So most of us probably know the general game play of tycoons:
-Start off with a button, of which stepping on it starts earning x
-When enough x has been empassed, step on another button
-Repeat ad infinitum
Im have been lightly considering entering the tycoon realm, probably in regards to industry but with a different approach.
Instead of a fixed linear pattern, have players be able to plop down any building anywhere within their building space.
Have a supply chain where players can gradually progress in complexity, for example, first one starts off with mining coal and iron, then they can place down a furnace to make steel from those two resources, and then coupled with some other resource such as rubber or something, even more advanced products such as cars. This was just a highly simplified version of how it would work out.
Perhaps each building can has it’s own expense, so it may not always be feasible to keep advancing unsustainably
Would such an idea be feasible on Roblox, or would it still be considered repetitive?
Arbitrary tycoon building is a concept that has been done on Roblox before. Cue, Miner’s Haven. This is very much a tycoon game and you can certainly get that feel after playing a bit but you’ll notice the difference here is that you’re in charge of building your base up well enough to maximise your profits. This includes dropper and upgrade placements and using your space creatively and smartly.
The idea that you’ve put forth is absolutely feasible and building games often have a high degree of replayability depending on the approaches to content you’re taking (see: Welcome to Bloxburg, or “House Building Simulator” as it was called on April Fools). It’s hard to get repetitive if the limit is the imagination of the player and the supplies you give to help them power their imagination.
Considering the above though, nothing is immune to repetitiveness, so it’s always good to consider ways to incentivise gameplay and give players a sense of accomplishment and that their creativity is taking them places, thus encouraging them to do more and more. Linear tycoons themselves are repetitive so a change in the scene would be quite wonderful.
Good idea, I like how you can combine materials to make better materials, like an upgraded upgrader. Maybe you could add events or something to reduce the repetitiveness, maybe like a market with fluctuating prices? I really hope you make this, as there are too many run-of-the-mill tycoons, and I would love to see some creativity.
Another idea is to have material storage, and some droppers cost materials to make, or you can decrease the cost by spending materials. Maybe you could use some of the things as well (use cars to get around and explore the map, maybe some surprises and rewards?).
Hello!
Do you mean games like Lumber Tycoon, Retail Tycoon, Miners Haven those games?
Personally I feel this game would work well, especially the supply chain. Repetition discourages replay-ability, which is an important factor to get players to play more. Arbitrary development of the “tycoon” allows players to have more freedom. If you’re totally eliminating droppers too and and going with a supply chain of buildings (like for example a Sawmill, etc), that would be something unique as most “tycoons” have dropper systems/
Some issues players/developers may encounter however and that you need to look out for
The player may be inexperienced and might waste money on useless items
Replay-ability would be good but nothing is infinite. Constant updates are a way to deliver more content to the players but that takes time. If you launch a large game it can be overwhelming for the playerbase, but too little on launch makes playtime drop. You need to find that “sweet spot.”
Events are a great way to allow replay-ability. Not always live events like Jailbreak and such but in server events already coded.
Allow creativity. Allowing people to build something with a final goal that is endless always makes playtime and people’s love of the game huge. Lumber Tycoon 2 is a really old game, but that goal of improving your base works. Same for Welcome to Bloxburg, that end goal of making a house.
Adding badges, awards or achievements. Granting people extra things also makes them feel accomplished!
I’d love to see a change to “linear tycoons!”
I worked on a new abandoned project where it was a tycoon, but also like a city management on a planet (your base). You could explore to find materials, free-place any building you had unlocked, etc. It was still a tycoon, however it was unique and original, featuring rare qualities of a tycoon. It can be done, but must be executed in harmony with the idea of the game itself.
I personally like the idea and would love to see more of the game as it nears completion.
No that’s not repetitive. Miner’s Haven, Theme Park Tycoon 2, Lumber Tycoon 2, and Restaurant Tycoon 2 did this, and they are or were extremely popular. I’d love to see those types of games come back.
