Quote:
Originally Posted by cbk1994
The pawn shop, including selling most items in shops. I meant to include this as part of this thread but apparently neglected to.
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I really don't think the business idea is a good one.
Limiting players to a set list of pre-generated items will dilute any real creativity or actual purpose for the business in the first place. Then, on top of that, the pawn shop will sell most (if not all) items in the shop. This just isn't an ideal way to give "everyone" a chance at running a business while combating economic woes.
The biggest problem with the current businesses is lack of diversity and purpose. You have a couple stores selling very basic guns and ammo (all of which can be bought at an NPC shop), and you've got three food stores. The only difference in the food stores is the graphics, levels, and which owner you're better friends with. The -only- thing that gives any of the businesses some sort of control is setting the price, its physical location, and/or holding special sales and discounts. When literally every item in each store yields the exact same results to the player, the only thing that matters is price and location.
If you put DD stands up right next to the hospital and unstick me, that's likely the only food shop that would receive any business. The only real way that each of the businesses would be justified in staying is to have each of them have at least one item or item effect unique to their store.
I think that rather than making another mass-produced automated business system (even looking past the economic havoc wreaked by it, the first incarnation was the most uninspired form of businesses on era ever), you should instead rework the way the business administrator handles new ideas and suggestions. Open up a forum where people submit applications with ideas and a solid plan for new businesses.
If you're concerned with not having the staff to create a new business from scratch, have the applicants form teams to create most of the content. Those with the most creative ideas can be selected for a trial run, where they are given a specific amount of time to create the levels, graphics, sounds, etc. Everything would be filtered through the business administrator (hell, we're even giving the BA an actual demanding job and purpose through this system), it would be his/her job to oversee and ensure that all of the content made is quality, and that everything the business is selling is balanced. If the player who suggested the idea cannot come up with enough content in the allotted time (and no staff are available to help with the project), then he will be removed from the trial business status and another application would be selected from the forum. Even a business that reaches completed status would require monthly or bimonthly evaluations.
If the business is consistently not doing well over a period of time, it would be removed and the building it once existed in would be open again to accommodate the next good idea. Perhaps it would be best to have 3-4 pre-made business stores (like I'm sure it would be for the automated system). Therefore, the players with the business ideas wouldn't have to worry so much about levels (they'd have to add their own details into the store, but the overall layout is already complete), and could focus on the graphics, scripting, and concepts of their businesses more fully.
Now here's the thing, I know a classic response is going to be "too much work brah, that's stupid." And maybe it is a bit demanding. But anything of quality and worth takes time and effort. Sure, you can have 3-5 clone businesses battling it in a vicious price and location war. Or you could have 3-4 businesses each with a unique purpose, unique products, and unique vision. Each could possibly add new variations to gameplay and new ways to enjoy Era, rather than the same product at a different price from the store down the street but still a bit lower than the pawn shop.
04-23-2010, 05:02 AM
Hybrid Mode
