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[MaximumZero]

Definitely still interested. Can't wait to play the beta.

[Glloyd]

Definitely still interested. Can't wait to play the beta.

Same, can't wait to see how much it's evolved over the last few weeks.

[hemmingjay]

We are not going to localize the game, at least officially, for a while if ever. Unfortunately, due to the randomizing of news stories and events/conversations, it's just not feasible to offer other languages. That being said, I may offer patches that will convert the buttons in the game menus to specific languages. I know some people say they won't buy games that aren't localized for their languages, especially Germans, but it's a huge strain on small studios and the payout often isn't worth it. Besides, with English being the official business language and the official game language for much of the world, most players can fumble their way through the basic words on buttons. As long as the player doesn't need to read and comprehend paragraphs to make decisions, it's ok. As long as you can deal with numbers, Arms Dealer should be fine for those who speak Tagalog - Swahili.

[Balistic604]

I can't wait for the beta for this game. Been wanting a game like this for quite some time and this one looks really fascinating.

[Kaje]

With regards to #10, it sounds like you've created an AI business beast! Could you not port him over to the actual stock market, make trillions, and take over the world (after giving me at least a billion first)?

It all sounds great, though! Keep up the astounding work!

[hemmingjay]

Thanks for the kind words chaps! We are on the verge of a new build for you to tinker with, we are just having an issue with some art.  I dislike our new design for ports, which made the map quite claustrophobic. This lead to an internal discussion with the team on the subject of whether or not we even need to represent ports in the game. I feel that the world/map looks empty and sterile without something representing a destination within countries and I developed a formula for the number of ports within a country based on the relative weight of import/export trade. For example, many nations have just one port while The US and China have 8. We have all agreed to work on a new, sleeker design for ports and our next need is an identifier for the 10 supply nations on the map, for the people who absolutely refuse to sit through a 3 minute tutorial or read any basic in-game materials. Not surprisingly, these people who refuse to take a couple of minutes to participate in the intended game experience or spend 2 minutes reading an in game or printed quickstart/manual are the very same people who will after 10 minutes of struggling with the game write a diatribe about how awful it is and how everyone should avoid it like the plague.

I can't imagine how great the games would be in a world where developers didn't have to waste 40% of their energy combating a few irresponsible, overly aggressive, attention starved, habitual haters. Our industry is conducting a study on whether or not mental health counselors and support groups are needed for developers. This is because when a few professionals proposed the idea they were attacked aggressively online, through the mail and on the phone. I'm sorry this post devolved into this but I have spent the better part of the morning trying to help a peer who is considering quitting the field. His successful game has generated some good money and guaranteed his job for another 2-3 years but the posts, emails and phone calls he is getting caused a severe depression and his personal relationships are suffering. I'm tired of losing our best and brightest minds to the hate posts.

[Fikes]

Remember business and the universe are locked in an eternal struggle. Business tries to make it idiot proof and the universe tries to make better idiots.

As for the ten minute rage review,  at least steam includes a played time with the review so it is really easy for other gamers to dismiss the reviews from people who didn't give the game a chance.

I haven't played it in a long time but I remember that one pandemic game, the flash one where you designed a disease to kill all the humans, had a good active seeming world map that wasn't overly cluttered.

[Glloyd]

I'm really sorry to hear about that Hemmingjay. It seems that the internet has given loud voices to some of the most hateful people in our society. Although, I will say that I personally dislike tutorials, and prefer to just try it out myself. I have fun messing up and figuring out the various foibles of the game on my own. However, I really like reading printed manuals, not sure why I prefer one over the other. But, I understand what you're talking about in relation to  people complaining that "the game is broken" because they just don't understand how to play it.

[hemmingjay]

Glloyd, I fully understand not wanting to play a tutorial or read a manual and I don't begrudge a person for that at all. It's just when they follow that pattern and then criticize the game for not revealing itself in their chosen nuanced way, customized for their own personal idiosyncrasies.

Anyway, good news, we have just about completed work on the abilities in the game, around 25ish. Also we are almost done with the SMUG vehicle auctions, just need to enable the AI to participate in a fair manner. Right now they cheat by knowing too much information and I insist on AI being at LEAST as blind as the average player. I don't like taking shortcuts when adjusting AI for difficulty settings either.

Instead of making the hard AI start with more money or have more knowledge or lower costs or more profitable deals by default, I simply make them perform more actions and calculations per minute. Just like a pro-starcraft player vs ....well, me.......the pro simply thinks and clicks much faster and therefore has an edge. Hopefully these subtle little details translate to you the player, at least subliminally. Otherwise, I have just made everything harder for myself. I'll know anyway, so I guess it's worth it.

By the way, I've lost the last three games I have played. Twice I was basically locked out of business by the final Agency, which prevented me from dealing with any of the suppliers except for the black market dealer, but by that point I didn't have a good relationship with him and I had blown most of my money trying to counter the AI as it was locking me out. I was unable to make profitable enough deals for the late game and just couldn't operate anymore. It felt like I earned my defeat though, so it was good. The final loss .......I gambled and lost. I was in the early to mid part of the game and had been cornered by an AI. I thought I could risk one last big shipment before they closed in on me but they were just too fast. They seized the shipment and I was broke and busted. The first 2 losses took about 2 hours each, maybe 2.5. The third took 32 minutes until I lost, so it was not a great tragedy to start over after that.

[EuchreJack]

I can't imagine how great the games would be in a world where developers didn't have to waste 40% of their energy combating a few irresponsible, overly aggressive, attention starved, habitual haters. Our industry is conducting a study on whether or not mental health counselors and support groups are needed for developers. This is because when a few professionals proposed the idea they were attacked aggressively online, through the mail and on the phone. I'm sorry this post devolved into this but I have spent the better part of the morning trying to help a peer who is considering quitting the field. His successful game has generated some good money and guaranteed his job for another 2-3 years but the posts, emails and phone calls he is getting caused a severe depression and his personal relationships are suffering. I'm tired of losing our best and brightest minds to the hate posts.

I would think secretaries/assistants trained to throw out hate mail and answer phones would be cheaper.  Seriously, I can not overemphasis how important good support staff is to any professional.

That being said, I'd certainly suggest mental health support for developers.  Anyone that needs it, really.

Glloyd, I fully understand not wanting to play a tutorial or read a manual and I don't begrudge a person for that at all. It's just when they follow that pattern and then criticize the game for not revealing itself in their chosen nuanced way, customized for their own personal idiosyncrasies.

Personally, I very much prefer wikis.  But I've fumbled through tutorials and enjoyed manuals.  Also played games with absolutely no documentation with great fun.  What can I say, I view video game playing as exploration, and don't mind wading through the bush to learn something new.

[hemmingjay]

EuchreJack, you are without a doubt my, and probably most developers, favorite type of gamer. We make games with the noble idea that someone will explore the art we have created with an eager mind and open heart. Unfortunately the vast majority we hear from instead have a chip on their shoulder and a limited grasp on social graces or grammar. Still, it's worth it if just a few gamers like you guys get to experience it.

I would ask that you guys take a moment to let developers know if you enjoy their work. The truth is more people are polite and kind than are angry and stunted, it's just those with issues tend to want to be heard while those who are content don't feel the need to share their joy. You have the power to change the internet by being brave enough to write something positive and ignore any hate or trolling that such an act may garner.

[hemmingjay]

Double post alert! Forgive me but it's worth it.

New build will be ready in less than 24 hours! In it are many improvements in aesthetics and gameplay. Private vehicles are now available on a random basis and can be acquired through a silent auction against other dealers, with a minimum bid as your only clue. Also, abilities, now known as Perks, are earned through a series of achievements and can be tracked by pressing "P" in-game. This build will be followed up by another within 3 days, which will include 150 weapon images(finally!) and the African continent added.

The only thing we are waiting on for today's build is the new Port design. It's much cleaner than our first iterations. Sound effects will be in the game within 10 days, right around the time our trailer will be finished and our release date will be announced.

[Kyzrati]

I would think secretaries/assistants trained to throw out hate mail and answer phones would be cheaper.  Seriously, I can not overemphasis how important good support staff is to any professional.

That is excellent advice, especially for small-time devs who tend to be introverts or at least a little less adept at dealing with people. Anyone lucky enough to have at least some friend or family that can filter media/communications for them is a godsend, making it that much easier to focus on the important things, like making an awesome game for awesome players like EuchreJack.

The Internet can be such a scary place

(Been stalking this thread since the beginning, btw, in the good sense )

[Glloyd]

Sound effects will be in the game within 10 days, right around the time our trailer will be finished and our release date will be announced.

Hype obtained. Seriously Hemmingjay, I've said it before, but I love what you're doing here and I can't wait to see how it turns out. Good luck with the announcement!

[hemmingjay]

Sound effects will be in the game within 10 days, right around the time our trailer will be finished and our release date will be announced.

Hype obtained. Seriously Hemmingjay, I've said it before, but I love what you're doing here and I can't wait to see how it turns out. Good luck with the announcement!

Thanks! I don't pretend that we will get any media attention, especially good attention. In fact I am fairly certain if Rock Paper Shotgun does indeed cover us, we won't garner positive words. It doesn't matter though, I truly believe that our existence in the category of biz sim/tycoon/crime sim is enough to earn us a fair amount of automatic sales from people who mourn those genres. AAA companies have all but abandoned them and indies only execute what they want to play, not what there is a demand for. That seems noble but it leaves an awful lot of people out. I am trying to give people what they have been missing and right now I am one of a very few doing so. Plus we are first to market with a game like this, of which we will no doubt see a new iteration/copy of within a year, which is great. By that time my beauty, Weapon Factory Tycoon will be released and I will have secured my future.

PS I am dreaming.