Loot Shop Simulator News

[p]Hello shopkeepers![/p][p][/p][p]Last week’s development window was shorter than planned, but production is back to full speed. The Wall & Floor Decor update arrives next week, bringing new cosmetic options for both the Dragon & Witch sets.[/p][p][/p][p]There's one other detail we'd like to address this week...[/p][p][/p][h3]On Content & Price[/h3][p]We’ve heard the feedback that the current build feels light for the price. Early Access is, by design, a work in progress; the first major content expansion lands in August with the “Guild Hall” Specialization. That update adds new story beats, recruitable NPCs, quest boards, and new item sets - over a dozen additional hours of play with focused goals.[/p][p][/p][p]After that update, we plan on adding many more Specializations which will completely change how you play the game. We're exploring things such as turning your shop into a restaurant, or even a card parlor with a fully functional CCG! We've already got designs in place for many of these upcoming systems (including minigames! ːsteamhappyː), but we have to work on things one step at a time, and the first step is the Guild Hall.[/p][p][/p][p]If you’re on the fence about content versus cost, we invite you to keep an eye on development and revisit the game after the Guild Hall patch lands in late August. Early Access owners receive every update at no extra charge, but there’s no pressure to jump in before you’re ready![/p][p][/p][p]Thank you for the continued feedback and patience! See you next week with our first update: Wall & Floor Decor![/p][p][/p][p]The Loot Shop Simulator Team[/p]

[p]Hello, shopkeepers![/p][p][/p][p]Week two of Early Access has been all about laying foundations for the next big milestones. This week we pushed the project forward in three key areas.[/p][p][/p][h3]#1 - Specializations Begin: Guild Hall[/h3][p]Specializations are the deeper progression system that Loot Shop Simulator will offer. The first, Guild Hall, is now in active design. We're working on recruitable adventurers, competition against other (NPC) guilds, and new prestige décor! We are already laying the groundwork within the code for the long run, not just for the Guild Hall but for the Specializations system as a whole.[/p][p][/p][h3]#2 - Localization Prep[/h3][p]We’ve started to restructure data to make text extraction painless, setting the stage for full localization. This will help us make the step sooner, rather than later. In fact, we're already exploring possible localization to JP and ES within just a few updates! This is still months away from happening, but as the game continues to grow with more content, it seemed beneficial to set up the data from now since this significantly reduces workload in the long run (new items / content will be coded the new way from now on, which automates text extraction making it extremely easy to add new languages with a simple switch when the time comes).[/p][p][/p][h3]#3 - Control Systems[/h3][p]Loot Shop Simulator launched with a single tile system. Afterwards, we realized that for items of varying sizes, rather than use the same system we could create new systems tailored based on the item type. This simplifies the development greatly (example: any bugs with the new placement system won't affect the original tile system and are easier to fix because there's less code involved in a fresh system). Truthfully, we tried the original system for wall items and it resulted in something that we felt players wouldn't enjoy. So, we held back wall and floor decor until these new control systems could be implemented. Well, during the first week of EA, we completed the first new system for wall decor, and we teased the first wall decoration item on our X page last week! We are currently working on floor decor (for decor that goes under ground objects, such as rugs) and we hope to have some more information on that for next week's dev log.[/p][p][/p][p]Thanks again for all of the feedback and enthusiasm! We are aiming to deliver the first update later this month, so stay tuned for more! And feel free to join our Discord server if you'd like to report a bug, ask questions, or just to chat![/p][p][/p][p]The Loot Shop Simulator Team[/p][p][/p]

[p]Greetings, shopkeepers![/p][p] [/p][p]It’s been eleven whirlwind days since we opened the Early Access doors on June 26th and we’re delighted by the turnout! To everyone who jumped in, streamed the game, posted on the forums, or chatted with us on Discord: thank you. Your notes have already helped to shape our next build![/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][h3]Polishing the Core Experience[/h3][p][/p][p]During the Steam Next Fest, many of you told us the demo’s pacing felt a touch slow, or that some details were too vague. We tuned the Early Access build before launch with that in mind and the v0.2.1 update (currently in development) takes it further:[/p]

• [p]Tutorial v2 – We have streamlined lessons for Shop Management and Customer Behaviors, paired with a fresh tutorial GUI.
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• [p]Tooltips – We have added contextual hints for buttons that only had icons.
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• [p]Checkout Minigame – Slight optimizations should make gameplay smoother as the shop grows in size.
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• [p]Decorations – Wall decor is done, but floor decor is still in the works. With the introduction of new types of decorations, we are able to add new items in the Dragon and Witch sets. This should lead to more opportunities to spice up the look of your shop, and by having more to decorate we believe the pacing should feel even better.[/p]

[p]These features (and much more) will be part of the v0.2.1 update that we plan to deliver either later this month or in early August. If you want to keep track of the Dev Notes, we update them on Discord as tasks get completed (invite link below)![/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][h3]Stay Connected[/h3][p][/p][p]We’re committing to weekly dev logs so you can track progress every step of the way! If weekly is too long of a wait:[/p]

• [p]Follow us on X (@Source_Errors) for sneak peeks throughout the development.
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• [p]Hop into our Discord—we’re in there every day to answer questions and take suggestions.
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• [p]Just window-shopping? Add Loot Shop Simulator to your Wishlist! It helps us more than you might think and ensures you’ll be notified when discounts or major updates land.
  
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[p]Thanks again for all of the feedback and bug reports, we’ll keep building! See you next week![/p][p][/p][p]— The Loot Shop Simulator Team[/p][p]
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[p]Hello shopkeepers! We are excited to announce that Early Access launch is within the hour! With this launch we have a few other announcements to make, so let's get started![/p][h3][/h3][p][/p][h3]Working On The Next Update![/h3][p][/p][p]We are already working on the first update! The main feature that many people have requested, an Improved Tutorial, is currently in the works and will be part of the first update. We don't have a specific date but we will be structuring the development in order to be able to release updates periodically, every 2-4 weeks, depending on the amount of content.[/p][p][/p][p]Here are some other features that will be coming in the first update:[/p]

• [p]Tooltips when hovering things like Categories, Sorting options, and Menu buttons[/p]
• [p]A System button on the bottom-right Menu panel[/p]
• [p]The ability to place Wall & Floor furniture[/p]
• [p]New Wall & Furniture items[/p]

[p][/p][p]Most of these features are partially implemented, but we're still undergoing final testing and improvements.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Starting Tips[/h3][p][/p][p]Since we are still working on the tutorial system, here are a few useful tips to start![/p]

• [p]Clients won't pay more than 10% markup at the start of the game. Your shop needs more Prestige![/p]
• [p]You may be tempted to list your most expensive items at the start. Make sure you also list cheaper items. Clients have a Rarity just like items, and it determines their wallet size among other things. So, not every client can afford that item worth 1g, but it will eventually sell...[/p]
• [p]Clients have larger wallet size with higher Prestige, and their wallet size gets a buff when they admire items on Display Tables. Try displaying at least one item on a Display Table to benefit from this![/p]
• [p]Once you have expanded the shop enough to have windows, try clicking them...[/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][h3]The First Specialization[/h3][p][/p][p]In one of our previous announcements, we mentioned the specialization system and that we would be discussing the first specialization that we will be working on. Well, we have decided and that specialization will be the Guild Hall![/p][p][/p][p]If you ever watched anime like KonoSuba, you probably have noticed the Adventurer Guild trope, where adventurers take quests from a quest board. We will be implementing this type of Shop Specialization into Loot Shop Simulator![/p][p][/p][p]Our goal is for players to run their own guild, recruit adventurers, gear them up with equipment and send them out on quests! But be aware, other guilds exist and are out to complete those quests before you! Will your guild climb the rankings and become number 1?[/p][p][/p][p]As development continues, we'll be releasing more info about the Guild Hall specialization, so follow and stay tuned! We post small updates on X and we're available throughout the week if you have any questions![/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Dev Notes v0.2.0[/h3][p][/p][p]Here are the changes from the demo version that was launched during the Next Fest.[/p][p][/p][p]New Content:[/p][p]-It is now possible to unlock furniture blueprints from loot caches[/p][p]-Added Wares Table B and Wares Table C to the Dragon set loot pool[/p][p]-Witch set is now available after shop day 6[/p][p]-Added Display Stand to Build Menu[/p][p]-Added AI logic for browsing items on display tables[/p][p]-Items on display tables now boost npc's wallet size (preference + high rarity = 40% boost, just preferences = 20% boost, otherwise 10% boost)[/p][p][/p][p]Adjustments:[/p][p]-Customers of 'Common' rarity now have wallet sizes ranging from 5-20 copper (up from 2-20)[/p][p]-Doubled base chance for clients to spawn and number of clients per day[/p][p] Note: Number of clients per day is a threshold parameter that controls flow[/p][p] It increases with Shop Expansion and Shop Prestige[/p][p]-NPCs will now shop from above a table if it is placed in the bottom row of the shop[/p][p]-NPCs are now more likely to have at least one item preference when visiting the shop (from 20% -> 25%)[/p][p] This translates to more customers entering the shop[/p][p]-Furniture remaining selected after placement in the Build Menu is now enabled by default (this can be toggled in the Settings menu)[/p][p]-Inventory menu Category no longer resets when closing/opening the menu[/p][p]-Inventory menu Sorting no longer resets when closing/opening the menu[/p][p]-Quest income is displayed as part of the sales revenues (we are considering separating this at a later time)[/p][p]-Added a warning popup; player can no longer place furniture on tiles 132, 133 (for pathfinding reasons)[/p][p]-Reduced exp gained from opening loot caches from 10 -> 4[/p][p]-Scene 2 requirement changed from shop level 3 to any level 3 or higher (in case a level is skipped somehow)[/p][p]-Scene 2 requirement changed from shop level 3 or higher, to shop level 2 or higher[/p][p]-Sprites no longer fade when appearing[/p][p] This will be added again later, once a rendering issue has been studied & resolved[/p][p][/p][p]Bug Fixes:[/p][p]-Fixed a crash when crates were placed in the bottom row of the shop[/p][p]-Day change will now clear quest NPC if they were the next checkout client[/p][p]-Fixed a bug where checkout line was not clearing when day was over, leading to NPCs standing behind invisible NPCs[/p][p]-Fixed a bug where expanding from Expansion Level T3 to Expansion Level 1 was costing the maximum amount and setting player gold to -1000[/p][p]-Loot caches can no longer roll multiple unique (i.e. blueprints, floors, walls) items in the same cache[/p][p] These items are unlocked once obtained and cannot drop again after that, so they shouldn't roll duplicates within the same loot cache[/p][p]-Fixed a bug where NPCs could walk from one entrance tile to another, triggering the 'leaving' status prematurely[/p][p]-Fixed a bug where selling furniture with an item Not Stocked Yet would lock the item in the inventory, preventing it from being placed again[/p][p]-Fixed a bug where selling furniture with a Stocked item would duplicate the item and lock it in the inventory, preventing it from being placed again[/p][p]-Fixed a crash related to 3rd row of items in the inventory not loading properly[/p][p]-Fixed a bug where Corwin's data remained after the 2nd cutscene, leading to an invisible NPC shopping the next day[/p][p]-Added a safeguard for NPCs that lose track of where they are going[/p][p] This solves rare cases where NPCs roll a null path and start walking in place[/p][p]-Added a safeguard to price setting screen to disable it if the item, for any reason, doesn't have the correct data[/p][p]-Added an additional safeguard for checkout clients to ensure they move to the checkout counter even if it has been repositioned[/p][p]-Added a safeguard to prevent duplicates in the checkout line[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Thank you for checking out Loot Shop Simulator! We hope you join us on this adventure to create the best Loot Shop game out there![/p][p][/p][p]See you on the sales floor! ːsteamhappyː[/p][p][/p]

[p]Hello, shopkeepers![/p][p][/p][p]Next Fest was our first outing for Loot Shop Simulator, and we're overjoyed with the results: 350 wishlists and loads of constructive feedback! For a studio run by a solo dev (plus a few like-minded friends cheering and testing in the background), we view this as a promising start for our second title![/p][p][/p][h3]What we’re polishing before — or shortly after — Early Access[/h3]

• [p]Faster shop flow: More customers will now enter instead of wandering off. [/p]
  1. [p]Customers have preferences based on item types, and there are too many items types currently. So we're adding additional filters to ensure at least 80% of customers have preferences aligned with the types of products you have for sale right from Day 1.[/p]
  2. [p]Customers' buying decision still depends on your markup and their coin-purse, but overall you should expect a busier counter![/p]
• [p]Catalog system (tutorial 2.0): Our current tutorial system is too bare-bones. Based on feedback from the demo, many players agree that having an in-depth guide to explain things would be much better. So, we're already working on this! While it may not be complete for the Early Access launch, we expect to have it implemented in the first update![/p]
• [p]Bug Fixes: We're also squashing the nastiest bugs you spotted![/p]
  1. [p]Game crash and pathfinding issues related to furniture (wares tables, crates) placed on the bottom row of the shop.[/p]
  2. [p]Quest revenues not displayed on Sales Report[/p]
  3. [p]Cosmetics will no longer drop multiples from the same cache[/p][p][/p]

[p]Thank you again for all of the feedback and for wishlisting![/p][p][/p][p]Early Access opens its doors June 26 @ 10 AM PDT — see you then, shopkeepers![/p]