Try the latest update! v0.6 BETA is live!
Hello everyone! It’s been some time since I posted the last update, but I wanted to have something cool for you before that, and that day has come. V0.6 beta is live now! This marks a big step for Coffee Shop Tycoon and it’s been one of the most challenging updates so far, it adds a lot of new content and simulated AI companies which meant learning a lot of AI principles on the fly, but I am happy with the end result and I hope you are too.
So… why beta? Well it is simple, first I want to have more people playing this update to stabilize it and fix any possible bugs that I haven’t caught yet, and second, the update is currently 90% complete which means I still need to finish some work before I can fully release it to the world, but don’t worry, the beta is open for anyone, so if you want to try it out there is nothing stopping you. Instructions on how to opt into the beta at the end of this post.
I’ll start by talking about the rival AI companies, starting on this update, you will see a new button in game, this takes you to a screen with a list of other companies in the business of selling hot cups of heaven or “coffee”, as most people call it. These companies have their own dreams and goals and will try to survive as much as possible in the market, simulated companies will grow by selling coffee and trying to snatch those trends in the market before you do, they will also go bankrupt if they make bad decisions. If you play close attention you will see their net worth increase as time goes by and they level up or buy more locations.
As a successful Coffee Shop tycoon, you can buy stock from those companies, this will give you extra cash in your pocket when those companies decide to pay dividends. Among all the companies there are currently two strong rivals, Triton, and La boulangerie du parc, these two coffee shops are the top when it comes to pleasing their customers and they can end up being very valuable companies, if you decide to get rid of those rivals and be the only barista in town you can buy the full company, this will give you access to their logo and a cool reward.
Macarons from buying all stock from La boulangerie du parc
The rival companies will change with time as some go bankrupt and new companies emerge, so pay attention to the stocks you own as some of the companies might go bankrupt and you can lose your money if you don’t sell in time.
The second big addition is a new location! FINALLY! I know right? Well following the same train of thought, this has also been the most elaborate location of the game. The new location is called Akihabara and it is inspired by the real location in Japan, you will find your brand-new store between the lights of shiny buildings and restaurants. Along the new location I'm also adding many new items inspired by Japanese culture and increasing the level cap of the game. You will find new decorations, tables, and even a new working station. This location also includes new missions. One thing to consider is that on the beta version won't be able to go past the objective "Buy a new expansion" as I'm still working in that.
So, what is missing to fully release v0.6? To answer this question, I'll post a list of tasks I'm currently working on and that I believe are needed for calling this update complete.
The list might seem intimidating but many of those changes are very straightforward and don't require me to read a book on AI. Taking into account the holiday season and the list of work, I believe the full v0.6 update will be ready and released close to the third week of January. I will be updating the beta branch as I go so you will start seeing some of these things come to life before that date.
Thanks for the support and love for the game, I always appreciate any feedback bad and good, and I will keep trying to make this game awesome so everyone can have a good time. I will share an updated roadmap once this update is done so you can know what to expect from the coming months. If you find bugs in the beta, please post them in the pinned channel, as I will be fixing those while working on the update.
Go into your library, select Coffee Shop Tycoon, click on the settings icon and select Properties.
From there simply go to the beta tab and select beta from the dropdown.
Thank you for playing and enjoy your coffee!
Why Beta
So… why beta? Well it is simple, first I want to have more people playing this update to stabilize it and fix any possible bugs that I haven’t caught yet, and second, the update is currently 90% complete which means I still need to finish some work before I can fully release it to the world, but don’t worry, the beta is open for anyone, so if you want to try it out there is nothing stopping you. Instructions on how to opt into the beta at the end of this post.
What is new
I’ll start by talking about the rival AI companies, starting on this update, you will see a new button in game, this takes you to a screen with a list of other companies in the business of selling hot cups of heaven or “coffee”, as most people call it. These companies have their own dreams and goals and will try to survive as much as possible in the market, simulated companies will grow by selling coffee and trying to snatch those trends in the market before you do, they will also go bankrupt if they make bad decisions. If you play close attention you will see their net worth increase as time goes by and they level up or buy more locations.
As a successful Coffee Shop tycoon, you can buy stock from those companies, this will give you extra cash in your pocket when those companies decide to pay dividends. Among all the companies there are currently two strong rivals, Triton, and La boulangerie du parc, these two coffee shops are the top when it comes to pleasing their customers and they can end up being very valuable companies, if you decide to get rid of those rivals and be the only barista in town you can buy the full company, this will give you access to their logo and a cool reward.
Macarons from buying all stock from La boulangerie du parcThe rival companies will change with time as some go bankrupt and new companies emerge, so pay attention to the stocks you own as some of the companies might go bankrupt and you can lose your money if you don’t sell in time.
The second big addition is a new location! FINALLY! I know right? Well following the same train of thought, this has also been the most elaborate location of the game. The new location is called Akihabara and it is inspired by the real location in Japan, you will find your brand-new store between the lights of shiny buildings and restaurants. Along the new location I'm also adding many new items inspired by Japanese culture and increasing the level cap of the game. You will find new decorations, tables, and even a new working station. This location also includes new missions. One thing to consider is that on the beta version won't be able to go past the objective "Buy a new expansion" as I'm still working in that.
What is missing
So, what is missing to fully release v0.6? To answer this question, I'll post a list of tasks I'm currently working on and that I believe are needed for calling this update complete.
- Akihabara Store expansion
- Tutorials/Story conversation
- New items' descriptions
- Tweaks on AI behavior
- Adding market balance campaign to store UI
- Achievements
- Some animations
- Two more main rival companies with rewards
- Add option to sell company (to recover value of all stocks plus money in their bank)
- Tweaks to lighting in Akihabara
The list might seem intimidating but many of those changes are very straightforward and don't require me to read a book on AI. Taking into account the holiday season and the list of work, I believe the full v0.6 update will be ready and released close to the third week of January. I will be updating the beta branch as I go so you will start seeing some of these things come to life before that date.
Thanks for the support and love for the game, I always appreciate any feedback bad and good, and I will keep trying to make this game awesome so everyone can have a good time. I will share an updated roadmap once this update is done so you can know what to expect from the coming months. If you find bugs in the beta, please post them in the pinned channel, as I will be fixing those while working on the update.
How to play the beta
Go into your library, select Coffee Shop Tycoon, click on the settings icon and select Properties.
From there simply go to the beta tab and select beta from the dropdown.
Thank you for playing and enjoy your coffee!