Debt - Restart a 4th Time?

[jonesbones]

First of all, I am thoroughly digging this game. I don't even mind if I need to restart.

I'm on my 4th or 5th attempt to not run out of money and then much-needed paper (is there a way to obtain paper while in debt without raiding the toilets?) -- I've been following guides when I get stuck, but perhaps I'm attempting to "level up" too quickly. It just seems like if I try to advance at a slower pace, I don't make money and it all unravels anyway. So, I've obtained loans. And then supplies run out, and I'm pouting while I click to increase my loan.

I've searched "debt" in the discussion search, but I haven't found anything that helps me determine my next steps.

It feels like I need a "News Tower for Dummies" guide. I have the recommended floor set-up (3 floors, who's on first, what's on second, etc) but I'm currently in the red $8k. I worked from -$10k down/up to -$2k, but just printing the paper and receiving a lawsuit (firing the lawyer next) took me out again. Printing propaganda on minimal toilet paper.

Should I impoverish my staff further and take away their gum-ball machines or slash salaries? Is this a reflection on me personally? Am I inherently fiscally irresponsible? Maybe I'm not cut out for management.

[Flunsi]

Dont take loans higher than $7k.
Only buy new things if you can afford it. Grind slowly.
Go for the money quests from the Mafia etc.
Go for 1 main topic per newspaper, so you get at least 2 doubles per page.
Dont try to get stories in which you could get a lawsuit - if you dont have a lawyer.
Try to avoid stories that might lead to a mob.

[cowswithpuns]

These are all good tips above! Agreed. Avoid stories with lawsuits and mobsters early until you've got the economy to support security / lawyer. I hate missing any stories, but sometimes you've just got to cop the loss :(

You are not a dummy, it is super easy to get in a debt spiral! And then not be able to afford to print all the papers you can, which means you also make less money. Avoid at all costs.

I'm still adding to my Guide, so I've added a section on "starting out" that may or may not help you? Still a lot to add to it though!

I suspect part of the issues you face could be from expanding too quickly, which can be tough to avoid. When do you feel things start to unravel for you? Might be helpful to know if it's the story gathering and reporting, the assembly, or something else that's the issue. Too many staff can be a drain, and sometimes something as simple as a protest can put you deep in the hole if you're not prepared with adequate security to cheese it.

[lembos-hauser]

What do you people mean by "expanding too quickly"? I cannot imagine how that is even possible - the quicker the better, but reasonable of course.

Daily cost is interest and salary, income is newspaper sales. Don't spend your last 5k on a new floor if you don't really need the floor and don't have left over money to fill the floor with furniture. Everything else is like expand as quickly as possible, spend those influence points wisely and there won't be any money issue.

For a glance: on week 1 I hire 2 typo and 2 assembler and 2 telegrapher - I know, there aren't enough on the marked, so I swith them manually, but only during the first week, and I hire all 4 reporters, on week 2 I hire another 4 more reporters, so 8 in total and I hire the missing telegraph/typo/assembler. From that point I expand as quickly as possible to 4 typos and 4 assembler, if I feel like I can't handle all my stories. If I feel like I handle then too well, I go for the next telegrapher, if I feel like all is great (so all stories ready at Saturday afternoon and no new stories to unlock through the telegraph and still stories left over to print but no space) I got for the next page - from that point I only need some handymen or cleaners, once I hired them because there is an acute need, I keep them. I often take loans, but never more than 5k and ALWAYS because I did an acute expanding and I open the workplaces - which will pay back the next week(s). Never take a loan to buy the new floor. Never expand another time without paying back all your loans. Always take a loan if you are low on paper.

And before I forget: the last page, at this stage page 5, can wait a long time. It is so much influence points you can spend on way more important things before saving up for page 5.

[cowswithpuns]

"Expanding too quickly" can mean many things. E.g. taking on un-serviceable loans (that don't increase income), hiring too many staff too quickly, spending your income before buying paper & food, spending points on late-game upgrades (rather than more crucial ones like page modules and security), focusing on buying new floors instead of optimising the space you have, etc. I have made all of these mistakes myself, and probably more.

Otherwise I like all of your tips, except I hire utility staff much earlier (I know they're not needed in week 1, but I have the money and like to sort layout early).

[Beloega]

Thanks for helping fellow players out.
Lovely to see <3

THanks for the kind words Jonesbones

[Bayonnaise]

tl;dr: Second newspaper page immediately, cycle reporters early on to make sure you can get enough scoops fast enough. Combos are key, even if you sometimes have to resort to using old news - the combo factor makes up for the loss of readers.

Margins are razor thin early on, and taking out as few loans as necessary is important (though I'm not afraid to go big on a big week). Each $1,000 = $100/week until it's paid back, so I try to pay them back as soon as I know I'll have enough funds to get through the rest of the week.

For reference, my second starting tower, about 1h in (can definitely be optimized more, this was just using little lessons I had learned from my demo run):
https://steamcommunity.com/id/StanleyP01/screenshot/2512522904820750117/
---

Personally, I've been doubling up on Typesetters and Assemblers practically out the gate because it means I can have all my articles ready to go at the end of each week - the more important part to have however is the second news page printer - that doubles your available income. I'm pretty sure I've been going with 3 Telegraphers out the gate as well, being able to pick up as many different stories as possible is just so critical for every aspect of the game.
In the longer run, it seems 5:3 Typesetters:Assemblers seems to work out well enough for my tower, though they all mostly have high skill levels and 2+ buffs; just something I've noticed. :shrug:

With regards to layout, I've been putting all my Typesetters on the first floor, as close to the entrance as possible - this minimizes the time it takes reporters to walk in and deliver their news article, meaning everyone gets to working again as quick as possible. Early on I place the assemblers adjacent to the typesetters, because saving as much travel time as possible is important.

Reporters and Telegraphers can go on the highest floor in your tower (if not one below it, because printing machines). Reporters teleport out of the tower when you assign them to a case, so their actual position in it besides dropping off at the typesetter doesn't really matter - the moment they drop it off, they can be assigned to another case immediately. Telegraphers are only delayed when they have to go to the bathroom, but that's something that can be resolved eventually/mitigated by more telegraph machines.

There's a lot to say about reporters and how many you should have; I usually open with 3/4 - being able to cover all your bases and pick up news articles the moment they drop is key to being able to print combos. Because of the below factor, I'm not afraid to fire/hire new reporters to make sure I can cover a news-articles type early on, you have to cycle to be able to get as many as possible.

Parts of this are cheesy, but; don't forget you can fire an employee with no penalty - this allows you to cycle your reporters for different news types, hire/fire security guards and the like as necessary (since tower space is so premium). I haven't practiced it since developing skill-sets and a consistent baseline of people is also important - but conceptually you can fire the majority of your staff right before the end of each week, saving payment there (at the cost of no skill growth; might be ok early on).

This is super minor, but in the long run, all the printer modules except the input module don't need to be accessible - you can shove them all behind a wall, and it'll help cut down on a lot of noise/misc, allowing you to save some space/funds on comfort items.

Lastly, you don't have to print IMMEDIATELY on Sunday, you've got enough time to order paper and have it arrive/manually place it in the machine before printing. I'm usually waiting until Sunday to worry about ordering paper, because I can see just how many pieces I'll need to print my run that week - meaning I can try to order as close to that number as possible, saving on costs a little each week.

I personally have been playing as close to zero funds as possible; paying back loans immediately when able, and taking them out (larger ones later on) as necessary to fund the items I need immediately. It takes some time to get going, but you can very quickly reach a point where you're able to get reporters on all the news articles in a given week - meaning you'll have combo pieces that week, and build a small base to work off at the start of next week.

I've been starting with the full suite of support staff at the start of the game, that way I never had to worry about anything; you might be able to get away without some for longer, but I too like to figure out my towers initial placements sooner rather than later.

[Korashy]

How do you run out of money.

15k is enough to buy 2 stories hire 3 Telegraphists, 4 reporters, 1 cleaner, 1 maintenance, 2 typesetters and 2 assemblers, build a bathroom, printers, and do comfort everywhere.

That should get you through the first 2 weeks. After that hire more reporters and telegraphists (as you unlock them) and work to get more pages.

It's kind of really hard to run out of money unless you are just wasting it on crazy stuff or aren't doing page combos right

[jhughes]

I start with 2 each of Telegraph, typesetters, assembly tables and 4 reporters. 3 floors. 2 pages on the paper.

If you are careful you can start this up and do the first month with the 15K you get and not take a loan. I made $2800 on month 1.

This setup should make money until you can get a 3rd telegraph and 3rd page for the paper. Once I get the 3rd telegraph I also go to 6 to 8 reporters.

Then move to 4 telegraph, 4 typesetters, 4 assemblers, 12 reporters. You can finish the game with this setup or move to 5 or each of the desks.