top of everything else doesn't sound fun to me. The one thing I might consider is to have a set it and leave it feature, where you have to figure out the ideal temperature for your customers and then leave it there for the rest of the game. Even then, that would be a setting for Normal difficulty or higher, and probably for a "realistic" gameplay setting rather than a "game-y" gameplay setting. As of now, I'm not making plans for this.
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Post by Pepsi Ranger »

In an earlier post, I talked about how customers are getting better economic dynamics through behind-the-scenes functions like getting jobs, bank accounts, credit cards, etc. Among these dynamic elements is the ability for customers to set and keep budgets based on their income and spending types (ranging from strict to out-of-control). Just like in real life, customers can now get back at you for all of the times you've put them through hell, feeding them your garbage coffee. Screenshot tells a new story. Enjoy and weep!
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Dang yuppies!
Dang yuppies!
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Post by TMC »

So you're keeping track of each customer's finances individually? Are these affected in different ways, aside from the money they spend on your goods and any external influences that affect everyone equally?

That scale of weather conditions does seem a little out of order. For example I might reverse Light Showers and Foggy. But what's the purpose of this scale? Does it determine only for what temperature of coffee and food that customers want? I can't say what the order should be without knowing that.
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Post by Pepsi Ranger »

You've got some tough questions today. I'll do my best to answer.
TMC wrote:So you're keeping track of each customer's finances individually? Are these affected in different ways, aside from the money they spend on your goods and any external influences that affect everyone equally?
Well, they can get jobs now (in a future version we might even see them at their jobs, though no time soon), so they have an income based on employment conditions instead of a random number value assigned to their wallets at the start of each day. As I said in an earlier post, these jobs are mainly entry level positions that don't require proof of residency or education, as they are travelers from the future and can't prove their skills. So, the money they spend depends on the money they make and the money they save. For the first two days, they spend only what they bring with them on the time machine. Starting on Day 3, they can also open a savings account, get a checkbook, and even get a credit card. I'm still changing the system to allow them alternative payment options if they run out of cash. Hopefully, you won't start running into deadbeats until late in the game, if ever.

Finances are dependent on job, but also dependent on budget and spending habit. The stricter their spending habits, the tighter customers will stick to their budgets. Fortunately, the budget changes each day. Unfortunately, the budget applies to all daily spending, not just what they spend at your shop. So, you'll want to incentivize them coming to your place first, or even set your opening hours for the morning instead of the afternoon (a planned feature not yet implemented) to raise the likelihood that they have money to spend at your place. The caveat to the budget/spending rule is that addiction trumps all, and if you have a customer in your line who has a high coffee addiction rating, then he's going to spend money whether the value keeps him to his budget or blows it out of the water. This is why you'll want to spend more on marketing and addiction boosting items like sugar. It may be the difference between a successful day and a bad one.

At some point, they're going to feed the local economy by visiting other shops, restaurants, etc. Not sure when that'll happen. Some may also contribute to the crime aura, especially if the jobs they take are unsavory, so that may also affect the local economy (and their own economy).
TMC wrote:That scale of weather conditions does seem a little out of order. For example I might reverse Light Showers and Foggy. But what's the purpose of this scale? Does it determine only for what temperature of coffee and food that customers want? I can't say what the order should be without knowing that.
I was thinking of swapping foggy and light showers, but I'd also heard that fog is the result of moisture that can't rise due to upper pressure, so I don't know which would occur first. I may swap them just to keep the rains consistent.

The purpose of the scale is to determine atmospheric conditions through movements of pressure. Some of the values may change depending on the temperature (like I wouldn't call the weather sunny and hot if the temperature is below freezing, for example), but while the game remains a summer only game, I won't worry about that. Maybe later, if I make the yearlong version. The purpose of adding weather is to affect business conditions. So, if you're serving coffee in the park, and a thunderstorm rolls through, no one but highly addicted people are likely to show up. On the contrary, if you're in a coffee shop and a thunderstorm rolls through, everyone is likely to show up, at once!

That's the plan, at any rate. Feature creep is a little intense these days.
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Post by Pepsi Ranger »

I'm in the process of adding what I believe is the complete and final side item list (for customers to order with their coffees, sandwiches, or sodas) into the game. If you think this list is missing anything, let me know now, as I want to wrap this feature up as soon as possible.

Current Side Items:

Soda (w/flat alternative)
Sandwich (w/half-eaten alternative)
Cookie (general flavor; w/stale alternative; w/half-eaten alternative; can be bought individually or in dozens)
Chocolate Chip Cookie (w/stale alternative; can be bought individually or in dozens)
Peanut Butter Cookie (w/stale alternative; can be bought individually or in dozens)
Pie (can be bought in slices or whole)
Rice Square
Cupcake (general; w/stale alternative; w/half-licked alternative)
Brownie (w/stale alternative)
Plain Donut (w/stale alternative; w/half-eaten alternative)
Powdered Donut (w/stale alternative)
Glazed Donut (w/stale alternative)
Chocolate Donut (w/stale alternative)
Jelly Donut (w/stale alternative)
Cream-filled Donut (w/stale alternative)
Assorted Donuts (half-dozen)
Assorted Donuts (dozen)
Cinnamon Roll (w/stale alternative)
Plain Muffin (w/stale alternative; w/half-eaten alternative)
Blueberry Muffin (w/stale alternative)
Poppy Seed Muffin (w/stale alternative)

So, that's the current list. Is there anything that should be on this list that isn't?

For example, would you want to see different pie varieties, like apple, cherry, or pumpkin, rather than one all-purpose type? Should "pie" or "cookie" have specific flavors instead of "general flavor"?

Is having a variety of each type of pastry too much?

There's a good chance I'll offer all pastry types in dozens as well as individuals. The above list are those that are already defined or in the process of definition.

Everything on this list should be purchasable and usable by the next experimental release (1.2.2).

Also note that many of these will have fresh and heated alternatives, as well as the option to bake them on the premises, in a future version.

As a point of reference, I'm more interested in what you'd like to see offered as a side item rather than what you think should be offered. I think the game is getting pretty bloated, so I'd rather stick with items that make the game better, not overly crowded. Thanks.
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Post by Pepsi Ranger »

Okay, folks, this is the 100th post in "Entrepreneur Central," and with the 100th post comes an important announcement.

As of last night, I've started Entrepreneur: The Beginning's journey toward a new game engine.*

*When I say "started," I mean that I've started learning a new engine with the intention of eventually porting a version of Entrepreneur: The Beginning to it.

Hopefully.

Perhaps this bears explanation.

As I develop the OHR version of the game further, it becomes plain for me to see that achieving all that I want, or may eventually want for it, will keep getting tougher to pull off in a sensible way, and in some cases, impossible, and it makes me tired thinking about it. For example, I've spent the last 15 months (or 18?...I've lost track) updating the game's code to run more efficiently and to make certain updates happen faster, yet I'm still drowning in functions, and I often have a hard time deciding which way is up. This owes some part to the current variable system, which has so far become a list of 13000 strong for me, with no sign of letting up, and my new "hub" functions are still relying on more than 50 instances where certain items may be used and tracked, with a unique variable and several tags needed for each instance. I have certain ideas for UI and dialogue presentation that can be done on the OHR, but not particularly well, and not without problems. I also have certain features I'd like to implement but simply can't (like multiplayer) because the OHR won't allow for it. None of this is breaking the deal for me, but I've gone from enjoying the creation process to at times dreading it, and not because I'm tired of it, but because I see a finish line that seems unattainable. When I think about all that I still want to accomplish, I look back at all that I've already accomplished, factor in the amount of time I've spent getting there (over nine years), and realize that compared to where I wanted to be after nine years, I've hardly made a dent in progress.

Much of this molasses development has to do with my coding strategies from early years. I've put a lot of time into handcrafted scripts that could've been implemented more efficiently as functions. I'm rectifying that now. Parts of it also have to do with poor organization of specific segments, especially having to do with global variables. Much of it also has to do with certain engine limitations that have evolved over the years but were not sufficient at the time I started this project back in May 2009. Parts of it still have to do with engine inadequacies that persist today--slice collections have been a big help, for example, but they're still wonky compared to the slices I see used in the majority of games I play on Steam.

There are a number of nitpicks that I've all but ignored but still feel uneasy about when I think about what I want for this game. The 60-day cycle is one example. I'd rather set the game at 90, but that means creating a new series of 30 dynamic variables for a dynamic set of rules with multiple parts, each with its own "memory," and blah blah blah. Textbox dialogue is another matter entirely. As a writer who cares about text presentation, the OHR's lack of text or textbox diversity has been a silent scream for me for years. Because so many other features have taken engine priority, I've left my grievances alone.

But I'm also thinking about graphics, map presentation, and various custom settings like allowing the player to make his or her own menu. I'd like to update and improve each of these. I don't necessarily want a 20x20 walking sprite for the main character. It's fine. It works. And, I can still use the Big Tall script to redesign each character if I want a character who stands at 20x40. But maybe I'd rather have a 16x32. Okay, well, the engine is getting its sprite and graphics overhaul, so these things can be addressed in time. But, I'm also thinking about what I've learned about the current design, what people like and don't like about it, etc. I'm wondering if it's better to keep revising over broken or insufficient things, or to start from scratch in a different engine that can already do more of what I want, this time with a much clearer plan in mind.

The fact is, I've been considering a Unity port for a while now, especially after playing games like Stardew Valley, which is much more in line with the kind of game I want this one to be, and seeing what I can accomplish from a design like that has kept me dreaming of new possibilities that I would never pull off effectively on the OHR, not without the engine itself reaching its full potential (which I know it will someday reach, but probably not in the time frame I'd like). This is especially true when I consider that Stardew Valley's original release came four years after its creator began the project (which would've been three years after I started Entrepreneur: The Beginning), and the result of those four years' worth of work still puts my nine years' of work to shame.

I wanted to post a message about my plans because I'm pretty sure I'm going to start work on the Unity version this year. I still intend to bring the OHR version to 1.6 or 1.7, though, and I would use all that I implement in the OHR as a blueprint for an improved version on Unity. Because plotscripting and C# are so similar (seems that way so far), I think I could even port many of the existing scripts over pretty easily (with symbol and definition changes being the primary source of new work, of course). Once the plotscripting code is optimized (hopefully soon), my updates for the game will move faster, and I suspect that I could still achieve much of what I envisioned from the beginning (though I'm still condensing handcrafted code into functions 15 or 18 months later). However, I know I won't be able to achieve all of it. And, therein lies my new vision for the game.

Of course, because I'm just now learning C# (almost 24 hours later!), I can safely say that a Unity version is a long way off, and I may actually do all of my practice on a different game entirely in the meantime. But, I suspect that moving to Unity will open doors that the OHR may still struggle with in time (I'm thinking mainly UI, resolution, controller support, etc.), or simply can't do at all (multiplayer), or maybe can do now but in limited quantities (arrays, variable management, certain game dynamics), and I think it's time to explore what those doors can look like.

So, I'm still working on this, slowly, but I also think there's a point where I have to admit that this kind of game needs its best foot placed on a more versatile engine, and for the time being, I'll be working on each version side-by-side. Doing so will allow me to get more creative with the coffee-making portion of the game, as well as to improve shop displays, character dynamics, and even movement around the map. In short, I want to make it easier for players to build their own coffee shops and to eliminate reliance on menus to play the game.

Okay, I could've just said that in the beginning.

I have no idea what the experience porting this game to a new engine will be like. I know so little about Unity that I've got no clue how much I actually can achieve, but based on the games I've played that use Unity, I think I can achieve quite a bit. If nothing else, it's giving me a chance to become better at programming practices. As I said, C# and plotscripting have a lot of similarities so far. Microsoft Visual Studio is pretty nice, too, with all of its fancy easy referencing. We'll see how it all goes.

Regarding 1.2.2, I'm still working on it. It may still take me a while. Figuring out where all of my values and functions go takes time and research. But I am making progress, and I hope to have it done soon.

P.S. If any of you use Unity, I'd like to hear your development stories.
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Post by Baconlabs »

I wish I could help, but my experience with Unity is limited to what I studied around 4 years ago, when I was trying to make a rogue-lite 3D dungeon crawler (didn't get very far with that one). Everyone around me at the time was all "3D, 3D, 3D", so I never learned a single thing about Unity's 2D capabilities. I hear it used to be terrible for 2D, but it's been a long time, so it's probably way better than it used to be, if I had to hazard a guess.

Best of luck to you! I wouldn't even know where to begin with porting an OHR game to Unity (even though Entrepreneur, last I checked (2011), was nothing like your average OHR RPG); I'm impressed that you're even considering it.
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Post by Bob the Hamster »

Unity is cool! I have only used it for one game before, but it is a really nice engine.

I've watched your ability as a programmer grow, and I agree that you are ready for C#, and you are probably going to love it more and more as you learn more about it.

Please do keep posting here about how it is going!
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Post by Foxley »

Before redoing the game in a different engine, maybe you should quickly tie up loose ends as much as possible and release a playtest version of your OHRRPGCE project and garner feedback before you spend possibly several more years continuing to work on it. Working that long on a game and not even knowing if people will like it is kind of a big risk, IMO.
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Post by Pepsi Ranger »

Before redoing the game in a different engine, maybe you should quickly tie up loose ends as much as possible and release a playtest version of your OHRRPGCE project and garner feedback before you spend possibly several more years continuing to work on it. Working that long on a game and not even knowing if people will like it is kind of a big risk, IMO.
Well, the game is out and has been out for a long time. It has a few fans here, but it's a very small reach, so I don't know what it's marketing potential is beyond the scope of the OHR. I do know, based on the low turnout that other OHR games have on paid platforms like Steam, my chances at building my audience on the current engine is very low. This doesn't mean that I'm done building the OHR version. Not at all. It does mean that the OHR version will now become my testing ground for what works and what doesn't, which will influence my decision on what goes into the Unity version. For example, I'll probably reduce travel distance between shops in the Unity version. It will also lay foundations for the Unity version such as dialogue and items that I won't need to redo or rethink too much. Those types of assets will be easy to export.

I guess I should say that for as long as I've dreamed about doing a Unity version, I've considered using it to make Entrepreneur: The Deluxe Beginning, or Entrepreneur: The New Beginning, or some variant of the current title that would justify me enhancing the look and feel of the game. In other words, production on this version will resume until I reach a point I no longer think it's necessary, which will likely happen at my original termination point for the game with version 1.7, or the version that completes the "Chet's Bet" portion of the game. It also means I probably won't do Chapters 2 - 6 on the OHR, even though I still want to build them on something.

Moving it to a new engine will also give me a chance to re-envision how to handle certain aspects like purchasing storefronts instead of running the entire business at a park pavilion, for example. It may also allow me to modify graphics states easier, like allowing you to rename your business and see it reflecting in the shop sign over the door (something that would be a royal pain to implement in the OHR).

I don't mind the time it takes to build it if I enjoy it. I want people to play it, but I also want to play a game that I don't have that I want to play, and I can't play this version of the game I want anywhere at this point.
Please do keep posting here about how it is going!
Oh, of course. I'll have screenshots, demos, and the works listed here. I'm in the early stages of learning the engine, so I wouldn't expect to see anything substantial for a while. But, I'll keep it as part of the progress meter here, alongside the OHR version, which will still continue as the trailblazer version of the game.
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