I mentioned previously that the financials screen UI hadn't been moved over to the new system yet. Part of the reason for that was that I didn't know how best to handle it. During the Christmas break, I had enough mental space to resolve how I'd like to implement it.
Towards the end of the year, I was losing confidence in my approach to making games. A lot of how I go about implementing features in Jalopy and Landlord's has a fair bit of friction tied to it. This friction often leads to bad reviews from players who want established conventions that better usher them towards the core game loop. A "good" designer therefore would resolve to solve this in their future projects.
How, then, can I solve the issue of a review that says Landlord's Super doesn't have enough jobs at the job centre, when the game is set during the period of Britain's historic highest unemployment rate? How do you deal with other developers bemoaning you because a "true scouser" would never say "Thatcher should be proud of me", when the quote is taken wholesale from a scouser themselves? Well, you don't, you can't really, you need the rough edges.
With this resolved, I set out to implement the financials screen as thematically as I'd originally envisioned. Honcho is all about endless capital gain. The game should see Keiko go from scrappy mechanic to leading business owner. Late-game systems then should lean into this opulent aesthetic.
Introducing the PC-8901
The financials' information isn't essential early-game, so I've moved it to a purchasable computer, thePC-89. The PC-89 helps players balance their debts easier, and allows them to invest in companies.
The PC-89 will be unlockable through purchasing an enterprise contract. This will provide a computer for each of the player's properties. The software on the PC-89 is modelled after the LOTUS 1-2-3 application from that period. The PC-89 does not have mouse input, so players will need to navigate using their keyboard. The boot sequence can be skipped by pressing any key.
For players starting out, and without access to the PC-89, bills will arrive by post, and can be payable as such. Investments are limited to bank deposits at the ATM with an interest rate of 0.25%.
I've also been working on adding more performant engines. Not much to say on this, as it's still a WIP, but expect more higher-end engines to chance sometime down the line. Surprising even myself, it's not based on a Honda, but it is still iconic.
Next build will likely be 0.3, with a bigger focus on getting the late-game systems in place. No date on this, but the intention here is to get the game self-contained enough that Early Access could be an option for us should we need it.
Thanks for the continued support.Greg