Entrepreneur Central

Pepsi Ranger · Post by **Pepsi Ranger** » Sun Sep 25, 2016 11:19 pm

It's fascinating seeing all of the new stuff in action. The new customer sprites are looking particularly good. Adding more color to them makes it much easier to tell who's who, and just adds more life to them. The menus are certainly the most exciting part for me, though. There's just so much more information now. Playing around with garnishes, powders, and whatnot was always a shot in the dark for the most part. All I had was a flavor score, I think, and I wasn't sure exactly how that translated into the quality of a drink. It's good to see a more consistent view across the customer preference information and the item information.

This reminds me that I probably need something similar to display during coffee prep phases. Not sure yet if that's something I would implement right off the bat, or something that I'd display once your character hits a certain skill level (probably the latter), but it's something I should still add at some phase. I have a lot to think about during the development of this upcoming version.

I have a question about the z shortcut. I found it by chance once, and I couldn't tell how it calculated the cost. Does it show the estimated price of the cup of coffee for the customer? Or does it calculate the cost of each individual ingredient that went into making that cup, ie paper cup + hawaiian powder + sugar + cream? I assumed it would show the latter, but I remember the number shown not seeming to be accurate. However, since a serving of sugar is a fraction of the price of a whole unit, for example, my quick in-my-head math could be totally off.

I make no guarantees of its accuracy (even though I think it is accurate), but it's supposed to show the quality score of the coffee in hand. It's useful when you're serving a customer of a particular tolerance level. Generally, if you're serving someone with low tolerance, you'll want to do your best to come within a few points of their preferred quality value. It's also very useful when you're serving the coffee critic, as he expects you to satisfy higher tiered coffees with each new evaluation.

It should be noted that there are two quality values given to you at any one time: 1. The value of the coffee in the pot, and 2. the value of the coffee you're about to serve. The value of the pot is your base score. It requires garnishes, clean cups, and other comforts to raise the score. You can also use garbage and spoiled items to lower it if it's too high--not that anyone wants gross coffee, but some people are cheapskates and don't want something that'll cost them $7. So, strategies abound. Again, I want to improve the interface according to increasing coffee skills at some point. But when you hit z, you're displaying the overall quality value of that particular cup, based on what cup you poured the coffee in, what garnishes are in it, and whether or not you've stirred it or fit it with a warmer. It does not give you any indication of what it might cost, you or the customer. And that would be difficult to display anyway, as the customer generally pays you according to value, preference, and tolerance--in other words, he chooses what he wants to give you. If you watch the video again, you'll notice that the last customer pays $3 for the same coffee that earns $2 from everyone else. The customer who pays $3 also has very low standards, according to what he says when he orders it.

What you're suggesting, the value of the coffee versus the cost of making it, is a good idea. However, I think for it to be accurate, I would need to implement a decimal system, and there's a reason I haven't done that yet. Fortunately, I have those breakdowns written in my journal. It's how I balance the game. In v1.1, I think it was possible to spend more on coffee than you made from it. Obviously, that's unacceptable, so I've since fixed it. But scripting a decimal system is something I do hope to accomplish eventually. I'd rather this game deal in dollars and cents instead of just dollars. The OHR makes that very difficult to do well, though.

That said, I don't want your success to depend entirely on customer whims. At some point, I'll allow you to customize prices for certain types of coffee, but only for those that go on the menu. Anything you make on the fly (that doesn't match a defined coffee on the menu) will still be pay-what-you-want for the customer. Most likely I'll be using a sliding scale for setting prices in v1.3 (like how The Sims 2: Out for Business does it) when I implement the custom menu, and move it to a decimal system in v1.6, which will basically be my feature complete version, for finer tuning and better ROI information.

On a side note, I wanted to mention that as I was getting my own coffee this morning, I noticed the garnish bar had cinnamon powder with the sugar. I'd never had cinnamon in my coffee before, but I realized that is practically my specialty in Entrepreneur based on how frequently I use it. Turns out it's actually really good. I might even make it my regular drink. I just find it interesting how much Entrepreneur: The Beginning has in a way shaped my way of thinking about things like what goes into making a product on the provider's and the customer's end. It's how I know it's such a great game.

That's high praise. Thanks for sharing that.

On that topic, let me suggest that you don't put salt in your coffee. I tried that myself once before scripting it in. It doesn't taste very good, hence why it doesn't taste good in the game. FYI.

Pepsi Ranger · Post by **Pepsi Ranger** » Mon Dec 05, 2016 5:49 am

It's been a couple of months since my last update, so I wanted to share a brief progress report:

Shops:

First of all, I'm finished with graphic updates for the time being. I still have a few Layer 4 touches I want to make down the road (like including those air-conditioning units I had talked about in an earlier post), but my focus now is on adding new maps and improving current features.

That said, here's a sneak peek at two new shops that you'll be able to explore in v1.3. Keep in mind that these are still under construction (well, they need interactive shopkeepers still), but they will add a new dimension to your coffee-making empire if you maximize their use.

-Wild Trends-

Visit Wild Trends to sample exotic new concoctions, like caramel syrup and hazelnut cream. Or, if you manage to get hold of a Fake ID (not yet sure if I'll make that available in v1.3 or v1.4 just yet--possibly 1.3), you can buy some alcohol to spice your coffees for your guinea pig clientele. For now, you can use Kahlua, Irish Cream, or whiskey, but I may add rum and other options down the road.

Note: My goal is to scale back on the use of trademarks, so anything that has a name in real life will likely be changed to something else by the time the next update is released.

-Perks Outlet-

Every five days, a kindly gentleman from the Chamber of Commerce named Mr. Perkins will visit your house with a list of available "perks" you can choose to add to your business if your accessibility is good enough. These perks will occasionally offer cash rewards and other bonuses, but the main draw will be exposure to new kinds of coffee and syrup not available anywhere else (coffees from Antarctica and the moon, for example). But what if you want these coffees and syrups on a day not divisible by five? Once you become a member of Perks Outlet, you'll be able to purchase these high-ranking coffees any time. But you'll have to score high accessibility before you can become a member.

Improvements:

But building shops is not the only development happening these days. The big news at the moment is that I'm rewriting the scripts to utilize more economic methods. Even though this means doing away with the handcrafted element I've given to each new item, it'll also mean implementing items and other conventions much faster, once I'm done converting everything to a template. I'm already nearing the end of updating item creation to the new system. My hope is that the new method will make item creation (and other implementations) just a matter of defining numbers and variables via a single master script and letting it fly. Once everything is in place and I'm confident that it's working according to plan, I'll add in donuts and nutmeg as a test for functionality.

I'm also hoping that rewriting the scripts will improve optimization, and whenever arrays are implemented I hope that it will also simplify the process of bringing them into the game.

So far it's been an easy (and faster-than-I-expected) process. The hard part has been with staying organized. With so many systems at work, it's easy to let one slip through the cracks. Fortunately I've partitioned out every script from the main plotscript file to smaller script files based on category. But this isn't foolproof, as some scripts would work in multiple categories. Needless to say, updating the game to the new script style will require slow and meticulous replacement and testing. I plan to copy everything into a new master file and use that as my base in the near future to minimize bugs creeping in.

I've also decided that only systems will receive an update for now. Single-use scripts, like events, can remain as is for the time being.

Other Things:

Converting the old system into a more efficient template system means rethinking how things work, and thus considering how to implement new UI elements. One thing I was going to wait on, but see no reason to now, is to upgrade the item system to include levels. In other words, instead of buying the same kind of sugar over and over and over again, I want to integrate into a new system that allows you to buy specific "levels" of sugar. Think of it in terms of brands. Some brands are of higher quality than others. My goal for 1.3 is to allow you to buy low, medium, and high qualities of certain items, like sugar, cream, etc. This will not apply to anything that's already got a built-in quality system, like coffee products, for example. Store powder already provides worse quality than Hawaiian powder, and the average consumer knows that. However, milk, eggs, etc. won't have labels defining their quality, so they will come with level-based systems. I think this will help with planning and budgeting coffee production. Logically, you would start with low-quality cream to garnish your customers' coffees when the business is new and upgrade to better quality creams when the money improves. Most people will know the difference but accept it anyway because it's the only coffee shop in town. But what if you get an entitled customer who only likes high-quality creams and you give him that cheap stuff? Suddenly, giving him cream blindly may not be good enough.

I'm also working toward increasing the number of specific equipment items you can carry from one to four. This will mean that you can have up to four coffeepots running at once instead of having to buy a coffee sock, coffee brewer, and cappuccino machine to fill in all of your tables. This will also inevitably lead to the ability to choose where to set your equipment, instead of simply unlocking a table based on what you're carrying. Once the new scripting is in place, this should be easy to implement.

I previously wrote:What you're suggesting, the value of the coffee versus the cost of making it, is a good idea. However, I think for it to be accurate, I would need to implement a decimal system, and there's a reason I haven't done that yet. Fortunately, I have those breakdowns written in my journal. It's how I balance the game. In v1.1, I think it was possible to spend more on coffee than you made from it. Obviously, that's unacceptable, so I've since fixed it. But scripting a decimal system is something I do hope to accomplish eventually. I'd rather this game deal in dollars and cents instead of just dollars. The OHR makes that very difficult to do well, though.

That said, I don't want your success to depend entirely on customer whims. At some point, I'll allow you to customize prices for certain types of coffee, but only for those that go on the menu. Anything you make on the fly (that doesn't match a defined coffee on the menu) will still be pay-what-you-want for the customer. Most likely I'll be using a sliding scale for setting prices in v1.3 (like how The Sims 2: Out for Business does it) when I implement the custom menu, and move it to a decimal system in v1.6, which will basically be my feature complete version, for finer tuning and better ROI information.

What I said about the decimal system was based on several factors, most of which will no longer be relevant once the new scripting system is in place. The fact is, I've already built a decimal system for the new promotions display, and it works, so I hope to convert it to other areas of the game as soon as it's practical. Maybe it'll be done in time for v1.3. Possibly.

Oh, and speaking of the new promotions display, I have a new promotions display coming:

Yes, promotions will be much more diverse than they are in the current version, but they will also come with a price. Ernest Bee, representative for the Hybrid City Environmental Council, will be keeping tabs on how much litter you cause by posting things on trees and benches and things, and will be quick to fine you if you get too crazy with it. So, I hope you have a good marketing plan ready, because you're gonna have to be smart about it if you want to avoid the wrath of a rabid environmentalist.

Anyway, you can see decimals at work in the screenshot above.

Other New Planned Features:

I don't know when I'm going to begin working on this, but I've also decided it's time to give Buck a car. I'll leave that idea up to your imagination.

More to come when I have more to report.

kylekrack · Post by **kylekrack** » Mon Dec 05, 2016 9:40 pm

Wow!!! I don't have time to read all of this right now, but it looks like some great headway!

Pepsi Ranger · Post by **Pepsi Ranger** » Tue Feb 14, 2017 5:28 am

It's been a couple of months since the last update, so I wanted to let you guys know what's been going on.

If you've been keeping up with this thread, you'll know that progress has been a little slow, thanks to the "handcrafted" method I've been using to script items into the game. Fortunately, I'm pretty much finished with that (just a few minor things that I'd just as soon wait on), and I'm mostly finished with adding in all of v1.3's new crop of shops (I had a bad test with shop reports at the Lease Agent's office a little while ago, but I can fix that easily enough).

You'll also know that I've been moving toward restructuring how Entrepreneur: The Beginning's scripts work, so that I can streamline additions better and faster and hopefully cut down on extra code and speed up the game's processes. Because I still encounter rare bugs, I know that this change is essential for the coming update.

But progress on the game hasn't all been boring. Here is a breakdown of the more fun things I've been doing since December:

Calendar Dates:

For years, we've had to play this game on this ambiguous Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, etc. cycle that talks about summer, but never really emphasizes summer. But that's all about to change. As of v1.3, the clock will also display Hybrid City's calendar, so you'll always know what day it is, what date it really is. Why does this matter? I will be recognizing holidays in the game (mainly the Fourth of July) and scripting shop dynamics to respond accordingly. If I add chapters to the game down the road, then this will become even more necessary to keep Buck grounded in reality when Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas come into play. But that's far into the future.

Here are a couple of examples of the calendar system at work. Notice the differences in text between both pictures:

-Day 1: June 10, 1985-

-Day 3: June 12, 1985-

Ain't that all kinds of nice?

Shopping Improvements:

I've also been working with shop convenience a bit. For example, in the old versions, when Buck has items in his cart that he doesn't want, he has to discard them through his shopping cart menu selection, which is the repurposed item menu. It works, but it can be cumbersome. In v1.3, he now has a return bin where he can dump off his cart if he needs to leave in a hurry or can't afford to buy what he's carrying. Every shop has this.

Eventually, I'd like to give the player the opportunity to take things back to the shelf directly, but that's still a ways off. It's also unnecessary, but I believe in being thorough when I design games. I want to make possible all of the things I would want the option to do as a player if this were someone else's game.

Anyway, that's not all.

Psychology:

One of my plans for v1.3 is to implement customer and player psychology, which is where the game responds to the player's actions. For example, in the beginning, I want to make it possible for the player to ruin coffee if he doesn't know what he's doing. But, as the game goes on and he gets the hang of it, I want to make the game become "more aware" of his understanding and streamline his coffee-making options so that screwing things up gets harder and harder to do.

As a practice run for implementing a full psychology system, I've updated the shoplifting mechanic to display options according to player habit.

For example, here is the original choice box, with a new selection added:

Now, this assumes that the player hasn't stolen much from the shops (if anything), and attempts to gauge Buck's conscience (because even though it's a player playing, this is still a game with RPG elements, and Buck is the character we're shaping, so the game reads his conscience, even though the player is telling him what to do). As you can see, it's pretty tame.

However, the more that Buck shoplifts, the more his conscience begins to erode. And the more his conscience erodes, the more likely he'll take on a different attitude toward shoplifting.

Here is the second-level shoplifting choice box to show his declining morality toward "doing the right thing.":

There are currently five levels of conscience in the shoplifting option. Each one is worse than the one before it. The highest level is pretty gangster.

So, that's the early stage of the game's psychology system. More to come.

Balancing:

Finally, I've been working on a new system for tracking item and equipment values to better balance the game. As I move toward the new scripting template, I think this system will come in quite handy for organizing things. What is this new system, you may ask?

Excel spreadsheets!

Yep, I am finally tracking my items the sensible way, and the result will lead to better balancing and better planning. This will also make it easier for me to keep track of values for display purposes during shop visits.

Here is a partial snapshot of the in-progress equipment page (Page 1):

Notice it shows price, shop location, advantages, disadvantages (listed as "limitations"), special notes (off-screen), and other helpful pieces of information.

Here is a partial snapshot of the in-progress coffee essentials page (Page 2):

Notice that coffee values are color-coded, and that prices include per serving prices, and that coffee values include total quality sums. This makes it easier to see how each item compares to its neighbors. I've already adjusted the values of a couple of items to better represent the whole of player options in response to using this spreadsheet for balancing. I'm looking forward to doing all future planning on this sheet.

And, if you're wondering, I do plan to release the spreadsheet with the game for those who want to plan their production days before they start. It should improve the way some players play the game. Though, for those who still want to play it the traditional balls to the wall way, where everything is done by testing and memorizing, the in-game item display will remain functional.

So, that's what's going on lately. Feedback welcome.

Pepsi Ranger · Post by **Pepsi Ranger** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 12:35 am

So, for today's post, I'd like to share some additional ideas that have come to mind today that can really make this game utterly insane (with the obvious ability to lock certain features or requirements out for those who just want casual play). When TMC once compared this game's development practices to Dwarf Fortress, I thought, I may as well own that. So, that's what I'm doing today: creeping in those insane features!

Here's what I wrote in my design journal for today:

I’ve got another idea that may or may not prove I have a mental problem. Because I have to take OSHA 30 for a course I paid for back in October, I’m spending a lot of time watching PowerPoint slides about safety practices in the workplace and otherwise growing bored of the whole thing. But tonight, I got to watch a slide show on the one section I do have a general interest in: bloodborne pathogens. Because I used to work in the medical field, I’m keenly aware of the dangers of blood, and the ways in which it can be exposed.

Tacking that onto the virus book I read a few weeks ago called The Hot Zone, and it got me thinking that I could have Buck dabble in the street side blood collection business as an alternative means for making money. He could draw blood and sell it on the black market. Or he could draw it and sell it to the local medical facility. He could do both as a licensed phlebotomist, or unlicensed. And in each case, his methods for extracting blood should pose potential health risks to his customers if he does it wrong.

This actually evolved from my initial idea, which is to allow Buck to inject syringes into his customer’s arms directly while they wait in line for coffee. This could lead to various side effects, including double-doses of health benefits or hazards, cross-contamination of whatever diseases customers might be carrying (this should have a low risk, but not necessarily zero), and citations from the health inspector if too many violations are discovered, including ethical violations should he inject a customer against his wishes.

The other items that a system like this might require include a biohazard bag and container for sharps disposal (I’ll need one anyway, just because needles can be bought), empty syringes, safety devices, alcohol cleaners, collection bags, and vials of boost, placebo, and plague solutions. I could also use this system as an opportunity to modify the customer interaction system to include more options than just “talk” and “bounce.” I’ll probably want to wait until v1.4 for the direct method, as that would fit more in line with the illegal and questionable practices feature, but I won’t need to wait until v1.5 for the social update.

Other thoughts that came to mind include one I had last night about making almost anything interactive with anything else, but with obvious consequences. In relation to the OSHA stuff I’ve been studying, I think hazards could be included as events (v1.4), where untrained employees, or even Buck himself, can cause himself serious injury if he doesn’t go through training materials first. To keep this from becoming an unfun slog, training can happen at home, overnight. I’ll probably want selectable overnight actions that consider what time Buck would need to get to bed in order to be refreshed in the morning.

Speaking of which, when I implement new time periods, I’ll want to implement a sleep-need meter with it. If Buck doesn’t get enough sleep one night, he should be allowed to consume his own product to wake up and get reenergized. Or, he could just make coffee at home, or inject himself with a boost syringe or caffeine shot.

Finally, in thinking about story parts, as outlined a few weeks ago with new part titles like “Chet’s Bet,” I thought about the mailing system and how cumbersome it might be to create new mail entries for 300 more days. Then I realized that the mail system in general could be written better to include “closed” graphics when the mail is unchecked, “opened” when it has been checked that day, and “flag up” if Buck wants to send outgoing mail. And outgoing mail could be a communication feature he can use to boost social interactions and order items online. But, what I think would be most useful is to allow Buck to send off for various clubs and memberships, including a weekly-charged club for “boxes of mystery,” which would send him random items of a certain value each morning that are free to use (except for the weekly charge), and a new special item every Wednesday and Friday. Other mailing options could include request forms for specific shops to stock certain items that aren’t available on Day 1.

Oh, and mail-order brides for the future dating simulation? Why, yes, of course. [I know somebody suggested this once a long time ago, and at the time I saw no reason to go to that level of absurdity. Now I do.]

So, that’s what’s on my mind today. Not sure how many of these would make decent v1.3 additions, but I think they should all be in place by v1.5.

(end journal entry)

These are all ideas, of course, and nothing is set in stone. But, one of the reasons this game is so fun to design is because it doubles as my canvas for far-reaching possibilities, in that, if I think it could be something that a budding businessman could do with or without various safeguards in place (physical and ethical), then Buck should be able to do it, too.

Let me know if you like the idea of having a wide variety of options for interacting with people and things in your pursuit for making an honest (or dishonest) buck in Entrepreneur: The Beginning.

Post by **TMC** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 1:36 am

Holy moly. Now I understand, this game is not about coffee. That's just scaffolding.
Background in the medical field... that would explain why you're so keen on having Buck inject people with pathogens. Phlebotomy isn't something that would come to my mind as a possible venture in a business sim game, ever.

Expanding the Talk/Bounce options would be nice.

What would cut into sleeping time, just reading something at night? Meaning if you do it every night you'll start to suffer consequences? What would the consequences be if Buck isn't refreshed?

Speaking of which, when I implement new time periods, I’ll want to implement a sleep-need meter with it. If Buck doesn’t get enough sleep one night, he should be allowed to consume his own product to wake up and get reenergized. Or, he could just make coffee at home, or inject himself with a boost syringe or caffeine shot.

What!! I could really use that coffee filter Buck is using at home on day one! (Or, I guess, day two after he finds out he's in business.) He should have planned this out better!

And outgoing mail could be a communication feature he can use to boost social interactions and order items online.

Heh, mail order is the 80's equivalent of online shopping. I'm not sure what you mean by social interactions here, though. You mean the clubs? Aside from your mystery gift one, I'm having trouble coming up with ideas for other clubs that would actually impac the game in any way other than just being a money spending exercise, or I guess causing some "connections" meter to go up.

More plot events (or just flavour events) would definitely be welcome. But why do you need 300 days? Maybe I missed something, but what happened to the original time limit?

Also, what happened to the screenshots in your previous posts?

Pepsi Ranger · Post by **Pepsi Ranger** » Mon Mar 06, 2017 12:25 am

Holy moly. Now I understand, this game is not about coffee. That's just scaffolding.

I've been saying that since the beginning, or at least since 2013.

This is why the city is as big as it is. I have a vision, people!

Background in the medical field... that would explain why you're so keen on having Buck inject people with pathogens. Phlebotomy isn't something that would come to my mind as a possible venture in a business sim game, ever.

We'll be proud to become the first. ;)

I look at it more from the vantage of selling blood for profit, which is kind of a business. The only difference is that instead of Buck selling his own blood, which is where most people make money from it, he'll be selling others' blood, which is less conventional and probably the kind of thing that certain Hybrid City officials might want to pay closer attention to and possibly try to stop.

Even though Entrepreneur: The Beginning encourages sound business practices, it won't force you down a purely ethical path. I like the idea of business role playing where certain decisions have pros and cons attached. Sneaking a caffeine tablet into a customer's already potent coffee might increase his addiction levels so high that he'll have to keep coming back for his coffee fix, but if the wrong people find out about what you're doing....

The game's innocence and straightforwardness should depend on the player, not the story.

Expanding the Talk/Bounce options would be nice.

This would be a good place to discuss the kinds of social interactions you'd like to have with customers, or anyone in the game for that matter. I'm thinking "High Five" would boost customer service (but too many might turn someone off, as would high-fiving a germophobe who left his apartment only because he doesn't know how to make coffee).

What would cut into sleeping time, just reading something at night? Meaning if you do it every night you'll start to suffer consequences? What would the consequences be if Buck isn't refreshed?

Okay, this might require some explanation, as this is unlikely to appear before version 1.5. But here's how I'm thinking that time will eventually break down by the 1.5 update (the update where each day becomes longer than it is now).

5am - 7am: Optional rise period. Buck can fall out of bed and get an early start on his day, or he can take his time with breakfast, coffee, etc. and begin his day at the normal hour. He can also sleep in if he needs the extra energy.

7am - 12pm: Prep time option #1. This is the current standard, where Buck runs around town getting his supplies for the day, preparing for the afternoon rush at the coffee pavilion. He can use this time to catch up on other business if he's done shopping and has plenty of time to kill. He can also sleep until noon if he wants.

5am - 8am: Prep time option #2. The funny thing about coffee drinkers is that nobody wants to wait until noon for their first cup of the day. Depending on when he sets his opening hours, Buck may want to be ready for work in the morning, so that he can serve the morning crowd. Of course, he'll want to offer them donuts, eggs, toast, etc., also, to help them get their days started, so he might want to spend these hours frying up eggs and bacon so that he doesn't have to make people wait.

12pm - 5pm: Work time option #1. This is the current standard. Even though Buck doesn't have to man the pavilion during these hours, which he may do if he's got other plans for the day, his customers still expect him to, so if he doesn't come in to work, his access and popularity scores decline. If he does work these hours, he can also focus on getting lunch to his customers.

8am - 12pm: Work time option #2. Assuming he starts early, Buck can get a higher surge of customers and popularity by meeting customer demand at the hour they want service, as opposed to making them wait until their lunch breaks. However, the drawback to morning work hours is that per item income may be lower, and it's harder to stock the next day's items if stock purchases happen in the afternoons, when shops are in danger of running out of stock.

8am - 5pm: Work time option #3. This would obviously generate the best business results if planning goes well, but stocking needs might make this difficult to maintain solo. Hiring a second hand might be necessary.

8am - 8pm: Work time option #4. Almost impossible to maintain successfully without hiring assistance. Stocking via mail would be a necessity, and it would take lots of planning and postage.

??? - ???: Work time option #5. Set your own opening and closing hours.

5pm - 10pm: Free time, or social hour. Use this time however you want, but this is the best time to build your social network. Keep in mind that most shops are closed by 8pm (some may close at 9pm or 10pm depending on location and day of week). If Buck has a productive day, he'll probably start feeling tired by the end of this time block.

10pm - 3am: Late hour. Most places are closed this time of night, except for maybe a few clubs or late night restaurants, but this is the hour when shady things are most likely to happen. Ideally, Buck would come home during this time to "skip to the next day," choosing to spend the rest of his waking hours reading, studying, playing video games, or going right to sleep (or some other options could become available). These would be based on player selection and happen off screen, with results reported the next morning. The player would need to plan for how long Buck does said activity before going to sleep, hence the possibility of waking up sleepy. If he gets home at 11pm, decides to play video games for three hours, then he won't be in bed until at least 2am. That gives him less time to sleep (unless he sleeps in the next day).

3am - 7am: Empty hour. I hate it when games force the character to fall asleep wherever he's standing once the clock hits a certain time, so I won't do that here. But there should still be consequences if Buck is still out and about during this time. Not sure what yet. The point is, there is nothing open during this block of time, and no one is out, so there is nothing really to do.

So, that's a general overview. If Buck spends his day exhausted, he'll move slower and make more mistakes. He might also temporarily lose some of his character bonuses, like the ability to simplify coffee production might go away, and messing up each pot would become easier to do.

What!! I could really use that coffee filter Buck is using at home on day one! (Or, I guess, day two after he finds out he's in business.) He should have planned this out better!

Yep, but maybe he'll learn better now.

Heh, mail order is the 80's equivalent of online shopping. I'm not sure what you mean by social interactions here, though. You mean the clubs? Aside from your mystery gift one, I'm having trouble coming up with ideas for other clubs that would actually impact the game in any way other than just being a money spending exercise, or I guess causing some "connections" meter to go up.

For starters, yeah, it'll basically be as you describe. If you've ever played The Sims, you would get a fair idea on how this is likely to work. I'd want to tailor some things to work specifically by this game's standards, but The Sims has a great social model that would serve as a fine foundation for how social interactions would work in this game, including those conducted through mail or telephone. I probably won't reinvent the wheel much here.

More plot events (or just flavour events) would definitely be welcome. But why do you need 300 days? Maybe I missed something, but what happened to the original time limit?

The original time limit is still there. However, I'm considering modeling the story structure after a Rockstar game (mainly Bully), where new sections open up after certain milestones have been achieved and new story events and activities are unlocked after major missions are accomplished.

In this case, I'm thinking about telling Buck's story in six chapters, not one, where each chapter is 60 days long. Each one would pit him against a new adversary who's trying to stop him from becoming the owner of the whole town. I could still allow the player to skip to the next chapter once a rival has been defeated, or I could just let him run through the entire 60 days and the game can decide then if he wins or loses. For the custom or sandbox games, he'd just pick one rival, run out the clock, then see his results at the end of the game.

Actually, here, I found my plans for the chapter system in my November 15, 2016 journal entry. I'm going to post each of the ideas I had that day, which can give you even greater understanding of the type of work I want to do as development continues. The chapter system is listed in the last paragraph of this four-paragraph excerpt from that entry:

Also, while I was at work [on November 15, 2016], a coworker was telling me about Turkish, Greek, and Armenian coffees. He was saying that they are boiled in a special pot with sugar and rely on super fine powders, with Armenian in particular blending Colombian and French press coffees together. I’d have to research the exact methods for making them, but they require grinding powders down a second time, and often turn coffees into mud. But, they are rich in caffeine. The way he described them, also reminds me of Cuban coffees, which I was taught how to make several years ago, using espresso, sugar ground into a soupy mixture with part of the espresso, and then poured back in as foam. I’m thinking I could adopt some of these upper strategies to make the game even more interesting. Plus, when coffee psychology becomes a thing, those tricks could become unlocks.

I’m also thinking about strategies for getting past Day 1 without a coffeemaker. Hard mode starts the game at $75, which allows Buck to buy only the coffeepot. But, what if I added water as a requirement for using coffee equipment? It would be assumed that the pavilion would already have the hookups, and if Buck wants to serve his customers clean coffee, he can use bottled water instead of the tap. But I’m also thinking he could take a cup to the sink and fill it with water, then stir some coffee grounds in. It would be the worst kind of coffee, but it would allow him to progress to Day 2 if he spends his money on anything other than a coffeepot.

I’ve also been giving some thoughts about how to stretch the game into a title worth buying someday, and another thought that came to me is to build scenario and sandbox modes for the game (closer to the first episode’s completion, v1.7). Sandbox should be obvious: unlock all maps and items at the start, and leave only competition based locations (like Hybrid Wholesale) locked initially, and see how much money you can make by Day 60. Scenarios might include adventurous goals, similar to what I had wanted to do for v1.6, and can be updated with each new episode following v1.7.

And on the episodic front, I have an addendum to that plan. Version 1.7 would still count as the “final” version of “The Beginning,” or “Chet’s Bet,” as I would officially call the episode. Version 1.8 (or 2.0, if that seems more reasonable) would be “The College Season” and focus on Buck trying to learn something in business education, while staying ahead of the college insider who wants to see him fail thanks to his jealousy of Buck’s prodigal success (think Salieri teaching Mozart). Episode 3 (v1.9 or 3.0) would be “Corporate Holiday Mayhem” and run Buck into and through the holiday season as he battles against a titan of industry (a massive coffee chain or box store), who wants move in and take everyone out, to keep the mom and pops (like him) in business. Episode 4 (v1.10 or 4.0) would be “Hybrid Bureaucracy” and focus on the mayor’s disappointment in Buck’s “meddling” with the city’s economy, and the political battle that Buck must undergo to protect his livelihood. Episode 5 (v1.11 or 5.0) would be “Teaching the Master” and focus on Mr. Miyagi’s challenging of Buck’s mastery of the business arts (and may require a lockout of Mr. Miyagi’s business in the hostile takeovers feature until this episode). Episode 6 (v1.12 or 6.0) would be the final episode (tentatively), called “All or Nothing,” and pit Buck against the ruler of Hybrid City, the Lease Agent, for complete control over the city’s economy. The conclusion of this episode would bring Buck back to summer 1986.

(end journal entry)

So, that should hopefully give you an even better example of what this game could become, if the OHR's limitations don't stop me first.

Also, what happened to the screenshots in your previous posts?

Oh, are you talking about the gigantor sizes? That's just how F12 prints them. I post them to Photobucket to display here, but they're printed at 640x400 screen size, and I don't really want to spend the time resizing them for a post.

Post by **TMC** » Mon Mar 06, 2017 6:32 am

Yes, you have been saying it a while I guess, I just didn't come to grips with it: "OK, you can mow lawns, but you're still operating a coffee shop..."

I meant that all the screenshots are gone, the photobucket links are dead. Maybe you haven't noticed because they're still in your browser cache. EDIT: I left this page open for about 6 hours, and suddenly while I was reviewing the thread the images loaded! Never seen a delay like that before.

As for the screenshot sizes, if you want the engine to save unenlarged screenshots, click on the window icon in the top left corner, go to Options, and select "OHR (.bmp)" as screenshot format.

Even though Entrepreneur: The Beginning encourages sound business practices, it won't force you down a purely ethical path.

Amusing, and also a bit cynical!

8am - 12pm: ... However, the drawback to morning work hours is that per item income may be lower

Does this have to do with a different mix of items being sold?

But I’m also thinking he could take a cup to the sink and fill it with water, then stir some coffee grounds in. It would be the worst kind of coffee, but it would allow him to progress to Day 2 if he spends his money on anything other than a coffeepot.

It sure is funny how you keep coming up with new ways to punish customers (and the player)!

Re: references to The Sims: I've played The Sims 1. Not sure if the social stuff changed significantly in later games. But how it worked in the first game seems reasonable.

Wow, with multiple chapters the ambition you have for this game is really enormous. But it sounds you sensibly wouldn't start on the later ones until you have the first chapter done?

Pepsi Ranger · Post by **Pepsi Ranger** » Sat May 27, 2017 4:42 am

And now for an update!

Delayed Response:

TMC wrote:
Quote:
Even though Entrepreneur: The Beginning encourages sound business practices, it won't force you down a purely ethical path.
Amusing, and also a bit cynical!

I know how players really want to play this game. ;)

Sickos.

TMC wrote:
Quote:
8am - 12pm: ... However, the drawback to morning work hours is that per item income may be lower
Does this have to do with a different mix of items being sold?

I actually need to remember my reasons for saying this, but based on current function, I probably said this in reference to the likelihood that shops tend to sell out of certain items by the afternoon, so saving your shopping for the afternoon might make it very difficult to get everything you need for the next day. But I don't know. Everything is up for review. I went through my version 1.3 journal entries this week and discovered that I've gotten highly disorganized this round. More on that in a moment.

TMC wrote:
Quote:
But I’m also thinking he could take a cup to the sink and fill it with water, then stir some coffee grounds in. It would be the worst kind of coffee, but it would allow him to progress to Day 2 if he spends his money on anything other than a coffeepot.
It sure is funny how you keep coming up with new ways to punish customers (and the player)!

It's my favorite part about this game. Every other business simulator I've played has been too nice, too professional, too ethical, etc. That's not how all businesses work (even though they're supposed to work that way). I want the real way businesses are run represented in this game. The professionally ethical way of business is definitely available to the player. But so is the dirty, slimy, ladder-climbing, top-clawing way of business.

TMC wrote:Wow, with multiple chapters the ambition you have for this game is really enormous. But it sounds you sensibly wouldn't start on the later ones until you have the first chapter done?

Right. Chapter 2 won't begin until Chapter 1 is completed. But, Chapter 1 will also be the foundational chapter where the majority of features are introduced. Each successive chapter would introduce features exclusive to that story, but the core features from Chapter 1 would be available in all chapters.

That said...

I still don't know if I'll be telling the whole story on the OHR, or if I'll port it to another engine like Unity after the current story is finished. Still thinking about how I want to market this game to the Steam audience. Obviously, I'll need to make changes to music and trademarks so that everything is wholly original or parodied, regardless of which version I post to the Steam format. But changing engines is a great way to start fresh, especially if I want to redesign the map, or convert menu items to icons, etc. I'd like to do something similar to Stardew Valley when all is said and done. There's a lot to consider. I haven't used Unity (I just picked up a Udemy course on how to use it a few nights ago), but I do know it can use C#, which is what the creator of Stardew Valley used. It'll most likely depend on what resources I have available on the OHR to fulfill my vision for the game. So far, there are still a few serious limitations that would make my vision extremely difficult to pull off successfully. But that should be evident in the bugs that still linger in the previous releases. :p

Today's News:

I've recently completed (for now) the Excel spreadsheet full of items, save for talk on new items to be implemented next, and earlier this week I've reviewed my journal to get some sense of where I am in version 1.3's production. All of this external work to organize and plan has led me to some revelations about just how out of control I've let the feature creeping get. I now understand why TMC rarely gets anything done on the engine--how he'll work on half of a feature, get sidetracked, work on half of another feature, get sidetracked, etc. ad nauseum. Apparently, I've been doing the same thing with version 1.3. I have a lot of great ideas, some of which are far along in development, but very few that are finished.

The hangup for me has been the "handcrafted" scripting I've been doing for items. The inefficient way I've scripted things has gotten too crazy even for me (and that's saying a lot), and I started working on making them more efficient last Christmas. And, of course, I stopped that temporarily to flesh out what was left of the items I still had to implement. And that's what led to the Excel spreadsheet. And working on that has led me to a new project:

Reorganizing my ideas so that I can see what I've done, what I'm doing, and what I still need to do, and how to keep control over all of it.

The end result is that I'll be spending the better part of summer getting things under control with my plans, designs, scripts, etc.

Why does that matter to you guys?

I released Version 1.2 in September 2013. I'll likely be working on reorganizing things until near the four year anniversary. In game design time, four years between updates is grounds for upheaval (by Steam user standards, at least). And based on my current plans for version 1.3, I'd still have to factor in another year or two of work before I could deem it ready.

I don't want it to take so long, so I'm reconsidering my plans for version 1.3.

From my May 22, 2017 journal entry:

Perhaps 1.3 can see the completion of the allergies system, implementation of all of the new basics (essentials, garnishes, side items, and finishers), shop furnishings and customization, advertising (sans radio), shoplifting remorse, perks, hospital and city affairs, microwave (reheating system), item and storage limits, advanced transportation, and the new tutorial. Most of these are already halfway or mostly done, so I wouldn’t need much time to finish them once the new plotscripting templates are in place. I may also want to build the inside of Buck’s house so that I can have a logical place to keep the Fake ID for now.

Then I could move the other 1.3 features: smoothies, slushies, custom foods, custom menu, customer and player psychology, credit and debt system (bank), and rebuilt text system to 1.4. I would also keep the events system for 1.4 (including a financial fluctuation system) and add the research and alternating stocks system at the end.

Then I could focus on all things social for 1.5, including the afterhours system, relationship system, staff hiring, security, advanced rivals, sabotage, law, and the black market. This way there are no unfinished features across versions like there would’ve been before.

Of course, 1.6 would remain the plug-in version, which is to say I would add the construction zone and all of my unimplemented ideas into this version, as originally planned.

Because 2017 will likely be landlocked with organization, planning, and restructuring, at least until the final quarter of the year, I’d rather simplify my remaining 1.3 needs and start fresh for 1.4. I don’t want to release 1.3 in 2019. I’d rather save 1.4 for that year. But, once I get my scripting templates optimized, production will go a lot faster until the end.

(end excerpt)

So, I hope to have version 1.3 ready soon after I finish my reorganization efforts, but it won't be as feature-rich as I'd intended. The good news is that version 1.4 will now be better than I had originally intended, so that won't feel like a dumb update.

I've also given more thought to the sandbox mode, and I've decided that it will work as a substitute Chapter 7, in that it will take place after the events of Chapters 1-6 (although I won't wait until all six chapters are finished to make or release it, and it's one that I can do comfortably on the OHR), and work as its own story.

In short, the sandbox version will take place the summer of 1986, and will focus on what happens when Buck goes bankrupt, has his assets repossessed, and has to start over and rebuild his empire. Everything will be unlocked at the start, and he won't need a tutorial, but he can choose his starting items (via one of his remaining allies) to get off the ground running. Either the computer or the player can choose his deadline (0-99 days) to complete the challenge (a selected money goal, or an unlimited money goal with the deadline being the marker to end the game), and will be forced to flee town on the day of expiration, before the Mafia can come in and pay him a visit (because of what goes down at the end of Chapter 6). The difference in this mode will also be that the player can choose his ending. Based on however much he makes by the deadline, he'll have to allot some of his earnings on things like moving expenses, traveling expenses, etc., and whatever he has leftover can be his starting funds for his new life away from Hybrid City. But he probably won't be able to buy everything, so he'll have to make his ending choices wisely, and his true ending will play out based on those final decisions.

So, that's what I've been thinking about this week.

Having said all that (and assuming you all are reading this far), what would you like to see implemented for version 1.3? I hope to release it by February 2018 or sooner.

Pepsi Ranger · Post by **Pepsi Ranger** » Tue Jul 11, 2017 7:35 am

So, I've tabled my journal documentation efforts a bit this week (the thing I've been doing to give myself some sense of accountability and direction on this mad cow of a project) to work on script consolidation. I have to say, my efforts are going pretty well. I've been spending the last few design sessions simplifying my consignment scripts, and I'm just about finished. As an example, I've taken a sample script like this:

Code: Select all

script,Open Coffee Essentials,begin
set variable &#40;menublock,0&#41;
if &#40;usedfilter>=1&#41; then&#40;
set tag &#40;80,ON&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;usedfilter==0&#41; then&#40;
set tag &#40;80,OFF&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;newfilter>=1&#41; then&#40;
set tag &#40;81,ON&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;newfilter==0&#41; then&#40;
set tag &#40;81,OFF&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;storepowder>=1&#41; then&#40;
set tag &#40;82,ON&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;storepowder==0&#41; then&#40;
set tag &#40;82,OFF&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;hawaiianpowder>=1&#41; then&#40;
set tag &#40;83,ON&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;hawaiianpowder==0&#41; then&#40;
set tag &#40;83,OFF&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;costapowder>=1&#41; then&#40;
set tag &#40;84,ON&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;costapowder==0&#41; then&#40;
set tag &#40;84,OFF&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;italianpowder>=1&#41; then&#40;
set tag &#40;85,ON&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;italianpowder==0&#41; then&#40;
set tag &#40;85,OFF&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;espresso>=1&#41; then&#40;
set tag &#40;102,ON&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;espresso==0&#41; then&#40;
set tag &#40;102,OFF&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;oldpowder>=1&#41; then&#40;
set tag &#40;237,ON&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;oldpowder==0&#41; then&#40;
set tag &#40;237,OFF&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;hawaiian>=1&#41; then&#40;
set tag &#40;108,ON&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;hawaiian==0&#41; then&#40;
set tag &#40;108,OFF&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;costarican>=1&#41; then&#40;
set tag &#40;110,ON&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;costarican==0&#41; then&#40;
set tag &#40;110,OFF&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;italian>=1&#41; then&#40;
set tag &#40;112,ON&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;italian==0&#41; then&#40;
set tag &#40;112,OFF&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;espressobean>=1&#41; then&#40;
set tag &#40;130,ON&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;espressobean==0&#41; then&#40;
set tag &#40;130,OFF&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;crushedice>=1&#41; then&#40;
set tag &#40;119,ON&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;crushedice==0&#41; then&#40;
set tag &#40;119,OFF&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;wheatgrass>=1&#41; then&#40;
set tag &#40;485,ON&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;wheatgrass==0&#41; then&#40;
set tag &#40;485,OFF&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;colombianpowder>=1&#41; then&#40;
set tag &#40;1381,ON&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;colombianpowder==0&#41; then&#40;
set tag &#40;1381,OFF&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;frenchpowder>=1&#41; then&#40;
set tag &#40;1388,ON&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;frenchpowder==0&#41; then&#40;
set tag &#40;1388,OFF&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;newyorkpowder>=1&#41; then&#40;
set tag &#40;1395,ON&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;newyorkpowder==0&#41; then&#40;
set tag &#40;1395,OFF&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;colombian>=1&#41; then&#40;
set tag &#40;1377,ON&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;colombian==0&#41; then&#40;
set tag &#40;1377,OFF&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;french>=1&#41; then&#40;
set tag &#40;1384,ON&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;french==0&#41; then&#40;
set tag &#40;1384,OFF&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;newyork>=1&#41; then&#40;
set tag &#40;1391,ON&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;newyork==0&#41; then&#40;
set tag &#40;1391,OFF&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;menublock==0&#41; then&#40;
open menu &#40;69&#41;
&#41;
end

...and boiled it down to this:

Code: Select all

script,Open Coffee Essentials,begin
Open Definitions &#40;69&#41;
end

...using a new template like this:

Code: Select all

script,Open Definitions,whichmenu,begin
variable &#40;f&#41;
set variable &#40;menublock,0&#41;
for &#40;f,0,itemcapped&#41; do&#40;
 locate item &#40;f&#41;
 if &#40;generalitem>=1&#41; then&#40;
  set tag &#40;generalhaveitemtag,ON&#41;
 &#41;
 if &#40;generalitem==0&#41; then&#40;
  set tag &#40;generalhaveitemtag,OFF&#41;
 &#41;
&#41;
if &#40;menublock==0&#41; then&#40;
 open menu &#40;whichmenu&#41;
&#41;
end

...based on a definition script for items that includes this (to be revised some more):

Code: Select all

if &#40;item==5&#41; then&#40;
#some definitions
...
generalitem &#58;= storepowder # <---------- LOOK!, Here's one of those definitions used above
generalitemunit &#58;= servstorepow
generaltrytobuy &#58;= trytobuy6
generaltrytobuypost &#58;= trytobuy6post
generalshopid &#58;= shopitem4
generalitemtrend &#58;= storepowdertrend
generalhaveitemtag &#58;= 82 # <---------- LOOK!, Here's another!
generaluseitemtag &#58;= 76
generalshopitemtag &#58;= 39
generalitemtag &#58;= 8
generalitemid &#58;= 5
...
#more definitions
&#41;

The beauty of this rewrite is that I've taken over 20 identically structured scripts, each with a set of items that total up to 300 unique items that total almost 1000 lines of code, and brought it down to what you see above in the "Open Definitions" script.

I've done this for most of the systems used in consignments, and that's just the beginning.

This monster is getting seriously tamed, finally. I might actually be able to speed up production again once I'm done with this process.

TMC would be proud. He might even be able to read my scripts for once. :p

Anyway, that's what's going on with this game. Hoping to finish the new script designs this summer. If all goes well, I might manage to get v1.3 done in 2017. That would be crazy but possible now that I'm getting a handle on how to simplify this wacko of a game.

Oh, and my journeys through Steam this week landed me on this scary (but cool nonetheless) discovery:

http://store.steampowered.com/app/54924 ... Simulator/

Can somebody say, "A little too eerily similar?"

More to come.

Post by **TMC** » Tue Jul 11, 2017 2:03 pm

I don't need any prompting, my immediate reaction is to reply with "I'm so proud!"

Yes, that is scarily similar! Does this mean you'll add even more oddball features in order to differentiate? ;)

Pepsi Ranger · Post by **Pepsi Ranger** » Tue Jul 11, 2017 2:11 pm

I'll have to, yeah. Though, I don't think that game will turn out much of a following, or be remembered by the time I finish this one.

What really gets me is the part about defeating six bosses. That's how many I have planned for mine!!!

Sigh.

Pepsi Ranger · Post by **Pepsi Ranger** » Sat Aug 12, 2017 7:20 pm

I've been spending a lot of time reworking the scripting on this game, and I'm just about finished updating my customer scripts. I still have to turn various action scripts into templates, but the process is moving at a steady clip. I expect to have all of the handcrafted elements for customer scripting boiled down to functions (and hopefully more consistent behavior) this weekend.

The screenshot is a sample of my recent work.

Upcoming Features:

I haven't been strictly glued to refurbishing old code with better optimization, however. I've also been sneaking in new "features" as I see room for them, and a couple of weeks ago, I sneaked in a new customer dynamics system that makes our beloved coffee drinkers more robust as free-thinking entities than just random drones who happen to march up the line.

While I'm in no way finished with customer dynamics, I do have some reasonably functional prototypes in place that will ultimately go unnoticed to the casual player, but appreciated by anyone who's really paying attention. I mean, I hope so, at any rate. One change I've made is to customer wallets. In the past, customers would come up the line with randomly generated values ranging from $2-$50, and they'd work with what they had. There was no need to question it. It was just so.

But the customers are also travelers from the future, so how did they get their money, and how are they earning it now?

There was no clear answer to that question before. But now there is. Now your customers can get jobs of their own. But not just any job. They're not coming in with professional references or college accreditation. They're not even technically documented. Nobody is going to get a job as a lawyer! No, your customers are now able to get low wage, underappreciated jobs that they can convert into money to support their coffee addictions. Here is a small sample of the 60 different jobs they can find:

Panhandler
Shoeshine Boy
Street Mime
Pickpocket
Shop Clerk
Bag Boy
Bouncer
Tabletop Dancer
Lawn Care Specialist
Rock Musician
Bartender
Dog Walker

and so on.

Each job comes with either a fixed daily income or a custom income depending on their skills or talents. Artists, for example, get better with time, so their incomes will increase over time, whereas shop clerks will get paid the same, by the hour, however many hours they work in a day, however many days they work in a week. Depending on difficulty, customers are entitled to one, two, or three days off a week, in which they won't make any money, but they will also be more likely to come to the coffee shop if they aren't working because they're addicted.

They'll typically land a job between Days 3 and 11, if they get one. Depending on difficulty, you might have anywhere between one and four people choosing to become lazy bums. That's their prerogative, of course, but they might get cheap on you rather quickly. Just fair warning.

Fortunately, they won't have to show up broke as often as they used to (if ever). Now they'll be able to open bank accounts and apply for credit cards, so they should have access to money most of the time. Granted, tips will now come out of their savings, and credit cards can lead them to debt if they overspend their budgets or drain their bank accounts. But that's not your problem, is it? Well, it could be if they get so addicted to your products that they no longer keep to their budgets, and then no longer have any money to give you (because now they have to put all of their hard-earned money toward paying off debts). But you can work with that, right? Right???

Yes, they have budgets, by the way. And they have values that determine how strictly they stick to their budgets.

This is all a work-in-progress, of course, and I'm still trying to decide how to maximize its potential. I will say that this is the beginning of a financial system that I hope to offer the player, which is to start the game with the potential to open a savings account or apply for a credit card (so you don't have to shoplift whenever you're low on money and need an item stat). But I also want customer actions (getting jobs, etc.) to have some impact on the global economy, and I want to make sure that the player has some influence on how the economy grows or weakens. I'll certainly talk more about that once I have a system in place. Customer job dynamics is the first step in getting there.

It should be noted that by v1.5, I plan to have customer presence dependent on their work schedules. So, if you open your shop during hours they should be working, then they aren't likely to show up (unless they skip work or come in on their coffee breaks). I also want to make it possible to run into them at their jobs in a later version. But that won't be in place until 1.5. For 1.3, be thankful that you still get all of your customers to show.

Last thing on that note, I am also in the process of developing customer tastes and preferences that go beyond single ingredients. In other words, customers who order cookies twice or more are more likely to order cookies on subsequent visits than they are anything else. This will be part of an effort to create customers who like to order "the usual." Not every customer will come with favorites. Some will be explorers that like to try new things each time. But some will be stuck in their ways, and knowing that will help the player decide what items to keep in stock and what to ignore. Should be a fun mechanic to exploit.

Stuff I Fixed:

Updating the customer scripts has also led me to an important milestone. Customers now show up in the order I've always intended, which is for the more addicted to show up first and more often. No longer are they confined to implementation order (RedMaverickZero first, Cube last) like they were in versions 1.0 - 1.2. I've confirmed that the new way works. I still have to hunt down the bug that stops customers from showing up at all, however. The work never ends! But, yes, customers are now more likely to appear if their addiction levels are high. This should help balance the way some players play the game.

Release Schedule:

I don't talk much about when I plan to release things, as setting dates is useless when ideas keep coming. But I have made a decision to scale my v1.3 plans way back and save the majority of my planned features for v1.4 instead, so that I can get v1.3 out sometime in late 2017 or early 2018 and still keep it functional. I don't yet know what this will look like in practice, but I do have a few essentials I want to establish before I consider v1.3 ready (if not incomplete in comparison to my original goals).

The scripting rewrites are essential. Too much is left to chance with the handcrafted system, and I think it's time I retire it. I was thinking of fixing just the customer and item scripts and save the rest for v1.4, but after looking at what I still have left to do, I decided that it's probably better just to refurbish it all at once, as the delays between updates have been almost entirely due to enormous scripting demands that don't have to be so enormous. Since that's a major undertaking, I figure that'll be the brunt of my 1.3 update. This means fewer new features than I had wanted to produce this round.

But, I do think customer dynamics, banking, and pavilion reform are important elements that need to be done to make the gameplay stronger and more accessible. So, it's my goal to release 1.3 with a better business experience, which includes choosing where objects go instead of being obligated to place things on a specific table, allowing for more than one of the same type of machine (up to four), and having a more realistic design that also allows for more chances to fail.

I also want to make sure that coffee will require water from now on. But that's another report for another day.

A Note About Screenshots:

A few weeks ago, I noticed that Photobucket changed its terms for third-party hosting, and it now requires users to spend $400 a year to display photos across the Internet. I don't have that kind of money, and even if I did, I wouldn't spend it on third-party hosting, so my images will likely be broken for a while. I'm aware of the problem, and I intend to migrate to Imgur, or some other service that offers free third-party hosting, eventually, but it'll be a project, as I have to research each image link and figure out what photo should be displayed there. It'll be a slow-going, irritating process that I don't want to invest in right now. For the time being, I'll use Slime Salad's native hosting, even though I don't like how it pushes everything to the right and in a straight line. I prefer laying them out in context to whatever I'm writing about. But it's good enough for now. That said, I'm not going to post too many screenshots until I sort this out. FYI.

EDIT: How do I actually get Slime Salad to show image files and not just clip them as a download?

Anyway, that's the latest update. More to come.

Pepsi Ranger · Post by **Pepsi Ranger** » Sun Nov 12, 2017 7:05 am

Okay, so I've been fixing the scripts to become easier to maintain over time. I'm more than halfway through, and I'm currently updating a massively wacko script called "Install Equipment," which is the script that manages coffee equipment installation and usage, and, if you've ever seen the original script, you'll know that it's probably the one that's singlehandedly given TMC a migraine just by looking upon it. Even the rewrite is hard to look at, but it's better, much better and cleaner than the original. But it's still a little confusing. Such is Entrepreneur: The Beginning.

So, why am I posting an update today? Well, it's simple. I've decided that four years is too long to wait on pushing out another release, and I've wanted to put a new version out by 2017, which is now almost over.

But, isn't v1.3 still a long way off from being ready? Yes! In fact, I wouldn't expect to see it until at least summer 2018, and that's only if things go well.

However, the Early Access program has taught me that sometimes people just want to play whatever's the newest stuff, even if it's broken stuff.

Hence, the beginning of Entrepreneur's experimental branch days!

Yes, starting today, I will be periodically releasing a new experimental version (with three part numbers instead of two) that you can try out and discuss. The first one will be the largest, as it contains all of the improvements I've made since the last stable version (1.2) back in 2013, and if not for the many unfinished features that remain open, I'd just call it 1.3 and be done with it. But, it's not stable, and shouldn't be classified as the next official release. So, I will be releasing the first experimental version as 1.2.1, which is something I've should've done three years ago. I expect to release the next one once all of the script rewrites are finished, hopefully by February.

Download Here

Here's the list of new features, changes, locations, etc. that 1.2.1 offers. Again, this reflects four years of updates, and serves as the brunt of 1.3's upcoming features. Future experimental releases will be much smaller and arrive much quicker than this one.

Version 1.2.1 (Released November 11, 2017)

(Implemented)

New Features:

Tailoring and Replenishing
- Fix teddy bears and refill silly string cans

Coffee Pairing
- Coffee and side items can now be ordered together (along with other unique side item pairings)

Return Bins
- To prevent accidental shoplifting and make unwanted returns easier, you can now dump the shopping cart into the return bin at each shop to clear it

Live Stream Friendly Mode
- Automatically turns off the music for any player who wants to broadcast gameplay without interference

New Areas:

Hybrid Beach (new shopping and trash-diving hub)
Alley of Pines (transition map and news hub)

New Shops:

Health Matters (now open)
Tailor Made (now open)
Pound Cake (now open)
Happy Homewares
Water Monkey
Tealeaf Central
Sassy Supermarket
Wild Trends
Perks Outlet

New Items:

Pastries and Baked Goods (Cookies, Pies, Rice Squares, Cupcakes, and Brownies) (side items)
Wholesale Items (soda six-packs, cookie boxes, whole pies)
Sewing Kit (for repairing teddy bears and clothes)
Party Box (for refilling silly string containers)
Handouts (for advertising)
Media Bundle (for advertising)

Improvements to Gameplay:

Item Information Window
- View the itemâ€™s stats and benefits before you buy

Arrow Key Quantity Selection
- Use arrow keys to input quantities and values by 1, SHIFT+Arrow or CTRL+Arrow to input by 10, and SHIFT+CTRL+Arrow to input by 100

Additional Power Outlets
-Plug in more machines at once

Funneling Access Points
- Certain inaccessible areas now have unfolding narratives why Buck canâ€™t/wonâ€™t enter before a designated day

Advertising and Promotions
- Handouts are now functional (on objects only); cars are now viable promotion points

Popularity Bank
- Store popularity beyond the current cap to account for balances during daily drop-offs (designed to simulate lasting popularity in spite of daily flux, like how Star Wars is still popular 40 years after release)

Changes:

Graphics
- Implemented the long-awaited update to map and character graphics: buildings and scenery look cleaner, and NPCs (including customers and Pine Alley Drive residents) are better drawn, more unique, and can now be more easily discerned among each other
- Coffee machines accurately display â€œhalf fullâ€� graphics if quantities are about half of the maximum when the player exits and reenters the park

Items
- Flat sodas and half-eaten sandwiches are now unique items and can be served at the cost of popularity or reputation
- Salt is now called â€œold saltâ€�
- Item quantities now refer to their proper types (e.g. units, cartons, jugs, etc.)

Locations
- Redesigned a few areas to â€œfitâ€� each other better so that each map is a piece of a bigger, seamless puzzle

Clock
- Game clock now displays the date and day of the week (beginning on Monday, June 10, 1985)

Coffee Customers
- Customers now have more responses to coffee conditions and expectations (up to seven each; was three before)
- Customers now have jobs, income, and more dynamic spending habits (mostly finished)

Dynamic Shops
- Changed the formula for how shopkeepers earn and lose money to better balance the game

Shoplifting
- Buckâ€™s â€œattitudeâ€� about shoplifting will erode the more he does it (this is a component of character psychology)

Fixes:

Leasing
- Fixed some issues with leasing agreements and buying and canceling power outlets

Spoilage
- Some dairy items from Hybrid Wholesale wouldnâ€™t spoil correctly

Investments
- Fixed some scripting errors that potentially screwed up reliability of investments

Performance
- *Hopefully* fixed the â€œstutteringâ€� problem that Buck sometimes has when moving

Display Windows
- Some safeguards for preventing the wrong pop-up windows appearing at the end of the day

Coffee
- Addiction level reports (customer responses) have been broken since 1.0; fixed now

Customers
- Customers now arrive in order of addiction, not script definition (still needs testing)

(In Progress)

New Features:

Allergies
- Detect customer food allergies to prevent onset sickness (or cause it!)

Promotion Saturation
- Posting too many advertisements without special perks or permissions can create â€œpromotion saturation,â€� which can incur the ire of the Hybrid City Environmental Council and a subsequent tax if saturation continues

New Shops:

Black Market (may lock out until v1.4)

New Items:

Note: Most of the following can be bought now but still can't be used. Better wait for the next version to use them.

Fruit (for juices and smoothies)
Vegetables (for juices and smoothies)
Syrups (for slushies)
Powders (for artificial juices)
Medicine (syringes and aspirin, for health component)
Blender (for combining fruits, vegetables, supplements, garnishes, and ice)
Strainer (for straining juices)
Serving Items (knife, spoon, spatula, ice cream scoop, tongs, etc.)
Preparation Items (cutting board, mixing bowl, cookie sheet, mixing spoon, etc.)
Large Storage Items (refrigerator, pantries)
Small Storage Items (utensil holder, cookie jar, plastic container)
Microwave (for reheating items)
Oven (for baking)
Stove (for cooking)
Grill (for grilling)
Furniture (sofa, flooring, art) (for decoration)
Watercooler (for water)
Carbonation Station (for converting water into soda)
Teakettle (for heating water and making teas)
Grilling Items (charcoal, matches, lighter fluid)
Custom Sandwich Items (bread, lunch meat, cheese, jellies, condiments, etc.)
Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, and Chicken
Deli Items (potato salad, chicken salad, macaroni & cheese, etc.)
Sandwich Side Items (potato chips, dill pickles)
Mixing Ingredients (flour, butter, chocolate chips, cookie dough, eggs, etc.)
Water Bottles (for clean water)
Seltzer Water (for sodas)
Cooler Jugs (for refilling watercooler)
Canisters (for refilling carbonation station)
Teas (green, earl gray, chai, herbal, Sumatra)
New Coffees (Colombian, French, New York)
New Garnishes (skim milk, soy milk, powdered cream, powdered milk, cream cups, caramel syrup, hazelnut cream, honey, etc.)
Perks Coffees (Detroit Blend, Antarctican, Alaskan, Egyptian, Himalayan, Moon, etc.)
Perks Syrups (horseradish, vinegar, pumpkin, eggnog, peppermint, white chocolate, etc.)
Cordials (Kahlua, Irish Cream, Whiskey) *Brand names subject to change
Black Market Items (secret) *May not appear until v1.4
Finisher Items (straws, plastic umbrellas)
New Cups (polystyrene, plastic, glass)
Plates (paper, plastic, ceramic)
Ceramic Saucers (for ceramic cups)
Utensils (plasticware)
Napkins and Wet Wipes *Brand names subject to change
Newspapers and Magazines
Wax Fruit (for multiple purposes)
New Voice Cartridges (Rival, Friendly Muppet, Dumb Dude, Drunk Guy, etc.)
Coupons (for advertising)
Fake ID (for buying alcohol)
Trash Items (microwave, calculator, used plates, cups, plasticware, etc.)

Improvements to Gameplay:

Updated Customer Preferences
- Includes considerations for new ingredient types (in progress)

Advanced Buy
- New buy selection menu that allows for the purchase of multiples of the same equipment (created but not implemented)

Dollars and Cents
- Money values display more accurately with dollars and cents, not just dollars (promotions only)

Plotscripting Optimization
- Changing structure of plotscripts to run more efficiently (about halfway done, not reflected in current version)

Changes:

Menus
- Some minor reorganization of menus to make navigation easier

Fixes:

Various spelling and grammar mistakes

Inclusions:

Updated Instruction Manual (will update for version 1.3)
Items Information (Excel Spreadsheet) (available with this version for preview)
Map of Hybrid City (separate download, v2)

(To Be Done - Still Planning)

New Features:

Smoothie Creation and Sales
- Buy a blender, some fruit and supplements, and make and serve the smoothie of your customersâ€™ dreams
- Improve your customersâ€™ health and fitness

Slushie Creation and Sales
- Sometimes people just want a cup of syrup and ice.

Faster Travel
- Warp to Entrances
- Cars

New Areas:

Hybrid South (new municipal and trash-diving hub)

New Locations:

All-Survivorsâ€™ Hospital of Hybrid City
Hybrid City Chamber of Commerce
City Affairs Office

And more!

Once Again, Download Here

Hope you give it a try and offer your feedback on the stuff that works.

Pepsi Ranger · Post by **Pepsi Ranger** » Mon Mar 12, 2018 4:42 am

So, just a quick update, as four months have gone by since the last one:

Progress on the scripting update is coming along really well. A few nights ago, I imported the template for Hybrid City trashcans that simplifies the updating process to great success. In just a few lines, I was able to change a plotscripting placeholder text from the trashcans at Hybrid Beach to an actual functioning retrieval of an item that shows up in inventory. This probably doesn't sound like much, but the old scripts required me to handcraft dozens of tangled lines just to make an item retrievable, and now I can simply write in arguments to a function to achieve the same outcome. This saves me a lot of time and headaches down the road.

Tonight I'm wrapping up the initial template for storing item information into a series of recyclable variables. This means I'll be able to add new items to the game by simply modifying a version of this chart (this is the store powder master list of variables, so far, for those keeping score, or for those who have ideas for new items they'd like to buy and use in the game hint hint):

Code: Select all

script,read store powder data,begin
itemisequipment &#58;= false
itemischetequipment &#58;= false
itemiselectronic &#58;= false
itemisgarnish &#58;= false
itemisalcoholic &#58;= false
itemisillegal &#58;= false
itemcanspoil &#58;= false
itemisspoiled &#58;= false
itemcanfreeze &#58;= false
itemcanmelt &#58;= false
itemisused &#58;= false
itemisfrozen &#58;= false
itemisstorage &#58;= false
itemisadvertisement &#58;= false
itemisyardequipment &#58;= false
itemtype &#58;= 2
multiplelocations &#58;= false
generalitem &#58;= storepowder
generalitemunit &#58;= servstorepow
generaltrytobuy &#58;= trytobuy6
generaltrytobuypost &#58;= trytobuy6post
if &#40;current map==2&#41; then&#40;
 generalshopid &#58;= shopitem4
 generalprice &#58;= 15
 generalinitialquantity &#58;= 10
 generalshelfspace &#58;= 100
 shopcaseid &#58;= 4
&#41;
generalitemtrend &#58;= storepowdertrend
generalhaveitemtag &#58;= 82
generaluseitemtag &#58;= 76
generalshopitemtag &#58;= 39
generalitemtag &#58;= 8
generalitemid &#58;= 5

#fractionprice &#58;= 0 #for trash items only &#40;number required to make a dollar on consignment&#41;
#centsprice &#58;= 0 #for processed items only &#40;nominator over item unit value&#41;
reporttype &#58;= 2 #&#40;for items&#41;
consignmentstringdisplay &#58;= 4 #unit type &#40;ex&#58; bags, bottles, etc.&#41;

generalpersuasionneed &#58;= &#40;generalprice/2&#41;

generalitemflavor &#58;= 1
generalitemcomfort &#58;= 0
generalitemaddictive &#58;= 1
generalitemquality &#58;= 0
generalitemhealth &#58;= 0
generalitemlevel &#58;= 1
generalitemcsbonus &#58;= 0
generaladdadollar &#58;= 0

#Note&#58; These values seem to be affected during brewing. Best to leave them at zero for now.

generalitemoverflavor &#58;= 0
generalitemovercomfort &#58;= 0
generalitemoveraddictive &#58;= 0
generalitemoverquality &#58;= 0
generalitemoverhealth &#58;= 0
generalitemoverlevel &#58;= 0
generalitemovercsbonus &#58;= 0

combobonusactive &#58;= false

generalacqtext &#58;= 76
generalconsigntext &#58;= 2062
generalconsigntextaft &#58;= 2063
generalpowderfilltext &#58;= 266

#itemtospoil &#58;= n/a &#40;example&#58; creamspoil&#41;
#generalgooditem1 &#58;= n/a &#40;example&#58; goodcream1&#41;
#itemtofreeze
#generalfrozenitem
#generalthawitem
#generalspoileditem &#40;example&#58; spoiledcream&#41;
#spoileditemtag &#58;= n/a &#40;example&#58; 494 for spoiled cream&#41;
#generalmelteditem &#40;example&#58; meltedice&#41;

#generalpromototal &#58;= n/a &#40;example&#58; totalflier&#41;

#Note&#58; It may be better to offload strings into a separate script that looks for string number and use item tag.
#This way they can be selectively written.
#How about â€œlocate item names &#40;string,id&#41;â€�?
#Consult â€œprint holdover baseâ€� for details and examples.

if &#40;specialtextdisplay&#41; then&#40;
 $9="Store Powder"
&#41;
if &#40;itemisgarnish&#41; then&#40;
 generaloverabundance &#58;= toosandy
 $56="Too Sandy!"
&#41;
if &#40;itemisholdover&#41; then&#40;
 $30="Store Powder"
&#41;

#The following is a placeholder for Hawaiian Beans
#Variables may be duplicates
#Relevant script found in â€œCheck Bean Grinderâ€�

#grindtext &#58;= 2284
#powdertag &#58;= 116
#machinelimittext &#58;= 2287
#powderhavetag &#58;= 83
#powderusetag &#58;= 77

#if &#40;itemusedaspowder&#41; then&#40;
# generalitemunit &#58;= hawaiianpowder
#&#41; 

#The following is a placeholder for stirrers

#itemspecialcase &#58;= stirred
#specialattribute &#58;= attribute&#58;quality

generalallergytype &#58;= allergy&#58;none
generalallergyvalue &#58;= 0

#For â€œScanning for Relevanceâ€� menus

if &#40;&#40;generalitem>=1&#41; || &#40;generalitemunit>=1&#41;&#41; then&#40;
 menu subscriptions &#40;798,806,807,811&#41;
&#41;

#This section is for dynamic shopping
dynamicitemisvalid &#58;= false
switch &#40;generalshoplocation&#41; do&#40;
 case &#40;2&#41; do&#40;
  if &#40;generalshopitem==4&#41; then&#40;
   dynamicitemisvalid &#58;= true
  &#41;
 &#41;
&#41;

#item properties
#copied from shop item select display
#consult August 10, 2016 journal entry for breakdowns and addendums.
#needs tag toggle for common strings &#40;tag 2203 unlocks consignment strings; should it unlock all item window display strings?&#41;

if &#40;itemwindow1&#41; then&#40;
 $12="Store Powder"
 $47="Coffee"
 $27="Package Quantity&#58;"
 append number &#40;28,generalinitialquantity&#41;
 $49="servings"
 append number &#40;42,generalprice&#41;
 append number &#40;43,generalshelfspace&#41;
 $44="bags"
 $29="Store Powder Description"
 $45="Store Powder Extra Info"
&#41;

if &#40;itemwindow2&#41; then&#40;
 $12="Store Powder"
 append number &#40;47,generalinitialquantity&#41;
 append number &#40;27,generalprice&#41;
 $28="+1"
 $49="0"
 $42="+1"
 $43="0"
 $44="0"
 $29="0"
 append number &#40;45,generalitem&#41;
 append number &#40;46,generalitemunit&#41;
&#41;
end

The spots where you see hashtags are for item specific conditions, which will be used wherever appropriate.

So, if my tests go well, which I hopefully will start moving toward in the next week or two, I'll be able to add in all of those items I've been planning and handcrafting since 2014, plus some new ones that I haven't made any strides toward, including nutmeg and donuts, and I'll be able to do so quickly.

I've also been experimenting with new slice displays for information to phase out the old textbox information system. I'm including in my photos a picture of the new clock (which will be accessible using CTRL+C during the experimental phase and just C when 1.3 is officially released). I still have to sync up the timer with the clock down to the second, but you'll notice that the clock now displays both the hour and the minute. The clock has been built to show times ranging from 7 am to 3 am in early preparation for when the game moves to six time segments sometime in the future. The graphic does not animate, not now, but I may do something with it in the future.

I've also started on some improvements to the tutorial. You'll get the first phase of those improvements in the next experimental update.

The scripting rewrite has also fixed a number of bugs that I missed during the handcrafted season of updates, including those with investments and yard work. Moving to a template automatically solves a number of problems. So, this is a win-win solution.

Anyway, the next experimental update should be ready soon. I'll reveal the full list of updates then. They'll be good ones.