Updating engine?

[Sigmar's Faithful]

So... I'd assume it's possible to update an engine, adding aspects, etc.; now with my limited experience in game development as an computer engineer, I'd seen engines that allows for lateral additions of methods. Not that the it makes the engine's potential endless, but that it allows for a longer life span of an engine.
Now, of course Game Dev Tycoon is just a game, and there are aspects different to account for; but I really hope that I can at least add/swap new functions in the existing engine when possible, instead of starting from scratch.
Thoughts?

[speakeritu]

Agreed, especially when your a new company and you don't have enough capital to create a decent engine. While your current engine is incredibly aged and your capital falls through the floor.

[Kerosyn]

If you plan to make sequels, this would be counterproductive without changing the scoring algorithm. If you release a sequel on the same engine, you take a sizeable pentaly. Personally, I just cram literally everything into my engines until I unlock everything, then make new engines with one or two outdated things taken out for my sequels, but I'm always rolling in money.

Originally posted by speakeritu:

Agreed, especially when your a new company and you don't have enough capital to create a decent engine. While your current engine is incredibly aged and your capital falls through the floor.

When your games are doing bad enough to keep you from making new engines, you really need to rethink your use of the sliders. The game is very easy to win, but also VERY unforgiving if you don't know how to win.

[Dorok]

Sequels aren't counter productive, you just need not make them too soon and always use new features so new engine. I did sometimes sequels that perform better than original. It's not as easy than in Game Dev Story where sequels was mainly a big boost, but it's not counter productive. I haven't yet explore enough this point nor the game to say if they worth it or not, just that they aren't counter productive.

About engine updates during a long time because of too many technical and design evolutions it wasn't worth it. For sure now it seems have changed and yeah it could be a feature added in the game, but it's a matter of balance, if it's much cheaper to manage engine then it will be too easy and fast to manage features.

[Carl94]

He didnt say sequals are counterproductive, he said they would be if engines where just updated, not a new created, due to the game giving a penalty if you make a sequal on the same engine. Therefore the only way to stop them being counterproductive would be to change how they are scored.

If you leave it too long to make an engine that you start loosing money and dont have the money to make a new engine, you are playing the game wrong and not making good enough games. You should look to make a new engine as soon as a new graphics version is unlocked, providing you also have all the engine features unlocked you can currently use.

I have completed the game 3 times now and on my 1st steam play through, making a new engine usually costs allot of research points prior to starting, since you have to unlock all new features, you make allot back when you make a new engine, especially bigger engines later on, this is helpful as you can then train your employees that you have been neglecting, in order to get the engien features unlocked.

[Dorok]

Originally posted by carlford94:

He didnt say sequals are counterproductive, he said they would be if engines where just updated, not a new created, due to the game giving a penalty if you make a sequal on the same engine. Therefore the only way to stop them being counterproductive would be to change how they are scored....

Ha thanks for the explanation, lol so no need of new features just make a new engine version and it's fine?

Well it's still a false reason because clearly Engine Xxx v1 wouldn't be the same than Engine Xxx v2.

[Carl94]

Making the same engine again may or may not work, I havent tried it personally as its a huge waste of money, especially when they get really big and cost millions, plus the salarie it takes to built an engine with 1400 tech points. Not to mention lab costs and MMO maintinence if you was to do it much later in the game.

[Dorok]

Originally posted by carlford94:

....you can then train your employees that you have been neglecting, in order to get the engien features unlocked.

Training employee unlock features? I do remember similar thing in Game Dev Story, didn't noticed it in Game Dev Tycoon.

[Carl94]

No, you have mis-understood. What that sentance means is, You have not being training your employees (neglecting them), because you have been spending your points to unlock engine features. Now you have just built a new engine, you will not need to unlock any features for a while, so the points you get while making the engine, can be spent to train your staff.

[Dorok]

Ha ok that's more clear now, but it's not only my fault if I didn't understood in that case. :-)

For me build engine is a good time to manage various stuff like training employee or even vacancy time, too bad later engine are so long to make and you can't pause their developing. But yeah I agree it's good time to train with points produced during engine building.

I'm trying another approach by focusing much more on research skill of employees to produce much more research points. Still experimenting but it's interesting.