Computer Tycoon News

Hello Tycoons,

I've just enabled the latest version of the game for the default branch from the open test branch.

Thank you for the Support! Please leave a REVIEW if you like what I'm doing here as a solo developer, it really helps and means a lot to me!

Version v0.9.7.13


- From now on you cannot click on the “Market!” button on the computer design screen, only after 5 days of testing. Plus before archiving a computer there is a confirmation window.
- I had to update the description of the marketing department's on-site screen.
- On the site manager I've changed the marketing department's “Efficiency” text to “Bonus”.
- On the List Screens I have changed the color of the names plus made them underlined (where they are clickable - so they look now more link a link) and also changed the cursor changing shape while you hover over them and shortened how fast hints appear above elements of the UI. Plus I created a dedicated “Open” button on the Computer List.
- I've created a new helping bubble telling you if you have a polished but unreleased computer.
You can also click on it to open the computer.


- From now on the Manager Report Window after training will tell you how many points your manager has gained. Also, it used to show +1 days for the duration which was a bug.
- In the earlier version you could alter Accessories after you've started the polishing phase of your product, that is a problem as this phase calculates with the values of your accessories. (It is not a new change that you can't alter these anymore, it is a bug that got into the game some time ago that in the previous version you could change them).
- From now on the game switches to 1024x768 full-screen as the minimum screen resolution, doesn't matter what it finds in the settings. It was necessary for those who are upgrading from earlier versions.
- On the research queue the quality “order by” mark was not updated when you've used either the heat or noise order markers.
- On the resolution 1920x1080 the order by arrows were not appearing correctly on the Research Queue.
- Mouse Scrolling didn't work on the Market List and on the Hardware List.
- I've changed the “you have not enough...” texts in the game to “you don't have enough...”
- The description of the Voice Control technology didn't appear correctly on the Research Details Window.
- When you clicked on hardware the first time on the Hardware List, then it was highlighted. But when you clicked on it again, it was not deselected visually while the activated buttons on the side of the List screen were deactivated.




Here is the game's roadmap that we created together:
LINK

Around 70% of this is already implemented. For now, I will try to polish the current version further, and then the next major update will likely contain:

- Talking/making agreements/trading parts with the opponents
- More immersion with random events and potentially manager requests
- The "CEO Stuff" screen, where you will be able to spend your billions

This is the point when the game will reach 1.0, and I can start working on Localizations and Steam Integration, etc.

If you'd like to know more about localizations:
LINK

You are the best guys! Please leave a REVIEW if you like what I'm doing, it really helps and means a lot!







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Pictures from the future (not part of the advertised version)

Hello Tycoons,

I've just enabled the latest version of the game for the default branch from the open test branch.

Thank you for the Support! Please leave a REVIEW if you like what I'm doing here as a solo developer, it really helps and means a lot to me!

Version v0.9.7.12 - Warning! This version cannot Load Previous Saved Games!


- I've added two new female avatars to choose your CEO from.
- The computer design types are from now on separated in the customer simulation - so you can easily sell 2 profitable computers on the market if they are from different design types. (For example, one is a home computer and the other one is a handheld computer etc.)
- From now on the game will show the reseller cut and tax values on the budget window, on the cash-flow window, and on the Computer Release Tab as well – so that you can follow down those costs, too. It is way more important now when you can more actively play around with taxes by using managers.
- I've added a confirmation window before exiting from the game.
- From now on when you click on the bubble that notifies you about having a computer that is not profitable, it will actually open you the computer's design that is not profitable (or the first one when you have more).
- I've decreased the development time of video games.
- I've added a new toggle filter for the hardware list called “Active Filter”, and from now on this and the archived toggle works exactly like the same toggles on the Computer List – that will hopefully make it easier to understand.


- I have separated the "building a research site" and the "building a laboratory" steps - so people won't accidentally build a laboratory on their factory site.
- I have removed the “Back To Edit” button from the Computer List as it was pointless since all computers are automatically saved (And appear on the Computer List) as soon as the player made any changes to them.
- I've edited a tutorial text to:
"...But on the other hand, FACTORY costs are much higher."
- There was a point during the tutorial when the player had to set filters on the Market List. I've added there 4 small extra arrows so people will find the mentioned filters faster.
- During the tutorial the first time when you have to click on the “Pricing” Tab, now the tutorial highlights it with an arrow.


- The opponent filter buttons didn't have a hint before.
- The victory screens for time and research victories were showing incorrect data.
- The input field's text was a bit compressed vertically.
- From now on you cannot archive hardware parts during the tutorial.
- I've edited the first message of the tutorial, explaining that you are in the garage only during the tutorial, because for many it was not clear.
- Bay sizes and devices were possible to use inconsistently on removable media devices.
- Some pieces of technology which were used by multiple hardware types had an issue with becoming obsolete on the tech list for all the different kinds of compatible hardware types at the same time when they should have become obsolete only for one.
- The hardware and computer names could overflow from their text boxes on the lists when they were very long.
- The first memory designs appeared to have a zero size (because they have very low values) so from now on the game shows as small values as 0.0001 as well.
- On some screen resolutions the round pop-up menu was not correctly positioned when you clicked.
- Logistic points were not refreshed automatically after selecting a passive logistics task – and the delegated points were not refreshed on leveling up the manager or when you've discontinued the task.
- One of the arrows during the tutorial appeared under texts from the UI.



Here is the game's roadmap that we created together:
LINK

Around 70% of this is already implemented. For now, I will try to polish the current version further, and then the next major update will likely contain:

- Talking/making agreements/trading parts with the opponents
- More immersion with random events and potentially manager requests
- The "CEO Stuff" screen, where you will be able to spend your billions

This is the point when the game will reach 1.0, and I can start working on Localizations and Steam Integration, etc.

If you'd like to know more about localizations:
LINK

You are the best guys! Please leave a REVIEW if you like what I'm doing, it really helps and means a lot!







######################################################################
Pictures from the future (not part of the advertised version)

Hello Tycoons,

I've just enabled the latest version of the game for the default branch from the open test branch.

Thank you for the Support! Please leave a REVIEW if you like what I'm doing here as a solo developer, it really helps and means a lot to me!

The game has received a few patches since the big "Managers & Offices" update but I didn't post for them a normal announcement, so I will list here all the changes since then:



- The version fixes 2 office issues
- and disables more buttons during the tutorial until you have already created your first computer, so the player has fewer chances to just randomly click around. I will still have to make many more modifications like this, but I wanted to upload this version because of the hotfix.
- The last office did cover the upper menus
- You were not able to go back from the time victory screen to the game (and potentially from others either)
- I've replaced the old sliders on the hardware designers for clarity and the ability to edit the values manually
- I've changed Billy Boy's skills as his loyalty problem could bankrupt companies where he was the partner.
- I've added validation and a block on computer prices so that the player cannot release a computer with a too high price - so high that nobody would buy it - to avoid confusion.
- I've improved the automatic hardware and computer copy naming to avoid very long names.
- Many text corrections
- There was a screen issue with the garage, so if you couldn't play, because you had no UI, it was hot-fixed after a few hours from the major update was released.



[h2]Tutorial and UI improvements[/h2]

At the moment I'm trying to polish the tutorial further as it is just too "loose" for many players, and not all actions have arrows showing exactly where they should click, etc. Also, some casual players have an assumption from the game's name and previous experience with Game Dev Tycoon that this game is also really simple - and then they have a lot of trouble understanding the complex systems of Computer Tycoon. I would like to help these players more and I'm looking for ways to achieve that.

[h2]Design Types VS Demand[/h2]

Also, in the current version of Computer Tycoon players have a feeling that the game does not really support having multiple computers from different computer designs.
The idea behind the customer simulation is that a customer will decide to buy a computer according to his/her own needs, and the different design types should just have different attribute boosts during their polish period - so the player should use these plus the sliders and technology selection to really specialize his/her computers to fulfill the needs of different kinds of customers. Just because two computers are from a different design type, this let alone won't seriously affect their sales. A casual user will always buy the best casual computer on the market, they won't split between the PC and the HC fifty-fifty.
Many players might feel that this separation should be way stronger between the different computers design types, especially portables, and handhelds - by default. Their demand should be (more) independent.
I'm still not sure if I should just drastically increase the design type boost (and make them more differentiating as in earlier versions) or I should just separately run the market simulation for these products - or create a hybrid system, but I would like to change on the current system, simply because having more kinds of computers profitably is more fun, and players tend to not specialize their computers enough to make it happen on their own. The drawback of this will be that in that case players will be really forced to offer to have all the 4 types of computers (as soon as they are available) otherwise they will be at a disadvantage compared to the AI.

[h2]Woman CEO characters[/h2]

I've also decided to add 2 more woman CEO characters to the game. Connected to this, the more interesting part is that I will have to create later their texts and personality as well because with the next major update these "illustrations" won't be just illustrations, but characters as the player will be able to talk with the other CEOs and make deals with them. Imagine something similar to how this works in CIV games.

These 3 things are the most important things I'm focusing on now next to bug fixing and polishing the UI. I have a lot of items on my to-do list for sure!



Here is the game's roadmap that we created together:
LINK

Around 70% of this is already implemented. For now, I will try to polish the current version further, and then the next major update will likely contain:

- Talking/making agreements/trading parts with the opponents
- More immersion with random events and potentially manager requests
- The "CEO Stuff" screen, where you will be able to spend your billions

This is the point when the game will reach 1.0, and I can start working on Localizations and Steam Integration, etc.

If you'd like to know more about localizations:
LINK

You are the best guys! Please leave a REVIEW if you like what I'm doing, it really helps and means a lot!







######################################################################
Pictures from the future (not part of the advertised version)

Hotfix for the problem with starting a new game while the "news" window was open. I'm sorry about the inconvenience guys! Now you can start a game without closing the news window normally.

From now on I will always have an "Open Test Branch" for new versions and I will wait a few days before upgrading the live branch. So this won't happen again!

Your friend,
Andris aka Progorion

Most important changes:
- I've replaced the old sliders on the hardware designers for clarity and the ability to edit the values manually
- I've changed Billy Boy's skills as his loyalty problem could bankrupt companies where he was the partner.
- I've added validation and a block on computer prices so that the player cannot release a computer with a too high price - so high that nobody would buy it - to avoid confusion.
- I've improved the automatic hardware and computer copy naming to avoid very long names.
- Many text corrections

Please guys, if you enjoy the game, leave a review - it really helps a lot with visibility on the store, and would mean a lot to me!